Jayde the Hedgehog • Rising Adversity [2]

17: No - Not Again✔️

Music: Apollo - Dr Phunk Remix

Jayde looked behind her as they left before turning back and clenching her fists, "Shadow."

The red striped male came from behind the trees, his figure coming from the shadows. His eyes still held the same emotionless pools, and his motions were swift and sturdy – this still wasn't her Shadow, and she needed to return him. Shadow and Jayde stared across from one another. The female's eyes full of fear and anger while the manipulated males were empty. No kind of emotion swirled within them – it was like he didn't even recognise her. Their last fight ended with Sonic ripping Shadow from Jayde; soon followed by a surprise save from the green Moebian away from Adversity.

Jayde failed the last time. It was too much pressure, and everything had gone too quickly. She couldn't make that mistake again.

"No matter what you do, he is on my side," Adversity hissed, an evil grin plastered on her face as she too floated from the darkness, "You've already failed."

"No – not again," Jayde growled before whispering to herself, "I can't."

The two hedgehogs charged towards each other, Shadow powering up a chaos spear whilst Jayde tapped into her invisibility. The male flung his arm around, but Jayde quickly disappeared, making the hedgehog's hit attack thin air. Shadow growled, Jayde jumping up as she became visible again, pouncing over his head. The ebony male leapt up, knocking her feet. Jayde rolled along the floor before kneeling up, glaring towards the hedgehog who had once promised to protect her when really – she should've protected him.

The fight continued, even ending up with them both slamming against falling trees. Jayde swung her leg around, Shadow quickly holding up his arm to stop her attack. A rough punch caused her to fly back into a tree trunk again, but she weakly stood, her fists clenched. Jayde knew she couldn't beat him – she could only weaken him.

She ran at him again, Shadow soon following in her footsteps. Jayde squinted her eyes and waited for the right moment before turning invisible. Her body ran through him before she quickly turned around, slamming her foot against his back. Shadow dropped to the floor with a grunt, Jayde quickly pouncing on his back. The Ultimate Lifeform growled, using his rocket skates to fly back and crush the female under his back. Jayde whimpered slightly but didn't give in to the pain. She repeatedly punched his back, hating the idea of hurting him, before Shadow moved again. Flipping himself over, he grasped her wrists.

"Defiance is futile – join us." His monotone voice spoke, Jayde fists clenched as she stared up at the emotionless pools. She struggled against his hold before jolting her head forward, smacking it straight into his. She kicked up, flipping them both over so she held him against the floor. She blocked an incoming punch, struggling to hold the stronger male down. Jayde raised her fist, determination in her orbs but it weakened. Everything she had told her to hit him and return the pain, but she couldn't.

All the memories they shared, all the good times and laughter they had together. She was the one that made this happen. She told him he didn't know what it felt like to lose someone close to him, but now, he couldn't feel anything.

She couldn't hit him.

Shadow saw her hesitance and grabbed her clenched fist, pressing his foot against her stomach and tossed her over his head. Jayde yelped in pain as her back smacked into the ground below her. Shadow was quick to pounce on her, pinning her arms to the ground. Jayde looked up almost in defeat. She growled in anger, her Shard glowing from her quills, the negative emotions awakening it, and a powerful chaos-like blast erupted from her palms, firing Shadow away from her. Adversity stared in shock at the strengthened female, but it was quickly washed away – that's exactly what I need.

Shadow's orbs glared up from the ground at Jayde, his eyes lightening. Jayde's orbs widened before hands clasped around her arms, swinging and throwing her directly into the tree beside him. Jayde groaned loudly, pain filling her body completely.

"Wait, Shadow." Adversity grinned, watching him about to take his final kill.

Jayde mumbled against the ground, "Shadow, come back." She felt a pluck from her quills and fear filled her whole body – not the Shard! But her body was too weak to fight anymore.

Adversity hummed a laugh, throwing the Shard up before catching it again, "She's not worth to finish off and die quickly."

Jayde wobbled to her feet, wanting to stop them walking away. Shadow's back was to her, but she still refused to be beat. "Shadow."

The male's ears twitched, and he turned in one swift movement around to her. A gust of wind blew around them as he did so, "Don't say my name. You will all pay for what you did to Maria. You are nothing to me." The female flinched at his words.

"He won't listen to a word you say," Adversity smirk, throwing up the shard in the air a few times. Jayde swallowed as she saw the gem she swore to protect darken, and its shine was lost. The being seemed to corrupt the Shard, using the evil within it, "And he won't turn back to your side. He's with his real family."

"You're not his family!" Jayde hissed, "You don't know anything about him!"

"I know he was created by Gerald Robotnik to protect this planet – but his true purpose lies deep within, through his DNA. Black Arms is within him, and there's nothing you can do about it." Adversity smirked, bringing the Shard up to her face, "And there's nothing you can do from me unleashing my other brother."

The female thrust the Shard into the air, a yell leaving her lips. Jayde flinched, watching as a dark mist surrounded them all, concealing the darkness from the outside world. The Protector could feel the energy being taken from the Shard – from her. Her body strained, something unexplainable coursing through her as she struggled to even stand. Jayde gritted her teeth, glaring up as she watched a new being form. His eyes were piercing yellow, just like Adversity's, and he had red and grey stripes on his body. His smirk was already on his face, like he had been waiting for this day to arrive for a long time.

Jayde knew who this was. Shadow had told her before about his previous battles against this being. He was created, just like Shadow, but he was created by Black Arms. No human, or Mobian, input – this creature was pure evil.

Eclipse the Darkling.