Operation: Shadowfall

by Asher Tye

Author's Note: And now for the conclusion. I'll be adding a final author's note at the bottom of this chapter when it's done. Unfortunately, it had spoilers for this chapter (yes, an epilogue can be spoiled without spoiling the rest of the story), so I thought people would appreciate it not being there. So here we go.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, Sonic Underground, or anything related to Sonic's copyrights. Sega and DiC own them. (bland, no?)

Epilogue

A metallic hand twirled a crimson moustache, the owner of both quietly contemplating the scene before him. Dr. Robotnik sat in his reclining auxiliary command chair staring at the gigantic computer screen before him as it displayed several robots, SWATbots and Worker-bots together, working diligently to clear away the rubble that had once been hover-unit garage three. A quick thermal scan revealed the trapped Shadow's heat signature still very much active, even as he couldn't move lest he shift the weight of the rubble and crush himself. It was something of an enjoyable irony that so powerful a creature was forced to simply wait and be rescued. Thus was why, though he had ordered his minions to excavate the dark hedgehog, he had not told them to hurry.

'Perhaps an enforced time out will give that hot-headed fool some time to think about his loss,' Robotnik thought with a malicious smile. Satisfied that the "rescue" operation was underway and required none of his attention, the despotic dictator turned off the screen and quietly rocked himself to his feet to leave the room.

Calmly Robotnik made his way down the corridors of his Command Center, seeking solitude in his most private of labs for the time being. Not that he had any fear of being disturbed at the moment. Shadow was currently buried under several tons of building material while Sleet and Dingo were busy licking their own wounds from their previous encounter with Sonic. And as for the hedgehog's themselves, no doubt they were busy securing what remained of their little urchins somewhere Robotnik wouldn't be able to find them; for the time being anyway. But still he felt the need to be alone and make sure he stayed that way. Approaching the door to his lab, Robotnik touched his cybernetic hands to the two pads on either side of the door. As he did so, a scanning laser shot out from each, measuring each and every circuit, gear, microchip, and wire to ensure the two machines were indeed Robotnik's. It was only once the scanners were satisfied that the doors slid open and allowed the demented doctor to access the lab.

"So in the end, even my great-grandfather's proudest achievement proves incapable of destroying my hated enemies in the Sonic Underground," Robotnik said to no one in particular as the lights of the lab came on. "Of course that's not to say he won't prove useful in keeping those miserable vermin in check for now, but it's obvious I shall need to look elsewhere for a way to end this war and bring this planet under my perfect rule," he continued as he walked through the lab, his steps taking him towards a machine similar to the one that had held Shadow only a few short weeks ago. An eerie silver glow radiated from the glass tube that dominated the device, casting frightening shadows over Robotnik's already disconcerting face. "It is thus fortunate then, is it not, that Shadow was not the ONLY treasure to be found in the Dark Jungle bunker?" A demonic smile came over Robotnik's face as he gazed into the clear glass container, a silvery liquid churning restlessly inside…

"You don't have to do this you know."

"Yes I do. It's the only option open to me, to any of us."

"That's crud dude, you know that."

"Is it?"

"Freedom Fighters stick together, no matter what. It's what separates us from Robotnik."

"Freedom Fighter cells stick together, as an organization, as a unit. But even we know when sacrifices are necessary," Cyrus said as he turned from his packing to look at the three hedgehogs that had assembled to talk him out of his current course of action. The young lion was packing his bags, getting ready to leave not just the safe house, but Robotropolis itself.

"There's a difference between making a sacrifice in battle or for a mission and just caving in to a bunch of scared people," Sonia pointed out.

"Yeah, Trevor would never ask you to leave, no matter what kind of noise people make," Sonic returned.

"That's why I'm taking the choice out of his hands," Cyrus rebutted. "I'm not going to allow my presence to become a problem for the Freedom Fighters. Not now."

"Problem, what problem?" Sonic asked.

"Sanctuary."

"Dude, no one blames you for what happened there."

"You mean you three don't blame me. But you're busy helping to repair the damage done when Robotnik took Sanctuary, you're not having to listen to all the complaints."

"It was Shadow who destroyed Sanctuary," Sonia pointed out as Cyrus took his mini-computer and placed it in his backpack. "If it wasn't you he followed there, it would have been someone else. Sooner or later people are going to understand that."

"We don't have time to wait for later," the lion said in a deadpan voice. "Trevor has too much on his plate trying to repair the damage done, find a safe place to send the remaining children, and deal with the backlash from Edge and Geass's destruction. Or have you forgotten about that?" Cyrus looked into his three friend's eyes, and instantly he could tell they had not. This only caused the frown on his face to go deeper.

"So what, you'd rather leave than take the heat?" Sonic asked in an accusatory voice.

"I'd rather leave than become the focal point of some kind of schism in our ranks. Besides, maybe the parents of the kids we lost have a right to be angry. We promised to protect them and now…" Zipping up his backpack, Cyrus slung it over his shoulder and prepared to leave.

"Where do you think you're going to be able to go, Cyrus?" Sonia asked. "Even if you quit the Freedom Fighters, Robotnik is never going to leave you in peace."

"I'm not quitting the Freedom Fighters Sonia, I'm just leaving Robotropolis."

"Dude, that doesn't answer her question…" Cyrus released a sigh as his shoulders slumped, wishing his friends had just let this line of questioning drop.

"Robotnik went into Dark Jungle, and when he came out, he had Shadow in tow," the lion explained. "I don't believe any of us are naïve enough to think his new enforcer just popped into existence out of thin air."

"So…"

"He had to come from somewhere Sonic, and there has to be evidence. A record, a base… a piece of shattered glass. Something that would explain where Shadow came from and how to neutralize him, and I'm going to find it and make him pay for what he did to Sanctuary." Without another word, the lion made his way past the three hedgehogs and left the safe house.

The End.

Author's Note 2: And thus we come to the end of "Operation: Shadowfall." I imagine there are questions you want answered, but for now you'll just have to wait… until the final part of the trilogy, "CHAOS FORCE" (Title subject to change as I'm still trying to come up with a better one). For now though, I think I'm gonna take a break from this whole darker and edgier writing. Nothing permanent of course, but I've got some funny ideas for pictures and I want to try my hand at a one or two chapter long story for "Adventures of Sonic the Hedghehog" that tickles my funny bone. Plus I have a story in another fandom that needs a final ending for its last chapter. Still I would like some feedback on how this story did. Until next time, to my fans, one and all, KEEP SMILING!

(please tell me that didn't make me sound as crazy as I think it did.)