Mirror Image

XXIX: Brute Force and Heroic Resolve

The stillness of the morning in Jungle Ruin zone came to an abrupt end as a sonic boom thundered through the trees, sending brightly coloured birds screeching into the auburn sky above. Below them, Shadow the Hedgehog soared across a clearing towards his foe, the energy surging from his boots drying out the dew-soaked grass underneath.

Shadow flew forward like a heat-seeking missile, his arm outstretched towards his target. He knew he had no time to waste with his foe; he just had to end them as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

But as his hand came to within inches of Metal Shadow's crimson heart, his movement slowed to a crawl. The red Emerald within the robot's chassis pulsed with bloody light, suspending Shadow in mid-air and slowly pushing him backwards.

"It looks so much like a weak spot, doesn't it?" said Metal Shadow, "it's the first thing I would have gone for if I were in your place. But all your pragmatism won't do you any good against me."

"Enough gloating!" snapped Shadow, "Fight me!"

"As you wish," said Metal Shadow in a bored tone. A flash of crimson and a low reverb shot out from his heart, and Shadow felt a shockwave fling him up into the air. Somersaulting head over foot as he rose, he quickly righted himself as he reached the apex of his flight, and feeling his energy return to him he began to rain Chaos Spears down upon Metal Shadow, his arms moving into a blur as he unleashed the torrent of crimson lightning with pinpoint accuracy.

Metal Shadow crackled with crimson fire, not flinching from the bolts flashing against him. With a burst of speed so fast Shadow barely registered it he shot upwards, seizing Shadow by the neck with a silver claw and hurling him towards the ground. Shadow smashed into the soil by his back, his impact sending gobs of mud and grass in all directions and leaving him lying in a shallow crater.

He leapt back onto his feet, but had barely time to catch his breath before Metal Shadow descended upon him in a column of scarlet flame. Shadow dived out of the way, rolling along the grass as Metal Shadow crashed into the crater, widening it further.

Shadow now found himself next to the pile of smoking stones that was once the ancient temple. Leaping upon it, he seized a boulder, easily the size of a large off-road car, and lifted it over his head like it was made of air. Without hesitation he tossed it towards Metal Shadow. Before it reached him, a blade of crimson light bisected it, the twin halves of the rock falling away from each other to reveal the sinister robot behind, the knife of his finger outstretched.

In another flash Metal Shadow was upon the rubble, swinging a clawed hand towards him. Shadow ducked and weaved with tremendous speed as the flurry of claws danced around him. The black hedgehog attempted to manoeuvre around his foe, trying to find some opening to grab the Emerald and rip it out.

Something caught his eye; the thing he had tried to put fully out of his mind lest it interrupt his focus. On the ground nearby Sonic lay twitching, clawing at his own face and moaning incoherently.

That split-second allowed Shadow's emotions to claw their way back into him; his distress at Sonic's state and his fury towards the one who had put him there. In that moment of hesitation Metal Shadow struck with a devastating backhand to Shadow's chest. Shadow flew like a cannonball into the trees, smashing trunk after trunk of the narrow tropical plants before skidding to a halt in the undergrowth.

He staggered to his feet, clutching at his sides as pain shot through every part of him. He could feel his broken ribs sticking into him, and blood poured from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. It didn't matter to him; he would just regenerate his body in a matter of moments using his Chaos Energy.