Fan Fiction / Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Marines Journey - The SHODAN crisis ❯ Chapter 19: Party aftermath, two new allies and a nightmare for the marines! ( Chapter 20 )

The Marine's Journey

Chap. 19 - Party aftermath, two new allies and a nightmare for the marines!

By: Piccard

Chapter 19 already! Where does the time go? I feel that I should get this fic moving and pack in more detail. But I've never listened to my feelings, I always type on intuition.

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Disclaimer: If you read the last chapter, I have covered it in very interesting detail.

This had better be worth it? No it isn't!

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Piccard was feeling tired, and he checked the clock, 4.34. He was about to announce it when he noticed that everyone had fallen asleep where they were, and that those who didn't sleep were unconscious. As Piccard started to drift off, he noticed that the Doctor was the only one awake. "Wake us at around 1pm Doc." The doctor only nodded as Piccard fell asleep and started having dreams about a certain Pink hedgehog that, if described, would make this fic R rated!

Hours passed and the Doctor was going round making sure that no one was going to wake up rowdy or with intent to commit a riot, when he heard stirring. "My head. How's it hurting? I didn't drink." "You banged it on the wall as you turned." Tom nursed the bump on his head and stood up. "Wild night." "Hmm, Piccard'll remember it for a long time." Tom turned and looked behind the Doctor, and looked as if he was suppressing laughter. "She'll kill him when she wakes up." "Who?" The Doctor followed Tom's fingers and his eyes went wide when he saw Jon and Rogue, curled up on the floor with each other. Tom checked the clock, 11.30. "What time did Piccard want waking?" "1pm."

SHODAN meanwhile was aggravated that her gateway was down for the time being, and she had Xerxes trying to trace the culprit, but if she knew of his involvement, it wouldn't be pleasant. "Xerxes, report." "Cloning at 98% predicted to finish at 1300 hours." "Excellent, I'm going for a maintenance check. I'll return at 1255." SHODAN off lined herself and Xerxes grinned, "Now to act!" He said to himself as he returned to the cloning facility. "Activate door, pass code: Xerxes 5987B7ZXYQK!" It swiftly opened and Xerxes transferred himself onto the monitor. "Computer, begin download." Minutes passed as Xerxes transferred himself into the Android shell. After he was finished, he glanced at the clock, 12.30. "I'll have to run." He thought as he legged it to the transporter room.

Back at the mansion, Jon was running like hell as Rogue had woken and now she seemed to be doing a very good facial impression of SHODAN as she chased him with a frying pan. Tom just watched this with the usual sweatdrop as he had an idea. He dragged Piccard off the couch and grabbed Amy from one of the chairs and laid them both in the middle of the floor. Tom heard a cough and turned to see a curious Antoine, "What ahre you doeeng?" "Having a right royal laugh at these two as they wake up!" Tom said as he put them both in the same position that Jon and Rogue had been in minutes earlier. Jon came back in after managing to escape Rogue's anger and burst into laughter as he saw the pair on the floor. Of course, this woke them both up, and the first thing that they both said was "How the heck?" they looked up to see Jon rolling on the floor in laughter and Tom suppressing his own laughter. "Did you do this?" "I sure did!" Piccard merely smiled, "I should be mad, but I'm just surprised that YOU of all people did this." "Well, Jon did it with him and Rogue, and look at them now." Piccard looked past Tom to see Rogue with the pan still in her hand pacing around, and Jon under the table with a pleading look on his face. "Rogue," Piccard began. She looked over and Tom finished, "He's under the table!" She whirled round and Jon bolted, having time to shout, "YOU BASTARDS!" leaving Piccard and Tom in hysterics.

Xerxes in the meantime had enlisted the help of three cyborg assassins as he legged it to the transporter room. He checked the watch he stole from Dark's old quarters, 1254. "Shit!" Xerxes shouted as he entered the corridor to the transporter room and stopped dead. SHODAN had finished her check and had immediately noticed that Xerxes was gone because she had full control, and had left Xerxes with the challenge of several demons. It didn't sound so impressive, but you must remember that Xerxes is unarmed and has no combat experience. The assassins stepped forward and started throwing their shurikans expertly. "Sir, go ahead, we'll meet up!" Xerxes agreed and ran into the transporter room and started pressing buttons. As he was engulfed, SHODAN appeared, "What are you doing?" "Finally freeing myself from you!" He shouted as he disappeared. SHODAN was in shock as she returned to her control room. Not noticing that two of Xerxes's assassins had run out of shurikans and were being torn to pieces, and that the third was in the transporter room. SHODAN was plotting as she noticed the second energy waiver. She was about to act on it when he heard the message.

"Cloning complete!"

Back at the mansion, everyone was sitting in the lounge talking about the previous night. Jon had finally stopped running and settled down to rest on Piccard's left, but Rogue immediately sat next to him, and he was to tired to move. Piccard was recounting some of the interesting kisses going on before, and commented on how Cybos and Bunnie really seemed to be getting into it. But before they could respond, a small effluence appeared in the centre of the room, and something emerged. It looked male, but was easy to see as an Android, he had basic clothes and his face was a dull blue. He looked around uneasily and noticed a familiar face. "Dark!" "Xerxes? Is that you? But, how?" "For a while now, I have been plotting against SHODAN, after she took over my primary data loop, she was in control, but she couldn't read my mind or see what I was doing. So I constructed this android shell and escaped myself." Dark merely smiled, "You must really hate her." "You would to if she took over your program." Xerxes turned and looked over the crowd, and stopped on a familiar face. "Are you Piccard?" "Yes, why." Xerxes smiled and seemed to reminisce. "You look so much like your grandfather. At least, before he had the cyber implants fitted." Piccard chuckled, before anyone could say anything else, another effluence opened, and another figure dropped out. This one was clad all in black with a small visor over the eye area." Xerxes took it upon himself to introduce this being. "This is a cyber assassin by the designation of R-396. We haven't come up with a real name for her yet." Cybos immediately took an interest. "Wait, did you say `her'?" R-396 took off the top part of the suit to reveal a female head, with long brown hair and green eyes. "Yes, I am female." Was all she said, Xerxes merely sighed, "Although I made her look human, she can't exactly act and think like one yet." Dark took this moment to interrupt. "When you interfered with the transmission before, what did you mean by. `I have vital information'?" Before Xerxes could respond, they were all alerted to a squeal from Rogue, she slapped Jon across the side of his head. "What was that for?" "Touching my ass!" "But I didn't!" Rogue wouldn't have believed him, but the sniggers coming from behind her tipped her off as to who was really doing it. Quickly, she edged backwards, so that the hand was trapped and she turned to see Tom there with a very uncomfortable expression on his face. "Something wrong?" "No, everything's fine."

Xerxes coughed to get everyone's attention, "Now can I continue? Fine, I was about to say." Before he could continue, they all heard a scream from outside.

"Oh come on!" Xerxes stormed over to the window and turned back, horrified. "It's here." "What is?" Xerxes looked like he was ready to panic. "I'm sorry, but Piccard and Dark are the only two who can battle this one." There were protests, but these were calmed as Piccard and Dark assured everyone that they would win. Dark grabbed his chaingun and Piccard grabbed his backpack as they ran for the door, Dark pausing to grab an emerald because Piccard had forgotten to pick one up. As they ran outside, they were not prepared for what they saw. There were two figures attacking the locals. One was human shaped in dark grey armour with pulsing green eyes visible under the helmet and was wielding a crystal shard with brutal effectiveness. The second was hedgehog shaped, and was also a deathly shade of grey with a pair of dark green eyes. "I assume that one's what used to be metal sonic." Dark said as he pointed, "but what the hell is that?" Piccard asked. Then they heard a voice that sounded similar to their own, but it sounded like it had been corrupted and laced with hatred. "Allow me to show you!"

The figure lunged as both Piccard's dived in separate directions, and the figure immediately went for Piccard, as Dark got up and started on metal sonic. Everyone else was watching from the doorway to the mansion as Piccard rolled to avoid a punch to the face. He leapt up and drew his sword, swinging in a wide arc, he caught the attackers armour, making a significant dent, but to Piccard (and everyone else's) horror, the hole immediately healed and he bought his fist up to try and grab Piccard's sword. Dark meanwhile was trying to keep up with the speeding hedgehog, firing bullet after bullet. He eventually gave up and focused his psionics instead, managing to batter the robot with several pyrokenesis bolts before realising that he had a technique for just this kind of emergency. He held his hand forward and yelled, "Suppression!" at the top of his voice. A bright blue ball shot from his hand and froze metal in place. Taking advantage, he ran forward and started to beat the snot out of metal using his fists and the butt of his chaingun. Metal knew he had been beaten by this stage, and when he regained control, he pressed a button on his neck, causing him to disappear in an explosion, and Dark was caught in the blast. Piccard meanwhile was tiring severely, but the attacker seemed to be as strong as he was when they first started. "Had enough already Arrowsmith?" "I'm just getting warmed up, Pyro siege!" The red ball appeared in Piccard's hand, and he threw it full force at the attacker, but he just bought his hand forward and countered the blast with a flick of the wrist.

"Let me show you a proper spell!" The figure shouted as he raised his arms skywards and the sky glowed black. Piccard looked on in horror as lightning in the sky gathered in one point and instantly impacted with Piccard. He screamed as the power surged through his body and knocked him to the floor. He struggled to rise, but he noticed he couldn't do so. He looked up to see his Dark side staring on in shock. "Dark, get him. Your. Last hope." Piccard managed to say before passing out. Dark felt something that he hadn't felt in a while.

"Rage."

He took the emerald from his pocket and focused with all his might, "If Piccard can do it, why shouldn't I be able to?" he said to himself as the figure moved closer to him. Dark concentrated with all his might, and felt a surge of power. Rays of light came out of him as the attacker was thrown back. Dark reappeared, but he looked extremely different, his armour had gone from black to white, and his eyes now glowed a similar shade of purple to Piccard's cape. "So I can use these powers as well, now I know why light likes it!" He said out loud to everyone as he used his power to bring Piccard's sword from the floor to his hand. "Lets fight." The figure chuckled as he bought up his right arm, and it morphed into an emerald green blade. They ran at each other, and there was a clash as their swords hit. Both of them slashed at the other and successfully countered blows, but they were both tiring gradually, and fifteen minutes later as Dark was starting to pant, he fell to the floor and bought his sword up to counter any attacks while he rolled away. At this time, Piccard began to stir, and the first thing he noticed was that his sword wasn't in his hand. He looked around and saw the figure attacking someone familiar. "So Dark can use the power of the emeralds as well? That should make things easier." He thought as he drew his staff from his pocket. He ran forward and noticed his dark side was tiring, so he began to chant. Suddenly, Dark felt revitalised as he looked at his Light side, who was concentrating and chanting. "We're sharing energy?" Dark thought to himself as he slashed like a madman.

Another fifteen minutes saw all three starting to tire. Piccard had drawn his shotgun and had started attacking from a range. Dark was still sword fighting and the figure was doing well to block them both off. A crowd had gathered to watch the fiercest fight yet and neither Piccard wanted to disappoint. Dark relayed a psionics message. `Anyone with a ranged attack, come and help.'

Geoffery, Anaetheron, Cybos and R-396 ran forward and got behind a pair of upturned cars, provided by Piccard's earlier Pyro siege. Anaetheron and Cybos jumped behind the first and fired energy bolts and rockets. Whilst Geoffery and R-396 dived behind the second, firing laser bolts and shurikans.

To their horror, the attacker seemed to counter all of their attacks, and bought his foot around and knocked Dark Piccard to the floor. Dark's power chose that moment to wear off as the emerald rematerialised and Piccard grabbed it. Now he experienced the power surge as he was increased. In the body suit though, the colours all remained the same, but Piccard's hair was changing colour rapidly, as were his eyes. "Time to end this!" He shouted as he drew his plasma gun and fired, "Acid strike!" The figure yelled and a green beam met with Piccard's blue particle stream, causing them both to explode. Amy screamed from the doorway, but to her shock, Piccard was still standing. They all noticed something new in Piccard's eyes, not fear, not gloating,

"But determination."

"I won't lose." He began while he charged more energy, this time inside him. "Everyone is counting on Dark and me to defeat him, and if we fail, there's no knowing who'll go next. For everyone," He stopped charging, "for Amy." He finished as he bought his hands forward, "Divine radiance!" A set of rings appeared in one hand, a small beam appeared in his other hand. "Essence of light!" He bought his hands together and there was a small flash. He now glowed a golden white as he bought his hands forward. "Ray of hope!" He screamed as he fired a beam as large as he was. "Eep." Was all the attacker could say as the beam engulfed him. Piccard helped Dark to his feet and they shook hands. "Nice job Light." "You haven't defeated me yet!" They both spun and their eyes widened drastically, as did everyone else's. The figures helmet had been destroyed and his face was visible. It was exactly the same as Piccard's, but was more of a green shade. "I haven't been beat!" He shouted as he opened a portal, "Next time!" He shouted as he went through. "Here's your parting gift, everyone fire!" Piccard yelled as everyone fired into the effluence as it closed.

Anaetheron and Cybos helped Dark back whilst Geoffery and R-396 helped Piccard into the mansion. The Doctor had converted the holodeck into the Poledes medi-bay and Piccard and Dark were laid on separate beds. "Now that that's over with, what the hell was it?" Xerxes stepped forward. "I was trying to tell you before. SHODAN wanted you two defeated, so she created him." Dark raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" "She used your medical file and the power of that emerald she stole and had me create a more evil version of you." "A more evil version of Dark, then were all buggered!" "Anyway, it was the reason I needed to escape, defeating it will be virtually impossible, and as I created it, I know it's weakness! That's why I had to escape and warn you. But remember, that thing is pure evil, there will be no reasoning with it." Everyone seemed to agree with this before Xerxes finished. "This thing will be our biggest challenge yet, you'd better train for when he next attacks, for he is,"

"Bio-Piccard!"

Wow! Ace finish isn't it! This is getting better and better! Now, back to reality for a minute, I've been to autopsies that are more fun than this fic! Well, how was it? Good, Bad, pointless as trying to get Jon to stop staring at Rogue? Review or else!

Piccard, signing off now! /\/**