Trip carefully stepped across to the other side of a loop-de-loop in Pinball Carnival Zone. She hadn't received any word of The Dirty Victory's next sabotage mission, so she had decided to separate from both the players and her own teammates. She had mustered up all her courage just to wander out of the Northstar Islands' preservation zone. Trip figured there would be less commotion, but everywhere she went, loud sounds and rowdy crowds followed her. Was this really what her home islands had become?
Trip hid her face as she walked past another rigged carnival attraction, she was just about overwhelmed by games at this point. But something caught her eye right around the corner. A sign pointing towards a nearby toy store. Trip's eyes lit up with joy! "A toy store?! I-I never had a toy before!" She squealed. Trip happily skipped towards her new destination. "I really hope nobody judges me… I'm not too old to own one, am I—?" Trip kicked her other heel, and fell flat on her face. "Ow."
…
A scathing blue light glowed in the darkest corner of Speed Jungle. Uninhibited Amy sat upon a throne of twigs and bones, held up by reptilian and insectile Eternalists as they marched down the path. From the distance, Dodon Pa's voice spoke of some kind of voting round. Of course. The games were almost over, it was time to see who would make it to the finals. The chief of the Eternalist group lowered the wooden horn from his mouth.
"We never thought you'd find us here in our homeland. For years, and years, we called for you, Eternamy," the chief mumbled with a raspy voice, a red needle protruding from a hood over his head. Amy looked down at him. "We knew you were stuck in the beast created by the Fallen Stars, but maybe you heard us in your dreams?" Amy held her head. It hurt so much.
"Yes… my memories of Cyberspace are a little bit messy, but I heard you." Amy remembered floating in an endless pink ocean, unable to move.
"You warned me of The End, how I would be the one to stop it." She remembered a purple void, Sage's cold gaze.
"And I failed." Amy recalled screaming as every inch of her body was consumed by The End's Cyber Corruption. She had the rare opportunity to remember dying.
"I failed my one job as the avatar of perpetuity. I rejected my duties because I was scared by Cleave the Moloch's sacrilege. He thought he could use me to elevate himself. Now I see…" Amy looked down at the ground. She felt so high up. She smiled. "... It works the other way around. Voting players out of the tournament despite their efforts so far seems so cheap. Good thing I have such loyal followers." Uninhibited Amy's arm sparkled with RED-CODE. "This is as far as you go!" Amy hopped off the throne and levitated just above the dirt trail. "I don't want anybody seeing you all."
"Very well. We'll be seeing you," the chief muttered. Amy and the Eternalists continued on in opposite directions. As Amy rounded the corner, she groaned. More ambulances. She had to wonder who bit the dust this time. She shielded her eyes.
But deep down, a certain feeling compelled her to look.
Amy separated her fingers, and took in the gruesome sight. Sonic was holding his throat, breathing heavily with gold-stained gloves. Amy froze up. So many people were crowded around him, the paramedics trying to keep everyone back as they tended to his wounds. For a second, Sonic's gaze locked with Amy's, before he shut his eyes. Could it have been of his own volition?
"Sonic! Wait! Let me see him!" Tails shouted, trying to shove through the curious and starstruck crowd. "Let me THROUGH!"
"All contestants, please disperse! You all have three hours before shuttle liftoff! Please enjoy the beautiful Northstar Islands," Dodon Pa's voice shot out of the speakers, as the shuttle doors opened. Sonic was loaded onto the ambulance. As the players separated, either out of lost interest or respect for the situation, Tails sat alone. Sulking as the ambulance drove off.
"Tails?" Amy asked, appearing next to him. "Who did that to Sonic?!"
"I don't know. The Dodon Games officials usually don't confirm who tried to kill who," Tails sighed. "Amy… you do know that Sonic attacked Dodon Pa, right?" Amy took a step back. "He wasn't supposed to be here. He was quietly banned from the games. We're lucky they even got him an ambulance."
"So he's gonna be alright… right?!" Amy cried.
"I don't know. I just wish I was there for him," Tails mumbled. Amy's heart sank, as she watched the ambulance lights fading behind the trees. As she watched Sonic drift away.
…
"Welcome one and all, to the final batch of Dodon Games this year!" A 3D model of a violet rabbit girl exclaimed, dancing around on a pastel backdrop to the sound of cutesy, energetic music. "I am Cyber Singer Mika, your favorite washed-up musician turned merchandising giant! It is my honor to announce that by the end of the day, select players in the Dodon Games will be turned into limited-time figurines by a trusted toy company. You too could own your favorite contestant, in a way! I would personally LOVE to own a figure of Madonna Garnet, she's so pretty! But she declined to join the games this year. I wonder why. Anyways, just vote for YOUR most figureable contestants on the Dodon Games website. If they win, you get 25% off your purchase for voting! The contestants who don't win a figure of someone on their team will be eliminated from the games. Don't forget to smile today, bye-bye-bye now!" The hospital TV was shut off.
"Just when I thought my headache was gone," Shadow growled. He looked out the window. He was just about sick of the Deco City skyline, at this point he just wanted to go back to Erius. He closed his eyes, and imagined being on that far away planet.
"Shadow…"
Shadow and a young human woman sat on opposite ends of a palm tree in one Sunset Hill Zone. "I see you have finally made it. Erius is beautiful, isn't it?" She asked. Shadow sighed.
"Yes, yes it is quite nice."
"Is something the matter, Shadow?" She asked. Shadow felt so comfortable, so warm. "You seem grouchy today."
"I get that a lot," Shadow replied, staring at the sun. Feeling the grass weave into his spines and pull him closer to the earth.
"The sky is clear, and the grass is so green… Why aren't you happy?" She asked. Shadow felt her hand lock with his. "This was what we dreamed for together, wasn't it?"
"You know, I tried for a while after the planet was put back together. I tried to appreciate peace, I tried to lead my new life," Shadow said. "But then those Black Arms attacked. Black Doom, their leader, said things that made me question everything I thought I knew. But…" Shadow closed his eyes. "You weren't here for any of that. You're better off not knowing anything that happened after everything aboard The Ark. You should just rest in peace, Maria."
"Apologies. It seems you have mistaken me for someone else," she said. "Shadow the Hedgehog, I need your help. If my theory is correct, if the reason you can remember the past with such clarity is due to a Cyberspace Link, then you can hear me." Shadow had the instinct to get up, but he was paralyzed. "You're just like Sonic. And he's in trouble. I need you to rescue him."
"I can't… move…" Shadow choked.
"I see. You're dying. Remember to breathe, try not to slip too deep into oblivion. You need to…" Shadow could barely tilt his head enough to see a white-haired girl in his peripheral vision. "... Wake up." Shadow screamed, as the light from the sun covered his vision.
"Holy crap! Shadow! Stay with me!" Rouge shouted, kneading Shadow like dough. He opened his eyes, to see he was hooked up to some kind of life support. His heart was beating out of control. He began to panic, thrashing about and trying to pull the wires out of his body. "Hold still, you dolt!" Shadow breathed heavily, his eyes darting between both wrists as Rouge forced Inhibitor Rings onto him despite having what appeared to be a broken arm herself. His heart rate steadied. Beep… beep…. beep. Shadow took a soothing breath, as the pins and needles all over his body disappeared. "Hoo boy. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to knock out the doctors beforehand. Resuscitation is way above my paygrade." Rouge looked down at two tanukis on the floor.
"Rouge… about time," Shadow sighed.
"I'll say. I'm just glad I wasn't too late," Rouge replied with a weak smile.
"Four days," Shadow growled, giving her an intense glare. Her smile fell. "That's how long I've been suffering without anyone by my side." Rouge rolled her eyes as Shadow detached each and every wire. "Were you just playing in the Dodon Games all this time? You could have gotten me back to health sooner! These 'doctors' didn't even let me have my Inhibitor Rings."
"They couldn't, they were destroyed in the blast," Rouge replied. Shadow raised an eyebrow. "This is Amy's pair. She put up quite a fight over them, so you'd better be grateful."
"These belonged to Amy?! Oh, for the love of— just go about your business. I have to take care of important matters," Shadow growled, Rouge got out of his way as he walked by. On his way out the door, he stopped and let out a hardly audible murmur. Rouge's ears wiggled a little. Shadow looked back at her. "I appreciate your efforts, Rouge. Stay safe." Shadow ran off down the hall, his hospital gown flowing behind him.
Shadow exited the hospital, and looked up at a strange rift in the sky. Out of it appeared an ambulance, which transformed into a plane and soared above Donpa Kingdom. An unmistakable energy could be felt as it whisked overhead, moving away from the hospital. Sonic was definitely on that shady vehicle. Shadow gave chase.
"You always said I wasn't NEARLY fast enough without my Rocket Skates, Sonic. You just assumed they were the reason I could keep up with you," Shadow huffed and puffed as he picked up speed with his own two feet. He was keeping pace with the plane in slippers. He imagined Sonic egging him on in his head. That was his drive and motivation. "Well aren't YOU lucky to be WRONG?!"
…
As Trip continued on through Pinball Carnival, the atmosphere became spookier and spookier. The air was getting colder. The smell of cotton candy was replaced by a musky chemical scent. She realized she was alone, the crowds were gone.
"H-h-hello? Anyone there?" Trip whispered. She peeked around a corner, and saw… people. Nack, Stake, and Dodon Pa. Trip squeaked in fear. They were all working together?! What were they doing here?
"I can't believe it! Why would I lose points just for packin' a little heat?" Nack cried, floating in his Marvelous Queen. Dodon Pa didn't seem to have his pod. Strange. "Everyone's killing each other anyways, why am I singled out?!"
"The way you kill doesn't fit television," Dodon Pa sneered. "Not like the act itself is OUTWARDLY endorsed by the games anyways. You gotta be sneakier. Do it when the cameras aren't rolling."
"It is quite boring, to be honest," Stake muttered with a satisfied grin, using a slimy napkin on his bloody snout. "What's the fun in a single fatal blow from far away? Can't even SMELL the blood." He licked the napkin. Trip hesitantly followed along from a distance.
"You're disgusting," Nack groaned, turning to a strange building. It looked like a closed-off haunted house attraction. Nack shot the padlock into pieces, and the three walked inside. Trip squinted, before Ring Rolling up the side of the house and down the chimney.
"Excuse me?" Trip mumbled, creeping along the creaky floorboards. This place didn't look too scary on the inside, it was actually fairly cozy. The darkness was pushed back in areas by a warm candle light. "Is anyone here? I'm sorry to intrude, but… there's these guys outside and—!"
"For the last time, I'd let your little weasel friend in if he would stop busting my things," a girl groaned from downstairs. Her voice sounded crackly and drowned out.
"I'm not a WEASEL! I'm a jerboa! Get it right, dolly!" Nack shouted.
"I'm not a doll, please don't call me that," the girl blurted out as Trip walked down the dusty, carpeted stairs. The sungazer looked between the bars of the railing to see… the girl was made of wood. "Look, just stay outside and let me speak with Stake… I'd rather not know what you're using my creations for this time, but I do need some cash right now." The puppet girl glanced over to Dodon Pa and raised an eyebrow. "You too, Mimic." Mimic sighed, and dropped the Dodon Pa disguise. He slowly morphed back into his true octopus form.
"Fine. You got me. Just don't tell anyone I'm still kickin'. As far as Whisper and Eggman are concerned, I'm already gone," Mimic chuckled, as he and Stake walked inside. Nack slammed the door behind them in a fussy manner. "That guy's such a drag. Amirite, Belle?"
"That's the second padlock this week. The door's gonna need repairs. Just because you're paying me to make those Avatar Dolls doesn't mean you can disrespect my property," Belle the Tinkerer muttered. She sat down at an antique table, and got out her toymaking kit. She took a deep warm breath. In through her clown nose, out through her nutcracker mouth. "What will it be today?" Belle smiled a little bit at the anticipation of creating something with her own two hands. Trip couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Well let's see… the results are coming in," Mimic said, looking at the poll on his phone. As the voting period entered the last thirty seconds, the winners became clear. "I stole Dodon Pa's image and convinced his agent that he needed toys made. I'm sure he'll just roll with it, old man probably won't even remember that he never ordered them. Since you're the one makin' these things, I'm thinking we could cut out some of the most revered competitors and make winning the tournament a cakewalk. After all, those Avatar Dolls? Would've worked if Sonic wasn't such a spoilsport." Stake let out a high-pitched laugh through his teeth. Belle looked extremely uncomfortable. "Ah! Let's see who the 'lucky' contestants are." With a smile, Mimic slid his phone across the table. "Amy? Can't say I'm surprised she won… but… first place?"
"Amy…?" Trip whispered, feeling something in her chest. She gripped her fists. "Oh no… not again." Trip tried to steady her breathing. She knew if those scary guys heard her, she'd be in trouble. Before she could freak out, she ran outside. Accidentally kicking the wall on her way out.
"Gears and starters!" Belle exclaimed, dropping her supplies.
"What?! What happened?" Mimic asked, frantically looking around. "It better not have been Whisper…" Trip bolted right by Nack, who held out his leg. Trip fell to the ground.
"Well, well, well. A sungazer. How exotic," Nack chuckled. "We're on a time crunch, guys! Keep doin' what you're doin' in there while I handle this interloper." Nack pointed his gun at Trip, who put her hands up. "You… You're that sheila on Sonic's team, huh? Trip, was it?"
"Y-yes sir?" Trip asked, cowering.
"I'll have you know your friend is long gone, they're taking him somewhere he'll never come back from," Nack chuckled. Trip gasped, as tears welled up in her eyes. "And I'm willing to bet your scales would go for a pretty penny if I took you on down to The Buyer." Nack grabbed Trip by the arm, and lead her to the Marvelous Queen at gunpoint. Trip looked down, unable to say anything. Too scared to resist.
"Is… 'The Buyer'… going to hurt me?" Trip sniffled, as she was shoved into the Marvelous Queen's trunk.
"Nah," Nack chuckled. He closed the trunk, and checked his watch. "It'll be over before you know it. Besides, we have something to do first."
"What the…?!" Amy asked, shaking with ecstasy back in Deco City's complex. The entire building began to quake with her. "I won! I got the most votes!" Cream and Big held onto the bench for support.
"Uhm… Miss Roses? I don't want to make you mad… but you've been acting very strange for the past few days. Are you feeling okay?" Cream whimpered, her ears drooping.
"Chaochao…" Cheese mumbled, dizzy.
"Ch-cheer up, you guys," Amy stammered, lurching forward and putting her hands on her knees. "Me losing my Inhibitor Rings is for the best…" Amy chuckled, the world around her seeming dark. "You never know what someone will try to do to us around here. Now I'm strong. I can do anything!"
"But Amy, I thought you were already strong. You have your hammer!" Big replied.
"Miss Roses, you aren't letting this get to you, are you?" Cream asked, trying to put a hand on Uninhibited Amy's shoulder but pulling away at the last second. "There are so many violent people here, but… that doesn't mean you don't have to act ANYTHING like them."
Amy looked down at the bloodstained Piko Piko Mjolnir. She had been holding it tightly the whole way back. She took a deep breath.
…
Dodon Pa stood at the window of his castle's top floor, with a cup of hot tea in hand. "Haaa… how exciting," he sighed. "The final game approaches. It was such an eventful year, hopefully the next tournament can measure up." He approached two people seated around a fancy table.
"You don't have to tell me twice, Sonic has been thoroughly trounced! His friends are divided!" Eggman chortled, leaning forward on the table. "Best of all, they're basically printing money for us. Win-win!"
"No hard feelings about that eruption on Planet Breezy, right?" Clutch asked, taking a sip of Chaos Champagne.
"Not at all! Your 'Dirty Victory' front always adds some spice to the Dodon Games. You, my friend, are an excellent jobber," Dodon Pa exclaimed. Clutch grinned, his golden tooth shining under the diamond chandelier. "I hope you weren't too injured in that video you sent before the first game."
"What can I say? I'm an expert at playing possum," Clutch laughed hoarsely.
On the streets of Deco City, a legion of action figures based on countless contestants marched along the pavement. Red gems were protruding from their foreheads. They all stopped in unison in front of The Complex.
"Let me explain the rules… This is the final game, so everything is on the line!" Dodon Pa exclaimed, a hologram of his face stretching all around Donpa Kingdom. "These special, game-exclusive Toy Robot variants you see before you are connected to you both mentally and physically. You control them remotely! If they look like you, they represent your team. Blue Sphere is back, but this time, it'll take even more precision to succeed! Do anything in your power to ensure their victory, and your team might just take home the gold…! Just take care not to destroy any. Destroying a Toy Robot hurts the person they're based on due to the link the robots have with the actual person, and if all of that person's Toy Robots are destroyed, they WILL die. Now… on your marks, get set, go!"
The contestants piled out of the complex, watching as Toy Robots ran around the city trying to win the various games. "Aww… they're so cute!" Cream squealed. Amy then slammed the Piko Piko Mjolnir onto a Toy Robot Penumbra. Everyone around her stood back. Penumbra felt like a bunch of bricks fell onto her head, falling to the ground as Amy lifted the Mjolnir from the wreckage.
"You suck, Amy! You know that?!" Penumbra shouted, steering another one of her Toy Robots away from a Red Sphere despite her head feeling as if it was busted open.
"Get out of my way!" Cherry the Ladybug shouted, zapping the Personas out of the people around her and watching them fall. "Since you went down without a fight, I'll give these back shortly." Suddenly, she was picked up by an invisible force. She couldn't move a muscle as her eyes were forced shut. "Gah…"
"Sorry ma'am, I cannot let you hurt anyone!" Silver exclaimed, his hand glowing with telekinetic energy and covering his eyes.
Silver tossed Cherry aside, while also controlling his team's Toy Robots to scoop up Blue Spheres. "This… is starting… to get out of hand!" He grunted.
"Orders acknowledged. Clearing a path," Omega said. He tapped a button on his chestplate, before opening fire on everything in sight. "Warning: instructions vague." Silver caught the bullets in stasis, saving himself and everybody behind him.
"Hold… it… TOGETHER….!" Silver screamed as his psychic abilities were pushed to the limit. He then dropped everything, falling to his knees as his cyan aura faded. The bullets were all stuck together in a giant barricade. Nothing was getting through that.
As Silver tried to catch his breath, one of the people he had saved approached the hedgehog. "Why… would you do that?" Stake the Mosquito asked, standing tall over Silver. Silver looked up, but was unable to say anything. He was winded. Stake saw an opportunity and slammed Silver into the wall of bullets. "How unfortunate. You really want to help people, don't you?"
"Grrk… Of course! Isn't that… what we're all doing here?!" Silver choked. Stake grinned.
"You have no idea what type of game we're playing, boy," Stake murmured. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I wouldn't have won all these tournaments by looking out for others." Stake swung his head back and was about to dig into Silver's throat before an explosion of orange energy shot down the road. Silver disappeared into the orange light. Stake watched as his prey was stolen away from him, and licked his lips at the smell of Chaos-infused sweat.
"I've had enough of that tryhard," Shadow growled. Silver shielded his eyes from the city lights as they flashed by.
"What the—? You're SHADOW, the Ultimate Lifeform!" Silver exclaimed. "You're a legend in my time!"
"Focus, hedgehog! I've seen your psychokinetic powers in action. Use your gift to toss me onto that ambulance!" Silver's eyes snapped open. He looked up at the ambulance plane Shadow had been pursuing.
"Ah, yes, of course!" Silver replied. He hopped into the air and pulled Shadow along. While mustering up all his energy to throw Shadow, Silver felt a force pulling the dark hedgehog in the opposite direction. Stake had grabbed onto Shadow, and was trying to pierce the thin veil of ESP energy around Shadow's chest with his snout. "You again?! What's your deal?!" Silver tried to shake Stake loose, but he wouldn't let go. Stake's needle nose scratched Shadow across the prosthetic muzzle. Shadow grunted, Stake laughed.
"I… LOVE… CHAOS ENERGY," Stake choked as he licked the blood off his fingers. "IT TASTES SO GOOD!" Shadow closed his eyes, and shot a Chaos Spear out of the slice on his face. Stake was sent flying back, biting the spear and sucking the Chaos Energy out of it until it was dull and gray. It then cracked under the force of his jaw. "The guys in charge denied me an entire EMERALD, I've been so hungry! A Chaos Drive will hold me over…!"
"Ew! Get away from him, you monster!" Silver shouted. In a blast of fire and ESP energy, Silver swung Shadow around in Spinball form and Meteor Smashed him into Stake. Stake bounced along the pavement, coating the road black and red. He screeched to a halt, fainting as he was denied his meal once more.
"Silver! Now's your chance! Show me your superior hedgehog power you demonstrated in the first round!" Shadow roared. Silver nodded, and launched Shadow towards the ambulance plane.
Shadow crashed through the floor, and knocked out a supposed paramedic who was looking over Sonic. Looking at his rival, Shadow sighed. Sonic was hooked into a machine, they seemed to be siphoning some golden energy into a huge machine. Shadow swung his arm through the wires stemming from Sonic's body, slashing the cords apart and freeing Sonic. Sonic's eyes snapped open.
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Shadow shouted, grabbing Sonic and crashing through the ambulance's wall.
"Shadow?" Sonic grunted, holding his yellowish neck. "We're… back in Deco City? What's going on? Where's Amy? Rouge? STAKE?" Shadow balled up his fists.
"Stake has been dealt with. Rouge managed to get away with Amy's Inhibitor Rings, she's currently stuck in an unstable state without them," Shadow growled. He held up his hands. "Now I have the only things able to ensure Amy's sanity. But if I take them off now, it'll be over for me." Sonic frowned, knowing he wasn't in any position to just take the rings back to Amy.
"I'm… sorry about all of this. If I didn't get so upset, Peni wouldn't have shot you, and—" Sonic sighed. Shadow slapped him.
"None of that matters! We can still find a way to fix this, but first, I need you to tell me what they were siphoning from you on that ambulance," Shadow shouted, pointing in Sonic's face. The two ran down the highway back to the Complex, side-by-side in the blink of an eye. Sonic scratched his neck, and looked around at the warzone that had erupted from what was initially just a game.
"I dunno. If anything, maybe they were trying to drain the infection from Stake's bite? It feels all gross," Sonic said. A bit of bright, shimmering yellow ooze spread to his glove. "That might be part of it, but… hold on. Dodon Pa mentioned something to me when I broke into his castle. Something about 'Fun' being used as an energy source. And the key to eternal life?" Sonic watched as the Toy Robots seemed to collectively run out of battery and fall over. "Was I powering whatever those things are this WHOLE TIME?"
"That could be it. Stake infected you with this 'Fun' energy, and then those filthy tanukis aboard the ambulance used it to fuel the Toy Robots…" Shadow muttered. "Since there's no more energy being supplied, it should be over… right?" Sonic squinted, and looked at the clock tower in the distance. "Sonic? What's the matter?"
The clock read… 12:11.
A huge missile shot down from the sky, blowing up the complex. Sonic and Shadow stepped away from the rubble. Mimic looked up at a huge Toy Robot Nack in the sky, and grinned. The octopus took the form of Dodon Pa and snuck into an alleyway. He used the Variable Wispon's Magenta Rhythm ability to channel his stolen voice into the intercoms.
"Hello, my happy contestants! I hope you are all having as much Fun as I am while the Dodon Games draw to a close for the year," Mimic said, as the Toy Robot Nack began to blast at the road below, downing dozens of players. "However, I have some unfortunate news for all of you. As this will be the final Dodon Games tournament EVER. Whoever wins will become the ultimate champion, and nobody will be able to dethrone them!" Mimic snickered away from the Wispon. "From the looks of things, NACK THE HUNTER is representing Team Stake in the final round! Other teams would do best to not get involved, or risk ULTIMATE ELIMINATION. Hohohoho!" A blue light shot through the sky, and collided with the mech, piercing its armor and making it tilt to its side. Inside, Nack and the imprisoned Trip were sent flying into the walls. Nack regained control of the mech, and shot wildly at Uninhibited Amy as she hit the mech from all sides.
"Stand still!" Nack shouted. Sonic and Shadow were left with no options but to move others out of harm's way as missiles shot everywhere.
"Who gave that crazy jerboa a mech?!" Shadow asked, kicking a missile into the horizon. "He's going to kill everyone here!"
"You were right… Amy's completely lost it," Sonic sighed, watching as Amy tore Nack's mech apart. Golden energy sprayed out of the thing's severed arm. It seemed to siphon more from the unconscious contestants below. "I bet it's powered by 'Fun' as well. I have an idea." Sonic zoomed off, running onto the head of a diamond Dodon Pa statue. Shadow leapt onto the mech as it flew a little too close to the ground, Rouge watching from afar. "Hey, guys! PEOPLE! EVERYONE! Is this really fun for you?! That mech is being powered by you guys!" Sonic looked all around. The Toy Robots were hardly an afterthought anymore, and nobody could hear him as they all fought and shouted over each other. Sonic only got a single person looking his way.
Nack.
The mech's arms completely gone, the only thing Nack could do was make the mech fall. CRASH! The mech fell to the ground, the Dodon Pa statue crumbling under its nose. Missiles shot out of its arm sockets uncontrollably. Dodon Pa watched all the chaos unfold from his castle window.
"What is going ON out there?" The tanuki king asked, stroking his beard as the Deco City Blue Sphere Coliseum was caught in an explosion from a stray missile. He furrowed his eyebrows.
Sonic fell onto the grass on his back. He covered his eyes as burning diamond shards hailed down. "Phantom Rush!" He leapt towards the Toy Robot Nack, and hit it from every side. He punched one of its eyes in, and Air Dashed through the opening.
"Who do you think you are?! Get out of my mech!" Nack shouted. Sonic grabbed Nack's ear and slammed his face onto the control panel. The whole mech powered down, and Nack was knocked out with it. Sonic glanced to the side, and saw Trip held within a miniature Prison Egg.
"Raster? What are you doing here?!" Sonic cried, hitting the button to free her. Trip tried crawling out of the Prison Egg.
"Sonic? You're ALIVE? You— don't have to call me that other name anymore! It's just Trip. Now and forever!" Trip exclaimed joyously, reaching for his hand before the mech was pulled to its feet once more. The room flipped again, and all three of them inside the mech slipped onto the floor. "What's going on?!"
"I don't know! Let's get a move on!" Sonic grabbed Trip's hand and ran towards their exit, only to find they were now high above the city. The mech was being lifted miles into the sky, its huge legs dangling above the clouds. "The jets should've been knocked out, right?"
Uninhibited Amy pulled the mech into the air effortlessly. A bleak shadow cast over her face. "This mech and whoever's inside is going to kill everyone… everyone I love. It must be… ELIMINATED." Amy shot through the sky like a rocket, pieces of the Toy Robot Nack breaking off their hinges and plummeting down to the city below. Shadow climbed up the side of the mech by the exposed wire, everything below his hands being torn away as they exited the atmosphere. He growled in frustration as he leapt up to the mech's ear.
"AMY OF THE ROSES!" Shadow shouted, grinding down the ear and onto the head. He was now face-to-face with Uninhibited Amy. She didn't seem to notice him at all. All her focus was on lifting the mech. "What's your plan?"
"Do you intend to help me, o' dark one?" Amy mumbled, her mouth hardly moving as the color drained from her face. Shadow stepped forward, holding his hands out in front of his chest. He couldn't help but notice that the stars were dimming.
"I'll help if you let me. Not in the way you might want right now, though. You can't be planning to go into space to dispose of this mech, right?" Shadow asked, holding his head as the air thinned out.
"I will do what I must," Amy muttered. "You don't need to worry about me, Shadow. With this form, I'm strong."
"Without your Inhibitor Rings, your power is fleeting!" Shadow shouted. A bright light shined onto them from the nearest star like a dying breath. When the light cleared, Shadow felt a familiar sensation. Despite rising into the sky on a tangible platform, he felt like he was in freefall. His sense of up and down had flipped entirely. He felt like a shooting star. "This is too dangerous for you to keep up. You need to go down! Whatever plan you have… it's not worth throwing your life away." Amy turned to meet Shadow's stare. "I may not be able to fix this entirely. But I can help, and you have friends that can finish the job! I just need to…" His other arm frozen completely, Shadow gripped his fist so hard that his right arm's Inhibitor Ring snapped off. He caught it in his hand, red energy flowing through his veins uncontrollably. He approached Amy, and slid the ring onto her wrist.
A moment where all was calm, floating aimlessly through the void of space. Steadily, the stars lit up one by one. The color returned to Amy's face, most of her quills turned pink. Shadow fell onto his back, unable to breathe. Some of the color drained from his quills. His eyes rolled over to his other arm, the Inhibitor Ring keeping him alive blinking out inside of the ice.
"How… do you feel?" Shadow grunted, his eyes flashing orange.
"Better. I feel better," Amy coughed. She curled into a ball. "I didn't notice it before… but that presence nearby… is it Sonic? Is he here?" Shadow let out a slight laugh. "Good thing you stopped my Uninhibited form, otherwise I would've…" Amy's eyes opened fully, marveling at the swirling star lightshow all around her.
And then they dropped.
"What's this?" Rouge asked, hovering off the ground and watching the purple crystal she had stolen from Speed Jungle shake uncontrollably. Everybody else seemed more concerned with the giant mech meteoring down towards the city block. "What exactly did I steal? Even the Chaos Emeralds don't react like this on their own…"
"That's the Black Onyx!" Tails exclaimed, flying up next to her. "Ata told me about it a long time ago… Its powers are said to be similar to the Chaos Emeralds. But it's much more rare. Do you figure it could help us stop that giant Toy Robot?" Rouge set her eyes on the mech, and sighed.
"Fine, fox boy. Just give it back once you're done with it!" Rouge replied, tossing the Black Onyx to Tails. He struggled to get ahold of it, before catching it right over his head. When he did, a beam of energy shot out of it.
Sonic and Trip slammed into the ceiling of the Toy Robot Nack. Sonic struggled to open his eyes. "Heh… is it over?" He mumbled, drowsy. Trip then grabbed his glove, snapping him back to his senses.
"SONIC! Are we going to die?!" Trip wailed, squeezing his hand.
"No! We'll be okay… somehow!" Sonic asked, forcing a smile for Trip's sake. The ground was within sight. "Listen, this might not be the best situation. But you survived earlier, right? Amy shoved you off the top of the Complex, and…!" Trip snorted amidst her cries.
"That was… when I took off my armor for the first time," Trip whispered, wiping her tears away. "I Ring-Rolled right down the side of the wall as soon as the armor was off, and…!" Sonic chuckled.
"That's right! Must have been way past cool!" Sonic exclaimed, clenching her hand between both of his. "You've come a long way, and it all started when you came out of your shell a little! That's something to be proud of, no matter how this ends." Trip looked away, and nodded, before pulling Sonic into a hug. "Trip, you don't have to be scared anymore. I'm with you in this…" Sonic shut his eyes, knowing there wasn't much he could do anymore but comfort her. "It's been fun, right?" Trip nodded frantically. The beam from the Black Onyx shot through the windshield, and zapped Trip. Encasing her in a black aura.
"Yes! It's been… so much fun!" Trip exclaimed, sprouting wings and opening her now red eyes fully. "When I met you, and Peni, I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. It wasn't because of the tournament, or the games we played…" In a flash of darkness, Trip had become a mighty Black Dragon! She teleported under the Toy Robot Nack, and held it up. Slowing its descent ever so slightly with every passing second. "... It's because I was here with YOU!" Sonic watched in awe as Trip stomped onto the ground in a flash of light. Sonic fell to the floor, Amy and Shadow were thrown off the mech's head. Trip… was buried underneath.
Sonic crawled out of the wreckage, covered in scrapes and bruises. "Trip?! Trip, where are you?" Sonic grunted. The mech exploded behind him, everybody else gathering around the scene. "Oh no… no… NO!" Sonic ran into the crater, and saw Trip in the center. Back to her base form, burnt… breathing. "Thank god. It's okay, Trip. I'll rush you over to the hospital and…" Sonic heard clapping from overhead. Looking up, Dodon Pa was at the foot of the crater, everyone else clearing a path for him.
"Cut! Well done, you two… what a spectacular show," Dodon Pa said, smiling with his eyes. Sonic looked to him with disgust. Confusion.
"What do you mean 'cut'?" Sonic asked. "She's hurt! You gotta help her!" Dodon Pa chuckled. "This isn't fun anymore! What are you laughing about?" Sonic gritted his teeth as Dodon Pa kept laughing. "I thought you wanted to HELP people, in some screwed-up way."
"Don't you see, Sonic? I am," Dodon Pa sighed. "This past week, you and your friends' theatrics made this the most viewed Dodon Games campaign of all time. People watched it, and they loved it. The whole universe was cheering your name." Sonic stepped back, picking up Trip. "With this kind of momentum, and how much the games earned, I can continue to guide your world towards a better future under my supervision."
"Trip nearly died cuz of what you started! She didn't deserve any of this," Sonic shouted.
"She is dead. She has been since the incident at the Complex," Dodon Pa replied. Sonic's heart skipped a beat, glancing to Trip. "Legally, mind you. Though she still breathes, she needed to be erased for the show to go on. Her records, her identity… it doesn't exist anymore. Same goes for Shadow, everybody who managed to survive being 'killed off'. There was never a place for them in my vision for Erius." Dodon Pa stared Sonic in the eyes. "Although… you were an MVP throughout this campaign. For that, and because everyone else has seemed to throw the game just to fight each other, I suppose a neat twist would be to 'revive' you." The cameras turned on once more, Sonic was bathed in confetti and flashing colors. Everybody clapped, cheering his name. Sonic began to hyperventilate, unsure what was going on. Penumbra looked down at him in terror.
"TEAM SONIC… you are the winners of this year's Dodon Games. Thank you kindly for all of your contributions."
End of Sonic Runaways: ELIMINATED. Next time, explore Eggman's most cracked adventure yet in Sonic Runaways: HATCHED!