Return of Mephiles Ch. 17

Chapter Seventeen: Hour of Flames

While everyone else tackled a Havoc (Kaynyx fought two at the same time), Shadow engaged Mephiles. While the Havocs fired their weapons all about, and using their precise computers to lock onto their foes and move with speed that impressed even Sonic, and strength and never-failing energy from their copied-Chaos Emeralds, the real battle was fought by the Ultimate Life Form, and his dark mockery.
Shadow and Mephiles faced one another, circling each other, never letting the other out of his sight. Shadow’s dagger was inches away from touching one of Mephiles’ blades.
“Honestly, hedgehog...” Mephiles scoffed. “How many times must we do this before you learn that I cannot be defeated? It is hopeless!”
Shadow scoffed in turn. “As many times as I can live through” he replied.
“Hmm. Your nobility is wasted on a lost cause, you fool!” Mephiles replied.
“Those are the only kind worth fighting for” Shadow hissed in reply. “Something you constantly fail to see is what the heart is capable of... although I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised now that I know who and what you are, Mephiles...”
Mephiles’ green eyes widened in shock for less than a full moment. “So, you know, do you?” he asked. “Well, it only goes to show your foolishness even more s-” Mephiles finally saw Shadow’s dagger. His gaze lingered on the golden, smooth, curved blade and its engravings. Then it went to the jeweled hilt, and Mephiles’ eyes widened again.
“Where did you get that?!” he snarled at Shadow. “How did you learn of it?!”
Shadow smirked at his displeasure. “Kaynyx gave it to me... as a gift for mine and Rouge’s wedding” he said with a mockingly even tone. “I’m guessing it’s more than just a tough, interesting weapon the ancient people created?”
But to Shadow’s displeasure, Mephiles laughed at that. “You mean you don’t know what that thing is capable of?!” he said in disbelief. “Then I need not worry; for now, it is only a means for you to deflect things.”
Shadow glared at Mephiles and bared his teeth. “I’m so sick of your monologue!” he growled, and slashed at Mephiles faster than the eye could follow, but Mephiles suddenly melted into a puddle at Shadow’s feet, and the dagger cut through only air. The dark puddle of ooze suddenly slithered behind Shadow, and he reformed behind the hedgehog, and slashed Shadow in the back. Total time elapsed: 1.1 seconds.
Shadow cried out and fell down, but quickly shoved the pain out of his mind and readied himself to attack again. Mephiles attacked with speed greater than even Sonic’s, but Shadow had been trained to fight against speedier opponents, and suddenly rushed forward and met Mephiles with a flurry of slashes, punches, and kicks.
Mephiles seemed to float everywhere, and he fired large bursts of energy to knock Shadow aside and slam him into something, but Shadow eventually grew ready for this, and when he went flying right at a large stationary crane, he planted his feet against it, and shot himself at Mephiles in a Homing Attack, knocking the dark creature back about a dozen yards. Then Shadow followed up with a Chaos Spear. But Mephiles growled, and reengaged him.
The others, meanwhile, weren’t faring well, or were at stalemates at best. As none of them had faced a Havoc one-on-one before and won without assistance, they were in something of a confusion. And Kaynyx, who fought two, was hard-pressed....
At least, for awhile.
The Havocs zoomed around Kaynyx like bees on some sort of illegal enhancement drug, but Kaynyx found this irritation enough to trigger his strength-enhancement power. He deflected the missiles they fired at him, shrugged off their Chaos-attacks, and charged right at one. Using the momentum of his speed, Kaynyx ran his fist right through the Havoc’s torso, and lifted it up. But it still remained active, and slammed its fist into Kaynyx’s jaw, which only made the wolf angrier, and it ripped off the Havoc’s legs, and threw the torso aside. The remaining Havoc hesitated a second, and then rapidly backpedaled away from Kaynyx, firing a chain-gun as it went.
Amy, meanwhile, had neither particular strength or speed enough to match the Havoc. So she used her head; instead of meeting the Havoc dead-on, she either dodged the bullets, or deflected the other attacks with her hammer. Eventually, the Havoc would draw with swinging range, and Amy landed a few lucky hits, but otherwise wasn’t getting anywhere; the robot was simply too fast.
Knuckles was determined to avenge his earlier humiliation at being blown aside, and threw nearby crates and attacked the Havoc in any attempt to get at the mechanical son of a bitch.
Soaring and latching onto a crane to dodge a missile, Knuckles glared at the Havoc in pure hatred. “THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!?!” he yelled, and then dove at the Havoc at full-speed. But the mech backflipped and landed on a large crate, and fired orbs of Chaos energy at the echidna.
Knuckles growled to himself, and suddenly dove for cover behind another crate. The Havoc decided to merely keep firing at the area Knuckles had disappeared, and keep the echidna pinned down...
But then, the crate lifted, and suddenly about 2.5 tons of metal came soaring at the Havoc. If it had lips, it would’ve scoffed, and it merely dashed about ten meters to the left...
Where Knuckles met it and punched it right in the head. The echidna laughed, and engaged the Havoc in hand-to-hand combat... which proved to be difficult. But Knuckles didn’t care; this was how he preferred to fight.
Sonic, meanwhile, was the only one who had much of a speed advantage over his Havoc. Zipping around it wasn’t an option, though, as the Havoc was able to lock onto even Sonic’s faster-than-the-eye speed and target the blue hedgehog very precisely. Sonic had to roll behind crates and do gymnastics in midair from time to time to dodge them all. Finally, Sonic smashed into a crate while rolled up, and then zoomed right at the Havoc while the crate was still flying, and punched the mech as hard as he could, sending it flying right through the crate.
Sonic laughed and slapped his knees as the Havoc crashed to the ground, shaking its head to get reoriented.
“HAH!! Bet you can’t top that!!” Sonic mocked, gesturing with his middle finger at the robot. But the mech quickly rose itself to its feet, and then in a flash of Chaos Energy, appeared right behind Sonic, and smashed the hedgehog right upside the head.
Rouge, meanwhile, was locked in a frustrating stalemate with her Havoc mech. Always twisting their bodies in near-impossible positions, kicking and punching fanatically. Rouge ducked under the Havoc, and tripped it over, and while the mech was still falling, Rouge kicked it in the back of its head, sending it head-over-heels into another crate.
Omega, meanwhile, was finding his Havoc mech not to hard to deal with after facing Zarox, but the lesser mech was still putting up a tough fight.
Shadow, however, was by far having the worst of it. Mephiles had grown much more powerful than when the hedgehog had defeated him atop that mountain almost a year ago. Mephiles fired bursts of forceful energy, beams that absorbed the life and energy out of things, ropes a dark, fiery tongs sprouted from his fingers, and Mephiles could now shoot the blades on his arms like darts. Shadow was slowly being worn down by Mephiles’ barrage, being whipped and smashed around constantly, Shadow only able to land an occasional Chaos Spear or Homing Attack on the dark demon. And as Mephiles backed away to prepare another volley of blades, Shadow readied his dagger, and deflected them all. But then Mephiles soared right at him, and smashed Shadow aside with strength unnaturally great even by Mobian standards, knocking the jet-black hedgehog down in a slump. Shadow growled to himself, cursing Mephiles’ advantages, hating himself for letting the scumbag harm him. Shadow wiped some blood off of his lip, and glared right into Mephiles’ merciless, chaotic green eyes. The evil being laughed.
“What, Shadow?” he taunted. “Finally realizing your folly in coming here? Realizing that you should have joined me when I offered you the chance?”
Shadow scoffed. “No, fool...” he said. “I’m simply deciding best how to checkmate your king in an alternative manner...”
Mephiles laughed again. “This is not chess, you dolt!” he said as if Shadow had regressed to an annoying, impatient child. “This is a matter in which you can’t just put up the pieces and play later; no, somebody shall die this day, I promise you! Hopefully, you’ll be gone with that precious little bat of yours into oblivion!”
Shadow smirked darkly, and met Mephiles’ eyes again. “Just try...” he said, and lunged at Mephiles, his dagger slashing into Mephiles’ side.
The dark being cried out, snarled in frustration, and struck Shadow across the head, sending Shadow tumbling towards the railing. Shaking off the stars forming around his head, Shadow glanced behind him and the railing...
And found himself peering miles below at the sea.
Looking up, he saw a small, partially green island approaching, probably no bigger than fifty miles in circumference, although it was merely a dot for now, and didn’t seem to be getting closer, even though Rouge had forced the Aero Fortress to flank speed away from civilization on the bridge (which was, Shadow now reflected, about a mere 200 mph.).
But this distraction cost Shadow dearly; Mephiles had extended his arm via stretching it with ooze, and seized Shadow by the chest, and flung him into a crate, sending an explosion of pain through Shadow’s back.
The hedgehog forced himself to stand as Sonic, Rouge, and the others nearby battled the Havoc mechs. Shadow glared at Mephiles, but couldn’t help wondering why Mephiles hadn’t merely flung him overboard... not that he was complaining, but that’s what Shadow would have done.
Of course, Shadow thought with a roll of his eyes; Mephiles wanted to kill him slowly, personally, look into his eyes as the life drains out of them and all that other sick villain shit. Well, he was going to be disappointed when Shadow walked away from this doomed fortress with his new wife in tow, headed toward their honeymoon. Oh yes indeed, Mephiles would be bawling like a baby when Shadow was through with him...
As Mephiles and Shadow reengaged each other, Kaynyx finally managed to land a crippling blow to the second Havoc’s neural system, slowing its targeting system slightly and making its aim less than 100% accurate. Finally, Kaynyx managed to seize a smaller crate, and heave it at the Havoc. The mech easily dodged it, however, and drew its gun at Kaynyx. But the wolf only smiled. Momentarily puzzled, the Havoc activated its rear-visor...
And saw the crate coming right back at him, attached to a tall crane. The crane swung, and hit the Havoc head on and at full momentum, and as it came forward, Kaynyx’s steel-hard fist met it, crushing the Havoc’s head, and eliminating the wolf’s opponents.
Sonic, meanwhile, was circling his opponent, now feeling somewhat tired... he wanted to take this foe out, but he also wanted to prove his superior speed while doing so. How to do both with your life on the line? Sonic was still thinking it through...
Slowing edging closer and closer to a crane, Sonic now simply stood there. The Havoc eyed him, and drew its blade, intending to leap forward and skewer the hedgehog. And as it leapt into the air...
Sonic dived to the right at full speed, turned around, and smashed the crane so hard it went flying and stuck itself into the Havoc’s torso, making its systems go momentarily haywire. Then, for good measure, Sonic climbed up onto the crane, and shoved it out over the edge, and intended to cut the rope...
But the Havoc’s emergency systems kicked in, and it fired its gun at Sonic, who barely moved out of the way in time, but still got nicked on the shoulder.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to ignore the pain. That’s what Shadow would say, anyway... he thought morbidly, dodging another load of bullets. But then, Sonic leapt down as the mech fired another round, keeping close to the twine...
Which didn’t stand a chance against the reinforced-titanium-piercing rounds of the Havoc, and the mech ironically fell to his own self-inflicted doom, despite the people’s best efforts in the control room.
Knuckles, meanwhile, was trying to get nearer his Havoc, which wasn’t easy as the mech was blasting many missiles and orbs of explosive energy at the echidna. But stubbornly determined, and knowing how impressed Tikal would be when he told her the story when they got back, Knuckles pressed on, jumping over the missiles and rolling aside, and he finally managed to leap onto the Havoc, and get it into an arm lock. Nevertheless, the Havoc kept firing, hoping to nick Knuckles and get him off. The missiles went far, and started to interfere with the others’ battles. Rouge barely backflipped in time to avoid being dissolved by Chaos Energy while her Havoc had dropped flat on the ground to avoid a missile that came at almost the same time.
But then, everyone stopped to notice the cans of explosive fuel on this deck.
“Oh shit!” Rouge muttered. “Knuckles, WATCH THAT ROBOT’S AIM!!!!”
“Huh?!” Knuckles had time to say before a missile streaked towards a particularly large pile of the canisters. “Oh fuckberries...”
When the missile hit, it sent ripples through the deck all around them, and the floor began to collapse beneath them as explosions tore all around them, and even deeper into the fortress. They all fell through with the rubble, falling a whole story deeper into what used to be the Havoc factory.
Huge metal beams and explosive fuel rained down, blowing up and collapsing half the factory, destroying most operational systems. And nobody landed gracefully, except Rouge and her Havoc, who immediately resumed combat as the flames surrounded them and the others as if there had been no explosion.
Knuckles, still locked in combat with his Havoc, landed on top of the mech, and then they rolled to their feet and resumed battle as well. Sonic, Amy, Omega and Kaynyx landed with a loud *Thud!* each, along with their Havocs.
But Shadow had been wounded the worst during the explosion; a large piece of rubble had knocked him off his feet and he had flown down here, and landed on his side. So dazed he didn’t know which bones were broken and which weren’t, Shadow tried to stand again.
But several streams of dark ooze rained down from above, and formed themselves together, and took the shape and texture of Mephiles, completely unharmed and calm.
He looked upon Shadow’s tired and wounded form with something close to pity, and reformed the stone blade upon his arm.
“Goodbye, old foe” he muttered, and intended to jab Shadow right through the heart...
“AGENT SHADOW!!!” a voice bellowed, and a large, gray missile suddenly smashed into Mephiles, sending him flying twenty feet.
“GAH!!” Mephiles cursed, his green eyes glowing with hatred at Kaynyx.
“Demon scum... maggot fodder!!” Kaynyx growled. “You shall pay for your dishonorable ways, for your sins, and for harming my brother-in-arms!!” Kaynyx threw a mighty punch, but Mephiles dodged it, and kicked Kaynyx in the stomach, knocking the wolf down. But Kaynyx let his frustration grow stronger and stir with his hatred for Mephiles, and he grew powerful again, and ran at Mephiles with amazing speed. Then Kaynyx lifted the evil being up, and threw him across the room, smashing through debris as Mephiles cried out from the blows, and finally landing right next to the fiery pit where the canisters had fallen.
Gazing into it, Mephiles was suddenly reminded of the Flames of Disaster... the closest thing he had to a brother...
But Kaynyx was already upon him again, and Mephiles stood up to meet the wolf.
Sonic, meanwhile, was helping Amy defeat her Havoc, and Omega was helping Rouge. Sonic zipped around the Havoc, distracting it with lightning-quick blows, and Amy delivered a powerful hit, over and over to the Havoc’s head. Finally, Amy hit the Havoc’s torso and sent it flying, and Sonic met it at the other end with such a powerful Homing Attack, he tore right through it.
Landing on the ground, he grinned at Amy, who hugged him to show her pleasure at their victory. Sonic chuckled and returned the loving embrace.
Rouge and Omega still attacked at their Havoc with renewed vigor after seeing Sonic and Amy take down another one.
“Why... won’t... it... die?!” Rouge growled, dodging a bullet and kicking the Havoc in the visor. Omega ducked behind a steel beam and fired his chain gun while Rouge tried to flank the mech.
Kaynyx and Mephiles were engaged in a melee, meanwhile, but not even Mephiles’ alien blades could penetrate Kaynyx’s enhanced flesh. Finally, with a great roar, Kaynyx slammed his arms down on Mephiles like a mace, and the dark being finally fell with a cry into the flames below. There was a dull *Thunk!*, and then Mephiles did not rise from the flames.
Sighing in satisfaction, Kaynyx returned to the others.
Rouge and Omega were now attacking the Havoc in angry determination, hoping to defeat theirs’ before Knuckles. Finally, Rouge heaved her heel into the Havoc’s visor, and yanked it out. Before the mech could reorient itself, Omega drew a large, sharp drill on one arm, and heaved it into the hole Rouge had made, and tore the Havoc in half. Rouge smirked, nodded at Omega, and took a deep breath...
But then glanced at the timer: they only had eleven and a half minutes before the core overloaded and obliterated the Aero Fortress.
“Guys... can we hurry this up?!” she yelled. Suddenly noticing Shadow, however, Rouge hurried over to him and checked on his wounds.
Shadow finally stirred at her touch. “Mm... Rouge... I’m fine, leave them alone...” he muttered.
“Just shut up” Rouge said exasperatedly, inspecting Shadow’s side. “Hmm... one of your left ribs cracked, but just barely; it’ll hold until we get out of here. In the meantime...” Rouge pulled out some antiseptic, put some on Shadow’s Mephiles-induces scars, and then wrapped the deeper ones with bandages.
“I can’t believe you actually take that with you” Shadow said, but with a smirk.
“Well, after you get hurled through a window, barely alive, it doesn’t hurt to be ready, does it?” Rouge said with a small chuckle.
Shadow smiled and shook his head.
Knuckles, at about the time Rouge defeated her Havoc, was still circling his. Glaring into its visor, they both waited for the other to make a move.
Knuckles growled lowly. “Bring it” he said, anticipating another melee...
But then, a big gray fist tore through the Havoc’s torso, and ripped apart its circuits.
“Kaynyx!” Knuckles said, angst upon his face. “You took my kill!”
“I didn’t see your name on it” Kaynyx replied with a laugh. “Rest assured, I won’t interfere next time.”
Knuckles just grumbled.
“Uh, guys? We only have about nine minutes to get out of here!” Rouge said suddenly.
“Let’s go above ground; I can’t focus much energy with all this smoke” Shadow suggested, and they all hurried towards a pile of rubble that led to the remains of the above deck...
But suddenly, a dark, smoldering figure leapt out of the flames, and landed before them all, cackling menacingly.
“This... is the END, SHADOW!!” Mephiles the Dark laughed almost manically. “You shall never leave this place... not with your souls and consciousnesses intact!”
Kaynyx growled again, and summoned what rage he had left to toughen his skin and enhance his speed and strength slightly.
“This worm is mine!” he snarled, and ran right at Mephiles, but the dark creature was ready, and struck Kaynyx in rapid succession across the torso and face. But Kaynyx slammed Mephiles aside, and picked up a fallen beam, and slammed the incredibly heavy object into Mephiles just as the dark being was starting to rise again. Then, before he could recover, Kaynyx gathered all his strength, and brought the beam down upon Mephiles’ face with the loudest *CRACK!!* any of them had ever heard.
Mephiles’ eyes were squinted, and unblinking. The stone texture of his face was cracked grotesquely where the beam had impacted, and his body remained motionless.
Kaynyx sighed again, and faced the others. “I think we’re good to leave now” he said wearily. “He won’t be-”
“Kaynyx-!” Shadow started to shout, but it was too late: Mephiles had risen again, the hellish glow of the flames around them cast an even deeper aura of darkness around Mephiles as destruction flickered in his green, chaotic eyes. Then, drawing a stone blade, Mephiles heaved the blade’s entire length into Kaynyx’s back.
There was an odd silence as Kaynyx’s eyes widened, he slowly dropped the beam, and collapsed before them.