Jayde the Hedgehog • Rising Adversity [2]

24: Don't Think About Stopping ✔️

Music: Garia - FadeX

"Tails, I thought you said they were close by?" Amy asked, as the 'heroes' ran through the forests of Moebius.

"They were!" Tails spoke back, looking on his device at the bleeping red dot, "Adversity's signal that Eggman gave me is moving around. Jayde, can't you feel her energy?"

"T-Dog, I can only feel Riots energy. Adversity was created with Black Arms, and chaos energy. The only ones who could sense that would be Shadow and Knuckles." Jayde remined the young fox.

Amy frowned slightly, "Where is Eggman anyway?"

Sonic shrugged, eyes half cast, "Who knows with that guy."

"Well, that's just great." Scourge sneered, "We're practically lost in Moebius forest and the guy who was supposed to be on our team has betrayed us."

"Surprising that it wasn't you, Princess." Sonic smirked.

"I regret agreeing to this." Jaylee muttered, glaring to her lookalike. Jayde simply stared back with a roll of azure pools.

The 'heroes' had been running for over an hour now, and no trace of physical evidence put Adversity, Eclipse or Shadow close by. Jayde had insisted that Cleobella stay back at the castle, not wanting her to be injured in the battle. Eggman had vanished soon after, and no one knew where he had gotten to. The doctor had been quite distant ever since he 'joined' their team. Miles scoffed at the Mobian's conversation, "Serves you right for trusting the twerp." He smirked as his lookalike turned to glare at him, "I would've found them by now."

"Shut up, Miles." Tails snapped back, "You don't even know how to build a damn communicator." Sonic, Amy and Jayde glanced at each other in shock of Tails' outburst but didn't say anything.

"Actually, I'd like you to know-"

The anti-Tails was cut off as an evil laugh echoed around them. A familiar laugh that made everyone tense. The young fox smirked triumphantly, glaring back at his evil twin, "I told you they were close!"

"One hour later." Rosy muttered, "Scourgey, when can I smash-smash?"

"In a minute, Rosy." He replied, clenching his fists as the familiar figure came into view.

Her hand whipped her bangs over her eyes, smirking at the 'heroes' below her. Adversity knew she could beat them. She was stronger than they could ever imagine, especially with the Protector's Shard in her grasp. Eggman had designed her specifically to destroy the enemy, and that's what she was going to do – it just wasn't for the doctor. The young darkling knew about her 'brother' from the files she had seen at the doctor's lair. He made a big mistake of letting her look. After a while of watching them, she found the perfect opportunity to strike, snatching Shadow up in her grasp, at his weakest moment. She laughed as she watched the team fall apart.

Adversity had been watching them since the day she took the Ultimate Lifeform. Jayde had crumbled; it was almost humorous. It's why you should never depend on someone. The grey hedgehog was weakened every time Shadow physically hurt her and his promises where never kept. She loved to watch his former friend suffer – it made it easier for her. And with the Shard in her hold, Jayde could never reach her full potential.

Once the Mobians had stumbled across the Moebians and tried joining forces, she merely chuckled at their foolish move. You can never work with the ones who want completely different things to you. That's why Adversity believed they stood no chance against her and her 'brothers'. They had chosen their allies poorly, and they would pay because of it.

"Adversity." Jayde snarled, clenching her fists.

"Ah, renegade, it hasn't been so long – are you feeling bruised from last time?" Adversity chuckled, raising her hands a bit, "I'll gladly not spare you this time. Or better yet," Jayde's eyes connected with the ebony hedgehog's emotionless pools staring directly at her, "He won't spare you."

"I'll be happy to crush that plan of yours, fuzzball." She hissed back, trying not to show any kind of fear, but the others could sense it. Sonic knew that it hurt her having to fight Shadow. There would be no back out option, no way Jayde could avoid hurting him back because if she didn't, she would perish.

"Not so fast!" the familiar voice broke through, and the doctor appeared, robots surrounding him, "There's only room for one super villain in this franchise – and that's me!"

"Oh, joys." Adversity hissed, "My dearest creator is here. The one who wished for me to end these pathetic creatures and tries to destroy me when I'm about to."

"The only person destroying that blue rat, is me!" Eggman snapped.

"Egghead, you've been at this long enough to know that I am a hedgehog!" Sonic answered.

Amy whispered to her blue hero, "Is he on our team on not?"

"I want to end your life, hedgehog or not. All of you will perish under the stampede of the Eggman Empire!" the doctor shouted before throwing his fist forward, and all of his robots charged forward, surrounding the small team.

"Guess not." Amy sighed, unleashing her ballet and immediately hitting the robot as it swooped towards them.

"Just great." Miles muttered, swiping his fist around to hit the closest enemy.

Adversity sighed, her grand speech foiled by the appearance of her creator. Jayde noticed the Ultimate Lifeform watching her every move, as if studying her fighting techniques, "Sonic, I need to get to Shadow before he knows all my moves."

"If he's got the same memory-whoa!" he ducked at a firing robot before spin dashing into it, "If he still has his memories, he'll know how you fight anyway – you need to find a different way."

"Be – heeya! – be unpredictable." Amy added, "Remember, don't hesitate!"

The grey hedgehog clenched her fists and nodded, tapping on her wrist watch, calling her board for back up, just in case a strike was headed her way. She needed to try and get through to Shadow without putting up a fight that could make her seem like a threat.

"Shadow." Adversity called out to her 'brother'. The Ultimate Lifeform uncrossed his arms and looked up at her. She smirked as she still saw the emotionless orbs, "Don't even think about stopping."

A malicious smirk spread across his muzzle, and he stepped forward into the battle zone. None of these creatures were worth living. They were all weak, pathetic mortals that had no chance against him. But that grey one was very persistent, trying to talk to him. Something in his mind told him to stop and listen, but Adversity told him to continue with his task in ending her – and he would do just that.