Chosen from Chaos - Ch. 1
Title: Chosen from Chaos
Chapter: 1
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! crossover
Character(s): Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog
Genre: Drama, action/adventure, angst, some romance, friendship
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Sonic the Hedgehog © Sega, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! © Ciro Nieli
Notes: This was a...really weird idea I had one day, a long long time ago. I'm not sure why, other than I had just gotten into SRMT so I wanted to write about it all the time, and I was a really big Sonic the Hedgehog fan, so for some reason the crossover at the time made sense in my head. I don't...even know.
And again, I wrote this a really really long time ago. Like...Sonic Adventure 2 long time ago. So all the Sonic-related stuff takes place after that, pre-Sonic Heroes. In fact, none of the Sonic games after SA2 happened in this story and is directly a year after SA2, so it's kind of AU I guess. And in SRMT, it's kind of...after the war with Skeleton King, so...yeah...convenient. I'll stop now.
Summary: Dr. Eggman's newest plan is not only a threat to his world, but to another. And things get personal for the Hyperforce when the evil scientist takes some of their own.
Chosen From Chaos
A gentle breeze wafted through the trees, rustling the leaves and leaving a cooling touch amidst that bright summer afternoon. The clouds lazily drifted overhead, creating large, abstract snowy patterns against the clear canvas of sky. The sound of laughing and splashing echoed across the region, carried against the wind to reach places farther off than the lake from which they came.
Satisfied with the scene, the young hedgehog stretched himself out, lying back on the damp ground beneath him and closing his eyes to catch a quick nap. He folded his arms to cushion his head, mindful of his own azure quills that threatened to nick him if he wasn't careful. Finally finding a comfortable position, he allowed himself to relax and immerse himself in the sleepy warmth of the sun above.
The situation that had transpired on the space colony almost a year ago still affected them all, even to this day, leaving a slight sour taste over an otherwise peaceful atmosphere. The great sacrifice that had been involved was still painful to think about, especially for him - having been the only one to truly witness the tragic event. But the others had learned about it quickly enough. They learned of all that had been lost to ensure the survival of their world.
That type of gift - giving up a life to protect the lives of so many others - was not to be left in vain. A life had been taken so that others had a chance to enjoy their own, to appreciate being able to experience the sensation of just existing. So many of those people would never know of what happened, of what was surrendered for them. They would never truly recognize the value of the gift they received.
But for all those who had been there, who felt the immediate effects of the events that occurred in space that day, living and enjoying what life had to offer became their topmost priority. Not that they had been unhappy doing what they had done before, but rather they came to treasure the times that they never had before. After the situation on the A.R.K., boring moments ceased to exist.
And for him, someone who had spent much of his life always on the move, searching for adventure and longing for something exciting to happen in his life, found himself reveling in the calm atmosphere of the great ruins where he had come to stay since the episode in space reached its end. There were times, he would admit, when his restless nature would dominate, and he would speed off for temporary periods of time. But he would always return to that place, most often within a day or so in order to let his friends know that he was still around.
That had been his greatest revelation when they had returned to Earth that day; his friends. In his quest for action, in his travels to quench his thirst for thrills and fun, he hadn't notice of what his exploits did to the people around him. He was oblivious of how they felt during the times he was absent, or how his rash behavior endangered them time and time again. He never took the time to see it all.
There was never any question of how much he cared for his friends, or how important they all were to him. But had he ever really appreciated the scarce time he spent with them? Had he ever enjoyed just being with them? He wasn't sure if he had. Perhaps he never would have, if death had never opened his eyes to the truth.
Despite everything he had done, all the risks he had taken, the idea of death had never been a prominent thought in his mind. Even with the evil doctor after his head on countless occasions, he had never really considered that he or his friends were in any real danger. Even his own close encounters had never really fazed him because it just seemed that since it didn't happen, it could never happen.
That's what he thought…until the moment when it finally did happen. And he had been right there at the exact time when it took place.
He wasn't sure if there had been anything he could have done to prevent the midnight hedgehog from dying that day. But the event had showed him just how close the brush of death had been, and that it was willing to take anyone it could. After all, if the supposed "Ultimate Lifeform" could die, certainly the rest of them could as well.
That day, he had reached an easy decision: He chose to remain close to his friends and to spend as much time with them as he possibly could…just in case something did happen to them. Because life was just too short. So he wanted to spend every precious little moment with the people he cared for most, enjoying the tranquil life that had settled over them. And he had to admit, the 16-year-old within him enjoyed the lazy afternoons of doing nothing except enjoying the company of friends.
Especially because the hero in him knew this wouldn't last.
Yes it was true that Dr. Eggman had been among them during that fateful day on the A.R.K. Yes, the man had been affected by the death and sacrifice of the Ultimate Lifeform as they had all been. And yes, the world-renowned scientist had been relatively quiet this past year or so since that time. But perhaps that was just the problem.
The doctor had been there on the A.R.K. that day, and had been affected the same way when his life had been spared. The desire to live life to the fullest would not be lost on him. But the teen knew the kind of man the genius was. The many years of fighting against the doctor let him understand the mind within. To live life at its best, to enjoy what life had to offer, would mean to the scientist that his goals of world conquest must be accomplished. His plans to take over would be the ultimate to savor his existence before the hand of death took hold of him.
Dr. Eggman would certainly return sometime to once again try and control the planet and everything in it. He'd definitely be back…and after a year of planning, this would probably be a much more difficult adventure.
Except if he was completely honest with himself, the hedgehog wasn't sure what to think of that. Certainly it would mean the peaceful, quiet life would be interrupted for another dangerous escapade, and the carefree teen was slightly frustrated by the thought. But at the same time, the thrill-seeking hero was looking forward to the challenge.
Because even though he enjoyed his life of leisure, he still longed for a life of action, even if he wasn't out looking for it anymore. That was just the way he was.
The splashing of water suddenly stilled into silence, causing his ears to twitch slightly. Then a voice called to him, "Sonic! Are you sure you don't wanna swim with us?"
Cracking an eye open, he turned his head slightly to glance in the direction the voice had come from. "Yup," he replied simply.
The pink hedgehog pursed her lips, her arms akimbo as she looked at him. "Why not?" she demanded. "It's nice and cool. Plus it's a lot of fun. Besides, it's not too deep, so even you could handle a swim in it."
Both emerald eyes opened to study the girl better, taking in the playful smile on her face. And she was right of course; even with his aversion to water, the small pool was only waist deep. Really, there wasn't much to swim in.
Still, closing his eyes again and turning his face away, the teen replied, "Nope…Don't wanna."
"Oh, c'mon Sonic!" she exclaimed. "Not even a quick dip?"
"Nu-uh."
"Then what was the point of coming down here with us if you weren't going to swim?"
"I dunno."
She huffed hotly. "Fine," she grumbled.
"Sonic-san?" another voice quietly chimed in.
Opening his eyes once more, he glanced at the young rabbit as her pet Chao disappeared underwater. "Yeah?" he questioned.
"Are you sure you don't want to swim with us?" she asked.
Looking at her, Sonic's eyes quickly darted in Amy's direction, who was watching him curiously. With a small smirk, he answered, "Maybe a little later, Cream."
He already knew exactly what Amy was going to say before she said it. "Hey! How come you suddenly want to when she asks you?"
Shrugging lazily, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep again. "I dunno…she's cuter, I guess."
"Sonic!" the pink hedgehog exclaimed angrily.
The teen fought to suppress a chuckle in his throat as he imagined the infuriated expression on her face, considering himself lucky that Amy had left her Hammer back in Tails' workshop.
"Why do you do that to me?" he heard her demand once more, and he imagined her pounding her foot into the bottom of the shallow pool.
He shrugged again, but he knew the real answer to her question. The truth was that he just loved to tease her. How it started, he wasn't entirely sure. Through all the time he had known Amy Rose, he had never considered picking on her the way he did now. He had been too busy either rescuing her or avoiding her crazy attempts to marry him (he was certain that if she could marry him, she would have already done so by now). He cared about her, just not the way she wanted him to.
It was after the incident on the A.R.K. when it all started, but he still didn't know why he did it. It certainly wasn't because he liked being mean to her. Plus, he had never wanted to tease her before because he had been afraid that she'd get the wrong impression by his actions, believing that he reciprocated her feelings when he truly didn't. He was always very honest with how he felt about her, though she never really understood that for some reason.
Now, though…things felt a little different. He wasn't sure how it happened or why, but he found it rather amusing to keep her guessing about what he was thinking. They both were quite aware that most of the things he said weren't serious, but he had to admit that it was interesting seeing her get so worked up over the littlest things. In a strange way…he found it rather cute.
Not that he'd ever tell her that.
Sensing that Amy had finally given up, he settled himself back down for that nap he had wanted to take. Before he could drift off to sleep, however, he heard the soft steps of someone's approach, muffled slightly by the mildly damp ground. Soon he felt a presence sitting on the ground beside him. He didn't need to open his eyes to see who was there.
The two sat in a comfortable silence, content with listening to Amy and Cream's laughter as the two continued their swimming activity. Finally, his younger companion spoke in a quiet tone, "I just got a call from Knuckles."
"Yeah?" the azure hedgehog replied. "So? Is he comin' today or what?"
"He said he might be coming down later."
Sonic bit back a groan. "That's what he said a few days ago. Is he actually gonna come down this time or what?"
"He said he'll try, but he has to check on a few things first."
The teen sighed softly. If there had been one thing he really wanted to do during the time after their adventure in space, it was definitely to get the young echidna to lighten up.
While he understood that Knuckles had a responsibility to guard the Master Emerald, he couldn't imagine that he was all that happy protecting it all the time. It was important, yes, but the echidna deserved to live life a little too.
He did manage to convince his friend to relax a bit shortly after the A.R.K. It hadn't been easy to do, but he was able to talk the guardian into visiting more often and hanging out with them. It wasn't for very long, though, and the echidna would soon return to Angel Island.
And he knew Knuckles wanted to do other things as well. He was only a teen, after all, and wanting to have some fun was normal. However, his responsibility as guardian too often dominated his desire to live a more relaxed life. But Sonic kept trying anyway. He'd keep trying to get the echidna to lighten up and do things that he wanted to do. Not completely abandon his duty to protect the Master Emerald, but instead enjoy living a life besides just the life of a guardian. To him, Knuckles deserved to have some fun at least once in a while.
Except it would be a little hard to do that if he wouldn't leave the island.
Opening his eyes, he finally looked at the fox. "Did he say why he has to 'check on things'?"
"He just said that he had a weird feeling."
The hero frowned a bit. "What kinda weird feeling?"
"I don't know. He just said he felt like something was gonna happen, and that he needed to be there."
Watching his young friend for a minute, he then noticed the uneasy look in the cerulean eyes. Sitting up, he turned to face the fox completely. "Tails?" he said. "Are you okay?"
Looking at him, the younger boy then looked up at the clouds floating overhead. "It's been really peaceful lately, hasn't it?" he asked, evading the question.
Though surprised by the inquiry, Sonic decided to go along with it. Looking up at the sky as well, he replied, "Yeah it has."
"Yeah…It's been a little too peaceful."
He turned his attention back to the yellow-orange fox. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just…surprised Eggman's been quiet for so long. Whatever he's planning, it must be really incredible."
So then Tails also felt that Eggman was up to something. While the time of peace was appreciated, the longer it went on, the longer Eggman had to perfect his latest plan. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.
Thinking for a minute, Sonic then grinned. "Yeah, probably," he finally answered. "But don't worry about it. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."
His young friend looked at him. "You think so?"
"Sure! It'll be no problem!"
Finally, Tails returned the smile, giving a small nod. "Yeah…I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right! We can handle anything Egghead throws our way!"
The fox seemed to relax, reassured by his hero's confidence. "Right!"
Though his face still kept the light expression, Sonic found himself wondering. For someone barely at the age of ten, Tails certainly acted more mature than even he himself did at times. Granted, Tails had never been like other kids his age, but was it all right for the young fox to behave this way? He was just a kid after all; why should he have to worry about the workings of a potential dictator out to control the whole world?
He partly blamed himself for getting the other involved in his adventurous lifestyle. He had been rather impressed with how well the fox had kept up with him when they first met, that he didn't mind letting the other tag along for a while, especially since it seemed that the two-tailed fox didn't really have any other friends. What had really surprised him was how Tails was able to fix his damaged Tornado after he had crashed it so badly. Other than Eggman, the teen had never met anyone else who really knew about machines.
He had been a little hesitant to allow the fox to come along wit him in search of Eggman. But Tails had wanted a chance to save his home, and Sonic figured he could at least give him that. Plus, as he had discovered, the young kit had been quite helpful, and he found himself enjoying the company. When it had been time for him to leave Westside Island to pursue Eggman, he hadn't been sure if he was willing to say goodbye.
However, the fox hadn't wanted to say goodbye either, and asked if he could come along and help stop Eggman. At least that was the reason Tails had given him. But Sonic knew better. He knew that the fox had been on his own for probably most of his young life, and was often made fun of because of his double tails and deep interest in machines. It seemed that Tails really had no one he was close to, and after finding someone who accepted him, he didn't want to lose that.
And Sonic felt bad for the lonely fox. So he allowed the young mechanic to come with him and help him protect the world against Eggman. His new friend was quite helpful for the most part, but he had still been rather young. So the teen had taken special care to watch over and protect the fox, looking out for him and keeping him safe. And as time went on, their friendship grew stronger, and Sonic came to enjoy having a sort of "little brother."
But now, things were a little different. While the two of them still held that deep friendship, their brotherly bond, Sonic felt that his "little brother" was no long so little. Though he was still just nine years old and Sonic did his best to help and protect the fox as he always did, Tails had proven that he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Though he still enjoyed their friendship and relied on his support, the fox didn't have any problems protecting himself from any of Eggman's attacks.
Still, Sonic had to wonder if that was a good thing. After all, despite how intelligent the other was, Tails was still just nine years old. Most kids that age didn't have to worry about defending themselves from an evil genius out to get rid of them. Most kids didn't have to worry about helping save the world. Most kids just could play and enjoy themselves without worry of anything. But Tails couldn't really do that anymore since he was involved with the dealings of Eggman as well. The fox always had to be careful, always had to be on guard just in case the evil scientist decided to strike again. And while he could enjoy himself by building machines as he loved to do, those ultimately went into helping save the world. And was it fair for Sonic to get Tails involved like this over and over again?
He sighed softly. There was no use wondering and questioning, though. Things had already happened, and they could never be changed. All he could do was keep an eye over his young friend and be there for him, just like always.
Besides, he really did enjoy having the fox by his side. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without his little brother with him.
Suddenly he was drawn out of his thoughts when a strange light flashed in the sky. Startled, the azure hedgehog snapped his head up to look at the pulsing glow that tinted the sky a vast rainbow of colors. He and Tails quickly got to their feet as they continued to warily watch the colorful blaze while Amy Rose and Cream looked on curiously; it gathered and condensed into a tight swirling sphere of red, white, and purple, blocking out any trace of blue the summer sky used to hold, and continue to pulse rapidly.
Then the orb released a blinding white flare, too bright to be looked upon directly. The four observers were forced to shield their eyes and turn away from the shine, but they felt the heat of the white hot glow sweep over their bodies.
Forever seemed to pass before the hotness died down, disappearing in the wake of an unexpected gentle breeze. Hesitantly they uncovered their faces and looked up for the flashing light. But all that was seen were the white clouds against the blue backdrop overhead.
Thousands of questions began to assault the teen's mind. But as he quickly glanced around, vaguely noting that they were still in the same place as they had been before the strange event occurred, he voiced the most important question. "Is everyone okay?"
His three companions turned their attention to him, regarding him with puzzled gazes. "I…think so," Tails finally managed to reply after a long moment.
"We're fine too," Amy added hesitantly, glancing quickly at the small rabbit for confirmation.
Cream gave a small nod in agreement, though seemed to hold Cheese close to her. "Sonic-san?" he asked with a trembling voice. "What…was that?"
That was another of the questions that ran through his mind. Scratching the back of his head, he admitted softly, "I really…don't know."
He caught the look he received from the young fox. But Tails didn't say a word. And he didn't have to, because Sonic was thinking the exact same thing.
No matter what that light was, it meant one thing: Their lazy afternoons of lying around were finally over.
"Hmm…" the mustached man muttered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring at the screen before him, "that didn't work too well at all."
Studying the monitor for a while longer, the man then pushed himself away from the large computer, one hand resting on his round, egg-shaped stomach while the other tiredly rubbed his eyes. The process was harder and taking much longer than expected, but he was positive that it would work.
"I just need to gather the rest of the Chaos Emeralds," he reasoned, looking back at the screen once more. "Yes…with all seven emeralds, I'll have enough energy to power my machine properly…then my plans will finally be ready to accomplish. After just one year, I will finally be recognized as the greatest scientific mind, and the world will be mine!"
He nodded confidently, but the nagging voice in the back of his mind continued to warn him that he still needed to test his machine to see if it will function properly. Even if he had built the device, and even if he managed to collect the seven emeralds, his plans were still only theoretically-based.
For now, though, the doctor decided to rest and resume his work at a later point. He was close to acquiring the sixth emerald, and it would only be a matter to time until he located the seventh one. Until then, there wasn't much to do except gather the remaining pieces for his ultimate attack.
In the meantime, however, he decided to go and see a…recuperating guest. It had been quite a while since Dr. Eggman had gone to visit him.
A voice…he could hear a muffled voice…somewhere.
"How is this possible? He's still too weak and hasn't fully recovered yet!"
That voice…sounded familiar.
"He shouldn't be waking yet! He had sustained too much damage to recover enough on this minimal power! It…can't be!"
'Waking yet'…? How long had he been asleep?
"Aaaargh…! What'll I do if he does wake up?"
It sounded as though…whoever was speaking didn't want him to awaken. But if that was so, then why…? Why was he there?
Why…was he still alive?
Get up…
What was that? It didn't sound like whoever had spoken before. It was another voice.
Please…get up…
It sounded so much closer, and much gentler than the first speaker. It sounded like…someone he was supposed to know.
You have to…get up…please…
It couldn't be…could it? No…it was impossible. He had to be imagining things. There was no way…that it could be her…Could it?
Please…you have to get up! Get up now!
The last thing he heard was the sound of glass shattering as his eyes suddenly snapped open. The next thing he knew, he stood before a familiar man cloaked in the darkness of the room they were in. The only light came from the pale glow of a monitor that stood behind the other, casting his large shadow over him. As his vision slowly adjusted and cleared, he became aware of the dull pains within his body beginning to flare and grow inside of him. His breathing was ragged and each forced gasp of air sent jolts of fire through his chest. The only thing that alleviated the burn he felt was the cool liquid that flowed in river patters down his body.
After an eternity of deafening silence, he was able to ignore the pain just long enough to recognize the man that stood before him. "Doctor…?" he rasped, his voice dry with insufficient use.
"Shadow!" the scientist exclaimed, his tone betraying his anxiety.
"What…happened? Where am I?" he demanded.
"You're in…my Egg Air Base. I found you after you crashed to Earth and…have been trying to revive you."
The doctor was trying hard to keep calm…too hard. But even if he couldn't hear it in the man's intonation, he had heard the man's words before. He knew that the doctor was lying.
He suddenly felt as thought the room was spinning. Staggering, he quickly tried to regain his balance as pieces of glass crackled under his feet. With as much strength as he could muster, he asked again, "Why am I here?"
The man watched him for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his features, as though considering his options. After a few minutes, he took a step back towards the glowing monitor. "I was just…trying to help you, Shadow. You were very close to death when I found you."
"Don't lie to me, Doctor," he retorted as patiently as he could. "Tell me what I'm doing here. Tell me why you've brought me here. Now!"
"You still haven't fully recovered yet," Eggman answered instead. "Your internal injuries still have yet to heal."
The heavy clanging echoed against the walls of the room, catching his attention. Quickly turning his head, his eyes widened as he caught sight of the three black, burly egg-shaped robots that stood at the room's only exit. Though they resembled the doctor in girth, they easily towered over him and their creator, the glare of the monitor light reflecting off their large, dark metallic bodies and giving them an intimidating glow, made even more menacing only by their readied guns aimed right at him.
There was no time to think. Just as the robots fired at him, he jumped up and back into the wall behind him. Firmly planting his feet against the metal, he then launched himself off and shot towards the robots. He curled up within himself tightly, forming a dark sphere lined with golden energy that penetrated the armed defense blocking the exit, knocking all three down.
As he landed on one knee in a narrow hallway, he inhaled deeply to catch his breath as the fire within burned painfully throughout his body. But he had no time to rest as the rapid metal clamor rumbled towards him. Briefly glancing up at the wave of Egg robots charging towards him, he quickly got up and sped down the corridor.
"Don't let him escape!" he heard the doctor's voice roar. The energy of their weapons sliced through the air, and he felt the heat of each fire closing in on him as it faintly brushed over his midnight fur. Even with his renewed stamina driving him onward, the pain that entrapped his body prevented him from reaching top speed.
The wail of sirens screeched around him as they flashed, bathing the hallways with blood-red light. The robots pounded on after him continuing their relentless fire. And from the farthest corners of his mind, painfully familiar memories overtook his senses, thrusting him in another time where he lost himself in the sound of exhausted breaths coming out in short labored gasps that trailed along just behind him.
He was jarred out of his reverie when he came to a divided path in the corridors. He growled softly, not having the time to try and decide which way to go. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) another unit of robots began their approach from the right passageway, drawing their guns and aiming to fire.
They were obviously trying to block his path and prevent him from choosing the right. Which meant that the right was where he needed to go.
His body violently protested as he jumped into the air. But he ignored it as he spun and launched himself at the nearest robot. Knocking it to the ground, he ricocheted off it and back into the air, launching himself at the next robot.
But after knocking five robots to the ground in that manner, he landed on his feet, a hand tightly clutching his torso. Gritting his teeth, he narrowly dodged the remaining robots' fire, speeding past them as the first troop finally caught up to him.
They continued to pursue him, but at the end of the hall he could see a door. He wasn't sure where the door would lead, and he found himself hoping whatever was on the other side was better than this.
Finally he reached the door and thrust it open, quickly stepping through it before slamming it shut behind him.
That was when he became aware of the wind that quickly whipped around him. Spinning around, he discovered that he was standing on a platform stationed outside. The sky overhead was tainted with the colors of the dying day while the sun slowly descended past the horizon.
Cautiously he walked towards the railing of the platform to peer over the edge. He imagined that they were several thousand feet in the air, judging by how the trees of the forest below appeared too miniaturized to seem real.
The sound of heavy clanking reached his ears, and he whirled around to find three of the robots that had been giving chase.
But they stepped aside as their creator stepped past the door, regarding him with a sneer.
"There's nowhere left for you to run, Shadow," he stated smugly.
He glared at the doctor for a moment before he glanced once again over the railing. A small smirk graced his lips.
Eggman's eyes widened as the Ultimate Lifeform suddenly jumped up and shot over the railing. Running to the edge, he gripped the bars as he looked over them, watching as the black hedgehog plunged to the earth below before disappearing amongst the green foliage.
The man cursed under his breath for a moment, trying to decide what to do. "Well…" he finally said minutes later as he straightened up, "no matter. I have enough of the data I need from him, and with his injuries he'll be of no threat to me alone."
"SHALL WE PURSUE?" one of the robots asked.
"No. No need to waste the effort. We will proceed as planned. At this point, there isn't much anyone can do to stop me." And Eggman allowed himself a triumphant smirk.
On the earth below, Shadow gasped for breath as he sat on a branch in one of the trees, once again clutching his torso. When he had neared the earth's surface, he had quickly grabbed a branch to prevent himself from falling further. Unfortunately, gravity refused to be kind, roughly pulling on his injured body and tearing the damage deeper before the branch he held snapped. He had fallen several more feet down as thin branches collapsed beneath him and sharply jabbed him before he landed - none too gently - on one of the stronger branches. Still, he figured it was better than hitting the ground.
He glanced up and through the leaves, he could just make out the outline of the doctor's ship against the darkening sky. As he watched it begin to disappear from his vision, his eyes narrowed.
The doctor had saved him from the brink of death, but hadn't wanted him to awaken. So then why had the man even bothered? Why had the doctor kept him alive?
Shadow didn't know. But he swore he would find out.
TBC
[Chapter 2]
Chapter: 1
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! crossover
Character(s): Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog
Genre: Drama, action/adventure, angst, some romance, friendship
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Sonic the Hedgehog © Sega, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! © Ciro Nieli
Notes: This was a...really weird idea I had one day, a long long time ago. I'm not sure why, other than I had just gotten into SRMT so I wanted to write about it all the time, and I was a really big Sonic the Hedgehog fan, so for some reason the crossover at the time made sense in my head. I don't...even know.
And again, I wrote this a really really long time ago. Like...Sonic Adventure 2 long time ago. So all the Sonic-related stuff takes place after that, pre-Sonic Heroes. In fact, none of the Sonic games after SA2 happened in this story and is directly a year after SA2, so it's kind of AU I guess. And in SRMT, it's kind of...after the war with Skeleton King, so...yeah...convenient. I'll stop now.
Summary: Dr. Eggman's newest plan is not only a threat to his world, but to another. And things get personal for the Hyperforce when the evil scientist takes some of their own.
Chosen From Chaos
A gentle breeze wafted through the trees, rustling the leaves and leaving a cooling touch amidst that bright summer afternoon. The clouds lazily drifted overhead, creating large, abstract snowy patterns against the clear canvas of sky. The sound of laughing and splashing echoed across the region, carried against the wind to reach places farther off than the lake from which they came.
Satisfied with the scene, the young hedgehog stretched himself out, lying back on the damp ground beneath him and closing his eyes to catch a quick nap. He folded his arms to cushion his head, mindful of his own azure quills that threatened to nick him if he wasn't careful. Finally finding a comfortable position, he allowed himself to relax and immerse himself in the sleepy warmth of the sun above.
The situation that had transpired on the space colony almost a year ago still affected them all, even to this day, leaving a slight sour taste over an otherwise peaceful atmosphere. The great sacrifice that had been involved was still painful to think about, especially for him - having been the only one to truly witness the tragic event. But the others had learned about it quickly enough. They learned of all that had been lost to ensure the survival of their world.
That type of gift - giving up a life to protect the lives of so many others - was not to be left in vain. A life had been taken so that others had a chance to enjoy their own, to appreciate being able to experience the sensation of just existing. So many of those people would never know of what happened, of what was surrendered for them. They would never truly recognize the value of the gift they received.
But for all those who had been there, who felt the immediate effects of the events that occurred in space that day, living and enjoying what life had to offer became their topmost priority. Not that they had been unhappy doing what they had done before, but rather they came to treasure the times that they never had before. After the situation on the A.R.K., boring moments ceased to exist.
And for him, someone who had spent much of his life always on the move, searching for adventure and longing for something exciting to happen in his life, found himself reveling in the calm atmosphere of the great ruins where he had come to stay since the episode in space reached its end. There were times, he would admit, when his restless nature would dominate, and he would speed off for temporary periods of time. But he would always return to that place, most often within a day or so in order to let his friends know that he was still around.
That had been his greatest revelation when they had returned to Earth that day; his friends. In his quest for action, in his travels to quench his thirst for thrills and fun, he hadn't notice of what his exploits did to the people around him. He was oblivious of how they felt during the times he was absent, or how his rash behavior endangered them time and time again. He never took the time to see it all.
There was never any question of how much he cared for his friends, or how important they all were to him. But had he ever really appreciated the scarce time he spent with them? Had he ever enjoyed just being with them? He wasn't sure if he had. Perhaps he never would have, if death had never opened his eyes to the truth.
Despite everything he had done, all the risks he had taken, the idea of death had never been a prominent thought in his mind. Even with the evil doctor after his head on countless occasions, he had never really considered that he or his friends were in any real danger. Even his own close encounters had never really fazed him because it just seemed that since it didn't happen, it could never happen.
That's what he thought…until the moment when it finally did happen. And he had been right there at the exact time when it took place.
He wasn't sure if there had been anything he could have done to prevent the midnight hedgehog from dying that day. But the event had showed him just how close the brush of death had been, and that it was willing to take anyone it could. After all, if the supposed "Ultimate Lifeform" could die, certainly the rest of them could as well.
That day, he had reached an easy decision: He chose to remain close to his friends and to spend as much time with them as he possibly could…just in case something did happen to them. Because life was just too short. So he wanted to spend every precious little moment with the people he cared for most, enjoying the tranquil life that had settled over them. And he had to admit, the 16-year-old within him enjoyed the lazy afternoons of doing nothing except enjoying the company of friends.
Especially because the hero in him knew this wouldn't last.
Yes it was true that Dr. Eggman had been among them during that fateful day on the A.R.K. Yes, the man had been affected by the death and sacrifice of the Ultimate Lifeform as they had all been. And yes, the world-renowned scientist had been relatively quiet this past year or so since that time. But perhaps that was just the problem.
The doctor had been there on the A.R.K. that day, and had been affected the same way when his life had been spared. The desire to live life to the fullest would not be lost on him. But the teen knew the kind of man the genius was. The many years of fighting against the doctor let him understand the mind within. To live life at its best, to enjoy what life had to offer, would mean to the scientist that his goals of world conquest must be accomplished. His plans to take over would be the ultimate to savor his existence before the hand of death took hold of him.
Dr. Eggman would certainly return sometime to once again try and control the planet and everything in it. He'd definitely be back…and after a year of planning, this would probably be a much more difficult adventure.
Except if he was completely honest with himself, the hedgehog wasn't sure what to think of that. Certainly it would mean the peaceful, quiet life would be interrupted for another dangerous escapade, and the carefree teen was slightly frustrated by the thought. But at the same time, the thrill-seeking hero was looking forward to the challenge.
Because even though he enjoyed his life of leisure, he still longed for a life of action, even if he wasn't out looking for it anymore. That was just the way he was.
The splashing of water suddenly stilled into silence, causing his ears to twitch slightly. Then a voice called to him, "Sonic! Are you sure you don't wanna swim with us?"
Cracking an eye open, he turned his head slightly to glance in the direction the voice had come from. "Yup," he replied simply.
The pink hedgehog pursed her lips, her arms akimbo as she looked at him. "Why not?" she demanded. "It's nice and cool. Plus it's a lot of fun. Besides, it's not too deep, so even you could handle a swim in it."
Both emerald eyes opened to study the girl better, taking in the playful smile on her face. And she was right of course; even with his aversion to water, the small pool was only waist deep. Really, there wasn't much to swim in.
Still, closing his eyes again and turning his face away, the teen replied, "Nope…Don't wanna."
"Oh, c'mon Sonic!" she exclaimed. "Not even a quick dip?"
"Nu-uh."
"Then what was the point of coming down here with us if you weren't going to swim?"
"I dunno."
She huffed hotly. "Fine," she grumbled.
"Sonic-san?" another voice quietly chimed in.
Opening his eyes once more, he glanced at the young rabbit as her pet Chao disappeared underwater. "Yeah?" he questioned.
"Are you sure you don't want to swim with us?" she asked.
Looking at her, Sonic's eyes quickly darted in Amy's direction, who was watching him curiously. With a small smirk, he answered, "Maybe a little later, Cream."
He already knew exactly what Amy was going to say before she said it. "Hey! How come you suddenly want to when she asks you?"
Shrugging lazily, he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep again. "I dunno…she's cuter, I guess."
"Sonic!" the pink hedgehog exclaimed angrily.
The teen fought to suppress a chuckle in his throat as he imagined the infuriated expression on her face, considering himself lucky that Amy had left her Hammer back in Tails' workshop.
"Why do you do that to me?" he heard her demand once more, and he imagined her pounding her foot into the bottom of the shallow pool.
He shrugged again, but he knew the real answer to her question. The truth was that he just loved to tease her. How it started, he wasn't entirely sure. Through all the time he had known Amy Rose, he had never considered picking on her the way he did now. He had been too busy either rescuing her or avoiding her crazy attempts to marry him (he was certain that if she could marry him, she would have already done so by now). He cared about her, just not the way she wanted him to.
It was after the incident on the A.R.K. when it all started, but he still didn't know why he did it. It certainly wasn't because he liked being mean to her. Plus, he had never wanted to tease her before because he had been afraid that she'd get the wrong impression by his actions, believing that he reciprocated her feelings when he truly didn't. He was always very honest with how he felt about her, though she never really understood that for some reason.
Now, though…things felt a little different. He wasn't sure how it happened or why, but he found it rather amusing to keep her guessing about what he was thinking. They both were quite aware that most of the things he said weren't serious, but he had to admit that it was interesting seeing her get so worked up over the littlest things. In a strange way…he found it rather cute.
Not that he'd ever tell her that.
Sensing that Amy had finally given up, he settled himself back down for that nap he had wanted to take. Before he could drift off to sleep, however, he heard the soft steps of someone's approach, muffled slightly by the mildly damp ground. Soon he felt a presence sitting on the ground beside him. He didn't need to open his eyes to see who was there.
The two sat in a comfortable silence, content with listening to Amy and Cream's laughter as the two continued their swimming activity. Finally, his younger companion spoke in a quiet tone, "I just got a call from Knuckles."
"Yeah?" the azure hedgehog replied. "So? Is he comin' today or what?"
"He said he might be coming down later."
Sonic bit back a groan. "That's what he said a few days ago. Is he actually gonna come down this time or what?"
"He said he'll try, but he has to check on a few things first."
The teen sighed softly. If there had been one thing he really wanted to do during the time after their adventure in space, it was definitely to get the young echidna to lighten up.
While he understood that Knuckles had a responsibility to guard the Master Emerald, he couldn't imagine that he was all that happy protecting it all the time. It was important, yes, but the echidna deserved to live life a little too.
He did manage to convince his friend to relax a bit shortly after the A.R.K. It hadn't been easy to do, but he was able to talk the guardian into visiting more often and hanging out with them. It wasn't for very long, though, and the echidna would soon return to Angel Island.
And he knew Knuckles wanted to do other things as well. He was only a teen, after all, and wanting to have some fun was normal. However, his responsibility as guardian too often dominated his desire to live a more relaxed life. But Sonic kept trying anyway. He'd keep trying to get the echidna to lighten up and do things that he wanted to do. Not completely abandon his duty to protect the Master Emerald, but instead enjoy living a life besides just the life of a guardian. To him, Knuckles deserved to have some fun at least once in a while.
Except it would be a little hard to do that if he wouldn't leave the island.
Opening his eyes, he finally looked at the fox. "Did he say why he has to 'check on things'?"
"He just said that he had a weird feeling."
The hero frowned a bit. "What kinda weird feeling?"
"I don't know. He just said he felt like something was gonna happen, and that he needed to be there."
Watching his young friend for a minute, he then noticed the uneasy look in the cerulean eyes. Sitting up, he turned to face the fox completely. "Tails?" he said. "Are you okay?"
Looking at him, the younger boy then looked up at the clouds floating overhead. "It's been really peaceful lately, hasn't it?" he asked, evading the question.
Though surprised by the inquiry, Sonic decided to go along with it. Looking up at the sky as well, he replied, "Yeah it has."
"Yeah…It's been a little too peaceful."
He turned his attention back to the yellow-orange fox. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just…surprised Eggman's been quiet for so long. Whatever he's planning, it must be really incredible."
So then Tails also felt that Eggman was up to something. While the time of peace was appreciated, the longer it went on, the longer Eggman had to perfect his latest plan. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.
Thinking for a minute, Sonic then grinned. "Yeah, probably," he finally answered. "But don't worry about it. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."
His young friend looked at him. "You think so?"
"Sure! It'll be no problem!"
Finally, Tails returned the smile, giving a small nod. "Yeah…I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right! We can handle anything Egghead throws our way!"
The fox seemed to relax, reassured by his hero's confidence. "Right!"
Though his face still kept the light expression, Sonic found himself wondering. For someone barely at the age of ten, Tails certainly acted more mature than even he himself did at times. Granted, Tails had never been like other kids his age, but was it all right for the young fox to behave this way? He was just a kid after all; why should he have to worry about the workings of a potential dictator out to control the whole world?
He partly blamed himself for getting the other involved in his adventurous lifestyle. He had been rather impressed with how well the fox had kept up with him when they first met, that he didn't mind letting the other tag along for a while, especially since it seemed that the two-tailed fox didn't really have any other friends. What had really surprised him was how Tails was able to fix his damaged Tornado after he had crashed it so badly. Other than Eggman, the teen had never met anyone else who really knew about machines.
He had been a little hesitant to allow the fox to come along wit him in search of Eggman. But Tails had wanted a chance to save his home, and Sonic figured he could at least give him that. Plus, as he had discovered, the young kit had been quite helpful, and he found himself enjoying the company. When it had been time for him to leave Westside Island to pursue Eggman, he hadn't been sure if he was willing to say goodbye.
However, the fox hadn't wanted to say goodbye either, and asked if he could come along and help stop Eggman. At least that was the reason Tails had given him. But Sonic knew better. He knew that the fox had been on his own for probably most of his young life, and was often made fun of because of his double tails and deep interest in machines. It seemed that Tails really had no one he was close to, and after finding someone who accepted him, he didn't want to lose that.
And Sonic felt bad for the lonely fox. So he allowed the young mechanic to come with him and help him protect the world against Eggman. His new friend was quite helpful for the most part, but he had still been rather young. So the teen had taken special care to watch over and protect the fox, looking out for him and keeping him safe. And as time went on, their friendship grew stronger, and Sonic came to enjoy having a sort of "little brother."
But now, things were a little different. While the two of them still held that deep friendship, their brotherly bond, Sonic felt that his "little brother" was no long so little. Though he was still just nine years old and Sonic did his best to help and protect the fox as he always did, Tails had proven that he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Though he still enjoyed their friendship and relied on his support, the fox didn't have any problems protecting himself from any of Eggman's attacks.
Still, Sonic had to wonder if that was a good thing. After all, despite how intelligent the other was, Tails was still just nine years old. Most kids that age didn't have to worry about defending themselves from an evil genius out to get rid of them. Most kids didn't have to worry about helping save the world. Most kids just could play and enjoy themselves without worry of anything. But Tails couldn't really do that anymore since he was involved with the dealings of Eggman as well. The fox always had to be careful, always had to be on guard just in case the evil scientist decided to strike again. And while he could enjoy himself by building machines as he loved to do, those ultimately went into helping save the world. And was it fair for Sonic to get Tails involved like this over and over again?
He sighed softly. There was no use wondering and questioning, though. Things had already happened, and they could never be changed. All he could do was keep an eye over his young friend and be there for him, just like always.
Besides, he really did enjoy having the fox by his side. He couldn't imagine what his life would be like without his little brother with him.
Suddenly he was drawn out of his thoughts when a strange light flashed in the sky. Startled, the azure hedgehog snapped his head up to look at the pulsing glow that tinted the sky a vast rainbow of colors. He and Tails quickly got to their feet as they continued to warily watch the colorful blaze while Amy Rose and Cream looked on curiously; it gathered and condensed into a tight swirling sphere of red, white, and purple, blocking out any trace of blue the summer sky used to hold, and continue to pulse rapidly.
Then the orb released a blinding white flare, too bright to be looked upon directly. The four observers were forced to shield their eyes and turn away from the shine, but they felt the heat of the white hot glow sweep over their bodies.
Forever seemed to pass before the hotness died down, disappearing in the wake of an unexpected gentle breeze. Hesitantly they uncovered their faces and looked up for the flashing light. But all that was seen were the white clouds against the blue backdrop overhead.
Thousands of questions began to assault the teen's mind. But as he quickly glanced around, vaguely noting that they were still in the same place as they had been before the strange event occurred, he voiced the most important question. "Is everyone okay?"
His three companions turned their attention to him, regarding him with puzzled gazes. "I…think so," Tails finally managed to reply after a long moment.
"We're fine too," Amy added hesitantly, glancing quickly at the small rabbit for confirmation.
Cream gave a small nod in agreement, though seemed to hold Cheese close to her. "Sonic-san?" he asked with a trembling voice. "What…was that?"
That was another of the questions that ran through his mind. Scratching the back of his head, he admitted softly, "I really…don't know."
He caught the look he received from the young fox. But Tails didn't say a word. And he didn't have to, because Sonic was thinking the exact same thing.
No matter what that light was, it meant one thing: Their lazy afternoons of lying around were finally over.
"Hmm…" the mustached man muttered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring at the screen before him, "that didn't work too well at all."
Studying the monitor for a while longer, the man then pushed himself away from the large computer, one hand resting on his round, egg-shaped stomach while the other tiredly rubbed his eyes. The process was harder and taking much longer than expected, but he was positive that it would work.
"I just need to gather the rest of the Chaos Emeralds," he reasoned, looking back at the screen once more. "Yes…with all seven emeralds, I'll have enough energy to power my machine properly…then my plans will finally be ready to accomplish. After just one year, I will finally be recognized as the greatest scientific mind, and the world will be mine!"
He nodded confidently, but the nagging voice in the back of his mind continued to warn him that he still needed to test his machine to see if it will function properly. Even if he had built the device, and even if he managed to collect the seven emeralds, his plans were still only theoretically-based.
For now, though, the doctor decided to rest and resume his work at a later point. He was close to acquiring the sixth emerald, and it would only be a matter to time until he located the seventh one. Until then, there wasn't much to do except gather the remaining pieces for his ultimate attack.
In the meantime, however, he decided to go and see a…recuperating guest. It had been quite a while since Dr. Eggman had gone to visit him.
A voice…he could hear a muffled voice…somewhere.
"How is this possible? He's still too weak and hasn't fully recovered yet!"
That voice…sounded familiar.
"He shouldn't be waking yet! He had sustained too much damage to recover enough on this minimal power! It…can't be!"
'Waking yet'…? How long had he been asleep?
"Aaaargh…! What'll I do if he does wake up?"
It sounded as though…whoever was speaking didn't want him to awaken. But if that was so, then why…? Why was he there?
Why…was he still alive?
Get up…
What was that? It didn't sound like whoever had spoken before. It was another voice.
Please…get up…
It sounded so much closer, and much gentler than the first speaker. It sounded like…someone he was supposed to know.
You have to…get up…please…
It couldn't be…could it? No…it was impossible. He had to be imagining things. There was no way…that it could be her…Could it?
Please…you have to get up! Get up now!
The last thing he heard was the sound of glass shattering as his eyes suddenly snapped open. The next thing he knew, he stood before a familiar man cloaked in the darkness of the room they were in. The only light came from the pale glow of a monitor that stood behind the other, casting his large shadow over him. As his vision slowly adjusted and cleared, he became aware of the dull pains within his body beginning to flare and grow inside of him. His breathing was ragged and each forced gasp of air sent jolts of fire through his chest. The only thing that alleviated the burn he felt was the cool liquid that flowed in river patters down his body.
After an eternity of deafening silence, he was able to ignore the pain just long enough to recognize the man that stood before him. "Doctor…?" he rasped, his voice dry with insufficient use.
"Shadow!" the scientist exclaimed, his tone betraying his anxiety.
"What…happened? Where am I?" he demanded.
"You're in…my Egg Air Base. I found you after you crashed to Earth and…have been trying to revive you."
The doctor was trying hard to keep calm…too hard. But even if he couldn't hear it in the man's intonation, he had heard the man's words before. He knew that the doctor was lying.
He suddenly felt as thought the room was spinning. Staggering, he quickly tried to regain his balance as pieces of glass crackled under his feet. With as much strength as he could muster, he asked again, "Why am I here?"
The man watched him for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his features, as though considering his options. After a few minutes, he took a step back towards the glowing monitor. "I was just…trying to help you, Shadow. You were very close to death when I found you."
"Don't lie to me, Doctor," he retorted as patiently as he could. "Tell me what I'm doing here. Tell me why you've brought me here. Now!"
"You still haven't fully recovered yet," Eggman answered instead. "Your internal injuries still have yet to heal."
The heavy clanging echoed against the walls of the room, catching his attention. Quickly turning his head, his eyes widened as he caught sight of the three black, burly egg-shaped robots that stood at the room's only exit. Though they resembled the doctor in girth, they easily towered over him and their creator, the glare of the monitor light reflecting off their large, dark metallic bodies and giving them an intimidating glow, made even more menacing only by their readied guns aimed right at him.
There was no time to think. Just as the robots fired at him, he jumped up and back into the wall behind him. Firmly planting his feet against the metal, he then launched himself off and shot towards the robots. He curled up within himself tightly, forming a dark sphere lined with golden energy that penetrated the armed defense blocking the exit, knocking all three down.
As he landed on one knee in a narrow hallway, he inhaled deeply to catch his breath as the fire within burned painfully throughout his body. But he had no time to rest as the rapid metal clamor rumbled towards him. Briefly glancing up at the wave of Egg robots charging towards him, he quickly got up and sped down the corridor.
"Don't let him escape!" he heard the doctor's voice roar. The energy of their weapons sliced through the air, and he felt the heat of each fire closing in on him as it faintly brushed over his midnight fur. Even with his renewed stamina driving him onward, the pain that entrapped his body prevented him from reaching top speed.
The wail of sirens screeched around him as they flashed, bathing the hallways with blood-red light. The robots pounded on after him continuing their relentless fire. And from the farthest corners of his mind, painfully familiar memories overtook his senses, thrusting him in another time where he lost himself in the sound of exhausted breaths coming out in short labored gasps that trailed along just behind him.
He was jarred out of his reverie when he came to a divided path in the corridors. He growled softly, not having the time to try and decide which way to go. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily) another unit of robots began their approach from the right passageway, drawing their guns and aiming to fire.
They were obviously trying to block his path and prevent him from choosing the right. Which meant that the right was where he needed to go.
His body violently protested as he jumped into the air. But he ignored it as he spun and launched himself at the nearest robot. Knocking it to the ground, he ricocheted off it and back into the air, launching himself at the next robot.
But after knocking five robots to the ground in that manner, he landed on his feet, a hand tightly clutching his torso. Gritting his teeth, he narrowly dodged the remaining robots' fire, speeding past them as the first troop finally caught up to him.
They continued to pursue him, but at the end of the hall he could see a door. He wasn't sure where the door would lead, and he found himself hoping whatever was on the other side was better than this.
Finally he reached the door and thrust it open, quickly stepping through it before slamming it shut behind him.
That was when he became aware of the wind that quickly whipped around him. Spinning around, he discovered that he was standing on a platform stationed outside. The sky overhead was tainted with the colors of the dying day while the sun slowly descended past the horizon.
Cautiously he walked towards the railing of the platform to peer over the edge. He imagined that they were several thousand feet in the air, judging by how the trees of the forest below appeared too miniaturized to seem real.
The sound of heavy clanking reached his ears, and he whirled around to find three of the robots that had been giving chase.
But they stepped aside as their creator stepped past the door, regarding him with a sneer.
"There's nowhere left for you to run, Shadow," he stated smugly.
He glared at the doctor for a moment before he glanced once again over the railing. A small smirk graced his lips.
Eggman's eyes widened as the Ultimate Lifeform suddenly jumped up and shot over the railing. Running to the edge, he gripped the bars as he looked over them, watching as the black hedgehog plunged to the earth below before disappearing amongst the green foliage.
The man cursed under his breath for a moment, trying to decide what to do. "Well…" he finally said minutes later as he straightened up, "no matter. I have enough of the data I need from him, and with his injuries he'll be of no threat to me alone."
"SHALL WE PURSUE?" one of the robots asked.
"No. No need to waste the effort. We will proceed as planned. At this point, there isn't much anyone can do to stop me." And Eggman allowed himself a triumphant smirk.
On the earth below, Shadow gasped for breath as he sat on a branch in one of the trees, once again clutching his torso. When he had neared the earth's surface, he had quickly grabbed a branch to prevent himself from falling further. Unfortunately, gravity refused to be kind, roughly pulling on his injured body and tearing the damage deeper before the branch he held snapped. He had fallen several more feet down as thin branches collapsed beneath him and sharply jabbed him before he landed - none too gently - on one of the stronger branches. Still, he figured it was better than hitting the ground.
He glanced up and through the leaves, he could just make out the outline of the doctor's ship against the darkening sky. As he watched it begin to disappear from his vision, his eyes narrowed.
The doctor had saved him from the brink of death, but hadn't wanted him to awaken. So then why had the man even bothered? Why had the doctor kept him alive?
Shadow didn't know. But he swore he would find out.
TBC
[Chapter 2]