Shadow leaped backward, feeling numbness in his limbs. The fight was taking them too long, and the Black Masters were showing no signs of getting tired. The ebony hedgehog was sure they were unable to feel it anyway. They would continue to fulfill orders even if their limbs were broken.

With his back, he bumped into a column. In the next moment, it was shattered by big fist, showering the escaping agent with crushed stones. Another Black Arm attacked him from the side, so he crossed his arms, protecting himself from the worst. The punch sent him flying, rolling on the floor, ending on his stomach. He tried to get up, but his arms were pinned to the ground.

"Chaos control!" he shouted, warping only a few meters away. He used most of his reserves, so this was the best he could do. He touched his inhibitors rings on wrists. 'I can still use this!' He growled through showing teeth. He dived roll to temporal safety, escaping for a second before another punch crashed the floor.

His eyes glanced at Silver. The younger hedgehog was struggling to keep his defense up. His telekinesis could grab anything and anyone, but those guys were too strong, resisting his pull. Shadow allowed himself to be distracted for a split second, and that almost cost him a big headache, as a swift punch missed his cheek by millimeter. The wind pressure invaded his ear, making it ring.

He landed on his feet, reaching his hand to take one ring down. 'That's it! I have to at least allow Silver to escape!' The ebony hedgehog already lived his life. It wasn't always about his choices, and it was never a life he wished for. Yet, he was able to meet different people, becoming their friend, ally, or enemy, it actually didn't matter because the bond was made, defining his existence.

When his hand was merely a millimeter from the ring, his body was once more pinned to the ground, but this time a headbutt from behind was dealt on top of it. His arms were spread and tightly grabbed. In front of his eyes were stars, and his vision got blurry. He grimaced, wrinkling his face in a futile attempt to clear it.

"Shadow," enunciated Black Doom slowly, "I'm very impressed by your skills." In his voice was genuine appreciation. "You were always stubborn and strong. The image of a perfect soldier."

"Don't you say," the ebony hedgehog cynically replayed. Eventually, his vision got better, but the grip on his body was too strong.

Their conversation was observed by the young psychic; however, his hands were full, and his mind was occupied by thoughts directed toward his shield, as three Black Masters tried to crush it with heavy blows. His amber eyes frantically searched the room in a hope to see something useful.

'There has to be somethin—Ugh!' he shouted in his mind as the shield was hit especially hard, forcing him to fall on one knee. He could feel his arms were weakening. 'I need to find a way!' He gritted his teeth and tried to push the aliens away, but they were too heavy for him alone to thrust them back. His ear pricked, as he heard Black Doom speaking:

"If you beg for my forgiveness, I'll accept you to my hive-mind," the hive-mind leader offered to Shadow.

"You don't need telepathy to know my answer," hissed the ebony agent back, and he would swear he heard the monster to chuckle.

"Very well," the hive-mind leader said with tiredly sounding voice, but that was soon gone when he gawped: "Then begone!" He swept his left arm wide, but in the half of the movement, it stopped. "Wait!" There was a confusion on his face. "What's that?" He stared at one gel-cocoon, as a big bulge was traveling through it. It couldn't be any of his soldiers since he ordered them to stay back. The exit burst revealing flying Eclipse.

"Gyaaaaahh!" The Darkling's bellow shook the room and in his clawed feet was a big, green jewel.

"Master Emerald!" shouted Black Doom, unable to understand how that pathetic excuse for Black Arm dared to touch it. He should have broken his limbs to render him immobile.

The yellow eyes stared at the leader of Black Arms, filled with hatred, sorrow, and sadness. Then his crimson wings took him toward still pinned Shadow.

"Stop him!" barked Black Doom the order, and two Black Masters left Silver, joining the third one, and that left each hedgehog with just one opponent.

"Chaos Control!" he abruptly yelled, warping his body away from his Black Master but too far from the emerald.

Those aliens weren't dumb or blindly following orders. Two separated from the group, heading toward Shadow while leaving descending Eclipse to the last member.

"No!" growled Silver, lifting the alien with his shield. "You won't!" he roared, flinging the huge figure like a doll at the duo approaching the ebony hedgehog.

His friend smirked, leaping forward and landing on them with both feet, before bolting forward with one big jump. Both mid-air figures were just meters from Master Emerald when Eclipse tossed it in the opposite direction.

"Dang!" cussed the ebony agent, having a harder time to change his trajectory. Fortunately, the other Black Arm was having the same problem. It clumsily turned in the air, but the gemstone was far from its reach.

The ebony agent extended his hand, grabbing the big clawed toe, climbing on the falling mass and using it as a platform for another jump. This time there was no obstacle in his trajectory, and he was sure he will make it. Unfortunately, when he was just a short distance away, the stone was hit by red plasma ball, flinging it further, making Shadow miss. "No!" he exclaimed, turning toward Black Doom who fired at the last moment.

The eerie figure headed his way. His frowning eyes were saying the games were over. No more playing a nice man-eating alien. No more bragging and dragging the torture. Only swift death for his enemies!

The stripped hedgehog bared his teeth. He reached for his ring, ready to throw it away when his hand was grabbed by clawed fingers. His red eyes widened as he realized it was none other than Eclipse. Tears were escaping his yellow eyes, and the flying wisp was floating toward the ground.

The screaming muscles in the small body tightened, swinging with the hedgehog, throwing him toward the falling stone. However, Black Doom wasn't intending to let them have it their way. He prepared new plasma ball, and when he shot, it crashed into a flying body of Black Arm.

"What?" screamed the mastermind, feeling the heat generated by the explosion on his skin.

"Missed me?" mocked him Silver with a smug smile. He was short of breath, but he sure had good aim.

The monster's hands squeezed into fists, his anger almost erupted from his shaking body. In his whole life, no one dared to oppose him so long. No one dared to be so impudent in front of him! He was invincible!

The burst of anger was interrupted by a sudden light, and all of them could feel the room was filled with intense energy. Just from standing in it the psychic felt his wounds were recovering a bit. The blinding light lasted for several seconds before dying out, revealing a golden hedgehog with red stripes.

He was levitating, and his body was enclosed by a fiery aura. Shadow the Hedgehog taped into the deepest part of Chaos Powers that were stored in the emerald and acquired his Super form, gaining an almost invincible body, enormous strength, speed, and stamina. His eyes gained a glow, and as he punched through two Black Masters only glowing streak followed him.

"You!" barked Black Doom, seeing how the last Black Master was killed.

"Called me?" provoked him the golden hedgehog with a smirk, and he bolted at him, but the ever elusive Black Doom phased into space, retreating. Thankfully, the super hedgehog now knew which way he went, so he pursued him through the Black Comet.

Silver, who was watching all of it and catching a breath headed to lying Eclipse. He wasn't able to grab him, so he was worried he might be seriously hurt. The Darkling's body was shivering and trembling, his breathing was hoarse, and it was obvious there wasn't a muscle spared of pain in his body.

"Don't move," Silver gently told him when he tried to get up. He picked him up with his psychic ability and flinched as the whole room shook. "Man, Shadow must be packing a punch!" He lifted Cregal and gave him encouraging nod. They did an awesome job. Without them, they would be dead. He didn't forget to bring Master Emerald with him.

After a short while, they arrived, finding the sleeping wisps, safe and sound. Eclipse was gently put next to them, and his wobbly arms hugged Rhygenta, sobbing once more

"Take a rest," the psychic uttered under his breath, taking the gem and flying to find Shadow thought the shaking comet.

The said hedgehog was now bursting wall after wall, destroying everything and any alien in his path. "Show yourself, you coward!" he yelled as his blow smashed a group of soldiers.

"You shall pay for this!" roared Black Doom. "You haven't seen my real power yet!"

The ebony hedgehog was looking around, but he couldn't see him. Suddenly, the aliens moved toward the walls, and they merged into them, coloring it dark red and black. His fur bristled as he felt a strong rise in Doom's power. The corridors became eerie and gloomy, and a strong gust of wind passed through it, almost blowing him away.

A sudden thought passed his mind, and he burrowed into the ceiling, bursting it, continuing forward until he got outside. There he glimpsed a huge figure that grabbed him in the next second. He stared into a big, red eye that belonged to transformed Black Doom.

He fused with the comet, taking roots in it. His body was so big it was casting a shadow on the planet below. From his head spurted three pairs of differently shaped horns. His mouth was equipped with sharp teeth with two pairs of mandibles as well.

"Do you now see your foolishness?" Even his voice was transformed, piercing hedgehog's ears. "Black Arms is the only race worth of the life!"

"Switch a channel, jerk," replied annoyed Shadow and slowly pushed thick clawed fingers back.

"Impudent till the end I see," the monster dryly noted, balling his fist.

The caught hedgehog realized, getting free might not be that easy. He bared his teeth and released a burst of energy, burning the other and bolting toward the big face. His attack was, unfortunately, halted by plasma ball the alien fired from his mouth, but that wasn't enough to stop him. Not him.

The young psychic was able to witness the fight from inside of the comet. His ears flopped when he saw the monster Black Doom had become, not that he was miss universe before. He started to bite his thumb, gradually noticing his friend might not win this one. His brain started to be occupied by gloomy thoughts.

'What can I do? This looks bad! Shadow can't hit him! What should I do? We can't win like this!' He shook his head. "Dang it! Stop being negative!" He dug a hand into his quills. "Uah!" He shouted as something yucky touched his foot. "What's that?" he shrieked as he lifted his body into the air.

The floor was crawling with some black pulsating substance. It was snapping after him, trying to pull him down. In front of him, from the walls spurted root-like vines, and they started to fill the space. His fur stood up. The comet was trying to eat him!