(Bold + Italics = Black Arms Language)
Back with the freedom fighters…
Knuckles frowned, staring at the navy chameleon who had willingly sat in the cell provided by the chaotix and not moved for hours. He knew Espio could meditate for a long time but to not move for three days or ask anything was confusing the echidna. They were on Angel Island after a spotted sighting with Eggman trying to steal the master emerald had them on edge.
"Still not moved?" Rouge appeared by her partner's side, Knuckles could only shake his head. A rule had been made Espio wasn't allowed anyway near the navy chameleon according to Mighty and Knuckles so Vector and Charmy were in charge of finding out information. Which to be honest they weren't doing a bad job at.
A startled gasp left the navy chameleon's mouth making Rouge jump, the bat wasn't expecting it. The navy chameleon then looked in their direction only to slump to the side and his body started to seize.
"Damn! Rouge grab Espio!" Knuckles shouted opening the cage only to lose his breath as a hand grabbed his neck but it wasn't the one he thought it was. Instead it was Infinite who threw the guardian far back so his body slammed off the master emerald.
Infinite then stalked in the cage as Arlo backed up into the wall, leaving about two feet in between them. The jackal created a ball of energy which made Arlo gasp as his own body started to drain. He was dying all over again and this time Mephiles wasn't nearby, he was sure the black and grey hedgehog felt his pain as he was succumbing to darkness. As soon as the pain appeared it disappeared, he opened his eyes only to gasp at who stood in front of him.
Espio! The purple chameleon glared at Infinite who only roared in anger, as Espio kicked him back away from the two chameleons straight out the cage door into Knuckle's fist. The jackal fell to the ground as Espio turned to face Arlo only to gasp. Half of the energy was gone and the navy chameleon only clung on tightly to it.
"Esp, I'm sorry. The plan is going to fail…tell Mephiles…I'm….wait what…are…you…doing?!" Espio ignored Arlo as he created a ball of pure chaos energy. Very few mobians had mastered this technique, one being Shadow the hedgehog, the other well time will show. Arlo watched as wisps left Espio's chest almost like the time Mephiles and he tortured the chameleon who had forgiven him for that even if Arlo still felt guilty.
"Espio! What are you doing?! Get away from him!" Mighty roared moving to grab his partner when Violet suddenly appeared in front of him, "Father leave him! He knows what he is doing!" She shouted in anger, shocking the rest of them.
Just as Espio's energy connected with Arlo's chest, Infinite scrambled for a portal as something else happened across the realms…
Back with Sonic and Shadow…
A wave of darkness like no other flew in every direction, one particular individual felt pain spread through their chest as time was running out. Arlo was dying, Mephiles cried out falling to his knees confusing all the jackals in the room who looked at their prisoner with mixed expressions.
"Aha! It seems our brother is finally winning, fear not Mephiles the Dark. Your time will come soon but for now let the pain come and your mind will succumb fully to the darkness" a torturous voice broke through Mephiles pain, he gritted his teeth ignoring the laughing jackals as he urged his rival to hurry up. He sent a very violent message to the ultimate lifeform. There was only so much time Mephiles could keep Shadows crystal hidden from all eyes and he was losing it via Arlo.
Elsewhere…
Rocks the echidna was leading them through several portals and they had finally reached the one of the Mystic Caves when Shadow's eyes burst open and they glowed purple. Sonic gasped when Shadow moved out of his arms only to throw up to the side of them. Black blood caked his lips as Sonic rubbed his back. Rocks and Trails gasped trying to help in their own way, both of them had come along despite Sonic saying it was maybe a one way ticket. Both of them ignored him and explained it was time they stopped hiding.
"Shadz!?"
"We need to hurry up, Espio…he's…time we don't have time" Shadow grunted as he wiped his mouth, his chest hurting. Mephiles' message was sharp and violent. He would get the grey old hedgehog back for that later on when he had the energy to punch him.
"Okay, Rocks where to next" Sonic asked, offering Shadow a lift the grumpy hedgehog nodded for now. He needed to conserve as much energy as he could until he was needed. With a quick scoop Shadow was back in Sonic's arms coughing his guts up. Sonic smiled down at him despite the pain as the three ran down the halls of the mystic caves.
"What?" Shadow grumbled, "Nothing, I'm just glad I get to hold you again and I'm sorry for everything. I can't lose you again, after our argument and then Dash being born, I couldn't help but blame you for everything so I lied to Eclipse and the others. I said I had no clue where you were when I could feel you the whole time. Shadow, we are connected and I'm dying too" Sonic admitted, Shadow didn't speak knowing his partner wasn't finished. "I don't want to spend what could be the last few hours we have with each other angry so please can you do the same" Sonic pleaded pulling Shadow close as he ran down the mystic caves. He wasn't running at full speed since he didn't have the energy and to also make sure Rocks and Trails could stay by their side.
"I understand, we will talk later but I do forgive you, I love you…faker" Shadow soon went limp in Sonic's arms, Sonic gasped trying to wake his partner whose nose bled furiously. Sonic called on his inner powers to focus them through his alien partner whose body jumped in shock at the sudden intake. Shadow's eyes widened as he woke up with a curse he thanked Sonic the best way possible.
"Faker! That hurt!" Shadow glared at Sonic who only smiled.
"Well then stay awake, Shads. We are almost there" Sonic cockily replied.
"We are here!" Trails called out to them in a whisper. Shadow moved out of Sonic's hold to kneel beside them all. Sonic gasped when they spotted the arrangement.
Down in the centre of the huge cave was an altar and attached to it was a bloody Mephiles who held his head high despite the Jackals using him as target practice.
"So what's the plan?" Rocks asked the two hedgehogs who looked at him in shock.
"No, this is as far as you go. We can handle it from here" Sonic said, trying to stop himself from coughing.
"Yeah right, you and moody look ready to collapse at any second so we are helping whether you like it or not otherwise Knuckle's spirit will pound you into the ground!" Rocks glared at them, as Trails finished speaking. Sonic stared at them in shock, "Wait are you Knuckles kids?" The two shared a look, "Adopted" Rocks answered for Trails who nodded, "Both of you?" Sonic asked, the two nodded. Shadow ignored their conversation trying to work out a safe plan, he wasn't a fan of putting kids in danger not after having his own.
A sudden pain shot through his head as a familiar voice spoke, "Shadow, meet me where the sun starts to tilt in three hours otherwise you will find your son on a silver platter. It's either him or…well we will see".
A startled gasp left his vocal cords alerting the others to him, "Shadz, what's the matter?" Sonic asked, Shadow only shook his head wishing he had brought his gun with him. "Silver, Doom is after Silver. He sent me a message, cover me while I send one to Epsio!" Shadow urged, the three understood as Trails stayed with Shadow leaving Sonic and Rocks to deal with getting to Mephiles. With their half decent plan, what could go wrong?
Back with the freedom fighters…
He was exhausted, absolutely ready to quit and head home to sleep the rest of the year away yet he found himself in another argument with Mighty yet again. He understood Mighty wanted to protect him but from birth Espio had been trained to defend himself almost like the weapon he was. Ray was glaring at him while Arlo stood in confusion handcuffed to Espio's wrist. The ninja had done it himself to try and explain that Arlo wasn't the enemy but none of the freedom fighters would have it.
"Let me get this straight, navy here is the one who electrocuted, tortured you and worked with the enemy in an attempt on Dash's life and he is not the enemy? And you're protecting him, why?" Rouge exclaimed, trying to make sense of whatever the chameleon was trying to get across.
"Yes and no" Espio’s reply only enraged them all.
"And you can't tell us why because…" Vector asked
"It's against code"
"Espio! I don't care about your codes and laws! I care about you! Will he harm you!" Mighty roared in anger, Espio didn't even flinch, Charmy was impressed since the armadillo was furious.
"He will not harm me as he is tethered to me until Mephiles returns" Espio admitted with a frown as he looked off into the distance. He removed the handcuffs and walked over to the cliff's edge.
"Espio!" Mighty yelled enraged that his partner wasn't listening.
"Arlo, you are free to go but remember code 706 as you will need it" Espio muttered ignoring them all as he held something tightly in his fist. Arlo could only nod as he moved over to the rock to look off into the distance.
"Espio, I am truly sorry" Arlo spoke, earning all of their attention, "It couldn't be helped. We went our separate ways for a reason" Espio answered without turning around as tears flowed down his face. A sudden pain through his head alerted him to Shadow’s message.
"Have you visited?" Arlo asked, "Yes". The one word answer ended the topic all together. Rouge, Knuckles, Mighty and Vector all shared looks as they watched their strong chameleon struggle to hold his emotions at bay. Thankfully something caught Espio's vision sending his emotions to their hidden box as usual. The gold glint in the sky alerted him to an invader, a flash of light had him standing still as none other than Black Doom appeared in front of him.
"Espio! Move!" Mighty screamed but soon all of them found they couldn't move. Espio frowned, trying to get his mind to work and move his body but it wasn't happening.
"So you are the other hedgehog I sensed, hmm it's seems all three of you have my blood running through you especially you" Doom's voice echoed around them all, Espio managed to catch sight of Doom stalking around the frozen in time hedgehog siblings. Knuckles gasped trying to call on the Master Emerald to break the spell.
"Well it seems like white hedgehog, that your mother is running late which means he is a failure and you are the consequence of that failure" Doom laughed as a dagger appeared in his hand. All freedom fighters screamed in their minds apart from Espio and Violet, the two chameleons were trying something else.
Silver cried out through one of his forgotten bonds, he noticed Shade's look of horror and Dash looking ready to cry. Blaze tried to press her way through the master emerald but nothing was working. Silver starred as tears built up in the back of his eyes. All freedom fighters tried to get control of their bodies as Doom brought down the dagger, several shouts broke out startling Doom who struggled to maintain the others in their hold. Someone was fighting back but who?
Doom turned around only to gasp, the three chameleons were standing by each other and the middle one was glowing an orange colour. Violet smirked looking at Arlo who nodded, Espio was using one of his easiest tricks in the book and Doom had fallen for it. He was creating an illusion.
"Impossible! No one can break that not even my pathetic excuse for a son, Shadow the Hedgehog!" Doom roared, waving his powers only to gasp when he noticed it was an illusion and Espio was actually still on the cliff's edge glaring with a smirk.
"So, you're him. You're the chameleon, Infinite has been after for years. The one who has just lost his mother…do your friends know who and what you have actually done to get where you are now?" Doom questioned, as he used Eclipse's tactics to his advantage.
"I'm gathering from that look, you haven't told them. Well let me start, has anyone ever wondered where Charmy’s parents are, hmmm?" Doom spoke up, Espio remained silent knowing what was coming next.
All freedom fighters could now speak and move their heads but nothing else. "I do wonder about that on occasion. My parents and Cream's father lived in the same village as did Sonic's plus Amy's I think" Vector thought out-loud which granted Doom a smirk. Silver could live a few more minutes as he explained. Knuckles could only nod at his crocodile friend to show he was right.
"Shall I explain or will you?" Doom asked, tilting Espio's chin upwards, Espio didn't even acknowledge the alien as his voice carried across Angel Island.
"Let's see if you remember this, chameleon" Doom said as he waved his hands to use visual images.
Ta Da! Stay Tuned more chapters on the way soon! What did you think?