The Legion

End Game

Greetings yall! Joe here, bringing you the very final part of his Sonic epic! Its been a long time coming, but finally the end is here...for this fic. But in the future? Who knows!? Enjoy everyone!

Disclaimer: I own neither Sonic nor any of Sonic Teams assets. Shame.

--

Sonics reaction was as swift as it was deadly. As the three bikes roared towards them, Sonic shoved Brett aside and jumped into the air, arms outspread. Shutting his eyes, he thrust his head forwards whilst lifting his lower body up towards his chest. In a move he'd acted out a thousand times in the past, he pulled himself into a ball and thrust out his spines as the first dirt-bike came within his reach.

Howard had no chance of missing Sonics attack as he was suddenly confronted by a spinning ball of razor sharp quills. The blue blur struck him directly in the chest, the bikes frontal velocity immediately halted as it was thrown back with tremendous force, its powerful engine screeching.

Sonic didn't let up as the bike gave way against him, flung backwards into the two other bikes behind it, neither able to escape as the heavy machine smashed into them. The impact sent both riders flying, one cartwheeling end over end into the dirt whilst the second crashed into a nearby tree, a sickening crunch of bone and wood reverberating through the air. The bikes had been reduced to smouldering scrap, the once deadly studded wheels bent and reduced to spinning air uselessly. Howard's bike suffered the worst, its engine exploding on impact with the ground, singeing its riders leather gear as he fell face-first into a bush, his helmet flying off in the process.

Sonic landed bent kneed, his head spinning from the effort. His trademark smirk returned to his face as he saw a wave of uniformed officers descend on the disorientated Howard, who was clutching a case of money that had burst open from the impact as if his life depended on it. The smile didn't last long however, when he once again became aware of the heavy vibrations underfoot.

"Oh no..."

A loud explosion lit up the night as a police car in the near distance burst into flames. Sonic squinted his eyes, and through the smoke and debris he could just make out the massive shape of The Juggernaut, its black shell glistening amber from the flames as the battering ram pulled back inside the turret. With a roar of its four diesel engines, it ran over the crushed wreck of the police car, the sound of tearing metal echoing through the clearing.

Brett and Amy ran over to the blue form.

"Oh Sonic, I'm so glad your alright!" Amy practically sobbed, throwing her arms around the speedster and all but throttling him.

"...Amy...take it easy...I can't breath!" Sonic gasped, desperate to untangle himself from the pink hedgehog and get after the escaping goliath.

"Sonic!" a sudden voice cut through the clearing. Sonic span his head round, only to see Tails emerge from the clearing, his orange fur lit up by the still burning wreckage. Sonic could see the anguished look on the fox's face, and knew instantly what had happened. Mobius had gotten away.

"Tails, you okay?" Sonic asked as he manhandled Amy's hands from around his neck, wanting to calm his little buddy down.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay" Tails replied, his face making it clear that this wasn't the case in the slightest. "Mobius got away, I'm so sorry Sonic. I tried but..."

Sonic pulled him into a hug. "Its okay Tails, we'll get him. But we've got other things to worry about first" the hedgehog looked hard into the fox's eyes, reassuring him whilst at the same time pressing the urgency of chasing down The Juggernaut.

Tails nodded firmly. "Okay Sonic"

Sonic smiled faintly, before turning to Brett.

"Brett, where would he be heading?"

The wolf thought for a second before answering. "The bridge leading out of town. They'll be trying to make it to the nearest airstrip"

Sonic snorted. "Well thats just too bad, 'cos I'm not gonna let them!" And before anyone could stop him, the blue hedgehog had disappeared in a flash.

Brett's eyes narrowed. "Oh no you don't Sonic. Max is mine"

Tails watched as Brett made for his battered T-top, knowing full well what he was intending. As the wolf flung open the drivers side door and climbed into his seat, Tails was already inside the car and buckling his seatbelt. Brett gave him a look.

"Tails, what are you...?"

The fox stopped him in mid-question, eyes narrowed in determination "I'm not letting you go on your own. I've got score to settle with him as well"

"Besides," he let a wry smile spread across his muzzle. "Sonic always has the fun"

Brett sighed in defeat, before starting up the engine and flooring the gas pedal.

"I've got a bad feeling about this"

Amy watched all this as the T-top revved up before roaring out of the clearing, tyres screeching. The pink hedgehog folded her arms, a look of total indignation on her face.

"Hrmph! Typical!" she fumed. "Who's going to give me a ride home?"

"Hop in honey," a sultry voice behind her caused Amy to jump. Spinning round, she was confronted by a handcuffed Rouge sitting in the back of a squad car. The bat pursed her lips as she nodded at the space next to her on the seat.

"There's plenty of room"

--

The Juggernaut sat motionless on the debris strewn tarmac, the wreckage of burning vehicles and sparking streetlights littering the road behind it. Moonlight glinted off its tinted shell, and the wisps of smoke the surrounded the goliath gave it the appearance of a demon unleashed out of Hell.

In front of it stood a line of heavily armed soldiers, machine guns and bazooka's aimed directly at the glistening turret. Behind them stood two tanks, engines purring in readiness should the metallic monstrosity make a move.

Max flashed his teeth in a demonic grin, hands clasped tightly on the controls as the heavy engine vibrations rumbled through his body. Lowering his goggles, he flexed his claws and revved the goliath, the machine remaining motionless in front of the line of defense. Suddenly, the albino canine slammed down on the accelerator, and The Juggernaut rolled forward. Quickly, it accelerated to maximum speed, barreling towards the soldiers on a collision course.

The soldiers reaction was instant. "Fire!"

A missile rocketed out of one of the tanks, and shot towards The Juggernaut. It hit directly on the turret, and the entire front of the vehicle was engulfed in a crimson ball of flame.

"Direct hit, sir!" one excited private shouted excitedly.

Then the goliath emerged from the flames, not slowed down one bit.

"We didn't even scratch it!" the tank commander yelled in astonishment, as the black powerhouse barreled towards them. The line of men evaporated and ran for safety as the roar of diesel engines reached fever pitch.

"Look out!"

The Juggernaut impacted with the nearest tank, blasting through it as if it was made of paper. It wiped out against a lamp post that smashed down on top of the crumpled turret, sparks flying off its ruined shell.

Max slammed on the brakes, spinning it into a sharp u-turn and bringing the goliath to a screeching stop. Small fires clung to the front of The Juggernaut as the albino dog surveyed the carnage before him. He laughed aloud as several soldiers took the apparent advantage and opened fire on the black turret, bullets ricocheting off the shell.

"Its almost too easy" he chuckled, his body glowing red from the interior lighting of the goliath. He flicked a switch in front of him, unlocking the hidden machine gun below the battering ram.

"No point in leaving a job half finished"

He closed his eyes and savored the moment, his fingers never leaving the trigger.

--

Tails body rocked as Brett pulled the steering wheel sharply to the right, avoiding another piece of burning wreckage in the wake of The Juggernauts rampage.

"At this rate we haven't got a chance of catching up" the wolf growled as the car bumped over a fallen streetlight, smacking his head on the roof.

"Sonic'll catch him" Tails said in a tone of conviction. "He always catches whoever he's chasing"

"Unlike some people" he thought miserably to himself.

"Yeah, and what then Tails?" Brett retorted. "Don't forget what happened last time he faced that thing"

"We know his tricks now, Brett. He won't be able to pull a surprise on us this time"

Brett sighed for what seemed the hundredth time. "I hope your right Tails" he muttered as he swerved another obstacle in his path.

"I hope your right"

--

Sonic felt the sweat on his brow as he shot across the tarmac, feeling the blood coursing through his limps and echoing through his head. He knew he was on the right track, the smoldering wreckage giving him a clear trail of where The Juggernaut had passed through.

He knew whatever it took he had to stop the goliath from making it out of the city. Whilst he was on familiar territory he hoped he had the slight advantage, and he was already trying to formulate a plan of action once he caught up with Max. He was adamant that the dog would not pull another surprise on him, and likewise he was intending not to be on the receiving end of that battering ram again.

His thoughts were interrupted as he came to a screeching halt on the edge of the bridge leading out of Station Square. In front of him was a double laned highway spreading out into the distance, perched over the swirling water below lit up by the moonlight.

Sonic's heart almost skipped a beat as an all too familar sound reached his ears, and a second later The Juggernaut appeared in the distance, a small speck of black lit up by its own headlights. Max hadn't taken the opportunity to escape at all.

He had been waiting for Sonic.

--

Brett braked the T-top hard, flinging both he and Tails hard against their seat belts.

There in front of them was a large Mack truck, and Nyder was at the wheel. Its headlights blared like eyes, its bulky frame taking up the entire road.

"Oh great" Brett snarled. "This is just what we don't need!"

In the cab, the muscle-man smirked cruelly, his bulging pecs threatening to tear through the white vest containing them. His hand gripped the gear stick of the truck tightly, awaiting the T-tops next move.

"We're not getting through in a hurry" Brett announced ruefully, turning to Tails with a pleading look. "Any suggestions?"

Tails narrowed his eyes in thought, before snapping his fingers.

"I've got it!"

"Great!" Brett smiled in relief. "What is it?"

"This!" the fox replied, before throwing of his seat belt and flinging himself out of the car. Brett's jaw dropped in astonishment.

"You little..." the rest of his remark was cut short as the Mack truck revved its engine, and began to plow towards him.

Nyder had watched in amusement at Tails abandoning of Brett.

"Thats right, run away and save yourself. Its about your speed"

He had only taken his eyes off the T-top for a second, but now refocused his attention on it, flooring the pedal and sending the truck speeding towards the lone wolf.

Brett let instinct take over, slamming the car into reverse as the giant Mack approached, the glare of its headlights almost blinding him.

Nyder blared the trucks horn as he chased down his prey, the gap between them narrowing as the titan picked up speed, ready to mow down the fleeing car.

Suddenly, the muscle-man was showered in a hail of broken glass, and a split second later a red and white shoe impacted with his temple, smashing his head to the side. His grip fell from the steering wheel, as glass wedged itself under his eyes and blinding him.

Tails grabbed onto the steering wheel for dear life, bits of glass clinging to his fur and his leg burning all the way up to his shoulder and he swerved the Mack to the side, away from the T-top and barreling towards a concrete wall. The twin tailed fox untangled himself from the flailing muscleman and grabbed onto the broken window, gusts of wind blowing his fur out of shape. As the windscreen became filled by the approaching wall, Tails flung himself out into the night, spinning his tails up and launching himself skyward.

The resulting explosion of metal on concrete punctured through his ears as the Mack truck exploded in flames, the fox having to dodge razor sharp pieces of metal and glass that span away from the burning wreck. Jumping down onto solid tarmac, Tails shielded his eyes as thick black smoke enveloped him, tickling his lungs and sending him into a coughing fit.

He eeped in shock as something grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Never, ever do that again!" Brett smirked as he choked the struggling fox against his chest.

Tails couldn't help but smile as the wolf finally released him. "Like I said, Sonic gets all the fun. And I like you too much to see you get squashed, Brett"

"I'm touched" Brett returned the fox's smile.

Ignoring the inferno, the two heroes climbed back into the T-top and shot off back in pursuit.

Sonic still needed their help.

--

In the crimson glow of the goliaths interior, Max grinned at the image of the small blue hedgehog standing in front of him at the very end of the bridge. He was really going to enjoy this.

He flicked the switch activating The Juggernauts loudspeaker, and sat back in his chair.

"Your very brave hedgehog, I'll give you that much. But thats not gonna stop me from spreading you all across this road"

Sonic set his teeth in a growl, tensing his every muscle and pressing his feet hard against the ground. A spin dash would be useless against the machines shell, and he already knew how maneuverable it was in keeping up with his speed. All he could do was hope to take Max by surprise, and take the advantage from there.

He just didn't know how he was going to accomplish that.

"Any final words before you become roadkill, Sonic?" Max sneered, his fingers lacing around the controls once more.

"Yeah. Bite me" Sonic sneered, lowering himself into a ready position.

The Juggernaut shot off its mark without warning, already picking up speed as it shot towards the hedgehog, engines roaring.

Sonic powered himself forward with a yell, a blue flash against the black tarmac as hedgehog and machine launched themselves at each other.

With a bang, the entire length of The Juggernauts battering ram shot out of the turret. Max pressed the accelerator flat against the floor, as the pinprick of blue got closer and closer.

With a start, Max slammed on the brakes, the entire machine shaking at the rude interruption.

Sonic had disappeared completely.

Max quickly flashed the camera screen over every inch of the tarmac, trying to catch a glimpse of the missing hedgehog. Had he run him over? Was the hedgehog smeared under the goliaths giant tyres?

The albino canine jumped at a sudden knocking coming from on top of the machines cabin.

"Hell, anyone in there?" a muffled voice jeered, the knocking intensifying. Max snarled loudly.

Sonic was on the roof.

With a roar, Max floored The Juggernaut in reverse, intent on flinging the hedgehog right off the cabin. Slamming again on he brakes, Max perked his ears and listened for any sign that Sonic was still above him.

Nothing.

The canine flashed a toothy grin as he flicked his eyes over the camera screen, expecting to see a very flat hedgehog.

What he saw almost caused him to swallow his tongue.

Sonic was sat on the very tip on the battering ram, arms folded and a look of extreme boredom spread across his face.

"Yo Max," Sonic mouthed to the camera. "You gonna play like a good doggy or what?"

The albino canine shook with indescribable rage, his blood boiling and his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. Throwing off his goggles, he smashed down on the switch controlling the battering ram, slamming it back into the turret and knocking Sonic off. The hedgehog fell onto his feet immediately, a cocky grin on his face as he imagined just how pissed off he was making the dog.

"I'm gonna smear you all across this bridge Sonic!" Max roared into the microphone, his voice almost cracking with immeasurable fury.

"Gotta catch me first!" Sonic replied, before disappearing off the screen once again. Max kept his eyes unmoving from the monitor, and could just maze out a thin blue haze spinning on and off the screen.

Sonic was running rings around The Juggernaut. Literally.

Max refused to be played with, and floored The Juggernaut forwards, intent on either squashing Sonic or at least stopping his merry run around the goliath.

Sonic skidded to a halt as he watched The Juggernaut spin round in a tight u-turn, the tyres protesting as friction smoke billowed from off the tarmac. His eyes instantly snapped onto a panel sliding aside underneath the turret, and knew exactly what Max was intending.

The road exploded in a cloud of shrapnel as the machine gun raked across the surface, bullets whizzing through the air and bouncing of the metal poles holding the bridge up. Sonic was a blur of movement, missing every bullet by a mere fraction as they cut through the air. He only came to a final stop when he heard the click-click-click of an empty magazine, The Juggernaut having run out of bullets.

Sonic slumped slightly, his chest heaving. His energy was dissipating rapidly and he knew he needed to come up with a plan fast. At this rate he would be too exhausted to avoid The Juggernauts attacks, and one slip up would be the finish of him. He looked up as the goliath revved its engines, and the battering ram once more shot out of the turret.

Max had watched the hedgehog tire before him, and grinned savagely at the exhausted picture of Sonic on the camera screen. He had nothing left to give.

Now was the time to end this little game.

Sonic's chest burned as he pressed his feet hard against the tarmac, awaiting the goliaths inevitable final onslaught. His eyes narrowed as the titan growled forwards. Clearly, Max was going to savour every second of this.

His eyes flicked at the distant sound of an engine, but this thought was shoved aside as The Juggernaut roared into life and shot towards him, battering ram at the ready. Sonic shut his eyes and awaited the inevitable.

It never came.

A fantastic explosion filled his ears, and his eyes shot open . Out of nowhere, a black T-top had rocketed into the back of The Juggernaut, clipping it in the very corner of the goliath and throwing it off course and into a spin. A tremendous crash of twisted metal echoed across the bridge as the now burning wreckage of the car clung onto The Juggernaut and flung it aside into the metal constructs of the bridge. As The Juggernaut shuddered to a halt, jack-knifing threw the metal barrier and almost launching itself over the side, Sonic got a good look at his saviour. It was Brett's car.

His jubilation turned to sudden horror when he realized that no one inside the car could have survived the impact, and his heart almost stopped at the prospect.

Brett was dead.

Staggering to his feet, Sonic felt a sudden coldness course through his entire body, removing any warmth and feeling he had and leaving an utter emptiness in its place. This feeling flowed through every inch of his being as he slowly approached the crippled Juggernaut.

Inside the cab, Max struggled to pull himself upright, shaking his head in the hope of stopping the spinning. His head had impacted with the dash, putting a dent in his forehead as blood dripped from a large gash in his cheek. Despite the cabins excellent air conditioning, his entire body felt hot as the control panel sparked and fizzled.

He felt the disorientation of being tilted at an angle, and with a sickening lurch The Juggernaut listed even more, threatening to drop at any second. The albino canine scrambled to pull himself from out of the cabin, but his attention was diverted to the camera screen. The monitor was cracked on one side, but he could clearly see what was happening outside and his heart lurched in his chest as a very pissed-off hedgehog made his slow journey towards the teetering titan.

Sonic stopped an inch from the shining black shell and surveyed the goliaths condition. The only thing keeping it on the bridge was two tyres that were gripping the very edge of the tarmac. The metal barrier had given way completely against its impenetrable shell, leaving a sheer drop down towards the swirling water. Even now it was slowly tilting over, its weight acting against it. Sonic flicked his eye toward the camera lense peering up at him, certain that Max was watching.

Good, he thought. He wanted the dog to see this.

With slow meticulous ease, Sonic pressed his foot against The Juggernauts shell.

Max saw what Sonic was planning, and scrambled for the hatch with bleeding pads.

Without a seconds hesitation, Sonic jabbed The Juggernaut with all the might he could muster.

It was enough.

With a terrible sound of grinding metal, The Juggernaut tilted past the point of no return and fell over the edge of the bridge down to the heaving black water below.

Sonic heard the splash and the heavy sound of The Juggernaut hitting the bottom. He realized he had been holding his breath all this time, and let it out in one great gasp. Instantly, the cold sensation left his body, but the emptiness remained.

Feeling a lump begin to form in his throat, Sonic turned away from the gap and sat down on the tarmac, hugging his knee's to his chest.

He didn't see the two sets of shoes step up to him, but he did hear the soft voice accompanying them.

"Hey, mind if we join you Sonic?"

Sonic jumped to his feet, feeling as if his mind was about to explode from his chest. In front of him stood Tails and Brett, both of them all smiles.

"How did....?" he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "But I saw...how in...?"

Brett laughed. "Always keep a brick in your car. Very handy for holding down the accelerator even if your not in it"

"Plus," the wolf gestured to the beaming fox at his side. "Its always good to have a fox whose handy at flying on hand as well"

Sonic couldn't help it. He pulled the fox and wolf into the biggest bear hug he'd ever mustered, almost squeezing the very life out of them.

"Hey, hey!" Tails gasped, beginning to tire of the number of hugs he'd received tonight. "Fox trying to breath here!"

Sonic let go a few seconds later, and looked at Brett with sudden sadness.

"I'm sorry Brett. I knew you wanted to take down Max yourself, but...."

Brett forced a smile and lay a hand on Sonics shoulder "Its okay Sonic. He's gone. Thats all that matters. I can move on now, thanks to you"

The blue hedgehog felt the sudden urge to grab the wolf in another hug, but Brett pressed his hands against his chest.

"No more huggy. Still recovering from the last one big guy"

Sonic laughed, and flung his arm around Tails.

"Don't get used to it pal. I'm not keen on all that mush anyway"

There was silence between them for a moment, before Brett let out a very heavy sigh.

"Whats wrong Brett?" Tails asked, suddenly worried.

Brett looked at them both ruefully.

"I really liked that car"

--

On a distant highway many miles from Station Square, a black limo sped into the night.

Inside the plush interior, Mobius clicked his claws in his lap. This entire enterprise had been a disaster. He'd lost everything. His base, his staff, the Juggernaut prototype and any hope of salvaging the plans necessary to build another one.

And it was all down to Sonic and his friends.

Mobius wasn't one to normally hold grudges. But on this occassion he was more than willing to make an exception.

Reaching into his suit pocket, he removed a cll phone. Flicking open the screen, he dialed in a number.

The number he'd requested from The Forge.

A number that would guarantee Sonics demise.

He waited for the other side to pick up patiently.

"Your either very brave or very stupid to ring this number" came the reply.

Mobius chuckled lowly "I've got a proposition for you"

--

A hand wrapped in surgical bandages put down the phone, fingers twitching in both pain and excitement.

Its owner looked up at the two other occupants in the room, their eyes looking at him in expectation.

"We've been given a very special job to do. I think you're going to like it"

Nack the Weasel and Shadow the Hedgehog grinned widely at this.

And so did Shadow Fox.

--

Thats it! Its finally over! The Legion is done and dusted, but coming up next is a treat I'm sure your all gonna love!

He's back, and he's up for some vengeance!

Next time...its the return of Shadow Fox!

Until then, peace out peeps!

Joe.