Chapter Text
EXT. BULLET STATION – NIGHT
A massive silhouette blots out the moon.
The Egg Albatross hovers overhead. Engines scream.
A central cannon hums.
Shadow the Hedgehog stands at the edge.
Rouge the Bat lands beside Shadow silently.
E-123 Omega drops from above with a seismic impact.
Omega tilts head upward.
“ANALYSIS: LARGE BIRD. UNFRIENDLY. EXCESSIVE ARTILLERY. I APPROVE.”
Shadow frowns.
Shadow’s eyes narrow.
“That cannon.”
Rouge studies the weapon carefully.
“Custom build.”
Shadow nods once.
“Dr. Ivo Robotnik.”
CUT TO — SKY
The cannon locks into place.
A targeting beam sweeps across Bullet Station.
Omega lifts 1 heavy arm cannon.
“RECOMMENDATION: SHOOT 1ST. LAUGH LATER.”
Rouge smirks faintly.
Shadow pretends not to hear that.
A beam erupts downward.
Shadow vanishes in a flash.
"CHAOS CONTROL."
Shadow reappears mid-air, directly in front of the cannon’s muzzle.
For a split second—
Shadow sees another light.
A sterile white chamber.
A girl smiling gently.
Maria.
Her voice echoes in memory:
“Protect them, Shadow.”
Shadow’s jaw tightens.
“I'm.”
Shadow kicks off the cannon housing, sprinting along the metallic wing.
Rouge watches Shadow dart across the sky like a red comet.
Rouge’s expression tightens.
Rouge rarely shows it.
But this is reckless.
Omega stomps forward.
“PERMISSION TO HUNT.”
Rouge spreads wings.
“Granted.”
Omega launches upward with thrusters roaring.
Omega slams into 1 of the Albatross’s wing joints, unloading a barrage of explosives.
Metal fragments scatter.
Omega laughs a booming mechanical cackle.
“HA. HA. HA. I ENJOY AERIAL DISASSEMBLY.”
Shadow reaches the base of the cannon assembly.
Shadow closes eyes briefly.
Shadow feels it.
Robotnik’s design.
Overcompensation.
Unstable output.
Shadow mutters under breath.
“Dr. Ivo Robotnik always builds too loud.”
Suddenly—
The cannon shifts modes.
It’s no longer aiming randomly.
It’s locking onto Rouge.
Rouge weaves through debris gracefully.
Then—
Rouge’s eyes widen slightly.
“Shadow.”
Shadow hears it instantly.
Shadow looks down.
The cannon pivots sharply.
Shadow’s breath catches.
Not fear for self.
Fear for Rouge.
A flash of something deeper crosses Shadow’s face.
Loss.
Memory.
Not again.
Shadow slams fist into the cannon housing.
“OMEGA! RIGHT WING! NOW!”
Omega doesn’t hesitate.
Omega dives, firing continuous volleys at the wing stabilizer.
The Albatross lurches violently.
Rouge spirals downward, narrowly avoiding the blast as it shears through empty sky.
For a second—
Rouge stays kneeling.
Breathing steady.
But shaken.
Rouge looks up at Shadow still clinging to the cannon assembly.
Rouge’s voice lowers.
Not tactical now.
Personal.
“I protect what matters.”
Omega pauses mid-barrage.
“STATEMENT: E-123 OMEGA ACCEPTS THIS CLASSIFICATION.”
Shadow notices something new.
Robotnik built the cannon to rupture on forced shutdown.
Shadow grits teeth.
“If I can destroy it outright, it detonates.”
Omega lands beside Shadow, claws digging into metal.
“QUERY: SUGGEST ALTERNATIVE?”
Shadow’s eyes narrow.
“Reverse the intake.”
Omega tilts head.
“CLARIFY.”
Shadow grips the outer coil and begins channeling Chaos powers into it.
“Build up pressure.”
Omega’s optics flare bright red.
“DELIGHTFUL.”
The 3 brace as the cannon screams.
Powers spiral inward violently.
The Egg Albatross trembles.
Far away—
In a hidden control chamber—
Dr. Ivo Robotnik’s monitors spike into the red.
“What?”
Back in the sky—
The cannon ruptures inward instead of outward.
The Albatross engines fail.
Shadow grabs Omega’s arm.
Rouge spreads wings.
The team launches together.