tenebraevesper

[tenebraevesper]

Were you one the ML fans who was hoping Chloe would get a redemption arc?

Not gonna lie, I did think Chloé was going to get redeemed after she became Queen Bee. However, once Season 3 Finale aired and Astruc revealed what he thought about her (that she is an irredeemable brat), I realized that it was better to just give up on hoping.

What a disappointment, especially when there was so much potential for her. *sigh*

#Ten's Thoughts #ml salt #miraculous ladybug #mlb #thomas astruc salt #ml writers salt #ask #chloe bourgeois

[tenebraevesper]

Knuckles (My Thoughts)

So, I have watched Knuckles, the 2024 show that basically came out yesterday, and before watching it, I have heard a lot of mixed opinions, ranging from ''the show is great'' to ''the show is awful, I hate it''. I had figured I might as well add my thoughts to the fray.

There will be spoilers in this review, so if you haven't watched the show, you had your warning.

So, for starters... this show is absolutely bonkers, and I definitely enjoyed watching it! X3

Honestly, I feel like there was a pretty good mix of comedy and action, and while there is some over the top acting, it didn't really take away from my enjoyment. It was a pretty wild ride from start to finish, and I kinda want to know what the writers were smoking during some scenes, because there were moments where things just get a bit surreal.

The show is also peppered with a lot of emotional moments, but I'll get to that bit in a moment. So far, I think people were right when they called this Sonic the Hedgehog, but it's Knuckles and Wade instead of Sonic and Tom.

The main crux of the show is that Knuckles has a bit of a crisis. He has found the Master Emerald, he has found friends in Sonic and Tails... and the only reason he's on Earth is because of that promise to them, as he clearly doesn't feel like he is at home... yet. So, how does he deal with that struggle?

Well, Pachacamac tells him what to do. Not gonna lie, even though I had expected him to appear, I was still baffled, because Pachacamac in this show is basically Oogway, Mufasa and Mr. Miyagi rolled into one. Clearly, Knuckles still holds great admiration for him, but let's remember that this was the guy who hunted down Sonic and Longclaw, leading to the mutual massacre. And now, he's a ghost that Knuckles can talk to, a lá Tikal. Kinda weird, but I think this is also the moment the show doesn't give a damn about being grounded.

Pachacamac suggests Knuckles that he should continue the legacy of the Echidnas, with Wade Whipple becoming his new protégé. Knuckles knows Wade is a loser, but he accepts, especially given Wade's determination to show everyone and their mother that he isn't some kind of loser and will become the bowling champion at the tournament in Reno, Nevada. So, he and Knuckles go on a road trip there while also being hunted down by two rogue G.U.N. agents, who want to deliver Knuckles to The Buyer, a guy who formerly worked for Robotnik and wants to use his quills to power his weapons.

Now, I will first start with the negative stuff that I noticed during the plot. Yes, people were correct, the second half of the show does focus a lot on Wade and his family rather than on Knuckles. Should it focus more on the titular character? Absolutely! Am I disappointed with what we got? Ehh... not really. Not gonna lie, I was actually quite invested in Wade's family drama.

Honestly, I can't really think of any complaint aside from the lack of Knuckles' screentime. Maybe it would've been better if the show focused on Knuckles bonding with Sonic and Tails, but it was always advertised as a Knuckles and Wade road trip, so I can't say I was lied to (not to mention, we had a whole movie of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles bonding). I suppose that another thing to add to it is the abrupt ending, although we do get a post-credits scene with Knuckles and Wade going to their next adventure, and the fact that they just don't address some plot points (like we don't know how the Wachowski family reacted to Knuckles' absence).

Well, that's my negative thoughts on the show, what's the positive stuff?

First of all, Knuckles himself - he is absolutely awesome every moment he gets! His character is on point, and he gets a lot of goofy, but also very wholesome moments. He also works very well with Wade, their personalities bouncing off each other and their interactions can turn from hilarious to absolutely heartwarming, especially when bonding over their respective lives.

I think that's a really strong point of this show - Knuckles helping Wade, in his own way, to overcome his insecurities, while just being his Echidna Warrior self. At the same time, he also learns about simple things in life, like ''what his jam is'' (to no one's surprise, it's the show's theme song, The Warrior by Scandal) or about Wade's family's traditions, as well as finally accepting that Earth is his home.

Also, Knuckles and Wade's mother beating up the bounty hunters was one of the best scenes in the show, hands down.

As I said previously, I also got quite interested in Wade's family life. I really like his mother, but his sister is a bitch, even if she stands by Wade's side. His father, not gonna lie, Pistol Pete gets the same amount of hate from me as Locke... Huh, maybe they did base Wade's father on one of the most hated characters from the Sonic Archie comics? After all, both abandoned their sons for a ''greater purpose''. In any case, it was satisfying seeing Wade beating his father in the bowling tournament and use what he learned during his journey.

Furthermore, this show is peppered with many lore bits, but the most jaw-dropping is this one:

So, if you guys don't know, this is Iblis, one of the Big Bosses of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), alongside Mephiles, and basically the main reason Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat went back to the past to save the future, with Silver fighting Sonic due to the belief that he was responsible for the apocalyptic wasteland that is Silver's future. Both Iblis and Mephiles are halves of the sun god Solaris, who was defeated by Super Sonic, Super Shadow and Super Silver.

So, in this show, in this story told to us via a rock opera arranged by Pachacamac and starring an... unconscious (dead?) Wade? *shrugs* So, yeah, in this story, apparently, Knuckles defeated Iblis with the Flames of Disaster, aka beating him up with flaming fists.

Not gonna lie, that's metal.

Also, another lore bit that is dropped is how a different alien visited Reno for a bowling tournament in 1974, which tells me either two things:

One possibility is that it was Shadow who appeared at the bowling tournament, which is but funny and pretty awesome, and now I have an image of Shadow, Maria and Gerald Robotnik wearing those bowling T-shirts.

The other possibility is that Black Doom dropped after making his deal with Gerald and decided to sign up the Black Arms for a tournament, which is just plain hilarious.

So, yeah, overall, I liked the show. Is it the best? Not really, but it is something I'd rewatch if I want something fun and wholesome.

#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

#Ten's Thoughts #knuckles the echidna #knuckles series #knuckles show #wade whipple #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #iblis sonic #pachacamac #Sonic Cyber Revolution Analyzer

[tenebraevesper]

So, did Shadow just invite Sonic to a date in the recent Tailstube episode? He was pretty insistent with racing Sonic around the island.

\(★ω★)/

Considering how these two won't even admit that they admire each other, I suppose that might be their way of spending time together without asking each other to spend time together.

#Ten's Thoughts #sonadow #tailstube #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #We know there's something going on between these two.

[tenebraevesper]

TailsTube #7 - Between Two Hedgehogs

How Tails managed to get to Sonic and Shadow in the same room to talk remains a mystery. X3

#Ten's Thoughts #tailstube #sonic the hedgehog #shadow the hedgehog #They really went there X3 #Love their bickering #Tails is being the wingman here #miles tails prower #sonadow #They know what they're doing #Year of Sonadow #fearless year of shadow #JUST KISS ALREADY!

[tenebraevesper]

I think the writers wanted Lila to be a kind of Leena Klammer from the Orphan or Baby-Doll from Batman Animated Series but it backfired because of their mediocre writing.

Probably, but frankly, who knows what was going through their heads when they were writing her. The idea behind Lila was interesting, but the execution was garbage.

#Ten's Thoughts #ask #ml salt #lila rossi #lila salt #ml writers salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug

[tenebraevesper]

I got a question. Why is Shadow your favorite character?

That's something I haven't really thought about. Usually, when I declare a character my favorite, it's kinda like a gut feeling - I see X Character and I instantly know they'll be my favorite. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll probably want a more in-depth explanation.

Shadow the Hedgehog definitely fits the character archetype I tend to gravitate to, which I tend to describe as Troubled, But Cute (put a pin on the ''cute'' part tho), Anti-Hero or Anti-Villain type of character with a tragic backstory, who has an intimidating or untrustworthy presence, or is just a jerk, but deep down, they are sweet and/or genuinely care about the other characters in their own way.

If you want more examples, here is a list of my favorite characters from other franchises:

Impmon/Beelzemon from Digimon Tamers, initially a mischievous Digimon who caused trouble for the main cast, his traumatic experience with his own Tamers and his desire to become stronger led him to a path of destruction, followed by one of the most incredible and heartbreaking redemption arcs I've seen.

Bass.EXE/Forte.EXE from Rockman.EXE/MegaMan Battle Network/MegaMan NT Warrior. Bass is a Solo NetNavi who had been created by Dr. Cossack to improve internet security, but was betrayed by the humans when the internet at the time, Alpha, went berserk, causing Bass to be mistakenly blamed for that chaos. Believing that humans are monsters, Bass has set the goal to become the strongest and destroy humanity once and for all. He is also MegaMan's strongest rival, and I especially love how their relationship is portrayed in Ryo Takamisaki's MegaMan NT Warrior manga, where they both show deep respect for each other and it is acknowledged that MegaMan is the first person Bass allowed himself to bond with. Huh, when you think about it, Bass and Shadow are kinda similar, especially when the latest chapter that focused on Bass had him finally make peace with his past.

Darkrai from Pokémon, specifically Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky. To quote the Pokedex: ''Folklore has it that on moonless nights, this Pokémon will make people see horrific nightmares.'' Darkrai is a Pokémon who is capable of causing horrible nightmares, but the truth is, he cannot control this ability and isolates himself on Newmoon Island. In Rise of Darkrai, he is portrayed as a misunderstood anti-hero who wanted to defend his home from Dialga and Palkia, and in PMD: Explorers, he is a maniacal tyrant who wants to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and these two different portrayals are one of the reasons why I adore Darkrai so much. And yeah, he definitely isn't the conventionally ''cute'' type, but I always had weird tastes.

Félix/Chat Noir from Ladybug PV, who I consider to be a different character from the CGI show. Having been cursed with bad luck, Félix needs to find ways to convince to Ladybug to kiss him while working together with her against the main villain and also dealing with Ladybug's civilian form, Bridgette. I'm certain that, if his character had been developed further, we would see a different side to him, show that there is more to Félix/Chat Noir than what is on the surface.

#Ten's Thoughts #ask #shadow the hedgehog #impmon #beelzemon #bass.exe #forte.exe #felix agreste #chat noir

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 45: I Will Fight Like I Always Have

''Suffer long and it will set you free! Only through trial do we find the strength we need! It's never over, just another day! All hope and tragedies and everything that comes our way!''

– All Hail Shadow by Shadow the Hedgehog (2005, Shadow Theme Song)

xXxXxXx

''Here we are, Infinity Forest,'' Touka muttered as the helicopter lowered, trying to find a place to land, but the forest was too dense for it. However, Team Dark had no problem leaping out and landing using their own means. They looked up, observing the helicopter as it left, then turned to their surroundings.

''It has been quite a while since you've last been here,'' Rouge commented, turning to Shadow. ''It must bring back a lot of unpleasant memories.''

''Tch,'' Shadow scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. Rouge just shrugged, understanding that Shadow wasn't going to get sentimental about the place where he was abused. All he wanted was to find Mephiles and battle him, with Omega sharing the sentiment.

''Scanning for any hostile lifeforms.'' He turned to his surroundings, only for his eyes to suddenly flash brightly. ''Hostile lifeforms found! There!''

''It has started!'' Shadow gritted his teeth as he, Rouge and Touka tensed.

Suddenly, the ground below them turned into crystals, spreading all around the open field before the Codex Research Facility. Not only that, but walls out of crystals rose around them, encompasing them into a crystal structure with a ceiling forming above them.

''Wh-What? What is this?!'' Rouge exclaimed, suddenly feeling nervous. This was certainly not part of their plan.

''Vision and senses have decreased!'' Omega informed them. ''The crystal structure is interfering with my sensors!''

''Stand your ground! This field has just been turned into a battle arena!'' Shadow ordered, managing to stay calm. His gaze was fixed on the sudden shadow that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, followed by a familiar figure. The shadow stopped right before them, with Shadow glaring daggers at his foe.

''I had figured that it would be better to make sure nobody interferes in this battle. Do you like what I had done?'' Mephiles asked, his eyes flashing in a dark periwinkle purple colour, only for the glow to fade. He then chuckled darkly, waiting for a response from Shadow. However, much to his annoyance, the dark hedgehog remained silent. Mephiles' eyes narrowed. ''Tch, what an Edgehog.''

''Don't mind him. The point is that we had finally got the attention of ARMS,'' Toshiro said, walking up to them. He gave Touka a malicious smirk. ''Hey there, big sister!''

Touka gritted her teeth in anger, a vein popping on her forehead.

''I am not your sister!'' Touka shouted back furiously. ''Only because we share DNA doesn't mean we're family!''

''I didn't expect her to get so worked up over that. But, let's be honest, sharing DNA with the very person who attempted to traumatize you and murder you is an inconvenience,'' Rouge commented, glancing at Shadow for a response. The dark hedgehog just narrowed his eyes, his scowl and side-eye being clear enough for an answer. Rouge smiled knowingly. ''Yeah, I had figured you'd feel the same.''

''Also, what's the big idea? Have you really attacked the Hunters so ARMS would send us here or is there an ulterior motivation for this challenge?'' Touka continued.

''Well, I won't lie that one of the reasons was because I still had been trying to become an only child, but I had hoped that you would be a bit more thankful,'' Toshiro replied, with Touka giving him a confused look.

''Thankful for what?'' she asked, blinking in surprise.

''Thankful for finally getting you out of ARMS HQ, obviously! That's what you wanted all along, isn't it?'' Toshiro replied, grinning proudly. However, when Touka didn't respond, mainly due to being too stunned by this revelation. ''Oh, please, don't tell me that you actually wanted to stay there. There is no way they have treated you that well.''

''No, I'm just stunned that you know all of that,'' Touka responded in a deadpan tone.

''It helps that my partner is someone who has eyes and ears everywhere,'' Toshiro said quite proudly, taking note of the paranoid look Team Dark just gave them. ''Also, it was a lucky guess.''

''What?''

''Hiroshi Sakamoto had quite a lot to tell us about ARMS before his unfortunate death. Considering what we knew about Project Shadow and ARMS' general attitude towards it, it wasn't hard to guess how they would treat you,'' Mephiles explained, turning towards Shadow. ''It must be quite frustrating to be surrounded by people who see you as nothing but a weapon of mass destruction.''

''It's no different than my time at the Codex Research Facility,'' Shadow responded in a blunt tone.

Mephiles gave him a hard stare, clearly expecting a more emotional response. ''I suppose that's a fair answer. Nevertheless, I'm certain that the cruelity you had experienced has only been amplified since they finally got to use you the way they wanted. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if things escalate even further.'' Shadow narrowed his eyes, with Mephiles floating closer to the dark hedgehog. ''Nobody cares about you, and eventually, you will lose your own will. ARMS has indeed more plans for you and for Touka, and this is just the beginning.''

Mephiles was suddenly startled when an orange spear of energy appeared under his chin, with Shadow pointing it at him. The dark hedgehog was glaring at him, clearly irritated with this one-sided conversation. Mephiles managed to keep his cool however. ''Don't you want to know your future? I could help you escape the horrors you'll be subjected to.'' The Chaos Spear was pointed even closer to Mephiles' neck, but he continued to speak without any sense of fear. ''Don't tell me that you're fine working for them. Do you really want to subject Touka to further suffering?''

This made Shadow snap, as he charged at Mephiles, swinging the Chaos Spear in an attempt to impale the latter, but Mephiles disappeared into the void on the ground, the black hole then splitting off into multiple of them, causing shadow-like entities to rise from them. Mephiles appeared next to Toshiro. ''You should've listened to me.''

Shadow frowned, glaring daggers at Mephiles, only to hear Rouge addressing him. ''Omega and I will take care of those things. You and Touka focus on Mephiles and Toshiro.''

''Destruction Mode: Engaged,'' Omega announced, his arms turning into cannons and turning towards the immediate threat. Shadow turned to Touka, who nodded in determination. This time, he wasn't afraid of tapping into her BioEnergy. This time, he was going to go all out in this fight. He could see Mephiles and Toshiro reaching out for each other, both sides shouting and signaling the start of the battle.

''CHAOS SURGE!''

xXx

Lucas's eyes widened as he stared at the documents that were listed before him. ''That's… disturbing.''

''You mean, the possibility of using Irregulars as weapons of war or selling them off to… 'trusted clients' for experiments… Calling it disturbing is an understatement,'' Warren said, feeling quite tired. Fortunately, he and Tails were finally done with their work, and while there were still some things they needed to sort out, the majority of work was finished.

''You'd think that ARMS was the least of our problems,'' Tails muttered, rubbing his forehead. ''I guess that kidnapping Shadow and Touka was just the start.''

''Honestly, if you go by history, the military has always been up to some shady practices, and one would think that nowadays, such things wouldn't happen, but that's not the case,'' Lucas said. ''To make things worse, they're treating all of the Irregulars as non-entities. While it's understandable to be cautious around an Irregular, they are still living beings. This kind of treatment is just downright inhumane.''

''It also seems that their promise not to go after us was only temporary,'' Tails added, reading another file that contained the profiles of all of Team Neos and a note that they would also be targeted again. ''It's a good thing we made a move before ARMS could. What do we tell the others?''

''Obviously, we'll tell them the truth and the same goes…'' Lucas sighed in annoyance. ''Yeah, and the same goes for Dr. Eggman. If I had to choose between the shady military who kidnapped our friends and forced them to work for them and the guy who is interested in turning all of this into a game of conquering the world while following the rules… I'd choose the mad scientist.''

''Better the Devil you know, I guess,'' Warren said, shrugging. Lucas nodded, taking a deep breath.

''I'll go get Dr. Eggman on the line to tell him what we got. We will need his help to get to ARMS HQ,'' he said, adding under his breath. ''Unfortunately.''

Both Warren and Tails gave him a sympathetic look, well aware just how much of a pain it is to deal with Eggman and silently wishing Lucas luck. Lucas observed the holographic screen opening, inhaling sharply. ''Hello, Dr. Eggman.''

''Ho ho ho, Kinomoto, I did not expect a call from you so soon,'' Eggman grinned in amusement.

''It would've been even sooner if you hadn't been harrassing Warren and Tails,'' Lucas responded in a sharp tone. Eggman just waved his hand in a dismissive manner.

''Don't play the blame game here,'' he said, with Lucas rolling his eyes. ''Now, I assume you're calling me because you want something from me.''

''How'd you guess?'' Lucas asked in a slightly deadpan tone.

''Oh, please, this alliance is based on mutual interest, and not on the power of friendship as your team is,'' Eggman said in a mocking tone. ''You'll tell me what you want, and I'll tell you why I won't comply.''

Lucas frowned, glaring at the Doctor. ''I want to know whether you have figured out where ARMS HQ is and how to get there. Or is that something my team has to figure out as well.''

''Heh, fortunately for you, I'm way ahead of the game. Of course I know where ARMS HQ is, I was just waiting for you to catch up,'' Eggman replied with a devious grin on his expression. ''However, if you really want me to help you and your friends to get to it, you will have to give me a report on the information you had gathered about ARMS. Then you, the Hedgehog and… where is that blue menace anyway? It's not fun to gloat when he is not around!''

''Honestly, I don't know where Sonic currently is. He had just left a bit earlier,'' Lucas admitted, glancing at Warren and Tails, all three of them suddenly realizing where their friend might be. ''Don't tell me…''

''He wouldn't want to miss the battle,'' Tails replied, ignoring Eggman in the background as he tried to get their attention and getting more irritated in the process when they didn't pay any attention to him. ''Let's hope he'll come back in one piece.''

xXx

Sonic raced from Eas towards the western side of Neos City where Infinity Forest was with a determined look on his expression. Sure, he did promise that he wouldn't be reckless and he certainly was going to leave this battle to Shadow, but that didn't mean that he could watch from afar, just to keep an eye on Mephiles. It wasn't as if he was bored from the lack of action; no, absolutely not!

''You're such an idiot!''

Sonic grinned, completely ignoring the Shadow-like voice in his head as he got to Sentoraru and made his way towards Westoru, avoiding pedestrians and cars. He was actually quite in high spirits, as Tails and Warren had informed him and Lucas earlier that they were close to finishing sifting through the data they got, and what they had found was actually rather shocking. They haven't told them yet what it was, but Tails said that this would get them into a lot of trouble with the public. In Sonic's mind, that was good enough.

The azure hedgehog then sped through Westoru and towards Infinity Forest, trying to remember the path towards the Codex Research Facility. It has been a while since he had been there, but he was certain that he would be able to find it. However, what he didn't expect to find was a huge structure made of crystals and surrounded by fire.

''Yikes!'' Sonic realized that this self-imposed mission might be a bit harder than he thought. The crystal wasn't transparent, but more of a purple and red hue, making it impossible for him to see inside. All he could conclude was that there were several layers of crystals placed at the field, keeping him away from whatever battle was happening inside the structure. Sonic then smirked, clenching his fist. ''Well, something like this has never stopped this hedgehog!''

He leapt into the air, curling into a ball and burrowed into the ground, creating a hole just in front of the structure. Less than a minute passed and he emerged again from the hole, breathing heavily and raising an eyebrow. ''Great, even the ground is crystal. Mephiles made sure that no one can enter it.'' He then shook his head. ''No way! If I cannot find a way inside, how will Shadow and the others find a way outside? I have to solve issue as soon as- aaagh!''

Sonic was startled when suddenly a bunch of figures made out of pure shadow and darkness appeared, confronting him. ''Ah, so Mephiles also left a couple of guards. At least things won't be boring!''

xXx

Rouge flew up, delivering a swift kick to the shadow Mephiles had summoned, which was followed up by her quickly flying away when Omega aimed and destroyed that damn thing with a missile. It appeared that the robot was quite enjoying himself, blowing holes into the shadow-like entities. Unfortunately for them, for every shadow-like entity they brought down, at least three more of them had spawned.

''Nobody said that this is going to be easy,'' Rouge grumbled, kicking another shadow-like entity away and hitting another one on the head. ''Still, you'd think that their numbers would decrease eventually.''

''Don't be worried. I have enough ammunition for all of them,'' Omega responded. Rouge wanted to reply how that's not what she meant, but she figured that it was better to say nothing. She did appreciate having a powerhouse like Omega on their side, and his bullets and rockets were easily piercing through the enemy lines. She also took note that some stray rockets did hit the crystal structure surrounding them, but unfortunately, the explosions left only small cracks in it. If they wanted to escape, they'd need to bring out the big guns.

Speaking of which, Shadow was currently locked in combat with Mephiles, both empowered by Chaos Surge. Shadow was currently avoiding crystal-like spikes coming out of the ground, using his natural speed to his advantage, but also being aware that he had trouble getting closer to Mephiles. His dark counterpart was making sure to keep him away from getting closer while also keeping him occupied. However, Shadow knew that he only needed an opening and he'd be able to land a hit on Mephiles. He leapt backwards, summoning a Chaos Spear and destroyed the spike that shoot out of the ground right in front of him. He then charged towards Mephiles, doing his best to avoid more spikes and closing in on the latter.

Mephiles suddenly realized that Shadow was getting too close and summoned a dome of flames around himself, which acted like a barrier. Shadow summoned another Chaos Spear, throwing it at the dome in an attempt to pierce it, which resulted in a minor explosion, only for Mephiles to send a wall of flames towards the dark hedgehog. Fortunately, Shadow used Chaos Control to warp away to safety… at least, that's what Mephiles thought, not expecting Shadow to suddenly appear behind him and kick him in the head. He flew forwards, hitting the ground hard, but Shadow didn't even let him recover as another Chaos Spear formed in his hands. Shadow then leapt forward, attempting to pierce through Mephiles' back, only for his opponent to vanish into a dark void on the ground.

Shadow gritted his teeth, trying to figure out where Mephiles would resurface, taking note that all of his surroundings were dark, only to turn into a purplish-red colour. His eyes widened, and he quickly warped away as a tower of fire emerged from beneath where he stood just a moment earlier. Shadow warped just a bit away from the tower of flames, his eyes narrowing as he observed it, with Mephiles emerging from the flames.

''It appears that we are evenly matched,'' Mephiles said, observing Shadow carefully. ''I am amazed that you are not taking full advantage of the power you had been given. I know you can do better than this.''

Shadow gritted his teeth, knowing that he shouldn't give into Mephiles' taunts. Even if he and Touka had practiced maintaining the Chaos Surge for much longer periods of time, he still wasn't going to take advantage unless he was certain that he had no other choice. So, using a time-stop Chaos Control or a massive Chaos Blast was out of question until he knew that he had Mephiles right where he wanted.

As for Touka, she had to rely on the Chaos Surge not to get killed by Toshiro. Her so-called younger brother summoned miniature crystals in the air and forced them down on her, almost impaling her if she hadn't warped away. Touka gritted her teeth, hoping to finish this battle as quickly as possible. She needed to cut off Mephiles' supply of BioEnergy by defeating Toshiro and she had hoped that he wouldn't have as much fighting experience as she had, but unfortunately, it seemed that Toshiro actually knew what he was doing. She snapped her fingers, summoning a Chaos Spear and held it tightly.

''What's the matter, sis? Are you already getting tired?'' Toshiro asked, giving her a deranged smile. Touka furrowed a brow, giving him a glare. One thing was certain; after having gone through all of the suffering her so-called sibling put her through, Touka wasn't going to let him get into her head. She had already dealt with one mental breakdown and managed to get through it, and she wasn't going to allow herself to suffer another one.

''I could ask you the same,'' Touka told him, holding up the energy spear and pointing it at Toshiro. ''Seriously, if you're calling me your sibling, why do you want to kill me so much?''

''I had been created to surpass you, and the only way to achieve that is to make sure you're gone,'' Toshiro replied in a casual tone, snapping his fingers and causing multiple crystals to surround Touka. Fortunately, using the spear in her hands, she destroyed them with ease.

''You're such a dumbass!'' she responded, with Toshiro being a bit surprised by her tone. It really sounded like an older sibling scolding a younger one. ''So, Hiroshi Sakamoto is gone, but you're still following his wishes? I thought you'd be better than that!''

To Touka's satisfaction, Toshiro frowned, clearly not happy to hear that response. ''I don't care about that man's wishes! I'm doing this because I want to!''

''Yeah, yeah, sure…'' Touka had figured that, if Toshiro could play mental games, then so could she. Despite being enemies, both still had in common one thing – their mutual hatred for the man who had created them. ''Idiot…''

''What was that?!'' Toshiro growled, raising his clenched fist. Touka smirked.

''I'm just saying, unlike myself, it seemed that Sakamoto forgot to give you a sense of maturity! That's why you'll never surpass me, little brother!''

''Why you-?!'' Toshiro rose a row of spikes, hellbent on impaling Touka, but she suddenly vanished, and as he searched for her, she warped right in front of him, hand clenched into a fist, and delivered a hard punch to his face, sending him flying.

Touka then sighed, waving her hand and turning to Rouge and Omega, who looked quite impressed by her move. Rouge then commented, ''That was sure satisfying.''

''You have no idea how long I wanted to just punch him in the face,'' Touka replied, looking quite pleased with herself, only for her smile to fade into a frown and shuddering. ''Though, calling him my brother still sends shivers down my spine.''

xXx

Sonic shredded through the shadow-like entities, pinballing from one to another easily, but the issue was that he also needed to avoid the flames and the crystals that were keeping him from getting through the wall. He had actually managed to run around the structure, taking note that it was way bigger than he initially thought. He had to give it to Mephiles, the guy was determined to make sure no one gets inside those walls.

''Woah!'' Sonic suddenly stopped due to a black hole opening right beneath him. He sunk, trying his best to free himself, but when he looked up to find a branch or something to lift him up, he saw the crystal walls suddenly turn black and purple. His emerald eyes widened. ''Oh, no…''

However, before Sonic could move, everything turned black. Only a moment later, the light returned and he was quite disoriented, only to hear a car horn and quickly leap off the street. It took him a bit, but he realizes that he was somewhere in the eastern part of Souto. He was quite baffled when he realized what had happened.

''How in the world did Mephiles teleport me to Souto?'' he muttered under his breath, his gaze turned towards the west where Infinity Forest was. A sense of worry bubbled in his chest, but he shook his head. He knew that Shadow could handle this.

xXx

Mephiles suddenly fired a sphere of black energy spawned from his hands, which homed in on Shadow. The dark hedgehog spam warped around, trying to dodge it, only to be met by a beam of energy, knocking him against the crystal wall.

''Shadow!''

Shadow groaned, feeling a wave of pain washing over his body, but managed to get up. It appeared that Mephiles had even more ways of fighting than summoning shadows, crystals and flames. However, Shadow wasn't going down so easily. He saw Mephiles summoning more of those black spheres, firing them towards Shadow, who quickly warped away, stepping right in front of Mephiles and throwing a punch. Fortunately, it connected, with Shadow following with more, only for Mephiles to disappear right before him, merging with his own shadow. The dark hedgehog was caught off guard for a moment, only to get his point-black from behind by a blast of energy. There was a smell of burnt fur in the air, which Shadow's back quills being scorched.

Shadow could hear his teammates crying out for him, but he ignored their voice, forcing himself to get up. He looked up, realizing that Mephiles was before him. ''Your attempts to defeat me are pathetic.'' Suddenly, he rose his hand and Shadow heard cries of surprise from behind him. He managed to turn his head just to see Touka having thrown a Chaos Spear at Mephiles, only for it to get blocked by a wall of crystals. Then, more crystals appeared around her wrists and chest, suddenly pinning her to the wall. Touka struggled to break free, with Rouge attempting to help her, but both her and Omega got also subdued by the crystals.

Shadow made a move to help them, only to be stopped by an arm, with Mephiles being now right next to him, way too close for comfort. ''Don't worry, they're not in any pain. As for you, I will give you one last chance to join me. You have gone through so much already, and soon, there will be people who will make you suffer even more, whether by imprisoning you because they fear you or mentally break you until you are nothing more but a husk of your former self.''

''That is what ARMS plans to do to me, isn't it?'' Shadow muttered in a calm tone, matter-of-fact, his eyes fixed on Mephiles.

''Indeed. There is much more to their plans than you could even imagine. But, there is still time for a proper retribution. If you join me, we could teach them and the whole world a lesson they will never forget,'' Mephiles told him.

''Tch, don't try to deceive me,'' Shadow responded, feeling the Chaos Surge energy coursing through his body, growing stronger with every moment.

''What?'' Mephiles stared at the dark hedgehog as he took a step forward, passing Mephiles and turning his head slightly.

''You have no desire for revenge. You only crave destruction. Your only lust is to see this world turn into ashes,'' Shadow told him, and kept walking calmly towards his teammates with the intention to free them. Mephiles closed his eyes, sighing in disappointment.

''It's a pity, Shadow The Hedgehog,'' he whispered quietly, only to raise above Shadow. ''Truly a shame that you wish to go against me!''

Mephiles suddenly summoned an sphere of black energy, only to feel a sharp sense of pain spread through his chest, the glow in his eyes dimming for a moment when he realized that he was struck with a Chaos Spear. ''Y-You planned this!''

Shadow just glanced at him, a smirk appearing on his lips and then quickly rushed over towards his teammates, spin-dashing and destroying the crystals that kept them pinned, with Touka, Rouge and Omega giving him a quick nod of acknowledgement that they were unharmed.

As for Mephiles, he placed his hand on the Chaos Spear in his chest, and broke it, with the wound on his chest healing. He took a deep breath, feeling a wave of pain in his chest, despite having healed his injury. He was joined by Toshiro, who suddenly felt his own BioEnergy getting drained. However, he couldn't care less about that.

''You will not stop me… It is futile…''

Shadow, Rouge, Omega and Touka turned towards Mephiles and Toshiro, taking note of the fact that both of them were glowing in a dangerous purple aura. It felt as if Mephiles was pulling all of the energy not only from Toshiro, but also from his surroundings, as the shadow-like entities vanished and the crystal walls that surrounded them started to crack.

''So you say…'' Shadow responded, observing Mephiles carefully.

''This world will betray you, like many others that came before you.'' Mephiles started with a whisper, his voice growing louder and louder. ''Yet, you are willing to risk your life for all these people, all of these strangers.'' To Team Dark's shock, a whirlwind of darkness suddenly started to surround Mephiles, engulfing him and Toshiro and growing larger and larger, even destroying the walls of the arena he had created.''Why fight it all?! Why risk your life for those who will persecute you later?!''

Suddenly, a giant entity rose from the darkness, its body consisting of shadows, crystals and flames, with the crystals forming the armor around its formless shape. It sprouted four arms, breaking the crystal ceiling and causing shards to rain down. There was a sudden chill in the air as they heard Mephiles laugh darkly, his voice like ice and filled with nothing but calculated intelligence and insanity.

''Your heart was filled with nothing but hate for this reality and its people! So, why don't you join me in destroying it?!''

Team Dark couldn't see Mephiles nor Toshiro anymore, as it seemed as if they had been swallowed by the entity they had created. All they could hear was Mephiles' voice, seemingly speaking through the entity. Touka, Rouge and Omega turned to Shadow, with Touka and Rouge's expressions clearly showing concern for Shadow, and even Omega was apprehensive to the whole situation, his cannons already pointed towards the entity Mephiles had just summoned. Shadow, on the other hand, was just staring at the entity silently, his expression unreadable. He then turned to his teammates, his expression slightly shifting to that of pure of determination, only to face the entity once again.

''I may have hated this world once, because it stole someone precious from me. I also feel no obligation towards it or towards its people. Even if the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have,'' Shadow responded, reaching for the golden rings on his wrists, twisting them and letting them fall on the ground. He could feel the Chaos Energy flowing through his body, almost bursting out, his hands crackling with energy. ''That said, you made a mistake endangering those I care about!''

Suddenly, everything stopped, and time and space warped. The entity couldn't even move, despite Mephiles efforts to break through. For some reason, he wasn't affected by whatever was going on, and his attempts to control this entity – Iblis – have failed. Then, Shadow appeared right in front of the entity, his size diminutive in comparison to the monstrous being, but his whole body was sparking with orange energy, his eyes glowing as he gathered all the power he could muster. His fingers were curled and he placed both of his hands together at chest level facing the same direction, with the palm on the back of the other. He knew that he only had one shot, and he could sense the Chaos energy, Mephiles' Chaos energy, within this monstrosity. All he had to do is to aim.

''CHAOS BLAST!''

Thrusting both of his hands forward, he fired a powerful blast of energy, the beam tearing right through the entity, not only powered by the Chaos Surge and the latent Chaos Energy that was concealed by the Inhibitor Rings, but also by Shadow's strong emotions and desire to protect everyone. He could hear a wail of distress as the entity, which had just formed before him was shredded, its wretchedness only gracing this reality only for a moment. Shadow was not going to allow it to exist any longer than that.

Then, everything went silent, and Shadow closed his eyes. Everything went dark, and he found himself falling into a deep abyss. His body couldn't move anymore and his mind was as empty as the nothingness that embraced him. Or was it?

''Shadow? Shadow?!''

Shadow could feel a sense of warmth, and he forced his eyes to open despite the pain and numbness. He never felt so broken and exhausted before. Staring back at him was Touka, having somehow managed to catch him mid-fall, her eyes having gone from crimson back to dark brown with that hint of red in them. She looked just as exhausted as he was as she cradled him in her arms, kneeling on the ground. On her right was Rouge, holding one of Shadow's Inhibitor Rings and looking relieved to see him alive. On her left was Omega, holding Shadow's other Inhibitor Ring, and while he certainly had no expression to show, it was clear that he was quite impressed by the destruction the dark hedgehog had caused.

As for Mephiles and Toshiro, they were gone. The crystal walls were still standing, but only barely, as more and more cracks started to form inside them, shattering and falling apart. Shadow narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the empty field, aware that despite the destruction he had caused, they were probably still alive, only barely escaping his wrath.

''What was that?'' Rouge broke the silence, still shocked by what had just happened. Shadow wanted to answer, but Touka was faster.

''That was Chaos Control, but in the sense that Shadow had stopped time itself,'' she responded. Rouge gave her a baffled look and turned to Shadow.

''Wait, you can actually do that?!'' she asked, her voice a bit too loud for Shadow's comfort.

''That is only possible with the power of Chaos Surge,'' Touka added, sighing tiredly. ''Even then, it is a technique that drains both of our energy, so we have good reason not to use it too often.''

''It was my last resort, and I was fortunate Mephiles had drained all of his own energy and Toshiro's BioEnergy to summon that entity. It only took one blast…'' Shadow explained, trying to get up. His and Rouge's ears the flicked as the group heard the helicopter getting closer and closer. None of the members of Team Dark were happy to see it, as that meant returning back to ARMS HQ and have to endure their frustrating stay even longer. Still, they were too exhausted to fight back… well, three of them.

''If you don't wish to return, I will just shoot the helicopter down,'' Omega offered.

''No!''

''Absolutely not!''

Touka and Rouge made an ''X'' sign with their arms, denying Omega the opportunity. They were well aware that they would suffer the consequences, because there was no way they would get away with this. Shadow, on the other hand, remained silent, having put the Inhibitor Rings back on his wrists and deciding to leave this conversation to his older sister and the treasure hunter. He managed to recover enough to climb into the helicopter on his own, wondering how long it would take for him to get back to his old condition. He pressed the lower part of his palm against his forehead, knowing he'll probably sleep like the dead in their graves the moment he was back in his bed. The helicopter then took off, but not before another scream pierced the air before it could be drowned out by the noise of the helicopter.

''Shadow! Shadow!!''

''Wait, is that Sonic?!'' Touka gasped in surprise, as the door to the helicopter hadn't been closed. Shadow immediately got up, his eyes wide as he leaned out of the helicopter, holding onto a nearby strap. To his bewilderment, Sonic was shouting and waving at him, and he could see the playful grin on his expression. Shadow mentally facepalmed, and despite saying nothing, it was obvious from Sonic's expression that there was nothing he needed to say. Sonic was simply relieved to see that Shadow was fine, while Shadow couldn't help but crack a genuine smile and even chuckle lightly, well aware that there was nothing that would stop Sonic from supporting his friend and rival, regardless of the methods.

Sonic, you're such a reckless idiot… Thank you.

Links:

#Previous Chapter

#Current Chapter

#Next Chapter

#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

#Sonic Cyber Revolution #shadow the hedgehog #rouge the bat #e-123 omega #mephiles the dark #sonic the hedgehog (2006) #sonic 06 #Listen to Tot Musica by Ado (One Piece Film: Red) for this chapter. #sonic the hedgehog #miles tails prower #dr eggman #iblis sonic #sonadow

[tenebraevesper]

Quarterback Zavok (Sonic Forces: Speed Battle)

Not the biggest fan of the Zeti, but hey, I'm not gonna say no to a new skin. Now, the only ones I need are Baby Sonic and Longclaw.

#Ten's Thoughts #sonic the hedgehog #sonic forces speed battle #the zeti #zavok the zeti #quarterback zavok #deadly six

[tenebraevesper]

Is everyone on Miraculous Ladybug an awful person?

Honestly, the first person who comes to my mind that hasn't done anything awful or plain stupid is Juleka, but it's more that I don't remember whether she had done anything that makes me facepalm. But yeah, pretty much all of the characters have done something infuriating.

#Ten's Thoughts #ask #ml salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug

[tenebraevesper]

"…and calmly ask them to show me the exact moment in the whole MLB show where Adrien Agreste has ever proven that he deserves such responsibility."

I mean, he couldn't do worse than Kagami, who found out Marinette's Ladybug and decided to spill it to Felix

Or Alya and Nino, with the former deciding to tell Nino how she's Rena Furtive, despite Marinette telling her not to, and a later episode proving that Alya was an idiot for doing that, and Nino revealing his and Alya's identities to Adrien, but hey, that stuff gets glossed over for everyone not named Chloé.

On the other hand, at least Alya, Nino and Kagami didn't try to murder a fellow superhero like Adrien did with Aeon and Alya. Or threw a temper tantrum while people were drowning. Or just refused to show up for battles, forcing Ladybug to rely on other people and causing Adrien to throw a pity party because his absence was forcing Ladybug to rely on other people (not that he was someone she could rely on, considering in Oblivio, he was literally sitting there, doing absolutely nothing and forcing her to defend him and herself while he was also flirting with her).

#Ten's Thoughts #adrien agreste #adrien salt #ml salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug

[tenebraevesper]

When it comes to miraculous do you think with better writing su-han would be a better next villain cause the idea that the next big bad is a guardain who knows all the secrets of the miraculous would have been a good foil for fu

Honestly, that would've been an interesting idea, especially since Su-Han has been pretty much wasting time in Paris instead of doing anything important, and I would've given everything to get Gabriel kicked out of the show by the end of Season 3, since he overstayed his welcome.

It doesn't have to be just one Guardian, it could actually be a whole group of them, maybe a faction who felt that the Order should've done things differently, creating some kind of schism where they try to ''protect'' the world in their own (and probably more brutal way) and have Ladybug and Cat Noir find themselves in the middle of this battle. Have both sides be in the wrong and the heroes are trying to somehow navigate through that mess.

#Ten's Thoughts #ml salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug #ml writer salt #ask

[tenebraevesper]

It's official! We're getting Keanu Reeves as Shadow!!

☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

Now they need to make a joke where Sonic fanboys over Shadow and/or tells Shadow that he sounds a lot like Keanu.

It’s official! Keanu Reeves IS the voice of “Shadow” in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024).

SOURCE

#Ten's Thoughts!Reblog #shadow the hedgehog #keanu reeves #sonic the hedgehog #sonic movie 3 #sonic movie #sonadow

[tenebraevesper]

If you could remove one character from Miraculous Ladybug, which one would it be?

Oh, boy... everyone I guess? X3

Okay, but seriously now, there are characters who just feel pointless or tacked on (looking at you Lila and Zoé), or even outright creeps (André gunning after two teenagers because they're not following his OTP just freaks me out), and I had been saying how by the end of MLB, everyone feels like they could be replaced with a cardboard cutout because they feel so one dimensional and contribute almost nothing to the plot (besides Félix). I know that, if this show had been written by competent writers, the characters could actually have some meaning and/or importance, but the way it is now, it would be better to reboot the show with a different cast.

#Ten's Thoughts #ml salt #ml writer salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug

[tenebraevesper]

He at least deserves to know the truth about Gabriel.

That I agree with. Not letting Adrien know the truth about Gabriel was definitely one of the biggest mistakes MLB made.

#Ten's Thoughts #adrien agreste #grabriel agreste #ml salt #ml writer salt #ask

[tenebraevesper]

Every time I read a post about people complaining how Adrien/Cat Noir ''deserved'' to know Marinette/Ladybug's secret identity, be Co-Guardian or hand out the Miraculous, I want to do this:

...and calmly ask them to show me the exact moment in the whole MLB show where Adrien Agreste has ever proven that he deserves such responsibility.

Because I'll be blown away if there was ever such a moment in the show, and I can assure you that for every reason you find, I can show you ten more reasons why the Cat Miraculous should've been taken away from him in... eh, I'll be generous and say the start of Season 4.

#Ten's Thoughts #adrien agreste #adrien salt #ml salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug #ml writers salt #cat noir #cat noir salt

[tenebraevesper]

I don't know if you saw the publication that @zoe-oneesama made but in this publication she points out that Lila is a mediocre liar and manipulator who only achieves her goals thanks to the power of the script and because Lila simply knows that everyone is stupid when she is around and takes advantage of their stupidity showing the scene in which Lila tells Adrien that she is a heroine with the Fox Miraculous and also Tikki says that she had never I've seen someone lie so well when in reality Lila didn't even bother to hide the shopping bag from the necklace but it's right next to her and no one notices.

Furthermore, Lila has no reason to be the new Hawk Moth to terrorize Paris. I would dare say that Chloe has more reasons to be the new Hawk Moth because she literally lost everything because of her parents, Lila, Ladybug and Hawk Moth and they all live (lived in Hawk Moth's case) in Paris so she has many reasons to want revenge of all of them while the only reason Lila has is that Ladybug, Marinette and Adrien called her out for lying which I think is the stupidest motivation I have ever seen in a villain.

Another thing I have seen is that many say that Lila is a better illusion magic user than Rena Rouge but they forget that Rena had the restriction of the Fox Miraculous of only being able to use her special illusion ability ONCE while Lila could create the amount of illusions that she wanted because she was not using the Fox Miraculous but rather she was AKUMATIZED and the power that her akuma gave her is based on creating illusions.

With the terrible writing this show has, I really wouldn't be surprised if Lila is a sentimonster or an adult who looks like a teenager due to a hormonal problem.

I follow @zoe-oneesama and I absolutely agree with her take on Lila, as well as this post.

In a show with bad writing, Lila is just an example of the writers telling us stuff, i.e. that she's very good at lying and trickery and manipulation, but they don't even show us her competence, instead making everyone take their stupid pills for Lila to actually get away with her lies. Once again, if any character in this show had braincells, she wouldn't survive even for an episode.

I also agree that Lila has no reason to be the new Hawk Moth, and it feels that this is just Thomas Astruc going ''teenagers are worse than abusive adults''. Not to mention, despite being the next main villain, she barely has had any appearances in the show, or had even done anything besides being Gabriel's lackey or suddenly teaming up with Chloé (that team up literally came out of nowhere, Lila wasn't even present anywhere in Season 4 until then).

Honestly, I too wouldn't be surprised if Lila was a Sentimonster, because at least you can explain that her power is to lower the IQ of everyone she interacts with so she can get away with her lies.

#Ten's Thoughts #ask #ml salt #mlb #miraculous ladybug #lila rossi #lila salt #ml writing salt #thomas astruc salt

[tenebraevesper]

It makes me laugh how some say that Lila is the best villain in ML when in reality she is the worst (all the villains in this series are terrible, Felix being the most decent).

Absolutely agree!

Here's my deal with Lila - I feel like she lacks proper motivation and presence as a villain. She is at best a teenage bully who uses lies and manipulation to get what she wants, and considering how her classmates lack the braincells to verify whether what she says is the truth or not, it makes her so frustrating as a character.

She is supposed to have this villain presence, but when you pick her character apart, she is pretty much laughable. In a story that is written better than MLB, she wouldn't last long since her lies wouldn't be believable. For example, all of the illnesses she listed in real life would need a doctor's note to be verified. Her claims of meeting famous people (Prince Ali, Jagged Stone, being Ladybug's friend) could be easily debunked by having the main cast just ask those people whether they know Lila (Rose is friends with Prince Ali, and Marinette is Ladybug and has connection with Jagged Stone), but nobody thinks about it. Even Alya, the self-proclaimed ''I verify my sources'' journalist doesn't even bother to ask Ladybug nor Marinette about Lila's deal, despite knowing that Marinette hates her. Her having multiple identities and mothers ranges from ridiculous to ''WTF?! were the writers even thinking?!''. It's that bad.

Lila is pretty much a black hole of bad characterization, sucking in all of the side characters into it and making them look worse. She certainly could've been written better, but the way she is now, she is an anomaly that rose as a villain because the writers have no clue how to write a proper manipulative villain.

And because teenage girls are more evil than terrorists, we can't forget that part.

#Ten's Thoughts #mlb #miraculous ladybug #ml salt #lila rossi #lila salt #ml writing salt #ask