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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 69: The Invasion

''Error Error Haven't you noticed yet? Past processing modified in a casual style. Lol lol secretly erase it. Sky, sky, it was all a fantasy. Puppet puppet morality? Tied to just increasing production. Optimism I don't know anything. What I fell in love with that day was a childish ideal. The deadly poison is sweet and gentle. You and you who are looking at the future. I can't laugh, I can't help it. Will you even wait for a kiss? I keep thinking about it until it breaks. When I got there, it was hell. Rain of needles that keeps falling. My heart is full of holes. Someday I threw away my precious umbrella too.''

– Twelve by Nightmare

xXxXxXx

Sonic breathed heavily, his body badly beaten and covered in bruises. He felt weak, with blood trickling down his head and cheek due to a bad cut he had received from his opponent. He stared at this person, both standing in a destroyed street, the sky above them painted a dark red with black clouds covering it. His attacker, the one who had hurt him and caused so much destruction was no one else but his rival, Shadow.

Sonic could only stare at Shadow, his emerald eyes meeting the dark hedgehog's crimson eyes, which were glowing menacingly. There was no life in them, no passionate spirit he was so used to seeing. There was only pure malice in his eyes. This was not the Shadow he knew.

''Why?''

Shadow didn't respond to Sonic's question, as if he hadn't heard it. Instead, he just continued to glare back at Sonic, seeing him only as an obstacle that needed to be destroyed. He stepped towards Sonic, a spear of energy appearing in his hand. Sonic was unable to move due to his own injuries, only able to stare at Shadow as the dark hedgehog slowly approached him, with a dark presence looming behind him, as if controlling the hedgehog.

Sonic's eyes widened, as there was nothing he could do, besides waiting for his own death. Shadow's glowing crimson eyes narrowed as he gazed down at Sonic, aiming the Chaos Spear at his heart.

''Perish.''

There was complete silence when the spear hit its target.

xXx

Shadow gasped for air as he sat up suddenly, pressing his hand against his forehead. His heart was pounding and his body cold, as if he had been submerged in icy water. He tried to calm himself down, focusing on his surroundings. He was sitting in his bed, with Touka sleeping soundly next to him. It was still late in the night, with moonlight passing through the slanted window above them. He took another deep breath, his ears twitching with every breath he took. Everything was so silent, but his heart beat and his breath were loud, too loud for him.

Shadow rubbed his temple, his mind still occupied with the dream he had. It wasn't the first time he had to deal with nightmares, and he was certain that it wouldn't be the last time. The issue he was dealing with was the fact that he had these kinds of nightmares for several nights in row. They were all similar, where his mind and body was controlled by an entity more powerful than him, a shadow hiding in the darkness, its red eyes glowing malevolently. He was ordered to destroy everyone he cared about, and no matter how much he struggled against this mind control, he would always find himself executing his orders. It may have been just a dream, but the lack of control he had over his own actions completely horrified him. He stared down at his hands, almost seeing the blood dripping from them, and closed his eyes as he closed his fists, his hands shaking.

He then got up, well aware that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. He put his shoes on and grabbed his AR Visor, then quickly warped from the attic to the garage where the Dark Rider was parked. There was another flash of cyan light, and he was slowly pushing the motorcycle down the street. He made sure he was far enough from his home so he wouldn't wake Touka and Kisaki up before he got on the motorcycle and driving away.

The fresh summer air did help him clear his mind a little, forcing him to focus on the road. Even if it was in the middle of the night, there were still people on the streets, but for the most part, the road was clear. Shadow didn't really have any goal in mind, deciding to drive aimlessly until he felt tired enough to go back to sleep, or until daybreak arrived. He hadn't told anyone about his nightmares, not even Touka, knowing well that she was going to just worry needlessly over him. Admittedly, he was well aware that she has a good reason to worry about him, but in his opinion, her peace of mind was more important than his. He knew that Touka would disagree, but he was always going to put her above himself.

Shadow stopped at a red light, staring at it intently. He was still at unease, averting his gaze once another flash of red light appeared in his mind and almost missing the traffic light changing to green. He shook his head, continuing to drive. He tried to push back his anxiety, frustration and fear, believing that it was a waste of time to worry about something like a nightmare. From what he understood, dreams and nightmares were merely the manifestation of the information his brain processed while he was asleep, but that still didn't explain him having the same kind of nightmare several nights in a row. Not only that, but the nightmare felt incredibly real, and only by waking up he realized that none of this had happened and that he wasn't a soulless monster who was forced to turn on the people he cared about.

This is my subconsciousness telling me what I fear the most… as if I don't know that. Shadow narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, only to stop at another crossroad. He took a look around, finally realizing that he somehow arrived in Westoru and was still driving further west, towards Infinity Forest. He snorted, wondering whether he should continue driving in this direction or go somewhere else. It only took him a moment to decide.

The Codex Research Facility… I haven't been there in ages. Shadow had no desire to visit that place, as it held nothing but bad memories, but he decided to leave the urban landscape, stopping at a clearing just a bit outside the city. He parked the motorcycle and sat down under a tree, leaning back against it. He tried to empty his mind of any unnecessary thoughts, only to be met with an image of Sonic grinning widely at him and teasing him about brooding. He sighed, a smile almost appearing on his lips as he hugged himself. Even though the night was pleasantly warm, he still felt cold.

Even if he was surrounded by people, sometimes the sense of loneliness would overwhelm him. He had learned not to give into it, and he knew there were people who deeply cared for him. However, he felt that whatever burden he carried was his own, and he didn't want to bother those he cared about with it. Trying to steer his thoughts to something else, he gazed at the city, the skyscrapers that touched the sky and the lights that illuminated it. Some would call it beautiful, some would scoff at the sight. To him, this city was simply a place he lived at.

Well, it probably was more than that, but Shadow liked to keep things simple. He didn't really care where he lived, as long as he was with Touka. Back when they were at the Codex Research Facility, she was always the one who talked about how she was looking forward to the day they would be allowed to finally leave it and visit Neos City. She told him how she would make sure they both got to live a normal life, or at least what they considered to be a normal life, far away from the experiments those scientists put him through. He tried to imagine what that life would look like, but nothing came to his mind, besides them finally being on their own and going wherever they wanted.

This dream had been shattered the moment he was manipulated into believing that he had killed Touka, forcing him down a dark path of revenge. In a different reality, Neos City wouldn't be existing anymore because of him, but thankfully, that didn't happen. However, even if he got Touka back, alive and safe, the fear of losing her never went away. No matter how much she assured him that she would be fine, there was always that voice in his head that kept him in doubt. She was his whole world and he was willing to do anything for her. If she wanted him to destroy Neos City, he would do it in a heartbeat. If she wanted him to protect it, he would do anything to make it safe for her. He was willing to go that far for her and for her happiness.

Yet, Touka's sole desire was for him to be happy. She wanted to keep things simple. Unfortunately for both of them, they became members of Team Neos, which meant that things would be anything but simple. At the time, Shadow thought of them as a group of the most stubborn, persistent people who only acted as an obstacle that came between him and his goal. After the reveal that Touka was alive, he remained indifferent towards them… or at least tried to, as it was difficult being indifferent to someone who constantly wants to befriend you. Shadow attempted to keep his distance at the beginning, still following his belief that it was just him and Touka against the world, only to find himself questioning weeks later when the hell had he started considering everyone as his teammates, and later on, his friends.

Shadow sighed. He refused to believe that his nightmare would come true, but he also needed to maintain a distance. He was paranoid enough not to trust himself under these circumstances, at least until he had a full understanding of the situation. He then gazed up at the night sky, at the stars twinkling above and the moon glowing and bathing the planet below in its glow.

Maybe one day, he will finally let go off his fears.

xXx

Kisaki stretched her arms, walking towards the kitchen when she spotted a black and red ball of fur and quills curled up on the couch. She blinked, wondering why Shadow wasn't sleeping in his room in the attic, but decided not to bother him. She knew that he probably had his reasons, and decided to start breakfast. Fortunately for her, she had a free day, so she could indulge a little in taking things easy and trying to make coffee as quietly as possible to not disturb the sleeping hedgehog.

It appeared that this didn't work, because the moment Kisaki was done preparing coffee, she was met with an outstretched gloved hand. Shadow woke up and sneaked up to her, probably lured in by the smell of morning coffee. Kisaki snorted, giving him the cup and preparing another one.

''So, how did you end up sleeping on the couch?'' she asked, leaning against the counter, while Shadow sat on the high chair at the built-in bar. He just shot her a glare for even asking him such question and quietly continued to sip his coffee. Kisaki sighed, having understood his response. ''You know, Touka will ask you the same.''

''She won't if you don't tell her,'' Shadow pointed out the obvious in a matter-of-fact tone, still glaring at Kisaki. She gave him a sheepish smile, agreeing with his statement.

''I guess you're lucky then she's not an early bird,'' she commented. Shadow nodded in agreement. It didn't take too long to hear footsteps from the second floor, with Touka rushing down, looking quite excited.

''Someone's in a good mood,'' Kisaki commented, firing up the stove for a fresh batch of pancakes, while Touka sat next to Shadow with a hot cup of cocoa.

''Of course I am. Today's the first day of the summer holidays, which means that I don't have to deal with schoolwork,'' Touka replied happily.

''I'm surprised that you're complaining so much about school when only weeks ago, you were excited to be accepted into a school,'' Shadow pointed out in a snarky tone.

''Only because I'm now a normal student, that doesn't mean that I can't complain,'' Touka said, pouting. ''Unfortunately, they also gave us homework to do over summer, so I want to take advantage of every free moment I have.''

''Why don't you just do your homework now instead of leaving it for later?'' Shadow asked her, a sly smirk forming on his lips when Touka continued to pout, avoiding his gaze. She knew damn well he had a point, but didn't want to admit it.

''You know, you could help me with it,'' Touka said suddenly in the sweetest tone possible. Shadow quirked an eyebrow.

''That's your homework, not mine. I'm not going to let you slack off,'' he said, with Touka sighing in defeat. Kisaki giggled at the argument the two were having, having gotten used to hearing this kind of bickering.

''I actually wanted to go to Solar Stadium today because they were adding a new racing track. Homework can wait for a little longer,'' Touka said, turning to Shadow. ''Do you want to join?''

Shadow nodded, with the two quickly finishing their breakfast and going outside. On their way to Solar Stadium, they had passed by the Kinomoto residence, only to see Lucas and Sonic walking out of the house, with Sonic perking up and rushing over to them.

''Hey, Shads, hey Touka! You two are up early!'' Sonic greeted them.

''Solar Stadium has a new race track and we wanted to try it out,'' Touka explained as Lucas approached them. ''What about you two?''

''We were on our way to visit Warren and Tails,'' Lucas explained. ''They had told us that something important to tell us. Supposedly, some kind of anomaly had appeared.''

''An anomaly?'' Shadow gave them a curious look. Sonic shrugged.

''They did add a lot of technobabble, but agreed that it would be better to explain it in person,'' he said, then gave Shadow a challenging smirk. ''How about I join you later at the race track?''

''I didn't know you were so eager to lose.'' Shadow smirked, already feeling the excitement rushing through his body. Somehow, the worries he had earlier that night had vanished, and even though they were still lurking in the back in his mind, he wanted to indulge in his own desires. It was simply a nightmare, wasn't it?

''Heh, you won't be acting so confident after I beat you,'' Sonic continued their banter. Behind the two, Touka was smiling warmly, enjoying listening to their little rival conversation. They continued walking towards Warren and Tails' house, then parting ways, with Touka and Shadow continuing towards Sentoraru.

The conversation he had with Sonic seemed to have lifted Shadow's spirits a little, and whatever weight he felt became much lighter, leaving him in a quite good mood. Unfortunately, that sensation didn't last as his mind was flooded with an image of red eyes staring back at him. His eyes widened in shock and he stopped, not even registering Touka's look of concern. She couldn't see Shadow's expression, as she was standing behind him.

''Shadow?''

Shadow snapped out of his stunned state, regaining his focus and giving Touka a neutral look. ''What's wrong?''

''You looked quite tense there,'' Touka said, tilting her head. ''Did something happen?''

''No. I was just… lost in my thoughts,'' Shadow replied. He didn't want to tell Touka the truth, but at the same time, he wasn't going to lie to her. Meanwhile, Touka wondered what it could be, only for a sly smile to spread across her lips.

''Don't tell me that you're actually worried that Sonic would defeat you in a hoverboard race?'' she asked. Shadow was flustered, if a little relieved, that this was her conclusion. He frowned, huffing.

''Tch, as if!''

''I don't know…'' Touka hummed, placing her finger on her cheek as she feigned a look of concern. ''He is a formidable opponent, but he is also your boyfriend… It would be hard to focus on winning, won't it?''

Shadow's tan muzzle flushed pink as he shoot a glare at Touka, who gave him an innocent smile. He was well aware she was just teasing him as an older sister would, and he didn't hold it against her, but he remained annoyed. ''Hmph, that means nothing. The main focus of our relationship is still our rivalry, and neither of us is going to let our feelings get in the way of that.''

''Ah, I see…'' Touka replied, still feeling amused by the response. Suddenly, Shadow gave Touka serious look.

''You go ahead. I still need to do something,'' he said, surprising Touka. She then nodded.

''Okay. I'll check the new race track and give you some advice on how to race on it so you can easily defeat Sonic,'' she said cheekily.

''That's not necessary. I'd rather beat him fairly on a race track we're both unfamiliar with,'' Shadow replied, leaving. His smile then faded as he skated away, a shadow falling over his expression. He wasn't fond of the idea of leaving Touka alone, but the images of destruction and death that kept flashing in his mind were slowly overwhelming him. A chilling sensation spread through his body as he felt as if someone was trying to puppeteer it. He didn't understand what it was, but he believed that it would be better if he was alone for the time being.

He had no idea that this would be the last time he would see Touka.

xXx

''So, what was that anomaly you guys have been talking about?'' Lucas asked, him and Sonic standing inside the Taylor Workshop. Warren and Tails were standing in front of a holographic screen, both looking excited to discuss their newest discovery.

''We've been working on our special project, when noticed a strange ripple emanating through the AR Field set in this part of Eas. We had checked whether Eggman or Starline were behind this, but the digital signature is different from the one they typically use,'' Warren explained, pointing out on the origin of the ripple on the holographic screen, which showed a map of their neighborhood.

''We decided to investigate further, and it seems like the digital signature can't be tracked down, so we thought that we could try to find whether there were more of those ripples in other parts of Neos City, and we found this on CyExLab's official website,'' Tails said, changing the map to the website showing some kind of notice.

''Huh, CyExLab? That's a name I haven't heard of in ages,'' Lucas commented.

''They put up a warning that the AR Fields are going through a digital warp, adding how people should keep an eye on their ARNavs in case the AR Fields need to be shut down for a proper reboot,'' Tails continued. ''However, as of the recent update, they still hadn't managed to figure out the source of the digital warp, but Warren and I did compare some of the data and came to the conclusion that the AR Fields might be merging with the data of another AR Field, but even then, that AR Field seems to be breaching the ones set up in Neos City. It's nothing alike the ones created by Eggman or Starline, which were essentially pocket dimensions within the AR Field based on data from the Sonic video games…''

''Okaaaay…?'' Sonic rose an eyebrow, trying to follow all of that, but clearly understood absolutely nothing. Both Warren and Tails exchanged glances, then gave Sonic an amused look.

''What we want to say is that someone else is trying to not only take control over all of the AR Fields in Neos City, but also warp them by changing its structure via the addition of alien external data,'' Warren summed up. ''However, we don't know who is doing this or why.''

''So, how bad is the situation?'' Lucas asked.

''We don't know,'' Tails said, shrugging. ''Typically, such warping might cause a lot of damage to the AR Fields and forcing a shutdown as a consequence, but for some reason the AR Field suffer absolutely no harm and are kept up. Warren and I wanted to go to Kita and visit CyExLabs to see whether we can gather some direct data on the situation. Do you two want to come along?''

''I had actually promised Shadow a race at Solar Stadium, so you'll have to count me out, little bro,'' Sonic replied in an apologetic tone. ''We could visit you at CyExLabs after it, though.''

''That's fine,'' Tails replied, then turned his gaze to Lucas.

''I have free time, so I'll be going with you,'' he replied, then tilted his head. ''Although, I don't know whether CyExLabs would be fine with sharing that information with us.''

''Don't worry about that. We'll be actually meeting up with someone I know and who can help us with this mystery,'' Warren said confidently.

xXx

''All right, my personal best!'' Jet cheered as he crossed the finish line of the new race track. Doing a kick flip, he leapt off his hoverboard, grabbing it and posed with his fingers held up in a V-sign.

''Great job, Boss! You really showed them how it's done!'' Storm praised him. Jet placed his hand on his chest, head held up high.

''I know I'm the greatest racer ever born, but you can keep flattering me,'' he said.

''You know, Jet, setting up records means that they need to be broken, and I haven't still had my turn on the race track,'' Chase said, a smug grin on his lips.

''Go ahead and try to break it. After all, the partner of the Legendary Wind Master should be his equal,'' Jet replied in a casual tone.

''Guys, are you two done stroking each other's ego?'' Wave asked, clearly exasperated by their antics.

''Nothing's wrong with a little confidence boost, Wave,'' Chase said, only for the two to notice Rika pointing at something.

''Maybe you two could talk less about how awesome you are and focus on the fact that someone else is going to occupy the race track,'' Rika said, with Chase and Jet glancing towards where she was pointing. To their chagrin, a familiar person was the one walking up to the same holographic screen they were using.

''That's Touka,'' Arven noted.

''Hey, maybe that means that Sonic is also around!'' Jet suddenly perked up, grinning. ''I can beat him in a race on the new track.''

''But, isn't Sonic Lucas' partner?'' Storm asked.

''That's right, while Shadow is Touka's partner,'' Chase added. Jet waved them off in a dismissive manner.

''Eh, then I'll challenge Shadow. Regardless of who it is, I will always win!'' Jet boasted. He walked towards Touka, only to see her stand frozen for a moment.

Then, she vanished.

''Huh? Where is she?'' Chase, who also saw what happened ran up to where Touka stood only a moment ago. Sure, several people walked past Touka, obstructing the Babylon Rogues' view, but it still didn't explain how Touka could disappear. The group quickly ran over to where she was standing only a few moments ago, with Chase lifting her hoverboard. ''Right, this is Touka's hoverboard, but she wouldn't just let it lying around. No respectable racer would.''

The group looked around, but saw no trace of Touka, all of them feeling a chill flowing down their spine. It was as if she had ceased to exist.

xXx

Something… calls to me…

Shadow was placing his hand on his head, the flashes of red and black intensifying as he tried to make sense of the images. He felt a complete disconnect from reality, as if this was happening to someone else, not him. He tried to shake off the sensation of dread he felt, trying to make a distinction of what was real and what was fake, but even that was difficult. He managed to find his way to Heizeru Park, leaning against a tree in an isolated area and trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He squeezed his eyes as a chilling image of a dark figure looming over him flashed in his mind, only to suddenly open them, gasping as he heard the sound of thunder rumbling.

He looked up at the sky, staring at the dark clouds as they gathered above the city, lightning illuminating them. To his shock, the dark colour of the clouds faded in a dark red as the sky opened in the form of a vortex, with masses of black and red creatures descending all over the city. Their descent was followed by red cracks in the sky, spreading across the city and pieces falling apart like a broken mirror.

Shadow stepped back, his eyes wide as he tried to make sense of the situation. He was alert, aware of the growing danger, but still didn't understand the full scale of what was happening. His first instinct was to get to Touka, but before he could do any of that, a black and dark purple starfish-like creature with six black-tipped squamous probes and a brutally large red-orange eye in its center approached him.

''Shadow…''

The creature gave him a soulless stare, suddenly projecting a holographic image of a jet black and legless body with a trio of red-orange bestial eyes, twin wide horns with red tips, a set of spines on his scalp, three-fingered hands that have claw-like nails and no visible facial features. This figure wore a dark brown worn robe with black-brown shoulder pads and golden accents, a maroon drape scarf with tattoo markings hanging from the back, golden chains with a set of silver-spiked medallions possessing a gem, and a double black cord necklace with red, blue and purple ornaments on one and golden and silver pendants.

''At last, we meet, Shadow the Hedgehog. I am Black Doom, and you will do as I say. The day of reckoning will soon be here,'' Black Doom said, his voice sending chills down Shadow's spine. Nevertheless, the dark hedgehog gave him a defiant look.

''I don't take orders from anyone, least of all you. Get out of my way!'' Shadow growled. Black Doom laughed, his voice raspy and filled with malevolence.

''You truly do not understand your situation, do you? I have sent you here to fulfill a mission – to find the seven Chaos Emeralds,'' Black Doom continued, his demand leaving Shadow puzzled and unsettled. He knew what the conditions for the Chaos Emeralds' appearance was, which is why he didn't understand why Black Doom wanted him to gather them… unless they had indeed somehow appeared without those conditions. It appeared that Black Doom knew what was on his mind, adding, ''The Chaos Emeralds are here on this pathetic planet, and you will find them and bring them to me. This is what you were created for, to bring glory to the Black Arms.''

''I refuse!'' Shadow snarled, charging at Black Doom, only to pass through the projection and turning around, with Black Doom observing him in silent amusement.

''I have expected resistance…'' Black Doom rose his hand and pointed it at the dark hedgehog, with Shadow suddenly falling on his knees, clutching his head. His body froze when he saw an image of Touka, lying on the ground as if lifeless in some kind of unfamiliar space. Then, the vision vanished from his mind.

''Touka… What have you done to her?!'' Shadow growled, glaring at Black Doom.

''That pathetic human has been taken as my prisoner, and if you value her life, you will follow my orders,'' Black Doom responded, with Shadow stepping back, gritting his teeth. However, he knew that in his current state, he wasn't able to do anything. He had no idea where Touka was, and the only thing that guaranteed her safety was him doing what Black Doom demanded from him. Black Doom, on the other hand, appeared to be pleased with his submissive reaction. ''You are of my bloodline, Shadow. You are one of the Black Arms, created to lead them to conquer this planet. Struggle all you want. You cannot deny your fate!''

Shadow's eyes widened when he suddenly noticed a black mass swirling around him, and he could feel his heart pounding as he was overwhelmed by an overpowering sensation of pain, pressing his hands against his head. ''Aghrr! Aaagh, no, no… Aaaaghhr!!''

Shadow writhed in agony as the black mass enveloped his body, warping it, his crimson eyes glowing red as he tried to fight it back, but was powerless against it. He struggled, falling on his knees as he his back was ripped open when a fleshy black and red mass emerged from it, forming into wings and leaving him screaming. The wings spread, lifting him up, with Shadow staring in at them in shock and then looking back at his hands which were still covered by the black swirling mass.

''It is time that you accept your heritage. I bestow upon you the gift of the Doom Powers. This is who you are!'' Black Doom spoke, with Shadow looking up at him in disbelief.

''What… is this? Those powers…'' Shadow trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence as a frightening realization dawned upon him. Despite the agony he had felt earlier, those powers somehow felt natural to him,… and that thought horrified him to his core. Black Doom sensed the terror Shadow felt, understanding that the dark hedgehog would eventually fall under his influence, his rebellious spirit crushed.

''From now on, my eye will follow you and observe you for me… Find the Chaos Emeralds and bring them to me.''

The holographic projection of Black Doom vanished, and Doom's Eye flew away, leaving the dark hedgehog alone. Shadow pressed his hand against his chest, his heart still beating as if it wanted to burst out of his chest. He looked back at his wings, realizing that he was in full control as he folded them, causing them to vanish from his back. Then, it was as if the sound suddenly returned, and he heard people screaming in terror, filling im with a sense of chilling dread. Those nightmares he had… they were about to become reality.

The Black Arms Invasion has begun.

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Megaman AMV 「イレギュラーハンターX AMV」 TWELVE by ナイトメア「Nightmare」

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