Our heroes invaded the Death Egg to get back the Zapfish to keep going and explore the Octo Canyon. They blew up the Death Egg Robot that was powering up the fortress and destroyed the space fortress. Now they're on Sector 2, and got back two Zapfishs. But there are still four Gates to explore, and seems like something or someone is hunting Mephiles.
Chapter 18 - Spikes of Metal
Our heroes returned from the Deepsea Metro with another Zapfish, unlocking the third Gate from the second Sector of the Octo Canyon.
Sonic: Alright, we got two Zapfishs with us. But we still have to get through four gates!
Maya: We might have to move on! Eggman might be moving foward second by second!
Marina: Unfortunatly, the gates only apear one at the time! We can't go any faster than what we're going now!
Pearl: So because of that, Egghead is moving on, as we have to go step by step?
Mephiles: We don't have much of a choice. We have to be as fast as we can!
Clauds: So let's move on! The next gate's wating for us!
The gang went to the next gate. They went inside, and were teleported to Green Hill again. This time seems to be sunset.
Maya: Alright, back in Green Hill. Let's get going!
Mephiles: Wait... is this the same place as last time?
Sonic: No. This is a straight line. We have to charge ahead!
They charged foward. However, on the way, something came to them. Sonic looked up, and noticed the blue mechanice hedgehog that he remembered from the past. Sonic clenched his fist, as the creature looked at him.
??: Hi.
Maya: Wow.
Crystal: Hey, what's going on?
Mephiles: What kind of machine is that?
Sonic: I was wondering when Eggman would tell you to show up, Metal Sonic.
Clauds: Wait, what?
Maya: Metal Sonic?!
Mephiles: Let me see if I get this straight. Dr. Eggman made that machine to defeat you?
Sonic: Yeah... but he pretty much doesn't have anything better to do with life.
Metal Sonic: Sonic Casterwill, you will not take hold of the Zapfish that easily.
Yes, Metal Sonic can talk in my story! Moving on. Metal Sonic started releasung plasma balls at them. Our heroes charged ahead, avoiding them. They didn't had a dicent way of targeting Metal Sonic, though.
Clauds: We won't be able to attack him from here!
Maya: So all we can do is avoid his attacks?
Mephiles: We have to find a way to miss him completly!
Sonic: If I'm not mistaken, at the end of this road is a caave! Metal won't be able to lock target on us while we're there!
They moved foward. Metal went behind them. Sonic looked behind, and noticed that Metal was prepearing a drill attack on them.
Sonic: Move sideways!
They moved away from the drill. Sonic noticed the entrance to the cave. They all went inside. Metal prepeared to chase them.
Sonic: On no you don't! TOUCHRAME!!!
Sonic shooted his Touchrame at the top of the cave. Metal was forced to break because of the rocks falling down. However, he crashed against them. He got up, and gave up.
Metal Sonic: You may have escaped today, Sonic. But my Spikes of Metal will end up taking you out eventually.
Metal Sonic left. Inside the cave, our heroes went on ahead to try and find a way out. They still had to get the Zapfish to compleet the Gaia Gate.
Sonic: Peral, Marina?(Phantom Mask appears) Can you tell us how far is the Zapfish?
Pearl: Looking at Marina's laptop, the signal ain't far from you now!
Marina: It should be at the end of that cave. Move foward!
Sonic: Excellent!(the mask disappears) We have to reach the end of the cave! Let's get moving!
They kept moving to the end of the cave. Reaching there, the Zapfish was locked on a cage, guarded by Eggman's mechs. Those were the Egg Rounders linked to one Egg Commander.
Maya: The Zapfish is being guarded by the enemies.
Sonic: It's inside that cage. If we want to get the Zapfish, we have to take out all the enemies.
Clauds: All of them, huh? I'll get them!
Crystal: Hey, wait up. Sonic, why is one of the robots red?
Sonic: Huh?(looks at the enemies) Oh how come I didn't noticed this? Egg Rounders! Those usually come with one Egg Commander! The Egg Commander gives the orders to the Egg Rounders!
Maya: So if we take out the Egg Commander...
Clauds: They will all blow up! I gotcha!
Clauds tossed one Splat Bomb that landed right besides the Egg Commander. The robot looked at it, blut blew up in one second, taking its troops with him. This unlocked the cage, alowing Mephiles to take the Zapfish.
They went back to the Second Sector, and went to the fourth Gate that was now unlocked. This one took them to the Chemical Plant.
Sonic: Wow! Now we're at the Chemical Plant!
Maya: Hey, isn't this some sort of chemical facility that is located behind Inkopolis?
Crystal: It is! I remember that the Octatians once attacked this place!
Sonic: This thing was build by Eggman lots of times in the past. However, after the last time it was build, the civilization took control of it, and used it for personal benificts.
Mephiles: Seems like Eggman's trying to take over this place. Look up there!
Mephiles pointed to the sky. There was one giant flying ship trying to take over the Chemical Plant for the Eggman Empire. This thing is the Frigaate Orcan.
Maya: What's that?
Sonic: The Frigate Orcan! One of Eggman's battle aircrafts! If Eggman takes over the Chemichal Plant, he's gonna have a massive factory to build more machines!
Crystal: He's WHAT?! We gotta take out that ship!
Clauds: How do we take it out?
Sonic: There's one ramp that we can use to aim at it! The weak spot is on its back! Follow me!
They went on to attack the Frigate Orcan. They reached the jump ramp that was on the Chemical Plant. However, since this was for launching small ships, it was to steep for them to climb.
Maya: Uh-oh. We can't get up there!
Sonic: I'll go! Be on the look out for Eggman's mechs!
Everyone stood ready to attack Eggman's machines if they would apear. Sonic boosted up to the top of the ramp. He had the back of the robot exposed.
Sonic: KINDLESTRINE!!!
Sonic shooted at the robot's weak spot on the back. This made the two energy capsules drop. The ship however, was still up.
Sonic: Uh-oh. He should have starte to colapse!
Sonic looked and there seemes to be something else on the machine. He had to get between the two massive whale-shaped coverings at the top of the aircraft. He had only one waay to get up there.
Sonic: Alright. Let's get this over with.(brings ot the Cyan Chaos Emerald) Chaos... CONTROL!!!
There are two ways of using the Chaos Control with only one emerald. The first being to slow down time, and the second to warp to another spot using a small Time-Space rift. Sonic warped to the middle of the ship. He spoted something there.
Sonic: Huh? What's this?(pulls out something) It looks like the same one that Maya got in the White Acropolis.
Suddenly the ship started to lose balance. Sonic noticed the falling boxes, and used them to jump back to the ramp. He returnd to the rest of the group.
Sonic: I guess I got it.
The ship landed on the pink water. Since this thing was on an area that wouldn't reach the power plants. The ship blew up, releasing the Zapfish. However, it wasn't about to land anywhere near them.
Crystal: Oh no! It's gonna fall!
Crystal dashed at the Zapfish. In a desperate move to catch it, she jumped. She was able to get it, but wasn't able to grab onto something to return back. However, as she was falling, something grabed her hand. It was Mephiles.
Crystal: Mephiles...
Mephiles: Hold on tight!
Mephiles was londing on to Maya's hand as tight as he could, but was losing grip of the thing he was holding on to.
Mephiles: I'm losing grip... I can't hold on much longeeeer.....
Sonic: Cross the rings on your ankles!
Mephiles: Huh?
Sonic: You're wearing the same shoes as me! If you cross them, they'll work as your jetpack! Well, not exactly cause they're shoes, but you get it!
Mephiles looked at his shoes. He crossed the rings on the shoes, activating the prupoltion on them. Mephiles grabed Crystal bridal style, and they boosted back up.
Crystal: Thanks...
Mephiles: That was a gutzy move. Be more thoughtfull about the next time you think on jumping to places like that.
Crystal smiled. They returned to sector where the fifth gate had activate. Thy went inside, and were teleported back to Soleanna's forest. This time, they were more eep in the woods.
Mephiles: So, back to Soleanna's forest. What could we have missed here?
Sonic: There has to be something deem in the woods. Maybe in the jungle. Let's take a look arround here.
Suddenly, Jet was pointing up to the sky. Seems like some Egg Gunners were moving to the jungle, looking out for something.
Maya: What are they doing here?
Sonic: Don't ask me. They seem to be looking out for something, though.
Mephiles: What exactly though?
Clauds: We'll know once we get there! Let's get going!
They decide to follow Eggman's machines. This took them to a part of the jungle where there were quite a few of Eggman's mechs. Plus, Eggman was there as well.
Sonic: Eggman's here too, huh?
Maya: What are they doing?
Eggman had one of those panels that Sonic and Maya saw before. He tossed it to what looked like the middle of nothing for our heroes, but when it entered in contact with something, one battleship raised to the sky.
Maya: W-Whoa...
Clouds: That control pannel was strong enough to give power to that battleship?
Dr. Eggman: Yes, it's working! Just as expected! With just one control pannel that's big enough, The Egg fort toof of to the skyes again! Soon, I will have all of my fortresses, and with that... The Eggman FLEET Will charge through the skyes, and take over the world for me! Gya hahahaha!!!
Sonic: The Eggman Fleet? Just what we needed.
Dr. Eggman: Now...(presses the button of his bracelet) Egg Fort, regroup within the main HQ!
The Egg Fort turned on its engines, and marked its main root to the Egg Carrier's position. Sonic, and the others came out of the bushes, and took out the robots, much to Eggman's surprise, since he wasn't expecting anyone to show up.
Dr. Eggman: Sonic?! Uh... how much did you listen to?
Sonic: Enough to know what you plan to do! But we're pretty much on our way to your base as well!
Dr. Eggman: This won't change anything, Sonic! I will still get rid of you and your pesky friends for good!
Eggman left. Our heroes took of to the Zapfish. They were able to get it back, opening the final gate on Sector 2. In there, they took a moment to tell Pearl and Marina everything they saw.
Pearl: A giant sky fleet?
Marina: Dr. Eggman has something like that?
Sonic: Yeah. If he manages to get the Eggman Fleet working again, we'll be in big trouble.
Maya: We have to get to the Cephalon HQ, fast!
Sonic: I know! Remind me to do a full report to Amber about this!
The gang went to the fourth gave and went inside. However, this time, they didn't go to a place that was to far from them.
Sonic: Huh? Where are we?
Crystal: This is one of Inkopolis' Battle Stages! Why are we here?
Clauds: Maybe those Octolings will awnser for us.
Everyone looked ahead and noticed very weird looking Octolings. This ones were the Sanitized versions of the Octolings, and were sent there by Eggman.
Sonic: Octolings? Why are they here?
Suddenly, a ray of purple light came to them. Metal Sonic was above the Octolings. Sonic growled when he spotes him.
Metal Sonic: Octolings, on the behalf of Dr. Eggman, exterminate our enemies!
The Octolings prepeared to fight. Metal looked at Sonic. Sonic growled again. Metal simply left on a purple light ray.
Sonic: Looks like we're gonna have to fight them.
Clauds: LOOK!
Clauds pointed at something there was one giant weapon under one force field. This is the Rainmaker, a weapon only used in the Rainmaker Ranked Battles.
Maya: A Rainmaker!
Mephiles: Rainmaker? What is that?
Crystal: This is the most powerful weapon knowen in the world! It's so powerfull that it can only be used by one person, and on a specific type of battle!
Sonic: Oh danmit! I didn't unlock the ranked battles back at Splatsvile, yet!
Clauds: Yeah, and I usualy don't carry the thing! I'm Rank B- on Rainmaker!
Maya: I'll carry it! I'm Rank S+!
Crystal: S+?! Wow! I want to be as fresh as you!
Maya took the Rainmaker, leaving her bow behind. They went to the goal. This things are usually guarded by the Octolings. On the way Octolings would pop up. Clauds took out two of them, Mephiles other two, and Crystal three more. Sonic and Maya reached out to the goal.
Sonic: Ok, you have to place the Rainmaker there, right?
Maya: Correct!(Octolings pop up in front of them) But first... THIS!!!
Maya charged up the Rainmaker, and shooted at the Octolings. It left ink behind, and blew up with the Octolings. Maya placed the Rainmaker on the spot, wining for them. The Zapfish was free, and they took it with them to the Octo Canyon.
Pearl: Welcome back guys!
Marina: Just in time! The Egg Gate Is open!
Sonic: Exelent. Let's get moving!
They went to the Egg Gate. The Egg Gate transported them to the launchpad of the Chemical Plant. The Zapfish was right in front of them.
Sonic: The Zapfish!
Suddenly, something stomped on the ground. When they looked, Metal Sonic took hold of the Zapfish. The cyborg was energized with its energy, and stood ready to face his oponents.
Maya: He fused itself with the Zapfish!
Sonic: Tsk.
Metal Sonic: I won't allow you to escape twice, Sonic. Prepeare to meet your doom!
Metal Sonic charged up his plasma shots. It shooted at its enemies. They were able to avoid them. Metal charged with Spin Dash. This proved to be a faliure. Metal missed. He went to the top of the ram, and started to build up on power.
Mephiles: If that hits, we're screwed!
Sonic: Clauds, ink up as much as possible!
Clauds got the idea. She started to ink up the ground. She inked as much as possible. Metal charged, but got stuck in the ink. Maya splated the metal creature. However, the cyborg got back up.
Metal Sonic: This is nothing!
Metal Sonic energized himself with the Zapfish's strenth. This amount of power transformed Metal Sonic into his emperor form, Neo Metal Sonic.
Maya: He transformed?
Sonic: Neo Metal Sonic? Just what we needed! This one's gonna be a pain in the neck!
Neo Metal Sonic releaes his plasma balls, but they turned into cannos. The cannons shooted lasers onto the battlefield. They were maneging to avoid them, but Clauds barely got hit by one.
Clauds: WHOA!!! That was way to close!
Sonic: We gotta look out! This guy just got much more stronger than what he was!
Neo Metal Sonic charged up his power. He transformed into a giant fireball that dashed to our heroes. Me barely missed, but his attacks were becoming very dangerous. Mephiles noticed something though.
Mephiles: Huh?
Neo Metal Sonic was starting to over hit. This would cause the robot to slow down soon, and would stay vonurable. Mephiles waited for the moment.
Mephiles: Just a few more seconds...
Neo Metal Sonic charged again. He released a shockwave. Everyone jumped. But Metal was overhiting. Mephiles aimed at him.
Mephiles: I got you now. CHAOS ORB!!!
Mephiles shooted Metal to the ground. Clauds took the chance and splated the cyborg. Neo Metal Sonic got up, and was fuming now.
Neo Metal Sonic: Urgh! Now you made me MAD!!!
Metal raised his fist, and thunders came down to him. Neo Metal Sonic got energized, and activated something similare to a Chaos Boost.
Sonic: So he even has a Chaos Boost of his own?
Maya: As if things weren't bad enough!
Neo Metal Sonic: I'll burn you into a CRISP!!!
The energized cyborg charged. Seems like he was boosted on everything. Even Sonic was surprised. However, the blue blur wasn't going to lose to some sort of metal copy.
Sonic: The only thing that's gonna get burnt is your prosessor after we smash you down!
Sonic started dashing. Neo Metal Sonic went after him, but wasn't able to catch up to him. Neo Metal Sonic changed tactics. He raised, and activated his thunders.
Neo Metal Sonic: It's no use, Sonic! You will never defeat me with your limited power!
Sonic: Limited, huh. I thing it's time to show you what I can really do!
Sonic stopped right under Metal. The cyborg landed right under him. Sonic didn't have a choice. He clicled his Limiters, and let go of his Inhibitor Rings. This unleashed Sonic's Chaos Power on its maximum.
Sonic: Fight me now, if you dare!
Not feeling the single threat in Sonic's words, Metal charged in. But was imediatly sent back. Sonic charged at Metal with his tipical Sonic Boost, energized with the Chaos Power at it's maximum. He crashed against Neo Metal Sonic, pushing the cyborg clear, and releazing the Zapfish. Metal Sonic's energies were out of control.
Metal Sonic: Major error in energy levels... Explosion inevitable... I HATE YOU SOOOOOOOOOONIIIIIIIIC!!!!
Metal Sonic Blew up. Sonic's Chaos Boost came to an end. The Hedgehog was exausted. Maya went to him with the Inhibitor Rings. Sonic placed them back on.
Crystal: You were holding back all this time?
Mephiles: That's absurde. If you had that power, why didn't you use it?
Sonic: Because... It drains to much energy. The Inhibitor Rings I'm wearing were maade to keep my Chaos Powers under control.
Maya: This kind of Chaos Boost is a last resource. So far Sonic didn't use it on any enemy before! Metal Sonic pushed Sonic to the edge.
Sonic: This power is almost impossible to control. You must have aa very strong will to use the Chaos Powers like that.
Maya: I guess now we're sure how much strong your will is. But so is Eggman's.
Sonic: You're right. But we won't let him get what he wants. No matter what, we'll put an end to the Eggman Empire!
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time...
The third Sector awaits our heroes... They must overcome it to keep chasing Eggman... However, darkness seems to haunt one of them... How will he face it...
Next time, on Sonic Splatoon: Chapter 19 - Shadows from the Past!