Inked Puppetry: Shattered Minds (Chapter 1: Time)
Midday in the bizarre, interdimensional prison realm known simply as the No-Zone, and one of its more recent inmates flopped down on his bunk. He was a hedgehog, green in colouration, his eyes icy-blue.
Scourge had been in the prison for almost a month now, and it had been, so far, an utterly humiliating experience. Despite being the alternate, opposite, dark mirror of Sonic himself, he had never possessed his counterpart's resourcefulness. Fighting had almost exclusively been done through punches, kicks, ramming attacks, and the ever-helpful spin attack. And now none of those were useful: The heavy inhibitor collar around his neck shut down all of his powers, and having never learned to fight without them, the other prisoners had taken advantage of his slighter build and newfound weakness to use him as their personal punching bag.
He looked across the cell at something that his roommate had dubbed "The Wall of Crazy"- covered in crudely-sketched images of those he held responsible: Sonic, who had beaten him, the Zone Police, who had arrested him, and above all, Miles Prower, the Tails of his world, and Fiona Fox, his then-girlfriend, who had abandoned him to his fate when things got rough. Each of the images had a pin stuck into the right side of its chest.
He looked away from the wall, and grabbed a dumbbell, hefting it into his grip and beginning a routine of bicep curls. If he couldn't regain his original strength and defend himself normally, he would have to work for it. He had bulked up considerably since then, and started winning a few of the fights, while his quills, while cut shorter, were messier and shaggier, while his signature sick smirk had been replaced with a near-permanent scowl.
"Gotta get out of here..." He said quietly. "Get home. Make 'em all pay. Take what's mine. S'All that matters."
As he worked, a chill whipped through the cell, and he looked up to see a dark figure standing at the door. He couldn't make out any features, save for a pair of piercing, gleaming jade eyes. The figure appeared to be wearing a long coat of some sort, and had his arms folded behind his back. The area around him seemed grey- the light itself faded around him, and the air hung still, nothing moving. The fan above his head had stopped, no wind-down, with the switch still in the 'on' position, and the power was still on, since the light still glowed dimly above his head. In fact, everything except for the Moebian and his mysterious guest had simply ceased to move.
"Can I help you with anything?" Scourge grunted, dropping the weight to the floor.
"No, not yet..." The figure spoke. His voice was low, smooth, and fluid, a faint hissing in it. Something about it just seemed wrong. "But I can help you..."
"Yeah, right." He snorted. "How are you gonna do that?"
He couldn't see the newcomer's face, but he got the sense that the shadowy man was smiling broadly. He walked forward again, and as he approached the force-field that kept him in, he simply stepped straight through it. Scourge stared, backing up slightly.
"What are you?" He asked. Again, he got the sense that the man was smiling. His black aura parted, exposing his body. He was slightly taller than an adult Mobian, but had a similar build. He resembled a hedgehog, with a mane of eight quills growing from the back of his head. His shoulders were quite broad, but his frame was otherwise thin and lean. He was covered almost entirely in black fur, the leading edges of his quills flecked with white, the central one reaching down to his forehead and forming an arrowhead shape, while his hairless muzzle was pale and cold, unbroken by a mouth. He wore grey trousers and a black undershirt, with a white longcoat over the top of that. His extremities were covered by black combat boots and gauntlets, while a strange medallion hung around his neck. It was gold, circular, and contained four stones. Three of them were smaller, positioned in a triangular shape around the outside, forged from obsidian, while in the centre, there rested a much larger one, which flickered in the gloom, as if it were refined from fire itself. His eyes, now clearly visible, had slit-shaped pupils, and Scourge felt unnerved to even look at them.
"I am Mephiles the Eternal, God of Time, Bringer of Light, Lord of Shadow." He replied. "I can already sense that you do not believe me, but for now, that is irrelevant. All you need to believe is that I can help you take your vengeance on these three."
He snapped his fingers, shadowy images of Sonic, Fiona, and Miles appearing around them. Realising that this "Mephiles" was probably some level of telepath, and was reading his thoughts, he smirked. Whether his claims of divinity were true or not, the new hedgehog was incredibly powerful. This was a golden opportunity, provided it was genuine.
"And how are you going to do that?" He asked.
"Your counterpart is going to die. Later, rather than sooner, but he will. A few things have to happen first, but rest assured, his death is certain. As for the vixen, her end will come much sooner. Your... usurper, on the other hand, is more complex than them, so we're going to let him play a hand it what happens. He is going to get to assist in the Freedom Fighters' attempt to thwart our attempt on Fiona's life, before we snatch that away from him. I believe you are familiar with that little routine?"
"Yeah, my old favourite. Got a question, though: Why are you doing this?"
"You will see in time. For now... we should take our leave."
"That might be problematic. I've got no powers, and they've got a lot of guns. If you're what you say you are, you'll be fine. Me? I'm a sitting target."
"Yes... your weakness has been frustrating you, hasn't it? Allow me to remedy that."
Mephiles touched a single finger to the collar around Scourge's neck, and immediately, the metal warped. It bent and buckled, rust overtaking it, as the rapidly ageing device quickly crumbling to dust. Immediately, Scourge felt his strength return, albeit with a wave of nausea- something that happened all too often for his tastes. Shrugging it off, he picked up the weight, and threw it into the "wall of crazy" with ease. His infamous sick grin overtook his face, and he turned to face his mysterious benefactor again.
"Shall we?"
"Quite." Mephiles nodded. He snapped his fingers, and the air behind him split, widening into a roiling spiral, before walking through it. Scourge followed, and stepped into thin air.
"SHIT." He yelled, realising how far above the ground he was. His eyes shut tightly, he began to curse the apparent treachery, only to notice that the air was not rushing past him. He was hovering in place. Gingerly, he opened one eye, and realised that he hadn't moved an inch since he left the portal, which had now closed behind him. "You tryin' to give me a heart attack?!"
Mephiles lowered down beside him, supported by a massive pair of chiropteran wings-each was easily as long as he was tall, at least. He didn't look up, fixing his eyes on the ground below them.
"If I wanted to do that, I would have." He replied.
"Gah... Okay, where are we?"
"Mobius Prime, where one of our targets is. Fiona Fox has assembled the Destructix, under Finitevus' command. She thinks she can save you from the No-Zone- not a first choice, of course. She wasted time hunting down Lightning Lynx first, and needed the aid of Sonic do so."
"Dumb bitch, the Destructix were no help in the first place. S'why I ditched them when I went to Moebius. They were dead weight, they only slowed me down."
"Of course."
"So, we're just gonna run in there and kill them, right?"
"No, not yet." Mephiles replied.
"Why?"
"There is a saying that I am fond of: In order to enjoy the game, you must first set up the board. In order for my plan to work, we need to present the idea of a Suppression Squad and Destructix alliance."
"Why would I ever align with the Freak?"
"Because that is how we will ensure his downfall. I will go to him, and tell him what I have told you. However, I will frame it as a scheme to set you up for a fall. Once that is done, he will throw in with me. He will "protect" Fiona. That way, you can vent your frustrations with her however you please."
"I can do that now."
"If you do, she will run away." He said. "If Miles and his allies are there for her, though, she will have someone to go crawling to when you use and abuse her."
"You've thought this all out, haven't you?"
"Indeed I have..."
"Okay, but if we're going to go in there and recruit them, I need some new duds."
"Of course, one must look respectable to demand respect. Fortunately, with my powers, time is of little issue."
***
In the lair of the mad Doctor Finitevus, the ragtag team known as the Destructix had lined up before the black-robed echidna. Unlike many other enemies of the Freedom Fighters, the team were a mercenary group who had been pieced together from one small team, and a few of the other rogues. Currently, they were headed up by Fiona Fox, a turncoat Freedom Fighter. Muscle was provided by Sergeant Simon Simian, a massively bulky gorilla, clad in army fatigues, while air support was handled by Predator Hawk, a thrill-seeking bird wearing light armour. Coercion was generally handled by Flying Frog, an amphibian who dressed like a pilot and had more mental problems than brain cells, but packed the ability to intimidate just about anyone with his antics. The final member of the team was Lightning Lynx, a quiet and reserved fighter, trained in the arts of the ninja, and clad in pale blue plain clothes, as befitting his profession.
"Well..." The echidna spoke, standing up and approaching them. "As far as your own abilities go, you are ready. But in terms of working as a team, you are sorely lacking."
"What do you want us to do, Doc? Trust falls?" Fiona asked, earning a snigger from a few of her allies.
"Of course not." Finitevus rolled his eyes, grinning back. "I want to get the core of the problem, and pluck it out. After all, I am a doctor, and I have some experience with the mind. So let's discuss the issue, shall we?"
"Okay, I guess." She shrugged.
"Let's start with... Predator."
"Alright then... I'm here for two reasons: First off, loyalty to my allies. Myself, Simian, Lightning, and Frog were the original core, after all. Second: Raiding the No-Zone actually sounds like an appropriate challenge."
"And the problems we're having?"
"Not gonna lie, it's the leadership."
"Excuse me?" Fiona glared at him.
"Most of the people I work for have a reason to be doing what they're doing. You? I can't tell what you actually want. Oh, rescue your boyfriend? Oh, so he can go back to treating you like dirt and then ditching us the moment he sees something easier?"
"Hey, listen yo-"
"Wait your turn, Fiona." Finitevus smirked. "This is about letting your friends air their grievances. You can respond to them later. Now, how about-"
The echidna was interrupted when the door burst open, swinging loosely in an abnormally strong wind. A second later, Scourge stalked through the door. His chest was still exposed, but he now wore an open black coat with grey shoulder-pads, grey combat trousers, and black trainers.
"Hey all..." He grinned.
"Scourge!" Fiona gasped, leaving her team-mates and approaching him. His smile faded immediately, and he held up his hand, halting her.
"Getting ahead of yourself, a little." He scowled. She paused, staring at him. "If you want this again, then we're going to have to get past a little issue."
"And that is...?"
"You ditched me, you thick-headed bitch!" He roared. Fiona shrank back slightly, as he started stalking towards her. "After all I did for you, you ran off the moment it got tough."
"They would've overwhelmed us eventually, I went off to get help..."
"Point A, you could've told me! Point B, your plan was the Destructix?! The guys who were consistently working for the one person we betrayed to go after Moebius? The guys who are consistently not on a level with the Freedom Fighters? And you expected them to stop two whole teams of pissed-off Freedom Fighters?!"
"I... I..."
"Oh, leave the poor girl alone, Scourge. We are here to take her with us, remember." Mephiles' voice rumbled from the corridor.
"W-who's that?"
"Oh, that's the new boss. The guy who sprung me from the No-Zone." The hedgehog grinned, as the dark hedgehog appeared from the doorway. His wings now folded against his back, the claws at their midpoint reaching up past his head. He surveyed the others in the room, eyes lingering on Fiona for a moment longer than the others.
"Allow me to introduce myself..." He said, bowing slightly. "My name is Mephiles, and I have a proposal that you might want to hear... But first... Doctor..."
He turned to Finitevus, and approached him slowly, towering over the slighter being. The albino watched apprehensively, as he drew level. Fiona tilted her head, surprised. In all the time she had worked for Finitevus, she had never seen him like this. He had faced down an enraged Knuckles, and his smile never faltered. Since then, she had come to see him as truly fearless. And yet, this random freak of nature with a silly name was making him visibly afraid. The whole thing seemed wrong.
"You know who I am."
"I... recognise the name. I expected attire more fitting of your stature."
"I have adopted many appearances to vanish into the crowds when I needed to. This was just my favourite. Practical, and still imposing."
"Of course. And the medallion is..."
"Confidential, I'm afraid. Now, I'm going to be borrowing the Destructix for a while. I'm sure that won't be an issue." Mephiles asked. He removed one arm from behind his back, letting some form of energy arc between his fingers. "I'll even bring them right back... if they survive."
"Certainly."
"Excellent." He turned away, walking towards the group.
"Wait!" Finitevus called, approaching him. The dark hedgehog paused, closing his eyes.
"Yes?"
"I know what you want. Take me with you, and I can help. We want the same thing, after all."
"... Our plans are incompatible, and your presence will alert everyone to my goal. If I leave you behind, I am simply the mysterious and powerful benefactor who is assisting Scourge. Good day, Doctor." He opened his eyes, looking over the Destructix again, as Scourge stepped up beside him. "Now, you probably want to know what's in this for you?"
"Telling us that would be good." Predator nodded.
"Of course, you are mercenaries. You follow the money, and so, I shall explain myself properly. My name, I have given, but none of you, save the good Doctor, have realised my epithets."
"Epithets?"
"Titles." Fiona corrected.
Mephiles sighed. "I am the Lord of Shadow and the Bringer of Light. I exist in every moment of every living thing's life. I am Mephiles the Eternal, God of Time."
"A god? Like Enerjak?" Fiona asked. The deity chuckled. It was a horrible, painful sound, and it set everyone off a little.
"You wound me, Fiona. No, Enerjak was a mortal who achieved godhood. He was powerful, yes, but still the bottom of the ladder. I was at the top." He went on. "Of course, as an immortal being who has seen the rise and fall of entire civilisations, money has no value to me, so I don't carry it."
"Then how are you going to pay us?"
"Well, I shall... no, actually, explaining it would be dull. You deserve a demonstration."
Within a second, he had closed the gap between himself and Fiona, and touched one finger to her forehead. She screamed, more from shock than pain, as light enveloped her, pouring into her body. Her eyes blazed yellow, and her clothing turned white, as she collapsed against him.
"What the hell did you just do?" Lightning asked. Mephiles' cheeks rose, indicating another smile.
"Just wait and see." He commanded, as the vixen started to move again. She shook her head, and then looked down at her palm, as a small orb of light formed in it. On instinct, she thrust her hand at the wall, focusing her thoughts through her fingers. Instantly, a golden beam lanced out, and burned through the brickwork. A smile crossed her face, and she looked up at him.
"Thanks..." She said, rubbing the back of her head. "I always wanted powers..."
"I know." He replied. She froze- she'd never met this person before, and he knew her private memories. Reasoning that he came with the divinity, she was about to leave, when he caught her shoulder. "By the way... I did want to give you something special... the Sword of the Sun-God... but alas, it has already been claimed by someone you know very well... I'm sure a smart young lady like yourself can understand who I mean..."
"Him..." She shuddered. Memories returned, invasive hands on her body, needle-like talons sticking into her sides, shrill voice in her ears, and those blazing, fiery slashes he called eyes.
"Yes..." He nodded. "And do you know something? I was the one that sealed him away."
"Can you keep him like that?"
"I can.
"I'm in."
"Excellent." He smiled without a mouth again, before stepping past her. "Now, I want you to understand something: I don't pay up front. You'll get your own powers when you have succeeded. If you fail, I'll take Fiona's away. So... are you in?"