Metropolis: Capital City (Vs Infinite)
Twilight was in complete shock.
For what looked like miles, she saw nothing but flames and destruction and a destroyed city in the distance. Robots tearing apart buildings, soldiers lying on the floor in the defeat, Wisps were seen panicking and flying out of their Wispons, and her friends...
The Resistance was beaten, bruised, and their unconscious forms scattered across the wasteland. Twilight gazed up in horror as changelings and robots buzzed through the polluted skies. She had no idea what was going on or what to do, but she took a step. It was a slow step, but she needed to do something.
Twilight's eyes were bloodshot, her ability to breathe weakened by the smoke covering the area. She coughed, tears running down her face after witnessing the chaos for what felt like the thousandth time. Putting a hoof to her muzzle, she did her best to conceal all the pollution roaming the wasteland.
She turned around, but was greeted by a ghastly sight. Behind her, Twilight saw them. The Eggman Empire, and leading them was the doctor himself in a walking mech. She needed to hurry because there wasn't much she could do alone, and she knew that.
Ducking down, the alicorn lightly poked Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow Dash. Come on... Wake up..."
No response. Biting her lip, Twilight turned around and saw the villains coming closer. She picked up the pace and found a red wolf lying on his back, his glasses shattered and smashed right next to his hand, his Wispon broken as well. "Buddy...?" Twilight gasped out.
With time running out, Twilight reached to the small dragon next to Tails and Classic Sonic. The alicorn put a hoof to her chest in distraught, "No..." she mouthed, words unable to escape her at this point. Luckily, she noticed his body moving, indicating that he was breathing.
Realizing she didn't have much longer to plan, Twilight ran to the blue hedgehog and red echidna. "Sonic, Knuckles. Wake up!"
Nothing was said.
"Please... Wake up!" Twilight begged once more, violently shaking their bodies.
Nothing again. Twilight hung her head as she tried to gasp out another plead for help, but was cut off by the sound of a voice.
"Are you alone and scared, little pony?" came the mocking voice of Dr. Eggman himself.
Twilight froze and slowly turned her head around at the ensemble of rogues standing before her. She trembled in fear at their presence, especially the masked jackal that was floating. "If you hadn't foiled my plans before, it wouldn't have come to this." Eggman revealed, touching his moustache.
"W-What...?" the alicorn gasped.
Chrysalis laughed, "We wanted to dispose of you and your annoying friends after so long. And now we can do just that."
"No please... Take me, but don't hurt my friends anymore. They don't deserve this fate..." Twilight begged.
"The Princess of Friendship begging for her friends. How adorable. Such a shame I'll turn that offer down and destroy you all instead." the mad scientist revealed.
Infinite opened a palm, "Shall I be rid of her doctor?"
Twilight was in shock, she couldn't move a muscle. She admitted it, she was afraid of Infinite. The princess heard Eggman chuckle darkly, "Go right ahead!"
Twilight immediately found herself seeing nothing but red...
Twilight shook her head and realized she must've zoned out and had another one of her nightmares. Her vision cleared itself and was greeted by Knuckles, who was folding his arms, "Twilight? Were you listening to a word I just said?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, I mean, can you repeat it?" Twilight studdered. She looked at her surroundings, noticing Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Amy, and Fluttershy standing with her.
"Jeez, Twi and everypony thought I was a slacker." Rainbow Dash remarked.
The alicorn cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry, Knuckles. I was just... Thinking is all."
Knuckles and Amy raised a brow at that hesitation, but the commander decided to repeat what he said, "Okay, since you weren't paying attention, I'll just have to start over. We noticed that Eggman's defenses are lowered in his capital, Metropolis. The last thing the doc would expect at this time is an all-out offensive strike from the Resistance."
Amy pointed a finger at the echidna, "How long did it take you to hatch this little plan of yours by the way?"
"..." Knuckles paused, "Five minutes?"
Twilight's eye twitched and she said, "Five minutes?! Knuckles this is a bad idea! We need more time to plan! To coordinate! Things could easily go wrong! At the very least we should wait for everyone else to come back--"
Knuckles replied, "We might not get an opportunity like this again, Twilight. This is war, and in war, we need to act for the better of our cause. This might be the only time we can strike Eggman like this and we can't afford to lose it."
"Ah'm with Twi on this one, Knux. Yer pullin' quite a gamble by attackin' Eggman dead center in his city." Applejack added.
"Come on guys. Knuckles is right. We gotta act first instead of think first sometimes. I'm all for breaking into Eggman's city and trashing his army out at the center."
"Well that's because yer a thrill-seekin' pony, Dash. This isn't a game or some competition. We're actually fightin' for our worlds here." Applejack reprimanded.
Rainbow spat, "I know that! But we're completely out of our element here! What other option do we have?"
"We can wait." Twilight countered.
Knuckles inhaled and said, "Twilight... We've been fighting a hopeless war for sixth months and the only reason why got this far is because of you girls and Sonic reigniting hope back into our cause. We're on a three-day deadline since Eggman has something planned and with Eggman already in the middle of plotting while his forces are scattered, now is the best time to strike back and delay that deadline."
"And possibly risk not only our lives, but every single one of the soldiers involved!" Twilight snapped, aware of the serious risks brought on by this random attack.
Rainbow said, "We risk our lives a lot, Twi. These guys have been at this constantly for months now. They know the risks. What's so different about it this time?"
Applejack rubbed her head, "The difference is that we'd be runnin' right into Eggman's city. Fer all we know, he'd be well-prepared for us showin' up at his doorstep. Ah'm sorry, but this a mighty dumb idea. How can you be so calm about this, Rainbow?!"
"I just want to pull Eggman by the mustache and stop our enemies before they hurt more people." Rainbow replied.
"Of course, because all ya care about is action." Applejack snapped back with a roll of her eyes.
"Uh oh." Fluttershy whispered.
Rainbow, clearly offended, growled and stomped forward saying, "That's not true! I care about you girls and everyone in the Resistance! But this isn't Equestria! We're in a new world and we're at war! Is it so wrong to want to help these guys have a major win over the bad guys?"
"With an idea this risky? Maybe!" the farmpony countered.
"Girls, stop!" Twilight shouted, "...Rainbow Dash is right."
"Huh?"
The alicorn continued, "This isn't Equestria. All of this is nothing like how we usually handle things. I've seen worlds ravaged by war before, and it was never a good sight to behold... But at the same time, this is a gambit that can seriously set us back if it goes wrong. Without a doubt, this is the craziest thing we've thought of, and I just don't want anypony getting hurt... Or worse..."
Revealing himself at last, Espio appeared from his camoflauge and spoke up, "I can see where everyone here is getting at."
"Espio? Where you standing there this whole time or something?" Rainbow inquired.
"...That's not important. What is important however is defusing this little squabble." the chameleon faced the alicorn, "As much as I disagree with Knuckles' idea, I believe it's the best course of action at the moment." he decided.
"How could ya think that, Espio?" Applejack asked.
Espio closed his eyes and answered, "Eggman had us on the ropes for six months. His capital is the heart of his defenses. If we can tear that down, it will finally give us the best advantage over him yet and end his reign before whatever he has planned for us comes to fruition."
Twilight groaned, "No... No, this is a completely bad idea! What if--"
Rainbow raised her hooves, "Alright, Twilight. Something's definitely up with you. You've been on edge lately... Well, more than usual. You weren't like this when we first showed up here."
"That was..." Twilight cut herself off to figure out a good response, "That was before I realized just how dire everything here was! Eggman took over the world and Infinite-- Infinite might just be the most dangerous enemy we've faced yet!"
"Really? Infinite?" Rainbow muttered.
"I'm serious." the alicorn blurted out.
Fluttershy looked to Rainbow Dash, "Twilight actually fought Infinite so if she says he's that dangerous... I believe her."
"Okay, yeah. He's super powerful, but that hasn't stopped us from taking down evil before." Rainbow admitted.
"Twilight. Just trust us." Espio said. "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't believe we have a chance of succeeding."
"But still. This is the riskiest move we've done."
Rainbow raised a hoof, "We went into the Death Egg and came out perfectly fine, did we not?"
Twilight studdered, "Well yeah, but--"
"And not only did we free Sonic, but he took out one of Eggman's goons while breaking out, right?" Rainbow added.
"That's true, but that was all him--"
"And we went on a bunch of other missions, including Eggman's main lab and got out no worse for wear too." the pegasus finished, "The odds are pretty much in our favor, Twi."
"..." Twilight paused. She was running out of vounters, and her mind already was running rampant. With a sigh, she relented, "Fine. If you all believe this is a good idea, I guess I can't change your minds."
"Then it's settled. We're heading to Metropolis. I'll let the rookie know what the deal is." Knuckles said.
Applejack shook her head, "Ah can't believe we're doin' this."
Twilight gulped, "Neither can I."
Rainbow said, "Alright, so what's the plan then? All of us go while Fluttershy and Amy do mission control or whatever?"
"Um, actually... I was thinking about going." Fluttershy admitted.
Rainbow, Applejack and Twilight had an equal amount of shock present on their faces when their meek friend said this. "What?" muttered the cyan mare.
"I want to help. I feel like I've stayed behind for too long. If... If one pony could help stop Eggman... Then I want to do that." Fluttershy said.
"Are you sure, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.
The pegasus nodded, "I am. A-At least I'll be with ponies and creatures I can trust."
"Then she can come." Rainbow decided. "What about you, Twi?"
The alicorn stopped to think. She looked back at her recent vision and scowled, wanting to prevent it. "I will."
Metropolis. The city may have looked clean and futuristic on the outside, but it was actually the capital of Eggman's reign. The pure white futuristic skyscrapers towered over everything and the streets looked pretty clean, all around were logos for a corporation called Hexaco. No other area on the entire planet of Mobius was as well-defended as this city. Everybody in the Resistance knew this, and yet here they were, ready to bring it all down for the good of their world.
Knuckles, Espio, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy and Buddy stood right on the outskirts of the city. A number of soldiers stood behind them as well, most of the entire Resistance was among them for this mission. Twilight gasped, "Wow. I've never seen a city so technologically-advanced..."
"Yeah, it looks all futuristic and stuff. These buildings tower over Manehattan!" Rainbow said, "Gotta admit, this place is pretty cool, y'know for a supervillain."
Applejack agreed, "Yep. As mighty neat as this city might be, this is still Eggman's city. A shame too, Ah wish I could compliment it further."
Knuckles spoke out, "Okay, everyone. This might be the most dangerous undertaking we've done yet. Eggman's forces are most likely already surging after us, so we'll just have to fight our way through them no problem."
The soldiers and heroes nodded. Meanwhile Espio and turned an eye to a strange noise. He recognized the sound of clanging metal all too well, but he heard something else. It almost sounded like... Buzzing?
Rainbow tilted her head, "Okay, I can't be the only one who hears that, right?"
Espio crouched down and pulled out his kunai. "You are not."
Hovering in the sky was a swarm of black quadrupedal creatures homing in on them as well as the usual robot army they've grew numb to seeing. Upon a second glance, Applejack immediately recognized them and shouted, "Changelings?!"
"You know what these are?" Knuckles asked.
Twilight spoke up, "The changelings used to be a hostile race of shape-shifters, but they were all purged of evil when Chrysalis was banished! There's no way she could've assembled any kind of army!"
"Clearly she did something, because they're heading for us!" Rainbow replied. She was the first to strike once the bug creatures landed, stomping on one's head.
Knuckles punched a changeling right as Espio jumped over him, throwing a shuriken at another. The ninja smacked it down with his palm, pushing it facefirst on the concrete. The commander leaped back as a changeling tried to divebomb him, which proved detrimental as a soldier used their Burst Wispon against it, causing it to fade into a purple aura. Knuckles faced the dog and said, "Thanks for the save."
"You're welcome, Commander." the dog said. "Look out!"
Knuckles did as he said and ducked, but the soldier wasn't so lucky, getting tackled by a changeling. "No!" he grunted, holding the creature by its wings and throwing them. "You alright, soldier?" he asked his comrade, helping them up.
"Y-Yeah. Thanks."
Shooting back an Egg Pawn with her magic, Twilight said, "We won't be able to get anywhere if we don't split up!"
"Urgh!" Rainbow grunted as she bucked one of the robots in the torso, knocking it down, "Yeah! We gotta keep moving somehow!"
Ducking underneath a changeling's magic beam, Applejack spin-kicked the creature with her hindlegs, stunning it. A soldier and Buddy swung their Lightning Wispons around and whipped the creature, causing it to turn into that strange purple mist of cubes. "Okay, anypony know why that happens?" the farmpony asked, Buddy merely shrugged.
Espio flipped over another changeling minion, having his foot collide with its barrel. He crouched on the ground and said, "Very well. Commander, what's the plan?"
Knuckles gripped the jaw of a changling trying to gnaw at him before throwing it aside, a cat using their grapple to grab it and slam them on the floor. "Espio, Rainbow and I will surge deeper into the city. Applejack and Twilight can remain here. Buddy and Fluttershy, I'd recommend staying within the outskirts of the city, it's the safest option for rookies. Everyone else divide!"
With a nod, everyone around did as they were instructed. Buddy gripped Fluttershy's hoof and bolted down one of the streets. Knuckles and Espio sprinted next to one another, pushing aside any changeling that dared stand in their path. All the while, the remaining soldiers split off into different paths while some stayed behind to help the girls.
"Think those two can handle themselves?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow leaned back and swung a hoof at one of the bugs. "Probably. They've been at this longer than us!"
Twilight created a barrier around herself when an Asteron split its five limbs and homed its legs onto the alicorn, however, the field deflected the combustable pieces, proving its efforts for naught. She sighed in relief at that, "I hope you're right, girls."
A blue cat stepped forward and used their Hover Wispon to create a burst powerful enough to knock a small swarm of minions back. "Nice!" the cyan pegasus complimented, flying around and smacking as much of the army as she could.
"Well well well. It looks like the Resistance has finally decided to drop on in for a visit." Eggman's voice boomed over the city, his voice echoing for miles. "I see you have already met the tour guides I recommended. And yes, Queen Chrysalis was oh so generous to allow me to instruct the rogue changelings she could gather."
"Eggman!" Rainbow yelled, "We're finally here to take you down!"
Eggman laughed, "As if you or the Resistance could accomplish that! You're all lucky the elite members of my Eggman Empire aren't here to squash you like the bugs you are... However, my top commander is here to pull the string on your little operation, and is currently going after your coward wolf and pegasus friends."
"No you won’t! You won't lay a finger on Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted. She attempted to fly off, however she was smacked aside by a huge black hand and crashed at where she started. Once she got her bearings, her and the others looked up. Towering over them was a giant liquidy-looking creature with long arms, no legs and what looked to be Infinite's mask on the top of its form, or its “face”.
Applejack gasped at the mere sight of it, “What in tarnation is that?!”
“Ugh. Long Infinite things. I didn’t think anything could look uglier than Eggman.” gagged Rainbow Dash.
Twilight, however, put her focus back onto the swarm of robots and changelings attacking them. As much as those things creeped her out, she knew she couldn’t stop. She blasted back more of the enemies with her magic, a small shockwave pushing them back with ease. However, that move wore her out, forcing her to figure out a new plan until she could attack with magic again.
She slid on the metal surface of the street and found Rainbow Dash and Applejack working together to push through more of Eggman’s defenses. Once that area was clear, they were ready to move on and clear more of the defenses.
Then they heard it. The sounds of lasers and pain-filled screams. Twilight heard it and her eyes shrank to pinpricks. Turning around, she found a group of soldiers lying on the ground in agony, their wounds preventing them from doing much. She wanted to help them, but her magic was weak at the moment. The alicorn tried to walk to them, but was blocked by more robots and Changeling. “Oh no...” Twilight panted.
“Don’t worry, Twi! We’ll cover for you!” Rainbow assured, flying down to strike the bug creatures and robots. The cyan pegasus tackled a Changeling while Applejack kicked a Newtralizer while it targeted her. Twilight noticed the soldiers being taken away by Changelings into the air and flew up, but was shot down by Buzz Bombers before she could get far. The alicorn crashed onto the hard floor face first and coughed. Rainbow saw this and tried to go after them, but as though they were aware of her flight speed, most of the defense went after her and attacked her. “Get off!” Rainbow grunted, pushing through the enemies. However, she was struck down by a Newtron. and got spat on by an Aquis, rendering her stuck to the floor. “Great.” she muttered sarcastically. Luckily, she managed to break free of the oil and unfurled her wings, trashing the Newtron. But she noticed thr stuff on her wings was gonna take a while longer to remove.
Twilight managed to get her bearings and tried to fly after the taken soldiers, but was greeted by a Slicer and Penguinator. The two Badniks attacked her right after she got pelted by an Aquis. Luckily for her, Applejack jumped in and used her lasso, swinging the penguin Badnik onto the Slicer, blowing them both up at once. The farmpony pulled her friend away from the oil stuck to her feet. “Ya’ll fine?” she asked her friends.
“I think so... where are the others?” Twilight asked.
Eggman laughed, “Ah, the first guinea pigs for my roboticizer. You know, turning them into my robot slaves is a lot easier when they’re unable to fight back. I have to thank you for this grand opportunity!”
“...” Rainbow Dash was at a loss of words. “Slaves? I didn’t think-“
“And it was your lack of thinking that did this. So thank you again for screwing things up in my favor!” Eggman boasted.
Rainbow blinked, “...I totally doomed them. wanted to fight back, not have the Resistance wiped out and turn into robots.”
“Rainbow. It ain’t yer fault— look, we’ll have’ta talk about it when we get back.” Applejack assured, focusing back on that battle.
Meanwhile, Twilight was debriefing Knuckles on what happened. Once she ended her call to Knuckles, then she to the sky, finding a purple and red blur dashing through the skies. She immediately recognized it and was started to grow more concered. “When they get back” was turning into an “if they get back” for her now.
“I’m sorry, Knuckles...”
The Commander of the Resistance was heartbroken upon hearing these words. To hear that more soldiers were lost in the line of battle. A battle he pushed for at that. He never once thought Eggman was this organized in the event of a sudden counterstrike from the Resistance. He had to stop walking, Espio growing ever more curious over his friend’s behavior. “Knuckles?” he called out to the echidna, hoping for a response.
More robots and Changelings began to surround them by the second. Enough to overwhelm any team of new soldiers on their side, and even the two of them. Espio knew this and spoke up again, “Knuckles, I am truly sorry about what’s happening. But we need to enact a plan of attack immediately!” the chameleon got into a fighting stance, wondering where he should begin striking the opposition.
Knuckles let out a loud grunt and charged forward. He uppercutted a changeling and then immediately spun his body to smack down an Egg Pawn. A Motobug zoomed towards him and the echidna merely gripped its side and crushed it in an instant. Knuckles then jabbed a Changeling as hard as he could.
Espio, meanwhile, directed his attention to the rest of the enemies. He noticed that Knuckles wasn’t his usual loud and brash self. This was a whole new level of rage he was witnessing, borderline tranquil fury. It was unnerving to watch if he was being honest. As he was fighting, however, he had to make a call, one that could ensure Eggman wouldn’t get a complete victory in this mission.
“Buddy, Fluttershy. You have a new mission. Head into the heart of the city and destroy the roboticizer before Eggman can use it! It should be in the Hexaco building not too far from your location.” Espio ordered.
Buddy and Fluttershy moved through the streets as fast as possible, going up a ramp to reach the higher levels of the city. Time was running short and they needed to get through as fast as possible. “B-Buddy! I can’t fly that fast!” Fluttershy told her friend, flapping her wings as fast as she could, remaining unable to keep up with the running wolf despite that. Deciding to lend the pegasus a hand, he held her hoof and pushed on, his Lightning Wispon held tightly in his other hand.
“Look out!” Fluttershy warned.
Up ahead were Egg Pawns and Changelings. Knowing they had to push through, Buddy gestured for his friend to wrap her hooves around his neck for safety, and she did so. Buddy gulped and jumped, swinging his Lighting Wispon to strike down the defenses before they could attack. With a sigh of relief he jumped and used his grapple to swing around to the next risen street to continue. A Changeling tried to attack, but Fluttershy kicked a hindleg back to draw them away, kicking them in the muzzle and causing them to collapse. Buddy gave a nod of acknowledgement and pressed on, using his grapple stomp to destroy more robots.
The two were on a path, noticing lasers aiming towards. Buddy scowled and ran towards the ramp, flying across the skyline of the city. Fluttershy would’ve liked the view, had she not spotted the rogue flying next to him. “I-Infinite?!” she gasped out at the sight of him.
“Ah, we meet again, Equestrian.” Infinite said.
“Enough babbling. Activate your Phantom Ruby! Make these heroes wish they were never born!” Eggman shouted.
Infinite raised his hand and the gem on his chest began to glow. Suddenly, Buddy and Fluttershy felt gravity shift. “What’s going on?!” Fluttershy wondered, releasing her grip on Buddy. Scared as well, the wolf managed to hold her hoof as that she could help slow their descent. Her and Buddy tried to collect themselves as they were pulled to the sky. “We’re... upside-down?” the pegasus noticed, seeing that her and Buddy were on the underside of a highway now, landing softly. Although that didn’t stop Eggman from installing more lasers. Realizing they needed to hurry, Fluttershy held onto Buddy’s shoulders while he ran ahead. However, one of the long creatures struck their hand down, destroying the path. Fortunately, Buddy managed to find a grapple point and zipped towards the open window of a building, the both of them running on the ceiling.
“We should be safe here.” Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. “There doesn’t look to be anything dangerous here.”Buddy nodded in agreement. The two marched on. However, they felt gravity shift again, spotting Infinite using the Phantom Ruby next to them. “Oh no.” she muttered. The duo landed on the floor and felt dizzy. “Quick! We have to get out of here!” Fluttershy told her partner. Buddy ran ahead and swung his weapon upwards, pushing aside any opposition. He swung downwards with his grapple and managed to reach the outdoors before the next laser shot at them.
Infinite used the Phantom Ruby once more to distort reality. This time, Buddy and Fluttershy found themselves standing on the side of a building. As they landed, Rainbow’s voice was heard through the comms, “Guys! What’s Infinite doing out there? Has he laid a finger on any of you?”
“He hasn’t. He’s using the thing on his chest to, um, throw us around. I’m starting to feel sick...” Fluttershy admitted as she released her grasp on the wolf. She gagged and gulped for a moment before letting out a cough.
Budy did want to take a moment to break, but he thought doing so on the side of a building wasn’t exactly safe. So he gestured for Fluttershy to follow him, leaping towards the next building. More turrets showed themselves, forcing Buddy to Quick-Step left and right to avoid them, a tactic he learned from Sonic. Buddy once again reached another ramp and flew alongside Fluttershy.
Infinite emerged and used the Phantom Ruby, forcing the two to fall back towards the ground. Fluttershy dove down and reached out for Buddy’s hands, the wolf grabbing her hooves. She slowed her wing-flapping so that he landed on the rooftop of the nearest building safely. “Thank goodness. That was a close one.” Fluttershy said. Buddy scratched his head and looked ahead, seeing the Hexaco building not too far away. An assortment of floating rails were the only way Buddy could get around however.
With Fluttershy flying by his side, Buddy jumped and started grinding on the rails, leaping whenever there was an apparent dead end. He finally reached a street, but one of the Infinite creatures smashed it, forcing the rookie to grapple onto the next street and started panting. Fluttershy landed next to him and said, “I don’t know how you’re able to do all this... running fast and constantly on the move...” she admitted. Unsure himself, Buddy responded with a shrug.
“Fluttershy, Buddy. What’s your progress?” Espio asked.
Fluttershy answered, “We’re almost there, I think. Infinite is trying to stop us though.”
Espio responded, “Unfortunately, the two of you are on your own. We’re cornered on all fronts here and more soldiers were taken to be roboticized.”
“W-What?!” the pegasus gasped at the same time as Buddy. The wolf had to admit that the pressure was starting to get to him. If he failed, a number of good people would lose their free will and work for Eggman. He trembled at the idea of him being the one depended on to change the tide of the war. Fluttershy said, “Okay, we won’t let you down right, Buddy?” Buddy gave a hesitant thumbs-up.
“Let us know when you finished.” Espio said before muting himself to focus on the fight.
The two gulped and looked at each other. They knew they couldn’t fail, and spotted the Hexaco building right in front of them. Overjoyed, Buddy and Fluttershy ran forward. But then they paused once they spotted the black-clad being standing right across from them. They could faintly hear the echoing sound of his Phantom Ruby.
Infinite raised two fingers to adjust his mask, “Ah, more ants to crush. I wonder if this world can offer me a real challenge.” he turned around and gazed at Buddy and Fluttershy, “And as if to answer, the world sends me a pair of trembling children instead.” he mocked.
Suddenly, Infinite teleported next to Buddy in a purple and red mist, glaring directly at Fluttershy as he continued speaking in a colder tone than usual, “Are you going to fight and die here? Or run away in fear like the cowards you are?”
Buddy and Fluttershy didn’t know what to do. They were all alone facing Infinite, and he wasn’t looking to play with gravity anymore it appeared. He was the only one standing in their way. They took a step back wondering how they were going handle this. No backup or the like this time.
But then Buddy heard a reassuring voice in his head. The advice of Sonic the Hedgehog.
“At some point, it’ll be your moment to shine. When that time comes, just keep going. Don’t ever let your fear own you!” he recalled every bit of what Sonic said back when they first joined forces. That time may have been now, and for once, he had to let his fears subside. Countless people were depending on him.
Back in reality, Buddy clenched his fist and aimed it towards Infinite. “Hm. You had a surprising change of heart. One you will regret.” he admitted.
“B-Buddy? What are you doing?” Fluttershy asked. Buddy gestured for her to stand back. This was a fight he wanted to handle himself. “You can’t be thinking about fighting him. He defeated Sonic!” The wolf knew this, yet he remained undeterred.
And the pegasus wanted to stand back, she really did, but seeing Buddy stand up to Infinite. It made her think about how she chose to sit most of this war out. Now that she’s out here in the frontlines, she couldn’t think about letting Buddy fight Infinite alone. So she scowled and trotted next to her friend, “Well, if you’re going, then I am too. I’m leaving no creature behind.” Buddy agreed and decided to let her stay.
Infinite held back a chuckle, “Very well. I will teach you fear, then pain. And then... well, at least the fear and pain will end.” he hovered as they raced to the Hexaco building.
Infinite reactivated his Phantom Ruby, ready to fight once more. Buddy and Fluttershy growled at hum. Trails of cubes emitted from his being and followed the heroes. The cubes managed to touch them. Suddenly, their vision was filled with red and Infinite was nowhere in sight. “What’s going on?” the meek pegasus wondered as she blinked, wondering if something was wrong with her vision now.
Red cubes materialized into a shape behind them. Fluttershy’s eyes widened once she saw a giant missile looking object appearing now. Her and Buddy managed to dodge it as it fell, moving forward. More missiles appeared and tried to hit them, but luckily Buddy held Fluttershy’s hoof and pushed her aside from it.
Then the red vanished, and Infinite reappeared. Annoyed, Buddy swung his Lightning Wispon upwards to smack Infinite, the villain looking visibly hurt from the attack. Infinite shook his head, “I’m impressed. You managed to touch me with those toys you call weapons.”
Buddy leaped back from the sphere Infinite threw. He leaped and swung his Wispon some more, smacking Infinite. The villain created a small aura to deflect the volts of lightning aimed at him. The wolf then used his grappling arm to perform a makeshift Homing Attack. He drove a foot directly onto Infinite’s chest and kicked him, the enhanced being hovering back slightly as a result of the attack. Infinite hissed in annoyance and tossed down more projectiles. Buddy somersaulted away from them and whacked the being once mire with his Wispon.
While Buddy was distracting Infinite, Fluttershy trotted over to the monitors on the other side of the room. The mechanical monster known as the Roboticizer. She paused as she glanced over all the buttons and levers and held her head, “Oh dear. I don’t know how to work all this...” she muttered to herself. Looking back, she realized that Buddy could hold Infinite long enough for her to figure it out.
Unfortunately, a single button press activated an alarm and a horde of Egg Pawns emerged from the secret compartments on the wall. “Oh no.” Fluttershy gasped.
”It looks like the two of you are failing your precious Resistance. Luckily, you won’t have to live with the guilt for much longer.” Infinite mocked. Buddy growled and used his grapple arm, homing in on Infinite and delivering a punch to his mask. Infinite merely adjusted his mask in response, “A childish retort. Fitting. Something about you feels familiar enough to have me believe that,”
Noticing the Egg Pawns are warming up their lasers, Fluttershy ducked for cover. The robots all shot at the computer she hid behind instead, destroying it. The timid pegasus saw that the conveyor belts above them stopped and that any of the monitors shut down. “Did I do it?” she asked, a small smile appeared on her muzzle. “We stopped it!” she quietly cheered, ducking for cover once more when she remembered the Egg Pawns targeting her, all of them a lot closer than before. More lasers were shot at the broken controls, a sigh of relief escaping the mare.
“Grr! My Roboticizer! Infinite, eliminate the intruders immediately!” Eggman ordered his new subordinate.
Infinite smirked under his mask, “I am already aware of them, doctor. You do not have to worry about these nuisances for much longer.”
Fluttershy unfurled her wings and flew around the room, deciding to act as a quick target to allow Buddy to dismantle the metal swarm with ease. The wolf jumped in and destroyed all of the robots in a matter of seconds with ease. The pegasus wished she had magic so that she could help more. She landed on the shiny surface and exhaled, relieved that the cavalry was gone. Unfortunately that left them with Infinite still.
Said rogue twitched in his spot after Buddy delivered a swift kick to his side. An aura of purple and red bursted from the gem on his chest. Suddenly, more snake-like entities of cubes materialized into existence. Buddy and Fluttershy did their best to avoid them, but Infinite dashed in the air and grabbed the wolf by the strap on his chest and Fluttershy’s tail. They both screamed as they were thrown into the pile of cubes Infinite created.
Their vision was blood red again and Fluttershy muttered out, “What’s going to happen this time?” she wondered. A pile of cubes appeared beneath their feet. This was enough to convince Buddy to hold the pegasus’ hoof and dash to the other side of the room. Suddenly, the cubes took the form of a large rectangular object and raised itself to the ceiling, potentially crushing anything or anybody standing on it. “Thank you, Buddy.” said wolf gave Fluttershy an assuring thumbs-up.
Everything was back to normal a moment later, and Infinite was visible once more. More Egg Pawns appeared, forcing the heroes to pause. One of them charged forward, but Fluttershy ducked and caused it to trip. This allowed Buddy to stomp on it and destroy it. Fluttershy managed a thin smile at what she did and hovered in her spot, hoping to disorient the remaining robots so Buddy could dismantle the rest, which he did. Fluttershy wondered if she could do something against Infinite, and an idea dawned on her.
The duo stood among a pile of scrap and Fluttershy flew to Infinite. Buddy tried to grapple her back, but the pegasus turned to him and said, “Buddy. I know what I’m doing. You can let me go.” Buddy hesitated and Fluttershy spoke up once more, “Do you trust me?” Buddy froze and slowly nodded. “Then let me go.” she requested again. The wolf did so and Fluttershy flew towards Infinite.
The being said, “This should be interesting. It seems behind that fear is a spark of defiance.”
Fluttershy scowled directly into the visible eye on Infinite’s mask, “Listen here, you meanie! I don’t like how you and Eggman took over the world! Now you are going to stop this fight right now before I remove that mask and gem of yours by force! Do I make myself clear?!” she shouted in the angriest tone Buddy had ever heard her speak in. He was taken aback by this and his jaw dropped.
Infinite froze and twitched in fear, Fluttershy’s plan seemingly working. However, a moment later, Infinite laughed. He actually laughed, and it scared Fluttershy. “Ahahahahaha!” he cleared his throat and spoke, “Was that the fabled Stare I had heard about before? Your light scolding does nothing to me, you weak mare! You should be aware of that by now.” he grabbed Fluttershy by the throat, choking her. His visible eye stared right into her soul, he leaned forward slightly, “As some advice, the strong will always vanquish the weak. You only have your fraility to blame for your fates.” Infinite then threw Fluttershy down as Buddy tried to catch her. The both of them were thrown back as a result of the force the being threw her down in, a strange gem flying out of Buddy’s possession.
However, something clicked in Infinite’s mind as he readied an attack, focusing his attention onto the wolf. “Now I remember you. You ran from me before. You survived, but you choose to throw your feeble life away now. Curious...”
“You did?” Fluttershy asked. Buddy hung his head in shame. He picked up the gem that fell as he tried to shake his mind from the act he deemed his most disappointing moment.
Infinite then began to overclock his Phantom Ruby, the entire room covered in red. That same echo was heard louder this time and the two saw a large amount of turrets materializing into existence around Infinite. Fluttershy didn’t hide behind Buddy and instead tried to look for an opening. “This will be our farewell.” Infinite stated.
Unfortunately, the turrets shot out. Buddy and Fluttershy flinched. Yet somehow, the projectiles faded right through them, a faint glow appearing in Buddy’s hand. “Huh?” Fluttershy asked, noticing the red glow in the room vanishing for a split second.
“It can’t be... How did you—.“ Infinite questioned the act.
More turrets shot out and this time, Buddy and Fluttershy jumped towards Infinite. The villain retaliated by grabbing them by their throats and slamming them onto the ground. They groaned as they tried to stand. “It won’t matter now. You only have two days before your end. I will allow you to contemplate the inevitable until I can show you true pain and suffering.”
He flew out of the Hexaco building, leaving the heroes to pick themselves up. The pegasus got up first and helped her wolf friend on his friend, “Are you okay, Buddy?” she asked. The rookie nodded. He gestured to her, “Oh yes, I’m fine too. But um... you met Infinite before?”
Buddy slowly nodded as he felt the shame return to his conscience. Fluttershy spoke, “Nopony can blame you for being afraid, Buddy. He’s a scary person to be around. If it helps, I was scared too. Scared of being in a war. That’s why I didn’t join the actual battles until now. But for someone who was frightened and new to this, you stood up to Infinite pretty well. Seeing you stand your ground... it inspired me. I was only here because my friends needed help, but now I want to join the effort more often if it means I can make a difference.”
Buddy rubbed the back of his neck. Inspired? He felt it was a little much, but he accepted the compliment. He was just glad to be here and make a difference, even if things didn’t go exactly to plan. Hopefully things didn’t get worse while they dealt with the machine.
“Buddy. Fluttershy. What’s your status?” Espio called out.
“Um, we destroyed the roboticizer and held off Infinite, Espio. Is everypony okay?” Fluttershy responded.
“Good work. Unfortunately, 80% of our forces were either wiped out or captured. At the very least, you two ensured they wouldn’t become Eggman’s slaves, so I can’t call it a success.” Espio said.
“...Fall back and meet me at the shuttle. We have to leave before we become completely compromised.” Knuckles ordered slowly before ending the call.
Buddy and Fluttershy glanced at each other worriedly at that. Then they decided to set out to back where they started.
Back outside, the Resistance was planning to regroup. Twilight exhaled, holding back more Changelings. She ordered for Rainbow Dash and Applejack to go on ahead while she ensured the remaining soldiers were escorted safely by them. With a quick beam of magic, she pushed back Eggman’s defenses.
A purple and red blur suddenly appeared behind her, however, and the sound of a chilling voice made her freeze in her spot almost instantly. “Princess Twilight Sparkle... We meet again.”
Turning around, Twilight trembled at the sight of Infinite, spotting all of the other soldiers on the floor, unmoving. “Y-You...”
Infinite crossed his arms, “You’re shaking in your hooves. I assume that little image I planted in your mind has haunted you since our last encounter.” he assumed.
Twilight shivered. “W-What did you... do to my brain?”
“Planted a reminder. A reminder that not everything is all sunshine and rainbows. That the reality of peace is but a fleeting illusion. The true reality we endure is pain, suffering and filled with hopeless dread. And it is time you realize that.” Infinite stated.
“But why me?!”
Infinite replied, “You are the Princess of Friendship. You’re the glue that keeps your friends together and a light of hope for them. Take your hope away and it’ll dwindle theirs as well. I have already done so with Mobius by ridding them of their favorite blue hero. Now it is time for Equestria to share its fate, starting with the fall of its harminous heroes.”
Twilight was at a loss of words. She wanted to snap back at him, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. “Hm. It appears the cat has got your tongue. Good.” Infinite mocked her and walked forward, driving his fist directly into her barrel before choking her and pinning her to the floor. He released her and she struggled to stand up. “Mark my words. Your time will come. Be fortunate the doctor and I are granting you the mercy of a deadline. Till we meet again, Sparkle.” and with that, he vanished, leaving Twilight to dwell on his words as she picked herself up.
“Why can’t I do anything...?” she coughed out. “Am I just that scared?” she gazed over at the bodies and gulped.
The alicorn limped away and thought over everything. Her mental scarring, Infinite, this battle and their loss. Everything. The Resistance needed to act quickly if they want to turn the tide of the war in their favor. But first they needed to regroup.
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In the base game for Sonic Forces, Infinite became Infinite because of Shadow. I also noticed that this Eggman has the ruthlessness of his comic self, at least in the later eras.
Thing are going to be rough for the Resistance from than on and poor Twilight was crippled in fear. I hope her friends will help her overcome her fear.
8936039
That story, The Best There Is, that was pretty badass story, too bad you won't be able to continue it, but still, did he activate his Berserk Rage there?
Neat chapter Liked how you expanded on Metropolis and had Buddy and Fluttershy take on Infinite. Good job
9055847 He definitely gives off an Archie-vibe with how evil he is.
9056005 Maybe they will.
9059237 No.
9066585 Thanks.
This level was my favorite avatar level. I just loved how Infinite messed with the stage and attacked you throughout the stage. I thought you did a good job adapting it.
I also like the addition of the robtocizer makes it so the resistance efforts weren’t a complete waste. Also Infinite’s talk with Twilight was a good villainous moment for Infinite.
I do feel that the state should have affected Infinite at least a little bit. Maybe have him stop it by gettti g angry and flinging her away with a blast of energy.