ARAAT2: Eclipse - Part 2

~~~

A Rose And A Thorn 2: Eclipse

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

~~~

Harley: I changed the first part of Chapter Eight somewhat. Because I can do that and because it makes future fanfics work better. It’s really just aesthetic changes that only new readers will notice, but hey, why not check it out?

Froggy: You’re always doing this sort of thing without telling me.

Harley: And the most intelligent review goes to… um… dammit, I like Antwerps and Heous. But the Colonel… yes, his physical description is deliberately vague. As is the Professor’s. To give them a face just feels… wrong. It works best that their physical appearance is a blank canvas.

Froggy: CLIFFHANGER SOLVED!

~~~

Chapter Eleven: Chaos Control?

“NO!” Shadow screamed, the words leaving his throat before he could even think about them. He couldn't move faster than a speeding bullet, he couldn't use chaos control, he couldn't do anything. He dropped to his knees, almost praying as the bullet sped towards Amy. He closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to see it hit the woman he loved...

There was a blue flare of Chaos light, and Amy vanished, with Eclipse. The bullet passed through where they would have been. And then there was another flare, and she reappeared, still hunched over Eclipse as a shield, obvious shock on her face.

And Eclipse was laughing.

Sonic gaped at Amy and Eclipse, not quite believing what he had just seen. "What the - Shadow?" he turned to the black hedgehog for an explanation, but Shadow had crawled over to the pistol Amy had dropped. He began to raise it towards the Colonel, hate burning in his crimson eyes. The guards were distracted just long enough...

Amy wasn't entirely sure what had happened either, but here came her organs, complete with that heavy ice-cream feeling. She fell to her knees, unable to do anything until the feeling passed. She looked up at Shadow, whose finger was already tightening on the trigger, and made not one move to stop him.

The shot rang out in the small room. The bullet hit its mark; Shadow's aim was near perfect, even in his horribly injured state. A spray of arterial red arced through the air as the projectile tore through the Colonel's throat, the aging human grasping at the fatal wound. Shadow slumped again.

Amy watched as the Colonel died, feeling slightly guilty about not feeling guilty in the slightest. The other soldiers were staring too. They didn't seem to be sure of what to do without someone to give them orders, but the Professor darted forward from behind them, “Stop them!” he shouted.

Amy stood straight again, and took Shadow's arm before he could fall, "We have to get out of here NOW," she said to him.

Shadow dropped the gun and clutched the chaos emerald. He had to use chaos control. He had to get them out of there, "Chaos... control," he whispered. Nothing. He tried again. No results. He was still too weak to use his powers!

"Sonic, where's Tails?" Amy asked the blue hedgehog, wrapping her arm around Shadow's waist to help support him, "I think it's time for Plan B, don't you?" she asked him.

"Tails, talk to me, buddy! Where are you?" The only answer he got was garbled static. The soldiers were raising their weapons again. This was really bad.

Amy handed Shadow Eclipse, and lifted her Piko Piko hammer, sending a Pink Typhoon at the soldiers. It knocked a couple of them back but it wouldn't hold them for long enough, "Where is Tails?!" she shouted again, more desperately.

“Will somebody STOP THEM?!” the Professor almost screamed. The gun was right at his feet, but he didn’t even look at it, “They’re RUINING my wonderful EXPERIMENT!”

Amy could feel a deep hatred welling up in her chest, the desire to kill him hammering away. She forced it down as the Professor screamed and ranted at them, wrapping herself around Shadow and Eclipse instead.

Suddenly, a loud rumble filled the room and the floor shook, knocking everyone off balance. Sonic took the opportunity to beat up soldiers, knocking them back with blasts of sonic wind, but he didn't know how long he could keep it up... "Uh... I think that was him!"

Amy wasn't listening. She was trying to stop the soldiers attacking. Shadow was nearly passing out, still trying to perform Chaos Control, and she was trying to protect him as well.

A metallic ‘thump, thump, thump’ filled the hallways, like some great iron beast was marching through. Gunfire soon joined it, answered by a louder, throatier blast of cannon fire. Screams joined the noise, along with shouted orders to fall back, bring in the bots, and to break out the heavier weaponry. Suddenly, one wall of the room exploded inward, knocking soldiers back, revealing the group's saviour, in full command of his newest transforming battle mech. A few blasts of laser-guided cannon fire wasted the surrounding soldiers.

"Come on guys!" Tails shouted, "Follow me! Let's get out of here!"

Amy put her Piko Piko Hammer back and still supporting Shadow, hurried after Tails, "Can you fit us all in?" she shouted up at him.

"Not in this mode!" Tails shouted back, "One of you is going to have to stay on foot!"

Not surprisingly, Sonic was the first to volunteer for that position, "Keeping up won't be a problem for me, and these GUN slowmos can't touch me!"

"Okay!" Amy helped Shadow in, then sat behind him, holding Eclipse, "Now step on it, Tails! You've broken into Prison Island before, so now you can break out!"

Tails cracked his knuckles and took the controls, ready for heavy action. He and his mech walker stomped through the corridors of the GUN base, blasting any robot or soldier foolish enough to get in the way, destroying blast doors that were closed in the hopes of trapping them within. Sonic ran alongside the walker, helping out in the fighting, scouting ahead, and occasionally tossing up a weapon which Shadow readily used, becoming another gunner on the back of the mech. The strategy was working; GUN was losing horribly, and the heroes were almost back to the surface.

Amy covered Eclipse's ears and eyes, deciding that the little hedgehog had experienced quite enough violence without having to see more. Tails blew apart a locked door, and she could see daylight ahead, "We're going to make it!" she shouted, joyfully, "I told you I'd get you and Eclipse out, Shadow!" She glanced down at Sonic, who was keeping up with the mech easily, "We're going to get out!" she shouted at him.

Sonic grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, "Never had a doubt!" he said cheerfully. He almost seemed like his old self again.

"Uh... guys?" Tails asked nervously.

"What is it, Tails?"

"This is about to get spectacularly ugly." Looking ahead, Sonic could see what the young fox meant. Just outside the door was the island's entire mech corp, ready to blow the intruders away. His expression becoming grim, Tails reached under the seat for a lucky item of his, a pair of goggles he had stolen from Eggman. Strapping them onto his face, he shouted, "Hang on! These pieces of scrap metal are no match for MY machine!"

The fox guided the mech outside the base and exchanged fire with the GUN walkers, starting a battle between metal titans. Sonic stayed close behind the machine, jumping out and striking a GUN mech when the opportunity presented itself.

Amy crouched low in the seat, closing her eyes tightly. She was personally expecting the mech to be blown up at any moment, "We need to get off this island!" she shouted above the noise.

They were fighting well, but there was simply too many enemies to keep it up for long, and Sonic knew it, "Tails! ...Get them out of here! I'll stay back and draw their fire!"

"But Sonic-" Tails protested.

"Don't argue with me! Get them out! NOW!"

"Idiot!" Amy shouted at Sonic, "Let him be the hero, Tails!" she shouted at the kit, "If that's what he wants, so be it!"

Tails hesitated, his chest suddenly aching horribly. He couldn't just leave Sonic there!

"GO, Tails!" the blue hedgehog demanded, "I'll be fine! Just go!"

Finally, the two-tailed fox did as his friend wished. Commanding the mech to transform, it switched into aircraft mode. With a blast from its jet engines, they were off, soaring through the sky and leaving the battle behind them. Tails forced himself to stay focused, to worry about getting Amy, Shadow, and Eclipse to safety.

Amy gritted her teeth. The guilt was overwhelming, and the urge to just leap out and help Sonic was almost irrepressible - and then they'd both die. And how. No. She had to help Shadow.

The island disappeared behind them as they flew into the clouds, the sounds of the battle dwindling to nothing. Silently, Tails begged for his friend to be alright, to come back to them all. The mission was a success; Shadow and Eclipse were safe. But... to lose Sonic after he finally started to be himself again? It would be too tragic for the young fox.

Amy turned to Tails, "Fly this plane to a hospital," she said through the tears, "It's the best place for Shadow right now."

Tails nodded silently and set a course for the city.

Amy turned to look at Shadow. He was limp in the back seat, having finally passed out from the effort and pain, “And step on it!” she shouted, gathering the unconcious hedgehog up in her arms. She looked into his emotionless face, “Oh, Shadow…” she moaned.

~~~

Sonic looked around at the soldiers closing in on him. Well, this would be about ten-thousand times more painful than any razor blade, if looking at Shadow was any indication. He hoped they’d get back okay, even if he didn’t.

“Soon enough,” he could just about hear the Professor calling, “Soon enough we’ll know just why Sonic the Hedgehog and Project: Shadow have the same skills. Do you think they’re related?”

Oh dear god, I bloody well hope not, Sonic thought. Now that would be a nightmare. Then a tranquillizer dart sank into the back of his neck, and he passed out.

~~~

Harley: End of Chapter Eleven. Yes, I know it was much shorter than most chapters. Stop whining and review it. The next chapter is much longer. And so much coolness happens.

Froggy: And yes, you heard her at the top. Future fanfics. HURRAH!