Disclaimer: All characters present in this story that are present in the games are not mine; never will be mine and I do not take claim for them.
Credits:
Co-creator, co-writer: Zeera13
Original story-line: Shelfkid, Zeera13
Cast and Crew
Team Sonic
Creator: Sega, Sonic Team
Names: Sega, Sonic Team
Team Chaotix
Creator: Sonic Team, Sega
Names: Sega, Sonic Team
Zeera
Creator: Zeera13
Skylar
Creator: Zeera13
Gallop Wolcry
Creator: Shelfkid
Alex
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Shelfkid
Britney
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Zeera13
Colby
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Kyle
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Zeera13
Baton
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Shelfkid
Samantha
Creator: Jenny
Name: Jenny
Spike
Creator: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Name: Zeera13, Shelfkid
Author's note: Two things. No, this story is in no way connected to the Knuckles Adventure series and 2: This does not mean I am quitting the KA series; I'm just taking a break for a little while.
Sorry about the credits. You see, I'm not the only person who worked on this story, so I had to give them credit. So, yeah, that's the deal of the credits. Feel free to direct some reviews to all co-creators, and co-writers and/or character designers. Thank you and enjoy the story.
Chapter One: The New Enemy
Lights flashed and machines whirred with the strain of the commands that the man at the controls was giving them. In a containment chamber, the silhouette of a very muscular creature could be seen, along with six other containment chambers that were spread around the rest of the room, each one containing another silhouette. The man at the computer screen typed vigorously on the keyboard. The keystrokes were lost in the mechanical wail in the large room.
The man typed in a new code and mechanical arms reached toward the seventh containment chamber. They reached into the green liquid and gently pulled out the creature inside. They gently laid the creature on an operating table and slowly extracted blood from it. All the while, the man was typing these commands on the computer to make the arms do their work.
The blood was placed carefully on a microscope. Another microscope also had a sample of blood under its lens. DNA codes ran quickly down the screen. The man compared the two DNA strands from the two blood samples. He watched the screen for what seemed like hours. The thing on the table was breathing slowly, as if in a deep sleep.
After nearly three hours of skimming the codes, the man quickly scrolled back up strand. When ever he came across something he didn't like, he would delete the genetic code and create a binary digit code in its place. All the while, the mechanical arms ripped away at the creature on the table. His tortured screams could be heard over the whir of the machines. The man ignored the screams of the beast on the table. The man continued to type furiously at the keyboard.
Lining the outside wall was a good number of robotic hands that worked at the base. They watched in awe as the man worked away at the thing on the table. They didn't fully understand why he was being so cruel to it. The other six things had been fast asleep during the process, but this one wasn't. He was wide awake and screaming bloody murder during the transformation. One by one, the robots fell away to do their duties; all except one. The smaller robot walked quietly to the man at the desk.
"Doctor," the robot muttered. The man jumped at the interruption.
"Yes, what is it?" He growled angrily. "You know better then to disturb me during this process."
"Sir, you need a break," the robot said quietly. The man spun to look at the smaller robot. His eyes were bloodshot and bags were heavy underneath them.
"Leave me." The man snarled. The robot bowed his head slightly. He turned and walked back to his spot on the wall. He didn't have any jobs around the base at the moment, so he could just stand and watch the Doctor torture the poor creature.
The Doctor continued working well into the next day and into the next night. The creature only quieted down the last three hours because his throat had become so raw, he could no longer cry out in pain and terror. The only moment of weakness the Doctor ever wanted to see in the beast. The robot watched sadly as the creature was reduced to struggling against the mechanical arms, and after a while, he was too weak for even that.
Finally, after three long days, the Doctor sat back and stared at the genetic/binary digit code of the beast. On the table, the creature was reduced to heavy breathing and low moaning. The Doctor didn't bother looking at him. He was disgusted at the creature's weakness, even though he expected it. A much weaker creature would not have survived the torture of having some of their full flesh parts replaced with robotics. And even the creature's creation was a painful process.
The Doctor leaned back to the keyboard and began typing again. The robotic arms gently picked up the beast on the table. The creature fought weakly against the arms, but he was in no shape to be fighting anything. The arms slowly placed the creature back into the containment chamber. He took a large, deep breath of the green, life sustaining liquid and finally passed out.
The small robot looked into the chamber, at the creature's open wounds that would surely become scars. The robot sighed and looked at the Doctor. "Sir, was there a reason why you kept him awake during that? The other six went through the same process painlessly."
"I want this one to have revenge in his heart. I want him to know what pain is. He will lead them to victory and he must know what defeat feels like before he can taste victory. He will have hatred in his heart that no genetic code can give him. I want him to fear pain and to learn to avoid it. Weakness is painful. He will learn to avoid weakness, because if weakness is pain, and he will want to avoid pain, then he will avoid weakness."
"Sir, isn't there an easier way to teach him that defeat is painful?" The robot asked.
The Doctor shook his head. "He must learn by example. That creature will be worse than the spawn of the devil when he wakes up." The Doctor said and stormed out of the room, leaving the robot alone with the seven figures.
His eyes darted to each containment chamber. Each one had different color liquids in them. The smallest one floated in light blue liquid. The other colors were green, royal blue, yellow, red, clear and purple. The thing floating in the royal blue liquid almost blended in with the liquid around him, though he was slightly darker. The other creatures floated accordingly, all except the one in the green liquid. The robot gawked at the creatures wide opened eyes. He had a defiant snarled on his face. The robot backed away from the demonic looking creature and turned and left the room, knowing the beast had heard every word said by the Doctor.
After two weeks of healing, the Doctor finally decided it was time to let his creation out of their chambers. He walked around each chamber, studying the floating creatures within. He stopped at the one within the green liquid. "Ah, the greatest of the group," he said, looking into the chamber, "the clone of the echidna."
"I still don't understand, sir, why you didn't put the blue hedgehog's clone in charge of this group?" A robot asked. It wasn't the young robot that had been there during the echidna clone's creation, but another, much larger robot.
"Because, they would expect that one to be in charge; Knuckles is an incompetent idiot, but this thing is much more. All that blasted echidna's strength without the annoying stupidity. He is near perfect."
"Cloning is a new process for you Doctor, other then Shadow."
"Yes, and I should have kept those clones instead of attempting it again. That creation is the worst thing I've ever seen."
"He will do your bidding, Doctor, no matter his IQ. He is strong like Shadow, right?"
"Of course he is. They all are as strong as or stronger than their counterparts. I am not dumb enough to create clones that are weaker then the counterparts. That's stupid." The robot nodded.
"No," a voice hissed. The voice was muffled as if talking through water. Both the Doctor and the robot turned to face the clone in the green liquid. "It's stupid to create something that can destroy you." The Doctor stared at the creature in awe.
"That liquid is supposed to keep you unconscious until I get you out," the Doctor said, running to the clone's containment chamber's computer. He checked the liquid for contamination, but there was none.
The clone laughed bitterly at the Doctor. You think mere liquid can keep me quiet! You kept me conscious throughout my creation to teach me a lesson and you did teach one to me, Doctor. You taught me not to summit to what the world throws at you. You have made me stronger then your liquid and your rules!"
The clone screamed and twisted in the liquid, landing a hard punch on the bullet proof glass. It shattered and the green liquid flooded out of the chamber, leaving the clone gasping for breath. It was hard to go from breathing the liquid to air. The Doctor attempted to take advantage of the clone's temporary moment of confusion and weakness. He lunged for a blaster on the desk behind him while the robot opened its weaponry. They didn't have much time, for the clone had already puked out the green liquid from his lungs and stomach. He stood and looked over at the Doctor, who now had his blaster trained on the clone's head.
"Doctor, when will you learn? Your creations will never be what you want them to be. I'm sorry Doctor, but it is necessary that you no longer make mistakes!" He jumped in the air and flipped over the Doctor and the robot, all the while dodging bullets. When he made it to the other side of the room, he quickly punched in commands on the computer of the chamber with the yellow liquid. It drained and the chamber glass dropped down and a fox stared out at the world.
She doubled over, going through the same thing as the echidna did. She began puking up the yellow liquid. The echidna watched until the fox was finished. When she was, she looked up with a confused glare. "Fellow clone," the echidna said. The fox looked down at him. "You will be used if you stay here. Join me and we will destroy our creator and free the other clones."
The fox seemed to ponder over her fellow clone's request. She grabbed his hand and jumped down. The first alliance was formed. The two clones turned to the Doctor and the echidna smirked.
"Clone Seven, halt!" The Doctor yelled.
The echidna clone laughed. "My name isn't Clone Seven, it is Alexander," he growled.
The Doctor stared at him. "I am your creator! You should be grateful I created you! There is no room for disobedience! I command you to stop where you are!"
Alexander laughed bitterly. "Haven't you ever been told not to make your toys smarter then you are?" He growled. Without a word, the fox clone lunged at the robot beside the Doctor. Within thirty seconds, she had the thing entirely disabled. Alex smiled. "Sorry, Doctor, but your reign ends here. This day belongs to the Dark Hearts!" He lunged for the Doctor. Alex smiled and aimed a punch at his opponent with all the strength of Knuckles rushing in his veins.
The punch hit its mark and the Doctor fell to the ground on the verge of unconsciousness. He looked up at Alex. "Demon," he snarled.
Alex nodded. "You said I would be worse then the spawn of the devil when you finished me. Looks like I finished you first." He did an about-face and walked over to the other chambers. The fox followed his lead and they released the other clones and one porcupine. There was a bat, a blue hedgehog, a black and red hedgehog, a pink hedgehog, a porcupine, a red echidna and a twin-tailed fox. The entire group of seven walked out of the base.
Hidden behind the main desk was the small robot that had his suspicions of the clone from the beginning. He stood up and walked over to the Doctor. The robot's sensors told him that the Doctor was still alive. He shook his head and looked away. The only witness to the horrible betrayal. The silent witness left the room without another word or glance.
Author's note: Please R&R!