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Description
Chapter Seventeen: The Last of the Pachacmac Clan

*Death Ruins: Upon Shadow and everyone else's arrival*

Death Ruins, simply named but appropriately so.
After some investigations done on Emerl and the Nocturnus Clan, G.U.N. had concluded that the Death Ruins had once been a burial site for the Fourth Great Civilization. Giant structures were built alongside rivers and up steep slops and small hills, surrounded by a forest of giant trees.
During the Black Arms invasion about three years ago, G.U.N. had pushed their enemy out of Westopolis, and they took shelter in this obscure island. After a long, drawn-out fight and the summoning of a giant Black Bull monsters, Death Ruins once again rightfully earned its namesake. However, due to the historical nature of the site being connected to the Fourth Great Civilization, the Commander deemed it necessary to keep an eye on the island.
Now, the small outpost was under assault once again.
"Alright, let's make this quick" Shadow told everyone. "Rouge, Omega and I will try to eliminate as many of Mephiles' soldiers as we can. Silver and Shade, you two try to find and locate Mephiles or Hades. If you find Hades, engage him. If you find Mephiles or both him and Hades, do not engage unless he's near the Master Emerald. Sonic, Tails, Cream and Knuckles, you all get to the Master Emerald and protect it and the surviving soldiers. Any questions?"
"Who put you in charge?" Sonic asked.
"Move out!" Shadow growled, and they all split up into their assigned groups.
"Why don't we all just head for the Master Emerald?" Rouge asked. "That way, we could make sure Mephiles couldn't get it."
"For one, if we all stayed together then he would find it more easily. He still doesn't know its exact location" Shadow replied. "Secondly, he's after me; if I get near the Master Emerald, he'll find it much more easily. And third, we need to destroy the forces he has searching for it."
"I guess that makes sense" Rouge replied. "I just…"
"IT IS UNLIKE YOU TO ENTRUST THE ECHIDNA WITH A TASK OF SUCH PRIORITY" Omega finished for her.
"He's its guardian; shouldn't he be able to watch over it?" Shadow retorted. "Now shut up and let's move!"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"Right behind you Shad."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, all three of them had to admit that this felt good, somehow. Almost fun. The three of them hadn't worked together out on a mission like this in quite awhile, not since Mephiles had shown up. It was familiar territory they had all become accustomed to; danger, all kinds of havoc and destruction, watching each others' backs, and ready to fight. Just like old times. The bond all three of them had formed was now very apparent, and they all felt it.
Soon, they stumbled upon a group of about forty of Mephiles' monsters, and Team Dark did what they did best: quick work of the utmost efficiency.
Omega's barrage of bullets met almost no resistance, Rouge's martial arts made the honed, murderous nature of Mephiles' monsters look like a joke, and Shadow's powers and skills made that look like an even greater mockery.
They continued on for awhile, destroying any monsters they ran into, when suddenly a loud screech tore through the air.
Shadow and Rouge's blood froze, and Omega's head whirred to face the source.
"Is that… what I think…?!" Rouge whispered.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Shadow hissed. "A Mawarox?!"
To show it most certainly was not kidding, the dreaded beast suddenly charged forward, smashing several giants trees aside, even lifting some out by their roots.
"Well, what now?" Rouge hissed as they fled the monster's path.
"I'd say unless Omega's been equipped with hellfire-missiles, we're fucked" Shadow replied hotly.
"NEGATIVE" the mech affirmed.

*Death Ruins: 2 miles southeast, five minutes later*

Shade and Silver had followed the others for awhile, closing in on the Master Emerald before breaking away and searching through a perimeter around the Master Emerald. They figured that way, they would have the best chance of locating Hades or Mephiles.
"Hopefully, we won't find either of them" Shade thought aloud. "I'd rather Shadow's team finish off all of his soldiers so we can all team up, defeat him and get the Master Emerald out of here."
"One, that's wishful thinking" Silver retorted sharply. "Secondly, I hope we find Mephiles or Hades. Maybe not together, but I can tell you one thing: there's no way in hell Mephiles is walking away unscathed from our next meeting."
Shade merely nodded, guessing that in the presence of a Mephiles-induced threat, Silver wouldn't be in the best of moods.
They ran on for a few more minutes, and by now the sounds of battle filled the entire island. The two of them could hear a Mawarox's roar off in the distance, and the gunfire drew near as all forces pulled back towards the island's center. Eventually, they encountered a group of about fifty monsters, but they quickly wiped them out.
"I'm about to say screw this, and let's go help Shadow's team or something" Shade muttered. "I feel useless, running around in circles like this."
"Poor thing. It's fitting though, that you do something futile to prolong your futile existence, is it not?"
Shade and Silver turned around to see Mephiles' eyes staring at them from the darkness of a grove. The dark being stepped into better light, the flames flickering off of his horns darkening the air around him.
"So, the livestock returns to the herd" he mused. "You should've known Shade; no one ever leaves the darkness behind!"
Silver gritted his teeth, and glared at Mephiles with the utmost loathing.
"Silver, keep it under control" Shade warned. "He wants to provoke you into doing something stupid, something you'll regret."
"Indeed? Oh, you assume too much of my manipulative nature" Mephiles chuckled. "I was just thinking… what a treat to encounter you both here." He locked eyes with the psychic hedgehog. "Not only do I have a chance to finish off the Prince of Traitors, but I also get to finish what I started with the cat woman."
"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" Silver snarled.
"No, you don't understand" Mephiles sighed. "I take orders from no one!" He aimed his hand at them, and blasted them both back into a tree.
Shade slumped to the ground, but before he could recover, Mephiles' foot connected with his head and sent him skidding through the dirt. The dark being then kneed Silver in the stomach, and slammed his fist into the hedgehog's head. Silver groaned, and fell to his knees.
"Yes… now, beg me for mercy" Mephiles hissed. "Beg for your life. Just like your lover did before she died!"
"W…what did you say?!" Silver wheezed, his forehead aching with anger.
"Yes, you heard me" Mephiles laughed. "Such fragile things, you fleshlings. You cling to life as a purpose as a fly does to infected food as its means of provision for the day. And to have it taken away is to be left with less than nothing. Disgusting!"
"You… you shut up!" Silver coughed. "Blaze… would never beg for her life!"
"Fine, don't believe me" the darkness sighed. "Denial is just one more thing you fools are all so proficient at." He looked to his left, and Silver and Shade turned to see Hades arriving. He walked over to stand next to his master, chuckling to himself.
"Very well done, my master!" Hades said with a grin in his voice. "Allow me to finish them for you!" He aimed a fiery blade at Shade's head.
Mephiles turned and backhanded his second harshly across the face. He stumbled back, and then bowed down on one knee.
"My apologies, master!" Hades stuttered. "I should know better than to act before you command, my lord."
"No harm done, Hades" Mephiles replied calmly, as if he had done nothing. "But… these two have not yet fulfilled their purposes. And we have more pressing matters-"
Mephiles barely brought the Sword of Chaos up in time to block Shade's claws. They remained locked for awhile, and then they both leaped back, facing each other down. Mephiles noticed that the metal around Shade's claws was gone, and two glowing blades of blue energy on each hand had taken their place.
"Interesting" he noted. "So, you broke free of your restraints?"
"Indeed I have!" Shade growled. "You have no power over me any longer!"
"Why would I, over one as blinded as you?" Mephiles scoffed. "To have fallen so far into the depths of ignorance and not achieved anything for it… your failure is sickening."
"The failure is yours!" Shade shouted. "No longer do your whispers crawl in my skull. No longer do I serve ideals I despise. I serve my own purpose now."
"Yet you continue to fail to defeat me" Mephiles retorted. "You only have one other ally capable of truly aiding you. And one broken hedgehog cannot stop the darkness that is to come."
"We'll just see, won't we?!" Shade leapt at Mephiles, claws outstretched.
"Indeed, we shall see both your limits, as well as Shadow's" Mephiles laughed, and extended the Havoc Blade. "Now… serve your master, Shade the Echidna!"
Suddenly, Shade fell straight to his knees, his eyes wide in shock. His brows furrowed a little, and he clutched his head. A scream suddenly tore through his throat, and he pitched forward to the ground, clawing helplessly at the ground.
"You're all fools, Shade" Mephiles spat. "Did you ever think you had truly stopped serving me?" He inclined the Sword of Chaos up a little, and Shade raised his head in response.
Again, his eyes glowed a bright red.
"Now, do me a favor" Mephiles purred. "Go and slay that fool, Shadow the Hedgehog. And once you have, I would like you to take your own blade, and gently run it across your own throat until blood comes spilling out like a fountain."
"Yes, my master" Shade muttered, and turned to walk away.
"Shade, wait!" Silver cried out. "Don't do it! Snap out of it!" He ran towards the ensnared echidna. But Shade merely kicked Silver in the gut again, and ran off to find his new target. Mephiles and Hades just walked away.
"Ah, my master. So brilliant!" Hades laughed. "So, that is why you did not want me to slay the traitor?"
"Everyone deserves a chance for redemption, should they wish for it" Mephiles replied. "This is Shade's atonement. I merely forced him upon the road."
"He never truly was out of your grasp?" Hades asked, clearly impressed.
"Indeed. When first I found him, I left an imprint of energy upon him, should he ever choose to stray from the path I set him on. I chose not to activate it until now, when my goal was of the utmost importance."
"So, he is still your servant?" Hades chuckled.
"He is my greatest triumph" Mephiles mused.
Silver glared after the one creature he hated most, but resisted the urge to attack. He had to find Shade, and stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

*With Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream and Knuckles, about two miles away*

The group was nearing the Master Emerald. Despite the horrible situation, Knuckles couldn't help but smile. The gem's powerful aura comforted him with its positive glow and familiarity. It always made him feel stronger, more secure and at peace.
"How much further?!" Sonic asked.
"Not much longer!" Knuckles replied as they ran. "Just past that-"
An explosion cut him off, making them all skid to a halt before running right through a wall of black fire. They looked up and saw a sadly familiar figure.
Hades the Lost One landed right before the group, and soon, dozens of monsters arrived to back him up.
"How delightful, I was hoping I could ask you for directions to the Emerald" Hades laughed. "Would you mind divulging me that information, in exchange…?"
"For our lives? Yeah, have you tried looking up your asshole?" Knuckles asked.
"We'll never tell you where it is!" Tails shouted with a defiant glare, aiming his electronic-pulse gun at the Lost One.
"That's right! So go home or we'll send you home!" Cream snapped.
"Chao-Chao!" Cheese cried in agreement.
"Verdict's in; you're going nowhere" Sonic said with a grin.
Hades sighed, and nodded. Then, he lifted his arms up, and a huge geyser of flame burst from his hands.
Everyone dodged, and Amy swung her hammer to knock Hades' incoming blades aside. Sonic landed a Homing Attack on the Lost One's head, knocking him back a ways. Knuckles tunneled under the ground, and drilled back up into the horde of monsters, and began tearing through them with his hands, throwing punches that could shatter boulders. Tails shot his way through the beasts, and flew up over a quadruped, dropping a ring-bomb on it as it passed beneath him. While the beast and several others around it were stunned, Cream and Cheese slammed into them, their Mobian strength knocking them into the others. The respite allowed Tails and Knuckles to finish them.
"Knuckles! Get to the Master Emerald, we'll hold off this asshole!" Sonic called.
Knuckles nodded, and took off. Tails and Cream fought off a few more monsters, and then chased after the echidna.
"Be careful, Sonic!" Tails called behind him.
"You too Amy!" Cream added.
"Same goes for you!" Amy shouted back.
Hades kicked Sonic aside and began rapidly slashing at Amy, who quickly became overwhelmed with the speed of Hades' attacks. She ducked her head, and spun her hammer so that it slammed into his side. While the Lost One fell back against a tree from this attack, Sonic rammed his fist into his head, and then kicked Hades so hard in the stomach, he went through the tree to his back.
Hades quickly got back on his feet, and charged at the cerulean hedgehog head-on. Sonic charged back, and they both lunged for the other. Sonic caught Hades' blade in one hand and kicked the Lost One in the jaw, but Hades twisted his body around to kick him in the ribcage. He followed up with a knee to Sonic's stomach, and then lashed out with both blades. The blue hedgehog cried out as the burning blades cut into his skin, the force of the blow sending him spiraling to the ground.
But before Hades could deliver the final blow, Amy's hammer-mallet slammed right into his head, sending him head-over-heels down the hill to their left. Sonic picked himself up, and landed a solid Homing-Attack on Hades, once again blasting him through a few trees.
The Lost One snarled in frustration. He debated about counter-attacking, and decided the damage he'd done to Sonic was sufficient. Hades fired a last missile at Amy and Sonic, and then flew off again.
Sonic grabbed Amy and leapt far to the left, and then they flattened themselves as the missile leveled several trees which came crashing down where they'd been standing a moment ago. When they looked up, Hades was gone.
"Coward!" Amy shrieked. She helped Sonic up. "You okay?!"
"Yeah… I've had worse" Sonic said with a smirk. He winced a little as he flexed his right arm. Amy noticed the burnt scar that had been left over a barely-bleeding wound.
"It looks horrible!" Amy observed. "You can't tell me that doesn't hurt!"
"Well… it does, but it's not like I can't still fight" Sonic pointed out. "Besides, with the burn its not bleeding too much; almost like it sealed it shut."
"Maybe, but… Sonic, I don't wanna see you fighting with that!" Amy argued.
"Aww c'mon, how else am I going to protect my sweetheart?" Sonic asked with a wink. Amy thought about it a moment, and then sighed.
"Fine, let's go. But if you get hurt again-" she warned.
"I get the gist. Now…" Sonic gestured around them. "How about taking out these creeps for the meantime?"
Well over a hundred monsters had surrounded the duo while they spoke, each one growling hungrily for a fight.
"Let's make it quick" Amy said, hefting up her hammer.
"That's what I'm best at!" Sonic replied.

*Death Ruins: With Team Dark*

At this time, Team Dark had joined up with a squad of Black Arms, which had provided them with a hiding spot from the Mawarox. Due to the tall trees blocking the sunlight, the Mawarox's vision was slightly better than it normally was.
"What do you mean there's no air-support available?!" Shadow hissed at his comm.
"All available forces are either preparing for the attack on Angel Island, on duty or engaged there at Death Ruins" replied the voice of Admiral Atmos. "I'm sorry, but you're on your own. If I can clear any back-up at all, I'll let you know. Atmos out."
Shadow sighed, and clicked off the communicator.
"Alright fine, we go to plan 'B'" he said, glancing over at Rouge. "You have a plan 'B'?"
"What?! No, why would I?!" she replied.
"Shit…!" Shadow hissed. The only thing he could think of was to move further towards the edge of the island, and get the Mawarox as far away from the Master Emerald as possible. Sighing, he faced the Black Arms.
"Run. Get to the Master Emerald, and defend it. We'll draw the Mawarox off."
"We will?!" Rouge asked. "Oh… yeah, of course we will! I love putting my life on the line! No problem, you just all run along now!"
"Your generosity knows no bounds, my lady" their commander replied. "Very well. Good luck to you all!" With that, they leapt from their hiding place and made a break for it.
Reflecting that sarcasm probably wasn't exercised too much by their race, Rouge chucked an explosive at the Mawarox to get its attention.
To nobodies' great surprise, the monster got pissed off.
Team Dark took off running as fast as they could. The Mawarox was hot on their trail, and wasn't even slowed down by the abundance of trees. It merely smashed them all aside with its huge arms, roaring in rage as it closely followed their scent.
"Any bright ideas, honey?!?!" Rouge shouted.
"Working on it!" Shadow snapped back, and fired a Chaos Spear over his shoulder. It blasted a tree down in the Mawarox's path, making it slow down for a moment as it kicked it aside, and continued charging.
Wondering how the hell they were going to survive this, Shadow looked up and his fears were eased.
"Shade! We could use some help!" he shouted.
The echidna lazily inclined his head to look at them from an awkward angle. He held up his hand to halt them all.
Surprisingly, the Mawarox was the first to stop.
"Go back" Shade whispered. "You are needed… elsewhere…"
The Mawarox growled softly, and then screeched and took off running as fast as it could towards the island center.
"Shade! Damn it, we were trying to lure it away!" Rouge shouted. "What the hell…?!"
"Rouge, stand back" Shadow warned. "Something's not right… Shade, what's wrong with you?"
The black echidna smiled faintly, and looked right up at them, his eyes glowing a bright red.
Just as they had when he first served Mephiles.
"No…" Shadow breathed. "That… can't be, he broke free?!"
"Did he, now…?" Shade cackled, in a voice that sounded only faintly like his own. "Did he really?! Shade… is nothing more than a puppet. He always has been, and always will be."
Shadow ignited Dark Burner's blade as he realized what had happened. Omega armed his guns and Rouge armed one of her bombs.
"Let him go!" Shadow shouted. "Are you so pathetic you can't even face me yourself?!"
"I'd love to, Shadow!" Mephiles laughed through Shade's voice. "But… I am preoccupied with things far more important at the moment. So in the meantime, you and your friends just… get to know your brother better! Play nicely, and try not to leave too big of a mess; I've got enough cleanup to do as it is."
Shade drew his claws out, and the metal pulled itself back to reveal the blue energy-blades beneath. His body glowed with energy, and he lunged at Shadow.
Their blades clashed violently, causing sparks to fly out and making a whining noise like heat escaping from a pent-up container. Rouge tossed the explosive behind Shade and jump-kicked him back away from Shadow. The echidna back-flipped over the explosion, and then ran right back at Shadow.
The ebony hedgehog swung Dark Burner as hard as he could, which Shade blocked with both hands. While still blocking with one hand, he lashed out with the other. Shadow moved back and brought his blade down to block the counter, and they continued to rapidly exchange blows.
Omega watched them fight awhile longer, and then saw an opening to exploit. He ran forward, propelling himself forward with his rockets, and lashed a fist out at Shade's head. The echidna fell back with a grunt, but quickly got back up as if nothing had happened.
"Be careful; we don't want to damage his body too badly" Shadow reminded them. "I know we can undo… whatever it is Mephiles did to him, we just need to find out how!"
"If you say so, Shadow" Rouge sighed.
"OBSERVATION: STRONG FOCUS OF DARK MATTER EMANATING FROM SHADE'S CRANIUM" Omega pointed out. "I ASSESS THAT IF WE DISPELL THE ENERGY SOMEHOW, WE MAY BE ABLE TO FREE SHADE FROM MEPHILES' CONTROL."
"Sounds like a plan" Shadow replied. "Let's do this!"

*Death Ruins: Near Center of Island, about sixty miles away*

Knuckles was running so fast and so determinedly, Tails and Cream had to struggle to not be left behind. The crimson echidna seemed possessed, rushing to the Master Emerald's aid as quickly as he could force himself.
The energy of the sacred stone called to him, and Knuckles felt a sensation, almost a longing, being fulfilled a little more with every step. He only paused to destroy the occasional, unfortunate monster that stood in his way.
Knuckles was the last of the Pachacmac Clan, an ancient clan of echidna warriors whose roots predated that of the Nocturnus Clan. They had started the tradition of safeguarding the Chaos Emeralds, and more importantly, the almighty Master Emerald, the last of its kind. It was more than a job, it was a sacred, honorable duty to guard the greatest remnant of the Third Great Civilization. After being wiped out by the Nocturnus, only a few echidnas managed to pass on the tradition.
This crimson echidna was the last, and he was not about to fail everything he, his family, his kind and his ancestors had strived for.
Finally, they reached the Master Emerald. A few walls of sandbags surrounded it, as well as four automated machine-gun turrets. Ten G.U.N. soldiers and four elite Black Arms soldiers fought for their lives behind these barricades.
"Don't let them near the Emerald!!" Knuckles shouted, his eyes bulging at the sight of so many foes encroaching its grounds. "STOP THEM NOW!!" , and charged right into his foes.
"Mr. Knuckles?! Wait!" Cream shouted, but he had already bulldozed into a dozen of them. She glanced over at Tails, who smiled sheepishly, shrugged, and readied his weapon.
"You heard him Cream, let's do this!" he said determinedly. Cream smiled back, and she leapt into the air while Tails ran forward and smashed his namesake into the nearest monster, and shot it at point-blank range with his electronic-pulse gun. He leapt back to gain some distance from the others, and heaved a dummy-ring bomb into the middle of them, stunning almost every last one of them.
Cream came soaring down from above, using her giant ears to slow her descent. She slammed her feet into a quadruped monster, crushing it to the ground. Cheese cried out defiantly and slammed his whole body into the head of another monsters walking right up to his friend. The monster stumbled back and Cream followed up by slapping it repeatedly with her ears, and then kicking it down.
Between Cream's distractions and Tails' moves, they were chipping away very progressively against the mountain of darkness.
Knuckles, however, was on a massacre.
Every time a punch was thrown, three or four monsters would fly apart. His fists shattered his foes apart, and he was slowly forcing them all back.
"NOT. ANOTHER. STEP. CLOSER!!" Knuckles screamed, and ripped a nearby tree out by its roots, and threw it. The lumber rolled through them and crushed several up against each other. He literally tore into them, with body parts and pieces flying all over the place. After only a minute more of fighting, the rest of the monsters decided life was more important than pride, and retreated a bit.
"Who else wants some?!" Knuckles challenged, grinning defiantly at the horde of monsters. Tails joined his side and aimed his gun at them, and Cream came to stand next to him, her and Cheese glaring at their foes.
"I accept your challenge."
Knuckles turned around, saw who had spoken, and his heart sank like a rock. Every G.U.N. soldier and Black Alien guarding the Master Emerald were dead, nothing more than a burnt crater where they had been standing. He ran back over to the Master Emerald, protectively holding his arms out.
"You have something I want" Mephiles the Dark told him. "I do not expect you to give it to me; no, your kind is far too stubborn for that. I shall be taking it."

Description
Chapter Seventeen: The Last of the Pachacmac Clan

*Death Ruins: Upon Shadow and everyone else's arrival*

Death Ruins, simply named but appropriately so.
After some investigations done on Emerl and the Nocturnus Clan, G.U.N. had concluded that the Death Ruins had once been a burial site for the Fourth Great Civilization. Giant structures were built alongside rivers and up steep slops and small hills, surrounded by a forest of giant trees.
During the Black Arms invasion about three years ago, G.U.N. had pushed their enemy out of Westopolis, and they took shelter in this obscure island. After a long, drawn-out fight and the summoning of a giant Black Bull monsters, Death Ruins once again rightfully earned its namesake. However, due to the historical nature of the site being connected to the Fourth Great Civilization, the Commander deemed it necessary to keep an eye on the island.
Now, the small outpost was under assault once again.
"Alright, let's make this quick" Shadow told everyone. "Rouge, Omega and I will try to eliminate as many of Mephiles' soldiers as we can. Silver and Shade, you two try to find and locate Mephiles or Hades. If you find Hades, engage him. If you find Mephiles or both him and Hades, do not engage unless he's near the Master Emerald. Sonic, Tails, Cream and Knuckles, you all get to the Master Emerald and protect it and the surviving soldiers. Any questions?"
"Who put you in charge?" Sonic asked.
"Move out!" Shadow growled, and they all split up into their assigned groups.
"Why don't we all just head for the Master Emerald?" Rouge asked. "That way, we could make sure Mephiles couldn't get it."
"For one, if we all stayed together then he would find it more easily. He still doesn't know its exact location" Shadow replied. "Secondly, he's after me; if I get near the Master Emerald, he'll find it much more easily. And third, we need to destroy the forces he has searching for it."
"I guess that makes sense" Rouge replied. "I just…"
"IT IS UNLIKE YOU TO ENTRUST THE ECHIDNA WITH A TASK OF SUCH PRIORITY" Omega finished for her.
"He's its guardian; shouldn't he be able to watch over it?" Shadow retorted. "Now shut up and let's move!"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"Right behind you Shad."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, all three of them had to admit that this felt good, somehow. Almost fun. The three of them hadn't worked together out on a mission like this in quite awhile, not since Mephiles had shown up. It was familiar territory they had all become accustomed to; danger, all kinds of havoc and destruction, watching each others' backs, and ready to fight. Just like old times. The bond all three of them had formed was now very apparent, and they all felt it.
Soon, they stumbled upon a group of about forty of Mephiles' monsters, and Team Dark did what they did best: quick work of the utmost efficiency.
Omega's barrage of bullets met almost no resistance, Rouge's martial arts made the honed, murderous nature of Mephiles' monsters look like a joke, and Shadow's powers and skills made that look like an even greater mockery.
They continued on for awhile, destroying any monsters they ran into, when suddenly a loud screech tore through the air.
Shadow and Rouge's blood froze, and Omega's head whirred to face the source.
"Is that… what I think…?!" Rouge whispered.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Shadow hissed. "A Mawarox?!"
To show it most certainly was not kidding, the dreaded beast suddenly charged forward, smashing several giants trees aside, even lifting some out by their roots.
"Well, what now?" Rouge hissed as they fled the monster's path.
"I'd say unless Omega's been equipped with hellfire-missiles, we're fucked" Shadow replied hotly.
"NEGATIVE" the mech affirmed.

*Death Ruins: 2 miles southeast, five minutes later*

Shade and Silver had followed the others for awhile, closing in on the Master Emerald before breaking away and searching through a perimeter around the Master Emerald. They figured that way, they would have the best chance of locating Hades or Mephiles.
"Hopefully, we won't find either of them" Shade thought aloud. "I'd rather Shadow's team finish off all of his soldiers so we can all team up, defeat him and get the Master Emerald out of here."
"One, that's wishful thinking" Silver retorted sharply. "Secondly, I hope we find Mephiles or Hades. Maybe not together, but I can tell you one thing: there's no way in hell Mephiles is walking away unscathed from our next meeting."
Shade merely nodded, guessing that in the presence of a Mephiles-induced threat, Silver wouldn't be in the best of moods.
They ran on for a few more minutes, and by now the sounds of battle filled the entire island. The two of them could hear a Mawarox's roar off in the distance, and the gunfire drew near as all forces pulled back towards the island's center. Eventually, they encountered a group of about fifty monsters, but they quickly wiped them out.
"I'm about to say screw this, and let's go help Shadow's team or something" Shade muttered. "I feel useless, running around in circles like this."
"Poor thing. It's fitting though, that you do something futile to prolong your futile existence, is it not?"
Shade and Silver turned around to see Mephiles' eyes staring at them from the darkness of a grove. The dark being stepped into better light, the flames flickering off of his horns darkening the air around him.
"So, the livestock returns to the herd" he mused. "You should've known Shade; no one ever leaves the darkness behind!"
Silver gritted his teeth, and glared at Mephiles with the utmost loathing.
"Silver, keep it under control" Shade warned. "He wants to provoke you into doing something stupid, something you'll regret."
"Indeed? Oh, you assume too much of my manipulative nature" Mephiles chuckled. "I was just thinking… what a treat to encounter you both here." He locked eyes with the psychic hedgehog. "Not only do I have a chance to finish off the Prince of Traitors, but I also get to finish what I started with the cat woman."
"YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" Silver snarled.
"No, you don't understand" Mephiles sighed. "I take orders from no one!" He aimed his hand at them, and blasted them both back into a tree.
Shade slumped to the ground, but before he could recover, Mephiles' foot connected with his head and sent him skidding through the dirt. The dark being then kneed Silver in the stomach, and slammed his fist into the hedgehog's head. Silver groaned, and fell to his knees.
"Yes… now, beg me for mercy" Mephiles hissed. "Beg for your life. Just like your lover did before she died!"
"W…what did you say?!" Silver wheezed, his forehead aching with anger.
"Yes, you heard me" Mephiles laughed. "Such fragile things, you fleshlings. You cling to life as a purpose as a fly does to infected food as its means of provision for the day. And to have it taken away is to be left with less than nothing. Disgusting!"
"You… you shut up!" Silver coughed. "Blaze… would never beg for her life!"
"Fine, don't believe me" the darkness sighed. "Denial is just one more thing you fools are all so proficient at." He looked to his left, and Silver and Shade turned to see Hades arriving. He walked over to stand next to his master, chuckling to himself.
"Very well done, my master!" Hades said with a grin in his voice. "Allow me to finish them for you!" He aimed a fiery blade at Shade's head.
Mephiles turned and backhanded his second harshly across the face. He stumbled back, and then bowed down on one knee.
"My apologies, master!" Hades stuttered. "I should know better than to act before you command, my lord."
"No harm done, Hades" Mephiles replied calmly, as if he had done nothing. "But… these two have not yet fulfilled their purposes. And we have more pressing matters-"
Mephiles barely brought the Sword of Chaos up in time to block Shade's claws. They remained locked for awhile, and then they both leaped back, facing each other down. Mephiles noticed that the metal around Shade's claws was gone, and two glowing blades of blue energy on each hand had taken their place.
"Interesting" he noted. "So, you broke free of your restraints?"
"Indeed I have!" Shade growled. "You have no power over me any longer!"
"Why would I, over one as blinded as you?" Mephiles scoffed. "To have fallen so far into the depths of ignorance and not achieved anything for it… your failure is sickening."
"The failure is yours!" Shade shouted. "No longer do your whispers crawl in my skull. No longer do I serve ideals I despise. I serve my own purpose now."
"Yet you continue to fail to defeat me" Mephiles retorted. "You only have one other ally capable of truly aiding you. And one broken hedgehog cannot stop the darkness that is to come."
"We'll just see, won't we?!" Shade leapt at Mephiles, claws outstretched.
"Indeed, we shall see both your limits, as well as Shadow's" Mephiles laughed, and extended the Havoc Blade. "Now… serve your master, Shade the Echidna!"
Suddenly, Shade fell straight to his knees, his eyes wide in shock. His brows furrowed a little, and he clutched his head. A scream suddenly tore through his throat, and he pitched forward to the ground, clawing helplessly at the ground.
"You're all fools, Shade" Mephiles spat. "Did you ever think you had truly stopped serving me?" He inclined the Sword of Chaos up a little, and Shade raised his head in response.
Again, his eyes glowed a bright red.
"Now, do me a favor" Mephiles purred. "Go and slay that fool, Shadow the Hedgehog. And once you have, I would like you to take your own blade, and gently run it across your own throat until blood comes spilling out like a fountain."
"Yes, my master" Shade muttered, and turned to walk away.
"Shade, wait!" Silver cried out. "Don't do it! Snap out of it!" He ran towards the ensnared echidna. But Shade merely kicked Silver in the gut again, and ran off to find his new target. Mephiles and Hades just walked away.
"Ah, my master. So brilliant!" Hades laughed. "So, that is why you did not want me to slay the traitor?"
"Everyone deserves a chance for redemption, should they wish for it" Mephiles replied. "This is Shade's atonement. I merely forced him upon the road."
"He never truly was out of your grasp?" Hades asked, clearly impressed.
"Indeed. When first I found him, I left an imprint of energy upon him, should he ever choose to stray from the path I set him on. I chose not to activate it until now, when my goal was of the utmost importance."
"So, he is still your servant?" Hades chuckled.
"He is my greatest triumph" Mephiles mused.
Silver glared after the one creature he hated most, but resisted the urge to attack. He had to find Shade, and stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

*With Sonic, Tails, Amy, Cream and Knuckles, about two miles away*

The group was nearing the Master Emerald. Despite the horrible situation, Knuckles couldn't help but smile. The gem's powerful aura comforted him with its positive glow and familiarity. It always made him feel stronger, more secure and at peace.
"How much further?!" Sonic asked.
"Not much longer!" Knuckles replied as they ran. "Just past that-"
An explosion cut him off, making them all skid to a halt before running right through a wall of black fire. They looked up and saw a sadly familiar figure.
Hades the Lost One landed right before the group, and soon, dozens of monsters arrived to back him up.
"How delightful, I was hoping I could ask you for directions to the Emerald" Hades laughed. "Would you mind divulging me that information, in exchange…?"
"For our lives? Yeah, have you tried looking up your asshole?" Knuckles asked.
"We'll never tell you where it is!" Tails shouted with a defiant glare, aiming his electronic-pulse gun at the Lost One.
"That's right! So go home or we'll send you home!" Cream snapped.
"Chao-Chao!" Cheese cried in agreement.
"Verdict's in; you're going nowhere" Sonic said with a grin.
Hades sighed, and nodded. Then, he lifted his arms up, and a huge geyser of flame burst from his hands.
Everyone dodged, and Amy swung her hammer to knock Hades' incoming blades aside. Sonic landed a Homing Attack on the Lost One's head, knocking him back a ways. Knuckles tunneled under the ground, and drilled back up into the horde of monsters, and began tearing through them with his hands, throwing punches that could shatter boulders. Tails shot his way through the beasts, and flew up over a quadruped, dropping a ring-bomb on it as it passed beneath him. While the beast and several others around it were stunned, Cream and Cheese slammed into them, their Mobian strength knocking them into the others. The respite allowed Tails and Knuckles to finish them.
"Knuckles! Get to the Master Emerald, we'll hold off this asshole!" Sonic called.
Knuckles nodded, and took off. Tails and Cream fought off a few more monsters, and then chased after the echidna.
"Be careful, Sonic!" Tails called behind him.
"You too Amy!" Cream added.
"Same goes for you!" Amy shouted back.
Hades kicked Sonic aside and began rapidly slashing at Amy, who quickly became overwhelmed with the speed of Hades' attacks. She ducked her head, and spun her hammer so that it slammed into his side. While the Lost One fell back against a tree from this attack, Sonic rammed his fist into his head, and then kicked Hades so hard in the stomach, he went through the tree to his back.
Hades quickly got back on his feet, and charged at the cerulean hedgehog head-on. Sonic charged back, and they both lunged for the other. Sonic caught Hades' blade in one hand and kicked the Lost One in the jaw, but Hades twisted his body around to kick him in the ribcage. He followed up with a knee to Sonic's stomach, and then lashed out with both blades. The blue hedgehog cried out as the burning blades cut into his skin, the force of the blow sending him spiraling to the ground.
But before Hades could deliver the final blow, Amy's hammer-mallet slammed right into his head, sending him head-over-heels down the hill to their left. Sonic picked himself up, and landed a solid Homing-Attack on Hades, once again blasting him through a few trees.
The Lost One snarled in frustration. He debated about counter-attacking, and decided the damage he'd done to Sonic was sufficient. Hades fired a last missile at Amy and Sonic, and then flew off again.
Sonic grabbed Amy and leapt far to the left, and then they flattened themselves as the missile leveled several trees which came crashing down where they'd been standing a moment ago. When they looked up, Hades was gone.
"Coward!" Amy shrieked. She helped Sonic up. "You okay?!"
"Yeah… I've had worse" Sonic said with a smirk. He winced a little as he flexed his right arm. Amy noticed the burnt scar that had been left over a barely-bleeding wound.
"It looks horrible!" Amy observed. "You can't tell me that doesn't hurt!"
"Well… it does, but it's not like I can't still fight" Sonic pointed out. "Besides, with the burn its not bleeding too much; almost like it sealed it shut."
"Maybe, but… Sonic, I don't wanna see you fighting with that!" Amy argued.
"Aww c'mon, how else am I going to protect my sweetheart?" Sonic asked with a wink. Amy thought about it a moment, and then sighed.
"Fine, let's go. But if you get hurt again-" she warned.
"I get the gist. Now…" Sonic gestured around them. "How about taking out these creeps for the meantime?"
Well over a hundred monsters had surrounded the duo while they spoke, each one growling hungrily for a fight.
"Let's make it quick" Amy said, hefting up her hammer.
"That's what I'm best at!" Sonic replied.

*Death Ruins: With Team Dark*

At this time, Team Dark had joined up with a squad of Black Arms, which had provided them with a hiding spot from the Mawarox. Due to the tall trees blocking the sunlight, the Mawarox's vision was slightly better than it normally was.
"What do you mean there's no air-support available?!" Shadow hissed at his comm.
"All available forces are either preparing for the attack on Angel Island, on duty or engaged there at Death Ruins" replied the voice of Admiral Atmos. "I'm sorry, but you're on your own. If I can clear any back-up at all, I'll let you know. Atmos out."
Shadow sighed, and clicked off the communicator.
"Alright fine, we go to plan 'B'" he said, glancing over at Rouge. "You have a plan 'B'?"
"What?! No, why would I?!" she replied.
"Shit…!" Shadow hissed. The only thing he could think of was to move further towards the edge of the island, and get the Mawarox as far away from the Master Emerald as possible. Sighing, he faced the Black Arms.
"Run. Get to the Master Emerald, and defend it. We'll draw the Mawarox off."
"We will?!" Rouge asked. "Oh… yeah, of course we will! I love putting my life on the line! No problem, you just all run along now!"
"Your generosity knows no bounds, my lady" their commander replied. "Very well. Good luck to you all!" With that, they leapt from their hiding place and made a break for it.
Reflecting that sarcasm probably wasn't exercised too much by their race, Rouge chucked an explosive at the Mawarox to get its attention.
To nobodies' great surprise, the monster got pissed off.
Team Dark took off running as fast as they could. The Mawarox was hot on their trail, and wasn't even slowed down by the abundance of trees. It merely smashed them all aside with its huge arms, roaring in rage as it closely followed their scent.
"Any bright ideas, honey?!?!" Rouge shouted.
"Working on it!" Shadow snapped back, and fired a Chaos Spear over his shoulder. It blasted a tree down in the Mawarox's path, making it slow down for a moment as it kicked it aside, and continued charging.
Wondering how the hell they were going to survive this, Shadow looked up and his fears were eased.
"Shade! We could use some help!" he shouted.
The echidna lazily inclined his head to look at them from an awkward angle. He held up his hand to halt them all.
Surprisingly, the Mawarox was the first to stop.
"Go back" Shade whispered. "You are needed… elsewhere…"
The Mawarox growled softly, and then screeched and took off running as fast as it could towards the island center.
"Shade! Damn it, we were trying to lure it away!" Rouge shouted. "What the hell…?!"
"Rouge, stand back" Shadow warned. "Something's not right… Shade, what's wrong with you?"
The black echidna smiled faintly, and looked right up at them, his eyes glowing a bright red.
Just as they had when he first served Mephiles.
"No…" Shadow breathed. "That… can't be, he broke free?!"
"Did he, now…?" Shade cackled, in a voice that sounded only faintly like his own. "Did he really?! Shade… is nothing more than a puppet. He always has been, and always will be."
Shadow ignited Dark Burner's blade as he realized what had happened. Omega armed his guns and Rouge armed one of her bombs.
"Let him go!" Shadow shouted. "Are you so pathetic you can't even face me yourself?!"
"I'd love to, Shadow!" Mephiles laughed through Shade's voice. "But… I am preoccupied with things far more important at the moment. So in the meantime, you and your friends just… get to know your brother better! Play nicely, and try not to leave too big of a mess; I've got enough cleanup to do as it is."
Shade drew his claws out, and the metal pulled itself back to reveal the blue energy-blades beneath. His body glowed with energy, and he lunged at Shadow.
Their blades clashed violently, causing sparks to fly out and making a whining noise like heat escaping from a pent-up container. Rouge tossed the explosive behind Shade and jump-kicked him back away from Shadow. The echidna back-flipped over the explosion, and then ran right back at Shadow.
The ebony hedgehog swung Dark Burner as hard as he could, which Shade blocked with both hands. While still blocking with one hand, he lashed out with the other. Shadow moved back and brought his blade down to block the counter, and they continued to rapidly exchange blows.
Omega watched them fight awhile longer, and then saw an opening to exploit. He ran forward, propelling himself forward with his rockets, and lashed a fist out at Shade's head. The echidna fell back with a grunt, but quickly got back up as if nothing had happened.
"Be careful; we don't want to damage his body too badly" Shadow reminded them. "I know we can undo… whatever it is Mephiles did to him, we just need to find out how!"
"If you say so, Shadow" Rouge sighed.
"OBSERVATION: STRONG FOCUS OF DARK MATTER EMANATING FROM SHADE'S CRANIUM" Omega pointed out. "I ASSESS THAT IF WE DISPELL THE ENERGY SOMEHOW, WE MAY BE ABLE TO FREE SHADE FROM MEPHILES' CONTROL."
"Sounds like a plan" Shadow replied. "Let's do this!"

*Death Ruins: Near Center of Island, about sixty miles away*

Knuckles was running so fast and so determinedly, Tails and Cream had to struggle to not be left behind. The crimson echidna seemed possessed, rushing to the Master Emerald's aid as quickly as he could force himself.
The energy of the sacred stone called to him, and Knuckles felt a sensation, almost a longing, being fulfilled a little more with every step. He only paused to destroy the occasional, unfortunate monster that stood in his way.
Knuckles was the last of the Pachacmac Clan, an ancient clan of echidna warriors whose roots predated that of the Nocturnus Clan. They had started the tradition of safeguarding the Chaos Emeralds, and more importantly, the almighty Master Emerald, the last of its kind. It was more than a job, it was a sacred, honorable duty to guard the greatest remnant of the Third Great Civilization. After being wiped out by the Nocturnus, only a few echidnas managed to pass on the tradition.
This crimson echidna was the last, and he was not about to fail everything he, his family, his kind and his ancestors had strived for.
Finally, they reached the Master Emerald. A few walls of sandbags surrounded it, as well as four automated machine-gun turrets. Ten G.U.N. soldiers and four elite Black Arms soldiers fought for their lives behind these barricades.
"Don't let them near the Emerald!!" Knuckles shouted, his eyes bulging at the sight of so many foes encroaching its grounds. "STOP THEM NOW!!" , and charged right into his foes.
"Mr. Knuckles?! Wait!" Cream shouted, but he had already bulldozed into a dozen of them. She glanced over at Tails, who smiled sheepishly, shrugged, and readied his weapon.
"You heard him Cream, let's do this!" he said determinedly. Cream smiled back, and she leapt into the air while Tails ran forward and smashed his namesake into the nearest monster, and shot it at point-blank range with his electronic-pulse gun. He leapt back to gain some distance from the others, and heaved a dummy-ring bomb into the middle of them, stunning almost every last one of them.
Cream came soaring down from above, using her giant ears to slow her descent. She slammed her feet into a quadruped monster, crushing it to the ground. Cheese cried out defiantly and slammed his whole body into the head of another monsters walking right up to his friend. The monster stumbled back and Cream followed up by slapping it repeatedly with her ears, and then kicking it down.
Between Cream's distractions and Tails' moves, they were chipping away very progressively against the mountain of darkness.
Knuckles, however, was on a massacre.
Every time a punch was thrown, three or four monsters would fly apart. His fists shattered his foes apart, and he was slowly forcing them all back.
"NOT. ANOTHER. STEP. CLOSER!!" Knuckles screamed, and ripped a nearby tree out by its roots, and threw it. The lumber rolled through them and crushed several up against each other. He literally tore into them, with body parts and pieces flying all over the place. After only a minute more of fighting, the rest of the monsters decided life was more important than pride, and retreated a bit.
"Who else wants some?!" Knuckles challenged, grinning defiantly at the horde of monsters. Tails joined his side and aimed his gun at them, and Cream came to stand next to him, her and Cheese glaring at their foes.
"I accept your challenge."
Knuckles turned around, saw who had spoken, and his heart sank like a rock. Every G.U.N. soldier and Black Alien guarding the Master Emerald were dead, nothing more than a burnt crater where they had been standing. He ran back over to the Master Emerald, protectively holding his arms out.
"You have something I want" Mephiles the Dark told him. "I do not expect you to give it to me; no, your kind is far too stubborn for that. I shall be taking it."