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  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Chapters 31-40.<br /><br />Setting the stage for the conclusion.<br /><br />I gave up tagging here. Maybe I get back to it before upload, idk. Always feel free to help adding missing character tags.</span>",
  "writing": "Sonic GeneX - Knuckles the Echidna\nArc 4 - Journey to Demon Island\nChapter 31 - Assault on White Base\nStage 18(Hero 10) - White Base\nMinor Boss 14 - Dr. Eggman & Col. Gunner\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\nThe story thus far:\nOn Sonic's return to Eggtopia, he learned that Eggman was plotting to take over the Security Tower in Station Square. During the trip through the tower, Amy formed a new Team Rose with Cream and Silver, fed up with Sonic's apparent uncaring attitude toward her. At the top of the tower, Sonic confronted Eggman's forces, led by Metal Eggman and Freeze. However, this was all a diversion while Eggman set up a sneak attack on Central City! As a timer counted down the destruction of the roof of the tower, Sonic was distracted by a vision from Tikal showing the creation of Shadow Chaos, who emerged from the Master Emerald after Chaos was sealed. When Sonic awoke, Team Rose was missing, and SPOT had been damaged. Tails went off to find Knuckles, leaving Sonic to head for Central City to stop Eggman on his own! Little did he realize that Eggman was the least of Central City's worries...\nNow, on to the next chapter!\n\n\nSonic arrived to find Central City in chaos. Knowing they were up there, Sonic quickly picked out Eggman's Cloud Cruisers in the sky. They weren't hard to spot, really, since they were the clouds that were ejecting robots down into the streets below. GUN had mobilized to attempt to restore order, but there weren't that many of them out in the streets. They were preoccupied elsewhere, though Sonic couldn't imagine what could be more important right now. The Covenant of Despair had also seen fit to take advantage of GUN's apparent moment of weakness, and their agents were busy creating havoc through the streets as well. On top of all that, Sonic could swear he could see Lospirits flying around amidst the robots in the sky. \"It's like a bad guy convention... Guess I'd better crash it!\" Charging straight into the mayhem, it wasn't long before Sonic heard someone call out to him. \"Yo!! About time you showed up, hero!\" Sonic stopped short and noticed Kosmo staring at him from across the street, calmly flicking his tail at an Egg Pawn as it approached him, somehow slicing it in two. Sonic approached the morph cautiously. \"Funny place to run into you, Kosmo...\" he said. \"Never mind that. You'll want to know this. Those freaky monsters made off with the President.\" Kosmo informed him. Sonic looked around worriedly. \"Freaky monsters... You mean... Aw, shoot. That's what Lospecter was talkin' about!\" he realized. Kosmo sighed. \"Well, I've had enough good deeds for today. They've been pretty thankless so far. See ya!\" he said, rushing off. \"Hey, wait! ...Thank...you.\" Sonic muttered, somewhat concerned about the situation. \"Wish he'd have stuck around. I could use help, even from a crazy guy... I don't even know where to start looking for the Prez.\" he grumbled, glancing around. The President's luxurious home-slash-office-slash-private bunker could be seen on the other side of the city, a landmark that really sticks out. The Black Arms had blown it up once, but it had been rebuilt, good as new. \"Guess I'll start by knockin' at home. If anything, some GUN agents are probably there that I could ask a few questions...\" Sonic figured.\n\nSonic sped through the streets on his way to the President's house, but a certain angry voice made him stop short. \"Sonic!!!\" growled Amy, leading Silver and Cream down the street toward the startled blue hedgehog. Silver calmly pushed aside any opposition that came their way with his powers, so no robots or creatures bothered them. \"Oh, hey Amy! Good to see you're okay--\" Sonic said, only to get walloped by her Piko Piko Hammer anyway. \"OWW! HEY!!\" he yelped. \"You dirty, no good jerk! Abandoning the three of us atop an exploding building!!\" Amy screeched. \"To be fair, only the top of the building exploded...\" Sonic said weakly. \"Toss him to the sun, Silver!\" Amy snarled, but Silver wasn't paying attention. \"I... I think there's somewhere� more important I should be right now...\" he said, taking off hastily. \"I'll help you!\" Cream said, chasing after him, probably more out of a desire to stay out of Sonic and Amy's latest fight. Sonic sighed. \"I would've gotten you out, but I...passed out. Ask Tails.\" he said. Amy pouted, wanting to stay mad, but she couldn't help wondering and worrying about why he would pass out. \"Well, where are you going, anyway?\" she grunted. \"Save the President. Monsters got him.\" Sonic said quickly, resuming his sprint to the President's house. \"Wait For ME!!\" Amy yelled. Both of them stopped short again when they heard a yell coming in their direction. \"Leave me alone, Mr. Toad!!\" came the voice of Rainbow the echidna, who was being chased by a certain Despair-uniformed frog named Corky. \"You gotta pay, lass! And I'm the one ta make ya pay!\" he snarled as he hopped after her. Sonic rolled his eyes. \"Am I ever gonna get where I'm goin?\" he sighed, dashing at Corky and swiftly knocking him onto his back before he knew what was happening! \"Oi!! Who threw that whatever it was at me!?\" he shouted, struggling to get back up. \"Don't get up, that was just a speeding hedgehog!\" Sonic called back as he and Amy resumed their sprint to their destination. Rainbow started to follow them. \"Wait up, Speedy! I could use a bodyguard until I find One again!\" she said, \"Those black suit people are mad at me because of that stuff that happened at the pyramid!\" she added.\n\nLike the rest of the city, the President's house was under attack. Some rather massive Egg Pawns were in a shootout with GUN troops at the entrance. Sonic watched them for a moment, and then glanced at Amy and Rainbow. \"Any chance you two would be willing to wait out here?\" he asked. Amy glared at him, and he chuckled softly. \"Well, we could always look for a way around the explosions...\" he said. They started sneaking around the side of the building, and they soon noticed some people busily smashing through the wall to make their own entrance! One of them happened to be Vector. \"Since when is breaking and entering in your job description?\" Sonic asked, making him jump. \"SHHH! You wanna draw attention to us!? Seems like every bad guy in the country's around!\" he snapped. The other person with Vector, Crash the Rhino, poked his head out from inside the hole in the wall and looked around. \"What's the hold up? Hm? Are you coming, hedgehog?\" he asked. \"Um... Who's that??\" Sonic wondered. \"Experiment 8. He's here lookin' for somethin' for Bucky. Thought I'd tag along while I try to figure out what happened to the President.\" Vector explained. \"Hey, Eight!\" Rainbow waved to Crash. Amy stomped through the hole in the wall ahead of the others. \"Whatever! I'll figure all this out AND chase away all the bad guys to boot! Maybe then Sonic will respect me!\" she growled. As the others followed her in, Vector chuckled at Sonic. \"Lady trouble, huh, Sonic?\" he said. \"Just stay out of it...\" he grumbled. \"Maybe you're not being sensitive enough...\" Crash suggested, causing Sonic and Vector to stare at him. \"...What? Oh, stay out of it...\" he mumbled. They hadn't gone too far from the hole Vector and Crash had made before another hole got blasted down the hall in front of them! Some Covenant of Despair agents started to flood the hallway, led by Zeke the dragon! \"Hey! What're you doing here!?\" Crash shouted. \"Attacking human twerps. What're you doing here?\" Zeke replied, \"...with SONIC??\" he growled. \"Hi again, Ten!\" Rainbow waved. Zeke rolled his eyes. \"That's it! GET 'EM! RAWR!!\"\n\nPatch the fox and Daisy the skunk were part of the group Zeke was leading, and they charged straight at the five non-uniformed animals before them. Amy quickly blocked Daisy's katana with her hammer. \"Out of our way!\" she yelled. \"What the... Did you just block me with a toy!?\" Daisy stammered. Patch came cartwheeling down the hall before taking out his nunchucks, but then Crash stomped over to him. \"Hey, you little brat. You remember how things went back at Pumpkin Hill?\" he snorted. Patch then backed away a bit, and Crash started chasing him around the hallway! Sonic started speeding down the hall as well, smacking random Despair agents as he went just to soften them up while Vector squared off against Zeke. \"I'm gonna fry yo-\" while Zeke was threatening him, Vector blew a big bubble from the gum he was chewing, and ejected it right into Zeke's face! \"ACK!! ...EEEWWWWWW!!\" he screamed. Vector then unwrapped another stick and started chewing again. \"Now what were you sayin', chump?\" he smirked. Still, this brawl could go on for a while if nothing interrupted it. Fortunately, Guard the gargoyle soon made his way down the hall, leading a squad of GUN's Hunter robots behind him. \"Grrr!! There's the intruders! You thought you could blow a hole in this building and not be detected!?\" he growled. Seeing this, Sonic ran over to grab Amy and then slip out the other side of the hallway while things were starting to get really chaotic. \"Good luck, Vector! We gotta move!\" he said. \"Aw, nuts...\" Vector sighed. Sonic and Amy soon made it to the base proper, but they stopped short as they entered the next corridor. Metal Sonic was right in front of them! \"Oh, great...\" Sonic mumbled. However, a couple gunshots ricocheted off the robot's metal body. \"Push him back, boys!\" Infin the weasel was leading a group of Despair agents in battle against Metal Sonic, and the robot quickly retaliated against them with an electrical charge that knocked several of them over! \"Robo-Speedy's busy! Let's go!\" said Rainbow, startling Sonic and Amy. \"How'd you catch up so fast!?\" Sonic asked. \"...You stopped.\" she muttered.\n\nSneaking past Metal Sonic and Infin, Sonic sighed and chuckled. \"Lucky for us they're all so keen on fighting each other.\" he said. \"...Are we maybe losing focus, Sonic?\" Amy muttered. Sonic scratched his head, then frowned. \"Aw, I came here to see if GUN could help find the President. Well, can't be helped now. Gotta clear out the riff-raff. Better start with Eggman.\" he reasoned. Opening a door and heading into the next room, they found their path heavily blocked. Laser grids kept the way to the next area of the base pretty well defended. Of course, the base was already on alert, but some weapons mounted on the walls seemed to indicate that these laser sensors were not simply for monitoring the area, but stopping the threat entirely. On top of that, the room was full of robots. Eggman's robots and GUN's robots were busy brawling, but when Sonic, Amy and Rainbow stepped into the room, they stopped what they were doing and turned to glare at them. \"Ah, so you're ALL programmed to target me first? Great, we found a squad of Gunner's robots.\" Sonic groaned. Someone else suddenly arrived at the doorway behind them. \"Laser grids! Oh, wonderful!\" Rainbow's eyes widened at the sound of the female voice behind her. \"...Viola?\" she said, turning slowly. Violet was there, dressed in her Despair uniform. \"R-rainbow... I told you to return home!\" she stammered. \"You KNOW each other?!\" Amy gasped. Meanwhile, Sonic was busy evading lasers and bullets from various robots. \"That's nice, girls... Anyone wanna lend a hand!?!?\" he shouted. Violet groaned and looked around the room. \"You and I are going to have a very serious talk when I get a chance... But right now I need those robots kept busy while I disable those lasers.\" she said. Amy and Rainbow both nodded. \"You got it, sis!\" Rainbow said. \"Sonic can handle it.\" Amy added. \"I'M SURROUNDED IN A TINY ROOM WHERE I CAN BARELY RUN!!\" he protested. \"What's that, Sonic? I can't hear you. I'm way over here looking for something 'more important' than you to deal with.\" she grumbled. \"...Why did you tag along?!\" Sonic shouted back, taking out his frustration on a few Egg Pawns by violently bouncing back and forth between them until they were a pile of frayed wires.\n\nA stray laser struck near Amy's feet, so she grabbed her hammer and charged in. \"No one shoots at ME and gets away with it!!\" she yelled. Rainbow wasn't exactly the combat type, so she casually walked over to where Violet was busy fiddling with the wiring connected to the laser grid. \"You know... I've been looking all over for you.\" she said. Violet groaned. \"I'm FINE. I know how it must look to you, but I need to be with the Covenant. You... You should KNOW why!\" she hissed. Rainbow's eyes softened. \"You know... Revenge won't bring them back...\" she said. Violet stayed focused on what she was doing. \"I have work to do...\" she insisted. Rainbow wiped her eyes and growled softly. \"I won't rest until you're back home safe, Viola!\" she said. Violet ignored her, and Rainbow began to grow frustrated. \"You can't just do whatever you want! I may be your little sister, but I'm the only family you've got, so you're gonna listen to what I say!!\" she growled. Growling a little herself, Violet simply pulled out the wires she was tampering with and turned to Rainbow. \"I promise I'll come back for a visit... But only if you get BACK to the underground ruins and stay out of danger!\" she said, turning to help finish off the robots with a few dark magic blasts. With its power source cut off, the laser grids had deactivated, and it didn't take much work to eliminate the remaining robots in the room. \"Hey, thanks. Your sister's handy, Rainbow.\" Sonic said. Amy smacked him with her hammer again. \"She's the enemy! She's got one of those uniforms and everything! And how about a thank you to me!?\" she yelled. \"Um... Thanks for... the concussion...\" Sonic mumbled as Amy stomped to the next hallway. Rainbow glanced at Violet as they started to move on. \"I'll go back home after this... But you'd better keep your word!\" she said. Violet stared at her. \"Why would you think I wouldn't keep my word? Has it really been THAT long?\" she asked. Sonic walked a bit slower so he could talk to the echidnas. \"So, I gotta ask... Either of you got any advice for dealing with an angry Amy?\" he said. \"Maybe a football helmet.\" Violet suggested. \"Ha...ha...\" Sonic sighed.\n\nAs they came to a fork in the hallways, they saw Crash come smashing through some Egg Pawns down the hall in front of them. \"...Oh, you guys again.\" he muttered as he approached the group. \"Um... Hey... you there. Seen the others?\" Violet asked, apparently recognizing Crash, but not knowing his name. \"Gah, they're all over the place.\" he said. \"...Good to know...\" Sonic sighed. They all turned and headed for the room at the end of the next hall. The doors were labeled \"War Room.\" Inside was a room full of maps and a projector that the President could use to go over military strategy with. Also, Dr. Eggman and Col. Gunner were seated at the table, having a coffee together. \"Ah-HAH!! The military conspiring with Dr. Eggman! Proof that you humans are NO GOOD!!\" Violet yelled. \"Aw, this is old news, Viola. Tubby and Gramps are old buddies.\" Rainbow sighed. \"The young echidnas today... So disrespectful.\" Eggman mumbled. \"Dr. Eggman was just telling me all about how you were aiding the Covenant of Despair, Sonic, and now look! Here's the proof!\" Gunner snarled. Sonic rolled his eyes. \"Are you sure you didn't tell Eggman that? Sounds like something you'd come up with.\" he groaned. \"Enough! Ivo and I have decided to call a temporary truce in order to eliminate you pests once and for all! And we have just the machines to do it with!\" Gunner said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, the table in the center of the room exploded, revealing a horde of androids hiding underneath! These androids resembled various Covenant of Despair members, but since so many looked alike, it was clear they were robots. \"And don't forget this!\" Eggman grinned, snapping his fingers as well. Something blew a hole in the roof, and a menacing, wolflike robot hovered down through it. \"Say hello to Techno Fera and the Despair Androids!\" Gunner smirked. \"GUN's been stealing my designs so much, I'm not sure which I made anymore...\" Eggman sighed. Sonic shook his head and chuckled. \"I think you guys are takin' this 'war room' a bit literally. Well, at least this is less confusing than 3 different armies...\" he grinned.\n\nThe Despair androids went on the attack, each with robotic equivalents of their copied selves abilities. Androids of Despair's dark mages, like Violet, would fire lasers rather than use darkness. Androids of winged Despair agents flew about with jetpacks. Some spewed fire or shot missiles. Rainbow was taken aback by a Corky android, complete with a robotic frog tongue. \"Ick!! You guys are out of your minds!\" she yelped, jumping away as the android chased her. As things started getting chaotic, Violet initially covered her hands in dark energy, ready to fight with the others. However, the door creaked open behind them, and Violet shivered as Basker peeked his red eyes into the room. \"Violet... and Crash. What are you two doing? These fools are not our objective.\" he stated darkly. Violet stammered a bit, but Crash grunted. \"I didn't come with the covenant in the first place! I answer only to Bucky!!\" he growled. Basker's vacant expression didn't change. \"You will rejoin us, Violet. Now!\" he insisted before turning back through the door. \"Vy... You have to help us...!\" Rainbow pleaded. However, Violet shivered at the idea of disobeying Basker. \"I... I can't!!\" she whimpered, taking off to rejoin the Covenant of Despair. \"V-viola...!\" Rainbow stammered in shock. Some androids were about to corner her, but they were suddenly smashed into the wall by a charging rhino! \"I've been yearning to thrash those Despair scumbags... Now Eggman's given me just the venue to vent!!\" he snarled, taking off through the room and bashing his horn through the androids one by one! This made it much easier for Amy and Rainbow to manage the stragglers, so Sonic stepped to Techno Fera.\n\nThe robotic wolf definitely looked like an Eggman creation, with the Despair star emblazoned across its chest. Techno Fera glowed with black energy as Sonic approached. \"Hehe... With this robot I managed to harness the power of shadow energy! It won't be so easy stopping her, Sonic!\" Eggman grinned. \"That's what you always say!\" Sonic snickered. Techno Fera then charged at him, covered in a ball of black energy! Sonic sped out of the way, but the robot quickly turned his way and fired off the dark energy as several black bolts! Sonic tucked himself into a ball and rolled along, evading the dark bolts and spin dashing right into the robot's chest! The robot retaliated by jolting Sonic with dark lightning from its hands, but the attack didn't last long. Techno Fera needed to charge up more dark energy! \"What are you doing, robot! Finish him while he's stunned!\" Gunner yelled. Sonic got up quickly and ran a few circles around the robot, grabbing its metal tail along the way. \"Robots, robots, robots... When are they gonna get over their low battery issues?\" Sonic sighed, hurling the dizzy robot away before jumping up and giving it a huge whack with a homing attack! Techno Fera buzzed a bit before exploding! While Sonic was taking a bow and the others were relaxing a bit since Crash had easily disposed of the androids, Gunner pointed a gun at the hedgehog's back. \"Just stay right there...\" he muttered. However, Amy emerged next to him and whacked the gun to the ground with her hammer! \"You sore loser!\" she shouted, while Eggman hid his own blaster behind his back. \"Yeah, seriously, Richard...\" he said awkwardly. \"Oh... Uh... Nice save, Amy.\" Sonic said, blushing with embarrassment. Suddenly, hordes of Lospirits and Losohsts swooped into the war room from the hole Techno Fera had left in the roof, led by Lospecter! \"Ah, so HERE'S the party! Okay, spooks... Sic 'em!\" Lospecter smirked. Gunner banged a specific small country on the map behind him, and the wall flipped around, carrying him and Eggman to safety through a secret passage! \"How does he ALWAYS know how to get away!?\" Rainbow wondered. Sonic and Amy backed away slowly, uniting with Crash and Rainbow. \"So... Now we got what, FOUR armies in here? Any other craziness I don't know about?\" Sonic whimpered. \"Oh, you needn't worry. You won't be burdened by thinking brains when I'm through with you...\" Lospecter grinned.\n\n\nChapter 32 - Project GXterminate\nStage 18(Hero 10) - White Base\nBoss 18 - Loskeletor\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\nSonic glared at Lospecter, but then remembered something. \"Wait... If you guys are here, that means the President might be here!\" he realized. Lospecter set his cards aside and glanced at Sonic with an amused expression. \"Well, that's the million-ring question, ain't it? Oooh, and you'd better find him quickly, too, eh?\" the spirit mused, \"If those fellas in the black jumpsuits find him first, he might end up too dead to appreciate your rescuing him!\" he snickered. \"Wow... You are one special kinda psycho.\" Amy sighed. Sonic nodded. \"And on that note... I gotta search this whole base quickly!!\" he said, starting to run off. However, Amy managed to grab on to his leg before he could get far. \"You are NOT leaving me with these monsters!!\" she shouted. Sonic glanced at her with slight annoyance. \"If we both go, who will watch out for Rainbow??\" he grunted. Crash cleared his throat loudly. \"I do TECHNICALLY work with her sister... for the moment. I'll probably get fired for helping you as much as I have.\" he said. \"Viola's gotta quit that team...\" Rainbow growled. Lospecter yawned loudly. \"By the time you guys work this out, the Prez will be dead. Lospirits, help them speed this along!\" he ordered. As the Lost One ghosts charged at them, the four of them ran for the exit to the war room as fast as they could, slamming the doors behind them. Some ghostly hands grabbed at them through the doors, but didn't pursue them beyond that. Rather, Lospecter merely laughed at them. \"I'd get a move on if I were you... Eggman and the Covenant are moving on, after all!\" he taunted.\n\nRainbow motioned for Crash to follow her in one direction. \"I think Viola went this way! Help me find her!\" she asked. Crash sighed. \"Sure... We might find who I'm looking for, too, what the heck...\" he muttered. As they left, Sonic and Amy took off in a different direction, starting their search for the President. Despite calling off his troops from the war room, it seemed Lospecter had set losol and loskels loose in the base, so they had to deal with some along the way. Sonic set to work on the loskels with some well timed spin dashes down the halls, but Amy used the losol to vent, slamming them violently and furiously with her hammer while snarling and growling! Sonic stopped a distance away from her and sighed. \"Still mad, huh?\" he asked. \"...Well, it's not like this is a new issue, Sonic! You've been ditching me... Since before we met Shadow! How am I supposed to feel!?\" she yelled. Sonic groaned. \"And how many times did you follow me anyway and get kidnapped??\" he retorted. \"Well... Th-that's hardly the point!\" Amy snapped, \"You've started ditching me when I'm in danger!\" she growled. Sonic cracked a little smile. \"You got out okay, didn't you?\" he pointed out. \"...Huh?\" Amy murmured. Sonic continued talking as he walked ahead. \"It used to be I'd try to leave you behind because I... worried about you. I mean, we first met with you getting kidnapped. But lately... I've sorta noticed...\" he trailed off. \"Huh? ...What?\" Amy asked, blushing a little. However, they arrived at a new room where they found Vector seated in front of a computer, and Sonic took that as an excuse to cut the conversation short. \"Vector! Found the computer room, eh?\" Sonic smirked. Amy crossed her arms, pouting a little. \"Thanks a lot, Vector...\" she sighed. Vector was busy checking various things on the computer, when he suddenly stumbled upon something. \"Sonic... Check this out. It's a communication channel...\" he said. A voice came over the speaker. \"Who is this? I'm afraid the one normally manning this channel is away on a mission...\" Sonic recognized the voice. \"...Anubis!?\" he gasped. \"Sonic... Curse you for finding this frequency. May we cross paths soon so I might burn your blue hide personally...\" Anubis replied before hanging up. \"Now why do you suppose GUN has a direct line to the Covenant of Despair...?\" Vector wondered.\n\nSonic and Amy quickly filled Vector in on the situation, and they continued together on the search for the President. However, they didn't get far before they found a situation. One of the bases many bunkers had been broken open, possibly by Eggman's robots. Sgt. Drol and a squad of GUN soldiers were being overrun by the robots, as well as a few Covenant of Despair agents. Sonic sighed. \"If that were Gunner in there, I might consider leaving him... for a minute.\" he said. Vector nodded. \"Can't have it both ways. If we're tryin' to save the President, we're on GUN's side!\" he noted. Amy pulled out her hammer, noticing Infin among the Despair agents. \"I'll handle this guy...\" she growled. Sonic nodded and took off after the robots, leaping up to strike some buzzbombers that had a few soldiers, and Agent 32, cornered. \"I... I had that... covered.\" he muttered. \"No one believes you, shades.\" one of the soldiers grumbled. Vector took on some of the Despair agents with \"sound\" warfare. His singing made them fall over, covering their ears. \"Hate to resort to that, but who knows what superpowers you Despair guys are runnin' around with?\" he said. \"Mine WAS super hearing...\" a uniformed bat whined, writhing on the floor. Amy approached Infin with her hammer at the ready. \"Hmmm...\" he mumbled, glancing around. \"No dice, I'm not dumb enough to take on Sonic on my own!\" he said, firing shock blasts from his special gun at Amy, which she deflected repeatedly with her hammer, leaving Infin plenty of time to escape. With the robots soon defeated and Despair making a retreat, the GUN soldiers let out a relieved cheer for Sonic and his friends. Drol looked a bit annoyed, but he grudgingly stepped to address Sonic. \"You need to know... A terrible weapon may be in this base.\" he began. \"...I'm listening.\" Sonic said. \"Project GXterminate. After the President was captured, our Dr. Nammad confiscated the device for safekeeping, but he's been spotted in the base, it seems. I fear he, and Project GXterminate, may have been captured.\" he warned. Vector groaned. \"Greeeat. Anything ELSE we gotta worry about???\" he grumbled.\n\nThey left the bunker and returned to the route they had been on, soon finding their way to some sort of conference room. The Lost Ones were busy tearing the room apart, but they weren't entirely unopposed. Rouge and Omega were busy battling it out with them. \"I sure wonder where Shadow got to...\" Rouge grumbled as she swatted aside a losoar bat with a swift kick. \"Need any help?\" Sonic asked. \"I am the ULTIMATE robot!!!\" Omega shouted, blasting everything around him violently and nearly hitting Sonic, too. \"...I take that as a no.\" he replied. \"Either of you seen the President?\" Vector wondered. \"Obviously, we're a bit preoccupied!\" Rouge yelled, chucking some bombs at some loskulls that were chasing her. Omega, having cleared some breathing room around himself, stopped to run a quick scan of the area. \"Sensors indicate that the President is likely located in the Presidential Office... However, allow 30% margin for error, due to interference.\" he said. \"You've already been more helpful than we ever expect you to be.\" Amy smirked. \"Annoying mouth breather...\" Omega grumbled. \"We can save the witty banter for later, guys. In addition to the President, we also gotta find some weapon before all these dark forces do. See ya!\" Sonic said, leading the way as he, Amy and Vector charged right past the Lost Ones, leaving Rouge and Omega to deal with them. \"Don't you dare mess this up, Sonic! I mean it!\" Rouge shouted, \"My job's on the line, here! ...Not to mention my life, with that doomsday weapon...\" she sighed. \"Fortunately, that device apparently has no effect on inorganics.\" Omega remarked. \"...Shut up.\" Rouge growled.\n\nA quick stop to a map display used for tour groups, and they headed directly for the President's office. Along the way, they caught up with Rainbow and Crash. \"Hey, any sign of your sister?\" Amy asked. \"...Nope. This place is huge, she could be anywhere...\" Rainbow sighed. \"I haven't found who I'm looking for either, but no one cares how my day's going...\" Crash grumbled. \"Yo, Crash, how's it going?\" Vector waved. Suddenly, the PA system came on, and Col. Gunner's voice filled the halls. \"Attention, troops! Dr. Eggman is on the run. Seems he couldn't handle a battle on so many fronts. This leaves the animal intruders. I've received word that Sonic the Hedgehog is marching on the President's office. He has no business there, save treason! All troops in the area, stop him with any means necessary!\" he ordered. Sonic sighed. \"Been a while since he accused me of treason. I was beginning to think he'd gone soft on me.\" he said. The five of them hurried down the hall to try to beat the troops to the office, but soon they found a number of soldiers in their way, led by Sgt. Drol. \"Weapons at the ready, troops...\" Drol said. Sonic glanced at Amy, inching in front of her. \"I'm not abandoning you this time...\" he said. However, many of Drol's troops lowered their weapons, saluting Sonic instead! \"...Soldiers!!\" Drol growled. \"Sir! Sonic saved our hides, sir!\" one of the soldiers said. Sonic smiled and nodded, but Drol was livid. \"I am your commanding officer, and Gunner is MY commanding officer! We're GUN soldiers! Following orders IS our life!\" he growled. Some of the troops held up their guns, but the others stood in their way. \"Maybe we're more than just soldiers then. Maybe we still have our humanity!\" they said. \"At ease, men! We can take it from here!\" Sonic suggested. However, all of the soldiers suddenly doubled over... in fear! Basker the Hound was coming from the next hallway, and he was using his power to incapacitate the GUN troops! However, some of them attempted to resist. \"Go... Sonic! We'll stop... Despair!\" they grunted. Sonic frowned. \"I hate to leave them, but we've gotta get to the President and that weapon!\" he growled. Amy, Rainbow, Vector and Crash followed him past the GUN soldiers. \"That was nice, Sonic, but protecting me from non-dangerous soldiers doesn't get you off the hook!\" Amy shouted. \"Whatever!!\" he groaned, frustrated.\n\nThe President's office wasn't far, and inside, the President seemed to be perfectly fine and having a calm chat with Dr. Nammad, who had the GXterminate machine propped up on the table behind him. \"Could it be that something's actually easy?\" Vector wondered. \"Hey, Prez! ...How'd you get away from the Lost Ones?\" Sonic asked. Dr. Nammad pulled up a sword with a clear, crystalline blade, which appeared to have a high-tech handle. \"Stay back!\" he warned. Sonic sped around the President and startled Dr. Nammad, making him fumble his sword a bit. \"Eeep! You don't, uh, understand!\" he stammered. Suddenly, Amy, Crash, Vector and Rainbow were all stunned by a volley of Chaos Spears, and Conan the Raccoon charged past them, straight for the President. \"In the name of the Covenant... This is your impeachment, Prez!\" he yelled. \"Wait... No!!\" the President winced. \"Now, die!!\" Conan said quickly, impaling the President with his blade just as Sonic turned to see what was happening! \"No!!\" he shouted, followed by a confused \"...Huh??\" Conan looked a bit puzzled as well, as the President grabbed at the hilt of the blade piercing his chest with a smile. \"And thus, it would end... Hadst thou not missed me!\" He pulled the blade out of his own chest, tossing it to the floor as his flesh melted and twisted into his true form. Everyone watched in horrified astonishment as the President took the form of Loskeletor! Dr. Nammad was the only one not surprised. \"I tried to, uh, tell you...\" he sighed. Conan retrieved his sword and backed away as Loskeletor's glowing red eye-holes followed him. \"Woe upon thee... I had these simpletons fooled.\" he growled. Vector stood up and whimpered. \"Am I the only one REALLY hoping we didn't vote that THING into office?\" he gulped. \"Don't all politicians have two faces?\" Crash mumbled. Suddenly, as if things weren't bad enough, Spiny the porcupine kicked open the door! \"So, who was the moron who thought Eggman was finished? I've got a troop of robots here that says they're wrong!\" he shouted, leading EggRobos into the office! \"...Not our day, huh?\" Sonic sighed.\n\nChet the cheetah also sped into the room, passing by the robots and joining Conan. They glanced at each other and nodded before heading straight for the GXterminate weapon. \"Hey, step away from the doomsday weapon!\" Sonic shouted, only to have a beam shot at his feet before he could pursue them! Loskeletor was still in his way, and he didn't seem to care who got the weapon as long as Sonic didn't get to it. Fortunately, Spiny hadn't come alone. Among the robots he'd brought with him was Metal Sonic, who dashed past Loskeletor and plowed right into Conan, knocking him to the ground and causing Chet to turn around to aid him. \"Eggman has ordered us to retrieve that device!\" Spiny stated, \"But while Metal handles that... I'm going to muss up your pretty little face, hedgehog!\" he growled. Dr. Nammad sat back in the President's chair and observed all this, seeming amused. \"Okay...uh, may the best burglars win.\" he grinned. Some losoars swooped down from the ceiling and surrounded Loskeletor, apparently having been there the whole time. \"Feast upon those wretched, pitiful beings. I shall reap the honor of dispatching the blue one!\" Loskeletor cackled, pulling a couple ribs free of his own body as he spoke, revealing the ends that were attached to him to be covered in spikes! Meanwhile, Spiny had conjured some Chaos Spears that he'd begun steering around, preparing to send after Sonic. \"Don't I feel special? Two psychopaths, just for me...\" he said. Amy and Vector quickly became occupied fending off losoars, while Crash and Rainbow were taking on EggRobos. \"Yeah, real special!\" Amy growled, swatting one of the slimy bats with her hammer. \"Gladly trade ya, Sonic...\" Crash murmured. As Loskeletor fired his laser eyes and Spiny launched his Chaos Spears, Sonic took off in his effort to evade the two enemies at once. \"I may take you up on that, rhino-guy!\" he shouted. Loskeletor tossed one of his spiked ribs at Sonic, which he somersaulted to avoid. \"Ha! Missed, and you're down a bone!\" he taunted. \"Speedy, look out!\" Rainbow shouted. Sonic glanced back and jumped suddenly as the rib came circling back like a boomerang! However, the distraction got him zapped by a couple of Chaos Spears and knocked to the floor! \"Now I got you, stinking hedgehog!\" he sneered.\n\nSpiny launched into his signature attack, Spear Storm, firing dozens of Chaos Spears from his body all at once! Sonic quickly curled himself up into a ball and took off toward Loskeletor, who tossed his spiked ribs at the rolling hedgehog in an effort to stop him, but Sonic moved too fast and rolled right between his skeletal legs! \"Gadzooks?!\" he exclaimed, suddenly finding the storm of Chaos Spears headed his way! The spears riddled Loskeletor into a pile of green bones, but he quickly pulled himself together and fixed his fiery gaze on Spiny. \"I allowed thou knavish Sonic doppelganger to act so long as no interference came hither!!\" he yelled. Spiny stared at him. \"I don't know what you just said, but I'm sure it was a threat!\" he snarled. Sonic dusted his hands and snickered softly now that he'd managed to turn them against each other. However, it was a bit late for that. The door, which had closed behind the last person to enter the room, now smashed off its hinges, and a menacing hooded figure entered. Glowing red eyes pierced the dark under his striped red hood. It was the Darkseeker! He seemed to simply and with great ease hurl aside and EggRobos and losoars that dared block his way as he approached Dr. Nammad. \"Hold it, Mr. Hood! No one goes near the machine over there!\" Sonic warned. The Darkseeker barely glanced at Sonic. \"You are the blue hedgehog that chose to stand against us rather than rally at our side?\" he sneered. \"And who are...?\" without letting Sonic speak, the Darkseeker raised his hand, and emitting a small dark spark from his finger, knocked Sonic to the floor! \"Ooof!\" This got the attention of Amy, Vector and the others, but Conan and Chet stood in their way. \"You don't want to cross this guy...\" Chet warned. The Darkseeker crept over to Dr. Nammad, who cowered before him a little, but stood up and shook his extended hand. \"Well, Mr. uh, Darkseeker... A deal's a, uh, deal...\" he said, motioning to the GXterminate machine! \"Ah! No way... That scientist must be the one who used the line to call Despair!\" Vector gasped. \"He... sold out his own kind!?\" Crash stammered. The Darkseeker turned around, his dark gaze meeting all. \"We have what we came for. Those who would stand in our way, know that it is foolishness. I, the Darkseeker, master of the Covenant of Despair, will craft a new world! Any in my way... will perish!\" he snarled, kicking Sonic aside as he and Dr. Nammad headed out, while Chet and Conan carried the GXterminate machine. Metal Sonic tried to stop them, but Crash charged into the robot from the side, taking it by surprise and damaging it greatly. \"...Regrettably... I am with Despair...\" he grunted, taking his leave. As Amy and Rainbow rushed to help Sonic, Gunner's voice came on the PA system again. \"All troops... Excellent news. Despair forces are withdrawing. Dr. Eggman has been forced out of Central City by the efforts of our capable Commander. Furthermore, I have managed to locate our President, alive and well. Those monster freaks were apparently holding him on the grounds for some unknown purpose...\" he said. Loskeletor gritted his teeth in defeat. \"There goeth the source of my machinations... I take my leave of this place!\" he growled, leading the losoar away. Sonic stood up shakily, but otherwise fine. \"We'd better get outta here before Gunner comes for us...\" he said. \"Who was that guy?\" Vector wondered. Sonic's eyes narrowed. \"...Someone I gotta stop!\" he said.\n\n\nChapter 33 - Dark Ascent\nStage 19(Dark 9) - Lost Plateau\nMinor Boss 15 - Shadow Chaos\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\nThe story thus far:\nPunchy traveled with Copter and Kosmo to Central City in search of Rainbow and Heather. They were soon drawn into conflict at GUN HQ, leading them to encounter the Lost One posing as the President, Loskeletor, who desired to use Project GXterminate to bring about the end of all life. Heather was required to operate the machine, but our heroes managed to free her and escape GUN HQ. Rainbow, however, was nowhere to be found. What's more, as the real President was kidnapped by the Lost Ones, Eggman and Covenant of Despair forces arrived in Central City, each bent on defeating the GUN army and claiming a decisive victory for their causes...\nNow, on to the next chapter!\n\n\nPunchy searched through the city in chaos for any sign of Rainbow, but he began to think that it was a wild goose chase. As the battle between GUN and Eggman died down and it started to become safe for regular people to come outside again, Punchy decided to find out if the trains were running so he could search for her elsewhere. However, he didn't get far before he ran into an old annoyance: Officer Razor. \"Stop right there!! I need a LOT of explanations, right now!\" he shouted, a bit frazzled by the recent battle. \"Arrrgh!! Why couldn't you have been crushed in the undersea cave-in!?\" Punchy grumbled. \"Very funny!\" Razor grunted, \"The buzz around town is that you chumps busted into GUN HQ! What's the big idea!?\" he questioned. Punchy crossed his arms. \"I don't expect YOU to believe this, but we just saved everyone's butts from GUN's own doomsday weapon!!\" he explained. Razor mulled that over and nodded. \"You're right, that does sound like garbage. Where's your friends, anyway?\" he growled. Punchy was really getting sick of this now. \"You're IN my way!! I'm trying to find my friend who might be in danger... and EVERYONE'S in MY WAY!!\" he screamed. \"Awww... Problem, Punchy?\" came the mocking voice of Fera as she strutted around the nearby corner. Razor turned and pointed his gun at her in alarm, recognizing her uniform. \"Go away, Fera!! Both of you, go away!! Just... LEAVE ME ALONE already!!\" Punchy yelled. \"Why don't you make us? What's wrong, Punchy...? Are you feeling... afraid? Afraid of the darkness?\" Fera goaded him. \"Shut up!!\" he snapped. \"Sir, you're sounding very um... Outta control, here.\" Razor muttered. \"I am not!! Now STAND ASIDE!!\" Punchy warned. \"'Fraid I can't do that! You gotta tell me everything you know, or we're takin' a trip to the station! Your choice!\" Razor threatened. Punchy glared at him, while Fera waved her hands in his direction, seeming to cast some influence over the Despair Seal. \"His gun is ready to fire... You'd better make a move, Punchy... You know what you want to do...\" she hissed. \"I... I can't...\" Punchy grunted, trying to resist. \"The Despair Seal knows what you want...\" Fera sneered. \"Freeze, wolf! You are interfering with police business!!\" Razor shouted, aiming his weapon at Fera again. Just then, Copter and Kosmo arrived on the scene. \"Hey!! What's going on here!?\" Copter asked. \"Gah! This cop again!\" Kosmo groaned. \"I don't need help!! I can handle this myself!!\" Punchy insisted. Razor sighed. \"Now I might need backup... Fortunately, GUN HQ is nearby!\" he said, pulling out his phone. \"No, no... You are NOT calling Gunner over here...\" Punchy growled. \"...Hello, Guard?\" Razor started. \"You have no choice. USE THE DARKNESS!\" Fera yelled, casting a black spell over the Despair Seal! \"GRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!\" Punchy roared in fury as his fur took on a blacker hue, and he transformed into Dark Punchy! \"I-I don't know what you just did, but I am prepared to shoot if necessary!!\" Razor whimpered. \"Oh, boy... I'm dead for my heroism...\" Copter mumbled, running out with the intention of protecting Razor from Dark Punchy. Instead, Kosmo dove in front of the raging echidna and took his dark energy blast, tumbling to the ground in pain! As Punchy roared in rage and satisfaction, a frightened voice called to him. \"One!!! S-stop!!\" He glanced behind him, his eyes wide. \"Rainbow...?\" he winced. \"Well, well... It's you.\" Fera mused. \"R-run... Rainbow!! I... I can't... c-control... me!!\" Punchy grunted, punching through a nearby wall in his fury! \"Yes you can, One! Just try to calm down!!\" Rainbow insisted. \"K-KILL!!\" Dark Punchy snarled. \"N-NOOOOO!!\" Punchy stammered, turning and dashing as far away as he could! \"One!! Wait!!\" Rainbow pleaded, trailing after him!\n\nTrapped in Dark form, mired in conflict with the evil presence within his own mind, Punchy fled to the darkest place he could find: Troblusk City. Amy Rose had reunited with Cream and Silver at this point, having found them outside the President's house and explained the situation to Silver. It seemed a good idea for Team Rose to search for Despair's HQ separately from Sonic, but what they found instead was a crazed Punchy. \"He's all black and nuts... I think I've seen this before...\" Amy muttered. \"He seems in pain. We should try to help him.\" Cream suggested. Silver nodded. \"He could do a lot of damage in that state. Let's go.\" What they didn't notice was that a rather see-through Lospecter had approached the crazed Punchy. \"Hey, grouchy-face! Don't we look evil today?\" he said. \"Get.... away from me!!\" Dark Punchy snarled. \"Which one of you is addressing me? Doesn't matter, you can't touch the shadow-me I've sent to schmooze you. It's fun being 2 places at once! Well, come with me if you want to find a nice place to settle things with the other you.\" he offered. Having no other ideas, Dark Punchy followed Lospecter to the base of Troblusk Plateau, a small mountain just outside the city limits of Troblusk City. \"One!! Don't run away from me!!\" Rainbow shouted as she caught up to Punchy. \"Gah! Rainbow, get back!\" shouted Silver as he arrived with Team Rose in tow. \"ENOUGH!! You have all made a mistake coming near me...!\" Dark Punchy growled. \"There's a good Dark One. Use all that darkness and obliterate these wimpy goodie goods.\" Lospecter chuckled. \"No, One!! STOP!! You can fight it!! I know you're in there, and you can still hear me!\" Rainbow pleaded. Punchy shook his head. \"R-rainbow... It's stronger this time, Rainbow... You n-need... to run!!\" he warned. \"No! Snap out of it!\" Rainbow yelled. \"Yeah! Or I'll have to beat you up!\" Amy warned. \"Not sure that's helpful, Amy...\" Silver sighed. \"I... gotta... break free of... Dark Punchy!!!\" Punchy growled, staring up the mountain. \"Booooring... I guess I'll leave some Lost Ones for you to play with...\" Lospecter said before flying off. Suddenly, Illusi appeared in front of Punchy with a burst of smoke! \"Halt, Dark One!!\" he shouted. \"Y-you....\" Punchy grunted. \"No... Look how deep into darkness you've slipped...\" Illusi gasped, \"Dark One!! It's over now! If I must use the very aid of the Lost Ones... I will destroy you!!\" he proclaimed. \"Why, Illoser! I never thought I'd see the day!\" Lospecter said, having appeared out of nowhere again to shake Illusi's hand, \"Well, if you want my help, that makes this all the more entertaining!\" he smirked. \"Let's see you try it, you coward!! Maybe I'll be the one to destroy YOU!!\" Dark Punchy snarled. \"One, no!!\" Rainbow pleaded. Punchy glanced back at her, fear in his eyes, and then he leapt up to a cliff on the mountainside, beginning an ascent of Troblusk Plateau! \"...Where's he goin?\" Lospecter wondered. \"I'll meet him higher up, then...\" Illusi said, vanishing with a snap of his fingers.\n\nThe road was rocky, but Dark Punchy followed what road there was up the mountain, seeking a quiet place to hash out the turmoil going on in his own mind. A few Wrongos popped up in his path along the way, but he was too quick and too furious for them in this state, punching them into oblivion before they could be much of a bother. The very rocks of the mountain shifted, seeming determined to stop his advance as well. Lospecter watched in amusement as these rocks combined to form a new sort of slimy stone creature. \"Lostone don't have much personality, so feel free to whale on them to your heart's content.\" he said. Punchy took him up on that, assaulting the slimy stone soldiers with all his rage! Some of the stones he knocked apart from them dropped down the mountainside and rolled past Amy, Cream, Silver and Rainbow. \"Whatever they're trying to slow him down with, it isn't working.\" Amy said. Rainbow started to climb after Punchy anyway. \"I gotta catch up to One... I have to get through to him and convince Mousy he's not dangerous before it's too late!\" she said urgently. Silver frowned. \"Uh... Should someone point out to her that he IS dangerous?\" he murmured. Cream followed after Rainbow in spite of the dangers. \"She's right! He needs our help!\" she said. Suddenly, the rocks that had fallen from above assembled into some small lostone creatures, startling their group. \"Gaah!! Now there's ROCK monsters!?\" Amy yelled, whacking the nearest creature back into pieces with her hammer! Silver gently pushed the others the rest of the way down the mountain with his psychic powers. \"We'd better get a move on before those things catch up to us...\" he sighed.\n\nSoaring around the cliffs of Troblusk Plateau at this time was Whisk the Divine. She'd come here to get away from the violence in Central City herself, and now she spotted Dark Punchy fighting with Lost Ones on his way up the mountain. Curious, she flew down to him. \"Hey there... Need a lift up the mountain?\" she offered. Dark Punchy only snarled at her, continuing to assault the monsters in his path. \"Uh... What's up with all the monsters? Hey, you look like this green guy I saw in Central City... I think.\" she said. Dark Punchy glared at her furiously. \"Will you SHUT UP!!!\" he yelled, firing a blast of dark energy in her direction, which she teleported to avoid! With that, Dark Punchy continued up the mountain without her, while Whisk sat on the rocky cliff, growling softly. \"That... wasn't... nice!!\" she stammered. As she grumbled in annoyance for a few moments, some hissing voices started chanting around her. \"Lossss... lossss...\" She looked around to see a pair of LosFoxes climbing the mountain, flailing nine swordlike tails behind them! As they came at her, stabbing their tails in her direction, Whisk first teleported out of the way to avoid injury. \"You caught me at a bad time, because I'm MAD now!\" she yelled, flapping above them and out of range. She concentrated for a moment, and her wings began to glow, and when they did, she flapped them down hard, kicking up a terrible wind that tore through the LosFoxes, ripping off some of their tails before blowing them into the cliff walls! However, that wasn't quite enough to take out these powerful Lost Ones, and they quickly lunged up at Whisk, pulling her back to the ground! \"Eeeek!! Lemme go!\" She tried to teleport, but simply took them with her! She tried again, but they still clung on! Finally, she warped up high and flew circles in the air, spinning in a desperate effort to shake them off! They soon gave up their grip and fell all the way down to the base of the mountain, but Whisk found herself feeling dizzy. \"Time for a nappy-poo...\" she said woozily.\n\nTeam Rose continued climbing the cliffs, though much more slowly than Dark Punchy could. Fortunately, Dark Punchy was taking out most of the monsters, giving them time to chat as they climbed. \"So... Are you still mad at Sonic, Amy?\" Silver wondered. Amy frowned in annoyance at the question. \"His thoughtless actions could get me killed...\" she muttered. Cream sighed. \"But Amy, aren't you the one who's always insisting on following him in the first place?\" she said. \"Wh-what are you saying?\" Amy stammered, \"That... I put myself in that danger... And it's not fair to put that kind of burden on Sonic... And...and I just mess up everything! That's what you're saying, isn't it!?\" she snapped, tearing up a little. \"Eeep! N-no, that's not it at all!\" Cream yelped. \"But you're right...!\" Amy sniffled. Silver sighed. \"Look, it's no big deal... I don't think Sonic would leave you behind in danger like he's been doing if he didn't trust you.\" he said. Suddenly, Rainbow burst into tears as well. \"This is all MY fault, too!\" she wailed, \"If I hadn't left One, he'd still be himself and he wouldn't be in all this danger now!\" Silver held his head and groaned. \"Please... everyone, stop blaming yourselves. It's not helping.\" he grumbled. As they climbed, they found Whisk lying on the rocks, moaning and injured. \"Angel!!\" Rainbow gasped. Silver lifted her gently to her feet with his powers, and she slowly opened her eyes. \"Tailsies... So many tailsies...\" she groaned. \"Are you okay? Can you walk?\" Amy asked. Whisk stumbled a bit, so Amy and Cream helped her stand. \"Oh no... Did One do this to you?\" Rainbow shuddered. Whisk groaned. \"Monsters! Clingy monsters!! No... shouldn't have tried to take out my anger on...\" she murmured. \"Huh...? Um... Why were you angry?\" Silver asked. Whisk pointed up towards Punchy. \"Crazy guy... spikes like that one...\" she said, pointing at Rainbow. \"She did run into One... Unless there's another echidna up here.\" she sighed. Silver nodded. \"We'd better take her with us. Can't leave her in this state.\" he said. Whisk teleported away from Amy and Cream and started walking on her own. \"I'll lead the way...\" she mumbled. \"Wow... she heals fast.\" Cream said.\n\nAs they continued higher up, they arrived on a cliff perfect for taking a short rest. However, when they sat down, the mountain suddenly flashed brightly, and seemed to split into three mountains surrounding them, connected at this one cliff! They were struck dizzy for a moment, and Rainbow shook her head and growled. \"Mousy! He's gone and trapped us in one of his crazy illusions!\" she realized. \"So... you're saying two of these mountains are fake? That's a relief...\" Amy sighed. Silver shook his head. \"No, it's not. If you try to climb a fake mountain, you'll probably fall...to your doom.\" he warned. Cream gulped. \"Then, what do we do?\" she asked. Whisk looked around. \"I could try flying up to see if I can find the creep who caused this trickery.\" she suggested. \"Too risky.\" Silver said, \"If he can do this, imagine what he might do to anyone who goes looking for him.\" he reasoned. \"Then I'll whack each mountain with my hammer 'till we find the real one!!\" Amy growled, raising her hammer angrily. \"H-hold on!!\" Silver stammered, pulling away her hammer with his psychokinesis. \"HEY!!\" Amy yelled. \"What did I JUST say about falling!? ...I'll do it.\" Silver said, psychically moving the hammer to one of the three mountainsides and giving it a good smack! Suddenly, the mountain began to shake, but the ground under their feet remained still. \"That one... was fake.\" Rainbow sighed. The illusion mountain burst into hundreds of green check-marks with eyes, Illusi's Rightos! \"Uhhhh... Can I have my hammer back?\" Amy said quickly. Silver tossed it back to her as the Rightos swarmed in their direction! Whisk shrieked and teleported out of sight, while Amy started swinging her hammer around and Cheese flew frantically around the area to protect Cream. Rainbow took cover behind Silver, who used what loose rocks were in the area as projectiles to control with his psychic powers, ricocheting them off any Rightos that came near him. Soon, those of the creatures that weren't destroyed had flown by, and the group took a moment to recover. \"Do we HAVE to do that again...?\" Rainbow whined, realizing there was still another fake mountain. \"Hey, everyone!? Is it safe to come down now!?\" shouted Whisk from a higher cliff. Looking up, the group let out a sigh of relief to realize that Whisk had found the real mountain. \"Just stay there! We'll come to you!\" Silver shouted.\n\n\nMeanwhile, Dark Punchy was nearing the summit of Troblusk Plateau. As he reached a cliff not far from the top, however, a black ooze trickled down from above, and slowly formed into the shape of Shadow Chaos! \"Out... of my... way!!\" Dark Punchy snarled. Illusi appeared nearby and crossed his arms, floating in midair. \"Behold! This creature of shadows has been drawn to the growing darkness within you! It is proof of the beast you yourself have become!\" he declared. \"SHUT IT!!\" Punchy fumed, raising his fists to Shadow Chaos as they crackled with dark energy. \"...Meet me at the summit if you can.\" Illusi challenged before disappearing. Shadow Chaos roared at Punchy as it approached, but Dark Punchy made the first move, jolting the creature with bolts of darkness from his hands! However, though the jolts sparked through Shadow Chaos's body, it seemed not to effect the creature, and it retaliated by slapping Punchy across the face with its elastic, watery arms! He jumped back and started hurling orbs of dark energy at Shadow Chaos, which the creature didn't even bother attempting to avoid. It merely absorbed the darkness, and this seemed to give Shadow Chaos energy. It sped after Punchy, firing shots of its own black sludge at him as it approached! Dark Punchy growled as he was pelted by this sludge, and then smacked towards the ledge by the speeding creature! \"What's wrong?? Why aren't my attacks working!?\" he snarled. \"...It's absorbing... darkness... We have to... fight normal!\" Punchy's normal self struggled to communicate to his darker half. \"Rrrr! You'd like that, wouldn't you!?\" Dark Punchy hissed, running at Shadow Chaos with his fists charged full of darkness! He took a few swings at Shadow Chaos with his darkness-infused fists, but his hands got stuck inside the beast after a bit! Shadow Chaos roared as it began feeding on the dark energy, grasping Dark Punchy by the throat as it did! \"Urrgh... grah.... f-FINE!!\" Dark Punchy gasped, relaxing his dark energy and relinquishing partial control to Punchy. \"Ch-chaos... Av-alanche!!\" he choked, grabbing at any chunks of ground he could with his Chaos power, and hurling them right back at himself, which resulted in Shadow Chaos taking the hit as well!\n\nHaving been freed from Shadow Chaos's grip, Punchy quickly covered it up with rocks using Chaos Avalanche while it was stunned. Dark Punchy then regained control. \"This changes nothing! I'm not going back into slumber while you maintain control! It's time for YOU to slumber!\" he snarled, resuming his climb to the summit, \"And your shrew friend can slumber, too... In DEATH!!\" he cackled. Once he was gone, Shadow Chaos slowly started to seep out of the rocks. However, before it could escape, a shining steel cage appeared over it, cutting off its escape! Emerging from the shadows below the cliff climbed Eddie the hyena and Anubis the jackal. \"Eeee hee hee! One down... This illusion cage will hold our quarry nicely.\" Eddie laughed. \"Can you transport it with an illusion?\" Anubis asked. \"Eeee hee... Maybe if I was on the mother of all sugar highs.\" Eddie replied. Anubis sighed and lifted a walkie talkie he was holding. \"Anubis to HQ, we've acquired S.C., transport required. Over and out.\" he stated. Eddie shrugged. \"I guess we're out for the rest of this mission. Too bad. I feel like we're missing out on the fun. Eee hee...\" he chuckled. Anubis sighed. \"All that remains of this mission is a simple matter. A single agent can pull it off... And if you want any meddling fools eliminated, the Dark One is more than up to the task.\" he said, gazing up toward the peak of the mountain. Eddie chuckled. \"What did you think I meant by the fun? Eeee hee... hee hee hee hee hee!!\"\n\n\nChapter 34 - The Plateau\nStage 19(Dark 9) - Lost Plateau\nBoss 19 - The Deathbringer\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\nDeep in the dark recesses of Punchy's mind, Punchy and Dark Punchy were face to face, struggling for control. \"...Dark me! Let me go, right now!!\" Punchy growled. Dark Punchy stood in the darkness of the realm of Punchy's mind, a superior smirk on his face. \"No thanks... I'd rather just DESTROY you!!\" he growled. Punchy raised his fists. \"Even if you could... Don't you think that might destroy you, too?\" he reasoned. Dark Punchy charged at him in a fury. \"I don't CARE!!!\" he screamed. Outside the realm of his mind, the internal conflict was taking its toll on Punchy's external senses. He could scarcely see straight, and following what trail remained before the summit of the mountain proved challenging. Lospecter watched him with amusement for a bit, but then let out a sigh. \"This is gettin' sad. Put him out of his misery, troops!\" he ordered. Lostones, Losol Golems, lospides, and lospirits approached him from all sides, but despite his disorientation, there was still some fight left in Dark Punchy! He lashed out in a frenzy, violently thrashing at anything that came near him with attacks charged with dark energy! All Lost Ones that attempted to attack were torn to shreds, and the others fled like wolves cowering from prey that had proven too mighty to bring down. Lospecter broke into hysterical laughter at this. \"Look at the wild animal! Too full of pride to let me put him down mercifully. Very well, you had your chance. I'll make a Lost One of your corpse... Until then, I guess I'll go look for those friends of yours. Toodles!\" he said, flying off down the mountain. Within the darkness of his mind, Punchy backed away from Dark Punchy and tried once more to talk sense into him. \"Listen! We are walking into a trap, and so are my friends! Let me go, or everyone might die!!\" he pleaded. Dark Punchy chuckled at him. \"Sentiment WAS your big weakness. It was why you let the Master Emerald go before, and it's why you can't beat me now!!\" he snarled, hurling a punch straight at Punchy! The good Punchy endured the hit and socked him back. \"If you won't listen, I'll knock your lights out!\" he growled.\n\n\nRainbow, Amy, Cream, Silver and Whisk continued to climb the mountain after Punchy. They were making progress with the illusion dispelled, but it wasn't long before Illusi appeared before them personally. \"Mousy! Are you here to trap us in another crazy... trap!?\" Rainbow asked. Illusi raised his hands calmly. \"I only come to talk... My quarrel is not with the five of you.\" he said. \"It's a little late to try to tell us that, Mr. Phony-Mountain-That'll-Drop-Us-To-Our-Death-If-We-Step-On-It!\" Amy growled. \"Wow, that's a mouthful of a last name...\" Whisk murmured. Illusi nodded. \"My attention was divided... I'd hoped the illusion would startle you enough to stop you in your tracks.\" he said. Silver smirked at him. \"Just the fact that you're trying to stop us means that you probably aren't prepared to deal with all of us, so maybe YOU should stop in YOUR tracks!\" he warned. A Wrongo popped out of nowhere in front of him, startling him, Cream and Amy. \"Cut it out with the circly things, Mousy!\" Rainbow groaned. The Wrongo floated next to Illusi as he spoke to them. \"I'm here to offer you one final warning. We are going to eliminate the Dark One... a very dangerous and... potentially explosive task. I cannot guarantee your safety should you continue.\" he warned. Silver growled at him. \"Oh, yeah!? Well, WE can't guarantee YOUR safety if you keep trying to murder Rainbow's friend! So there!\" he shouted. \"Can't we try to resolve this peacefully?\" Cream whimpered. Illusi frowned. \"I've spoken my mind. Any of you who continue up this path will find the fate you have so carelessly sought.\" he sighed. \"And you can bet I'll see to that!\" said Lospecter, arriving on the scene! Illusi looked up at the spirit in disdain. \"I requested your aid in battling the Dark One. You should be up there!\" he said. Lospecter shrugged. \"Better risk/reward ratio down here, cape boy. The anger-management dropout up there was wreckin' too many of my troops. They don't grow on trees, you know! Well, y'know... not as of yet.\" he explained. Illusi growled in frustration. \"I should never have considered an alliance with the likes of you!\" he snarled as he vanished in a burst of smoke!\n\nSilver glanced up the trail leading the rest of the way to the summit. Varied Lost Ones had been spawned by Lospecter on his way down, and were waiting for them. \"We don't have time for this if we want to help your friend...\" he said to Rainbow. She nodded. \"Then we'll just speed right pass them! Follow me!\" she said, rushing ahead of the others up the trail. \"What are you, NUTS!?\" Amy shouted, chasing after her. The others followed after them, and Silver tried to keep the Lost Ones off their tail as they started to speed past some of them, but they soon found themselves surrounded. \"Aw, shoot. Speedy makes this look so easy.\" Rainbow said in frustration. \"Now we'll have to fight our way out of this!\" Silver growled. \"Help us out, Cheese!\" Cream cried, backing toward Rainbow, as neither of them could really fight. Whisk teleported up high and charged energy in her wings to attempt to fight the aerial lospirits and losoars with her wind powers, while Silver and Amy took the fight directly to the creatures on the land. Amy swatted a few lospides with her hammer, only to groan as she noticed the icky mess they were leaving on her hammer's head. \"This gunk better come out!!\" she groaned. Cheese flew about bonking from lostone to lostone, knocking them just right to make them crumble, and then Silver would grab the stone fragments with his psychokinesis and hurl them at any LosFoxes and Losol Golems that were coming at their group. Still, there were a lot of them, and a few stragglers made it through to Rainbow and Cream. \"Ch-cheese!! Where are you!?\" Cream yelped as some losoars flew straight for them! However, rainbow took action, throwing rocks at the bats and aiming for their heads, which stalled them long enough for Whisk to swoop down and blow them away with a mighty flap of her wings! \"...Thanks, Angel! Even though I totally had it under control...\" Rainbow muttered. \"Huh? I thought your name was Angel!\" Whisk stammered. Cream knelt down and picked up some rocks in the meantime. \"Guess I'd better be ready to protect myself, too...\" she murmured.\n\nThe group's efforts wiped out the Lost Ones that first surrounded them, but more kept swarming down the mountain! \"We'll never get anywhere at this rate!\" Amy growled. Suddenly, a blast of dark lightning crashed down from the sky above, searing across the mountainside before them and eliminating the Lost Ones blocking their path! As the lightning ceased, the group looked up to see Fera briefly suspended in the air before warping down to the mountainside in front of them! \"You! You started this whole thing! You gave One the weird bracelet that turns him dark!\" Rainbow shouted. Fera nodded, smirking. \"And now he is more powerful than ever! Just as intended.\" she said. \"Listen up! Your Covenant of Despair is working on some dangerous plans! I'm here to stop them, and protect the future!\" Silver announced. Fera scoffed at him. \"The future? What future is that? One where humans keep us all in cages?! Or zoos? You can keep YOUR future! And you'll never stop ours, any more than you could stop me from destroying the ruins at Sandopolis!\" she snapped, turning back to Rainbow. \"By the way... Been a while since the last time I was here. This is where I recruited your... sister, was it? Yes... I gave her a choice, and Violet called me right at this plateau to give me her answer.\" she grinned. Rainbow raised her fists and came at Fera, but Whisk pulled her back. \"You poisoned her mind! You messed with her head and now she won't come home until we stop you!!\" she yelled. Fera chuckled. \"Ooooh... You think? Or maybe that might drive her away even more? Not that you've got a chance of stopping us. I was just thinking... This is a fitting place... To recruit a new agent!\" she announced before warping away. As Fera vanished, Rainbow broke away from Whisk and gasped in fear. \"One... She's going to catch him and force him to work for THEM!\" she shouted. \"Not if we get there first!\" Amy said, \"I'm gonna wipe my icky hammer on her uniform!\" she growled. \"You really think we can beat a teleporter up there?\" Whisk wondered, making everyone stare at her grouchily. \"...What?\" she mumbled. \"Why don't YOU teleport us?\" Silver asked. Whisk rubbed her head a bit. \"Do what now?\" she mumbled, making everyone groan a bit.\n\n\nFinally, Punchy had arrived at the top of Troblusk Plateau. Meeting him there was Illusi, frowning impatiently. \"You took your time scaling this little hill.\" he said. \"Shut your mouth!\" Dark Punchy snarled, about ready to snap him in two. \"I'm afraid you leave me no choice, Dark One...\" Illusi said, hovering into the air out of Punchy's reach, \"It is as was foretold... and you must be stopped.\" he said. Punchy struggled against Dark Punchy to speak to Illusi. \"What do you... mean... foretold!?\" he grunted. Illusi glared down at him. \"I have glimpsed the future once again, as when we first met! You will cause death and pain to those around you!\" he revealed. Dark Punchy grinned at this. \"Wonderful... Then it sounds like my freedom is assured.\" he sneered. Just then, he heard someone drop down onto the cliff behind him. \"I have found another who is equally determined to stop you. With our combined efforts... Dark One... We will change the future! We will DESTROY you!!\" Illusi roared, glowing with strange, blue energy! Turning around, Dark Punchy saw the cloaked, winged figure known as the Deathbringer stalking him once again! \"You escaped me in those ruins... But you will not run away again!\" it growled. \"Who's running, fairy wings!\" Dark Punchy growled. Within his mind, Punchy found himself lacking the will to fight Dark Punchy. \"...There's no way I can beat both of them myself... I guess I have no choice... but to let you loose!\" he said to Dark Punchy. \"About time you saw the truth! Now watch me tear these fools limb from limb!\" Dark Punchy cackled. \"Illusi... I'm so sorry...\" Punchy thought, wishing there were some other way out of this, especially now that he knew the reason Illusi had been after him all this time.\n\nDark Punchy flashed with shadowy energy, and then charged at Illusi first. The shrew split off into copies of himself, and the one directly in front of Punchy burst into a trio of Wrongos as he struck him! \"Grrr!! Coward! Hiding behind your illusions!\" Dark Punchy snarled. \"Do not mistake intelligence for cowardice... You forgot the Deathbringer.\" the Illusis said in unison. The Deathbringer hurled one of its killing bolts directly at Punchy! Normally this would mean death for any to have the misfortune to encounter the Deathbringer, but this was Dark Punchy. His body pulsed with darkness as the bolt struck him, repelling it from going through him, but the impact still knocked him back considerably! \"...I actually felt that!\" Dark Punchy grunted. The Deathbringer flapped its black wings and stared down at him from the air. \"I am the most powerful killing force on the earth. There is no darkness strong enough to survive my power for long!\" it declared, \"You should have left the country when I gave you the chance.\" Illusi and his illusions each brandished a blue illusion saber, and came at Punchy one by one, swinging their blades at him as they passed by. Dark Punchy tried to strike back, but there were too many to keep track of, and furthermore, this was merely a diversion while the Deathbringer circled behind him. \"Enough!!\" Dark Punchy roared, blasting back all Illusis with a powerful dark shockwave fired across the whole mountaintop! The real Illusi fell backward while his fakes turned into numerous Wrongos, flying off into the sky. Then, the Deathbringer knocked Dark Punchy over with another powerful bolt, this time in the back! \"Ooof!! Knock it... off!!\" he panted, climbing back up quickly as the Deathbringer started charging at him, intending to keep him off balance and make it impossible for him to fight back! With Illusi climbing to his feet as well, it seemed even Dark Punchy was no match for these high powered foes. As the Deathbringer slammed its fists into him, knocking him across to the ledge of the mountaintop, and was about to attempt to finish it, another winged being warped directly between them! The Deathbringer stopped short. \"Aw, I'm sorry... Did I mess up your shot?\" smirked Whisk.\n\nRainbow hurried over to Punchy while Amy, Silver and Cream joined Whisk in standing in the Deathbringer's way! \"You fools... I could end any of you without effort. You would die... for this wretched creature!?\" it growled. Rainbow glared up at the Deathbringer with tears in her eyes. \"...I don't know so much about that... But... One is willing to die to keep me safe! It isn't Dark One that steered him up here, knowing that Mousy had a trap waiting. He ran up here... away from where I was... He's up here because I followed him! So I won't let you hurt him!\" she shouted. Punchy started to struggle against Dark Punchy again, seeing his friends in danger. \"R-rainbow... No!! I-I need... To save her!!\" he grunted. Illusi called down the Wrongos that had flown into the sky. \"Circle around them, Deathbringer. I will deal with these interlopers.\" he said. \"C'mere and say that, cape boy...\" Amy growled. The Deathbringer took off into the sky, and the Wrongos swarmed Team Rose and Whisk! What's more, the Wrongos began to multiply before their eyes, making it harder to see what they were doing through the swarm! \"We have to get to that shrew!\" Silver realized. Illusi was warping around, taunting them. \"You want me? I'm over here... No, here!\" he said, vanishing and appearing all around them! Amy swung at him and missed, groaning in frustration. \"Hold still!\" she growled. \"I warned you not to follow us up here. Now you'll all have to pay the price.\" Illusi said. Cream tried to punch a Wrongo, only to get shocked by it! \"Eeeek!! I... had no idea... they could do that...\" she panted. Meanwhile, the Deathbringer came toward Punchy and Rainbow. Punchy was struggling with Dark Punchy, leaving him disoriented, and leaving Rainbow his only defense. \"Y-you leave One alone... You evil Grim Reaper!\" she shuddered. \"You can't see it... But I'm doing the right thing...\" the Deathbringer insisted. Just then, flames shot up from behind Punchy, drawing his, Rainbow's and the Deathbringer's attention! Anubis had arrived, and Fera was with him! \"You look like you need a real hand, Punchy... Let me fully unlock the Despair Seal's power!\" Fera grinned, firing a beam of darkness straight into the bracelet on Punchy's wrist! As the bracelet glowed, so too did his body spew darkness, and his eyes glow a sinister red. \"Rrrrr... RRRRRRAAAAAAUUUUGGHHH!!!\" he snarled!\n\nAs Illusi warped about, Whisk grew tired of it and warped next to him, bonking him over the head. \"Bad mouse!\" she growled. At this point, though, Dark Punchy's transformation got everyone's attention. He was unleashed on the plateau, and he first charged at the swarm of Wrongos, caring nothing for the friends who defended him before that happened to be caught in the swarm! Blasts of darkness thundered across the mountaintop with every punch from his fists, obliterating the Wrongos and forcing Team Rose to take cover, and Whisk to teleport out of the way! Illusi, however, was not as lucky. He was knocked aside, and the strange key he carries on his person was knocked to the floor! \"No, the Chaos Key!!\" he stammered as Fera's foot came down over it! \"...I'll take that, thanks.\" she said plainly. \"W-wait... Don't do it!\" Illusi cried, clutching his arm in pain as he tried to move. The Deathbringer chased after the crazed Dark Punchy, but his frenzied, overcharged attacks left it with no opening to counterattack, leaving it barely able to fly out of range and stare down at the destructive rampage helplessly, hoping for an opening should he tire out. Fera then returned to Anubis, nodding to him. \"Take her and let's go.\" she ordered. Rainbow, who was still standing in earshot of them, and had been watching Punchy in shocked horror, now glanced at the jackal that approached her. \"Wait... Y-you did this to One... To get...to me!??!\" she gasped, \"N-no!! Get away! O-one!! ONE!!!\" she wailed as Anubis hoisted Rainbow over his shoulders, Team Rose being powerless to help her while they were busy trying for dear life to stay out of Punchy's line of fire! Silver growled and shouted out to Punchy. \"LOOK!! LOOK WHAT GIVING IN TO DARKNESS HAS DONE TO YOUR FRIEND!!\" he screamed, pointing as Fera and Anubis started their retreat down the mountain! \"N...NOOO!! R--RAINBOOOOW!!\" Punchy shrieked in his mind, grasping his head in agony over what he'd done and allowed to happen. Dark Punchy continued to emit shockwaves across the mountain as Punchy struggled for control. He could see only one way out. Punchy wrested the Despair Seal from his wrist, and smashed it against the rocky ground at his feet! \"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!\" he wailed in despair as he finally reverted to his normal, green form. Though Team Rose hurried to try to chase Fera and Anubis, it was too late. They were long gone. \"...I've... got to... save her!!\" Punchy panted. Illusi was slinking away as well, oddly not warping away as he normally would. \"...I must get back that key...\" he muttered. The Deathbringer landed on a lower cliff, slamming its fist against the wall as rain started to fall. \"...I tried to dissuade you.\" said the Doomsayer as he approached. \"Was this why? You knew that girl would end up in their clutches?\" the Deathbringer asked. The Doomsayer shrugged. \"It's amusing... You never once questioned... Whether you were after the correct echidna...\" he said, walking away slowly. The Deathbringer's wings stiffened in alarm. \"W...WHAT!?!?\" it gasped.\n\n\nChapter 35 - Invasion\nStage 20(Dark 10) - Hidden Ruins\nMinor Boss 16 - Covenant of Despair\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\nThe story thus far:\nKosmo and Copter witnessed Punchy transform into Dark Punchy at the hand of Fera. Fearing he'd harm Rainbow, Punchy fled to Troblusk City, and made a treacherous climb to the peak of Troblusk Plateau. At the peak, he faced Illusi and the Deathbringer, but after Rainbow and Team Rose arrived to help him, Fera appeared and overcharged the Despair Seal, sending Dark Punchy into a rampage! Illusi was injured, dropping his \"Chaos Key,\" which Fera took. She then had Anubis kidnap Rainbow, her cries for help getting through to Punchy enough to make him shatter the Despair Seal...but it was too late.\nNow, on to the next chapter!\n\n\nKosmo the morph, Copter the fox, and Razor the porcupine temporarily set aside their differences to follow the trail of Dark Punchy, which led to Troblusk City. They didn't get far before Police Chief Paynson ran over to catch up with Razor. \"Huff... puff... Officer Razor! Where have you BEEN!? You know my office has received reports of a potential bombing of the sewer system since I saw you last!?\" he panted. Razor frowned. \"Sorry, chief. I got a tip about some Despair-related trouble in Central City... Though I'm starting to suspect the covenant sent me there themselves just to rile up that echidna for some reason...\" he mumbled. Paynson scoffed. \"Never mind that! Aren't those two of those Experiment criminals from the wanted posters!? Why aren't they in handcuffs!?\" he growled. Razor glanced at them. \"Apart from the fact they saved my life... They're helping with an investigation.\" he said. Copter waved at Paynson. \"Yo, Chief! Don't tell me you forgot about me already?\" he chuckled. Paynson's face turned a bit red. \"I hate owing favors to criminals... I'll look the other way for now. But we are even, fox!\" he said, stomping off. \"What's that about?\" Kosmo wondered. \"I stalled Despair from killing him once.\" Copter grinned. Just then, Punchy came limping over to them, accompanied by Amy, Cream and Silver. \"Punch... Where's Rainbow!?\" Copter gasped. Punchy stared at him gravely. \"She took her... Fera... All this was just a diversion to get Rainbow!\" he growled. Kosmo scratched his head. \"That doesn't track... Why not grab her at Sandopolis?\" he wondered. Amy shivered suddenly. \"Hey... anyone else get a chill just now?\" she muttered. In a moment, all of them were collapsing, a nameless terror gripping them! \"Gaaah.....B-basker!!\" Kosmo gasped, realizing who was behind this before seeing him. The red-eyed hound casually crept over to the morph, his hand raised to cast his spell of fear over the group and incapacitate them. \"Your usefulness is at an end... But you still hold one item of value. The last piece of the puzzle...\" he said, reaching into Kosmo's shoe and pulling out the gold coin he'd been keeping with him! \"N-no!! Give... back... my lucky charm!!\" Kosmo growled, attempting to fight Basker's spell of terror and chase him down! However, as he started to move, a shimmering light passed before his eyes, blinding him with its brilliance. \"Gwaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?!?\"\n\n\nKosmo found himself in a vast expanse of tunnels, with large crystals jutting out of every surface. These crystals were varied in size, shape and color, and the cavernous tunnels seemed to snake in every direction. This place might be a treasure hunter's dream, or perhaps nightmare, with so much treasure and no easy way to transport it. Kosmo heard voices coming from one of the tunnels. \"Whoever's up ahead... I'm not in any mood for being messed with...\" he grumbled, slowly making his way toward the voices. \"I sense it... We're getting close...\" came a female voice. Kosmo edged against the wall and morphed his body into crystal, hoping to sneak up on these people. Looking ahead, he saw three echidnas and a wolfish creature. Two of the echidnas were Tikal and Athair, and the third was the rainbow-quilled echidna, Radia. Lastly was Howler, the twin-tailed wolf. They stood at the end of a tunnel, looking over a strange crystal formation. On close inspection, it resembled a statue of a great two-tailed fox! \"It... almost resembles Copter...\" Kosmo murmured. Radia looked flustered. \"I sense it here... Where is it?\" she grumbled. Tikal was holding on to the Master Emerald, a tense expression on her face. \"...There! That gold shimmer...!\" she gasped. Upon the \"tails\" of the crystal statue were familiar rings; The Chaos Tailbands! Howler and Athair each climbed up and wrested one from each tail. \"Are we... certain these things will stop Shadow Chaos?\" Athair grunted as he pulled the tailband free. Howler glanced at him, nodding. \"I'm positive. Eliminating a creature such as this is no simple task. But these objects hold great power... Power that could change the world!\" he said, holding up the tailband and admiring it as he climbed down from the statue. Tikal looked up at him with concern. \"Just remember why we're doing this... To protect what remains of my people from the evil my father has wrought...\" she reminded them. As this scene faded and Troblusk City returned to Kosmo's sight, the morph was certain he was losing his mind. \"What... has Basker done to me!\" he grunted. Copter waved his hands in front of Kosmo's face. \"Welcome back, Kosmo! Now get moving!\" he growled. \"Huh? Wha...?\" Kosmo mumbled. \"C'mon! Razor and the others ran off because he got an APB or whatever that Demon Island has been spotted... blotting out the sun over Station Square!\" Copter said urgently.\n\nThe pair found Station Square cast into darkness, Demon Island ominously hovering overhead carrying untold threats within Despair's stronghold atop it. \"This must be what the city was like with Shadow Arcangel menacing it when you first got out... Uhhh... Don't mean to bring up a sore subject.\" Copter stammered. \"I'm just looking for that snake, Basker...\" Kosmo growled. Instead, they spotted Guard waving traffic along like a crossing guard. \"Awww, are you gonna help kiddies cross the streets?\" Copter joked. \"I don't need help crossing the street...\" said Tommy, who was standing nearby and gawking at Demon Island. Guard grunted at Copter. \"Grrr... I've been sent in to handle damage control in light of this apparent attack... Or die trying, I don't think the boss really cares.\" he groaned. Kosmo nodded. \"Well... always a 'pleasure,' Growler.\" he said. Just then, a certain taxi cab pulled up to them. \"Hey, Tommy, get in! Your bro wants you safe!\" Mia shouted. As Tommy grudgingly climbed in, Mia's passenger climbed out, with a certain robo-puppy in tow. SPOT was as good as new, and joined by Professor Pickle. \"My word, the Tails Tracker really works! Your robot is ingenious, Tails!\" Pickle said to Copter. Mia giggled as Copter stared at the old man indignantly. \"I'm used to the bot making that mistake, but people?\" he groaned. Pickle squinted a bit and stammered a bit. \"My, my, I guess I do need glasses... But you do look just like Tails. A relative perhaps? And Kosmo, good to see you again! Um... Could either of you relay a message to Tails or Sonic by chance?\" he asked. \"Can't the bot do it?\" Copter sighed. Pickle looked a bit worried. \"I suppose I'd best just tell you. My research has uncovered possibly what Despair is after... An object of great power, rumored to hold a connection to the Chaos Relics! Its exact location has been lost to the ages, but... Apparently it was hidden somewhere down... right... beneath... our feet!\" he announced. Kosmo looked down incredulously. \"Now I know you're nuts.\" he said. Copter, however, turned pale. \"No, he's not... And I know why Rainbow was kidnapped...!\" he gasped.\n\nCopter started to lead the way to where they needed to go, but slowed a bit when he noticed Guard following. \"...You can't come, smiley.\" he said. Guard scoffed at him. \"I'll simply follow you from the air.\" he grunted. \"...Why?!\" Copter groaned. \"Grrr... You're my only lead on Despair.\" he said. Kosmo pointed up at Demon Island. \"You mean besides THAT, right?\" he pointed out. \"Grr... Wise guy. The island is meaningless next to their objective!\" Guard growled. Copter rolled his eyes and resumed on his way. \"Punchy'll kill me for showing you guys this place...\" he sighed, \"But Rainbow might be down there with them right now.\" So, Copter led them to the sewer entrance that would lead to the Hidden Ruins, where sure enough, they found agents of Despair standing guard over the open manhole cover. \"Well... Looks like bad guys already know their way in there, so I was right in this...\" Copter growled. \"What the heck do they want in the sewer??\" Kosmo wondered. The Despair agents quickly noticed them and started in their direction, but were suddenly blasted out of the way by a volley of explosives! Those of the agents that were still standing were swiftly kicked aside by Rouge the bat, with Omega slowly following along behind her! \"Grr!? Agent Rouge!?\" Guard stammered in surprise. \"Relax, Gunner didn't get impatient with you... so far as I know. We were sent in by the President. He wants us to see what we can do before sending a military force into a civilian city. Clearly, the real deal is back.\" she said. \"For the record, I am still not convinced any meatbag can be trusted.\" Omega stated. \"Yes, yes, we know you didn't vote for him...\" Rouge groaned. Kosmo crossed his arms. \"Well, this is all fascinating. Can we get moving now!? Those Despair goons stole something from me, and I want it back!\" he growled. \"Plus Rainbow could be in trouble.\" Copter added. \"Grrr... Not to mention the untold danger that might come from whatever they're after with this invasion...\" Guard concluded. Rouge nodded. \"...Cover us, Omega. Keep a sharp eye on that floating island while we're gone.\" she said. Omega clenched his metal fists. \"This is a gross misuse of my superior functions... Enemy reinforcements better arrive to amuse me.\" he grumbled.\n\nCopter led the others down through the sewer passage, and they got their first glimpse of the world hidden beneath Station Square! Kosmo was awestruck. \"...How can the giant buildings above not bring the ceiling crashing down on this place!? There are no supports holding the roof up!\" he stammered. Guard looked up. \"Grrr... The ceiling is completely solid. Structural integrity has not been compromised even through centuries of weight strain.\" he stated. \"Okay... So, somebody really knows how to build a... Big bomb shelter?\" Rouge murmured. Copter shook his head. \"Yeah... Big bomb shelter. C'mon, let's get looking for Rainbow.\" he said. Guard barred his way with his scythe. \"Oh, hey! What do you want!?\" Copter growled. \"Grrr... It's not safe. Sensors indicate heavy resistance ahead.\" Guard grunted. Kosmo nodded. \"The guards upstairs were just the beginning, hm? Well, this is where I come in...\" he grinned.\n\nKosmo was soon disguised as a purple skunk in a despair uniform, wearing the shades he typically uses in human form to hide his eyes. He crept ahead, while the others kept their distance behind. Seeing some Despair agents across the dirt road ahead, he gave them a polite wave, and they waved back, turning away from him. Suddenly, he heard a low buzzing noise coming from the nearby building. Peering at the window, he heard voices. \"Your wings are too noisy!\" whispered one. \"I hate hiding! It's boring!\" said the other. Kosmo raised an eyebrow, considering speaking to whoever these guys were, but he suddenly felt a punch to the gut from nowhere! \"Oooff!! What the!?\" he stammered. \"I got him, Charmy!!\" Espio, who was attacking while camouflaged, was soon joined in the assault by Charmy, flying through the window and tackling Kosmo repeatedly. \"Take that, Despair creep! Give back Vector!!\" he shouted. This noisy scuffle was getting the attention of the actual Despair guards. \"ESPIO!!\" Kosmo shouted, reverting to normal form, \"You blew my cover!!\" he yelled. Copter and the others quickly joined them, and Espio and Charmy wore sheepish expressions. \"I have shamed myself...\" Espio mumbled.\n\nChet the cheetah and Patch the fox approached, along with a gang of other canines and felines. \"Well, well, cats and dogs are finally working together... How nice.\" Rouge sighed, flying up to get an advantageous position as she moved in to attack! Guard started swinging his scythe as well, firing beams from it to knock the enemies off balance, while Espio put his ninja training to use, swiftly knocking out one enemy at a time while Charmy followed him cheerfully. Kosmo was itching for a fight, too, but Copter motioned for him to hold off while he ran up to Chet. \"Hey! Before we needlessly tear you to shreds, you mind considering filling us in on what your monkey pals want down here? Or why they'd kidnap my friend?\" he asked. Chet crossed his arms. \"Hate to say it, Copter, but the details of this mission are pretty hush-hush.\" he said. Patch stopped swinging his nunchucks around for a second to nod in agreement. \"Yeah. I'm one of Fera's pals, and even I don't know. Eh, but fun's fun! Hee hee!\" he said, jumping after Rouge. Copter frowned, but Chet wasn't finished speaking. \"Look, Copter... I checked into it. I'm not an idiot. I found out that Katie IS alive, and in the hospital... But there's the thing... She...she's vulnerable...\" he said shakily, \"Basker said as much to me, rather coldly when he found out I knew... I think that was a threat. If I try to leave Despair... They might... hurt her. I can't let that happen. I WON'T!\" he growled. Copter nodded, whistling. \"Y'know, Chet... I really respect that...\" he said before unloading a punch square in Chet's face, knocking him over! \"So, stay down! Now we're sorta even for you not listening to me! ...I got you 2-1 on punches to the face, so, the score's a bit skewed overall.\" he muttered. Kosmo groaned and morphed into a hedgehog. \"I'm feeling as impatient as a certain blue guy right now...\" he growled, running into the fray in a manner similar to Sonic, and whacking Patch and several other Despair agents with homing attacks, clearing the rest of their path fairly quickly! \"...Copter, did you have to delay him? That colorful fox can wear you down...\" Rouge complained. \"Again!! Again!!\" Charmy giggled. \"No! ...Being Sonic knocks the wind outta me...\" Kosmo huffed, morphing back to normal.\n\nCopter led the way through the ancient roads of the echidna city, searching for any sign of Rainbow or, if convenient, Vector. \"If you don't mind my asking... How did you wind up down here, anyway?\" Copter asked Espio. \"We've been taking the liberty of investigating the Covenant of Despair. We met Vector here after the attack on Central City, and that's when the island showed up...\" he said. \"So we followed 'em! But Vector saw them pulling away someone he recognized, and he got carried away, and he got captured!\" Charmy finished. \"So, now abduction's their thing?\" Rouge frowned. As they proceeded down the street, they soon found their path blocked by more Despair agents, this time led by Fera and Anubis. \"Our master doesn't wish to be disturbed!\" Anubis snarled. Daisy the skunk was there, too, katana in hand. \"You...! What have you done to Patch!?\" she growled. Copter pointed to Kosmo. \"He did it.\" he said. Kosmo rolled his eyes. \"You can't stop us with a little motley crew. I don't think you counted on me showing up.\" he stated. Anubis raised his hands, calling forth his undead, mummified army, which clawed its way to the surface, surrounding the group. Fera smirked as the heroes started to look a bit worried. \"Let me extend my thanks to you, Kosmo! We needed that coin of yours. Turns out, it was the final piece of the puzzle, so to speak. Now we have everything we need to open the way!\" she taunted. Kosmo growled at her. \"You...people... You scouted me out specifically for that coin, didn't you? But I don't understand... Why!? What's it for? What kind of game are you playing, Fera!?\" he shouted. Fera chuckled. \"It's not my game... And I couldn't tell you what the finale will be, exactly. All I know is that it ends with a glorious shift in the balance of power... And I want a front row seat to see that happen!\" she grinned. \"Grrr... You don't even know what your master is planning?? None of you!?\" Guard stammered. Kosmo stood up straight, staring over at Fera. Then, he started to snicker. \"Huh...?? What is it? What's so funny!!?\" she demanded. \"Here I thought I was the lost soul all this time... You... All of you with Despair... You are the ones who are lost. You're just mindless puppets, bending to the commands of your master's strings! And it's about time someone clipped those strings...\" he sneered. Fera snarled at him. \"Well, you'll have to go through us, first!!\" she roared.\n\nAnubis's mummies came at the group, and Guard was first to leap into action to take them on, slicing and dicing them with his scythe. Anubis wasn't about to just take this, but Copter stepped forward to challenge him directly. \"Hey, I don't think we've had the pleasure. I'm Copter!\" he said. \"I am the harbinger of death, Anubis. Burn to ashes!\" As Anubis's flames seared towards Copter, he blew them out with Chaos Whirlwind! \"You were saying?\" he smirked. The other Despair agents charged ahead, taking on Rouge, Espio and Charmy. Espio found himself trading blows with Daisy, using an oversized shuriken to parry her katana. \"Ninja or no ninja, I'll get payback for Patch!!\" she yelled. \"Ha! Not bad! Your swordplay is... impressive...\" Espio said, barely stopping one of her attacks, and then blushing as the two stood with their blades crossed for an extended moment. \"Most impressive... I think I'm... in love...!\" he stammered. Daisy's eyes went wide, staring at him for a moment. She lowered her guard slightly. Then, she made a disgusted face and resumed her assault. \"Ugh!! Me and a chameleon! Just...GROSS!!\" she yelled. \"...Just a passing fancy...\" Espio sighed. Meanwhile, Kosmo was ready for a long-awaited rematch with Fera. She started by teleporting behind him and hurling balls of dark energy at his back, but he morphed into an ant to evade it! \"...What!? Hey! Where'd you??\" Fera muttered, unable to see such a small transformation. Kosmo skitted a distance away, then morphed into a dragon, spewing hot flames at her, only to have them blocked by a dark energy shield! \"The power of darkness is too strong for your pitiful shape-shifting! You might as well...\" Before she could finish speaking, a chaos-controlled boulder slapped her down from the air! \"Ooof!!\" she grunted, looking over to see an enraged Punchy slowly walking toward her! \"...Fera! Where is she!! Where's Rainbow!!!\" he yelled. Fera got up and laughed wickedly. \"Ha... haha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!! You fool!! The Despair Seal is gone! Did you think you could just smash it while in overdrive and not face the consequences!?\" she grinned, firing a beam of darkness that swatted him down onto his back! Punchy struggled to get up, but he couldn't. \"Hey!! This is OUR battle, Fera!\" Kosmo yelled. Fera ignored him and wagged her finger at Punchy. \"You're as weak as a kitten... Rejecting the darkness has stripped you of everything it seems. And now... It's time to finish what we started way back when YOU helped us secure the stone tablet at the beach by this city... Thanks for everything, Experiment 1!\" she cackled, rushing off and leaving Anubis and Daisy. Anubis was easily able to make his getaway using a cover of flames, but Daisy and the other Despair agents were left to be knocked out by Espio, Charmy, Rouge and Guard. \"They weren't gonna tell us anything anyway...\" Copter sighed, \"Let's go... We have to find Rainbow and Vector... There's no telling what these psychos will do with them if we don't...\" Punchy stood up shakily. \"I'll... come too... I have to try... to help.\" he panted.\n\n\nElsewhere, traveling in the skies over Route 101 out of Central City aboard Shadow Arcangel, Bucky the rat was zapping some electrodes in his lab, venting his outrage over some recent news. \"Using MY creations... As harbingers of extinction!! And Despair... what they plan to do...\" he snarled, overcharging the electrodes in his anger and causing an explosion! \"So... New job's not goin' well, huh?\" Zipp mumbled from outside the door. \"I-isss there anything we can do, massster?\" Vortex asked nervously. Bucky turned around and nodded. \"Get Crash. Turn this heap toward Station Square. You three will wait on Demon Island for further instruction...\" he said. \"If there is, perchance, an opportunity to shoot up humans...\" Zipp mused. \"Wait in the shadows! Avoid contact with Despair, and engage no one until I instruct you to do so!\" Bucky ordered. As Vortex and Zipp turned to leave, Lucky poked his head in. \"Umm... Wh-what can I do?\" he asked. Bucky growled softly. \"You've done enough. You've proven your recklessness already. You are not combat ready, get that through your head!\" he shouted. \"Yeah, but...\" Lucky stammered. \"LEAVE!!\" Bucky shouted. As Lucky scurried off, leaving Bucky alone, the depressive voice of Nevin Crimm met his ears. \"Such anger... What fears does this rage mask?\" the voice mused. \"You again... Everything I've worked for is in jeopardy, and you keep haunting me.\" Bucky growled. \"...It's the work... of Nammad... isn't it?\" Crimm supposed, \"He... I... and Hope... we all worked with you once...\" Bucky nodded slowly. \"I remember...\" he said.\n\nHope the raven was sitting up on a desk, watching Bucky with interest as he wrote excitedly on a chalkboard. \"If I can make all this work, GUN's rage be damned! The world will be indebted to me, and all the accusations GUN can lobby will be meaningless...especially considering none of it's true!\" Bucky smiled. Hope nodded. \"Say you work out this 'life force formula.' What are you going to make with it?\" she wondered. Bucky hopped up on the desk next to her and held his arm around her tightly. \"What are WE going to make! And of course, the answer is whatever we want! Maybe we'll... clone a little Buck and a little Hope...\" he said, blushing. Hope patted his head. \"Buuuck... We already HAVE a son, waiting for your life formula...\" she giggled. Bucky wore an awkward frown. \"The fox I saved from the ARK? ...That'll never live. I've... rather mucked it up already.\" he sighed. Hope hugged him gently, smiling. \"You'll find a way. And he'll be our first son.\" she said. Bucky chuckled. \"Okay, okay... But... what else should we try to make? All I can think up are simplistic things like hornets and cats...\" he admitted. Hope giggled. \"We can start small... But soon you'll create wonders like... a dragon. Maybe a unicorn...\" she mused. \"Or a phoenix... Maybe mixed with your DNA... So that your daughter will be immortal.\" Bucky smiled. Hope looked at him with loving concern. \"You're really afraid of the concept of death, aren�t you?\" she sighed. Just then, the door opened, and a young Ivan Nammad entered the room. \"Gah! I, uh... Do hope I wasn't, uh, interrupting, uh, anything?\" he stammered. \"No, professor, what is it?\" Bucky said, glancing at him. Nammad nodded. \"We're ready to, uh, start our next experiment, Dr. Stein.\" he stated. Bucky stood up and groaned a little. \"These electric current experiments are pointless... Busywork so that you can satisfy your curiosity regarding my abilities.\" Bucky grumbled. Nammad shrugged. \"Regardless, the answers you seek may very well lie in your own, uh, genetic structure.\" he said. Bucky sighed. \"I don't know WHERE the answers I seek are, but that isn't where they are...\" he mumbled. Hope hopped down next to him. \"Relax. I'm with you every step of the way. Remember that...\" she smiled.\n\nA tear stood in Bucky's eye. \"Crimm... Your distractions are getting on my nerves! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!\" he shouted, storming out of his lab in an effort to outrun the voice, and his pain. Crimm's voice still echoed in the empty lab, even with none to hear it. \"But your recollections... are so... enlightening...\" he sneered.\n\n\nChapter 36 - The Secret Relic\nStage 20(Dark 10) - Hidden Ruins\nBoss 20 - Ridley\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\nCopter and Punchy led Kosmo, Espio, Charmy, Guard and Rouge to the temple that Rainbow often stayed in as her home, but a quick search revealed that no one was there. When they came back out, they saw no Despair agents in the immediate area. There was no trail to follow. \"Well, now what do we do?\" Kosmo frowned. Guard grunted softly. \"...Something's jamming my sensors. Grrrr... Might just be... underground interference of some kind...\" he said. \"Is that a scientific assessment?\" Espio murmured. \"Grr... I'm a science experiment, not a scientist!\" Guard snapped. \"Hey! Someone's coming!\" Charmy exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to a strange pair wandering the underground streets. It was Talon the griffin and Char the Chao. Rouge stomped down to Talon with raised fists. \"You!! Give me those Chaos Emeralds you stole!!!\" she shouted. Talon jumped up and flapped away from her attack, then flicked his finger, tossing her back with psychokinesis! \"Calm yourself! ...The emeralds are safe. Away from here.\" he said, \"I just rescued this Chao from the Covenant of Despair.\" Char had a troubled expression on his face. \"They nabbed me when I was on my way to find Dr. Eggman at Central City. They wanted me to help them get to... Um, I better not say...\" he mumbled. Copter knelt down in front of Char to be at eye level with him. \"Listen... They have more of our friends. If you know where they went, please help us. We'll keep you safe.\" he said. Char frowned, but nodded. \"The servers are the seven chaos! Chaos is power, enriched by the heart! The controller serves to unify the chaos! ...But the other forces of chaos must be controlled by a higher controller!\" he stated. Rouge's eyes widened. \"Hey... I've heard that before!\" she remembered. \"Only we Chao know this secret! Follow me! Char will lead the way!\" Char said proudly. The group started to follow Char, but Talon stayed behind, and Kosmo stopped to talk to him before leaving. \"Hey... You seen Carrie lately?\" he asked. Talon's eyes darted back and forth. \"Umm... Why do you ask?\" he wondered. Kosmo glanced away. \"...Thanks, kid.\" he muttered, dodging the question.\n\nAs the group followed Char through the dirt roads of the underground city, they were being watched from an alleyway by some Despair guards. Violet the echidna and Zeke the dragon observed them, knowing that they were finally heading in the right direction. \"...Let me reach out to them.\" Violet suggested, \"Maybe I can persuade them to turn around.\" Zeke crossed his arms and shrugged. \"I'll be there to pick up the pieces when that fails.\" he smirked. Violet quickly ran into the group's path, and Punchy was the first to walk up to her. \"All of you... Please, leave us in peace. What we are doing... It's all for the greater good. For a better world... Wouldn't you experiments like to live free?\" Violet reasoned. Punchy growled softly. \"That's really nice... But what about Rainbow? Did Fera happen to tell you what she plans to do with her!?\" he snapped. Violet, hearing this, stepped back a little. \"R-rainbow...? I don't...\" she muttered. \"Wake up, girl!\" Kosmo shouted, stepping beside Punchy, \"You've been betrayed, as I was! They've taken your sister! What do you say to that!?\" he yelled. Violet continued to back away, tears forming in her eyes. \"N-no... T-they couldn't... Why would they??\" she stammered, \"But then... Why would we be HERE...\" she gasped, the truth dawning on her. Just then, Zeke dropped down in front of her! \"RAWR!! And what do you think you're doing to my comrade here!? You can punch us out, bury us in a rock slide, leave us for dead in a ditch... BUT don't you DARE make our agents cry!! ...We have an image to maintain!!\" he shouted. Guard clutched his scythe and approached Zeke. \"Grrrrrr!! All of you, go! Time may be running out! Grrr... I'll deal with this one!\" he growled. Zeke chuckled. \"I think Bucky likes me best. That's why I don't work for GUN!\" he huffed. Guard smirked at him. \"At least I can breathe properly.\" he grunted. Zeke's crackling breath crackled even louder as he spouted flames at Guard, which he flew to avoid! Meanwhile, Char waved the others along. \"NOTHIN' ta see here! C'mon, we've got a bad guy party to crash! Keep it movin!\" he said. Violet wiped her eyes and started to follow them. \"Wait... I must know if what you say is true!\" she cried.\n\nWith Despair off their backs and the group experiencing a moment of calm, Kosmo hung back and walked with Punchy, who was limping, still weak from everything he'd gone through at Troblusk Plateau. \"Hey... What exactly happened to you?\" he wondered. Punchy looked down at the arm that previously wore the Despair Seal. \"...Fera tricked me. She trapped me with my own dark form... And I could've killed a bunch of people because of it. I destroyed the Despair Seal, and it looks to everyone like it left me weak... Actually, I'm holding back.\" he said. Kosmo raised an eyebrow. \"So that Fera can knock you on your rear?\" he muttered. Punchy shook his head. \"I still... feel Dark Punchy... He may still have a hold on me. If I let him loose again... What if there's no way back?\" he worried. Kosmo shrugged. \"I sure don't wanna be you right now.\" he remarked. Suddenly, bullets came flying down at the group's feet, startling Char into hiding behind Rouge! \"Assassins! Don't panic. I'll flush them out...\" Espio growled. \"They're shooting at us from that building!\" Charmy pointed quickly. \"What!? How'd you do that...?\" Espio stammered. Violet ran up front, blocking the line of fire. \"Hold it!!\" she shouted. Infin poked his head out of a second story window and shouted down at her. \"Hey... Vy!! Move it, ya daft broad! I gots a point ta make wit these clowns!\" he shouted. Copter shook his fist cockily at him. \"Easy to say from up there, Mr. Monkey-Suit! Come on down and lemme take off your other foot!\" he yelled. Violet frowned. \"Not helping, Copter...\" she sighed. \"Yeah, stay still, 'Chopper,' I'll pop yer blinkin' head off!!\" Infin yelled, only to be startled when Violet teleported up next to him. \"Cheeze, Louise!! It nearly stops my ticker when Fera does that, and I half expect it! What's yer problem!?\" he yelped. Violet stared at him seriously. \"I heard... that they have my sister. This mission... Do you know what it's about?\" she asked him. Infin scratched his head under his hat. \"Well, heck, ain't no one but da leader knows...\" he muttered. Violet looked him square in the eye. \"I NEED to know... And if that means throwing in with these guys... Well, maybe you'd better shoot me!\" she said plainly. Infin stared at her a moment, then took off his hat dejectedly. \"Aw, heck... I ain't gonna shoot ya, Violet...\" he admitted. She nodded and warped away. \"...I hope ya know what yer doin...\" he muttered.\n\nChar eventually led them to a corner of the underground city where the walls had been forced open, revealing a series of tunnels that had long been hidden away. \"Uh oh... I think they're close.\" he said worriedly. \"To what...?\" Rouge wondered. They followed the tunnels, where the first thing they heard up ahead was Vector's yammering protests. \"You KNOW you guys won't get away with this! Why, when my boys track you down, you'll...\" A loud thud stopped his yacking. \"Enough! Your VOICE is grating on me!\" came Fera's voice! \"That does it!\" Espio said, charging ahead with Charmy. \"Hey, wait!!\" Copter stammered, followed by the entire group dashing the rest of the way through the tunnel to what awaited at the other side! Vector and Rainbow were being guarded by a number of Despair agents, and they were all standing before a great, golden door with a complex-looking lock. The Darkseeker was puzzling over this lock, a couple of agents beside him holding the Chaos Key, Kosmo's ancient coin, and the stone tablet that was unearthed from Emerald Coast! \"Rainbow!! Are you all right!?\" Punchy and Violet shouted at once. Rainbow glanced up from the corner she was trapped in. \"Viola... One... You came...!\" she gasped. Fera nodded to one of the animals guarding the prisoners, and he turned to block the group's path, revealing himself to be Ridley the coati, wearing the golden cape he'd retrieved from the Security Tower, the Chaos Wing! \"What!? Wait, don't you work for Eggman!?\" Charmy said, making most of the others glance at him in puzzlement. \"We're detectives!\" the bee explained. Ridley nodded. \"My tenure with Eggman was a nice ruse dreamed up by my creator... If you didn't dig that up with your 'detective work,' I'm Experiment 12!\" he revealed. Kosmo shrugged. \"Well, there had to be a twelve somewhere.\" he said. \"When did Bucky pass 9?\" Rouge groaned. Ridley sighed. \"Well, as I was saying... Being one of Bucky's spies allowed me to look at this Despair conflict from all sides. Eggman's a clown. Gunner's an old fool. In the interest of self-preservation, there really is only one side to choose... Despair!\" he declared. Char dropped to the floor in utter disbelief. \"ANOTHER traitor!? Aw, and I really liked you...\" he whined.\n\nThe Darkseeker turned, his red eyes glaring upon the intruders. \"If you are serious about self-preservation, keep those fools occupied.\" he ordered Ridley. \"Can do...boss!\" the coati grinned, his hands becoming engulfed in chaos-charged water! Most of the group was ready to fight, but the Despair agents guarding the prisoners held some clear-bladed swords to them. \"Take a wrong step and we'll Chaos Spear the girl with these high-tech GUN blades! Try to fight us and we'll cut the croc!!\" they warned. This made Espio, Charmy, Copter, Punchy and Violet all back down. \"Grrr... We can't risk Rainbow's safety...\" Punchy growled. Vector shouted out to his friends. \"Don't just stand there! I can take care of myself! Espio, Charmy!!\" he called, but they didn't move. \"We must wait for the tide to turn... A ninja knows patience...\" Espio said. Rouge rolled her eyes. \"The tide won't turn with everyone standing around!\" she said, flying ahead only to have Fera toss balls of dark energy at her! This left Kosmo and Ridley. \"...You sure you want to fight me?\" Kosmo asked, \"Might be easier to fight THEM.\" he said. The collar of the Chaos Wing cape flashed, and then the cape transformed into a pair of magnificent golden wings, which flapped Ridley up above Kosmo. \"Despair comes with its perks. Chaos Splash!!\" he fired a burst of water at Kosmo, which he stared at awkwardly, allowing it to hit him, only to realize that a water ball actually CAN hurt. \"Ooof!! Okay... Painful water balloons... I guess you asked for it.\" he said. Meanwhile, the Darkseeker had Rainbow brought before the golden door. \"You are the guardian of this city... Open it.\" he commanded. Rainbow looked at him, then at the door. \"Look, even if I thought this was a good idea, I have NO idea how to open this door! I've never been down here before!\" she shouted. The Darkseeker's eyes narrowed. \"Don't trifle with me... We will get this door opened, one way or another...\" he said ominously. Rainbow shrunk back, chuckling nervously. \"D-did you try that shiny key, Mr. Red Reaper?\" she stammered. Violet watched this nervously. \"I have to get her out of here...\" she whimpered.\n\nKosmo sprouted white wings of his own, making him resemble a Divine. \"You wanna fly? Let's fly!\" he growled, taking off after Ridley while Rouge and Fera fought below. Ridley kept Kosmo busy by tossing Chaos Splash attacks at him repeatedly, forcing him to focus on his flying for the time being. In the meantime, the Darkseeker worked on the door. He noticed a small, circular impression in the doorway, the designs around it matching the ancient coin. He slid the coin into the impression, and the door started to react, sections of the doorway sliding around like a puzzle, gradually revealing something. All while Kosmo was gaining on Ridley. \"All right, aqua-boy! Eat octopus tentacles!\" Kosmo morphed his arms into stretchy tentacles and tried to grab Ridley in their suction-cupped grip, but he reacted quickly. \"Chaos Splatter!!\" A great blast of aquatic chaos-energy knocked back Kosmo as well as Rouge, while Fera warped out of the way! Kosmo had been knocked to the roof, and the suction cups of his tentacles caused him to stick to it. \"This isn't... funny...\" he groaned. The door finished sliding around, revealing a keyhole perfect for the Chaos Key. The Darkseeker attempted to open the lock with the key, but the door wouldn't budge. \"...Yes, of course...\" he whispered. At any rate, Kosmo had to act fast. He morphed his arms free of the roof in time to dodge Ridley's next wave of Splash attacks. \"I heard you were supposed to be tough! Guess the hype is always bigger than the reality!\" Ridley taunted. Kosmo scoffed. \"If I ever have room to turn into a dragon again, your covenant's history!\" he taunted back. \"We'll see... First you have to get past me!!\" Ridley said, diving forward with his body becoming enveloped in water, planning to end this quickly! Kosmo flapped towards him as well with a similar intention, all while the Darkseeker once again was addressing Rainbow. \"The stone tablet is clear... You must be the one to open the door. I can attempt to open it by force, but there may be a failsafe keeping my prize from me...\" he stated. \"Aww, wouldn't THAT be a shame.\" Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. \"...We'll see how long you keep up this attitude...\" the Darkseeker mused.\n\nKosmo started to morph into a more mechanical form, soon resembling a winged Egg Pawn. \"Ha! You kidding?? An EGG PAWN!? Now you're dead!\" Ridley laughed, only to light up with electric sparks when he touched Kosmo! Char picked himself up and gave a cheer. \"Aw, yeah! He turned into Jolt! Sweet!\" he said excitedly. With the water intensifying the electric shock, Ridley collapsed in a heap, out of commission for the moment, and Kosmo morphed back to normal. \"Well... That's a glaring weakness, isn't it?\" he muttered. Just then, several people started to arrive through the tunnel, led by Chet. This included Guard, Talon and Illusi. \"Figures Illusi would show up...\" Punchy grunted. \"I'm here to get my item back...\" the shrew said, staring at Fera. Rouge flew back to Guard and tagged him. \"Fera's tough... Take over.\" she said. The Darkseeker, however, was through waiting. \"Enough! Open this door, NOW!\" he growled. Just then, Violet teleported over next to Rainbow. \"Don't raise your voice to my sister!!\" she shouted, only to be lifted up by the throat by the Darkseeker! \"Viola!!\" Rainbow cried. The Darkseeker chuckled. \"You value her life... Open the door, or you'll see her lose it!\" he threatened. \"No!!\" Punchy gasped, \"I gotta... do something!\" he grunted. However, Rainbow acted first. \"All right!\" she said, with tears in her eyes, \"Put her down! I'll open the dumb door!\" she sobbed. She then turned the key, and the ancient coin glowed brightly as the golden door creaked open! The Darkseeker tossed Violet to the floor and hastily went into the chamber beyond, emerging a very short time later with a great sky blue crystal in his clutches! \"BEHOLD!! The Chaos Crystal, object of my long search, and the great controller of the Chaos Relics!\" he said triumphantly. Copter growled softly. \"Great... What makes you think you'll get it past all of us?\" he said. The Darkseeker chuckled. \"While eliminating you all here would be a simple matter... I grant you a reprieve.\" he said, holding up the false wand that was part of the GXterminate machine! \"My power will take ALL Despair agents from this place! Galaporta!!\" he said amidst protests from Violet and Chet. After a blinding flash of light, the Darkseeker, the Crystal, and everyone who was wearing a Despair uniform was gone. The Chaos Key was gone, too. However, Kosmo retrieved the ancient coin, which turned to dust in his hand. \"So much for luck...\" he sighed. \"What's going to happen now?\" Talon wondered. \"The world... will turn red... with the fires of destruction!\" Rainbow shivered, \"What have I done!?\"\n\nAboveground, Sonic the Hedgehog had arrived in Station Square, though the idea to go underground could never have occurred to him. He met up with Heather the phoenix, who also found her way there. Now that Despair had gotten the Chaos Crystal to their island base, however, said island was emitting some unusual activity. A shroud of darkness was veiling Demon Island from direct sight, making its presence in the sky even more ominous than before! \"Okay... Big dark clouds in the middle of the day are never a good sign. Especially when they surround an evil lair of some kind.\" Sonic said. Heather noticed something else up in the sky. \"Hey, look! A plane!\" she pointed. The tornado had arrived, and Tails brought it in for a landing in the street near Sonic, the streets having been vacated soon after Demon Island first appeared. \"Hey! ...What'd I miss?\" Tails asked with concern. \"Too much... And weren't you supposed to bring someone back with you?\" Sonic recalled. Copter, Punchy, Kosmo and many of the others met up with them the next moment. \"Speedy! Nothing but bad news!\" Rainbow panted. \"The Covenant of Despair's got some 'controller' for the Chaos Relics!\" Copter added. Prof. Pickle and SPOT joined them next. \"It's as I feared.\" he said, munching a cucumber sandwich nervously. Tails gulped. \"They have the Master Emerald, too...\" he murmured. Pickle nodded. \"Then they hold the power to control Chaos in its entirety. What fate is to befall the world now?\" he sighed. Kosmo looked up and nodded. \"We'll have to get up there...\" he said, glancing at Sonic, \"Right?\" Sonic looked at him and gave him a thumb's up. \"Well, you've come a long way. I guess we'll need some rides up there...\" he smiled. Vector was standing further back, chatting on a cell phone. \"Well... we got our ride. C'mon, boys. The client wants to meet.\" he said. \"We have a client!?\" Charmy gasped. Vector sighed. \"How long do you think we can work for free? Yes, I found someone to pay us for lookin' into Despair! Now let's go!\" he said. While everyone was starting to look for a way up to Demon Island, Kosmo was suddenly startled by Carrie appearing out of nowhere. \"You...! Where have you been?\" he asked. \"I heard you've been looking for me. Sweet of you to be concerned, but I'm fine. You were concerned?\" she figured. Kosmo nodded slowly. \"Dangerous folks you're angering.\" he said. Carrie winked and walked off. \"You, too. See ya around.\" she said, vanishing before Kosmo's eyes. \"...Yeah, but will I see you?\" he wondered.\n\n\nChapter 37 - Defending the Arcangel\nStage 21(Hero 11) - Shadow Arcangel\nMinor Boss 17 - ????????\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\nThe story thus far:\nConan got the jump on Knuckles, swiping the Master Emerald and leading him on a chase that got him lost in the Forest of Dreams. As it started to rain, he and some others took shelter in the mysterious Dream Temple. The Dream King presented each of them with different trials, ending with Knuckles battling a nightmare of Perfect Chaos with his friends' lives on the line! In the end, Knuckles realized his true nature as a guardian of all, and as they left the Dream Temple, the group had renewed determination to stop the Covenant of Despair.\nNow, on to the next chapter!\n\n\nAfter escaping the Dream Temple, Knuckles, Shadow and Gemini found themselves lost in the Forest of Dreams. Tails had managed to escape with his plane, but Shadow and Gemini's attempts to warp out of the maze of trees proved fruitless. \"Are we doomed to wander these woods forever...?\" Shadow wondered. However, the light above was soon blotted out by a massive object! Looking up, they saw Shadow Arcangel in the sky directly above them! Bucky was standing in the doorway of the section that once jutted out of the earth when the ship was embedded in the ground as a strange ruins. \"Need a lift?\" he shouted. A quick teleport up with Gemini's wand, and they were all soon safely aboard the familiar dark aircraft. \"Excuse any turbulence. For one thing, my usual flight crew is out, replaced with the Chaotix detectives.\" Bucky said. Vector's voice came over the PA. \"Everyone aboard? Can we pull up?\" he wondered. Bucky lifted a walkie-talkie. \"Tell him to resume course, Charmy.\" he said. \"Yessir! You're the client!\" he replied cheerfully. Shadow crossed his arms. \"I assume you finding us isn't just coincidence.\" he said. Bucky led the way toward the control room. \"No, you're right. I need all the help I can get right now, and since it seems many of my experiments are occupied, you'll have to do.\" he stated. Gemini sighed. \"Well, I guess there aren't many places I'd rather be right now. Since this is where the Lost Ones were first spotted, I might find clues to help me defeat them...\" she reasoned. Bucky opened the door to the control room as they arrived. \"First thing's first... You help me, and I'll do what I can to help the three of you.\" he said. Espio and Vector were both working at the controls of the ship within the control room, neither seeming wholly confident in the other's knowledge of piloting an ancient ruin. Charmy was monitoring the power cells containing the rings needed to keep the ship aloft. Lucky the cat and Spiny the porcupine were loitering in the control room as well. \"Everyone, listen up!\" Bucky announced, \"It is time to defend Shadow Arcangel!\"\n\nBucky turned the group's attention to a radar screen that Eggman had installed in the control room during his brief tenure as the ship's owner. \"As you can see, there's a fleet on our tail. Spiny has verified that it is Dr. Eggman's carnival fleet.\" he said. \"I still say we'd do better pledging our allegiance to Dr. Eggman.\" Spiny complained. \"Yes, that worked SO WELL for you so far!\" Bucky pointed out. \"Do I hear people talking about me? My ears are burning!\" The group was briefly struck speechless as Dr. Eggman himself stepped into the control room, accompanied by Metal Sonic! Knuckles was the first to snap out of it. \"Give me ONE reason why I shouldn't come over there and crack your eggshell wide open!!\" he shouted. \"...I'm not really an Egg?\" Eggman said awkwardly. As Knuckles and Vector crept toward him angrily, Eggman waved a white flag frantically. \"PARLEY!! Parley!!\" he shouted. \"Uh... What?\" Gemini muttered. \"He wants to talk things over.\" Bucky said, \"Make it quick, Robotnik.\" he growled. Eggman bowed graciously. \"Thank you... Now listen, I had to come aboard. The Covenant of Despair found a backdoor into my own system when one of their agents was sneaking around my virtual reality video game! As a result, Cloud Carnival is under their control...and on its way here!\" he said. Shadow scoffed. \"Amazing. That dumb game is STILL getting on my nerves. Get to the part where you ask us for something in exchange for your help.\" he said distrustingly. Eggman frowned. \"So cold, Shadow. In fact, I came only in the interest of peaceful cooperation...and getting my fleet back, hopefully. I'm even offering Metal Sonic's assistance! Use him in any way you require! He got a little banged up in Central City, but I buffed out most of the dings.\" he said earnestly. Knuckles frowned. \"I don't like it. I've already met my quota for being messed with by you today...\" he grumbled. Bucky looked at the radar screen grimly. \"There's little choice. We have to trust him.\" he said. \"...But we don't have to like it! Pfffft!!\" Charmy said, sticking out his tongue.\n\nBucky looked around seriously. \"The Arcangel's defenses are a number of turrets positioned on the...outer decks of the ship. To launch a counterattack, some of you must go outside and man these turrets.\" he said. Knuckles stared at him in disbelief. \"...What!? You mean to tell me this heap doesn't have defenses you can control from in here!? What are all those controls FOR anyway!?\" he yelled. Eggman shrugged. \"I didn't view it as a problem myself. I was going to have robots man the turrets when I was in control of the ship...\" he stated. Shadow groaned. \"Well, now WE have to do it! Come on, Knuckles!\" he said, leading him, Gemini and Charmy in a search for the \"outer decks.\" \"We'll see about automating some of those weapons!\" Eggman said, heading off with Metal Sonic. Bucky stepped outside of the control room and watched them go. \"Godspeed...\" he muttered. Just then, he heard a voice. \"Betrayed... by Despair...? You have a history...of betrayal...do you not?\" It was Nevin Crimm again. \"I didn't betray you, Crimm. Wheeler abandoned you! I never quite knew what became of you. I can't fathom why your voice haunts my thoughts, honestly!\" Bucky snapped. \"Perhaps something else... fills you with sorrow... How did your Hope die?\" Crimm asked. Bucky growled softly. \"...GUN...\"\n\nA flash of memories came to Bucky's mind. GUN's Sergeant Murten had found his laboratory, and launched an attack using an early prototype of what would become Diablon. This was more like a souped-up Flying Dog, but even so, the arms added to the machine made it no joke. \"There's nowhere left to run, Stein, you mutant! I'll see an example made out of you! No one defies GUN!\" Murten growled. Corporal Gunner was the only official witness, and he stood watching eagerly from the sidelines. \"If you end him here, sarge, I'll be sure and let the Commander know you did your VERY BEST to take him alive!\" he sneered. As Murten launched his attack, however, a shriek came as Hope lunged herself between them! \"Don't hurt hiiiim!!\" she cried, only to be pierced by a blade sliding out of the mech's right arm! \"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!\"\n\nThe memories had become too much to bear. \"As soon as this is over, I'll raid myself a drugstore and rid myself of your pestering voice!!\" Bucky roared. Just then, Vector peered through the door of the control room. \"'Scuse me, doc... But that won't do any good...\" he grunted, stepping out and glancing around above them, \"...I hear him, too! Why don't ya show yourself, whoever you are!\" he called out. Bucky's eyes went wide. \"That's impossible... Nevin Crimm is dead!\" he gasped. The voice of Crimm rang out with raspy laughter, echoing through the halls. \"So... my secret is out... I have been whispering to you, in the guise of a lost friend... Searching... for weakness!\" he bellowed, \"Go ahead and search... You'll never... find me!!\" Crimm laughed, his voice slowly fading. \"...Well... That was creepy...\" Vector said.\n\nAcross a few halls, Knuckles, Gemini, Shadow, and Charmy were startled by the sudden laughter of Nevin Crimm, seeming to pass them as it echoed through the hallways. Gemini's hair stood on end. \"You all heard that, right?\" she whimpered. Charmy was hugging himself in fear. \"I TOLD Espio and Vector this place was haunted!!\" he shivered. \"That laugh... It was... familiar. Eerily familiar...\" Gemini shuddered, creeping ahead to the next dark corner with her wand readied. As she peered around it, she covered her own mouth to hold back a gasp. Rivers of loslime were flowing out of cracks in the walls, chanting their ghostly chant of \"Lossss... Lossss!!\" Shadow and Knuckles took pause when they looked as well. \"Something's got the Lost Ones jittery...\" Shadow realized. \"Hasn't Bucky bothered to get an exterminator in here for these things YET!?\" Knuckles growled. Gemini clutched her wand tightly. \"Well, he's got me here, now! Blastrotall!!\" she shouted, frantically firing shots at the loslime in an effort to clear a path! Before long, however, a ball of electricity breezed past her and the others, clearing the path quickly and efficiently! The electricity faded to reveal Metal Sonic! \"...Show off!!\" Gemini shouted.\n\nAs they continued searching for a way to the outer decks, they found that the measly loslime were only the beginning of their worries. Lospides, losoars, and flaming loskulls were patrolling the halls as well. They didn't really have time to contend with them, and certain members of their group were all but useless against certain Lost Ones. Fortunately, they didn't have to fight through them long, as lasers burst forth from a nearby hallway and drove back some of the creatures! Adam the bat, Evelyn the fox, Cuthburt the alligator and Fred the fennec charged in from the hallway and went to work on the Lost Ones with their futuristic lasers and a little help from Fred's magic. \"Oh, good... Your friends are back, Gemini.\" Knuckles sighed. Metal Sonic crossed its arms and looked bored for a moment, then glanced around at the ceiling. \"{Directive: Reach Sky Deck. Current Threat Level: Green. Ignore Threat.}\" his monitor displayed as he fired up his engines to fly to the roof, feeling around for something. Meanwhile, Fred made his way to Gemini. \"Still searching for your false wand? We must retrieve it to avoid damage to... Um... You know.\" he said, glancing at Shadow and Knuckles awkwardly. \"This ship may just lead me to it.\" Gemini said. Fred nodded. \"Be cautious... I sense a great evil here...somewhere. If we encounter it, there may be grave consequences.\" he warned. Suddenly, Metal Sonic popped open a hatch on the roof of the hall, and lowered a rope ladder leading to the upper deck! \"Huh... Seems Metal Sonic's memories haven't been completely erased. It still remembers its way around this ship.\" Shadow said. \"Get goin, you guys!\" Adam shouted. \"We got things here!\" Cuthburt added. \"Take care of our Gemini!\" shouted Evelyn. They all nodded. \"You can count on me!\" Charmy declared proudly. Knuckles rolled his eyes. \"Yeah, and I'll watch your back, Charmy...\" he said. Metal Sonic led the others to the upper deck, with Gemini hesitating briefly to say a quick goodbye. \"...Seems we never can chat for long. Thanks for everything, teacher... And all of you.\" she smiled. \"We won't rest until you're home safe and sound.\" Fred nodded. Once they were gone, Fred pulled some small, shiny objects from his pockets, tapping his wand to them to return them to full size. \"Hey, I didn't know you had those!\" Cuthburt said. \"I found them here... I'm contemplating what to do with them...\" Fred murmured.\n\nThey had now arrived on the \"outer deck\" of Shadow Arcangel, which was essentially Bucky's fancy way of telling them to climb on top of the ship while it was in flight. The gun turrets were arranged at opposite ends of the ship, some on each of the ship's intricately-designed wings. \"This dumb ship's even bigger from above! Looks like we'll have to split up.\" Knuckles grumbled. \"The wind currents are already making my wings tired...\" Charmy groaned. Suddenly, company joined them. Some robots from Cloud Carnival had flown ahead of the ships, and Despair wasn't messing around. They'd dug up some E-2000 robots that Eggman had left aboard the ships, painted up like clowns for his carnival. \"That paint job on those things...is just disturbing...\" Shadow remarked. \"Can you talk things over with them, Metal Sonic?\" Gemini asked. Metal Sonic stepped back, his programming forbidding him from attacking Eggman's own robots. \"Fine! We got this... Charmy, get me up there!\" Knuckles said. The bee nodded, grabbing Knuckles and flitting his wings with all his might to carry him to the robots. \"C'mon! I've seen you lift Vector!!\" he shouted. Meanwhile, Shadow got the E-2000s' attention by throwing Chaos Spears at them. \"Come on, jokers! I can take you, even without Rouge and Omega!\" he shouted. One of the robots transformed into jet form, firing its powerful laser at Shadow while remaining in this mobile state. The others had their shields turned to Knuckles. \"Hey, Charmy... can you manage the thunder shoot?\" Knuckles asked. \"Too...windy!!\" he grunted. \"...Fine!\" Knuckles jumped into a glide and caught one of the robot's shields. Surprised, it started trying to shake him off, while the other aimed its laser. Once fired, the laser blasted the robot Knuckles was clinging to, while he calmly jumped off of it! Then, Shadow warped behind the other robot. \"Even dumber than I remember!\" he said, bashing it to pieces with a well-aimed spin attack! He'd also dealt with the third robot, so it seemed they had a chance to take a breather. \"Impressive... Your soul will do nicely...!!\" a raspy voice rang out, startling them. \"Watch out, guys!!\" Vector climbed out from the hatch they'd used to get outside, but it was a bit late. A massive mass of slime started to emerge from another hatch not too far away!\n\nThe huge mass of slime reared up like a snake, revealing a man's face acting as its \"head.\" It spoke with the voice of Nevin Crimm. \"I... have waited... in the shadows... much too long!! The time has come... for me to devour the final soul... that I might be complete!!\" he hissed. Gemini stared in abject horror. \"You... you're Losipher!! Only, not at your full power yet...\" she stammered. The creature sneered at her. \"How... do you know... of me? Never mind... I come for... the soul... of the dark hedgehog...\" Losipher growled. Shadow stared defiantly at him. \"Me? ...That's a big mistake!\" he shouted. \"Just to be clear, NO interest in my soul?\" Knuckles asked, prompting Gemini and Charmy to stare at him. \"...What? Don't tell me none of you were thinking the same thing!\" he said. \"I kinda was.\" Vector admitted. \"Silence! All of your souls... Will be mine... When this is over! Prepare to feel true sorrow!!\" Losipher roared. They all took cover as the snake-like demon spit a big glob of slime at them. \"Grooooss!!\" Charmy whined, but it was about to get worse. The glob of slime started to writhe, forming a swarm of mini-Losipher snakes! Gemini just started zapping them frantically with her wand. \"Sick! Disgusting! Vile! Evil!! I... HATE... YOU... LOSIPHER!!\" she shrieked, filling Knuckles with a bit of concern. \"Personal, much?\" he said, glancing at Shadow, Vector and Metal Sonic, \"Let's get this monster out of our way quickly, then!\" he said. Losipher chuckled at them. \"You fools! You have no idea of the terror that awaits you...\" he said, the raspiness seeming to leave his voice. Losipher sunk down, his body becoming a vast puddle with his face in the center. \"What's he... doing?\" Vector wondered. Suddenly, dozens of slimy tentacles rose up from the puddle and seized Shadow, Vector and Knuckles! \"Gaaah!! It's the day of the octo-monster!!\" Charmy wailed, dropping to the floor and huddling in a corner, terrified. While the others were struggling in Losipher's grip, Gemini and Metal Sonic were busy battling the mini-Losiphers. \"{Threat level: Hedgehog blue! Sending S.O.S.}\" Metal Sonic's monitor displayed as the creatures started to overwhelm him!\n\nVector squirmed in Losipher's grip, and tried blowing bubbles of his gum to see if that would have any effect, but Losipher didn't care about it. He was trying to draw Shadow into his waiting maw, devouring him along with his soul, but Shadow wouldn't come quietly. He fired Chaos Spears at the creature's face, which did seem to annoy him, but it wasn't doing more than delay Losipher. Knuckles was struggling the most. He had no extraordinary power, only his physical strength, and this was little use against a being like Losipher. What he DID have was the Shovel Claws, which he'd been carrying around on the off-chance he'd need to dig up any kind of treasure during the battles with Despair. He struggled to pull them out, and equipping them, slashed through Losipher's tentacle, freeing himself! \"Ha! There's the problem with making everything out of slime!\" he said, gliding off toward Vector. Losipher glared at him and fired a powerful beam from his mouth in the echidna's direction! \"Yaaaaah!!\" Knuckles had to change his course quickly to avoid the beam, and cut Vector's tentacle from a bit lower than he'd planned, but Vector floated down to the ship's deck with one of his big gum bubbles, giving Knuckles a thumbs up as he passed. \"That is some weird gum...\" Knuckles mumbled. At this point, Shadow got fed up with Losipher. \"Chaos BLAST!!\" he shouted, blasting right through the tentacle to secure his escape! The trio then joined Gemini and Metal Sonic, quickly taking out the mini-Losiphers while the real one reared up like a snake again. \"Fine... I'll just kill you pathetic fools, then...\" he hissed. However, before he could strike, a massive beam of energy struck him from behind, startling him and making him retreat back down into the hatch from whence he came! \"This... isn't over!!\" the creature gasped. \"What in... What got Losipher!?\" Gemini gasped. Metal Sonic pointed up as Dr. Eggman floated down in his Egg Mobile! \"Well, that was a close one, wasn't it?\" he grinned. A device was attached to the front of his ship, with slots holding a collection of Chaos Emeralds. Five emeralds in fact, including three that Knuckles recognized. \"Hey... those are the Chaos Emeralds I tracked down at Pumpkin Hill!! How do you have those!?\" he shouted. With a mischievous grin on his face, the group once again found themselves wondering if Eggman was in fact up to his old tricks after all...\n\n\nChapter 38 - Rage of the Deathbringer\nStage 21(Hero 11) - Shadow Arcangel\nBoss 21 - The Deathbringer\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\nKnuckles stared up at Eggman suspiciously. \"I found those Emeralds, but then that crazy griffin came out of nowhere and stole them. Where'd you get them!?\" he repeated, as though for the benefit of someone just tuning in. Eggman leaned against the control panel of his Egg Mobile, tenting his fingers. \"Where INDEED...... Oh, fine, I borrowed them from Bucky. They were just lying around. Someone should put 'em to use.\" he explained. Knuckles, Vector and Shadow stood shaking their heads, each looking quite displeased and distrustful. \"What!? J-just so we can get out of this mess! I give you my solemn vow that I will return the emeralds just as soon as I retrieve my fleet! C'mon, all I got here is an Egg Mobile!\" he stammered. Charmy flitted over beside Vector. \"Yeah, we heard your promises before! What happened to our money from that job you tricked us into doing!?\" he snapped. \"Check's in the mail! The postal service hates me!\" Eggman growled. Gemini rolled her eyes. \"We're wasting time. Meanwhile that fleet is closing in on us and LOSIPHER is loose on the ship!\" she pointed out. Shadow nodded. \"We'd better split up to get to those turrets before we start getting shot at.\" he reasoned. Knuckles shrugged. \"Fine. C'mon Vector. Charmy.\" he said, heading off with the bulk of Team Chaotix. Shadow turned to Metal Sonic. \"Come if you want... I'd like to keep my eye on you...\" he said. \"{Mission: Surveille Shadow. Warning: Eggman forces now hostile.}\" flashed briefly on Metal Sonic's monitor. \"I'll... proceed alone... then...\" Eggman said awkwardly, \"So nice having FRIENDS! GO TEAM!\" he added as the others walked off in opposite directions. He smirked to himself and headed for the front of the ship. Moments later, a winged being landed where the groups had been moments before. It was the Deathbringer. \"The other echidna IS here... The Doomsayer was right!\" it murmured, surveying the area. \"What exactly is going on? ...Already the Doomsayer's vagueness has made things difficult for me... I must tread carefully or risk triggering events more dire than I hope to prevent...\" it said, taking to the sky.\n\n\nKnuckles, Charmy and Vector made their way along one of the ship's wings, careful not to fall, as the wings really had not been designed to be walked on. \"Who built this crazy ship, a gang of sadistic fairies??\" Knuckles growled. \"That'd explain why Charmy's having an easier time heading for the turret than us...\" Vector said. The poor footing was going to be a problem, as more of Eggman's robots flew ahead from Cloud Carnival! Knuckles recognized the familiar design of the Cop Speeder robots, only their cars were designed more like bumper cars. \"Eggman sure went all-in with this carnival theme, huh?\" he muttered, weaving to avoid the speeders as they tried to ram him! \"I'll get 'em!\" Charmy said, flying after the robots, but finding them too fast for him to catch. Knuckles and Vector braced themselves as the robots came at them again, but then they stopped short! \"...Huh??\" Knuckles mumbled. Talon the griffin came flapping over, holding his hand out to the robots. \"I've got them!\" he said, flicking his wrist before the robots went soaring away! He then landed ahead of them, walking to the gun turret in front of them. \"Uh... Thanks, but... WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON!?\" Knuckles shouted. Talon stopped at the turret and turned around. \"...Bucky's side. Sorry about before, by the way. We really didn't want Eggman OR Despair to have the Chaos Emeralds... Just didn't seem like a good idea.\" he said. Knuckles nodded. \"So... You were spying on me? Well... You're just lucky it all worked out...sorta.\" he said. \"Bucky had us spying on everyone... He likes to know what's going on, I guess.\" Talon shrugged. \"...A normal person watches the news!\" Vector grumbled. \"You're one to talk, detective!\" Talon said wryly, turning to the turret, \"I'll handle this one. You guys... head for more stable ground.\" he suggested. \"You got a deal!\" Knuckles sighed, turning back. \"What!? We're letting him off that easy!? But we totally had those robots until HE showed us up!!\" Charmy babbled as they walked off. Once their backs were turned, Carrie appeared next to Talon. \"Sure you know how to work this thing?\" she asked. \"Um... No. Hehe...\" he chuckled.\n\n\nShadow, Gemini and Metal Sonic were crossing the ship's other wing, joined by Espio, who had turned over the ship's controls to Spiny. This group was a bit more sure-footed than Knuckles and Vector, which was a good thing, since a hot air balloon from Cloud Carnival had brought brightly painted Egg Pawns and Motobugs to the ship to do battle with them. While they were occupied battling the robots, Lucky the cat was sneaking around from the rear, looking for an opening to join the struggle himself. He crept close to a Motobug, making a fist. \"Dumb robot! Take this!\" he growled, punching it hard, only to squeal in pain and jump up and down shaking his injured hand. \"Meee-yow!! That armor's hard!!\" he yelled. Shadow noticed what was happening and jumped to the Motobug, kicking it aside with ease. \"Go back inside, kid! You'll only be in the way!\" he shouted, returning his attention to the remaining robots. \"But I...\" Lucky stammered. Gemini appeared in front of him and erected a magical shield, blocking a flurry of lasers from the Egg Pawns across from them. \"I'm afraid Shadow's right! Not all of us are cut out to be fighters.\" she said. Metal Sonic tore through the remaining robots in a frenzy of electrified homing attacks, and Lucky realized there really was no place for him among these seasoned battlers. \"Fine... I'll head back... All by myself...\" he said sadly. Gemini watched him go and frowned. \"I feel bad. He means well.\" she said. \"That won't mean a thing when he's dead.\" Shadow said sternly. Espio hurried ahead to the gun turret and looked it over. \"I think I can figure this thing out... Can't be harder than the ship itself. You can all look for the remaining turrets.\" he said. Shadow nodded. \"You've got the map in your head. Lead the way, Metal Sonic.\" he requested. As they continued on their way, they were unaware that Lucky was in fact still trailing them, using the strange metallic \"torches\" erected all over the ship to hide as he followed them. \"...I can't stay cooped up in my room anymore. I need to do SOMETHING... Even if I'm not a fighter...\" he said to himself.\n\nKnuckles, Shadow, Gemini, Vector, Charmy and Metal Sonic all met up as they arrived at the forward gun turrets, where they found Dr. Eggman busy working on \"automating\" them. \"Are those guns going to be ready before your fleet starts firing on us?\" Knuckles asked. \"Patience! Genius takes time! Anyway, if you got someone manning the other turrets, they oughta hold us for now.\" Eggman said. Metal Sonic stepped over to assist Eggman, leaving the others to watch the fleet ominously gaining on them. \"This better work... I don't wanna be in a big-flying-ship crash! ...again!\" Charmy said. Suddenly, the Deathbringer dropped down among the group, spinning and kicking several of them aside so that it was left standing face to face with Knuckles! \"What in the... Doomsayer??\" Knuckles stammered. \"Far worse. I am the Deathbringer! Knuckles the echidna... Your presence on this vessel is an ominous sign. It heralds a tragedy that I refuse to allow!\" it shouted. Knuckles looked at the Deathbringer awkwardly. \"Um... Okaaay... Thanks for the heads-up. I definitely don't want to be causing any tragedies... Got any other details for me?\" he asked. \"Chaos Control!!\" Shadow moved quickly, pulling Knuckles out of the path of the killing blast that the Deathbringer launched at the unsuspecting echidna! \"The Deathbringer doesn't talk!\" he warned. \"Yeah... seems like it.\" Knuckles realized. \"You just... tried to kill him!!\" Gemini gasped. Eggman grinned mischievously from his work at the turrets. \"Isn't this an interesting turn of events...\" he thought. The Deathbringer flapped up above the group and pointed at Knuckles. \"I am here to end his life. No one else need be harmed... But if you get in my way, you will pay the price! To alter the future, great costs must be paid. Now, prepare to pay that price!\" it shouted.\n\nShadow stood between the Deathbringer and Knuckles. \"...You've killed enough people. It's time you answered for it! And you're going to give me a few answers while you're at it!\" he shouted. The Deathbringer seemed unmoved by his words. \"You are a nuisance, Ultimate Life Form. You should learn to stay out of matters that don't concern you.\" it said. Knuckles raised his fists. \"Whatever! I'll take you on with or without Shadow! Just come down from there and face me!\" he yelled. The Deathbringer swooped down, forcing Shadow and Knuckles into action! Vector, Charmy and Gemini were about ready to step in as well, when Lospecter floated in front of them. \"So, it's you! You've become a real pesky witch, fennec! Now Losipher's mopier than usual, and it's... well, maybe not ALL your fault, but I'm blaming you!\" he growled. \"What's Losipher even doing here!?\" Gemini shouted. Lospecter crossed his arms. \"What? How 'bout what are YOU doing here! I can stash my secret weapon wherever I want!\" he snarled, \"And your tone is getting on my nerves now. I'm not even gonna waste cards on you. You shouldn't have barged aboard here!\" he said, snapping his ghostly fingers. Lospirits rose up through the floor, their ghostly bodies able to pass right through it! \"Hmm... The more solid guys might be a while... Maybe one card will help us pass the time.\" Lospecter said, drawing from his deck, and then using his card to zap the lospirits with lightning, electrifying them! \"...That doesn't quite seem fair...\" Vector muttered. \"They're all yours, big guy!\" Charmy grinned, pushing him forward. \"Gee, thanks...\" he muttered. Metal Sonic glanced over, observing the struggles unfolding. \"{Threat level: Indigo. Action advised...}\" his monitor read. Eggman noticed this and knocked on his metallic head. \"We're not the target of those creatures. Stay focused! If this situation is to work out in my favor, timing is key!\" he said. Charmy and Vector worked fast on \"Plan A\" of battling the Lost Ones. Charmy was bashing a drum, while Vector got out a microphone and started belting his particular brand of \"music.\" Lospecter held his head, but the lospirits just stared at him. \"...I knew this wouldn't work without Espio...\" he grumbled.\n\nShadow circled around the Deathbringer, hitting it with Chaos Spears in an effort to slow the creature down. It stayed airborn, evading some of the spears, but keeping most of its focus on Knuckles. \"Your friend is of little consequence to me! I will not fail to eliminate you!\" it shouted. Knuckles evaded a few of the Deathbringer's killing blasts, but with the dark being flying out of reach and seeming unfazed by Shadow's attacks, this felt more like an execution than a fight. Fortunately, they still had one ally that wasn't otherwise occupied. Fred the fennec warped onto the scene, holding some glittering objects in his hands. \"I had a feeling you all would be in trouble long about now. Knuckles! Catch these!\" he said, tossing the objects to the red echidna. Knuckles dove to catch the objects, while Shadow warped in front of him to block the Deathbringer's shot. \"You can try those blasts on me... If you think I can be killed so easily!\" he growled. Knuckles examined what he'd caught and gasped. \"These are... the Chaos Gauntlets!! How...?\" he muttered. \"I found them aboard the ship before Eggman could. You must use their power now!\" Fred said, warping back below the deck. Knuckles had a look of uncertainty as he slipped them on over his gloves. \"I guess they can't be worse than those playing cards...\" he said. The Deathbringer blasted Shadow aside, leaving him injured and weak. \"No more interference! Prepare for your end!\" it yelled. As a killing bolt tore toward Knuckles, he acted on instinct, and slammed his gauntlet-armored fist straight into it! The bolt bounced right back, forcing the Deathbringer to dodge its own attack! \"You... DARE!?\" it growled. \"That was pretty sweet! Let's see if these things can do anything else...\" Knuckles smirked. He charged at the Deathbringer, swatting aside the creature's blasts as he approached, and when he was close he hurled a punch in its general direction! A surge of energy came from the Chaos Gauntlet, and it sent his punch soaring into the air as a projectile of light! The Deathbringer was knocked back, but more angered than injured. \"Let's see you take... THIS!!!\" it roared, unloading a frenzy of blasts straight at Knuckles!\n\nUsing the Chaos Gauntlets as shields, Knuckles survived the onslaught, but was knocked around the roof as the Deathbringer's furious assault followed him! He finally landed at a computer console near where Eggman had been working, just as the Deathbringer stopped to take a breather. Eggman had retreated a bit to avoid being caught in the blasts, even hopping into his Egg Mobile. \"Whew... Knuckles, while you're down there, be a dear and push that flashing button, will you?\" he asked, wiping some sweat from his brow. Knuckles glanced at the computer console briefly. \"Well... if it'll start the guns up, couldn't hurt...\" he said, pushing the button quickly. The Deathbringer was about to launch another attack on Knuckles, when it found itself jolted by lightning from behind! \"If you are here to bring death... Get OFF my ship!!\" growled Bucky, glaring at the Deathbringer as the weapon systems whirred to life. Eggman started chuckling softly, which soon crescendoed into triumphant laughter as the guns turned around and fired upon Lospecter and the Deathbringer, startling them into retreating! Lospecter dove down into the ship, while the Deathbringer flew up out of range. However, the guns didn't follow it, they stayed trained on Knuckles, Gemini, Vector, Charmy and Bucky. \"Thanks for giving me access to your weapon systems! And coming out here, too! Now I can hold all of you hostage!\" Eggman sneered. Bucky crossed his arms. \"Really? To what end?\" he asked. Eggman pointed at him. \"YOU, Dr. Stein! You're coming on a little trip to Demon Island with me, along with these Chaos Emeralds! I can strike a bargain with Despair's leader, which in turn could prove most beneficial to me...\" he said. Bucky nodded. \"That story about your ships was a ruse, of course. But what makes you think I'll just go with you? You don't have THAT much of an advantage...\" he said. Metal Sonic then emerged from behind Bucky, forcing Lucky into the line of fire! \"Ouch! Owww! Stop that!\" the cat grumbled. \"You place a bit more value on your experiments than you do on Shadow and Knuckles, don't you?\" Eggman sneered. Bucky had a look of hopelessness on his face. \"You... you wouldn't...\" he stammered. Eggman grinned. \"The guns are in Metal Sonic's control. I give the order, and your experiment count drops...maybe to a more manageable number!\" he said. \"I... discussed creating a cat... with Hope... she would have thought of him as a son... I can't let him die...!\" Bucky stammered, stepping forward with his hands up. The Deathbringer seemed enraged by this turn of events, and fired a blast at the Egg Mobile, only to find it shielded with the power of the five Chaos Emeralds! \"Ha! I don't care how strong you are, you're no match for five emeralds! All aboard, Bucky!\" Eggman said, taking Bucky and Metal Sonic aboard his Egg Mobile before beginning his escape from the Arcangel. \"...Eggman!!!\" Knuckles shouted, \"You made me press that button, but I will NOT be defined by your tricks!! You hear me!!\" he yelled. \"Go ahead and keep the gauntlets! Knowing where they are might prove useful to me later!\" Eggman shouted back, laughing.\n\nThe Deathbringer stood on the ship, seeming distant. Gemini was busy casting healing magic on Shadow, despite his protests of not needing it, and Espio joined Charmy and Vector, discussing what they should do with their client captured. Lucky sat nearby, moping. Knuckles had taken off the Chaos Gauntlets and was staring at them, feeling somewhat useless. Suddenly, rain pelted the Arcangel, and the Doomsayer stepped to the group. The Deathbringer spun around, clenching its fists. \"Your vagueness cost me time! If you had informed me better from the start, I could have prevented things before they progressed this far!!\" it yelled. The Doomsayer stared blankly. \"Do not presume yourself more special than the fox or the echidna just because you wear a black robe. You receive no more prophecy than I choose to unveil.\" he stated. \"Some prophecy you gave me! I had what, all of two minutes to prepare!!\" Knuckles complained. \"My warning was only of the end of the world.\" the Doomsayer hissed, \"It is nearer than ever now. Should the Agents of Despair complete their dark designs... NONE SHALL SURVIVE!!!\" With strikes of lightning, the Doomsayer vanished, along with the Deathbringer. Shadow climbed to his feet unsteadily. \"You heard him. We've got to get to their island... and catch the doctor while we're at it.\" he said. Vector nodded. \"C'mon, boys! Let's get this ship on course!\" he said, leading Espio and Charmy away. Knuckles tucked the Chaos Gauntlets under his arm and followed after them. \"I guess... we're in command of Shadow Arcangel. Let's hope Spiny takes that well.\" he muttered. It was finally time to take the fight to the Covenant of Despair, but while they seemingly held all the cards, would there be any way to stop them?\n\n\nChapter 39 - The Depths of Despair\nStage 22(Dark 11) - Despair Depths\nMinor Boss 18 - Illusi\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\nThe story thus far:\nKosmo, Copter, Punchy and others journeyed to the Hidden Ruins beneath Station Square, hoping to rescue Rainbow and stop the Covenant of Despair's scheme. Unfortunately, Ridley had turned to Despair's side, and bought the Darkseeker enough time to open the door to the Chaos Crystal, the \"controller\" of the Chaos Relics that Rainbow was meant to be guarding.\nAs Demon Island hangs ominously over Station Square, Knuckles joined Bucky aboard Shadow Arcangel and attempted to defend the ship with the help of Dr. Eggman. However, it all proved to be a trap set by Eggman so he could steal the 5 Chaos Emeralds Bucky had collected, as well as Bucky himself, all as bargaining chips to deal with Despair!\nNext, all heroes must make their stand on Demon Island!\nNow, on to the next chapter!\n\n\nDemon Island was well defended. Dr. Eggman had bordered the island with his Cloud Carnival fleet, and that was the least of it. Dr. Nammad had been planning to go over to Despair's side for some time, and he'd sabotaged several GUN Warships during his time in Central City, so now he could call them to the island via remote, and add them to the blockade. Arriving to meet this mighty wall of battleships was a small, blue biplane. The Tornado, piloted by Tails, was occupied by SPOT, with Sonic and Amy standing atop the wings. Eggman observed their approach from his Egg Mobile. \"Hehe... Blow them out of the sky!!\" he called to his fleet. A torrent of bullets came at the Tornado, but then, these shots were blown aside by Chaos Whirlwind! Copter arrived, piloting the Hurricane, with Punchy, Rainbow and Heather holding on to the wings for dear life. Hoover's voice came over the plane's radio. \"Uh... Copter... Yer not doin' anything reckless wit mah baby... Right?\" he stammered. Copter chuckled nervously as the Tornado and the Hurricane dodged and weaved their way toward the blockade. Bringing up the rear was Mia's flying Taxicab, which was a bit crowded with people wanting a ride to Demon Island. Razor, Silver, Cream, Cheese and Illusi were all squeezed into the cab. \"Nobody sneeze, or I might spin outta control...\" Mia grumbled. The GUN Warships started joining Eggman's fleet in shooting at them, but a great, purple eagle flew past their radar, tearing at their gun turrets one by one! \"Kosmo made it through! Never thought I'd be glad to see him...\" Amy sighed. Rouge and Guard flew over to some of the other warships and joined the assault, but their efforts weren't doing much good, even with Tails and Copter attempting to shoot back with their planes. Fortunately, more help arrived quickly. Shadow Arcangel once again blotted out the sun over Station Square, but this time, it was under Chaotix control. \"Everybody in position? Aim and fire!!\" Vector shouted, prompting Shadow, Knuckles and Gemini to fire the Arcangel's turrets rapidly, obliterating some of the Cloud Carnival cruisers with ease! This wasn't all, either! A massive, blue GUN Warship made its way to the battle from the direction of Central City. \"Steal our Warships, will you!!?\" Col. Gunner roared over a loudspeaker, \"Well, face the wrath of the GUN Assault Carrier, then! YOU FREAKS ARE FINISHED!!\" Dozens of fighter planes launched from the Assault Carrier, turning the skies above Station Square into a real warzone. \"Well... I think they have their hands full. Let's land on the island!\" Punchy suggested. \"GET US OUTTA HERE!!!\" Razor pleaded to Mia, seeing that she was driving the only vehicle without weapons. The heroes gradually slipped their way past the blockade, leaving Eggman to contend with Gunner for the time being.\n\nDemon Island was being heavily guarded by this time. Every agent of the Covenant of Despair had been pulled out of the field and posted as guards everywhere. The vehicles had to be hidden in the forested area around the edge of the island. While Sonic, Copter, Razor and the others took a moment to rest from their trip, they watched Shadow Arcangel attempt to land on the island as well, while any Despair agents patrolling the area under it fled for dear life! In the shadows, a certain trio was also watching Shadow Arc's landing. \"Ssssuch a clumsssy landing... The massster isss not in command.\" Vortex realized. \"Um... What does that mean?\" Crash gulped. Knuckles and Shadow exited the Arcangel and joined Sonic, Tails, Team Rose, Copter, Punchy and Kosmo. Rouge and Omega greeted Shadow as well. \"How exactly did YOU get here, Omega? You don't fit on any of those planes.\" Shadow realized. \"I procured transport with Col. Gunner.\" the robot explained. Tails addressed the group urgently. \"According to SPOT, there are enemy forces ALL OVER this island. Eggman's thrown his robots into the mix as well.\" he said. \"Yeah, his fleet was kind of a dead giveaway that there'd be robots here.\" Copter pointed out. \"Well, they've got all the advantages for now... So the best thing to do is probably to split up.\" Sonic suggested. Knuckles nodded. \"The ol' divide and conquer. If they're too fortified in one direction, chances are our other groups will find a way through!\" he said. Team GeneX approached them, having overheard enough. \"Hey... Why isn't Bucky part of this party?\" Zipp asked. Knuckles and Shadow exchanged glances. \"...Eggman took him. No idea why.\" Knuckles frowned. While everyone else was making plans to storm Demon Island, Illusi had snuck away, and found Fera waiting at the edge of the road to Despair Castle. \"The Sonic Heroes are on your doorstep, along with some furious GeneX Experiments. But it's not yet too late... You must return the Chaos Key to me.\" he urged her. Fera scoffed. \"...You're wrong, old rodent... It IS too late. Nothing can stop the Covenant of Despair now. You would do well to leave, while you can!\" she said, warping away with her dark magic. \"...I will do what I must...\" Illusi sighed.\n\nPunchy started exploring the island on his own. \"According to Tails, the Master Emerald is here somewhere. I can make things right and nab the emerald to boot, but... Can I do it without slipping into darkness again?\" he sighed, \"Just in case, I should stay away from everyone. Rainbow, especially.\" Suddenly, a familiar bright light passed in front of him, hovering in the air! \"Huh!? What's with that... weird ball of light...? Hey, I've seen it before!\" Punchy gasped, watching as it hovered through the air, heading for a cavern hidden in the woods. He started to follow it. \"I think... It wants me to go that way...\" he muttered. \"HEY, ONE!!\" Punchy was suddenly startled as Rainbow came running up to him. \"Where do you think you're going without us!?\" she shouted. \"Wha... Us?\" he mumbled, glancing behind her to see Copter and Heather slowly catching up. \"We're all eager to get some payback on the covenant, Punch, but goin' off on your own's just nuts.\" Copter said. \"Actually, I have mixed feelings. They brought me back to life, but they're hurting what few friends I have. It's crazy.\" Heather sighed. \"Obviously, they wanted to use you for something. Like they used Rainbow and her sister.\" Copter reasoned. Punchy sighed and pointed into the cave. \"Hey, look! I found something!\" he interrupted. They peered into the dark cavern, but noticed there were faint lights here and there. \"Creepy... Could be a secret entrance to their base?\" Rainbow said thoughtfully. \"Well, everyone else is gonna check around outside, so let's try in here.\" Punchy suggested. \"Right! Hang on, Viola! Follow me, everyone!\" Rainbow said valiantly. As they headed into the cavern, SPOT crept along behind them, its nose to the ground almost like a real dog. \"...Chaos Emerald detected... Plotting course to retrieve Chaos Emerald.\" flashed on its monitor. After a moment, SPOT started into the cavern. The robo-puppy wasn't the only unexpected guest that had found the cave, either. Zipp poked his head out of the bushes, pressing a button on his helmet to speak to his teammates. \"Hey, Vortex... I may have found something...\" he said.\n\nThe dark cavern was vast, seeming to tunnel through much of the lower portion of the island. It was also dangerous, full of deep, expansive chasms. Sometimes, the only way across these chasms was to pass a narrow bridge of stone. It was while they were crossing one of these bridges that they saw it. Enemies on the other side, heading their way. \"Great... Despair has the cave guarded, too. Well, that figures.\" Copter grunted. \"Umm... There's something off about those guys.\" Heather noticed. The various Covenant of Despair agents' eyes were glowing red, and their bodies were totally black, as if they were in fact composed of shadows. \"Well... You did say this was DEMON Island...\" Punchy gulped. They hurried across the bridge as the shadowy figures started to attack them with dark magic! From their position, mounting a counterattack would be difficult. Heather jumped to the front and used her flames to shield them, but this was a temporary solution. Fortunately, they weren't the first ones to find the cave. A Chao and a hammer bashed a couple of the creatures, and then a barrage of rocks knocked the others down the nearby chasm! Rainbow pushed past Punchy to greet their new allies. \"Shiny! Great to see you again!\" she smiled. Silver, Amy and Cream, united as Team Rose, had beaten them to the cavern. \"We were here first, experiments! We're gonna take out Despair real quick, and I'll impress Sonic!\" Amy bragged. \"Uh... sure... Tell you what, we'll tag along, and you can take all the credit. We're mostly in this to rescue Rainbow's sister.\" Copter said. \"...Oh...\" Amy said awkwardly, a bit ashamed of her selfishness. \"Thanks for the help, by the way.\" Heather said. Silver nodded. \"Those demons... They're not really Despair agents. They were created from the dark energy collected in the island, which Despair's mages use. That's why some of the demons look like them...\" he explained. \"...Some?\" Punchy muttered. \"This place is REAL scary...\" Cream shuddered. They shrugged it off and kept moving. \"Don't worry, Hoppy. No demons can stop all of us!\" Rainbow said cheerfully. \n\nOf course, since only \"some\" of the demons resembled Despair agents, it wouldn't be long before the group encountered other varieties of the demons. The demons also took the shape of the Beecon drones that Copter and Punchy had faced the last time they were on the island, and some took shapes that were decidedly not of their world. As long as the demons were small, the combined forces of Team Rose, Copter, Punchy and Heather were more than enough to keep them at bay, even with Rainbow essentially unable to defend herself. Soon, however, much larger, lizardlike demons started to appear, and while Silver and Amy were busy battling them on one side of the cave, Copter and Punchy stood between a big, snarling demon and Rainbow. \"I got him... Chaos Avalanche!!\" Punchy shouted, dropping some stones from the roof directly on the demon's head! This was not as great an idea as it seemed, because the demon started flailing around dizzily, and knocked the surprised Punchy across the cavern into a distracted Cream! They started to tumble over a chasm, so Copter leapt in after them! \"Hold on, guys!!\" he shouted in a panic. Rainbow glared at the dizzy demon and pushed it down another chasm. \"How do YOU like it!\" she shouted before running to the pit that Copter, Punchy and Cream had just fallen into. \"O-one!? Please be alive!!\" she called, unable to see in the darkness deep below. \"We...We're okay!!\" he called back, panting. Copter had managed to slow their fall, but now they were stuck on a much lower level of the cave, with Copter too exhausted to attempt flying back up, much less carry anyone. \"There's a path down here!\" Copter called up, \"We'll try to meet up with you guys later!\" Rainbow had a look of concern, but Silver kept a serious expression. \"The best way to help them for now is to keep ourselves safe. Let's go...\" he reasoned. Partway down the chasm Punchy and the others had just fallen down, there was a hole where a tunnel ended. Vortex and Crash peered down from the hole. \"They've been sssplit up. That lowersss their chancesss.\" Vortex hissed. \"What should we do?\" Crash wondered. Vortex glanced back the way they came. \"...Keep ssssearching. If there'sss any chance thisss cave will lead usss to the massster, we mussst invessstigate it.\" he said.\n\nIt was quiet for a bit after the lizard demons were defeated, so Amy decided to chat with Rainbow. \"So... I see you got away after being kidnapped...\" she said. \"...No, I didn't.\" Rainbow frowned, \"They didn't need me anymore.\" Amy looked at the ground for a moment, then put a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. \"I'm sorry... I can't imagine what you've been through.\" she said. \"I can. Shortly after being brought back from the DEAD, GUN tried to turn me into a doomsday weapon.\" Heather grumbled. \"...Whaddya want, a medal?\" Amy snapped. Silver stopped them suddenly. \"More demons... Talk later!\" he shouted.\n\nTeam GeneX was exploring elsewhere. Zipp's helmet could detect a \"strange energy\" that manifested when the larger demons were on the move, but they had no means of detecting or evading the smaller demons. Crash was charging ahead, ramming through the demons shaped like Despair agents, while Vortex and Zipp shot at the Beecon demons with Zipp's guns. \"You're a lousy shot, 'Tex!\" Zipp complained. \"Jussst keep usss away from thossse giantsss.\" he hissed. \"Do we HAVE to save Bucky? I mean, I bet we'd do fine without him.\" Zipp grumbled. Vortex grabbed him by the collar. \"Don't even joke about that...\" he snarled. Crash rubbed his head after he finished a charge. \"I'm neutral, really... I mean, the boss DID kinda get us into all this by joining up with Despair in the first place, even if it was a covert thing...\" he said. Vortex groaned. \"Thisss isss why I'm in charge.\" he scowled.\n\nPunchy led the way in the lower caverns, while Cream walked close to Copter. Cheese had fluttered down to join them, of course, and Cream held him tightly for security when they weren't battling demons. Copter was a bit uneasy about how close she was keeping to him. \"Uhhh... Cream... Could you gimme...some room to breathe?\" he mumbled. \"Huh?\" Cream said, blushing a bit, \"It's just... You remind me so much of Tails... I feel better in this darkness when I'm close to you.\" she said. Punchy snickered at this. \"Guess you got a girlfriend, Copter. You two sure are cute!\" he joked, earning him a tail whip in the back. \"Ooof!\" Suddenly, they were blinded by a headlight! \"Whazzuh!?\" Copter gasped. \"Tails detected!!\" The robotic voice was very familiar to them. \"Hey, that's SPOT!\" Cream said, shielding her eyes. The robo-puppy walked over to Copter and sat as though at its master's feet. Punchy glanced at it, rubbing his chin. \"Hey, uh, 'Tails', you don't suppose that confused bot can fly?\" he asked. SPOT hopped into the air, hovering with its jet-paws. \"...Looks like we've got a way up!\" Copter said.\n\nArriving at the upper sections of the cavern again, Punchy and company didn't get very far before they found the way forward barred by a wall of Wrongos! \"Oh dear... That guy from the mountain again...\" Cream murmured. \"...Illusi?\" Copter muttered, looking around for him. The shrew stepped through the wall of Wrongos to meet them. \"I let you go to rescue your friend, Dark One... but now I'll finish what I started!\" he declared, rising into the air and taking a pair of Wrongos by their centers, spikes erupting from their circular bodies as he held them! \"I'm sick of this, Illusi!! Would you just tell me WHY in the heck you decided to kill me after all that time you spent helping me before!?\" Punchy shouted. Illusi looked away from him. \"I will not speak of the future I saw... And I will not allow it to come to pass!\" he yelled, swaying his hand to cast an illusion that made the surrounding area even darker than it was already. Copter and Cream backed away to see that it was like a dome of darkness, meant to deter them from interfering in the battle. \"Uhhh... Hey, SPOT, get any readings on this?\" Copter asked. \"Specify target.\" SPOT's text replied. \"...The BIG wall of BLACKNESS right IN FRONT of us!!\" he growled. \"...Might I suggest a CAT scan?\" SPOT replied. \"This is bad... Punchy's trapped in there...\" Cream realized. \"Yeah... And I can't just run in there and leave you alone...\" Copter sighed.\n\nPunchy rubbed his eyes in the darkness. \"The same trick you tried on me when we first met!? Great, but don't you think I've learned a thing or two since then?\" he taunted. Illusi hurled one of the spiked Wrongos at him, giving him a painful smack in the chest before it boomeranged back to the shrew. \"GAH!! That stings!!\" Punchy growled. \"This is not a test this time! You will not leave this darkness alive!\" Illusi yelled, flipping in midair and tossing both spiked Wrongos! Punchy jumped to the side, knowing that he had to at least move. Illusi exerted control over the Wrongos as they flew, sending them arcing in Punchy's direction, but they were still creatures, and they kept jabbering Wrongo-speak as they flew. \"Chaos Avalanche!\" Punchy pulled up some chunks of the ground near him and used them to block, causing the Wrongos' spikes to get stuck in the stone! \"Clever... I suppose I'm done toying with you.\" Illusi said, splitting off into duplicates of himself as he'd done at Troblusk Plateau. The hands of the duplicates sparked with lightning. \"You call yourself 'Punchy.' So it is fitting you die by the fist!\" his duplicates declared in unison, along with the real Illusi! They charged at him, giving him jolting jabs from their lightning-charged fists. Despite knowing that these were illusions, it didn't seem to lessen the pain of the assault. \"Aaaaarrrgh!! ILLUSI!!\" Punchy tried to fight back, blindly throwing his fists about, but he could only see the duplicates just before they went to strike him! If this kept up, he'd be dead in minutes. \"Ch-CHAOS...AVALANCHE!!!\" Blind to his enemy, and surrounded, Punchy decided to go for a last-ditch attack, pulling a large portion of the ceiling straight down around himself! Rocks started falling all around, crushing the duplicates of Illusi and forcing Copter, Cream and SPOT to fall back from where they were awaiting the outcome of the battle. The dome of darkness started to dissipate, and Illusi stood over a partially buried Punchy. \"...You seem much weaker than last time... Yet I fear the darkness remains dormant in you... This must end now!\" he said, raising an illusionary blade!\n\n\"Mousy, STOP!!\" The distracted Illusi suddenly found himself socked in the side of the face by Rainbow, of all people. \"Back off! ...Oh, no...\" he said, noticing that Heather, Silver and Amy were with her, and Copter and Cream were starting toward him as well. \"I'll help you up, One...\" Rainbow whimpered, kneeling down to work on digging him out. Illusi glared around at the group surrounding him and sighed in defeat. \"You'll never understand... Very well. I must retrieve what Despair took from me. Then... my odds of completing this task will improve...\" he grumbled, pushing past Silver and Heather and stomping off into the darkness. Some clapping was heard in the shadows as Punchy was dug out of the rocks, and Vortex emerged with Zipp and Crash. \"Nice work. That noissse brought everyone here.\" he said. \"What're YOU doing in here?\" Copter grumbled. \"Despair doesn't return our calls since they kidnapped Bucky.\" Zipp sighed. \"So... You're saying you're here to help us? That hasn't worked out well before... At least with the hornet.\" Silver grumbled. \"Well, we DID find the door to the castle.\" Crash said, \"We can take you there, but it's locked. We need to find a key.\" Amy shrugged. \"Well, it stinks, but I guess we need your help. Just remember, if you turn on us, Sonic'll fix you!\" Amy warned. \"Oh, don't tempt me! I always wanted to try my hand shootin' speedsters!\" Zipp chuckled. Most of them rolled their eyes, and they all started further into the cavern together. Punchy limped at the back, needing to take it easy for a bit. \"You just relax, One. We'll watch out for ya until you're rested up.\" Rainbow said before rushing up to the front of the group as always. Once no one was looking, Punchy's fur flickered black for a few instants, and Punchy grunted as he forced himself back to normal. \"What... What was that...? All the dark energy... In this cave... I feel it doing something... to me...\" he thought, \"Dark Punchy... He's coming back! I'm gonna have to be careful, or everyone here is gonna be in serious danger!\" \n\n\nChapter 40 - Illusi's Despair\nStage 22(Dark 11) - Despair Depths\nBoss 22 - Fera\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and \nSonic Team. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\nTheir rather large group had come to another narrow stone bridge spanning a chasm. Worried that too much weight might cause the bridge to collapse, they decided to cross two at a time. While Punchy waited his turn, that familiar orb of light passed in front of him again. \"Huh?? ...Well, I guess I got time...\" he mumbled as the world went white. When his eyes readjusted, he was in front of the Master Emerald shrine, sitting in the water surrounding it. \"...Why am I wet?\" he grumbled, looking around. There were Chao huddled around him, looking frightened. \"Huh...? What're they hiding from?\" He then heard a loud crash, and Shadow Chaos splattered against the steps of the altar! Howler was coming toward the creature. He wore the Chaos Tailbands on his tails, the Chaos Boots on his feet, and brandished the Chaos Sword. \"My collection of Chaos Relics already makes me more powerful than any being who walks this world! Stay down, slime creature!\" he warned. Tikal, Radia and Athair were following behind him. \"...He has power-lust... Do not give him any more relics.\" Radia warned. \"...Do you honestly believe we could stop him?\" Athair whimpered. Shadow Chaos slithered down the steps, and reformed in front of the Chao, blocking them. Tikal's eyes went wide. \"Shadow Chaos... He only wishes to protect the Chao, as Chaos did! When he couldn't find them, he raged... Now all he wishes is to ease Chaos's sorrow by protecting them for the part of him that is sealed in this emerald!\" she said, clutching the Master Emerald tightly. Howler came up to Shadow Chaos with incredible speed and slashed him with the Chaos Sword! \"I... am the god... now!!\" he growled. As Punchy watched in astonishment, everything started to go white again, and he found that Copter, Rainbow and SPOT were the only ones left beside him. \"...Looks like you haven't recovered yet, One...\" Rainbow sighed. \"Huh... I'm okay now...\" Punchy grunted. Copter groaned. \"Well, everyone left without us. We'd better move before the demons in here start swarming us.\" he said. Punchy nodded, and they started crossing the bridge together.\n\n\nBeyond the bridge, there were three pathways. Since they needed to find the key, the groups each ended up taking a different path. Amy, Cream and Silver took a long, maze-like path that was riddled with deep holes. Fortunately, Cream and Silver could fly to a degree, enabling Amy to walk on the limited paths, when the paths became limited. Unfortunately, the demons born of dark energy were also wandering this area. These demons were more on the demonic side, and were clawed, snarling giants that otherwise didn't much look like anything of the Earth. Cream was even too nervous to send Cheese after these creatures, so she backed behind Amy and clutched the Chao tightly. \"Why did I listen to you and go in the cave!?\" she wailed. Amy tried to wallop one of the demons with her hammer, but it simply grabbed it out of her hands! Fortunately, she always had another on her person, but now she was getting unnerved as well. \"They just seem to get stronger the deeper in we go!\" she yelped. Silver wrenched the hammer out of the demon's grip with his psychokinesis, and walloped it over the head with it. \"Stay strong... I'll get us through this...\" he stammered. Suddenly, a bright red light lit up the cave, drawing the demons' attention! A few gunshots stunned the startled beasts, and then a crazed feline rammed one, sending it tumbling into the others and dragging them all over a nearby ledge! \"I'm... sick... of monsters!!\" shouted Mia, who obviously had her share of run-ins with the demons to get this far into the cave. The red light, which was a flare, soon subsided, and Razor the porcupine stepped out of the shadows to greet Team Rose. \"We figured the cave entrance might be safer than trying to breach the castle directly. Boy, were we ever wrong. Now I'm outta flares.\" he said. Silver stared at them. \"Shouldn't you have run out screaming at the first sign of demons??\" he stammered. \"Nah, I've driven through Central City at rush hour.\" Mia shrugged. Amy nodded. \"Right... Have you seen a key lying around?\" she asked. They shook their heads. \"Oh well... At least we can work together from here.\" Cream sighed.\n\n\nCopter, Punchy and Rainbow were following SPOT's radar through the cavern. It was detecting something, and they wondered if somehow it was able to detect the key. Before long, however, they found some actual guards posted in the cave, led by Corky the frog. \"Gah! It's dat blighted echidna dame agin! Come ta yoink my tongue an' hold it fer ransom!! Slit 'er throat and see how humorous she is then, boys!\" he shouted. \"Hostiles detected!\" SPOT said in a robotic voice. \"Gee, you think?\" Copter grumbled, running ahead to start bashing Despair agents with his tails. Punchy picked up SPOT and placed him in front of Rainbow. \"Protect her, or I'll smash ya.\" he warned. Before he could turn around, Corky's tongue grabbed his wrist. \"Hah! 'Ow I oght aah!!\" he said with his mouth open. Punchy's fur flickered black, and his eyes flickered red. \"Get your filthy tongue off me...\" he snarled. \"Um... One?\" Rainbow gasped, starting toward him, but blocked by SPOT's energy shield. \"Protect mode.\" the robot said. Corky pulled him closer with his tongue and started bashing him with his fists, while Dark Punchy started to flicker stronger. \"This cave is filled with darkness... You'll regret making me angry...\" he growled. Corky released his wrist and slapped his face a couple times with his tongue. \"Ha ha ha! Look at you! The cave's worn ya down! Yer no match for Corky da frog! Kiss my feet 'an maybe I'll let one o' you echidnas live...\" he taunted. Punchy's eyes turned bright red, though his fur stayed the same. \"You won't be killing the green one... I still need him. I think I'll kill you!!\" he said with Dark Punchy's voice! He then grasped Corky by the throat and lifted him up as though he weighed nothing, hurtling him at a canine agent and sending them both plummeting down a chasm! \"Punchy, no!!\" Copter shouted, diving into the chasm after the Despair agents! Rainbow watched from behind the shield in fright as Punchy swiftly knocked out the remaining guards. \"One... snap out of it! COME BACK, ONE!!\" she shouted. Punchy's eyes suddenly returned to normal as Copter flew out of the chasm with Corky and the mutt. \"...No murder, Punch... We're still hoping to get a pardon if Gunner ever gets fired, and murder will kill that chance.\" he panted. Across the chasms, Illusi had been watching them. \"...I must hurry. Time is running short.\" he muttered, heading deeper into the cavern on his own.\n\n\nSomehow, Heather found herself wandering with Team GeneX in their search for the key. Luckily, Zipp's helmet had an app for that. He'd been to the door, and scanned the keyhole with his helmet. Now, he could use its radar to search for anything that might fit the keyhole. \"So... been a while, huh, guys?\" Heather said awkwardly. \"Yesss... Um... We are grateful for your...sacrifice...\" Vortex said as cordially as possible. \"I was really sorry when you died.\" Crash added, more sincerely. As they walked, demons resembling Despair agents crept toward them. They scowled at Team GeneX, not immediately attacking. \"...What's with them? They're freaking me out...\" Heather shivered. \"As long as they're not attacking...\" Zipp shrugged. Then, they all jumped back as a demon resembling Zeke stepped forward. \"...Traitor!!\" it groaned in a low, ghastly voice. Looking around, they noticed that many of the demons appeared familiar to them. One resembled Patch. \"You've turned your backs on us...\" it moaned. They were getting surrounded fast, and Vortex scowled at them as they chanted \"Traitor... traitor...\" repeatedly. \"We are no traitorsss!!\" he hissed. A demon resembling Basker approached Heather. \"We revived you... Saved you from death itself... How can you turn away from us...?\" he growled. Heather lit her hands on fire. \"Maybe I didn't ask to be brought back! You think of that? And I don't trust the people who attack my friends!\" she snapped. Crash let out a loud grunt. \"Our allegiance belongs to Bucky, and no one else!\" he yelled. \"Except for maybe me!\" Zipp added. \"Enough of thisss... Tear thessse ghossstsss apart!\" Vortex snarled. Heather shot flames at the Basker demon, while Crash charged through \"Patch,\" and Vortex leapt atop Zeke and started burning him with Chaos Camouflage, which covered his body with Chaos energy. Zipp just shot wildly at the other demons with a pair of pistols, and they were out of the way in no time. Vortex panted, tired from using Chaos Camouflage. \"We know what ssside we're on... Let'sss go.\" he hissed.\n\nZipp led them, conveniently enough, to the place where Team Rose exited the maze-like area they'd been exploring. There, they found something red and shiny. \"Well... This'll fit in the lock... but you won't be able to turn it.\" Zipp muttered, examining the key in his hands. \"Seems like they split the key into pieces. That's usually a pretty secure idea. If anyone finds a piece, they won't think anything of it because it doesn't look like anything.\" Razor said. \"What'sss with the cop?\" Vortex growled. \"There are people up here who have to answer for terrorist activities in Troblusk City... I might be out of my jurisdiction, but when they're hovering over my hometown, I don't care.\" the porcupine grumbled. \"So... Think the other pieces of the key are nearby?\" Amy asked, getting the conversation back on track. Zipp groaned. \"My helmet can only track the part that fits in the keyhole. With the key in pieces, it's useless!\" he grumbled. \"I say it's THAT WAY!\" Mia shouted, pointing down the only path available that the two groups hadn't come from. \"...Good point...\" Silver sighed. Cream patted Cheese and followed along as the group continued on their way. \"It's nice and crowded again! Let's see any monsters bother us now!\" she giggled. Crash frowned and didn't say anything. He simply hoped for them to split up again soon so that he might get a word in edgewise. Heather noticed how quiet he was being and nudged him. \"What's the matter? Uncomfortable in crowds?\" she asked. \"...You're one to talk. Didn't you freak out at the Sun Festival?\" Crash pointed out. \"Yeah, death has a weird mellowing effect on a person...\" she muttered. \"Hey!\" Silver called back to them, \"Hurry up! If you get left behind, the demons will pick you off for sure!\" he warned. After that, everyone traveled in a much tighter group, nervous about being caught alone in the dark with demons...\n\nWhile everyone else was having a nice chat in their large group, Copter, Punchy, Rainbow and SPOT found their way to the flat handle of the key, which had a Covenant of Despair symbol on it. \"Okay... symbol... little notch for inserting something... I'm guessing the key is in pieces.\" Copter sighed. Rainbow smiled. \"At least it's not something crazy, like having to find SEVEN keys... Right, Two? One?\" she said. \"Broken key's still crazy. Anyone ever heard of a regular hide-a-key?\" Copter complained. Punchy was flickering into dark form again, and he collapsed to his knees, apparently growing exhausted from holding Dark Punchy back! Rainbow hurried to his side. \"Rainbow... You and Copter... Go without me...\" he grunted. Rainbow lifted his arm around her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. \"...Nonsense, One. You'll be fine. We just need to get you outta this cave.\" she said. Punchy glanced at her. \"After all we've been through... How can you still WANT to help me?\" he sighed. She chuckled softly, not letting the difficulty of carrying him bother her. \"We had one little fight, One. That could never change anything... You're my best friend...\" she reassured him. His body slowly stopped flickering, and he stood up beside her, seeming perfectly fine. \"...Thank you...\" he sighed. Copter groaned as he held SPOT around like a flashlight. \"Just kiss already! How long are you gonna draw this out!?\" he grumbled. \"M-mind your own business!!\" Punchy snapped, blushing profusely. \"Did someone say kiss? I want one!\" Suddenly, Mia emerged from up ahead, and taking Copter by surprise, planted a kiss right on his nose, making him fall over and blush even redder than Punchy! \"Wh-wha-WHERE'D YOU COME FROM!?\" he stammered. Razor and Silver stepped out of the shadows beside her. \"Oh, Copter... You found another piece of the key. Great work!\" Silver said. Shining SPOT's light ahead, Copter could see everyone peering back at them. \"Who's kissing in there!?\" Amy yelled, being nosy. \"NO ONE!!\" Punchy shouted back. \"Then can we PLEASSSE get on with it!?\" Vortex groaned.\n\nAfter everyone had gotten over their varying degrees of embarrassment, it wasn't long before they'd arrived at the secret door to Despair Castle, a black door with the red, thirteen-pointed star on it. There were chasms even here, on either side of the door. Fera the wolf was standing in front of the door, blocking their way. However, she freely tossed Copter the third piece of the key, which connected the teeth to the base. \"Uh... You letting us in?\" he asked. \"Only if you can get past me...\" she smirked. Silver crossed his arms. \"Heh... That should be easy. There's only one of you, and I've lost count of how many of us there are.\" he pointed out. However, Fera had no intention of battling all of them. She raised her hand, and flicking her wrist in Punchy's direction, she somehow pulled him toward her! She then raised both her hands, casting a wall of dark energy between Punchy and his friends! \"Hey!! Let One go!!\" Rainbow shouted. Fera grinned. \"I'll let him go, but you won't like it... I knew you'd be drawn here, Punchy. The Despair Seal tempered your darkness, and now it seeks greater darkness to strengthen itself... That it may be unleashed again! I can help there...\" she said. Punchy growled. \"Even without the Despair Seal... You can still manipulate me... But you will never enslave me! You failed to do so at the mountain!\" he shouted. Fera shrugged. \"Fine. I'll just unleash your dark side... On your friends. Then if you're feeling guilty, you can hurl yourself into one of these holes!\" she cackled. Outside the dark barrier, Illusi pushed past the crowd and banged against the dark energy. \"If you've come to kill Punchy, you gotta wait your turn.\" Copter grumbled. Illusi ignored him and called out. \"Fera!! Enough!! End this madness now, I implore you... I BEG you!!\" he cried, his normal composure giving way to an absolute panic. \"Mousy...? You look pale!\" Rainbow gasped. Fera barely glanced at him. \"We all had our chance to define who we are... Now it's time for you all to see EXACTLY who I am... and who your dear Punchy really is!!\" she sneered. Punchy clenched his fists and glared at her. \"So be it, Fera!\" he said.\n\nFera began by sending bolts of dark lightning Punchy's way. He began to flicker black again from the attack, but he shrugged it off and came at her with his fists! \"You used me... Just to kidnap Rainbow! Then you used her sister to get to her!\" he yelled as he threw punches at her, which she took through a dark energy shield, lessening the blow and adding to the dark energy making Punchy flicker. \"Despair prays on...despair. That shouldn't be so surprising. Now, your rage shall lead to even greater despair!!\" Fera declared, warping behind Punchy to pummel him with punches and kicks charged with darkness! He stumbled forward, and turned around with a red-eyed gaze. \"Chaos BLAST!!\" He fought back with a massive explosion of Chaos energy, resisting the urge to use the darkness his body was absorbing as much as possible. Fera was thrown back, but stopped in midair, using her dark powers to levitate. \"Good... but you can do better!\" she said, tossing balls of darkness toward him relentlessly! Punchy tried to evade them, but too many were coming, so he had to fight back. \"Chaos Avalanche!!\" he growled, using Chaos energy to pull up chunks of the ground and hurl them at the wolf! She warped safely away from the attack, but Punchy's body was starting to hold the black color, his green fur becoming more of a flicker. \"Fera... NO!!!\" Illusi shouted. \"You gotta fight the darkness, One!\" Rainbow cried. \"Should we be... hiding?\" Cream wondered nervously. Punchy charged at Fera, his fists flying at her furiously now that she was back on the ground. \"Ooof... That's it!! Remember... I hurt your friends! Come at me with all your rage!\" she grunted, seeming not to care about any injury she sustained. Punchy bashed her across the face, knocking her back and swiping the hair away from her normally covered right eye. The eyelid was sewn closed, and there was intensive scarring across the socket. Amy and Cream held their mouths, and others gasped upon seeing this. \"...Human cruelty...has no limits. So my cruelty must also defy limits!!\" she snarled, firing a massive beam of darkness directly into Punchy's chest! He groaned in pain, but the groan soon descended into demented laughter as his flickering ceased, and he fully transformed! \"...Funny... I have a similar policy about MY cruelty!!\" Dark Punchy roared.\n\nFera removed the dark barrier, grinning at her handiwork. \"You're free now, dark one. Wreak your brand of cruelty on those wretches who dared contain you in that weak shell of an other self!\" she commanded. Dark Punchy scowled at her. \"Dark one?!\" he snarled, rushing at her and catching her off guard, slamming her against the doorway! \"Wh-wha!?\" she stammered, firing jolts of dark lightning in an attempt to defend herself, but Dark Punchy simply absorbed them! \"Never... call me... ONE!!!\" he roared, smashing her across the face with a powerful, darkness-charged punch, rending her unconscious! Illusi staggered forward, turning completely pale. \"My vision... No... It was unstoppable...\" he mumbled as Dark Punchy lifted the unconscious Fera over his head. \"Punch... Punchy, she's out...!\" Copter stammered. \"One, no!!\" Rainbow cried. However, Dark Punchy ignored them, and slammed her against the wall once more before tossing her limp body down the nearby chasm! \"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!\" Illusi ran to the chasm and pointlessly extended his hand toward Fera, watching as she plummeted into the depths below. He started sobbing, but Dark Punchy wasn't through. \"I should hurl you in there, too...\" he growled. However, Rainbow stood in his way! \"Enough, One!\" she shouted. \"I warned that wolf against calling me ONE!!\" Dark Punchy roared, only to be slapped by a tailband-powered tail whip from Copter! \"Back off, you! We're talking to Punchy, here!\" he said, stepping beside Rainbow and taking her hand. Heather joined them, taking Rainbow's other hand, and Amy took her hand. \"...What's this??\" Dark Punchy grunted. \"You can do it, Punchy!\" Heather shouted. \"Fight back, and free yourself!\" Amy called. \"Come back, Mr. Punchy!\" Cream added, joining in. All of his friends started calling to him, chanting his name, showing that they still cared for him, in spite of everything. And Dark Punchy convulsed, as though pained by these words. He collapsed to the floor, and his color slowly reverted to green. \"...So much for getting pardoned...\" Punchy panted, staring at Copter. \"You were not yourself.\" he replied. Team GeneX took the key fragments and went to open the door, while Razor stood beside Illusi. \"...Are you all right?\" he asked. \"She's gone... It's too late...\" he said, heartbroken, \"I loved her as though she were my own child... How am I to go on now?\" he whimpered, kneeling over the chasm on his hands and knees. A look of guilt passed over Punchy's face. \"Let's...get outta here...\" he winced. Silver led them through the door Team GeneX had opened, looking back at Illusi thoughtfully. \"...War casts darkness on all our lives. We need to end this one before things get any darker...\" he stated.\n\nTo be continued...",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Sonic GeneX - Knuckles the Echidna<br />Arc 4 - Journey to Demon Island<br />Chapter 31 - Assault on White Base<br />Stage 18(Hero 10) - White Base<br />Minor Boss 14 - Dr. Eggman &amp; Col. Gunner<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br />The story thus far:<br />On Sonic&#039;s return to Eggtopia, he learned that Eggman was plotting to take over the Security Tower in Station Square. During the trip through the tower, Amy formed a new Team Rose with Cream and Silver, fed up with Sonic&#039;s apparent uncaring attitude toward her. At the top of the tower, Sonic confronted Eggman&#039;s forces, led by Metal Eggman and Freeze. However, this was all a diversion while Eggman set up a sneak attack on Central City! As a timer counted down the destruction of the roof of the tower, Sonic was distracted by a vision from Tikal showing the creation of Shadow Chaos, who emerged from the Master Emerald after Chaos was sealed. When Sonic awoke, Team Rose was missing, and SPOT had been damaged. Tails went off to find Knuckles, leaving Sonic to head for Central City to stop Eggman on his own! Little did he realize that Eggman was the least of Central City&#039;s worries...<br />Now, on to the next chapter!<br /><br /><br />Sonic arrived to find Central City in chaos. Knowing they were up there, Sonic quickly picked out Eggman&#039;s Cloud Cruisers in the sky. They weren&#039;t hard to spot, really, since they were the clouds that were ejecting robots down into the streets below. GUN had mobilized to attempt to restore order, but there weren&#039;t that many of them out in the streets. They were preoccupied elsewhere, though Sonic couldn&#039;t imagine what could be more important right now. The Covenant of Despair had also seen fit to take advantage of GUN&#039;s apparent moment of weakness, and their agents were busy creating havoc through the streets as well. On top of all that, Sonic could swear he could see Lospirits flying around amidst the robots in the sky. &quot;It&#039;s like a bad guy convention... Guess I&#039;d better crash it!&quot; Charging straight into the mayhem, it wasn&#039;t long before Sonic heard someone call out to him. &quot;Yo!! About time you showed up, hero!&quot; Sonic stopped short and noticed Kosmo staring at him from across the street, calmly flicking his tail at an Egg Pawn as it approached him, somehow slicing it in two. Sonic approached the morph cautiously. &quot;Funny place to run into you, Kosmo...&quot; he said. &quot;Never mind that. You&#039;ll want to know this. Those freaky monsters made off with the President.&quot; Kosmo informed him. Sonic looked around worriedly. &quot;Freaky monsters... You mean... Aw, shoot. That&#039;s what Lospecter was talkin&#039; about!&quot; he realized. Kosmo sighed. &quot;Well, I&#039;ve had enough good deeds for today. They&#039;ve been pretty thankless so far. See ya!&quot; he said, rushing off. &quot;Hey, wait! ...Thank...you.&quot; Sonic muttered, somewhat concerned about the situation. &quot;Wish he&#039;d have stuck around. I could use help, even from a crazy guy... I don&#039;t even know where to start looking for the Prez.&quot; he grumbled, glancing around. The President&#039;s luxurious home-slash-office-slash-private bunker could be seen on the other side of the city, a landmark that really sticks out. The Black Arms had blown it up once, but it had been rebuilt, good as new. &quot;Guess I&#039;ll start by knockin&#039; at home. If anything, some GUN agents are probably there that I could ask a few questions...&quot; Sonic figured.<br /><br />Sonic sped through the streets on his way to the President&#039;s house, but a certain angry voice made him stop short. &quot;Sonic!!!&quot; growled Amy, leading Silver and Cream down the street toward the startled blue hedgehog. Silver calmly pushed aside any opposition that came their way with his powers, so no robots or creatures bothered them. &quot;Oh, hey Amy! Good to see you&#039;re okay--&quot; Sonic said, only to get walloped by her Piko Piko Hammer anyway. &quot;OWW! HEY!!&quot; he yelped. &quot;You dirty, no good jerk! Abandoning the three of us atop an exploding building!!&quot; Amy screeched. &quot;To be fair, only the top of the building exploded...&quot; Sonic said weakly. &quot;Toss him to the sun, Silver!&quot; Amy snarled, but Silver wasn&#039;t paying attention. &quot;I... I think there&#039;s somewhere� more important I should be right now...&quot; he said, taking off hastily. &quot;I&#039;ll help you!&quot; Cream said, chasing after him, probably more out of a desire to stay out of Sonic and Amy&#039;s latest fight. Sonic sighed. &quot;I would&#039;ve gotten you out, but I...passed out. Ask Tails.&quot; he said. Amy pouted, wanting to stay mad, but she couldn&#039;t help wondering and worrying about why he would pass out. &quot;Well, where are you going, anyway?&quot; she grunted. &quot;Save the President. Monsters got him.&quot; Sonic said quickly, resuming his sprint to the President&#039;s house. &quot;Wait For ME!!&quot; Amy yelled. Both of them stopped short again when they heard a yell coming in their direction. &quot;Leave me alone, Mr. Toad!!&quot; came the voice of Rainbow the echidna, who was being chased by a certain Despair-uniformed frog named Corky. &quot;You gotta pay, lass! And I&#039;m the one ta make ya pay!&quot; he snarled as he hopped after her. Sonic rolled his eyes. &quot;Am I ever gonna get where I&#039;m goin?&quot; he sighed, dashing at Corky and swiftly knocking him onto his back before he knew what was happening! &quot;Oi!! Who threw that whatever it was at me!?&quot; he shouted, struggling to get back up. &quot;Don&#039;t get up, that was just a speeding hedgehog!&quot; Sonic called back as he and Amy resumed their sprint to their destination. Rainbow started to follow them. &quot;Wait up, Speedy! I could use a bodyguard until I find One again!&quot; she said, &quot;Those black suit people are mad at me because of that stuff that happened at the pyramid!&quot; she added.<br /><br />Like the rest of the city, the President&#039;s house was under attack. Some rather massive Egg Pawns were in a shootout with GUN troops at the entrance. Sonic watched them for a moment, and then glanced at Amy and Rainbow. &quot;Any chance you two would be willing to wait out here?&quot; he asked. Amy glared at him, and he chuckled softly. &quot;Well, we could always look for a way around the explosions...&quot; he said. They started sneaking around the side of the building, and they soon noticed some people busily smashing through the wall to make their own entrance! One of them happened to be Vector. &quot;Since when is breaking and entering in your job description?&quot; Sonic asked, making him jump. &quot;SHHH! You wanna draw attention to us!? Seems like every bad guy in the country&#039;s around!&quot; he snapped. The other person with Vector, Crash the Rhino, poked his head out from inside the hole in the wall and looked around. &quot;What&#039;s the hold up? Hm? Are you coming, hedgehog?&quot; he asked. &quot;Um... Who&#039;s that??&quot; Sonic wondered. &quot;Experiment 8. He&#039;s here lookin&#039; for somethin&#039; for Bucky. Thought I&#039;d tag along while I try to figure out what happened to the President.&quot; Vector explained. &quot;Hey, Eight!&quot; Rainbow waved to Crash. Amy stomped through the hole in the wall ahead of the others. &quot;Whatever! I&#039;ll figure all this out AND chase away all the bad guys to boot! Maybe then Sonic will respect me!&quot; she growled. As the others followed her in, Vector chuckled at Sonic. &quot;Lady trouble, huh, Sonic?&quot; he said. &quot;Just stay out of it...&quot; he grumbled. &quot;Maybe you&#039;re not being sensitive enough...&quot; Crash suggested, causing Sonic and Vector to stare at him. &quot;...What? Oh, stay out of it...&quot; he mumbled. They hadn&#039;t gone too far from the hole Vector and Crash had made before another hole got blasted down the hall in front of them! Some Covenant of Despair agents started to flood the hallway, led by Zeke the dragon! &quot;Hey! What&#039;re you doing here!?&quot; Crash shouted. &quot;Attacking human twerps. What&#039;re you doing here?&quot; Zeke replied, &quot;...with SONIC??&quot; he growled. &quot;Hi again, Ten!&quot; Rainbow waved. Zeke rolled his eyes. &quot;That&#039;s it! GET &#039;EM! RAWR!!&quot;<br /><br />Patch the fox and Daisy the skunk were part of the group Zeke was leading, and they charged straight at the five non-uniformed animals before them. Amy quickly blocked Daisy&#039;s katana with her hammer. &quot;Out of our way!&quot; she yelled. &quot;What the... Did you just block me with a toy!?&quot; Daisy stammered. Patch came cartwheeling down the hall before taking out his nunchucks, but then Crash stomped over to him. &quot;Hey, you little brat. You remember how things went back at Pumpkin Hill?&quot; he snorted. Patch then backed away a bit, and Crash started chasing him around the hallway! Sonic started speeding down the hall as well, smacking random Despair agents as he went just to soften them up while Vector squared off against Zeke. &quot;I&#039;m gonna fry yo-&quot; while Zeke was threatening him, Vector blew a big bubble from the gum he was chewing, and ejected it right into Zeke&#039;s face! &quot;ACK!! ...EEEWWWWWW!!&quot; he screamed. Vector then unwrapped another stick and started chewing again. &quot;Now what were you sayin&#039;, chump?&quot; he smirked. Still, this brawl could go on for a while if nothing interrupted it. Fortunately, Guard the gargoyle soon made his way down the hall, leading a squad of GUN&#039;s Hunter robots behind him. &quot;Grrr!! There&#039;s the intruders! You thought you could blow a hole in this building and not be detected!?&quot; he growled. Seeing this, Sonic ran over to grab Amy and then slip out the other side of the hallway while things were starting to get really chaotic. &quot;Good luck, Vector! We gotta move!&quot; he said. &quot;Aw, nuts...&quot; Vector sighed. Sonic and Amy soon made it to the base proper, but they stopped short as they entered the next corridor. Metal Sonic was right in front of them! &quot;Oh, great...&quot; Sonic mumbled. However, a couple gunshots ricocheted off the robot&#039;s metal body. &quot;Push him back, boys!&quot; Infin the weasel was leading a group of Despair agents in battle against Metal Sonic, and the robot quickly retaliated against them with an electrical charge that knocked several of them over! &quot;Robo-Speedy&#039;s busy! Let&#039;s go!&quot; said Rainbow, startling Sonic and Amy. &quot;How&#039;d you catch up so fast!?&quot; Sonic asked. &quot;...You stopped.&quot; she muttered.<br /><br />Sneaking past Metal Sonic and Infin, Sonic sighed and chuckled. &quot;Lucky for us they&#039;re all so keen on fighting each other.&quot; he said. &quot;...Are we maybe losing focus, Sonic?&quot; Amy muttered. Sonic scratched his head, then frowned. &quot;Aw, I came here to see if GUN could help find the President. Well, can&#039;t be helped now. Gotta clear out the riff-raff. Better start with Eggman.&quot; he reasoned. Opening a door and heading into the next room, they found their path heavily blocked. Laser grids kept the way to the next area of the base pretty well defended. Of course, the base was already on alert, but some weapons mounted on the walls seemed to indicate that these laser sensors were not simply for monitoring the area, but stopping the threat entirely. On top of that, the room was full of robots. Eggman&#039;s robots and GUN&#039;s robots were busy brawling, but when Sonic, Amy and Rainbow stepped into the room, they stopped what they were doing and turned to glare at them. &quot;Ah, so you&#039;re ALL programmed to target me first? Great, we found a squad of Gunner&#039;s robots.&quot; Sonic groaned. Someone else suddenly arrived at the doorway behind them. &quot;Laser grids! Oh, wonderful!&quot; Rainbow&#039;s eyes widened at the sound of the female voice behind her. &quot;...Viola?&quot; she said, turning slowly. Violet was there, dressed in her Despair uniform. &quot;R-rainbow... I told you to return home!&quot; she stammered. &quot;You KNOW each other?!&quot; Amy gasped. Meanwhile, Sonic was busy evading lasers and bullets from various robots. &quot;That&#039;s nice, girls... Anyone wanna lend a hand!?!?&quot; he shouted. Violet groaned and looked around the room. &quot;You and I are going to have a very serious talk when I get a chance... But right now I need those robots kept busy while I disable those lasers.&quot; she said. Amy and Rainbow both nodded. &quot;You got it, sis!&quot; Rainbow said. &quot;Sonic can handle it.&quot; Amy added. &quot;I&#039;M SURROUNDED IN A TINY ROOM WHERE I CAN BARELY RUN!!&quot; he protested. &quot;What&#039;s that, Sonic? I can&#039;t hear you. I&#039;m way over here looking for something &#039;more important&#039; than you to deal with.&quot; she grumbled. &quot;...Why did you tag along?!&quot; Sonic shouted back, taking out his frustration on a few Egg Pawns by violently bouncing back and forth between them until they were a pile of frayed wires.<br /><br />A stray laser struck near Amy&#039;s feet, so she grabbed her hammer and charged in. &quot;No one shoots at ME and gets away with it!!&quot; she yelled. Rainbow wasn&#039;t exactly the combat type, so she casually walked over to where Violet was busy fiddling with the wiring connected to the laser grid. &quot;You know... I&#039;ve been looking all over for you.&quot; she said. Violet groaned. &quot;I&#039;m FINE. I know how it must look to you, but I need to be with the Covenant. You... You should KNOW why!&quot; she hissed. Rainbow&#039;s eyes softened. &quot;You know... Revenge won&#039;t bring them back...&quot; she said. Violet stayed focused on what she was doing. &quot;I have work to do...&quot; she insisted. Rainbow wiped her eyes and growled softly. &quot;I won&#039;t rest until you&#039;re back home safe, Viola!&quot; she said. Violet ignored her, and Rainbow began to grow frustrated. &quot;You can&#039;t just do whatever you want! I may be your little sister, but I&#039;m the only family you&#039;ve got, so you&#039;re gonna listen to what I say!!&quot; she growled. Growling a little herself, Violet simply pulled out the wires she was tampering with and turned to Rainbow. &quot;I promise I&#039;ll come back for a visit... But only if you get BACK to the underground ruins and stay out of danger!&quot; she said, turning to help finish off the robots with a few dark magic blasts. With its power source cut off, the laser grids had deactivated, and it didn&#039;t take much work to eliminate the remaining robots in the room. &quot;Hey, thanks. Your sister&#039;s handy, Rainbow.&quot; Sonic said. Amy smacked him with her hammer again. &quot;She&#039;s the enemy! She&#039;s got one of those uniforms and everything! And how about a thank you to me!?&quot; she yelled. &quot;Um... Thanks for... the concussion...&quot; Sonic mumbled as Amy stomped to the next hallway. Rainbow glanced at Violet as they started to move on. &quot;I&#039;ll go back home after this... But you&#039;d better keep your word!&quot; she said. Violet stared at her. &quot;Why would you think I wouldn&#039;t keep my word? Has it really been THAT long?&quot; she asked. Sonic walked a bit slower so he could talk to the echidnas. &quot;So, I gotta ask... Either of you got any advice for dealing with an angry Amy?&quot; he said. &quot;Maybe a football helmet.&quot; Violet suggested. &quot;Ha...ha...&quot; Sonic sighed.<br /><br />As they came to a fork in the hallways, they saw Crash come smashing through some Egg Pawns down the hall in front of them. &quot;...Oh, you guys again.&quot; he muttered as he approached the group. &quot;Um... Hey... you there. Seen the others?&quot; Violet asked, apparently recognizing Crash, but not knowing his name. &quot;Gah, they&#039;re all over the place.&quot; he said. &quot;...Good to know...&quot; Sonic sighed. They all turned and headed for the room at the end of the next hall. The doors were labeled &quot;War Room.&quot; Inside was a room full of maps and a projector that the President could use to go over military strategy with. Also, Dr. Eggman and Col. Gunner were seated at the table, having a coffee together. &quot;Ah-HAH!! The military conspiring with Dr. Eggman! Proof that you humans are NO GOOD!!&quot; Violet yelled. &quot;Aw, this is old news, Viola. Tubby and Gramps are old buddies.&quot; Rainbow sighed. &quot;The young echidnas today... So disrespectful.&quot; Eggman mumbled. &quot;Dr. Eggman was just telling me all about how you were aiding the Covenant of Despair, Sonic, and now look! Here&#039;s the proof!&quot; Gunner snarled. Sonic rolled his eyes. &quot;Are you sure you didn&#039;t tell Eggman that? Sounds like something you&#039;d come up with.&quot; he groaned. &quot;Enough! Ivo and I have decided to call a temporary truce in order to eliminate you pests once and for all! And we have just the machines to do it with!&quot; Gunner said, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, the table in the center of the room exploded, revealing a horde of androids hiding underneath! These androids resembled various Covenant of Despair members, but since so many looked alike, it was clear they were robots. &quot;And don&#039;t forget this!&quot; Eggman grinned, snapping his fingers as well. Something blew a hole in the roof, and a menacing, wolflike robot hovered down through it. &quot;Say hello to Techno Fera and the Despair Androids!&quot; Gunner smirked. &quot;GUN&#039;s been stealing my designs so much, I&#039;m not sure which I made anymore...&quot; Eggman sighed. Sonic shook his head and chuckled. &quot;I think you guys are takin&#039; this &#039;war room&#039; a bit literally. Well, at least this is less confusing than 3 different armies...&quot; he grinned.<br /><br />The Despair androids went on the attack, each with robotic equivalents of their copied selves abilities. Androids of Despair&#039;s dark mages, like Violet, would fire lasers rather than use darkness. Androids of winged Despair agents flew about with jetpacks. Some spewed fire or shot missiles. Rainbow was taken aback by a Corky android, complete with a robotic frog tongue. &quot;Ick!! You guys are out of your minds!&quot; she yelped, jumping away as the android chased her. As things started getting chaotic, Violet initially covered her hands in dark energy, ready to fight with the others. However, the door creaked open behind them, and Violet shivered as Basker peeked his red eyes into the room. &quot;Violet... and Crash. What are you two doing? These fools are not our objective.&quot; he stated darkly. Violet stammered a bit, but Crash grunted. &quot;I didn&#039;t come with the covenant in the first place! I answer only to Bucky!!&quot; he growled. Basker&#039;s vacant expression didn&#039;t change. &quot;You will rejoin us, Violet. Now!&quot; he insisted before turning back through the door. &quot;Vy... You have to help us...!&quot; Rainbow pleaded. However, Violet shivered at the idea of disobeying Basker. &quot;I... I can&#039;t!!&quot; she whimpered, taking off to rejoin the Covenant of Despair. &quot;V-viola...!&quot; Rainbow stammered in shock. Some androids were about to corner her, but they were suddenly smashed into the wall by a charging rhino! &quot;I&#039;ve been yearning to thrash those Despair scumbags... Now Eggman&#039;s given me just the venue to vent!!&quot; he snarled, taking off through the room and bashing his horn through the androids one by one! This made it much easier for Amy and Rainbow to manage the stragglers, so Sonic stepped to Techno Fera.<br /><br />The robotic wolf definitely looked like an Eggman creation, with the Despair star emblazoned across its chest. Techno Fera glowed with black energy as Sonic approached. &quot;Hehe... With this robot I managed to harness the power of shadow energy! It won&#039;t be so easy stopping her, Sonic!&quot; Eggman grinned. &quot;That&#039;s what you always say!&quot; Sonic snickered. Techno Fera then charged at him, covered in a ball of black energy! Sonic sped out of the way, but the robot quickly turned his way and fired off the dark energy as several black bolts! Sonic tucked himself into a ball and rolled along, evading the dark bolts and spin dashing right into the robot&#039;s chest! The robot retaliated by jolting Sonic with dark lightning from its hands, but the attack didn&#039;t last long. Techno Fera needed to charge up more dark energy! &quot;What are you doing, robot! Finish him while he&#039;s stunned!&quot; Gunner yelled. Sonic got up quickly and ran a few circles around the robot, grabbing its metal tail along the way. &quot;Robots, robots, robots... When are they gonna get over their low battery issues?&quot; Sonic sighed, hurling the dizzy robot away before jumping up and giving it a huge whack with a homing attack! Techno Fera buzzed a bit before exploding! While Sonic was taking a bow and the others were relaxing a bit since Crash had easily disposed of the androids, Gunner pointed a gun at the hedgehog&#039;s back. &quot;Just stay right there...&quot; he muttered. However, Amy emerged next to him and whacked the gun to the ground with her hammer! &quot;You sore loser!&quot; she shouted, while Eggman hid his own blaster behind his back. &quot;Yeah, seriously, Richard...&quot; he said awkwardly. &quot;Oh... Uh... Nice save, Amy.&quot; Sonic said, blushing with embarrassment. Suddenly, hordes of Lospirits and Losohsts swooped into the war room from the hole Techno Fera had left in the roof, led by Lospecter! &quot;Ah, so HERE&#039;S the party! Okay, spooks... Sic &#039;em!&quot; Lospecter smirked. Gunner banged a specific small country on the map behind him, and the wall flipped around, carrying him and Eggman to safety through a secret passage! &quot;How does he ALWAYS know how to get away!?&quot; Rainbow wondered. Sonic and Amy backed away slowly, uniting with Crash and Rainbow. &quot;So... Now we got what, FOUR armies in here? Any other craziness I don&#039;t know about?&quot; Sonic whimpered. &quot;Oh, you needn&#039;t worry. You won&#039;t be burdened by thinking brains when I&#039;m through with you...&quot; Lospecter grinned.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 32 - Project GXterminate<br />Stage 18(Hero 10) - White Base<br />Boss 18 - Loskeletor<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />Sonic glared at Lospecter, but then remembered something. &quot;Wait... If you guys are here, that means the President might be here!&quot; he realized. Lospecter set his cards aside and glanced at Sonic with an amused expression. &quot;Well, that&#039;s the million-ring question, ain&#039;t it? Oooh, and you&#039;d better find him quickly, too, eh?&quot; the spirit mused, &quot;If those fellas in the black jumpsuits find him first, he might end up too dead to appreciate your rescuing him!&quot; he snickered. &quot;Wow... You are one special kinda psycho.&quot; Amy sighed. Sonic nodded. &quot;And on that note... I gotta search this whole base quickly!!&quot; he said, starting to run off. However, Amy managed to grab on to his leg before he could get far. &quot;You are NOT leaving me with these monsters!!&quot; she shouted. Sonic glanced at her with slight annoyance. &quot;If we both go, who will watch out for Rainbow??&quot; he grunted. Crash cleared his throat loudly. &quot;I do TECHNICALLY work with her sister... for the moment. I&#039;ll probably get fired for helping you as much as I have.&quot; he said. &quot;Viola&#039;s gotta quit that team...&quot; Rainbow growled. Lospecter yawned loudly. &quot;By the time you guys work this out, the Prez will be dead. Lospirits, help them speed this along!&quot; he ordered. As the Lost One ghosts charged at them, the four of them ran for the exit to the war room as fast as they could, slamming the doors behind them. Some ghostly hands grabbed at them through the doors, but didn&#039;t pursue them beyond that. Rather, Lospecter merely laughed at them. &quot;I&#039;d get a move on if I were you... Eggman and the Covenant are moving on, after all!&quot; he taunted.<br /><br />Rainbow motioned for Crash to follow her in one direction. &quot;I think Viola went this way! Help me find her!&quot; she asked. Crash sighed. &quot;Sure... We might find who I&#039;m looking for, too, what the heck...&quot; he muttered. As they left, Sonic and Amy took off in a different direction, starting their search for the President. Despite calling off his troops from the war room, it seemed Lospecter had set losol and loskels loose in the base, so they had to deal with some along the way. Sonic set to work on the loskels with some well timed spin dashes down the halls, but Amy used the losol to vent, slamming them violently and furiously with her hammer while snarling and growling! Sonic stopped a distance away from her and sighed. &quot;Still mad, huh?&quot; he asked. &quot;...Well, it&#039;s not like this is a new issue, Sonic! You&#039;ve been ditching me... Since before we met Shadow! How am I supposed to feel!?&quot; she yelled. Sonic groaned. &quot;And how many times did you follow me anyway and get kidnapped??&quot; he retorted. &quot;Well... Th-that&#039;s hardly the point!&quot; Amy snapped, &quot;You&#039;ve started ditching me when I&#039;m in danger!&quot; she growled. Sonic cracked a little smile. &quot;You got out okay, didn&#039;t you?&quot; he pointed out. &quot;...Huh?&quot; Amy murmured. Sonic continued talking as he walked ahead. &quot;It used to be I&#039;d try to leave you behind because I... worried about you. I mean, we first met with you getting kidnapped. But lately... I&#039;ve sorta noticed...&quot; he trailed off. &quot;Huh? ...What?&quot; Amy asked, blushing a little. However, they arrived at a new room where they found Vector seated in front of a computer, and Sonic took that as an excuse to cut the conversation short. &quot;Vector! Found the computer room, eh?&quot; Sonic smirked. Amy crossed her arms, pouting a little. &quot;Thanks a lot, Vector...&quot; she sighed. Vector was busy checking various things on the computer, when he suddenly stumbled upon something. &quot;Sonic... Check this out. It&#039;s a communication channel...&quot; he said. A voice came over the speaker. &quot;Who is this? I&#039;m afraid the one normally manning this channel is away on a mission...&quot; Sonic recognized the voice. &quot;...Anubis!?&quot; he gasped. &quot;Sonic... Curse you for finding this frequency. May we cross paths soon so I might burn your blue hide personally...&quot; Anubis replied before hanging up. &quot;Now why do you suppose GUN has a direct line to the Covenant of Despair...?&quot; Vector wondered.<br /><br />Sonic and Amy quickly filled Vector in on the situation, and they continued together on the search for the President. However, they didn&#039;t get far before they found a situation. One of the bases many bunkers had been broken open, possibly by Eggman&#039;s robots. Sgt. Drol and a squad of GUN soldiers were being overrun by the robots, as well as a few Covenant of Despair agents. Sonic sighed. &quot;If that were Gunner in there, I might consider leaving him... for a minute.&quot; he said. Vector nodded. &quot;Can&#039;t have it both ways. If we&#039;re tryin&#039; to save the President, we&#039;re on GUN&#039;s side!&quot; he noted. Amy pulled out her hammer, noticing Infin among the Despair agents. &quot;I&#039;ll handle this guy...&quot; she growled. Sonic nodded and took off after the robots, leaping up to strike some buzzbombers that had a few soldiers, and Agent 32, cornered. &quot;I... I had that... covered.&quot; he muttered. &quot;No one believes you, shades.&quot; one of the soldiers grumbled. Vector took on some of the Despair agents with &quot;sound&quot; warfare. His singing made them fall over, covering their ears. &quot;Hate to resort to that, but who knows what superpowers you Despair guys are runnin&#039; around with?&quot; he said. &quot;Mine WAS super hearing...&quot; a uniformed bat whined, writhing on the floor. Amy approached Infin with her hammer at the ready. &quot;Hmmm...&quot; he mumbled, glancing around. &quot;No dice, I&#039;m not dumb enough to take on Sonic on my own!&quot; he said, firing shock blasts from his special gun at Amy, which she deflected repeatedly with her hammer, leaving Infin plenty of time to escape. With the robots soon defeated and Despair making a retreat, the GUN soldiers let out a relieved cheer for Sonic and his friends. Drol looked a bit annoyed, but he grudgingly stepped to address Sonic. &quot;You need to know... A terrible weapon may be in this base.&quot; he began. &quot;...I&#039;m listening.&quot; Sonic said. &quot;Project GXterminate. After the President was captured, our Dr. Nammad confiscated the device for safekeeping, but he&#039;s been spotted in the base, it seems. I fear he, and Project GXterminate, may have been captured.&quot; he warned. Vector groaned. &quot;Greeeat. Anything ELSE we gotta worry about???&quot; he grumbled.<br /><br />They left the bunker and returned to the route they had been on, soon finding their way to some sort of conference room. The Lost Ones were busy tearing the room apart, but they weren&#039;t entirely unopposed. Rouge and Omega were busy battling it out with them. &quot;I sure wonder where Shadow got to...&quot; Rouge grumbled as she swatted aside a losoar bat with a swift kick. &quot;Need any help?&quot; Sonic asked. &quot;I am the ULTIMATE robot!!!&quot; Omega shouted, blasting everything around him violently and nearly hitting Sonic, too. &quot;...I take that as a no.&quot; he replied. &quot;Either of you seen the President?&quot; Vector wondered. &quot;Obviously, we&#039;re a bit preoccupied!&quot; Rouge yelled, chucking some bombs at some loskulls that were chasing her. Omega, having cleared some breathing room around himself, stopped to run a quick scan of the area. &quot;Sensors indicate that the President is likely located in the Presidential Office... However, allow 30% margin for error, due to interference.&quot; he said. &quot;You&#039;ve already been more helpful than we ever expect you to be.&quot; Amy smirked. &quot;Annoying mouth breather...&quot; Omega grumbled. &quot;We can save the witty banter for later, guys. In addition to the President, we also gotta find some weapon before all these dark forces do. See ya!&quot; Sonic said, leading the way as he, Amy and Vector charged right past the Lost Ones, leaving Rouge and Omega to deal with them. &quot;Don&#039;t you dare mess this up, Sonic! I mean it!&quot; Rouge shouted, &quot;My job&#039;s on the line, here! ...Not to mention my life, with that doomsday weapon...&quot; she sighed. &quot;Fortunately, that device apparently has no effect on inorganics.&quot; Omega remarked. &quot;...Shut up.&quot; Rouge growled.<br /><br />A quick stop to a map display used for tour groups, and they headed directly for the President&#039;s office. Along the way, they caught up with Rainbow and Crash. &quot;Hey, any sign of your sister?&quot; Amy asked. &quot;...Nope. This place is huge, she could be anywhere...&quot; Rainbow sighed. &quot;I haven&#039;t found who I&#039;m looking for either, but no one cares how my day&#039;s going...&quot; Crash grumbled. &quot;Yo, Crash, how&#039;s it going?&quot; Vector waved. Suddenly, the PA system came on, and Col. Gunner&#039;s voice filled the halls. &quot;Attention, troops! Dr. Eggman is on the run. Seems he couldn&#039;t handle a battle on so many fronts. This leaves the animal intruders. I&#039;ve received word that Sonic the Hedgehog is marching on the President&#039;s office. He has no business there, save treason! All troops in the area, stop him with any means necessary!&quot; he ordered. Sonic sighed. &quot;Been a while since he accused me of treason. I was beginning to think he&#039;d gone soft on me.&quot; he said. The five of them hurried down the hall to try to beat the troops to the office, but soon they found a number of soldiers in their way, led by Sgt. Drol. &quot;Weapons at the ready, troops...&quot; Drol said. Sonic glanced at Amy, inching in front of her. &quot;I&#039;m not abandoning you this time...&quot; he said. However, many of Drol&#039;s troops lowered their weapons, saluting Sonic instead! &quot;...Soldiers!!&quot; Drol growled. &quot;Sir! Sonic saved our hides, sir!&quot; one of the soldiers said. Sonic smiled and nodded, but Drol was livid. &quot;I am your commanding officer, and Gunner is MY commanding officer! We&#039;re GUN soldiers! Following orders IS our life!&quot; he growled. Some of the troops held up their guns, but the others stood in their way. &quot;Maybe we&#039;re more than just soldiers then. Maybe we still have our humanity!&quot; they said. &quot;At ease, men! We can take it from here!&quot; Sonic suggested. However, all of the soldiers suddenly doubled over... in fear! Basker the Hound was coming from the next hallway, and he was using his power to incapacitate the GUN troops! However, some of them attempted to resist. &quot;Go... Sonic! We&#039;ll stop... Despair!&quot; they grunted. Sonic frowned. &quot;I hate to leave them, but we&#039;ve gotta get to the President and that weapon!&quot; he growled. Amy, Rainbow, Vector and Crash followed him past the GUN soldiers. &quot;That was nice, Sonic, but protecting me from non-dangerous soldiers doesn&#039;t get you off the hook!&quot; Amy shouted. &quot;Whatever!!&quot; he groaned, frustrated.<br /><br />The President&#039;s office wasn&#039;t far, and inside, the President seemed to be perfectly fine and having a calm chat with Dr. Nammad, who had the GXterminate machine propped up on the table behind him. &quot;Could it be that something&#039;s actually easy?&quot; Vector wondered. &quot;Hey, Prez! ...How&#039;d you get away from the Lost Ones?&quot; Sonic asked. Dr. Nammad pulled up a sword with a clear, crystalline blade, which appeared to have a high-tech handle. &quot;Stay back!&quot; he warned. Sonic sped around the President and startled Dr. Nammad, making him fumble his sword a bit. &quot;Eeep! You don&#039;t, uh, understand!&quot; he stammered. Suddenly, Amy, Crash, Vector and Rainbow were all stunned by a volley of Chaos Spears, and Conan the Raccoon charged past them, straight for the President. &quot;In the name of the Covenant... This is your impeachment, Prez!&quot; he yelled. &quot;Wait... No!!&quot; the President winced. &quot;Now, die!!&quot; Conan said quickly, impaling the President with his blade just as Sonic turned to see what was happening! &quot;No!!&quot; he shouted, followed by a confused &quot;...Huh??&quot; Conan looked a bit puzzled as well, as the President grabbed at the hilt of the blade piercing his chest with a smile. &quot;And thus, it would end... Hadst thou not missed me!&quot; He pulled the blade out of his own chest, tossing it to the floor as his flesh melted and twisted into his true form. Everyone watched in horrified astonishment as the President took the form of Loskeletor! Dr. Nammad was the only one not surprised. &quot;I tried to, uh, tell you...&quot; he sighed. Conan retrieved his sword and backed away as Loskeletor&#039;s glowing red eye-holes followed him. &quot;Woe upon thee... I had these simpletons fooled.&quot; he growled. Vector stood up and whimpered. &quot;Am I the only one REALLY hoping we didn&#039;t vote that THING into office?&quot; he gulped. &quot;Don&#039;t all politicians have two faces?&quot; Crash mumbled. Suddenly, as if things weren&#039;t bad enough, Spiny the porcupine kicked open the door! &quot;So, who was the moron who thought Eggman was finished? I&#039;ve got a troop of robots here that says they&#039;re wrong!&quot; he shouted, leading EggRobos into the office! &quot;...Not our day, huh?&quot; Sonic sighed.<br /><br />Chet the cheetah also sped into the room, passing by the robots and joining Conan. They glanced at each other and nodded before heading straight for the GXterminate weapon. &quot;Hey, step away from the doomsday weapon!&quot; Sonic shouted, only to have a beam shot at his feet before he could pursue them! Loskeletor was still in his way, and he didn&#039;t seem to care who got the weapon as long as Sonic didn&#039;t get to it. Fortunately, Spiny hadn&#039;t come alone. Among the robots he&#039;d brought with him was Metal Sonic, who dashed past Loskeletor and plowed right into Conan, knocking him to the ground and causing Chet to turn around to aid him. &quot;Eggman has ordered us to retrieve that device!&quot; Spiny stated, &quot;But while Metal handles that... I&#039;m going to muss up your pretty little face, hedgehog!&quot; he growled. Dr. Nammad sat back in the President&#039;s chair and observed all this, seeming amused. &quot;Okay...uh, may the best burglars win.&quot; he grinned. Some losoars swooped down from the ceiling and surrounded Loskeletor, apparently having been there the whole time. &quot;Feast upon those wretched, pitiful beings. I shall reap the honor of dispatching the blue one!&quot; Loskeletor cackled, pulling a couple ribs free of his own body as he spoke, revealing the ends that were attached to him to be covered in spikes! Meanwhile, Spiny had conjured some Chaos Spears that he&#039;d begun steering around, preparing to send after Sonic. &quot;Don&#039;t I feel special? Two psychopaths, just for me...&quot; he said. Amy and Vector quickly became occupied fending off losoars, while Crash and Rainbow were taking on EggRobos. &quot;Yeah, real special!&quot; Amy growled, swatting one of the slimy bats with her hammer. &quot;Gladly trade ya, Sonic...&quot; Crash murmured. As Loskeletor fired his laser eyes and Spiny launched his Chaos Spears, Sonic took off in his effort to evade the two enemies at once. &quot;I may take you up on that, rhino-guy!&quot; he shouted. Loskeletor tossed one of his spiked ribs at Sonic, which he somersaulted to avoid. &quot;Ha! Missed, and you&#039;re down a bone!&quot; he taunted. &quot;Speedy, look out!&quot; Rainbow shouted. Sonic glanced back and jumped suddenly as the rib came circling back like a boomerang! However, the distraction got him zapped by a couple of Chaos Spears and knocked to the floor! &quot;Now I got you, stinking hedgehog!&quot; he sneered.<br /><br />Spiny launched into his signature attack, Spear Storm, firing dozens of Chaos Spears from his body all at once! Sonic quickly curled himself up into a ball and took off toward Loskeletor, who tossed his spiked ribs at the rolling hedgehog in an effort to stop him, but Sonic moved too fast and rolled right between his skeletal legs! &quot;Gadzooks?!&quot; he exclaimed, suddenly finding the storm of Chaos Spears headed his way! The spears riddled Loskeletor into a pile of green bones, but he quickly pulled himself together and fixed his fiery gaze on Spiny. &quot;I allowed thou knavish Sonic doppelganger to act so long as no interference came hither!!&quot; he yelled. Spiny stared at him. &quot;I don&#039;t know what you just said, but I&#039;m sure it was a threat!&quot; he snarled. Sonic dusted his hands and snickered softly now that he&#039;d managed to turn them against each other. However, it was a bit late for that. The door, which had closed behind the last person to enter the room, now smashed off its hinges, and a menacing hooded figure entered. Glowing red eyes pierced the dark under his striped red hood. It was the Darkseeker! He seemed to simply and with great ease hurl aside and EggRobos and losoars that dared block his way as he approached Dr. Nammad. &quot;Hold it, Mr. Hood! No one goes near the machine over there!&quot; Sonic warned. The Darkseeker barely glanced at Sonic. &quot;You are the blue hedgehog that chose to stand against us rather than rally at our side?&quot; he sneered. &quot;And who are...?&quot; without letting Sonic speak, the Darkseeker raised his hand, and emitting a small dark spark from his finger, knocked Sonic to the floor! &quot;Ooof!&quot; This got the attention of Amy, Vector and the others, but Conan and Chet stood in their way. &quot;You don&#039;t want to cross this guy...&quot; Chet warned. The Darkseeker crept over to Dr. Nammad, who cowered before him a little, but stood up and shook his extended hand. &quot;Well, Mr. uh, Darkseeker... A deal&#039;s a, uh, deal...&quot; he said, motioning to the GXterminate machine! &quot;Ah! No way... That scientist must be the one who used the line to call Despair!&quot; Vector gasped. &quot;He... sold out his own kind!?&quot; Crash stammered. The Darkseeker turned around, his dark gaze meeting all. &quot;We have what we came for. Those who would stand in our way, know that it is foolishness. I, the Darkseeker, master of the Covenant of Despair, will craft a new world! Any in my way... will perish!&quot; he snarled, kicking Sonic aside as he and Dr. Nammad headed out, while Chet and Conan carried the GXterminate machine. Metal Sonic tried to stop them, but Crash charged into the robot from the side, taking it by surprise and damaging it greatly. &quot;...Regrettably... I am with Despair...&quot; he grunted, taking his leave. As Amy and Rainbow rushed to help Sonic, Gunner&#039;s voice came on the PA system again. &quot;All troops... Excellent news. Despair forces are withdrawing. Dr. Eggman has been forced out of Central City by the efforts of our capable Commander. Furthermore, I have managed to locate our President, alive and well. Those monster freaks were apparently holding him on the grounds for some unknown purpose...&quot; he said. Loskeletor gritted his teeth in defeat. &quot;There goeth the source of my machinations... I take my leave of this place!&quot; he growled, leading the losoar away. Sonic stood up shakily, but otherwise fine. &quot;We&#039;d better get outta here before Gunner comes for us...&quot; he said. &quot;Who was that guy?&quot; Vector wondered. Sonic&#039;s eyes narrowed. &quot;...Someone I gotta stop!&quot; he said.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 33 - Dark Ascent<br />Stage 19(Dark 9) - Lost Plateau<br />Minor Boss 15 - Shadow Chaos<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br />The story thus far:<br />Punchy traveled with Copter and Kosmo to Central City in search of Rainbow and Heather. They were soon drawn into conflict at GUN HQ, leading them to encounter the Lost One posing as the President, Loskeletor, who desired to use Project GXterminate to bring about the end of all life. Heather was required to operate the machine, but our heroes managed to free her and escape GUN HQ. Rainbow, however, was nowhere to be found. What&#039;s more, as the real President was kidnapped by the Lost Ones, Eggman and Covenant of Despair forces arrived in Central City, each bent on defeating the GUN army and claiming a decisive victory for their causes...<br />Now, on to the next chapter!<br /><br /><br />Punchy searched through the city in chaos for any sign of Rainbow, but he began to think that it was a wild goose chase. As the battle between GUN and Eggman died down and it started to become safe for regular people to come outside again, Punchy decided to find out if the trains were running so he could search for her elsewhere. However, he didn&#039;t get far before he ran into an old annoyance: Officer Razor. &quot;Stop right there!! I need a LOT of explanations, right now!&quot; he shouted, a bit frazzled by the recent battle. &quot;Arrrgh!! Why couldn&#039;t you have been crushed in the undersea cave-in!?&quot; Punchy grumbled. &quot;Very funny!&quot; Razor grunted, &quot;The buzz around town is that you chumps busted into GUN HQ! What&#039;s the big idea!?&quot; he questioned. Punchy crossed his arms. &quot;I don&#039;t expect YOU to believe this, but we just saved everyone&#039;s butts from GUN&#039;s own doomsday weapon!!&quot; he explained. Razor mulled that over and nodded. &quot;You&#039;re right, that does sound like garbage. Where&#039;s your friends, anyway?&quot; he growled. Punchy was really getting sick of this now. &quot;You&#039;re IN my way!! I&#039;m trying to find my friend who might be in danger... and EVERYONE&#039;S in MY WAY!!&quot; he screamed. &quot;Awww... Problem, Punchy?&quot; came the mocking voice of Fera as she strutted around the nearby corner. Razor turned and pointed his gun at her in alarm, recognizing her uniform. &quot;Go away, Fera!! Both of you, go away!! Just... LEAVE ME ALONE already!!&quot; Punchy yelled. &quot;Why don&#039;t you make us? What&#039;s wrong, Punchy...? Are you feeling... afraid? Afraid of the darkness?&quot; Fera goaded him. &quot;Shut up!!&quot; he snapped. &quot;Sir, you&#039;re sounding very um... Outta control, here.&quot; Razor muttered. &quot;I am not!! Now STAND ASIDE!!&quot; Punchy warned. &quot;&#039;Fraid I can&#039;t do that! You gotta tell me everything you know, or we&#039;re takin&#039; a trip to the station! Your choice!&quot; Razor threatened. Punchy glared at him, while Fera waved her hands in his direction, seeming to cast some influence over the Despair Seal. &quot;His gun is ready to fire... You&#039;d better make a move, Punchy... You know what you want to do...&quot; she hissed. &quot;I... I can&#039;t...&quot; Punchy grunted, trying to resist. &quot;The Despair Seal knows what you want...&quot; Fera sneered. &quot;Freeze, wolf! You are interfering with police business!!&quot; Razor shouted, aiming his weapon at Fera again. Just then, Copter and Kosmo arrived on the scene. &quot;Hey!! What&#039;s going on here!?&quot; Copter asked. &quot;Gah! This cop again!&quot; Kosmo groaned. &quot;I don&#039;t need help!! I can handle this myself!!&quot; Punchy insisted. Razor sighed. &quot;Now I might need backup... Fortunately, GUN HQ is nearby!&quot; he said, pulling out his phone. &quot;No, no... You are NOT calling Gunner over here...&quot; Punchy growled. &quot;...Hello, Guard?&quot; Razor started. &quot;You have no choice. USE THE DARKNESS!&quot; Fera yelled, casting a black spell over the Despair Seal! &quot;GRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!&quot; Punchy roared in fury as his fur took on a blacker hue, and he transformed into Dark Punchy! &quot;I-I don&#039;t know what you just did, but I am prepared to shoot if necessary!!&quot; Razor whimpered. &quot;Oh, boy... I&#039;m dead for my heroism...&quot; Copter mumbled, running out with the intention of protecting Razor from Dark Punchy. Instead, Kosmo dove in front of the raging echidna and took his dark energy blast, tumbling to the ground in pain! As Punchy roared in rage and satisfaction, a frightened voice called to him. &quot;One!!! S-stop!!&quot; He glanced behind him, his eyes wide. &quot;Rainbow...?&quot; he winced. &quot;Well, well... It&#039;s you.&quot; Fera mused. &quot;R-run... Rainbow!! I... I can&#039;t... c-control... me!!&quot; Punchy grunted, punching through a nearby wall in his fury! &quot;Yes you can, One! Just try to calm down!!&quot; Rainbow insisted. &quot;K-KILL!!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled. &quot;N-NOOOOO!!&quot; Punchy stammered, turning and dashing as far away as he could! &quot;One!! Wait!!&quot; Rainbow pleaded, trailing after him!<br /><br />Trapped in Dark form, mired in conflict with the evil presence within his own mind, Punchy fled to the darkest place he could find: Troblusk City. Amy Rose had reunited with Cream and Silver at this point, having found them outside the President&#039;s house and explained the situation to Silver. It seemed a good idea for Team Rose to search for Despair&#039;s HQ separately from Sonic, but what they found instead was a crazed Punchy. &quot;He&#039;s all black and nuts... I think I&#039;ve seen this before...&quot; Amy muttered. &quot;He seems in pain. We should try to help him.&quot; Cream suggested. Silver nodded. &quot;He could do a lot of damage in that state. Let&#039;s go.&quot; What they didn&#039;t notice was that a rather see-through Lospecter had approached the crazed Punchy. &quot;Hey, grouchy-face! Don&#039;t we look evil today?&quot; he said. &quot;Get.... away from me!!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled. &quot;Which one of you is addressing me? Doesn&#039;t matter, you can&#039;t touch the shadow-me I&#039;ve sent to schmooze you. It&#039;s fun being 2 places at once! Well, come with me if you want to find a nice place to settle things with the other you.&quot; he offered. Having no other ideas, Dark Punchy followed Lospecter to the base of Troblusk Plateau, a small mountain just outside the city limits of Troblusk City. &quot;One!! Don&#039;t run away from me!!&quot; Rainbow shouted as she caught up to Punchy. &quot;Gah! Rainbow, get back!&quot; shouted Silver as he arrived with Team Rose in tow. &quot;ENOUGH!! You have all made a mistake coming near me...!&quot; Dark Punchy growled. &quot;There&#039;s a good Dark One. Use all that darkness and obliterate these wimpy goodie goods.&quot; Lospecter chuckled. &quot;No, One!! STOP!! You can fight it!! I know you&#039;re in there, and you can still hear me!&quot; Rainbow pleaded. Punchy shook his head. &quot;R-rainbow... It&#039;s stronger this time, Rainbow... You n-need... to run!!&quot; he warned. &quot;No! Snap out of it!&quot; Rainbow yelled. &quot;Yeah! Or I&#039;ll have to beat you up!&quot; Amy warned. &quot;Not sure that&#039;s helpful, Amy...&quot; Silver sighed. &quot;I... gotta... break free of... Dark Punchy!!!&quot; Punchy growled, staring up the mountain. &quot;Booooring... I guess I&#039;ll leave some Lost Ones for you to play with...&quot; Lospecter said before flying off. Suddenly, Illusi appeared in front of Punchy with a burst of smoke! &quot;Halt, Dark One!!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Y-you....&quot; Punchy grunted. &quot;No... Look how deep into darkness you&#039;ve slipped...&quot; Illusi gasped, &quot;Dark One!! It&#039;s over now! If I must use the very aid of the Lost Ones... I will destroy you!!&quot; he proclaimed. &quot;Why, Illoser! I never thought I&#039;d see the day!&quot; Lospecter said, having appeared out of nowhere again to shake Illusi&#039;s hand, &quot;Well, if you want my help, that makes this all the more entertaining!&quot; he smirked. &quot;Let&#039;s see you try it, you coward!! Maybe I&#039;ll be the one to destroy YOU!!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled. &quot;One, no!!&quot; Rainbow pleaded. Punchy glanced back at her, fear in his eyes, and then he leapt up to a cliff on the mountainside, beginning an ascent of Troblusk Plateau! &quot;...Where&#039;s he goin?&quot; Lospecter wondered. &quot;I&#039;ll meet him higher up, then...&quot; Illusi said, vanishing with a snap of his fingers.<br /><br />The road was rocky, but Dark Punchy followed what road there was up the mountain, seeking a quiet place to hash out the turmoil going on in his own mind. A few Wrongos popped up in his path along the way, but he was too quick and too furious for them in this state, punching them into oblivion before they could be much of a bother. The very rocks of the mountain shifted, seeming determined to stop his advance as well. Lospecter watched in amusement as these rocks combined to form a new sort of slimy stone creature. &quot;Lostone don&#039;t have much personality, so feel free to whale on them to your heart&#039;s content.&quot; he said. Punchy took him up on that, assaulting the slimy stone soldiers with all his rage! Some of the stones he knocked apart from them dropped down the mountainside and rolled past Amy, Cream, Silver and Rainbow. &quot;Whatever they&#039;re trying to slow him down with, it isn&#039;t working.&quot; Amy said. Rainbow started to climb after Punchy anyway. &quot;I gotta catch up to One... I have to get through to him and convince Mousy he&#039;s not dangerous before it&#039;s too late!&quot; she said urgently. Silver frowned. &quot;Uh... Should someone point out to her that he IS dangerous?&quot; he murmured. Cream followed after Rainbow in spite of the dangers. &quot;She&#039;s right! He needs our help!&quot; she said. Suddenly, the rocks that had fallen from above assembled into some small lostone creatures, startling their group. &quot;Gaah!! Now there&#039;s ROCK monsters!?&quot; Amy yelled, whacking the nearest creature back into pieces with her hammer! Silver gently pushed the others the rest of the way down the mountain with his psychic powers. &quot;We&#039;d better get a move on before those things catch up to us...&quot; he sighed.<br /><br />Soaring around the cliffs of Troblusk Plateau at this time was Whisk the Divine. She&#039;d come here to get away from the violence in Central City herself, and now she spotted Dark Punchy fighting with Lost Ones on his way up the mountain. Curious, she flew down to him. &quot;Hey there... Need a lift up the mountain?&quot; she offered. Dark Punchy only snarled at her, continuing to assault the monsters in his path. &quot;Uh... What&#039;s up with all the monsters? Hey, you look like this green guy I saw in Central City... I think.&quot; she said. Dark Punchy glared at her furiously. &quot;Will you SHUT UP!!!&quot; he yelled, firing a blast of dark energy in her direction, which she teleported to avoid! With that, Dark Punchy continued up the mountain without her, while Whisk sat on the rocky cliff, growling softly. &quot;That... wasn&#039;t... nice!!&quot; she stammered. As she grumbled in annoyance for a few moments, some hissing voices started chanting around her. &quot;Lossss... lossss...&quot; She looked around to see a pair of LosFoxes climbing the mountain, flailing nine swordlike tails behind them! As they came at her, stabbing their tails in her direction, Whisk first teleported out of the way to avoid injury. &quot;You caught me at a bad time, because I&#039;m MAD now!&quot; she yelled, flapping above them and out of range. She concentrated for a moment, and her wings began to glow, and when they did, she flapped them down hard, kicking up a terrible wind that tore through the LosFoxes, ripping off some of their tails before blowing them into the cliff walls! However, that wasn&#039;t quite enough to take out these powerful Lost Ones, and they quickly lunged up at Whisk, pulling her back to the ground! &quot;Eeeek!! Lemme go!&quot; She tried to teleport, but simply took them with her! She tried again, but they still clung on! Finally, she warped up high and flew circles in the air, spinning in a desperate effort to shake them off! They soon gave up their grip and fell all the way down to the base of the mountain, but Whisk found herself feeling dizzy. &quot;Time for a nappy-poo...&quot; she said woozily.<br /><br />Team Rose continued climbing the cliffs, though much more slowly than Dark Punchy could. Fortunately, Dark Punchy was taking out most of the monsters, giving them time to chat as they climbed. &quot;So... Are you still mad at Sonic, Amy?&quot; Silver wondered. Amy frowned in annoyance at the question. &quot;His thoughtless actions could get me killed...&quot; she muttered. Cream sighed. &quot;But Amy, aren&#039;t you the one who&#039;s always insisting on following him in the first place?&quot; she said. &quot;Wh-what are you saying?&quot; Amy stammered, &quot;That... I put myself in that danger... And it&#039;s not fair to put that kind of burden on Sonic... And...and I just mess up everything! That&#039;s what you&#039;re saying, isn&#039;t it!?&quot; she snapped, tearing up a little. &quot;Eeep! N-no, that&#039;s not it at all!&quot; Cream yelped. &quot;But you&#039;re right...!&quot; Amy sniffled. Silver sighed. &quot;Look, it&#039;s no big deal... I don&#039;t think Sonic would leave you behind in danger like he&#039;s been doing if he didn&#039;t trust you.&quot; he said. Suddenly, Rainbow burst into tears as well. &quot;This is all MY fault, too!&quot; she wailed, &quot;If I hadn&#039;t left One, he&#039;d still be himself and he wouldn&#039;t be in all this danger now!&quot; Silver held his head and groaned. &quot;Please... everyone, stop blaming yourselves. It&#039;s not helping.&quot; he grumbled. As they climbed, they found Whisk lying on the rocks, moaning and injured. &quot;Angel!!&quot; Rainbow gasped. Silver lifted her gently to her feet with his powers, and she slowly opened her eyes. &quot;Tailsies... So many tailsies...&quot; she groaned. &quot;Are you okay? Can you walk?&quot; Amy asked. Whisk stumbled a bit, so Amy and Cream helped her stand. &quot;Oh no... Did One do this to you?&quot; Rainbow shuddered. Whisk groaned. &quot;Monsters! Clingy monsters!! No... shouldn&#039;t have tried to take out my anger on...&quot; she murmured. &quot;Huh...? Um... Why were you angry?&quot; Silver asked. Whisk pointed up towards Punchy. &quot;Crazy guy... spikes like that one...&quot; she said, pointing at Rainbow. &quot;She did run into One... Unless there&#039;s another echidna up here.&quot; she sighed. Silver nodded. &quot;We&#039;d better take her with us. Can&#039;t leave her in this state.&quot; he said. Whisk teleported away from Amy and Cream and started walking on her own. &quot;I&#039;ll lead the way...&quot; she mumbled. &quot;Wow... she heals fast.&quot; Cream said.<br /><br />As they continued higher up, they arrived on a cliff perfect for taking a short rest. However, when they sat down, the mountain suddenly flashed brightly, and seemed to split into three mountains surrounding them, connected at this one cliff! They were struck dizzy for a moment, and Rainbow shook her head and growled. &quot;Mousy! He&#039;s gone and trapped us in one of his crazy illusions!&quot; she realized. &quot;So... you&#039;re saying two of these mountains are fake? That&#039;s a relief...&quot; Amy sighed. Silver shook his head. &quot;No, it&#039;s not. If you try to climb a fake mountain, you&#039;ll probably fall...to your doom.&quot; he warned. Cream gulped. &quot;Then, what do we do?&quot; she asked. Whisk looked around. &quot;I could try flying up to see if I can find the creep who caused this trickery.&quot; she suggested. &quot;Too risky.&quot; Silver said, &quot;If he can do this, imagine what he might do to anyone who goes looking for him.&quot; he reasoned. &quot;Then I&#039;ll whack each mountain with my hammer &#039;till we find the real one!!&quot; Amy growled, raising her hammer angrily. &quot;H-hold on!!&quot; Silver stammered, pulling away her hammer with his psychokinesis. &quot;HEY!!&quot; Amy yelled. &quot;What did I JUST say about falling!? ...I&#039;ll do it.&quot; Silver said, psychically moving the hammer to one of the three mountainsides and giving it a good smack! Suddenly, the mountain began to shake, but the ground under their feet remained still. &quot;That one... was fake.&quot; Rainbow sighed. The illusion mountain burst into hundreds of green check-marks with eyes, Illusi&#039;s Rightos! &quot;Uhhhh... Can I have my hammer back?&quot; Amy said quickly. Silver tossed it back to her as the Rightos swarmed in their direction! Whisk shrieked and teleported out of sight, while Amy started swinging her hammer around and Cheese flew frantically around the area to protect Cream. Rainbow took cover behind Silver, who used what loose rocks were in the area as projectiles to control with his psychic powers, ricocheting them off any Rightos that came near him. Soon, those of the creatures that weren&#039;t destroyed had flown by, and the group took a moment to recover. &quot;Do we HAVE to do that again...?&quot; Rainbow whined, realizing there was still another fake mountain. &quot;Hey, everyone!? Is it safe to come down now!?&quot; shouted Whisk from a higher cliff. Looking up, the group let out a sigh of relief to realize that Whisk had found the real mountain. &quot;Just stay there! We&#039;ll come to you!&quot; Silver shouted.<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Dark Punchy was nearing the summit of Troblusk Plateau. As he reached a cliff not far from the top, however, a black ooze trickled down from above, and slowly formed into the shape of Shadow Chaos! &quot;Out... of my... way!!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled. Illusi appeared nearby and crossed his arms, floating in midair. &quot;Behold! This creature of shadows has been drawn to the growing darkness within you! It is proof of the beast you yourself have become!&quot; he declared. &quot;SHUT IT!!&quot; Punchy fumed, raising his fists to Shadow Chaos as they crackled with dark energy. &quot;...Meet me at the summit if you can.&quot; Illusi challenged before disappearing. Shadow Chaos roared at Punchy as it approached, but Dark Punchy made the first move, jolting the creature with bolts of darkness from his hands! However, though the jolts sparked through Shadow Chaos&#039;s body, it seemed not to effect the creature, and it retaliated by slapping Punchy across the face with its elastic, watery arms! He jumped back and started hurling orbs of dark energy at Shadow Chaos, which the creature didn&#039;t even bother attempting to avoid. It merely absorbed the darkness, and this seemed to give Shadow Chaos energy. It sped after Punchy, firing shots of its own black sludge at him as it approached! Dark Punchy growled as he was pelted by this sludge, and then smacked towards the ledge by the speeding creature! &quot;What&#039;s wrong?? Why aren&#039;t my attacks working!?&quot; he snarled. &quot;...It&#039;s absorbing... darkness... We have to... fight normal!&quot; Punchy&#039;s normal self struggled to communicate to his darker half. &quot;Rrrr! You&#039;d like that, wouldn&#039;t you!?&quot; Dark Punchy hissed, running at Shadow Chaos with his fists charged full of darkness! He took a few swings at Shadow Chaos with his darkness-infused fists, but his hands got stuck inside the beast after a bit! Shadow Chaos roared as it began feeding on the dark energy, grasping Dark Punchy by the throat as it did! &quot;Urrgh... grah.... f-FINE!!&quot; Dark Punchy gasped, relaxing his dark energy and relinquishing partial control to Punchy. &quot;Ch-chaos... Av-alanche!!&quot; he choked, grabbing at any chunks of ground he could with his Chaos power, and hurling them right back at himself, which resulted in Shadow Chaos taking the hit as well!<br /><br />Having been freed from Shadow Chaos&#039;s grip, Punchy quickly covered it up with rocks using Chaos Avalanche while it was stunned. Dark Punchy then regained control. &quot;This changes nothing! I&#039;m not going back into slumber while you maintain control! It&#039;s time for YOU to slumber!&quot; he snarled, resuming his climb to the summit, &quot;And your shrew friend can slumber, too... In DEATH!!&quot; he cackled. Once he was gone, Shadow Chaos slowly started to seep out of the rocks. However, before it could escape, a shining steel cage appeared over it, cutting off its escape! Emerging from the shadows below the cliff climbed Eddie the hyena and Anubis the jackal. &quot;Eeee hee hee! One down... This illusion cage will hold our quarry nicely.&quot; Eddie laughed. &quot;Can you transport it with an illusion?&quot; Anubis asked. &quot;Eeee hee... Maybe if I was on the mother of all sugar highs.&quot; Eddie replied. Anubis sighed and lifted a walkie talkie he was holding. &quot;Anubis to HQ, we&#039;ve acquired S.C., transport required. Over and out.&quot; he stated. Eddie shrugged. &quot;I guess we&#039;re out for the rest of this mission. Too bad. I feel like we&#039;re missing out on the fun. Eee hee...&quot; he chuckled. Anubis sighed. &quot;All that remains of this mission is a simple matter. A single agent can pull it off... And if you want any meddling fools eliminated, the Dark One is more than up to the task.&quot; he said, gazing up toward the peak of the mountain. Eddie chuckled. &quot;What did you think I meant by the fun? Eeee hee... hee hee hee hee hee!!&quot;<br /><br /><br />Chapter 34 - The Plateau<br />Stage 19(Dark 9) - Lost Plateau<br />Boss 19 - The Deathbringer<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />Deep in the dark recesses of Punchy&#039;s mind, Punchy and Dark Punchy were face to face, struggling for control. &quot;...Dark me! Let me go, right now!!&quot; Punchy growled. Dark Punchy stood in the darkness of the realm of Punchy&#039;s mind, a superior smirk on his face. &quot;No thanks... I&#039;d rather just DESTROY you!!&quot; he growled. Punchy raised his fists. &quot;Even if you could... Don&#039;t you think that might destroy you, too?&quot; he reasoned. Dark Punchy charged at him in a fury. &quot;I don&#039;t CARE!!!&quot; he screamed. Outside the realm of his mind, the internal conflict was taking its toll on Punchy&#039;s external senses. He could scarcely see straight, and following what trail remained before the summit of the mountain proved challenging. Lospecter watched him with amusement for a bit, but then let out a sigh. &quot;This is gettin&#039; sad. Put him out of his misery, troops!&quot; he ordered. Lostones, Losol Golems, lospides, and lospirits approached him from all sides, but despite his disorientation, there was still some fight left in Dark Punchy! He lashed out in a frenzy, violently thrashing at anything that came near him with attacks charged with dark energy! All Lost Ones that attempted to attack were torn to shreds, and the others fled like wolves cowering from prey that had proven too mighty to bring down. Lospecter broke into hysterical laughter at this. &quot;Look at the wild animal! Too full of pride to let me put him down mercifully. Very well, you had your chance. I&#039;ll make a Lost One of your corpse... Until then, I guess I&#039;ll go look for those friends of yours. Toodles!&quot; he said, flying off down the mountain. Within the darkness of his mind, Punchy backed away from Dark Punchy and tried once more to talk sense into him. &quot;Listen! We are walking into a trap, and so are my friends! Let me go, or everyone might die!!&quot; he pleaded. Dark Punchy chuckled at him. &quot;Sentiment WAS your big weakness. It was why you let the Master Emerald go before, and it&#039;s why you can&#039;t beat me now!!&quot; he snarled, hurling a punch straight at Punchy! The good Punchy endured the hit and socked him back. &quot;If you won&#039;t listen, I&#039;ll knock your lights out!&quot; he growled.<br /><br /><br />Rainbow, Amy, Cream, Silver and Whisk continued to climb the mountain after Punchy. They were making progress with the illusion dispelled, but it wasn&#039;t long before Illusi appeared before them personally. &quot;Mousy! Are you here to trap us in another crazy... trap!?&quot; Rainbow asked. Illusi raised his hands calmly. &quot;I only come to talk... My quarrel is not with the five of you.&quot; he said. &quot;It&#039;s a little late to try to tell us that, Mr. Phony-Mountain-That&#039;ll-Drop-Us-To-Our-Death-If-We-Step-On-It!&quot; Amy growled. &quot;Wow, that&#039;s a mouthful of a last name...&quot; Whisk murmured. Illusi nodded. &quot;My attention was divided... I&#039;d hoped the illusion would startle you enough to stop you in your tracks.&quot; he said. Silver smirked at him. &quot;Just the fact that you&#039;re trying to stop us means that you probably aren&#039;t prepared to deal with all of us, so maybe YOU should stop in YOUR tracks!&quot; he warned. A Wrongo popped out of nowhere in front of him, startling him, Cream and Amy. &quot;Cut it out with the circly things, Mousy!&quot; Rainbow groaned. The Wrongo floated next to Illusi as he spoke to them. &quot;I&#039;m here to offer you one final warning. We are going to eliminate the Dark One... a very dangerous and... potentially explosive task. I cannot guarantee your safety should you continue.&quot; he warned. Silver growled at him. &quot;Oh, yeah!? Well, WE can&#039;t guarantee YOUR safety if you keep trying to murder Rainbow&#039;s friend! So there!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Can&#039;t we try to resolve this peacefully?&quot; Cream whimpered. Illusi frowned. &quot;I&#039;ve spoken my mind. Any of you who continue up this path will find the fate you have so carelessly sought.&quot; he sighed. &quot;And you can bet I&#039;ll see to that!&quot; said Lospecter, arriving on the scene! Illusi looked up at the spirit in disdain. &quot;I requested your aid in battling the Dark One. You should be up there!&quot; he said. Lospecter shrugged. &quot;Better risk/reward ratio down here, cape boy. The anger-management dropout up there was wreckin&#039; too many of my troops. They don&#039;t grow on trees, you know! Well, y&#039;know... not as of yet.&quot; he explained. Illusi growled in frustration. &quot;I should never have considered an alliance with the likes of you!&quot; he snarled as he vanished in a burst of smoke!<br /><br />Silver glanced up the trail leading the rest of the way to the summit. Varied Lost Ones had been spawned by Lospecter on his way down, and were waiting for them. &quot;We don&#039;t have time for this if we want to help your friend...&quot; he said to Rainbow. She nodded. &quot;Then we&#039;ll just speed right pass them! Follow me!&quot; she said, rushing ahead of the others up the trail. &quot;What are you, NUTS!?&quot; Amy shouted, chasing after her. The others followed after them, and Silver tried to keep the Lost Ones off their tail as they started to speed past some of them, but they soon found themselves surrounded. &quot;Aw, shoot. Speedy makes this look so easy.&quot; Rainbow said in frustration. &quot;Now we&#039;ll have to fight our way out of this!&quot; Silver growled. &quot;Help us out, Cheese!&quot; Cream cried, backing toward Rainbow, as neither of them could really fight. Whisk teleported up high and charged energy in her wings to attempt to fight the aerial lospirits and losoars with her wind powers, while Silver and Amy took the fight directly to the creatures on the land. Amy swatted a few lospides with her hammer, only to groan as she noticed the icky mess they were leaving on her hammer&#039;s head. &quot;This gunk better come out!!&quot; she groaned. Cheese flew about bonking from lostone to lostone, knocking them just right to make them crumble, and then Silver would grab the stone fragments with his psychokinesis and hurl them at any LosFoxes and Losol Golems that were coming at their group. Still, there were a lot of them, and a few stragglers made it through to Rainbow and Cream. &quot;Ch-cheese!! Where are you!?&quot; Cream yelped as some losoars flew straight for them! However, rainbow took action, throwing rocks at the bats and aiming for their heads, which stalled them long enough for Whisk to swoop down and blow them away with a mighty flap of her wings! &quot;...Thanks, Angel! Even though I totally had it under control...&quot; Rainbow muttered. &quot;Huh? I thought your name was Angel!&quot; Whisk stammered. Cream knelt down and picked up some rocks in the meantime. &quot;Guess I&#039;d better be ready to protect myself, too...&quot; she murmured.<br /><br />The group&#039;s efforts wiped out the Lost Ones that first surrounded them, but more kept swarming down the mountain! &quot;We&#039;ll never get anywhere at this rate!&quot; Amy growled. Suddenly, a blast of dark lightning crashed down from the sky above, searing across the mountainside before them and eliminating the Lost Ones blocking their path! As the lightning ceased, the group looked up to see Fera briefly suspended in the air before warping down to the mountainside in front of them! &quot;You! You started this whole thing! You gave One the weird bracelet that turns him dark!&quot; Rainbow shouted. Fera nodded, smirking. &quot;And now he is more powerful than ever! Just as intended.&quot; she said. &quot;Listen up! Your Covenant of Despair is working on some dangerous plans! I&#039;m here to stop them, and protect the future!&quot; Silver announced. Fera scoffed at him. &quot;The future? What future is that? One where humans keep us all in cages?! Or zoos? You can keep YOUR future! And you&#039;ll never stop ours, any more than you could stop me from destroying the ruins at Sandopolis!&quot; she snapped, turning back to Rainbow. &quot;By the way... Been a while since the last time I was here. This is where I recruited your... sister, was it? Yes... I gave her a choice, and Violet called me right at this plateau to give me her answer.&quot; she grinned. Rainbow raised her fists and came at Fera, but Whisk pulled her back. &quot;You poisoned her mind! You messed with her head and now she won&#039;t come home until we stop you!!&quot; she yelled. Fera chuckled. &quot;Ooooh... You think? Or maybe that might drive her away even more? Not that you&#039;ve got a chance of stopping us. I was just thinking... This is a fitting place... To recruit a new agent!&quot; she announced before warping away. As Fera vanished, Rainbow broke away from Whisk and gasped in fear. &quot;One... She&#039;s going to catch him and force him to work for THEM!&quot; she shouted. &quot;Not if we get there first!&quot; Amy said, &quot;I&#039;m gonna wipe my icky hammer on her uniform!&quot; she growled. &quot;You really think we can beat a teleporter up there?&quot; Whisk wondered, making everyone stare at her grouchily. &quot;...What?&quot; she mumbled. &quot;Why don&#039;t YOU teleport us?&quot; Silver asked. Whisk rubbed her head a bit. &quot;Do what now?&quot; she mumbled, making everyone groan a bit.<br /><br /><br />Finally, Punchy had arrived at the top of Troblusk Plateau. Meeting him there was Illusi, frowning impatiently. &quot;You took your time scaling this little hill.&quot; he said. &quot;Shut your mouth!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled, about ready to snap him in two. &quot;I&#039;m afraid you leave me no choice, Dark One...&quot; Illusi said, hovering into the air out of Punchy&#039;s reach, &quot;It is as was foretold... and you must be stopped.&quot; he said. Punchy struggled against Dark Punchy to speak to Illusi. &quot;What do you... mean... foretold!?&quot; he grunted. Illusi glared down at him. &quot;I have glimpsed the future once again, as when we first met! You will cause death and pain to those around you!&quot; he revealed. Dark Punchy grinned at this. &quot;Wonderful... Then it sounds like my freedom is assured.&quot; he sneered. Just then, he heard someone drop down onto the cliff behind him. &quot;I have found another who is equally determined to stop you. With our combined efforts... Dark One... We will change the future! We will DESTROY you!!&quot; Illusi roared, glowing with strange, blue energy! Turning around, Dark Punchy saw the cloaked, winged figure known as the Deathbringer stalking him once again! &quot;You escaped me in those ruins... But you will not run away again!&quot; it growled. &quot;Who&#039;s running, fairy wings!&quot; Dark Punchy growled. Within his mind, Punchy found himself lacking the will to fight Dark Punchy. &quot;...There&#039;s no way I can beat both of them myself... I guess I have no choice... but to let you loose!&quot; he said to Dark Punchy. &quot;About time you saw the truth! Now watch me tear these fools limb from limb!&quot; Dark Punchy cackled. &quot;Illusi... I&#039;m so sorry...&quot; Punchy thought, wishing there were some other way out of this, especially now that he knew the reason Illusi had been after him all this time.<br /><br />Dark Punchy flashed with shadowy energy, and then charged at Illusi first. The shrew split off into copies of himself, and the one directly in front of Punchy burst into a trio of Wrongos as he struck him! &quot;Grrr!! Coward! Hiding behind your illusions!&quot; Dark Punchy snarled. &quot;Do not mistake intelligence for cowardice... You forgot the Deathbringer.&quot; the Illusis said in unison. The Deathbringer hurled one of its killing bolts directly at Punchy! Normally this would mean death for any to have the misfortune to encounter the Deathbringer, but this was Dark Punchy. His body pulsed with darkness as the bolt struck him, repelling it from going through him, but the impact still knocked him back considerably! &quot;...I actually felt that!&quot; Dark Punchy grunted. The Deathbringer flapped its black wings and stared down at him from the air. &quot;I am the most powerful killing force on the earth. There is no darkness strong enough to survive my power for long!&quot; it declared, &quot;You should have left the country when I gave you the chance.&quot; Illusi and his illusions each brandished a blue illusion saber, and came at Punchy one by one, swinging their blades at him as they passed by. Dark Punchy tried to strike back, but there were too many to keep track of, and furthermore, this was merely a diversion while the Deathbringer circled behind him. &quot;Enough!!&quot; Dark Punchy roared, blasting back all Illusis with a powerful dark shockwave fired across the whole mountaintop! The real Illusi fell backward while his fakes turned into numerous Wrongos, flying off into the sky. Then, the Deathbringer knocked Dark Punchy over with another powerful bolt, this time in the back! &quot;Ooof!! Knock it... off!!&quot; he panted, climbing back up quickly as the Deathbringer started charging at him, intending to keep him off balance and make it impossible for him to fight back! With Illusi climbing to his feet as well, it seemed even Dark Punchy was no match for these high powered foes. As the Deathbringer slammed its fists into him, knocking him across to the ledge of the mountaintop, and was about to attempt to finish it, another winged being warped directly between them! The Deathbringer stopped short. &quot;Aw, I&#039;m sorry... Did I mess up your shot?&quot; smirked Whisk.<br /><br />Rainbow hurried over to Punchy while Amy, Silver and Cream joined Whisk in standing in the Deathbringer&#039;s way! &quot;You fools... I could end any of you without effort. You would die... for this wretched creature!?&quot; it growled. Rainbow glared up at the Deathbringer with tears in her eyes. &quot;...I don&#039;t know so much about that... But... One is willing to die to keep me safe! It isn&#039;t Dark One that steered him up here, knowing that Mousy had a trap waiting. He ran up here... away from where I was... He&#039;s up here because I followed him! So I won&#039;t let you hurt him!&quot; she shouted. Punchy started to struggle against Dark Punchy again, seeing his friends in danger. &quot;R-rainbow... No!! I-I need... To save her!!&quot; he grunted. Illusi called down the Wrongos that had flown into the sky. &quot;Circle around them, Deathbringer. I will deal with these interlopers.&quot; he said. &quot;C&#039;mere and say that, cape boy...&quot; Amy growled. The Deathbringer took off into the sky, and the Wrongos swarmed Team Rose and Whisk! What&#039;s more, the Wrongos began to multiply before their eyes, making it harder to see what they were doing through the swarm! &quot;We have to get to that shrew!&quot; Silver realized. Illusi was warping around, taunting them. &quot;You want me? I&#039;m over here... No, here!&quot; he said, vanishing and appearing all around them! Amy swung at him and missed, groaning in frustration. &quot;Hold still!&quot; she growled. &quot;I warned you not to follow us up here. Now you&#039;ll all have to pay the price.&quot; Illusi said. Cream tried to punch a Wrongo, only to get shocked by it! &quot;Eeeek!! I... had no idea... they could do that...&quot; she panted. Meanwhile, the Deathbringer came toward Punchy and Rainbow. Punchy was struggling with Dark Punchy, leaving him disoriented, and leaving Rainbow his only defense. &quot;Y-you leave One alone... You evil Grim Reaper!&quot; she shuddered. &quot;You can&#039;t see it... But I&#039;m doing the right thing...&quot; the Deathbringer insisted. Just then, flames shot up from behind Punchy, drawing his, Rainbow&#039;s and the Deathbringer&#039;s attention! Anubis had arrived, and Fera was with him! &quot;You look like you need a real hand, Punchy... Let me fully unlock the Despair Seal&#039;s power!&quot; Fera grinned, firing a beam of darkness straight into the bracelet on Punchy&#039;s wrist! As the bracelet glowed, so too did his body spew darkness, and his eyes glow a sinister red. &quot;Rrrrr... RRRRRRAAAAAAUUUUGGHHH!!!&quot; he snarled!<br /><br />As Illusi warped about, Whisk grew tired of it and warped next to him, bonking him over the head. &quot;Bad mouse!&quot; she growled. At this point, though, Dark Punchy&#039;s transformation got everyone&#039;s attention. He was unleashed on the plateau, and he first charged at the swarm of Wrongos, caring nothing for the friends who defended him before that happened to be caught in the swarm! Blasts of darkness thundered across the mountaintop with every punch from his fists, obliterating the Wrongos and forcing Team Rose to take cover, and Whisk to teleport out of the way! Illusi, however, was not as lucky. He was knocked aside, and the strange key he carries on his person was knocked to the floor! &quot;No, the Chaos Key!!&quot; he stammered as Fera&#039;s foot came down over it! &quot;...I&#039;ll take that, thanks.&quot; she said plainly. &quot;W-wait... Don&#039;t do it!&quot; Illusi cried, clutching his arm in pain as he tried to move. The Deathbringer chased after the crazed Dark Punchy, but his frenzied, overcharged attacks left it with no opening to counterattack, leaving it barely able to fly out of range and stare down at the destructive rampage helplessly, hoping for an opening should he tire out. Fera then returned to Anubis, nodding to him. &quot;Take her and let&#039;s go.&quot; she ordered. Rainbow, who was still standing in earshot of them, and had been watching Punchy in shocked horror, now glanced at the jackal that approached her. &quot;Wait... Y-you did this to One... To get...to me!??!&quot; she gasped, &quot;N-no!! Get away! O-one!! ONE!!!&quot; she wailed as Anubis hoisted Rainbow over his shoulders, Team Rose being powerless to help her while they were busy trying for dear life to stay out of Punchy&#039;s line of fire! Silver growled and shouted out to Punchy. &quot;LOOK!! LOOK WHAT GIVING IN TO DARKNESS HAS DONE TO YOUR FRIEND!!&quot; he screamed, pointing as Fera and Anubis started their retreat down the mountain! &quot;N...NOOO!! R--RAINBOOOOW!!&quot; Punchy shrieked in his mind, grasping his head in agony over what he&#039;d done and allowed to happen. Dark Punchy continued to emit shockwaves across the mountain as Punchy struggled for control. He could see only one way out. Punchy wrested the Despair Seal from his wrist, and smashed it against the rocky ground at his feet! &quot;AAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!&quot; he wailed in despair as he finally reverted to his normal, green form. Though Team Rose hurried to try to chase Fera and Anubis, it was too late. They were long gone. &quot;...I&#039;ve... got to... save her!!&quot; Punchy panted. Illusi was slinking away as well, oddly not warping away as he normally would. &quot;...I must get back that key...&quot; he muttered. The Deathbringer landed on a lower cliff, slamming its fist against the wall as rain started to fall. &quot;...I tried to dissuade you.&quot; said the Doomsayer as he approached. &quot;Was this why? You knew that girl would end up in their clutches?&quot; the Deathbringer asked. The Doomsayer shrugged. &quot;It&#039;s amusing... You never once questioned... Whether you were after the correct echidna...&quot; he said, walking away slowly. The Deathbringer&#039;s wings stiffened in alarm. &quot;W...WHAT!?!?&quot; it gasped.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 35 - Invasion<br />Stage 20(Dark 10) - Hidden Ruins<br />Minor Boss 16 - Covenant of Despair<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br />The story thus far:<br />Kosmo and Copter witnessed Punchy transform into Dark Punchy at the hand of Fera. Fearing he&#039;d harm Rainbow, Punchy fled to Troblusk City, and made a treacherous climb to the peak of Troblusk Plateau. At the peak, he faced Illusi and the Deathbringer, but after Rainbow and Team Rose arrived to help him, Fera appeared and overcharged the Despair Seal, sending Dark Punchy into a rampage! Illusi was injured, dropping his &quot;Chaos Key,&quot; which Fera took. She then had Anubis kidnap Rainbow, her cries for help getting through to Punchy enough to make him shatter the Despair Seal...but it was too late.<br />Now, on to the next chapter!<br /><br /><br />Kosmo the morph, Copter the fox, and Razor the porcupine temporarily set aside their differences to follow the trail of Dark Punchy, which led to Troblusk City. They didn&#039;t get far before Police Chief Paynson ran over to catch up with Razor. &quot;Huff... puff... Officer Razor! Where have you BEEN!? You know my office has received reports of a potential bombing of the sewer system since I saw you last!?&quot; he panted. Razor frowned. &quot;Sorry, chief. I got a tip about some Despair-related trouble in Central City... Though I&#039;m starting to suspect the covenant sent me there themselves just to rile up that echidna for some reason...&quot; he mumbled. Paynson scoffed. &quot;Never mind that! Aren&#039;t those two of those Experiment criminals from the wanted posters!? Why aren&#039;t they in handcuffs!?&quot; he growled. Razor glanced at them. &quot;Apart from the fact they saved my life... They&#039;re helping with an investigation.&quot; he said. Copter waved at Paynson. &quot;Yo, Chief! Don&#039;t tell me you forgot about me already?&quot; he chuckled. Paynson&#039;s face turned a bit red. &quot;I hate owing favors to criminals... I&#039;ll look the other way for now. But we are even, fox!&quot; he said, stomping off. &quot;What&#039;s that about?&quot; Kosmo wondered. &quot;I stalled Despair from killing him once.&quot; Copter grinned. Just then, Punchy came limping over to them, accompanied by Amy, Cream and Silver. &quot;Punch... Where&#039;s Rainbow!?&quot; Copter gasped. Punchy stared at him gravely. &quot;She took her... Fera... All this was just a diversion to get Rainbow!&quot; he growled. Kosmo scratched his head. &quot;That doesn&#039;t track... Why not grab her at Sandopolis?&quot; he wondered. Amy shivered suddenly. &quot;Hey... anyone else get a chill just now?&quot; she muttered. In a moment, all of them were collapsing, a nameless terror gripping them! &quot;Gaaah.....B-basker!!&quot; Kosmo gasped, realizing who was behind this before seeing him. The red-eyed hound casually crept over to the morph, his hand raised to cast his spell of fear over the group and incapacitate them. &quot;Your usefulness is at an end... But you still hold one item of value. The last piece of the puzzle...&quot; he said, reaching into Kosmo&#039;s shoe and pulling out the gold coin he&#039;d been keeping with him! &quot;N-no!! Give... back... my lucky charm!!&quot; Kosmo growled, attempting to fight Basker&#039;s spell of terror and chase him down! However, as he started to move, a shimmering light passed before his eyes, blinding him with its brilliance. &quot;Gwaaaaaaaaaahhhh!?!?&quot;<br /><br /><br />Kosmo found himself in a vast expanse of tunnels, with large crystals jutting out of every surface. These crystals were varied in size, shape and color, and the cavernous tunnels seemed to snake in every direction. This place might be a treasure hunter&#039;s dream, or perhaps nightmare, with so much treasure and no easy way to transport it. Kosmo heard voices coming from one of the tunnels. &quot;Whoever&#039;s up ahead... I&#039;m not in any mood for being messed with...&quot; he grumbled, slowly making his way toward the voices. &quot;I sense it... We&#039;re getting close...&quot; came a female voice. Kosmo edged against the wall and morphed his body into crystal, hoping to sneak up on these people. Looking ahead, he saw three echidnas and a wolfish creature. Two of the echidnas were Tikal and Athair, and the third was the rainbow-quilled echidna, Radia. Lastly was Howler, the twin-tailed wolf. They stood at the end of a tunnel, looking over a strange crystal formation. On close inspection, it resembled a statue of a great two-tailed fox! &quot;It... almost resembles Copter...&quot; Kosmo murmured. Radia looked flustered. &quot;I sense it here... Where is it?&quot; she grumbled. Tikal was holding on to the Master Emerald, a tense expression on her face. &quot;...There! That gold shimmer...!&quot; she gasped. Upon the &quot;tails&quot; of the crystal statue were familiar rings; The Chaos Tailbands! Howler and Athair each climbed up and wrested one from each tail. &quot;Are we... certain these things will stop Shadow Chaos?&quot; Athair grunted as he pulled the tailband free. Howler glanced at him, nodding. &quot;I&#039;m positive. Eliminating a creature such as this is no simple task. But these objects hold great power... Power that could change the world!&quot; he said, holding up the tailband and admiring it as he climbed down from the statue. Tikal looked up at him with concern. &quot;Just remember why we&#039;re doing this... To protect what remains of my people from the evil my father has wrought...&quot; she reminded them. As this scene faded and Troblusk City returned to Kosmo&#039;s sight, the morph was certain he was losing his mind. &quot;What... has Basker done to me!&quot; he grunted. Copter waved his hands in front of Kosmo&#039;s face. &quot;Welcome back, Kosmo! Now get moving!&quot; he growled. &quot;Huh? Wha...?&quot; Kosmo mumbled. &quot;C&#039;mon! Razor and the others ran off because he got an APB or whatever that Demon Island has been spotted... blotting out the sun over Station Square!&quot; Copter said urgently.<br /><br />The pair found Station Square cast into darkness, Demon Island ominously hovering overhead carrying untold threats within Despair&#039;s stronghold atop it. &quot;This must be what the city was like with Shadow Arcangel menacing it when you first got out... Uhhh... Don&#039;t mean to bring up a sore subject.&quot; Copter stammered. &quot;I&#039;m just looking for that snake, Basker...&quot; Kosmo growled. Instead, they spotted Guard waving traffic along like a crossing guard. &quot;Awww, are you gonna help kiddies cross the streets?&quot; Copter joked. &quot;I don&#039;t need help crossing the street...&quot; said Tommy, who was standing nearby and gawking at Demon Island. Guard grunted at Copter. &quot;Grrr... I&#039;ve been sent in to handle damage control in light of this apparent attack... Or die trying, I don&#039;t think the boss really cares.&quot; he groaned. Kosmo nodded. &quot;Well... always a &#039;pleasure,&#039; Growler.&quot; he said. Just then, a certain taxi cab pulled up to them. &quot;Hey, Tommy, get in! Your bro wants you safe!&quot; Mia shouted. As Tommy grudgingly climbed in, Mia&#039;s passenger climbed out, with a certain robo-puppy in tow. SPOT was as good as new, and joined by Professor Pickle. &quot;My word, the Tails Tracker really works! Your robot is ingenious, Tails!&quot; Pickle said to Copter. Mia giggled as Copter stared at the old man indignantly. &quot;I&#039;m used to the bot making that mistake, but people?&quot; he groaned. Pickle squinted a bit and stammered a bit. &quot;My, my, I guess I do need glasses... But you do look just like Tails. A relative perhaps? And Kosmo, good to see you again! Um... Could either of you relay a message to Tails or Sonic by chance?&quot; he asked. &quot;Can&#039;t the bot do it?&quot; Copter sighed. Pickle looked a bit worried. &quot;I suppose I&#039;d best just tell you. My research has uncovered possibly what Despair is after... An object of great power, rumored to hold a connection to the Chaos Relics! Its exact location has been lost to the ages, but... Apparently it was hidden somewhere down... right... beneath... our feet!&quot; he announced. Kosmo looked down incredulously. &quot;Now I know you&#039;re nuts.&quot; he said. Copter, however, turned pale. &quot;No, he&#039;s not... And I know why Rainbow was kidnapped...!&quot; he gasped.<br /><br />Copter started to lead the way to where they needed to go, but slowed a bit when he noticed Guard following. &quot;...You can&#039;t come, smiley.&quot; he said. Guard scoffed at him. &quot;I&#039;ll simply follow you from the air.&quot; he grunted. &quot;...Why?!&quot; Copter groaned. &quot;Grrr... You&#039;re my only lead on Despair.&quot; he said. Kosmo pointed up at Demon Island. &quot;You mean besides THAT, right?&quot; he pointed out. &quot;Grr... Wise guy. The island is meaningless next to their objective!&quot; Guard growled. Copter rolled his eyes and resumed on his way. &quot;Punchy&#039;ll kill me for showing you guys this place...&quot; he sighed, &quot;But Rainbow might be down there with them right now.&quot; So, Copter led them to the sewer entrance that would lead to the Hidden Ruins, where sure enough, they found agents of Despair standing guard over the open manhole cover. &quot;Well... Looks like bad guys already know their way in there, so I was right in this...&quot; Copter growled. &quot;What the heck do they want in the sewer??&quot; Kosmo wondered. The Despair agents quickly noticed them and started in their direction, but were suddenly blasted out of the way by a volley of explosives! Those of the agents that were still standing were swiftly kicked aside by Rouge the bat, with Omega slowly following along behind her! &quot;Grr!? Agent Rouge!?&quot; Guard stammered in surprise. &quot;Relax, Gunner didn&#039;t get impatient with you... so far as I know. We were sent in by the President. He wants us to see what we can do before sending a military force into a civilian city. Clearly, the real deal is back.&quot; she said. &quot;For the record, I am still not convinced any meatbag can be trusted.&quot; Omega stated. &quot;Yes, yes, we know you didn&#039;t vote for him...&quot; Rouge groaned. Kosmo crossed his arms. &quot;Well, this is all fascinating. Can we get moving now!? Those Despair goons stole something from me, and I want it back!&quot; he growled. &quot;Plus Rainbow could be in trouble.&quot; Copter added. &quot;Grrr... Not to mention the untold danger that might come from whatever they&#039;re after with this invasion...&quot; Guard concluded. Rouge nodded. &quot;...Cover us, Omega. Keep a sharp eye on that floating island while we&#039;re gone.&quot; she said. Omega clenched his metal fists. &quot;This is a gross misuse of my superior functions... Enemy reinforcements better arrive to amuse me.&quot; he grumbled.<br /><br />Copter led the others down through the sewer passage, and they got their first glimpse of the world hidden beneath Station Square! Kosmo was awestruck. &quot;...How can the giant buildings above not bring the ceiling crashing down on this place!? There are no supports holding the roof up!&quot; he stammered. Guard looked up. &quot;Grrr... The ceiling is completely solid. Structural integrity has not been compromised even through centuries of weight strain.&quot; he stated. &quot;Okay... So, somebody really knows how to build a... Big bomb shelter?&quot; Rouge murmured. Copter shook his head. &quot;Yeah... Big bomb shelter. C&#039;mon, let&#039;s get looking for Rainbow.&quot; he said. Guard barred his way with his scythe. &quot;Oh, hey! What do you want!?&quot; Copter growled. &quot;Grrr... It&#039;s not safe. Sensors indicate heavy resistance ahead.&quot; Guard grunted. Kosmo nodded. &quot;The guards upstairs were just the beginning, hm? Well, this is where I come in...&quot; he grinned.<br /><br />Kosmo was soon disguised as a purple skunk in a despair uniform, wearing the shades he typically uses in human form to hide his eyes. He crept ahead, while the others kept their distance behind. Seeing some Despair agents across the dirt road ahead, he gave them a polite wave, and they waved back, turning away from him. Suddenly, he heard a low buzzing noise coming from the nearby building. Peering at the window, he heard voices. &quot;Your wings are too noisy!&quot; whispered one. &quot;I hate hiding! It&#039;s boring!&quot; said the other. Kosmo raised an eyebrow, considering speaking to whoever these guys were, but he suddenly felt a punch to the gut from nowhere! &quot;Oooff!! What the!?&quot; he stammered. &quot;I got him, Charmy!!&quot; Espio, who was attacking while camouflaged, was soon joined in the assault by Charmy, flying through the window and tackling Kosmo repeatedly. &quot;Take that, Despair creep! Give back Vector!!&quot; he shouted. This noisy scuffle was getting the attention of the actual Despair guards. &quot;ESPIO!!&quot; Kosmo shouted, reverting to normal form, &quot;You blew my cover!!&quot; he yelled. Copter and the others quickly joined them, and Espio and Charmy wore sheepish expressions. &quot;I have shamed myself...&quot; Espio mumbled.<br /><br />Chet the cheetah and Patch the fox approached, along with a gang of other canines and felines. &quot;Well, well, cats and dogs are finally working together... How nice.&quot; Rouge sighed, flying up to get an advantageous position as she moved in to attack! Guard started swinging his scythe as well, firing beams from it to knock the enemies off balance, while Espio put his ninja training to use, swiftly knocking out one enemy at a time while Charmy followed him cheerfully. Kosmo was itching for a fight, too, but Copter motioned for him to hold off while he ran up to Chet. &quot;Hey! Before we needlessly tear you to shreds, you mind considering filling us in on what your monkey pals want down here? Or why they&#039;d kidnap my friend?&quot; he asked. Chet crossed his arms. &quot;Hate to say it, Copter, but the details of this mission are pretty hush-hush.&quot; he said. Patch stopped swinging his nunchucks around for a second to nod in agreement. &quot;Yeah. I&#039;m one of Fera&#039;s pals, and even I don&#039;t know. Eh, but fun&#039;s fun! Hee hee!&quot; he said, jumping after Rouge. Copter frowned, but Chet wasn&#039;t finished speaking. &quot;Look, Copter... I checked into it. I&#039;m not an idiot. I found out that Katie IS alive, and in the hospital... But there&#039;s the thing... She...she&#039;s vulnerable...&quot; he said shakily, &quot;Basker said as much to me, rather coldly when he found out I knew... I think that was a threat. If I try to leave Despair... They might... hurt her. I can&#039;t let that happen. I WON&#039;T!&quot; he growled. Copter nodded, whistling. &quot;Y&#039;know, Chet... I really respect that...&quot; he said before unloading a punch square in Chet&#039;s face, knocking him over! &quot;So, stay down! Now we&#039;re sorta even for you not listening to me! ...I got you 2-1 on punches to the face, so, the score&#039;s a bit skewed overall.&quot; he muttered. Kosmo groaned and morphed into a hedgehog. &quot;I&#039;m feeling as impatient as a certain blue guy right now...&quot; he growled, running into the fray in a manner similar to Sonic, and whacking Patch and several other Despair agents with homing attacks, clearing the rest of their path fairly quickly! &quot;...Copter, did you have to delay him? That colorful fox can wear you down...&quot; Rouge complained. &quot;Again!! Again!!&quot; Charmy giggled. &quot;No! ...Being Sonic knocks the wind outta me...&quot; Kosmo huffed, morphing back to normal.<br /><br />Copter led the way through the ancient roads of the echidna city, searching for any sign of Rainbow or, if convenient, Vector. &quot;If you don&#039;t mind my asking... How did you wind up down here, anyway?&quot; Copter asked Espio. &quot;We&#039;ve been taking the liberty of investigating the Covenant of Despair. We met Vector here after the attack on Central City, and that&#039;s when the island showed up...&quot; he said. &quot;So we followed &#039;em! But Vector saw them pulling away someone he recognized, and he got carried away, and he got captured!&quot; Charmy finished. &quot;So, now abduction&#039;s their thing?&quot; Rouge frowned. As they proceeded down the street, they soon found their path blocked by more Despair agents, this time led by Fera and Anubis. &quot;Our master doesn&#039;t wish to be disturbed!&quot; Anubis snarled. Daisy the skunk was there, too, katana in hand. &quot;You...! What have you done to Patch!?&quot; she growled. Copter pointed to Kosmo. &quot;He did it.&quot; he said. Kosmo rolled his eyes. &quot;You can&#039;t stop us with a little motley crew. I don&#039;t think you counted on me showing up.&quot; he stated. Anubis raised his hands, calling forth his undead, mummified army, which clawed its way to the surface, surrounding the group. Fera smirked as the heroes started to look a bit worried. &quot;Let me extend my thanks to you, Kosmo! We needed that coin of yours. Turns out, it was the final piece of the puzzle, so to speak. Now we have everything we need to open the way!&quot; she taunted. Kosmo growled at her. &quot;You...people... You scouted me out specifically for that coin, didn&#039;t you? But I don&#039;t understand... Why!? What&#039;s it for? What kind of game are you playing, Fera!?&quot; he shouted. Fera chuckled. &quot;It&#039;s not my game... And I couldn&#039;t tell you what the finale will be, exactly. All I know is that it ends with a glorious shift in the balance of power... And I want a front row seat to see that happen!&quot; she grinned. &quot;Grrr... You don&#039;t even know what your master is planning?? None of you!?&quot; Guard stammered. Kosmo stood up straight, staring over at Fera. Then, he started to snicker. &quot;Huh...?? What is it? What&#039;s so funny!!?&quot; she demanded. &quot;Here I thought I was the lost soul all this time... You... All of you with Despair... You are the ones who are lost. You&#039;re just mindless puppets, bending to the commands of your master&#039;s strings! And it&#039;s about time someone clipped those strings...&quot; he sneered. Fera snarled at him. &quot;Well, you&#039;ll have to go through us, first!!&quot; she roared.<br /><br />Anubis&#039;s mummies came at the group, and Guard was first to leap into action to take them on, slicing and dicing them with his scythe. Anubis wasn&#039;t about to just take this, but Copter stepped forward to challenge him directly. &quot;Hey, I don&#039;t think we&#039;ve had the pleasure. I&#039;m Copter!&quot; he said. &quot;I am the harbinger of death, Anubis. Burn to ashes!&quot; As Anubis&#039;s flames seared towards Copter, he blew them out with Chaos Whirlwind! &quot;You were saying?&quot; he smirked. The other Despair agents charged ahead, taking on Rouge, Espio and Charmy. Espio found himself trading blows with Daisy, using an oversized shuriken to parry her katana. &quot;Ninja or no ninja, I&#039;ll get payback for Patch!!&quot; she yelled. &quot;Ha! Not bad! Your swordplay is... impressive...&quot; Espio said, barely stopping one of her attacks, and then blushing as the two stood with their blades crossed for an extended moment. &quot;Most impressive... I think I&#039;m... in love...!&quot; he stammered. Daisy&#039;s eyes went wide, staring at him for a moment. She lowered her guard slightly. Then, she made a disgusted face and resumed her assault. &quot;Ugh!! Me and a chameleon! Just...GROSS!!&quot; she yelled. &quot;...Just a passing fancy...&quot; Espio sighed. Meanwhile, Kosmo was ready for a long-awaited rematch with Fera. She started by teleporting behind him and hurling balls of dark energy at his back, but he morphed into an ant to evade it! &quot;...What!? Hey! Where&#039;d you??&quot; Fera muttered, unable to see such a small transformation. Kosmo skitted a distance away, then morphed into a dragon, spewing hot flames at her, only to have them blocked by a dark energy shield! &quot;The power of darkness is too strong for your pitiful shape-shifting! You might as well...&quot; Before she could finish speaking, a chaos-controlled boulder slapped her down from the air! &quot;Ooof!!&quot; she grunted, looking over to see an enraged Punchy slowly walking toward her! &quot;...Fera! Where is she!! Where&#039;s Rainbow!!!&quot; he yelled. Fera got up and laughed wickedly. &quot;Ha... haha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!! You fool!! The Despair Seal is gone! Did you think you could just smash it while in overdrive and not face the consequences!?&quot; she grinned, firing a beam of darkness that swatted him down onto his back! Punchy struggled to get up, but he couldn&#039;t. &quot;Hey!! This is OUR battle, Fera!&quot; Kosmo yelled. Fera ignored him and wagged her finger at Punchy. &quot;You&#039;re as weak as a kitten... Rejecting the darkness has stripped you of everything it seems. And now... It&#039;s time to finish what we started way back when YOU helped us secure the stone tablet at the beach by this city... Thanks for everything, Experiment 1!&quot; she cackled, rushing off and leaving Anubis and Daisy. Anubis was easily able to make his getaway using a cover of flames, but Daisy and the other Despair agents were left to be knocked out by Espio, Charmy, Rouge and Guard. &quot;They weren&#039;t gonna tell us anything anyway...&quot; Copter sighed, &quot;Let&#039;s go... We have to find Rainbow and Vector... There&#039;s no telling what these psychos will do with them if we don&#039;t...&quot; Punchy stood up shakily. &quot;I&#039;ll... come too... I have to try... to help.&quot; he panted.<br /><br /><br />Elsewhere, traveling in the skies over Route 101 out of Central City aboard Shadow Arcangel, Bucky the rat was zapping some electrodes in his lab, venting his outrage over some recent news. &quot;Using MY creations... As harbingers of extinction!! And Despair... what they plan to do...&quot; he snarled, overcharging the electrodes in his anger and causing an explosion! &quot;So... New job&#039;s not goin&#039; well, huh?&quot; Zipp mumbled from outside the door. &quot;I-isss there anything we can do, massster?&quot; Vortex asked nervously. Bucky turned around and nodded. &quot;Get Crash. Turn this heap toward Station Square. You three will wait on Demon Island for further instruction...&quot; he said. &quot;If there is, perchance, an opportunity to shoot up humans...&quot; Zipp mused. &quot;Wait in the shadows! Avoid contact with Despair, and engage no one until I instruct you to do so!&quot; Bucky ordered. As Vortex and Zipp turned to leave, Lucky poked his head in. &quot;Umm... Wh-what can I do?&quot; he asked. Bucky growled softly. &quot;You&#039;ve done enough. You&#039;ve proven your recklessness already. You are not combat ready, get that through your head!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Yeah, but...&quot; Lucky stammered. &quot;LEAVE!!&quot; Bucky shouted. As Lucky scurried off, leaving Bucky alone, the depressive voice of Nevin Crimm met his ears. &quot;Such anger... What fears does this rage mask?&quot; the voice mused. &quot;You again... Everything I&#039;ve worked for is in jeopardy, and you keep haunting me.&quot; Bucky growled. &quot;...It&#039;s the work... of Nammad... isn&#039;t it?&quot; Crimm supposed, &quot;He... I... and Hope... we all worked with you once...&quot; Bucky nodded slowly. &quot;I remember...&quot; he said.<br /><br />Hope the raven was sitting up on a desk, watching Bucky with interest as he wrote excitedly on a chalkboard. &quot;If I can make all this work, GUN&#039;s rage be damned! The world will be indebted to me, and all the accusations GUN can lobby will be meaningless...especially considering none of it&#039;s true!&quot; Bucky smiled. Hope nodded. &quot;Say you work out this &#039;life force formula.&#039; What are you going to make with it?&quot; she wondered. Bucky hopped up on the desk next to her and held his arm around her tightly. &quot;What are WE going to make! And of course, the answer is whatever we want! Maybe we&#039;ll... clone a little Buck and a little Hope...&quot; he said, blushing. Hope patted his head. &quot;Buuuck... We already HAVE a son, waiting for your life formula...&quot; she giggled. Bucky wore an awkward frown. &quot;The fox I saved from the ARK? ...That&#039;ll never live. I&#039;ve... rather mucked it up already.&quot; he sighed. Hope hugged him gently, smiling. &quot;You&#039;ll find a way. And he&#039;ll be our first son.&quot; she said. Bucky chuckled. &quot;Okay, okay... But... what else should we try to make? All I can think up are simplistic things like hornets and cats...&quot; he admitted. Hope giggled. &quot;We can start small... But soon you&#039;ll create wonders like... a dragon. Maybe a unicorn...&quot; she mused. &quot;Or a phoenix... Maybe mixed with your DNA... So that your daughter will be immortal.&quot; Bucky smiled. Hope looked at him with loving concern. &quot;You&#039;re really afraid of the concept of death, aren�t you?&quot; she sighed. Just then, the door opened, and a young Ivan Nammad entered the room. &quot;Gah! I, uh... Do hope I wasn&#039;t, uh, interrupting, uh, anything?&quot; he stammered. &quot;No, professor, what is it?&quot; Bucky said, glancing at him. Nammad nodded. &quot;We&#039;re ready to, uh, start our next experiment, Dr. Stein.&quot; he stated. Bucky stood up and groaned a little. &quot;These electric current experiments are pointless... Busywork so that you can satisfy your curiosity regarding my abilities.&quot; Bucky grumbled. Nammad shrugged. &quot;Regardless, the answers you seek may very well lie in your own, uh, genetic structure.&quot; he said. Bucky sighed. &quot;I don&#039;t know WHERE the answers I seek are, but that isn&#039;t where they are...&quot; he mumbled. Hope hopped down next to him. &quot;Relax. I&#039;m with you every step of the way. Remember that...&quot; she smiled.<br /><br />A tear stood in Bucky&#039;s eye. &quot;Crimm... Your distractions are getting on my nerves! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!&quot; he shouted, storming out of his lab in an effort to outrun the voice, and his pain. Crimm&#039;s voice still echoed in the empty lab, even with none to hear it. &quot;But your recollections... are so... enlightening...&quot; he sneered.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 36 - The Secret Relic<br />Stage 20(Dark 10) - Hidden Ruins<br />Boss 20 - Ridley<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />Copter and Punchy led Kosmo, Espio, Charmy, Guard and Rouge to the temple that Rainbow often stayed in as her home, but a quick search revealed that no one was there. When they came back out, they saw no Despair agents in the immediate area. There was no trail to follow. &quot;Well, now what do we do?&quot; Kosmo frowned. Guard grunted softly. &quot;...Something&#039;s jamming my sensors. Grrrr... Might just be... underground interference of some kind...&quot; he said. &quot;Is that a scientific assessment?&quot; Espio murmured. &quot;Grr... I&#039;m a science experiment, not a scientist!&quot; Guard snapped. &quot;Hey! Someone&#039;s coming!&quot; Charmy exclaimed, drawing everyone&#039;s attention to a strange pair wandering the underground streets. It was Talon the griffin and Char the Chao. Rouge stomped down to Talon with raised fists. &quot;You!! Give me those Chaos Emeralds you stole!!!&quot; she shouted. Talon jumped up and flapped away from her attack, then flicked his finger, tossing her back with psychokinesis! &quot;Calm yourself! ...The emeralds are safe. Away from here.&quot; he said, &quot;I just rescued this Chao from the Covenant of Despair.&quot; Char had a troubled expression on his face. &quot;They nabbed me when I was on my way to find Dr. Eggman at Central City. They wanted me to help them get to... Um, I better not say...&quot; he mumbled. Copter knelt down in front of Char to be at eye level with him. &quot;Listen... They have more of our friends. If you know where they went, please help us. We&#039;ll keep you safe.&quot; he said. Char frowned, but nodded. &quot;The servers are the seven chaos! Chaos is power, enriched by the heart! The controller serves to unify the chaos! ...But the other forces of chaos must be controlled by a higher controller!&quot; he stated. Rouge&#039;s eyes widened. &quot;Hey... I&#039;ve heard that before!&quot; she remembered. &quot;Only we Chao know this secret! Follow me! Char will lead the way!&quot; Char said proudly. The group started to follow Char, but Talon stayed behind, and Kosmo stopped to talk to him before leaving. &quot;Hey... You seen Carrie lately?&quot; he asked. Talon&#039;s eyes darted back and forth. &quot;Umm... Why do you ask?&quot; he wondered. Kosmo glanced away. &quot;...Thanks, kid.&quot; he muttered, dodging the question.<br /><br />As the group followed Char through the dirt roads of the underground city, they were being watched from an alleyway by some Despair guards. Violet the echidna and Zeke the dragon observed them, knowing that they were finally heading in the right direction. &quot;...Let me reach out to them.&quot; Violet suggested, &quot;Maybe I can persuade them to turn around.&quot; Zeke crossed his arms and shrugged. &quot;I&#039;ll be there to pick up the pieces when that fails.&quot; he smirked. Violet quickly ran into the group&#039;s path, and Punchy was the first to walk up to her. &quot;All of you... Please, leave us in peace. What we are doing... It&#039;s all for the greater good. For a better world... Wouldn&#039;t you experiments like to live free?&quot; Violet reasoned. Punchy growled softly. &quot;That&#039;s really nice... But what about Rainbow? Did Fera happen to tell you what she plans to do with her!?&quot; he snapped. Violet, hearing this, stepped back a little. &quot;R-rainbow...? I don&#039;t...&quot; she muttered. &quot;Wake up, girl!&quot; Kosmo shouted, stepping beside Punchy, &quot;You&#039;ve been betrayed, as I was! They&#039;ve taken your sister! What do you say to that!?&quot; he yelled. Violet continued to back away, tears forming in her eyes. &quot;N-no... T-they couldn&#039;t... Why would they??&quot; she stammered, &quot;But then... Why would we be HERE...&quot; she gasped, the truth dawning on her. Just then, Zeke dropped down in front of her! &quot;RAWR!! And what do you think you&#039;re doing to my comrade here!? You can punch us out, bury us in a rock slide, leave us for dead in a ditch... BUT don&#039;t you DARE make our agents cry!! ...We have an image to maintain!!&quot; he shouted. Guard clutched his scythe and approached Zeke. &quot;Grrrrrr!! All of you, go! Time may be running out! Grrr... I&#039;ll deal with this one!&quot; he growled. Zeke chuckled. &quot;I think Bucky likes me best. That&#039;s why I don&#039;t work for GUN!&quot; he huffed. Guard smirked at him. &quot;At least I can breathe properly.&quot; he grunted. Zeke&#039;s crackling breath crackled even louder as he spouted flames at Guard, which he flew to avoid! Meanwhile, Char waved the others along. &quot;NOTHIN&#039; ta see here! C&#039;mon, we&#039;ve got a bad guy party to crash! Keep it movin!&quot; he said. Violet wiped her eyes and started to follow them. &quot;Wait... I must know if what you say is true!&quot; she cried.<br /><br />With Despair off their backs and the group experiencing a moment of calm, Kosmo hung back and walked with Punchy, who was limping, still weak from everything he&#039;d gone through at Troblusk Plateau. &quot;Hey... What exactly happened to you?&quot; he wondered. Punchy looked down at the arm that previously wore the Despair Seal. &quot;...Fera tricked me. She trapped me with my own dark form... And I could&#039;ve killed a bunch of people because of it. I destroyed the Despair Seal, and it looks to everyone like it left me weak... Actually, I&#039;m holding back.&quot; he said. Kosmo raised an eyebrow. &quot;So that Fera can knock you on your rear?&quot; he muttered. Punchy shook his head. &quot;I still... feel Dark Punchy... He may still have a hold on me. If I let him loose again... What if there&#039;s no way back?&quot; he worried. Kosmo shrugged. &quot;I sure don&#039;t wanna be you right now.&quot; he remarked. Suddenly, bullets came flying down at the group&#039;s feet, startling Char into hiding behind Rouge! &quot;Assassins! Don&#039;t panic. I&#039;ll flush them out...&quot; Espio growled. &quot;They&#039;re shooting at us from that building!&quot; Charmy pointed quickly. &quot;What!? How&#039;d you do that...?&quot; Espio stammered. Violet ran up front, blocking the line of fire. &quot;Hold it!!&quot; she shouted. Infin poked his head out of a second story window and shouted down at her. &quot;Hey... Vy!! Move it, ya daft broad! I gots a point ta make wit these clowns!&quot; he shouted. Copter shook his fist cockily at him. &quot;Easy to say from up there, Mr. Monkey-Suit! Come on down and lemme take off your other foot!&quot; he yelled. Violet frowned. &quot;Not helping, Copter...&quot; she sighed. &quot;Yeah, stay still, &#039;Chopper,&#039; I&#039;ll pop yer blinkin&#039; head off!!&quot; Infin yelled, only to be startled when Violet teleported up next to him. &quot;Cheeze, Louise!! It nearly stops my ticker when Fera does that, and I half expect it! What&#039;s yer problem!?&quot; he yelped. Violet stared at him seriously. &quot;I heard... that they have my sister. This mission... Do you know what it&#039;s about?&quot; she asked him. Infin scratched his head under his hat. &quot;Well, heck, ain&#039;t no one but da leader knows...&quot; he muttered. Violet looked him square in the eye. &quot;I NEED to know... And if that means throwing in with these guys... Well, maybe you&#039;d better shoot me!&quot; she said plainly. Infin stared at her a moment, then took off his hat dejectedly. &quot;Aw, heck... I ain&#039;t gonna shoot ya, Violet...&quot; he admitted. She nodded and warped away. &quot;...I hope ya know what yer doin...&quot; he muttered.<br /><br />Char eventually led them to a corner of the underground city where the walls had been forced open, revealing a series of tunnels that had long been hidden away. &quot;Uh oh... I think they&#039;re close.&quot; he said worriedly. &quot;To what...?&quot; Rouge wondered. They followed the tunnels, where the first thing they heard up ahead was Vector&#039;s yammering protests. &quot;You KNOW you guys won&#039;t get away with this! Why, when my boys track you down, you&#039;ll...&quot; A loud thud stopped his yacking. &quot;Enough! Your VOICE is grating on me!&quot; came Fera&#039;s voice! &quot;That does it!&quot; Espio said, charging ahead with Charmy. &quot;Hey, wait!!&quot; Copter stammered, followed by the entire group dashing the rest of the way through the tunnel to what awaited at the other side! Vector and Rainbow were being guarded by a number of Despair agents, and they were all standing before a great, golden door with a complex-looking lock. The Darkseeker was puzzling over this lock, a couple of agents beside him holding the Chaos Key, Kosmo&#039;s ancient coin, and the stone tablet that was unearthed from Emerald Coast! &quot;Rainbow!! Are you all right!?&quot; Punchy and Violet shouted at once. Rainbow glanced up from the corner she was trapped in. &quot;Viola... One... You came...!&quot; she gasped. Fera nodded to one of the animals guarding the prisoners, and he turned to block the group&#039;s path, revealing himself to be Ridley the coati, wearing the golden cape he&#039;d retrieved from the Security Tower, the Chaos Wing! &quot;What!? Wait, don&#039;t you work for Eggman!?&quot; Charmy said, making most of the others glance at him in puzzlement. &quot;We&#039;re detectives!&quot; the bee explained. Ridley nodded. &quot;My tenure with Eggman was a nice ruse dreamed up by my creator... If you didn&#039;t dig that up with your &#039;detective work,&#039; I&#039;m Experiment 12!&quot; he revealed. Kosmo shrugged. &quot;Well, there had to be a twelve somewhere.&quot; he said. &quot;When did Bucky pass 9?&quot; Rouge groaned. Ridley sighed. &quot;Well, as I was saying... Being one of Bucky&#039;s spies allowed me to look at this Despair conflict from all sides. Eggman&#039;s a clown. Gunner&#039;s an old fool. In the interest of self-preservation, there really is only one side to choose... Despair!&quot; he declared. Char dropped to the floor in utter disbelief. &quot;ANOTHER traitor!? Aw, and I really liked you...&quot; he whined.<br /><br />The Darkseeker turned, his red eyes glaring upon the intruders. &quot;If you are serious about self-preservation, keep those fools occupied.&quot; he ordered Ridley. &quot;Can do...boss!&quot; the coati grinned, his hands becoming engulfed in chaos-charged water! Most of the group was ready to fight, but the Despair agents guarding the prisoners held some clear-bladed swords to them. &quot;Take a wrong step and we&#039;ll Chaos Spear the girl with these high-tech GUN blades! Try to fight us and we&#039;ll cut the croc!!&quot; they warned. This made Espio, Charmy, Copter, Punchy and Violet all back down. &quot;Grrr... We can&#039;t risk Rainbow&#039;s safety...&quot; Punchy growled. Vector shouted out to his friends. &quot;Don&#039;t just stand there! I can take care of myself! Espio, Charmy!!&quot; he called, but they didn&#039;t move. &quot;We must wait for the tide to turn... A ninja knows patience...&quot; Espio said. Rouge rolled her eyes. &quot;The tide won&#039;t turn with everyone standing around!&quot; she said, flying ahead only to have Fera toss balls of dark energy at her! This left Kosmo and Ridley. &quot;...You sure you want to fight me?&quot; Kosmo asked, &quot;Might be easier to fight THEM.&quot; he said. The collar of the Chaos Wing cape flashed, and then the cape transformed into a pair of magnificent golden wings, which flapped Ridley up above Kosmo. &quot;Despair comes with its perks. Chaos Splash!!&quot; he fired a burst of water at Kosmo, which he stared at awkwardly, allowing it to hit him, only to realize that a water ball actually CAN hurt. &quot;Ooof!! Okay... Painful water balloons... I guess you asked for it.&quot; he said. Meanwhile, the Darkseeker had Rainbow brought before the golden door. &quot;You are the guardian of this city... Open it.&quot; he commanded. Rainbow looked at him, then at the door. &quot;Look, even if I thought this was a good idea, I have NO idea how to open this door! I&#039;ve never been down here before!&quot; she shouted. The Darkseeker&#039;s eyes narrowed. &quot;Don&#039;t trifle with me... We will get this door opened, one way or another...&quot; he said ominously. Rainbow shrunk back, chuckling nervously. &quot;D-did you try that shiny key, Mr. Red Reaper?&quot; she stammered. Violet watched this nervously. &quot;I have to get her out of here...&quot; she whimpered.<br /><br />Kosmo sprouted white wings of his own, making him resemble a Divine. &quot;You wanna fly? Let&#039;s fly!&quot; he growled, taking off after Ridley while Rouge and Fera fought below. Ridley kept Kosmo busy by tossing Chaos Splash attacks at him repeatedly, forcing him to focus on his flying for the time being. In the meantime, the Darkseeker worked on the door. He noticed a small, circular impression in the doorway, the designs around it matching the ancient coin. He slid the coin into the impression, and the door started to react, sections of the doorway sliding around like a puzzle, gradually revealing something. All while Kosmo was gaining on Ridley. &quot;All right, aqua-boy! Eat octopus tentacles!&quot; Kosmo morphed his arms into stretchy tentacles and tried to grab Ridley in their suction-cupped grip, but he reacted quickly. &quot;Chaos Splatter!!&quot; A great blast of aquatic chaos-energy knocked back Kosmo as well as Rouge, while Fera warped out of the way! Kosmo had been knocked to the roof, and the suction cups of his tentacles caused him to stick to it. &quot;This isn&#039;t... funny...&quot; he groaned. The door finished sliding around, revealing a keyhole perfect for the Chaos Key. The Darkseeker attempted to open the lock with the key, but the door wouldn&#039;t budge. &quot;...Yes, of course...&quot; he whispered. At any rate, Kosmo had to act fast. He morphed his arms free of the roof in time to dodge Ridley&#039;s next wave of Splash attacks. &quot;I heard you were supposed to be tough! Guess the hype is always bigger than the reality!&quot; Ridley taunted. Kosmo scoffed. &quot;If I ever have room to turn into a dragon again, your covenant&#039;s history!&quot; he taunted back. &quot;We&#039;ll see... First you have to get past me!!&quot; Ridley said, diving forward with his body becoming enveloped in water, planning to end this quickly! Kosmo flapped towards him as well with a similar intention, all while the Darkseeker once again was addressing Rainbow. &quot;The stone tablet is clear... You must be the one to open the door. I can attempt to open it by force, but there may be a failsafe keeping my prize from me...&quot; he stated. &quot;Aww, wouldn&#039;t THAT be a shame.&quot; Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. &quot;...We&#039;ll see how long you keep up this attitude...&quot; the Darkseeker mused.<br /><br />Kosmo started to morph into a more mechanical form, soon resembling a winged Egg Pawn. &quot;Ha! You kidding?? An EGG PAWN!? Now you&#039;re dead!&quot; Ridley laughed, only to light up with electric sparks when he touched Kosmo! Char picked himself up and gave a cheer. &quot;Aw, yeah! He turned into Jolt! Sweet!&quot; he said excitedly. With the water intensifying the electric shock, Ridley collapsed in a heap, out of commission for the moment, and Kosmo morphed back to normal. &quot;Well... That&#039;s a glaring weakness, isn&#039;t it?&quot; he muttered. Just then, several people started to arrive through the tunnel, led by Chet. This included Guard, Talon and Illusi. &quot;Figures Illusi would show up...&quot; Punchy grunted. &quot;I&#039;m here to get my item back...&quot; the shrew said, staring at Fera. Rouge flew back to Guard and tagged him. &quot;Fera&#039;s tough... Take over.&quot; she said. The Darkseeker, however, was through waiting. &quot;Enough! Open this door, NOW!&quot; he growled. Just then, Violet teleported over next to Rainbow. &quot;Don&#039;t raise your voice to my sister!!&quot; she shouted, only to be lifted up by the throat by the Darkseeker! &quot;Viola!!&quot; Rainbow cried. The Darkseeker chuckled. &quot;You value her life... Open the door, or you&#039;ll see her lose it!&quot; he threatened. &quot;No!!&quot; Punchy gasped, &quot;I gotta... do something!&quot; he grunted. However, Rainbow acted first. &quot;All right!&quot; she said, with tears in her eyes, &quot;Put her down! I&#039;ll open the dumb door!&quot; she sobbed. She then turned the key, and the ancient coin glowed brightly as the golden door creaked open! The Darkseeker tossed Violet to the floor and hastily went into the chamber beyond, emerging a very short time later with a great sky blue crystal in his clutches! &quot;BEHOLD!! The Chaos Crystal, object of my long search, and the great controller of the Chaos Relics!&quot; he said triumphantly. Copter growled softly. &quot;Great... What makes you think you&#039;ll get it past all of us?&quot; he said. The Darkseeker chuckled. &quot;While eliminating you all here would be a simple matter... I grant you a reprieve.&quot; he said, holding up the false wand that was part of the GXterminate machine! &quot;My power will take ALL Despair agents from this place! Galaporta!!&quot; he said amidst protests from Violet and Chet. After a blinding flash of light, the Darkseeker, the Crystal, and everyone who was wearing a Despair uniform was gone. The Chaos Key was gone, too. However, Kosmo retrieved the ancient coin, which turned to dust in his hand. &quot;So much for luck...&quot; he sighed. &quot;What&#039;s going to happen now?&quot; Talon wondered. &quot;The world... will turn red... with the fires of destruction!&quot; Rainbow shivered, &quot;What have I done!?&quot;<br /><br />Aboveground, Sonic the Hedgehog had arrived in Station Square, though the idea to go underground could never have occurred to him. He met up with Heather the phoenix, who also found her way there. Now that Despair had gotten the Chaos Crystal to their island base, however, said island was emitting some unusual activity. A shroud of darkness was veiling Demon Island from direct sight, making its presence in the sky even more ominous than before! &quot;Okay... Big dark clouds in the middle of the day are never a good sign. Especially when they surround an evil lair of some kind.&quot; Sonic said. Heather noticed something else up in the sky. &quot;Hey, look! A plane!&quot; she pointed. The tornado had arrived, and Tails brought it in for a landing in the street near Sonic, the streets having been vacated soon after Demon Island first appeared. &quot;Hey! ...What&#039;d I miss?&quot; Tails asked with concern. &quot;Too much... And weren&#039;t you supposed to bring someone back with you?&quot; Sonic recalled. Copter, Punchy, Kosmo and many of the others met up with them the next moment. &quot;Speedy! Nothing but bad news!&quot; Rainbow panted. &quot;The Covenant of Despair&#039;s got some &#039;controller&#039; for the Chaos Relics!&quot; Copter added. Prof. Pickle and SPOT joined them next. &quot;It&#039;s as I feared.&quot; he said, munching a cucumber sandwich nervously. Tails gulped. &quot;They have the Master Emerald, too...&quot; he murmured. Pickle nodded. &quot;Then they hold the power to control Chaos in its entirety. What fate is to befall the world now?&quot; he sighed. Kosmo looked up and nodded. &quot;We&#039;ll have to get up there...&quot; he said, glancing at Sonic, &quot;Right?&quot; Sonic looked at him and gave him a thumb&#039;s up. &quot;Well, you&#039;ve come a long way. I guess we&#039;ll need some rides up there...&quot; he smiled. Vector was standing further back, chatting on a cell phone. &quot;Well... we got our ride. C&#039;mon, boys. The client wants to meet.&quot; he said. &quot;We have a client!?&quot; Charmy gasped. Vector sighed. &quot;How long do you think we can work for free? Yes, I found someone to pay us for lookin&#039; into Despair! Now let&#039;s go!&quot; he said. While everyone was starting to look for a way up to Demon Island, Kosmo was suddenly startled by Carrie appearing out of nowhere. &quot;You...! Where have you been?&quot; he asked. &quot;I heard you&#039;ve been looking for me. Sweet of you to be concerned, but I&#039;m fine. You were concerned?&quot; she figured. Kosmo nodded slowly. &quot;Dangerous folks you&#039;re angering.&quot; he said. Carrie winked and walked off. &quot;You, too. See ya around.&quot; she said, vanishing before Kosmo&#039;s eyes. &quot;...Yeah, but will I see you?&quot; he wondered.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 37 - Defending the Arcangel<br />Stage 21(Hero 11) - Shadow Arcangel<br />Minor Boss 17 - ????????<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br />The story thus far:<br />Conan got the jump on Knuckles, swiping the Master Emerald and leading him on a chase that got him lost in the Forest of Dreams. As it started to rain, he and some others took shelter in the mysterious Dream Temple. The Dream King presented each of them with different trials, ending with Knuckles battling a nightmare of Perfect Chaos with his friends&#039; lives on the line! In the end, Knuckles realized his true nature as a guardian of all, and as they left the Dream Temple, the group had renewed determination to stop the Covenant of Despair.<br />Now, on to the next chapter!<br /><br /><br />After escaping the Dream Temple, Knuckles, Shadow and Gemini found themselves lost in the Forest of Dreams. Tails had managed to escape with his plane, but Shadow and Gemini&#039;s attempts to warp out of the maze of trees proved fruitless. &quot;Are we doomed to wander these woods forever...?&quot; Shadow wondered. However, the light above was soon blotted out by a massive object! Looking up, they saw Shadow Arcangel in the sky directly above them! Bucky was standing in the doorway of the section that once jutted out of the earth when the ship was embedded in the ground as a strange ruins. &quot;Need a lift?&quot; he shouted. A quick teleport up with Gemini&#039;s wand, and they were all soon safely aboard the familiar dark aircraft. &quot;Excuse any turbulence. For one thing, my usual flight crew is out, replaced with the Chaotix detectives.&quot; Bucky said. Vector&#039;s voice came over the PA. &quot;Everyone aboard? Can we pull up?&quot; he wondered. Bucky lifted a walkie-talkie. &quot;Tell him to resume course, Charmy.&quot; he said. &quot;Yessir! You&#039;re the client!&quot; he replied cheerfully. Shadow crossed his arms. &quot;I assume you finding us isn&#039;t just coincidence.&quot; he said. Bucky led the way toward the control room. &quot;No, you&#039;re right. I need all the help I can get right now, and since it seems many of my experiments are occupied, you&#039;ll have to do.&quot; he stated. Gemini sighed. &quot;Well, I guess there aren&#039;t many places I&#039;d rather be right now. Since this is where the Lost Ones were first spotted, I might find clues to help me defeat them...&quot; she reasoned. Bucky opened the door to the control room as they arrived. &quot;First thing&#039;s first... You help me, and I&#039;ll do what I can to help the three of you.&quot; he said. Espio and Vector were both working at the controls of the ship within the control room, neither seeming wholly confident in the other&#039;s knowledge of piloting an ancient ruin. Charmy was monitoring the power cells containing the rings needed to keep the ship aloft. Lucky the cat and Spiny the porcupine were loitering in the control room as well. &quot;Everyone, listen up!&quot; Bucky announced, &quot;It is time to defend Shadow Arcangel!&quot;<br /><br />Bucky turned the group&#039;s attention to a radar screen that Eggman had installed in the control room during his brief tenure as the ship&#039;s owner. &quot;As you can see, there&#039;s a fleet on our tail. Spiny has verified that it is Dr. Eggman&#039;s carnival fleet.&quot; he said. &quot;I still say we&#039;d do better pledging our allegiance to Dr. Eggman.&quot; Spiny complained. &quot;Yes, that worked SO WELL for you so far!&quot; Bucky pointed out. &quot;Do I hear people talking about me? My ears are burning!&quot; The group was briefly struck speechless as Dr. Eggman himself stepped into the control room, accompanied by Metal Sonic! Knuckles was the first to snap out of it. &quot;Give me ONE reason why I shouldn&#039;t come over there and crack your eggshell wide open!!&quot; he shouted. &quot;...I&#039;m not really an Egg?&quot; Eggman said awkwardly. As Knuckles and Vector crept toward him angrily, Eggman waved a white flag frantically. &quot;PARLEY!! Parley!!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Uh... What?&quot; Gemini muttered. &quot;He wants to talk things over.&quot; Bucky said, &quot;Make it quick, Robotnik.&quot; he growled. Eggman bowed graciously. &quot;Thank you... Now listen, I had to come aboard. The Covenant of Despair found a backdoor into my own system when one of their agents was sneaking around my virtual reality video game! As a result, Cloud Carnival is under their control...and on its way here!&quot; he said. Shadow scoffed. &quot;Amazing. That dumb game is STILL getting on my nerves. Get to the part where you ask us for something in exchange for your help.&quot; he said distrustingly. Eggman frowned. &quot;So cold, Shadow. In fact, I came only in the interest of peaceful cooperation...and getting my fleet back, hopefully. I&#039;m even offering Metal Sonic&#039;s assistance! Use him in any way you require! He got a little banged up in Central City, but I buffed out most of the dings.&quot; he said earnestly. Knuckles frowned. &quot;I don&#039;t like it. I&#039;ve already met my quota for being messed with by you today...&quot; he grumbled. Bucky looked at the radar screen grimly. &quot;There&#039;s little choice. We have to trust him.&quot; he said. &quot;...But we don&#039;t have to like it! Pfffft!!&quot; Charmy said, sticking out his tongue.<br /><br />Bucky looked around seriously. &quot;The Arcangel&#039;s defenses are a number of turrets positioned on the...outer decks of the ship. To launch a counterattack, some of you must go outside and man these turrets.&quot; he said. Knuckles stared at him in disbelief. &quot;...What!? You mean to tell me this heap doesn&#039;t have defenses you can control from in here!? What are all those controls FOR anyway!?&quot; he yelled. Eggman shrugged. &quot;I didn&#039;t view it as a problem myself. I was going to have robots man the turrets when I was in control of the ship...&quot; he stated. Shadow groaned. &quot;Well, now WE have to do it! Come on, Knuckles!&quot; he said, leading him, Gemini and Charmy in a search for the &quot;outer decks.&quot; &quot;We&#039;ll see about automating some of those weapons!&quot; Eggman said, heading off with Metal Sonic. Bucky stepped outside of the control room and watched them go. &quot;Godspeed...&quot; he muttered. Just then, he heard a voice. &quot;Betrayed... by Despair...? You have a history...of betrayal...do you not?&quot; It was Nevin Crimm again. &quot;I didn&#039;t betray you, Crimm. Wheeler abandoned you! I never quite knew what became of you. I can&#039;t fathom why your voice haunts my thoughts, honestly!&quot; Bucky snapped. &quot;Perhaps something else... fills you with sorrow... How did your Hope die?&quot; Crimm asked. Bucky growled softly. &quot;...GUN...&quot;<br /><br />A flash of memories came to Bucky&#039;s mind. GUN&#039;s Sergeant Murten had found his laboratory, and launched an attack using an early prototype of what would become Diablon. This was more like a souped-up Flying Dog, but even so, the arms added to the machine made it no joke. &quot;There&#039;s nowhere left to run, Stein, you mutant! I&#039;ll see an example made out of you! No one defies GUN!&quot; Murten growled. Corporal Gunner was the only official witness, and he stood watching eagerly from the sidelines. &quot;If you end him here, sarge, I&#039;ll be sure and let the Commander know you did your VERY BEST to take him alive!&quot; he sneered. As Murten launched his attack, however, a shriek came as Hope lunged herself between them! &quot;Don&#039;t hurt hiiiim!!&quot; she cried, only to be pierced by a blade sliding out of the mech&#039;s right arm! &quot;NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!&quot;<br /><br />The memories had become too much to bear. &quot;As soon as this is over, I&#039;ll raid myself a drugstore and rid myself of your pestering voice!!&quot; Bucky roared. Just then, Vector peered through the door of the control room. &quot;&#039;Scuse me, doc... But that won&#039;t do any good...&quot; he grunted, stepping out and glancing around above them, &quot;...I hear him, too! Why don&#039;t ya show yourself, whoever you are!&quot; he called out. Bucky&#039;s eyes went wide. &quot;That&#039;s impossible... Nevin Crimm is dead!&quot; he gasped. The voice of Crimm rang out with raspy laughter, echoing through the halls. &quot;So... my secret is out... I have been whispering to you, in the guise of a lost friend... Searching... for weakness!&quot; he bellowed, &quot;Go ahead and search... You&#039;ll never... find me!!&quot; Crimm laughed, his voice slowly fading. &quot;...Well... That was creepy...&quot; Vector said.<br /><br />Across a few halls, Knuckles, Gemini, Shadow, and Charmy were startled by the sudden laughter of Nevin Crimm, seeming to pass them as it echoed through the hallways. Gemini&#039;s hair stood on end. &quot;You all heard that, right?&quot; she whimpered. Charmy was hugging himself in fear. &quot;I TOLD Espio and Vector this place was haunted!!&quot; he shivered. &quot;That laugh... It was... familiar. Eerily familiar...&quot; Gemini shuddered, creeping ahead to the next dark corner with her wand readied. As she peered around it, she covered her own mouth to hold back a gasp. Rivers of loslime were flowing out of cracks in the walls, chanting their ghostly chant of &quot;Lossss... Lossss!!&quot; Shadow and Knuckles took pause when they looked as well. &quot;Something&#039;s got the Lost Ones jittery...&quot; Shadow realized. &quot;Hasn&#039;t Bucky bothered to get an exterminator in here for these things YET!?&quot; Knuckles growled. Gemini clutched her wand tightly. &quot;Well, he&#039;s got me here, now! Blastrotall!!&quot; she shouted, frantically firing shots at the loslime in an effort to clear a path! Before long, however, a ball of electricity breezed past her and the others, clearing the path quickly and efficiently! The electricity faded to reveal Metal Sonic! &quot;...Show off!!&quot; Gemini shouted.<br /><br />As they continued searching for a way to the outer decks, they found that the measly loslime were only the beginning of their worries. Lospides, losoars, and flaming loskulls were patrolling the halls as well. They didn&#039;t really have time to contend with them, and certain members of their group were all but useless against certain Lost Ones. Fortunately, they didn&#039;t have to fight through them long, as lasers burst forth from a nearby hallway and drove back some of the creatures! Adam the bat, Evelyn the fox, Cuthburt the alligator and Fred the fennec charged in from the hallway and went to work on the Lost Ones with their futuristic lasers and a little help from Fred&#039;s magic. &quot;Oh, good... Your friends are back, Gemini.&quot; Knuckles sighed. Metal Sonic crossed its arms and looked bored for a moment, then glanced around at the ceiling. &quot;{Directive: Reach Sky Deck. Current Threat Level: Green. Ignore Threat.}&quot; his monitor displayed as he fired up his engines to fly to the roof, feeling around for something. Meanwhile, Fred made his way to Gemini. &quot;Still searching for your false wand? We must retrieve it to avoid damage to... Um... You know.&quot; he said, glancing at Shadow and Knuckles awkwardly. &quot;This ship may just lead me to it.&quot; Gemini said. Fred nodded. &quot;Be cautious... I sense a great evil here...somewhere. If we encounter it, there may be grave consequences.&quot; he warned. Suddenly, Metal Sonic popped open a hatch on the roof of the hall, and lowered a rope ladder leading to the upper deck! &quot;Huh... Seems Metal Sonic&#039;s memories haven&#039;t been completely erased. It still remembers its way around this ship.&quot; Shadow said. &quot;Get goin, you guys!&quot; Adam shouted. &quot;We got things here!&quot; Cuthburt added. &quot;Take care of our Gemini!&quot; shouted Evelyn. They all nodded. &quot;You can count on me!&quot; Charmy declared proudly. Knuckles rolled his eyes. &quot;Yeah, and I&#039;ll watch your back, Charmy...&quot; he said. Metal Sonic led the others to the upper deck, with Gemini hesitating briefly to say a quick goodbye. &quot;...Seems we never can chat for long. Thanks for everything, teacher... And all of you.&quot; she smiled. &quot;We won&#039;t rest until you&#039;re home safe and sound.&quot; Fred nodded. Once they were gone, Fred pulled some small, shiny objects from his pockets, tapping his wand to them to return them to full size. &quot;Hey, I didn&#039;t know you had those!&quot; Cuthburt said. &quot;I found them here... I&#039;m contemplating what to do with them...&quot; Fred murmured.<br /><br />They had now arrived on the &quot;outer deck&quot; of Shadow Arcangel, which was essentially Bucky&#039;s fancy way of telling them to climb on top of the ship while it was in flight. The gun turrets were arranged at opposite ends of the ship, some on each of the ship&#039;s intricately-designed wings. &quot;This dumb ship&#039;s even bigger from above! Looks like we&#039;ll have to split up.&quot; Knuckles grumbled. &quot;The wind currents are already making my wings tired...&quot; Charmy groaned. Suddenly, company joined them. Some robots from Cloud Carnival had flown ahead of the ships, and Despair wasn&#039;t messing around. They&#039;d dug up some E-2000 robots that Eggman had left aboard the ships, painted up like clowns for his carnival. &quot;That paint job on those things...is just disturbing...&quot; Shadow remarked. &quot;Can you talk things over with them, Metal Sonic?&quot; Gemini asked. Metal Sonic stepped back, his programming forbidding him from attacking Eggman&#039;s own robots. &quot;Fine! We got this... Charmy, get me up there!&quot; Knuckles said. The bee nodded, grabbing Knuckles and flitting his wings with all his might to carry him to the robots. &quot;C&#039;mon! I&#039;ve seen you lift Vector!!&quot; he shouted. Meanwhile, Shadow got the E-2000s&#039; attention by throwing Chaos Spears at them. &quot;Come on, jokers! I can take you, even without Rouge and Omega!&quot; he shouted. One of the robots transformed into jet form, firing its powerful laser at Shadow while remaining in this mobile state. The others had their shields turned to Knuckles. &quot;Hey, Charmy... can you manage the thunder shoot?&quot; Knuckles asked. &quot;Too...windy!!&quot; he grunted. &quot;...Fine!&quot; Knuckles jumped into a glide and caught one of the robot&#039;s shields. Surprised, it started trying to shake him off, while the other aimed its laser. Once fired, the laser blasted the robot Knuckles was clinging to, while he calmly jumped off of it! Then, Shadow warped behind the other robot. &quot;Even dumber than I remember!&quot; he said, bashing it to pieces with a well-aimed spin attack! He&#039;d also dealt with the third robot, so it seemed they had a chance to take a breather. &quot;Impressive... Your soul will do nicely...!!&quot; a raspy voice rang out, startling them. &quot;Watch out, guys!!&quot; Vector climbed out from the hatch they&#039;d used to get outside, but it was a bit late. A massive mass of slime started to emerge from another hatch not too far away!<br /><br />The huge mass of slime reared up like a snake, revealing a man&#039;s face acting as its &quot;head.&quot; It spoke with the voice of Nevin Crimm. &quot;I... have waited... in the shadows... much too long!! The time has come... for me to devour the final soul... that I might be complete!!&quot; he hissed. Gemini stared in abject horror. &quot;You... you&#039;re Losipher!! Only, not at your full power yet...&quot; she stammered. The creature sneered at her. &quot;How... do you know... of me? Never mind... I come for... the soul... of the dark hedgehog...&quot; Losipher growled. Shadow stared defiantly at him. &quot;Me? ...That&#039;s a big mistake!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Just to be clear, NO interest in my soul?&quot; Knuckles asked, prompting Gemini and Charmy to stare at him. &quot;...What? Don&#039;t tell me none of you were thinking the same thing!&quot; he said. &quot;I kinda was.&quot; Vector admitted. &quot;Silence! All of your souls... Will be mine... When this is over! Prepare to feel true sorrow!!&quot; Losipher roared. They all took cover as the snake-like demon spit a big glob of slime at them. &quot;Grooooss!!&quot; Charmy whined, but it was about to get worse. The glob of slime started to writhe, forming a swarm of mini-Losipher snakes! Gemini just started zapping them frantically with her wand. &quot;Sick! Disgusting! Vile! Evil!! I... HATE... YOU... LOSIPHER!!&quot; she shrieked, filling Knuckles with a bit of concern. &quot;Personal, much?&quot; he said, glancing at Shadow, Vector and Metal Sonic, &quot;Let&#039;s get this monster out of our way quickly, then!&quot; he said. Losipher chuckled at them. &quot;You fools! You have no idea of the terror that awaits you...&quot; he said, the raspiness seeming to leave his voice. Losipher sunk down, his body becoming a vast puddle with his face in the center. &quot;What&#039;s he... doing?&quot; Vector wondered. Suddenly, dozens of slimy tentacles rose up from the puddle and seized Shadow, Vector and Knuckles! &quot;Gaaah!! It&#039;s the day of the octo-monster!!&quot; Charmy wailed, dropping to the floor and huddling in a corner, terrified. While the others were struggling in Losipher&#039;s grip, Gemini and Metal Sonic were busy battling the mini-Losiphers. &quot;{Threat level: Hedgehog blue! Sending S.O.S.}&quot; Metal Sonic&#039;s monitor displayed as the creatures started to overwhelm him!<br /><br />Vector squirmed in Losipher&#039;s grip, and tried blowing bubbles of his gum to see if that would have any effect, but Losipher didn&#039;t care about it. He was trying to draw Shadow into his waiting maw, devouring him along with his soul, but Shadow wouldn&#039;t come quietly. He fired Chaos Spears at the creature&#039;s face, which did seem to annoy him, but it wasn&#039;t doing more than delay Losipher. Knuckles was struggling the most. He had no extraordinary power, only his physical strength, and this was little use against a being like Losipher. What he DID have was the Shovel Claws, which he&#039;d been carrying around on the off-chance he&#039;d need to dig up any kind of treasure during the battles with Despair. He struggled to pull them out, and equipping them, slashed through Losipher&#039;s tentacle, freeing himself! &quot;Ha! There&#039;s the problem with making everything out of slime!&quot; he said, gliding off toward Vector. Losipher glared at him and fired a powerful beam from his mouth in the echidna&#039;s direction! &quot;Yaaaaah!!&quot; Knuckles had to change his course quickly to avoid the beam, and cut Vector&#039;s tentacle from a bit lower than he&#039;d planned, but Vector floated down to the ship&#039;s deck with one of his big gum bubbles, giving Knuckles a thumbs up as he passed. &quot;That is some weird gum...&quot; Knuckles mumbled. At this point, Shadow got fed up with Losipher. &quot;Chaos BLAST!!&quot; he shouted, blasting right through the tentacle to secure his escape! The trio then joined Gemini and Metal Sonic, quickly taking out the mini-Losiphers while the real one reared up like a snake again. &quot;Fine... I&#039;ll just kill you pathetic fools, then...&quot; he hissed. However, before he could strike, a massive beam of energy struck him from behind, startling him and making him retreat back down into the hatch from whence he came! &quot;This... isn&#039;t over!!&quot; the creature gasped. &quot;What in... What got Losipher!?&quot; Gemini gasped. Metal Sonic pointed up as Dr. Eggman floated down in his Egg Mobile! &quot;Well, that was a close one, wasn&#039;t it?&quot; he grinned. A device was attached to the front of his ship, with slots holding a collection of Chaos Emeralds. Five emeralds in fact, including three that Knuckles recognized. &quot;Hey... those are the Chaos Emeralds I tracked down at Pumpkin Hill!! How do you have those!?&quot; he shouted. With a mischievous grin on his face, the group once again found themselves wondering if Eggman was in fact up to his old tricks after all...<br /><br /><br />Chapter 38 - Rage of the Deathbringer<br />Stage 21(Hero 11) - Shadow Arcangel<br />Boss 21 - The Deathbringer<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />Knuckles stared up at Eggman suspiciously. &quot;I found those Emeralds, but then that crazy griffin came out of nowhere and stole them. Where&#039;d you get them!?&quot; he repeated, as though for the benefit of someone just tuning in. Eggman leaned against the control panel of his Egg Mobile, tenting his fingers. &quot;Where INDEED...... Oh, fine, I borrowed them from Bucky. They were just lying around. Someone should put &#039;em to use.&quot; he explained. Knuckles, Vector and Shadow stood shaking their heads, each looking quite displeased and distrustful. &quot;What!? J-just so we can get out of this mess! I give you my solemn vow that I will return the emeralds just as soon as I retrieve my fleet! C&#039;mon, all I got here is an Egg Mobile!&quot; he stammered. Charmy flitted over beside Vector. &quot;Yeah, we heard your promises before! What happened to our money from that job you tricked us into doing!?&quot; he snapped. &quot;Check&#039;s in the mail! The postal service hates me!&quot; Eggman growled. Gemini rolled her eyes. &quot;We&#039;re wasting time. Meanwhile that fleet is closing in on us and LOSIPHER is loose on the ship!&quot; she pointed out. Shadow nodded. &quot;We&#039;d better split up to get to those turrets before we start getting shot at.&quot; he reasoned. Knuckles shrugged. &quot;Fine. C&#039;mon Vector. Charmy.&quot; he said, heading off with the bulk of Team Chaotix. Shadow turned to Metal Sonic. &quot;Come if you want... I&#039;d like to keep my eye on you...&quot; he said. &quot;{Mission: Surveille Shadow. Warning: Eggman forces now hostile.}&quot; flashed briefly on Metal Sonic&#039;s monitor. &quot;I&#039;ll... proceed alone... then...&quot; Eggman said awkwardly, &quot;So nice having FRIENDS! GO TEAM!&quot; he added as the others walked off in opposite directions. He smirked to himself and headed for the front of the ship. Moments later, a winged being landed where the groups had been moments before. It was the Deathbringer. &quot;The other echidna IS here... The Doomsayer was right!&quot; it murmured, surveying the area. &quot;What exactly is going on? ...Already the Doomsayer&#039;s vagueness has made things difficult for me... I must tread carefully or risk triggering events more dire than I hope to prevent...&quot; it said, taking to the sky.<br /><br /><br />Knuckles, Charmy and Vector made their way along one of the ship&#039;s wings, careful not to fall, as the wings really had not been designed to be walked on. &quot;Who built this crazy ship, a gang of sadistic fairies??&quot; Knuckles growled. &quot;That&#039;d explain why Charmy&#039;s having an easier time heading for the turret than us...&quot; Vector said. The poor footing was going to be a problem, as more of Eggman&#039;s robots flew ahead from Cloud Carnival! Knuckles recognized the familiar design of the Cop Speeder robots, only their cars were designed more like bumper cars. &quot;Eggman sure went all-in with this carnival theme, huh?&quot; he muttered, weaving to avoid the speeders as they tried to ram him! &quot;I&#039;ll get &#039;em!&quot; Charmy said, flying after the robots, but finding them too fast for him to catch. Knuckles and Vector braced themselves as the robots came at them again, but then they stopped short! &quot;...Huh??&quot; Knuckles mumbled. Talon the griffin came flapping over, holding his hand out to the robots. &quot;I&#039;ve got them!&quot; he said, flicking his wrist before the robots went soaring away! He then landed ahead of them, walking to the gun turret in front of them. &quot;Uh... Thanks, but... WHO&#039;S SIDE ARE YOU ON!?&quot; Knuckles shouted. Talon stopped at the turret and turned around. &quot;...Bucky&#039;s side. Sorry about before, by the way. We really didn&#039;t want Eggman OR Despair to have the Chaos Emeralds... Just didn&#039;t seem like a good idea.&quot; he said. Knuckles nodded. &quot;So... You were spying on me? Well... You&#039;re just lucky it all worked out...sorta.&quot; he said. &quot;Bucky had us spying on everyone... He likes to know what&#039;s going on, I guess.&quot; Talon shrugged. &quot;...A normal person watches the news!&quot; Vector grumbled. &quot;You&#039;re one to talk, detective!&quot; Talon said wryly, turning to the turret, &quot;I&#039;ll handle this one. You guys... head for more stable ground.&quot; he suggested. &quot;You got a deal!&quot; Knuckles sighed, turning back. &quot;What!? We&#039;re letting him off that easy!? But we totally had those robots until HE showed us up!!&quot; Charmy babbled as they walked off. Once their backs were turned, Carrie appeared next to Talon. &quot;Sure you know how to work this thing?&quot; she asked. &quot;Um... No. Hehe...&quot; he chuckled.<br /><br /><br />Shadow, Gemini and Metal Sonic were crossing the ship&#039;s other wing, joined by Espio, who had turned over the ship&#039;s controls to Spiny. This group was a bit more sure-footed than Knuckles and Vector, which was a good thing, since a hot air balloon from Cloud Carnival had brought brightly painted Egg Pawns and Motobugs to the ship to do battle with them. While they were occupied battling the robots, Lucky the cat was sneaking around from the rear, looking for an opening to join the struggle himself. He crept close to a Motobug, making a fist. &quot;Dumb robot! Take this!&quot; he growled, punching it hard, only to squeal in pain and jump up and down shaking his injured hand. &quot;Meee-yow!! That armor&#039;s hard!!&quot; he yelled. Shadow noticed what was happening and jumped to the Motobug, kicking it aside with ease. &quot;Go back inside, kid! You&#039;ll only be in the way!&quot; he shouted, returning his attention to the remaining robots. &quot;But I...&quot; Lucky stammered. Gemini appeared in front of him and erected a magical shield, blocking a flurry of lasers from the Egg Pawns across from them. &quot;I&#039;m afraid Shadow&#039;s right! Not all of us are cut out to be fighters.&quot; she said. Metal Sonic tore through the remaining robots in a frenzy of electrified homing attacks, and Lucky realized there really was no place for him among these seasoned battlers. &quot;Fine... I&#039;ll head back... All by myself...&quot; he said sadly. Gemini watched him go and frowned. &quot;I feel bad. He means well.&quot; she said. &quot;That won&#039;t mean a thing when he&#039;s dead.&quot; Shadow said sternly. Espio hurried ahead to the gun turret and looked it over. &quot;I think I can figure this thing out... Can&#039;t be harder than the ship itself. You can all look for the remaining turrets.&quot; he said. Shadow nodded. &quot;You&#039;ve got the map in your head. Lead the way, Metal Sonic.&quot; he requested. As they continued on their way, they were unaware that Lucky was in fact still trailing them, using the strange metallic &quot;torches&quot; erected all over the ship to hide as he followed them. &quot;...I can&#039;t stay cooped up in my room anymore. I need to do SOMETHING... Even if I&#039;m not a fighter...&quot; he said to himself.<br /><br />Knuckles, Shadow, Gemini, Vector, Charmy and Metal Sonic all met up as they arrived at the forward gun turrets, where they found Dr. Eggman busy working on &quot;automating&quot; them. &quot;Are those guns going to be ready before your fleet starts firing on us?&quot; Knuckles asked. &quot;Patience! Genius takes time! Anyway, if you got someone manning the other turrets, they oughta hold us for now.&quot; Eggman said. Metal Sonic stepped over to assist Eggman, leaving the others to watch the fleet ominously gaining on them. &quot;This better work... I don&#039;t wanna be in a big-flying-ship crash! ...again!&quot; Charmy said. Suddenly, the Deathbringer dropped down among the group, spinning and kicking several of them aside so that it was left standing face to face with Knuckles! &quot;What in the... Doomsayer??&quot; Knuckles stammered. &quot;Far worse. I am the Deathbringer! Knuckles the echidna... Your presence on this vessel is an ominous sign. It heralds a tragedy that I refuse to allow!&quot; it shouted. Knuckles looked at the Deathbringer awkwardly. &quot;Um... Okaaay... Thanks for the heads-up. I definitely don&#039;t want to be causing any tragedies... Got any other details for me?&quot; he asked. &quot;Chaos Control!!&quot; Shadow moved quickly, pulling Knuckles out of the path of the killing blast that the Deathbringer launched at the unsuspecting echidna! &quot;The Deathbringer doesn&#039;t talk!&quot; he warned. &quot;Yeah... seems like it.&quot; Knuckles realized. &quot;You just... tried to kill him!!&quot; Gemini gasped. Eggman grinned mischievously from his work at the turrets. &quot;Isn&#039;t this an interesting turn of events...&quot; he thought. The Deathbringer flapped up above the group and pointed at Knuckles. &quot;I am here to end his life. No one else need be harmed... But if you get in my way, you will pay the price! To alter the future, great costs must be paid. Now, prepare to pay that price!&quot; it shouted.<br /><br />Shadow stood between the Deathbringer and Knuckles. &quot;...You&#039;ve killed enough people. It&#039;s time you answered for it! And you&#039;re going to give me a few answers while you&#039;re at it!&quot; he shouted. The Deathbringer seemed unmoved by his words. &quot;You are a nuisance, Ultimate Life Form. You should learn to stay out of matters that don&#039;t concern you.&quot; it said. Knuckles raised his fists. &quot;Whatever! I&#039;ll take you on with or without Shadow! Just come down from there and face me!&quot; he yelled. The Deathbringer swooped down, forcing Shadow and Knuckles into action! Vector, Charmy and Gemini were about ready to step in as well, when Lospecter floated in front of them. &quot;So, it&#039;s you! You&#039;ve become a real pesky witch, fennec! Now Losipher&#039;s mopier than usual, and it&#039;s... well, maybe not ALL your fault, but I&#039;m blaming you!&quot; he growled. &quot;What&#039;s Losipher even doing here!?&quot; Gemini shouted. Lospecter crossed his arms. &quot;What? How &#039;bout what are YOU doing here! I can stash my secret weapon wherever I want!&quot; he snarled, &quot;And your tone is getting on my nerves now. I&#039;m not even gonna waste cards on you. You shouldn&#039;t have barged aboard here!&quot; he said, snapping his ghostly fingers. Lospirits rose up through the floor, their ghostly bodies able to pass right through it! &quot;Hmm... The more solid guys might be a while... Maybe one card will help us pass the time.&quot; Lospecter said, drawing from his deck, and then using his card to zap the lospirits with lightning, electrifying them! &quot;...That doesn&#039;t quite seem fair...&quot; Vector muttered. &quot;They&#039;re all yours, big guy!&quot; Charmy grinned, pushing him forward. &quot;Gee, thanks...&quot; he muttered. Metal Sonic glanced over, observing the struggles unfolding. &quot;{Threat level: Indigo. Action advised...}&quot; his monitor read. Eggman noticed this and knocked on his metallic head. &quot;We&#039;re not the target of those creatures. Stay focused! If this situation is to work out in my favor, timing is key!&quot; he said. Charmy and Vector worked fast on &quot;Plan A&quot; of battling the Lost Ones. Charmy was bashing a drum, while Vector got out a microphone and started belting his particular brand of &quot;music.&quot; Lospecter held his head, but the lospirits just stared at him. &quot;...I knew this wouldn&#039;t work without Espio...&quot; he grumbled.<br /><br />Shadow circled around the Deathbringer, hitting it with Chaos Spears in an effort to slow the creature down. It stayed airborn, evading some of the spears, but keeping most of its focus on Knuckles. &quot;Your friend is of little consequence to me! I will not fail to eliminate you!&quot; it shouted. Knuckles evaded a few of the Deathbringer&#039;s killing blasts, but with the dark being flying out of reach and seeming unfazed by Shadow&#039;s attacks, this felt more like an execution than a fight. Fortunately, they still had one ally that wasn&#039;t otherwise occupied. Fred the fennec warped onto the scene, holding some glittering objects in his hands. &quot;I had a feeling you all would be in trouble long about now. Knuckles! Catch these!&quot; he said, tossing the objects to the red echidna. Knuckles dove to catch the objects, while Shadow warped in front of him to block the Deathbringer&#039;s shot. &quot;You can try those blasts on me... If you think I can be killed so easily!&quot; he growled. Knuckles examined what he&#039;d caught and gasped. &quot;These are... the Chaos Gauntlets!! How...?&quot; he muttered. &quot;I found them aboard the ship before Eggman could. You must use their power now!&quot; Fred said, warping back below the deck. Knuckles had a look of uncertainty as he slipped them on over his gloves. &quot;I guess they can&#039;t be worse than those playing cards...&quot; he said. The Deathbringer blasted Shadow aside, leaving him injured and weak. &quot;No more interference! Prepare for your end!&quot; it yelled. As a killing bolt tore toward Knuckles, he acted on instinct, and slammed his gauntlet-armored fist straight into it! The bolt bounced right back, forcing the Deathbringer to dodge its own attack! &quot;You... DARE!?&quot; it growled. &quot;That was pretty sweet! Let&#039;s see if these things can do anything else...&quot; Knuckles smirked. He charged at the Deathbringer, swatting aside the creature&#039;s blasts as he approached, and when he was close he hurled a punch in its general direction! A surge of energy came from the Chaos Gauntlet, and it sent his punch soaring into the air as a projectile of light! The Deathbringer was knocked back, but more angered than injured. &quot;Let&#039;s see you take... THIS!!!&quot; it roared, unloading a frenzy of blasts straight at Knuckles!<br /><br />Using the Chaos Gauntlets as shields, Knuckles survived the onslaught, but was knocked around the roof as the Deathbringer&#039;s furious assault followed him! He finally landed at a computer console near where Eggman had been working, just as the Deathbringer stopped to take a breather. Eggman had retreated a bit to avoid being caught in the blasts, even hopping into his Egg Mobile. &quot;Whew... Knuckles, while you&#039;re down there, be a dear and push that flashing button, will you?&quot; he asked, wiping some sweat from his brow. Knuckles glanced at the computer console briefly. &quot;Well... if it&#039;ll start the guns up, couldn&#039;t hurt...&quot; he said, pushing the button quickly. The Deathbringer was about to launch another attack on Knuckles, when it found itself jolted by lightning from behind! &quot;If you are here to bring death... Get OFF my ship!!&quot; growled Bucky, glaring at the Deathbringer as the weapon systems whirred to life. Eggman started chuckling softly, which soon crescendoed into triumphant laughter as the guns turned around and fired upon Lospecter and the Deathbringer, startling them into retreating! Lospecter dove down into the ship, while the Deathbringer flew up out of range. However, the guns didn&#039;t follow it, they stayed trained on Knuckles, Gemini, Vector, Charmy and Bucky. &quot;Thanks for giving me access to your weapon systems! And coming out here, too! Now I can hold all of you hostage!&quot; Eggman sneered. Bucky crossed his arms. &quot;Really? To what end?&quot; he asked. Eggman pointed at him. &quot;YOU, Dr. Stein! You&#039;re coming on a little trip to Demon Island with me, along with these Chaos Emeralds! I can strike a bargain with Despair&#039;s leader, which in turn could prove most beneficial to me...&quot; he said. Bucky nodded. &quot;That story about your ships was a ruse, of course. But what makes you think I&#039;ll just go with you? You don&#039;t have THAT much of an advantage...&quot; he said. Metal Sonic then emerged from behind Bucky, forcing Lucky into the line of fire! &quot;Ouch! Owww! Stop that!&quot; the cat grumbled. &quot;You place a bit more value on your experiments than you do on Shadow and Knuckles, don&#039;t you?&quot; Eggman sneered. Bucky had a look of hopelessness on his face. &quot;You... you wouldn&#039;t...&quot; he stammered. Eggman grinned. &quot;The guns are in Metal Sonic&#039;s control. I give the order, and your experiment count drops...maybe to a more manageable number!&quot; he said. &quot;I... discussed creating a cat... with Hope... she would have thought of him as a son... I can&#039;t let him die...!&quot; Bucky stammered, stepping forward with his hands up. The Deathbringer seemed enraged by this turn of events, and fired a blast at the Egg Mobile, only to find it shielded with the power of the five Chaos Emeralds! &quot;Ha! I don&#039;t care how strong you are, you&#039;re no match for five emeralds! All aboard, Bucky!&quot; Eggman said, taking Bucky and Metal Sonic aboard his Egg Mobile before beginning his escape from the Arcangel. &quot;...Eggman!!!&quot; Knuckles shouted, &quot;You made me press that button, but I will NOT be defined by your tricks!! You hear me!!&quot; he yelled. &quot;Go ahead and keep the gauntlets! Knowing where they are might prove useful to me later!&quot; Eggman shouted back, laughing.<br /><br />The Deathbringer stood on the ship, seeming distant. Gemini was busy casting healing magic on Shadow, despite his protests of not needing it, and Espio joined Charmy and Vector, discussing what they should do with their client captured. Lucky sat nearby, moping. Knuckles had taken off the Chaos Gauntlets and was staring at them, feeling somewhat useless. Suddenly, rain pelted the Arcangel, and the Doomsayer stepped to the group. The Deathbringer spun around, clenching its fists. &quot;Your vagueness cost me time! If you had informed me better from the start, I could have prevented things before they progressed this far!!&quot; it yelled. The Doomsayer stared blankly. &quot;Do not presume yourself more special than the fox or the echidna just because you wear a black robe. You receive no more prophecy than I choose to unveil.&quot; he stated. &quot;Some prophecy you gave me! I had what, all of two minutes to prepare!!&quot; Knuckles complained. &quot;My warning was only of the end of the world.&quot; the Doomsayer hissed, &quot;It is nearer than ever now. Should the Agents of Despair complete their dark designs... NONE SHALL SURVIVE!!!&quot; With strikes of lightning, the Doomsayer vanished, along with the Deathbringer. Shadow climbed to his feet unsteadily. &quot;You heard him. We&#039;ve got to get to their island... and catch the doctor while we&#039;re at it.&quot; he said. Vector nodded. &quot;C&#039;mon, boys! Let&#039;s get this ship on course!&quot; he said, leading Espio and Charmy away. Knuckles tucked the Chaos Gauntlets under his arm and followed after them. &quot;I guess... we&#039;re in command of Shadow Arcangel. Let&#039;s hope Spiny takes that well.&quot; he muttered. It was finally time to take the fight to the Covenant of Despair, but while they seemingly held all the cards, would there be any way to stop them?<br /><br /><br />Chapter 39 - The Depths of Despair<br />Stage 22(Dark 11) - Despair Depths<br />Minor Boss 18 - Illusi<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br />The story thus far:<br />Kosmo, Copter, Punchy and others journeyed to the Hidden Ruins beneath Station Square, hoping to rescue Rainbow and stop the Covenant of Despair&#039;s scheme. Unfortunately, Ridley had turned to Despair&#039;s side, and bought the Darkseeker enough time to open the door to the Chaos Crystal, the &quot;controller&quot; of the Chaos Relics that Rainbow was meant to be guarding.<br />As Demon Island hangs ominously over Station Square, Knuckles joined Bucky aboard Shadow Arcangel and attempted to defend the ship with the help of Dr. Eggman. However, it all proved to be a trap set by Eggman so he could steal the 5 Chaos Emeralds Bucky had collected, as well as Bucky himself, all as bargaining chips to deal with Despair!<br />Next, all heroes must make their stand on Demon Island!<br />Now, on to the next chapter!<br /><br /><br />Demon Island was well defended. Dr. Eggman had bordered the island with his Cloud Carnival fleet, and that was the least of it. Dr. Nammad had been planning to go over to Despair&#039;s side for some time, and he&#039;d sabotaged several GUN Warships during his time in Central City, so now he could call them to the island via remote, and add them to the blockade. Arriving to meet this mighty wall of battleships was a small, blue biplane. The Tornado, piloted by Tails, was occupied by SPOT, with Sonic and Amy standing atop the wings. Eggman observed their approach from his Egg Mobile. &quot;Hehe... Blow them out of the sky!!&quot; he called to his fleet. A torrent of bullets came at the Tornado, but then, these shots were blown aside by Chaos Whirlwind! Copter arrived, piloting the Hurricane, with Punchy, Rainbow and Heather holding on to the wings for dear life. Hoover&#039;s voice came over the plane&#039;s radio. &quot;Uh... Copter... Yer not doin&#039; anything reckless wit mah baby... Right?&quot; he stammered. Copter chuckled nervously as the Tornado and the Hurricane dodged and weaved their way toward the blockade. Bringing up the rear was Mia&#039;s flying Taxicab, which was a bit crowded with people wanting a ride to Demon Island. Razor, Silver, Cream, Cheese and Illusi were all squeezed into the cab. &quot;Nobody sneeze, or I might spin outta control...&quot; Mia grumbled. The GUN Warships started joining Eggman&#039;s fleet in shooting at them, but a great, purple eagle flew past their radar, tearing at their gun turrets one by one! &quot;Kosmo made it through! Never thought I&#039;d be glad to see him...&quot; Amy sighed. Rouge and Guard flew over to some of the other warships and joined the assault, but their efforts weren&#039;t doing much good, even with Tails and Copter attempting to shoot back with their planes. Fortunately, more help arrived quickly. Shadow Arcangel once again blotted out the sun over Station Square, but this time, it was under Chaotix control. &quot;Everybody in position? Aim and fire!!&quot; Vector shouted, prompting Shadow, Knuckles and Gemini to fire the Arcangel&#039;s turrets rapidly, obliterating some of the Cloud Carnival cruisers with ease! This wasn&#039;t all, either! A massive, blue GUN Warship made its way to the battle from the direction of Central City. &quot;Steal our Warships, will you!!?&quot; Col. Gunner roared over a loudspeaker, &quot;Well, face the wrath of the GUN Assault Carrier, then! YOU FREAKS ARE FINISHED!!&quot; Dozens of fighter planes launched from the Assault Carrier, turning the skies above Station Square into a real warzone. &quot;Well... I think they have their hands full. Let&#039;s land on the island!&quot; Punchy suggested. &quot;GET US OUTTA HERE!!!&quot; Razor pleaded to Mia, seeing that she was driving the only vehicle without weapons. The heroes gradually slipped their way past the blockade, leaving Eggman to contend with Gunner for the time being.<br /><br />Demon Island was being heavily guarded by this time. Every agent of the Covenant of Despair had been pulled out of the field and posted as guards everywhere. The vehicles had to be hidden in the forested area around the edge of the island. While Sonic, Copter, Razor and the others took a moment to rest from their trip, they watched Shadow Arcangel attempt to land on the island as well, while any Despair agents patrolling the area under it fled for dear life! In the shadows, a certain trio was also watching Shadow Arc&#039;s landing. &quot;Ssssuch a clumsssy landing... The massster isss not in command.&quot; Vortex realized. &quot;Um... What does that mean?&quot; Crash gulped. Knuckles and Shadow exited the Arcangel and joined Sonic, Tails, Team Rose, Copter, Punchy and Kosmo. Rouge and Omega greeted Shadow as well. &quot;How exactly did YOU get here, Omega? You don&#039;t fit on any of those planes.&quot; Shadow realized. &quot;I procured transport with Col. Gunner.&quot; the robot explained. Tails addressed the group urgently. &quot;According to SPOT, there are enemy forces ALL OVER this island. Eggman&#039;s thrown his robots into the mix as well.&quot; he said. &quot;Yeah, his fleet was kind of a dead giveaway that there&#039;d be robots here.&quot; Copter pointed out. &quot;Well, they&#039;ve got all the advantages for now... So the best thing to do is probably to split up.&quot; Sonic suggested. Knuckles nodded. &quot;The ol&#039; divide and conquer. If they&#039;re too fortified in one direction, chances are our other groups will find a way through!&quot; he said. Team GeneX approached them, having overheard enough. &quot;Hey... Why isn&#039;t Bucky part of this party?&quot; Zipp asked. Knuckles and Shadow exchanged glances. &quot;...Eggman took him. No idea why.&quot; Knuckles frowned. While everyone else was making plans to storm Demon Island, Illusi had snuck away, and found Fera waiting at the edge of the road to Despair Castle. &quot;The Sonic Heroes are on your doorstep, along with some furious GeneX Experiments. But it&#039;s not yet too late... You must return the Chaos Key to me.&quot; he urged her. Fera scoffed. &quot;...You&#039;re wrong, old rodent... It IS too late. Nothing can stop the Covenant of Despair now. You would do well to leave, while you can!&quot; she said, warping away with her dark magic. &quot;...I will do what I must...&quot; Illusi sighed.<br /><br />Punchy started exploring the island on his own. &quot;According to Tails, the Master Emerald is here somewhere. I can make things right and nab the emerald to boot, but... Can I do it without slipping into darkness again?&quot; he sighed, &quot;Just in case, I should stay away from everyone. Rainbow, especially.&quot; Suddenly, a familiar bright light passed in front of him, hovering in the air! &quot;Huh!? What&#039;s with that... weird ball of light...? Hey, I&#039;ve seen it before!&quot; Punchy gasped, watching as it hovered through the air, heading for a cavern hidden in the woods. He started to follow it. &quot;I think... It wants me to go that way...&quot; he muttered. &quot;HEY, ONE!!&quot; Punchy was suddenly startled as Rainbow came running up to him. &quot;Where do you think you&#039;re going without us!?&quot; she shouted. &quot;Wha... Us?&quot; he mumbled, glancing behind her to see Copter and Heather slowly catching up. &quot;We&#039;re all eager to get some payback on the covenant, Punch, but goin&#039; off on your own&#039;s just nuts.&quot; Copter said. &quot;Actually, I have mixed feelings. They brought me back to life, but they&#039;re hurting what few friends I have. It&#039;s crazy.&quot; Heather sighed. &quot;Obviously, they wanted to use you for something. Like they used Rainbow and her sister.&quot; Copter reasoned. Punchy sighed and pointed into the cave. &quot;Hey, look! I found something!&quot; he interrupted. They peered into the dark cavern, but noticed there were faint lights here and there. &quot;Creepy... Could be a secret entrance to their base?&quot; Rainbow said thoughtfully. &quot;Well, everyone else is gonna check around outside, so let&#039;s try in here.&quot; Punchy suggested. &quot;Right! Hang on, Viola! Follow me, everyone!&quot; Rainbow said valiantly. As they headed into the cavern, SPOT crept along behind them, its nose to the ground almost like a real dog. &quot;...Chaos Emerald detected... Plotting course to retrieve Chaos Emerald.&quot; flashed on its monitor. After a moment, SPOT started into the cavern. The robo-puppy wasn&#039;t the only unexpected guest that had found the cave, either. Zipp poked his head out of the bushes, pressing a button on his helmet to speak to his teammates. &quot;Hey, Vortex... I may have found something...&quot; he said.<br /><br />The dark cavern was vast, seeming to tunnel through much of the lower portion of the island. It was also dangerous, full of deep, expansive chasms. Sometimes, the only way across these chasms was to pass a narrow bridge of stone. It was while they were crossing one of these bridges that they saw it. Enemies on the other side, heading their way. &quot;Great... Despair has the cave guarded, too. Well, that figures.&quot; Copter grunted. &quot;Umm... There&#039;s something off about those guys.&quot; Heather noticed. The various Covenant of Despair agents&#039; eyes were glowing red, and their bodies were totally black, as if they were in fact composed of shadows. &quot;Well... You did say this was DEMON Island...&quot; Punchy gulped. They hurried across the bridge as the shadowy figures started to attack them with dark magic! From their position, mounting a counterattack would be difficult. Heather jumped to the front and used her flames to shield them, but this was a temporary solution. Fortunately, they weren&#039;t the first ones to find the cave. A Chao and a hammer bashed a couple of the creatures, and then a barrage of rocks knocked the others down the nearby chasm! Rainbow pushed past Punchy to greet their new allies. &quot;Shiny! Great to see you again!&quot; she smiled. Silver, Amy and Cream, united as Team Rose, had beaten them to the cavern. &quot;We were here first, experiments! We&#039;re gonna take out Despair real quick, and I&#039;ll impress Sonic!&quot; Amy bragged. &quot;Uh... sure... Tell you what, we&#039;ll tag along, and you can take all the credit. We&#039;re mostly in this to rescue Rainbow&#039;s sister.&quot; Copter said. &quot;...Oh...&quot; Amy said awkwardly, a bit ashamed of her selfishness. &quot;Thanks for the help, by the way.&quot; Heather said. Silver nodded. &quot;Those demons... They&#039;re not really Despair agents. They were created from the dark energy collected in the island, which Despair&#039;s mages use. That&#039;s why some of the demons look like them...&quot; he explained. &quot;...Some?&quot; Punchy muttered. &quot;This place is REAL scary...&quot; Cream shuddered. They shrugged it off and kept moving. &quot;Don&#039;t worry, Hoppy. No demons can stop all of us!&quot; Rainbow said cheerfully. <br /><br />Of course, since only &quot;some&quot; of the demons resembled Despair agents, it wouldn&#039;t be long before the group encountered other varieties of the demons. The demons also took the shape of the Beecon drones that Copter and Punchy had faced the last time they were on the island, and some took shapes that were decidedly not of their world. As long as the demons were small, the combined forces of Team Rose, Copter, Punchy and Heather were more than enough to keep them at bay, even with Rainbow essentially unable to defend herself. Soon, however, much larger, lizardlike demons started to appear, and while Silver and Amy were busy battling them on one side of the cave, Copter and Punchy stood between a big, snarling demon and Rainbow. &quot;I got him... Chaos Avalanche!!&quot; Punchy shouted, dropping some stones from the roof directly on the demon&#039;s head! This was not as great an idea as it seemed, because the demon started flailing around dizzily, and knocked the surprised Punchy across the cavern into a distracted Cream! They started to tumble over a chasm, so Copter leapt in after them! &quot;Hold on, guys!!&quot; he shouted in a panic. Rainbow glared at the dizzy demon and pushed it down another chasm. &quot;How do YOU like it!&quot; she shouted before running to the pit that Copter, Punchy and Cream had just fallen into. &quot;O-one!? Please be alive!!&quot; she called, unable to see in the darkness deep below. &quot;We...We&#039;re okay!!&quot; he called back, panting. Copter had managed to slow their fall, but now they were stuck on a much lower level of the cave, with Copter too exhausted to attempt flying back up, much less carry anyone. &quot;There&#039;s a path down here!&quot; Copter called up, &quot;We&#039;ll try to meet up with you guys later!&quot; Rainbow had a look of concern, but Silver kept a serious expression. &quot;The best way to help them for now is to keep ourselves safe. Let&#039;s go...&quot; he reasoned. Partway down the chasm Punchy and the others had just fallen down, there was a hole where a tunnel ended. Vortex and Crash peered down from the hole. &quot;They&#039;ve been sssplit up. That lowersss their chancesss.&quot; Vortex hissed. &quot;What should we do?&quot; Crash wondered. Vortex glanced back the way they came. &quot;...Keep ssssearching. If there&#039;sss any chance thisss cave will lead usss to the massster, we mussst invessstigate it.&quot; he said.<br /><br />It was quiet for a bit after the lizard demons were defeated, so Amy decided to chat with Rainbow. &quot;So... I see you got away after being kidnapped...&quot; she said. &quot;...No, I didn&#039;t.&quot; Rainbow frowned, &quot;They didn&#039;t need me anymore.&quot; Amy looked at the ground for a moment, then put a hand on Rainbow&#039;s shoulder. &quot;I&#039;m sorry... I can&#039;t imagine what you&#039;ve been through.&quot; she said. &quot;I can. Shortly after being brought back from the DEAD, GUN tried to turn me into a doomsday weapon.&quot; Heather grumbled. &quot;...Whaddya want, a medal?&quot; Amy snapped. Silver stopped them suddenly. &quot;More demons... Talk later!&quot; he shouted.<br /><br />Team GeneX was exploring elsewhere. Zipp&#039;s helmet could detect a &quot;strange energy&quot; that manifested when the larger demons were on the move, but they had no means of detecting or evading the smaller demons. Crash was charging ahead, ramming through the demons shaped like Despair agents, while Vortex and Zipp shot at the Beecon demons with Zipp&#039;s guns. &quot;You&#039;re a lousy shot, &#039;Tex!&quot; Zipp complained. &quot;Jussst keep usss away from thossse giantsss.&quot; he hissed. &quot;Do we HAVE to save Bucky? I mean, I bet we&#039;d do fine without him.&quot; Zipp grumbled. Vortex grabbed him by the collar. &quot;Don&#039;t even joke about that...&quot; he snarled. Crash rubbed his head after he finished a charge. &quot;I&#039;m neutral, really... I mean, the boss DID kinda get us into all this by joining up with Despair in the first place, even if it was a covert thing...&quot; he said. Vortex groaned. &quot;Thisss isss why I&#039;m in charge.&quot; he scowled.<br /><br />Punchy led the way in the lower caverns, while Cream walked close to Copter. Cheese had fluttered down to join them, of course, and Cream held him tightly for security when they weren&#039;t battling demons. Copter was a bit uneasy about how close she was keeping to him. &quot;Uhhh... Cream... Could you gimme...some room to breathe?&quot; he mumbled. &quot;Huh?&quot; Cream said, blushing a bit, &quot;It&#039;s just... You remind me so much of Tails... I feel better in this darkness when I&#039;m close to you.&quot; she said. Punchy snickered at this. &quot;Guess you got a girlfriend, Copter. You two sure are cute!&quot; he joked, earning him a tail whip in the back. &quot;Ooof!&quot; Suddenly, they were blinded by a headlight! &quot;Whazzuh!?&quot; Copter gasped. &quot;Tails detected!!&quot; The robotic voice was very familiar to them. &quot;Hey, that&#039;s SPOT!&quot; Cream said, shielding her eyes. The robo-puppy walked over to Copter and sat as though at its master&#039;s feet. Punchy glanced at it, rubbing his chin. &quot;Hey, uh, &#039;Tails&#039;, you don&#039;t suppose that confused bot can fly?&quot; he asked. SPOT hopped into the air, hovering with its jet-paws. &quot;...Looks like we&#039;ve got a way up!&quot; Copter said.<br /><br />Arriving at the upper sections of the cavern again, Punchy and company didn&#039;t get very far before they found the way forward barred by a wall of Wrongos! &quot;Oh dear... That guy from the mountain again...&quot; Cream murmured. &quot;...Illusi?&quot; Copter muttered, looking around for him. The shrew stepped through the wall of Wrongos to meet them. &quot;I let you go to rescue your friend, Dark One... but now I&#039;ll finish what I started!&quot; he declared, rising into the air and taking a pair of Wrongos by their centers, spikes erupting from their circular bodies as he held them! &quot;I&#039;m sick of this, Illusi!! Would you just tell me WHY in the heck you decided to kill me after all that time you spent helping me before!?&quot; Punchy shouted. Illusi looked away from him. &quot;I will not speak of the future I saw... And I will not allow it to come to pass!&quot; he yelled, swaying his hand to cast an illusion that made the surrounding area even darker than it was already. Copter and Cream backed away to see that it was like a dome of darkness, meant to deter them from interfering in the battle. &quot;Uhhh... Hey, SPOT, get any readings on this?&quot; Copter asked. &quot;Specify target.&quot; SPOT&#039;s text replied. &quot;...The BIG wall of BLACKNESS right IN FRONT of us!!&quot; he growled. &quot;...Might I suggest a CAT scan?&quot; SPOT replied. &quot;This is bad... Punchy&#039;s trapped in there...&quot; Cream realized. &quot;Yeah... And I can&#039;t just run in there and leave you alone...&quot; Copter sighed.<br /><br />Punchy rubbed his eyes in the darkness. &quot;The same trick you tried on me when we first met!? Great, but don&#039;t you think I&#039;ve learned a thing or two since then?&quot; he taunted. Illusi hurled one of the spiked Wrongos at him, giving him a painful smack in the chest before it boomeranged back to the shrew. &quot;GAH!! That stings!!&quot; Punchy growled. &quot;This is not a test this time! You will not leave this darkness alive!&quot; Illusi yelled, flipping in midair and tossing both spiked Wrongos! Punchy jumped to the side, knowing that he had to at least move. Illusi exerted control over the Wrongos as they flew, sending them arcing in Punchy&#039;s direction, but they were still creatures, and they kept jabbering Wrongo-speak as they flew. &quot;Chaos Avalanche!&quot; Punchy pulled up some chunks of the ground near him and used them to block, causing the Wrongos&#039; spikes to get stuck in the stone! &quot;Clever... I suppose I&#039;m done toying with you.&quot; Illusi said, splitting off into duplicates of himself as he&#039;d done at Troblusk Plateau. The hands of the duplicates sparked with lightning. &quot;You call yourself &#039;Punchy.&#039; So it is fitting you die by the fist!&quot; his duplicates declared in unison, along with the real Illusi! They charged at him, giving him jolting jabs from their lightning-charged fists. Despite knowing that these were illusions, it didn&#039;t seem to lessen the pain of the assault. &quot;Aaaaarrrgh!! ILLUSI!!&quot; Punchy tried to fight back, blindly throwing his fists about, but he could only see the duplicates just before they went to strike him! If this kept up, he&#039;d be dead in minutes. &quot;Ch-CHAOS...AVALANCHE!!!&quot; Blind to his enemy, and surrounded, Punchy decided to go for a last-ditch attack, pulling a large portion of the ceiling straight down around himself! Rocks started falling all around, crushing the duplicates of Illusi and forcing Copter, Cream and SPOT to fall back from where they were awaiting the outcome of the battle. The dome of darkness started to dissipate, and Illusi stood over a partially buried Punchy. &quot;...You seem much weaker than last time... Yet I fear the darkness remains dormant in you... This must end now!&quot; he said, raising an illusionary blade!<br /><br />&quot;Mousy, STOP!!&quot; The distracted Illusi suddenly found himself socked in the side of the face by Rainbow, of all people. &quot;Back off! ...Oh, no...&quot; he said, noticing that Heather, Silver and Amy were with her, and Copter and Cream were starting toward him as well. &quot;I&#039;ll help you up, One...&quot; Rainbow whimpered, kneeling down to work on digging him out. Illusi glared around at the group surrounding him and sighed in defeat. &quot;You&#039;ll never understand... Very well. I must retrieve what Despair took from me. Then... my odds of completing this task will improve...&quot; he grumbled, pushing past Silver and Heather and stomping off into the darkness. Some clapping was heard in the shadows as Punchy was dug out of the rocks, and Vortex emerged with Zipp and Crash. &quot;Nice work. That noissse brought everyone here.&quot; he said. &quot;What&#039;re YOU doing in here?&quot; Copter grumbled. &quot;Despair doesn&#039;t return our calls since they kidnapped Bucky.&quot; Zipp sighed. &quot;So... You&#039;re saying you&#039;re here to help us? That hasn&#039;t worked out well before... At least with the hornet.&quot; Silver grumbled. &quot;Well, we DID find the door to the castle.&quot; Crash said, &quot;We can take you there, but it&#039;s locked. We need to find a key.&quot; Amy shrugged. &quot;Well, it stinks, but I guess we need your help. Just remember, if you turn on us, Sonic&#039;ll fix you!&quot; Amy warned. &quot;Oh, don&#039;t tempt me! I always wanted to try my hand shootin&#039; speedsters!&quot; Zipp chuckled. Most of them rolled their eyes, and they all started further into the cavern together. Punchy limped at the back, needing to take it easy for a bit. &quot;You just relax, One. We&#039;ll watch out for ya until you&#039;re rested up.&quot; Rainbow said before rushing up to the front of the group as always. Once no one was looking, Punchy&#039;s fur flickered black for a few instants, and Punchy grunted as he forced himself back to normal. &quot;What... What was that...? All the dark energy... In this cave... I feel it doing something... to me...&quot; he thought, &quot;Dark Punchy... He&#039;s coming back! I&#039;m gonna have to be careful, or everyone here is gonna be in serious danger!&quot; <br /><br /><br />Chapter 40 - Illusi&#039;s Despair<br />Stage 22(Dark 11) - Despair Depths<br />Boss 22 - Fera<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and <br />Sonic Team. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />Their rather large group had come to another narrow stone bridge spanning a chasm. Worried that too much weight might cause the bridge to collapse, they decided to cross two at a time. While Punchy waited his turn, that familiar orb of light passed in front of him again. &quot;Huh?? ...Well, I guess I got time...&quot; he mumbled as the world went white. When his eyes readjusted, he was in front of the Master Emerald shrine, sitting in the water surrounding it. &quot;...Why am I wet?&quot; he grumbled, looking around. There were Chao huddled around him, looking frightened. &quot;Huh...? What&#039;re they hiding from?&quot; He then heard a loud crash, and Shadow Chaos splattered against the steps of the altar! Howler was coming toward the creature. He wore the Chaos Tailbands on his tails, the Chaos Boots on his feet, and brandished the Chaos Sword. &quot;My collection of Chaos Relics already makes me more powerful than any being who walks this world! Stay down, slime creature!&quot; he warned. Tikal, Radia and Athair were following behind him. &quot;...He has power-lust... Do not give him any more relics.&quot; Radia warned. &quot;...Do you honestly believe we could stop him?&quot; Athair whimpered. Shadow Chaos slithered down the steps, and reformed in front of the Chao, blocking them. Tikal&#039;s eyes went wide. &quot;Shadow Chaos... He only wishes to protect the Chao, as Chaos did! When he couldn&#039;t find them, he raged... Now all he wishes is to ease Chaos&#039;s sorrow by protecting them for the part of him that is sealed in this emerald!&quot; she said, clutching the Master Emerald tightly. Howler came up to Shadow Chaos with incredible speed and slashed him with the Chaos Sword! &quot;I... am the god... now!!&quot; he growled. As Punchy watched in astonishment, everything started to go white again, and he found that Copter, Rainbow and SPOT were the only ones left beside him. &quot;...Looks like you haven&#039;t recovered yet, One...&quot; Rainbow sighed. &quot;Huh... I&#039;m okay now...&quot; Punchy grunted. Copter groaned. &quot;Well, everyone left without us. We&#039;d better move before the demons in here start swarming us.&quot; he said. Punchy nodded, and they started crossing the bridge together.<br /><br /><br />Beyond the bridge, there were three pathways. Since they needed to find the key, the groups each ended up taking a different path. Amy, Cream and Silver took a long, maze-like path that was riddled with deep holes. Fortunately, Cream and Silver could fly to a degree, enabling Amy to walk on the limited paths, when the paths became limited. Unfortunately, the demons born of dark energy were also wandering this area. These demons were more on the demonic side, and were clawed, snarling giants that otherwise didn&#039;t much look like anything of the Earth. Cream was even too nervous to send Cheese after these creatures, so she backed behind Amy and clutched the Chao tightly. &quot;Why did I listen to you and go in the cave!?&quot; she wailed. Amy tried to wallop one of the demons with her hammer, but it simply grabbed it out of her hands! Fortunately, she always had another on her person, but now she was getting unnerved as well. &quot;They just seem to get stronger the deeper in we go!&quot; she yelped. Silver wrenched the hammer out of the demon&#039;s grip with his psychokinesis, and walloped it over the head with it. &quot;Stay strong... I&#039;ll get us through this...&quot; he stammered. Suddenly, a bright red light lit up the cave, drawing the demons&#039; attention! A few gunshots stunned the startled beasts, and then a crazed feline rammed one, sending it tumbling into the others and dragging them all over a nearby ledge! &quot;I&#039;m... sick... of monsters!!&quot; shouted Mia, who obviously had her share of run-ins with the demons to get this far into the cave. The red light, which was a flare, soon subsided, and Razor the porcupine stepped out of the shadows to greet Team Rose. &quot;We figured the cave entrance might be safer than trying to breach the castle directly. Boy, were we ever wrong. Now I&#039;m outta flares.&quot; he said. Silver stared at them. &quot;Shouldn&#039;t you have run out screaming at the first sign of demons??&quot; he stammered. &quot;Nah, I&#039;ve driven through Central City at rush hour.&quot; Mia shrugged. Amy nodded. &quot;Right... Have you seen a key lying around?&quot; she asked. They shook their heads. &quot;Oh well... At least we can work together from here.&quot; Cream sighed.<br /><br /><br />Copter, Punchy and Rainbow were following SPOT&#039;s radar through the cavern. It was detecting something, and they wondered if somehow it was able to detect the key. Before long, however, they found some actual guards posted in the cave, led by Corky the frog. &quot;Gah! It&#039;s dat blighted echidna dame agin! Come ta yoink my tongue an&#039; hold it fer ransom!! Slit &#039;er throat and see how humorous she is then, boys!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Hostiles detected!&quot; SPOT said in a robotic voice. &quot;Gee, you think?&quot; Copter grumbled, running ahead to start bashing Despair agents with his tails. Punchy picked up SPOT and placed him in front of Rainbow. &quot;Protect her, or I&#039;ll smash ya.&quot; he warned. Before he could turn around, Corky&#039;s tongue grabbed his wrist. &quot;Hah! &#039;Ow I oght aah!!&quot; he said with his mouth open. Punchy&#039;s fur flickered black, and his eyes flickered red. &quot;Get your filthy tongue off me...&quot; he snarled. &quot;Um... One?&quot; Rainbow gasped, starting toward him, but blocked by SPOT&#039;s energy shield. &quot;Protect mode.&quot; the robot said. Corky pulled him closer with his tongue and started bashing him with his fists, while Dark Punchy started to flicker stronger. &quot;This cave is filled with darkness... You&#039;ll regret making me angry...&quot; he growled. Corky released his wrist and slapped his face a couple times with his tongue. &quot;Ha ha ha! Look at you! The cave&#039;s worn ya down! Yer no match for Corky da frog! Kiss my feet &#039;an maybe I&#039;ll let one o&#039; you echidnas live...&quot; he taunted. Punchy&#039;s eyes turned bright red, though his fur stayed the same. &quot;You won&#039;t be killing the green one... I still need him. I think I&#039;ll kill you!!&quot; he said with Dark Punchy&#039;s voice! He then grasped Corky by the throat and lifted him up as though he weighed nothing, hurtling him at a canine agent and sending them both plummeting down a chasm! &quot;Punchy, no!!&quot; Copter shouted, diving into the chasm after the Despair agents! Rainbow watched from behind the shield in fright as Punchy swiftly knocked out the remaining guards. &quot;One... snap out of it! COME BACK, ONE!!&quot; she shouted. Punchy&#039;s eyes suddenly returned to normal as Copter flew out of the chasm with Corky and the mutt. &quot;...No murder, Punch... We&#039;re still hoping to get a pardon if Gunner ever gets fired, and murder will kill that chance.&quot; he panted. Across the chasms, Illusi had been watching them. &quot;...I must hurry. Time is running short.&quot; he muttered, heading deeper into the cavern on his own.<br /><br /><br />Somehow, Heather found herself wandering with Team GeneX in their search for the key. Luckily, Zipp&#039;s helmet had an app for that. He&#039;d been to the door, and scanned the keyhole with his helmet. Now, he could use its radar to search for anything that might fit the keyhole. &quot;So... been a while, huh, guys?&quot; Heather said awkwardly. &quot;Yesss... Um... We are grateful for your...sacrifice...&quot; Vortex said as cordially as possible. &quot;I was really sorry when you died.&quot; Crash added, more sincerely. As they walked, demons resembling Despair agents crept toward them. They scowled at Team GeneX, not immediately attacking. &quot;...What&#039;s with them? They&#039;re freaking me out...&quot; Heather shivered. &quot;As long as they&#039;re not attacking...&quot; Zipp shrugged. Then, they all jumped back as a demon resembling Zeke stepped forward. &quot;...Traitor!!&quot; it groaned in a low, ghastly voice. Looking around, they noticed that many of the demons appeared familiar to them. One resembled Patch. &quot;You&#039;ve turned your backs on us...&quot; it moaned. They were getting surrounded fast, and Vortex scowled at them as they chanted &quot;Traitor... traitor...&quot; repeatedly. &quot;We are no traitorsss!!&quot; he hissed. A demon resembling Basker approached Heather. &quot;We revived you... Saved you from death itself... How can you turn away from us...?&quot; he growled. Heather lit her hands on fire. &quot;Maybe I didn&#039;t ask to be brought back! You think of that? And I don&#039;t trust the people who attack my friends!&quot; she snapped. Crash let out a loud grunt. &quot;Our allegiance belongs to Bucky, and no one else!&quot; he yelled. &quot;Except for maybe me!&quot; Zipp added. &quot;Enough of thisss... Tear thessse ghossstsss apart!&quot; Vortex snarled. Heather shot flames at the Basker demon, while Crash charged through &quot;Patch,&quot; and Vortex leapt atop Zeke and started burning him with Chaos Camouflage, which covered his body with Chaos energy. Zipp just shot wildly at the other demons with a pair of pistols, and they were out of the way in no time. Vortex panted, tired from using Chaos Camouflage. &quot;We know what ssside we&#039;re on... Let&#039;sss go.&quot; he hissed.<br /><br />Zipp led them, conveniently enough, to the place where Team Rose exited the maze-like area they&#039;d been exploring. There, they found something red and shiny. &quot;Well... This&#039;ll fit in the lock... but you won&#039;t be able to turn it.&quot; Zipp muttered, examining the key in his hands. &quot;Seems like they split the key into pieces. That&#039;s usually a pretty secure idea. If anyone finds a piece, they won&#039;t think anything of it because it doesn&#039;t look like anything.&quot; Razor said. &quot;What&#039;sss with the cop?&quot; Vortex growled. &quot;There are people up here who have to answer for terrorist activities in Troblusk City... I might be out of my jurisdiction, but when they&#039;re hovering over my hometown, I don&#039;t care.&quot; the porcupine grumbled. &quot;So... Think the other pieces of the key are nearby?&quot; Amy asked, getting the conversation back on track. Zipp groaned. &quot;My helmet can only track the part that fits in the keyhole. With the key in pieces, it&#039;s useless!&quot; he grumbled. &quot;I say it&#039;s THAT WAY!&quot; Mia shouted, pointing down the only path available that the two groups hadn&#039;t come from. &quot;...Good point...&quot; Silver sighed. Cream patted Cheese and followed along as the group continued on their way. &quot;It&#039;s nice and crowded again! Let&#039;s see any monsters bother us now!&quot; she giggled. Crash frowned and didn&#039;t say anything. He simply hoped for them to split up again soon so that he might get a word in edgewise. Heather noticed how quiet he was being and nudged him. &quot;What&#039;s the matter? Uncomfortable in crowds?&quot; she asked. &quot;...You&#039;re one to talk. Didn&#039;t you freak out at the Sun Festival?&quot; Crash pointed out. &quot;Yeah, death has a weird mellowing effect on a person...&quot; she muttered. &quot;Hey!&quot; Silver called back to them, &quot;Hurry up! If you get left behind, the demons will pick you off for sure!&quot; he warned. After that, everyone traveled in a much tighter group, nervous about being caught alone in the dark with demons...<br /><br />While everyone else was having a nice chat in their large group, Copter, Punchy, Rainbow and SPOT found their way to the flat handle of the key, which had a Covenant of Despair symbol on it. &quot;Okay... symbol... little notch for inserting something... I&#039;m guessing the key is in pieces.&quot; Copter sighed. Rainbow smiled. &quot;At least it&#039;s not something crazy, like having to find SEVEN keys... Right, Two? One?&quot; she said. &quot;Broken key&#039;s still crazy. Anyone ever heard of a regular hide-a-key?&quot; Copter complained. Punchy was flickering into dark form again, and he collapsed to his knees, apparently growing exhausted from holding Dark Punchy back! Rainbow hurried to his side. &quot;Rainbow... You and Copter... Go without me...&quot; he grunted. Rainbow lifted his arm around her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. &quot;...Nonsense, One. You&#039;ll be fine. We just need to get you outta this cave.&quot; she said. Punchy glanced at her. &quot;After all we&#039;ve been through... How can you still WANT to help me?&quot; he sighed. She chuckled softly, not letting the difficulty of carrying him bother her. &quot;We had one little fight, One. That could never change anything... You&#039;re my best friend...&quot; she reassured him. His body slowly stopped flickering, and he stood up beside her, seeming perfectly fine. &quot;...Thank you...&quot; he sighed. Copter groaned as he held SPOT around like a flashlight. &quot;Just kiss already! How long are you gonna draw this out!?&quot; he grumbled. &quot;M-mind your own business!!&quot; Punchy snapped, blushing profusely. &quot;Did someone say kiss? I want one!&quot; Suddenly, Mia emerged from up ahead, and taking Copter by surprise, planted a kiss right on his nose, making him fall over and blush even redder than Punchy! &quot;Wh-wha-WHERE&#039;D YOU COME FROM!?&quot; he stammered. Razor and Silver stepped out of the shadows beside her. &quot;Oh, Copter... You found another piece of the key. Great work!&quot; Silver said. Shining SPOT&#039;s light ahead, Copter could see everyone peering back at them. &quot;Who&#039;s kissing in there!?&quot; Amy yelled, being nosy. &quot;NO ONE!!&quot; Punchy shouted back. &quot;Then can we PLEASSSE get on with it!?&quot; Vortex groaned.<br /><br />After everyone had gotten over their varying degrees of embarrassment, it wasn&#039;t long before they&#039;d arrived at the secret door to Despair Castle, a black door with the red, thirteen-pointed star on it. There were chasms even here, on either side of the door. Fera the wolf was standing in front of the door, blocking their way. However, she freely tossed Copter the third piece of the key, which connected the teeth to the base. &quot;Uh... You letting us in?&quot; he asked. &quot;Only if you can get past me...&quot; she smirked. Silver crossed his arms. &quot;Heh... That should be easy. There&#039;s only one of you, and I&#039;ve lost count of how many of us there are.&quot; he pointed out. However, Fera had no intention of battling all of them. She raised her hand, and flicking her wrist in Punchy&#039;s direction, she somehow pulled him toward her! She then raised both her hands, casting a wall of dark energy between Punchy and his friends! &quot;Hey!! Let One go!!&quot; Rainbow shouted. Fera grinned. &quot;I&#039;ll let him go, but you won&#039;t like it... I knew you&#039;d be drawn here, Punchy. The Despair Seal tempered your darkness, and now it seeks greater darkness to strengthen itself... That it may be unleashed again! I can help there...&quot; she said. Punchy growled. &quot;Even without the Despair Seal... You can still manipulate me... But you will never enslave me! You failed to do so at the mountain!&quot; he shouted. Fera shrugged. &quot;Fine. I&#039;ll just unleash your dark side... On your friends. Then if you&#039;re feeling guilty, you can hurl yourself into one of these holes!&quot; she cackled. Outside the dark barrier, Illusi pushed past the crowd and banged against the dark energy. &quot;If you&#039;ve come to kill Punchy, you gotta wait your turn.&quot; Copter grumbled. Illusi ignored him and called out. &quot;Fera!! Enough!! End this madness now, I implore you... I BEG you!!&quot; he cried, his normal composure giving way to an absolute panic. &quot;Mousy...? You look pale!&quot; Rainbow gasped. Fera barely glanced at him. &quot;We all had our chance to define who we are... Now it&#039;s time for you all to see EXACTLY who I am... and who your dear Punchy really is!!&quot; she sneered. Punchy clenched his fists and glared at her. &quot;So be it, Fera!&quot; he said.<br /><br />Fera began by sending bolts of dark lightning Punchy&#039;s way. He began to flicker black again from the attack, but he shrugged it off and came at her with his fists! &quot;You used me... Just to kidnap Rainbow! Then you used her sister to get to her!&quot; he yelled as he threw punches at her, which she took through a dark energy shield, lessening the blow and adding to the dark energy making Punchy flicker. &quot;Despair prays on...despair. That shouldn&#039;t be so surprising. Now, your rage shall lead to even greater despair!!&quot; Fera declared, warping behind Punchy to pummel him with punches and kicks charged with darkness! He stumbled forward, and turned around with a red-eyed gaze. &quot;Chaos BLAST!!&quot; He fought back with a massive explosion of Chaos energy, resisting the urge to use the darkness his body was absorbing as much as possible. Fera was thrown back, but stopped in midair, using her dark powers to levitate. &quot;Good... but you can do better!&quot; she said, tossing balls of darkness toward him relentlessly! Punchy tried to evade them, but too many were coming, so he had to fight back. &quot;Chaos Avalanche!!&quot; he growled, using Chaos energy to pull up chunks of the ground and hurl them at the wolf! She warped safely away from the attack, but Punchy&#039;s body was starting to hold the black color, his green fur becoming more of a flicker. &quot;Fera... NO!!!&quot; Illusi shouted. &quot;You gotta fight the darkness, One!&quot; Rainbow cried. &quot;Should we be... hiding?&quot; Cream wondered nervously. Punchy charged at Fera, his fists flying at her furiously now that she was back on the ground. &quot;Ooof... That&#039;s it!! Remember... I hurt your friends! Come at me with all your rage!&quot; she grunted, seeming not to care about any injury she sustained. Punchy bashed her across the face, knocking her back and swiping the hair away from her normally covered right eye. The eyelid was sewn closed, and there was intensive scarring across the socket. Amy and Cream held their mouths, and others gasped upon seeing this. &quot;...Human cruelty...has no limits. So my cruelty must also defy limits!!&quot; she snarled, firing a massive beam of darkness directly into Punchy&#039;s chest! He groaned in pain, but the groan soon descended into demented laughter as his flickering ceased, and he fully transformed! &quot;...Funny... I have a similar policy about MY cruelty!!&quot; Dark Punchy roared.<br /><br />Fera removed the dark barrier, grinning at her handiwork. &quot;You&#039;re free now, dark one. Wreak your brand of cruelty on those wretches who dared contain you in that weak shell of an other self!&quot; she commanded. Dark Punchy scowled at her. &quot;Dark one?!&quot; he snarled, rushing at her and catching her off guard, slamming her against the doorway! &quot;Wh-wha!?&quot; she stammered, firing jolts of dark lightning in an attempt to defend herself, but Dark Punchy simply absorbed them! &quot;Never... call me... ONE!!!&quot; he roared, smashing her across the face with a powerful, darkness-charged punch, rending her unconscious! Illusi staggered forward, turning completely pale. &quot;My vision... No... It was unstoppable...&quot; he mumbled as Dark Punchy lifted the unconscious Fera over his head. &quot;Punch... Punchy, she&#039;s out...!&quot; Copter stammered. &quot;One, no!!&quot; Rainbow cried. However, Dark Punchy ignored them, and slammed her against the wall once more before tossing her limp body down the nearby chasm! &quot;NOOOOOOOOO!!!!&quot; Illusi ran to the chasm and pointlessly extended his hand toward Fera, watching as she plummeted into the depths below. He started sobbing, but Dark Punchy wasn&#039;t through. &quot;I should hurl you in there, too...&quot; he growled. However, Rainbow stood in his way! &quot;Enough, One!&quot; she shouted. &quot;I warned that wolf against calling me ONE!!&quot; Dark Punchy roared, only to be slapped by a tailband-powered tail whip from Copter! &quot;Back off, you! We&#039;re talking to Punchy, here!&quot; he said, stepping beside Rainbow and taking her hand. Heather joined them, taking Rainbow&#039;s other hand, and Amy took her hand. &quot;...What&#039;s this??&quot; Dark Punchy grunted. &quot;You can do it, Punchy!&quot; Heather shouted. &quot;Fight back, and free yourself!&quot; Amy called. &quot;Come back, Mr. Punchy!&quot; Cream added, joining in. All of his friends started calling to him, chanting his name, showing that they still cared for him, in spite of everything. And Dark Punchy convulsed, as though pained by these words. He collapsed to the floor, and his color slowly reverted to green. &quot;...So much for getting pardoned...&quot; Punchy panted, staring at Copter. &quot;You were not yourself.&quot; he replied. Team GeneX took the key fragments and went to open the door, while Razor stood beside Illusi. &quot;...Are you all right?&quot; he asked. &quot;She&#039;s gone... It&#039;s too late...&quot; he said, heartbroken, &quot;I loved her as though she were my own child... How am I to go on now?&quot; he whimpered, kneeling over the chasm on his hands and knees. A look of guilt passed over Punchy&#039;s face. &quot;Let&#039;s...get outta here...&quot; he winced. Silver led them through the door Team GeneX had opened, looking back at Illusi thoughtfully. &quot;...War casts darkness on all our lives. We need to end this one before things get any darker...&quot; he stated.<br /><br />To be continued...</span>",
  "pools_count": 2,
  "title": "Sonic GeneX: Knuckles the Echidna - Arc 4",
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