Chapter 1: Unsung Heroes Pt 1: The Big guns

Seanzilla115: Hey minna. Just want to say that I'm excited about doing this series of side stories here. I mean, it's the first time I've done a spin-off to one of my stories, and I hope to do a good job on it. Anyway, the 1st arc will be like the Secret Freedom Fighters Arc from issues 41-44 of the Sonic Universe comics, only...things will be a bit different. You can probably tell what a few of those differences are from chapters 8 and 9 of Azure Rebellion. Oh. And before I forget, I don't own anyone in this story, nor the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the Ben 10 series, and the Blazblue series.

The city of New Mobotropolis is under siege! Sonic the Hedgehog's home city continues to reel, following the devastating attacks of Dr. Eggman. These attacks have lead to the destruction of the cities heroes, the Freedom Fighters. And to make matters worse, the city has also been attacked from within! The evil wizard Ixis Naugus, along with his apprentice Geoffery St. John, have usurped the Crown of Acorn, and driven the former King, Elias Acorn, and his family into exile! King Naugus has used his dark magic to turn the tide of public opinion in his favor. But...such an unstable and evil ruler has put the entire kingdom and its people into jeopardy. But...little does Naugus know, that in the shadows of the city he rules, there's a movement rising up. Elias, retired Secret Intelligence Director Harvey Who, and a mysterious benefactor have been recruiting teammates for a new initiative. A SECRET Initiative at that. They do the work that the public heroes can't do. They fight the battle that no one else can. They are the Secret Freedom Fighters...and this is there story.

Over the skies of Soumerca, Agents Jack(Shard), Joker(Larry Lynx), and Ace(Silver) were flying above, hidden among the clouds so no one could see them.

(AN: throughout the arc for a while, I'll be writing the Secret Freedom Fighter's Code names for a while. But...after the names of the three new recruits are said, I'll refer them by their code names as well)

-How's it hanging, buddy?- Jack smirked as he looked down at the frightened lynx, who was hanging for dear life on the harnest he was strapped to.

"F-f-fine!" Joker yelped as he looked at Ace, "Are w-w-we there y-y-yet?-!"

"Almost. Just a few more miles until we reach the location we're supposed to meet Agent Ten of Diamonds at." Ace replied while thinking with a stern look on his face, 'It's beginning to feel like I've spend more time here than in my own time line...but if it means saving everyone, I'll do whatever it takes! Even if it's joining the Secret Freedom Fighters.'

(A few hours ago at Secret HQ)

"And our informent on the council says St. John is bound for Soumerca," Harvey stated as he, along with Elias and his team, looked at a holographic image of Geoffery St. John, the skunk riding a hover bike of sorts, "We must know what's so important that Naugus would send his errand boy so far from his side. I already have Agent Jack of Diamonds secretly following him, so I want Agent Ace to lead Agents Jack and Joker to meet Ten of Diamonds at the location and place a tracking device so we could know St. John's movements in the future. Agent King(Elias) will lead Agent Ten of Hearts, Ten of Clubs, Queen of Hearts(Leeta), and Queens of Diamonds(Lyco) to investigate Naugus. Remember: Anonymity is your first line of defense' so use your call signs at all times. Any questions?"

"Er...More like a reminder," Ace spoke as he raised his hand.

"I remember our deal. While your away, I'll be going over your notes and identify the traitor you're looking for. You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours," Harvey stated to the silver hedgehog.

"R...right. Just making sure," Ace chuckled nervously a bit, giving the owl a small thumbs up.

'Still...something doesn't seem right...those three people Harvey mentioned...there's no mention of any of them in my time line...what's going on here?' Ace thought before he noticed something on top of a spiraling hill with a hole at the top, "That's our target's airboard. Which means this must be the spot."

-Sweet- Jack grinned as he ane Ace landed on top of the hill, Joker having unstrapped himself from the harness as soon as they landed.

"Thank g...goodness that's over," Joker sighed in relief.

-Man...you really need to live a little- Jack grinned at the lynx.

"I'll say. The little dude looks like he could faint any moment now," a voice agreed, causing the three to look at the side of the hill before a figure walked in from the side.

The figure was a tall, muscular human male around 17 years of age. He had long, straight black hair that was styled into a choppy mullet , and a few chin whiskers on his..well, chin. Around his neck was a padlock necklace with the number "11" on it. He wore a resized, black and white version of Ace's outfit.

"...I take it you're Agent Ten of Diamonds?" Ace asked the new figure.

"Eeyup, but when we're not on the job, call me Kevin," the human introduced himself as he walked over to the two Mobians and robotic hedgehog, "And before you ask, the guy we're following is down that hole. But before he went down there, I manage to hear him talking about something. Something about retrieving some bones or something."

"R...right," Ace nodded as he looked over at Jack, who had the airboard on its side while the robotic hedgehog's left hand turned into a small blaster of sorts, "Did you install the tracker yet?"

-I'm about to do it right now. So I suggest you step back, because this is going going to be risky- Jack stated to Ace.

Ace, Joker, and Ten of Diamonds did so as Jack carefully aimed a spot underneath the airboard. His serious face grew a bit, almost looking more comical than serious, as he fired a small chip at the bottom of the airboard, the chip attaching itself as soon as it hit.

-Phew! There! Tracker attached- Jack sighed in a comical way, causing both Ace and Joker to facefault while Ten of Diamond chuckled quietly at the act -Oh man...that was soooo dangerous and hard-

"...Would you knock it off?!" Ace snapped quietly at Jack, "We're on a serious mission here!"

"Dude...calm down," Ten of Diamonds spoke as he placed his hand on the silver hedgehog's shoulder, "At least if we lose the guy, it'll be easier to find him with the tracker Jack installed."

-Exactly. Besides, it's just one guy after all. I think we can handle it- Jack added with a smirk as he pulled out a visor before putting it on over his eyes and looked down the hole with Joker -I'm not picking up any traps...but that's a long way down-

"I'll lower us to the bottom then," Ace said as his hands wer now covered in a cyan energy.

-Uh...how about no?- Shard forwned at Ace -Your powers short-circut electronics. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm a robot-

"It's how I use them!" Ace frowned quietly back at Jack, the two hedgehogs not noticing Joker looking down the hole, "And my powers are silent. Your rockets are loud and will give us away. And in case you've forgotten, we're trying to be subtle!"

"Uh...Guys?" Ten of Diamonds spoke.

-So? I can pretty much breeze by without anyone noticing- Jack quipped.

"Guys..."

"Are you really that big of an idiot? Like I said, we're trying to be subtle and not get caught!" Ace snapped quietly at Jack again.

"Guys."

-...you want to start something...cockatoo head?- Jack frowned at Ace, the robotic hedgehog changing his left hand into a blaster.

"Well...maybe I..." Ace began.

"Guys!"

"What?!" Ace and Jack snapped a bit loud as they turned to Ten of Diamonds.

"...Joker just fell down the hole," Ten of Diamonds pointed out.

"Huh?!" Ace gasped quietly as he looked down to see a screaming Joker falling down the hole, "Damn!" he cursed as a he covered himself in cyan energy and flew after the panicking lynx. WHen he was almost about to grab Joker, Jack shot right past Ace and grabbed the lynx just as he was about to be impaled by some stalagmites.

-And...Whoosh! I move even faster than you can think- Jack grinned as he landed on the ground with Joker in his arms.

"Well congratulations..." Ace spoke as he landed behind the robotic hedgehog, dismissing the cyan energy, "And now between Joker's screaming and your rockets, St. John will know we're here!"

-...you're a real 'glass-half-empty' kind of guy, aren't you?- Jack sighed as he placed Joker down.

"W...why would build a death trap that leads to a death trap?" Joker gulped as he looked at the stalagmites.

"Most likely to keep this place a secret from everyone, little dude," Ten of Diamonds replied as he climbed down the hole and landed next to Ace, frowning a bit at the silver hedgehog, "You could've grabbed me before you came rushing down here, ya know?"

"Sorry...I kinda forgot you were there..." Ace apologize.

"...whatever..." Ten of Diamonds sighed before looking over at Joker, "And you. Be careful next time, okay?"

"S...sorry. But I don't have full control of my jynxes," Joker apologized, earning a raised eye brow from Ten of Diamonds.

"Wait...how can...?" the human of the group began before he remembered something, 'Oh yeah...I forgot the doc had me and the girls go over the others' profiles before we came here.'

"You know...I've been meaning to ask but...I don't really understand how you can do that, Joker. Do you have powers like me?" Ace asked the lynx.

"...Not exactly," Joker replied with a sad sigh, "Bad stuff just...happens around me. Sometimes I can make it happen to the enemy. Other times..." he paused as he wiped some tears away from his eyes, "Before I joined the Secret Freedom Fighters...things just seemed to keep falling apart for me. My team had disbanded...I tried running for public office, only for my ballot box to spontaneously combust..." he paused to shudder a bit, "The jockstrap incident when I tried out for the baseball team a few weeks ago...the list just kept going, "He then sighed sadly again, "I didn't know what to do with myself until...a bit of bad luck...became good luck."

"...I see now..." Ace noted as he and his team searched inside the cave for St. John, "Director Who decided to send you, someone who causes random things to go wrong, on sensitive spy missions?"

"..." Larry looked down sadly after Ace said that.

-*cough*I know who the traitor is!*cough*'scuse me while I leap to conclusions in a single bound*Cough hack cough*Ahem!- Jack said while Ten of Diamonds snickered a bit at the robotic hedgehog's joking around.

"The Director is helping me with that," Ace stated in an annoyed tone, his left eye twitching a bit at Jack's behavior.

-I know he is hot shot. He's also giving me and Larry a second chance with his little spy team- Jack pointed out before smirking -You might want to keep that in mind since this is your...what? Fourth time you accused someone?-

"Fifth actually if you count that rabbit," Ten of Diamonds added with a smirk.

-...Oh yeah...I almost forgot about that- Jack said as he and Ten of Diamonds bumped fist -Thanks dude-

"Hey I'm trying to save your time-line!" Ace frowned quietly at Jack.

-And Larry's been fighting for it before you were even born- Jack quipped.

"Ooh...Burn," Ten of Diamonds snickered.

"That's because I'm from the future!" Ace snapped quietly at the robotic hedgehog.

"Um...guys?" Joker spoke, getting the three's attention as the lynx pointed at something, "We've got something up ahead."

Ace, Jack, and Ten of Diamonds looked in the direction the lynx was pointing at and saw a hallway with bronze-colored stone tiles, most of the tiles having rectangular shaped holes in them.

-Yeah...this doesn't look suspicious- Jack stated with a frown as he brought his visor out again and scanned the hallway.

"Anything?" Ace asked the robotic hedgehog.

-Nada. But if it's old or rudimentary enough, my scans can't pick it up- Jack replied as he took the visor off.

"Then I guess it's up to me," Joker stated in a serious tone as he walked forward.

"La...joker, wait! I can just..." Ace began as Joker stepped on one of the stone tiles, the tile pressing downwards as soon as the lynx stepped on it.

Ten of Diamonds pulled Joker out of the way just in time as arrows came out of the holes in the walls and floor, causing the four to take cover as the arrows ricocheted across the hall. Once everything was quiet, Ace and his team popped their heads from behind the rock to see the floor of the hallway was covered in broken arrows with a few embedded in the walls.

"Something set off the first round of traps...and I'm the first bloke to step foot in here for centuries," St. John noted as he stood before three statues, the skunk picking up a few bones that were in the hands of the middle statue and placing them in a bag, "Somehow, I doubt that was coincidence...I better move quick so I can see them before they see me."

"..." joker whimpered as he, Ace, Jack, and Ten of Diamonds now stood in a room with a large hole in the middle of it with spikes on the bottom. IT didn't help that there were also large maces and guillotine swinging above the hole.

"...Isn't this a bit overkill?" Ten of Diamonds sweatdropped a bit at the heavily trapped room.

"Yeah...whatever happedn to good ol' fashioned pit of spikes?" Ace added.

-The balls have spikes- Jack pointed out.

"Y...yeah. B...but...the ones in the pit didn't move," Joker gulped as he looked down the hole before looking over at Ace, "H...how's anyone supposed to get past this?!"

"They're not...unless they have skills like Naugus," Ace stated before grinning a bit as his hand was covered in cyan energy again, "But my powers can hold them all in place so we can..."

-Step aside. Superior technology comin' through- Jack pushed Ace aside as he fired his blaster at the swinging maces and guillotine, destroying them as they fell into the pit below -There. Just made your job easier, Ace-

"Blowing things up and alerting our target doesn't help, Jack," Ace frowned at he covered Ten of Diamonds and himself in cyan energy.

-Meh. We blew that angle of the mission a hallway ago- Jack shrugged as he grabbed Joker's hand.

"He's got a point, you know," Ten of Diamonds added.

"You shut it," Ace frowned at the human of the group as he and Jack flew over the hole, the two hedgehog's carrying their fellow teamates as the reached the other side.

"Just giving my opinion, dude," Ten of Diamonds shrugged as the four rushed down the hallway.

Unaware to them, black smoke rose up from the pit and landed on the side Ace's team was on before it formed into a frowning Geoffery St. John' the skunk glaring at the fading images of Ace and his team.

"That looks like writing," Joker noted as the two Mobians, robotic hedgehog, and human now stood in the same room St. John was in, both Jack and joker looking at some mysterious writing on one of the pillar, "Can you make out what it says, Jack?"

-Seems like a dead language...I'll run a cross reference- Jack replied as he scanned the writing -Okay. I think it says :This is the crypt of Ixis Vale' one of Ixis Mogul's Four Elite-

"Ixis...Mogul?" Ace's eyes widened after hearing that, the silver hedgehog looking at a statue of a large, woolie mammoth mobian in wizard-like robes, the hood of the robe hiding all but the mammoth's eyes, trunk, and tusk, "Are...Are you sure?"

-Pretty sure, yeah. Why?- Jack asked, not once turning around to face Ace as the robotic hedgehog continued to scan the writing.

"Uh...N...no reason," Ace replied as he looked away from the statue, 'Th...this can't be. M...master was a Ixis Wizard? W...why?'

-...Sure. No reason- Jack frowned a bit at the silver hedgehog.

"Hold on..." Ten of Diamonds spoke, getting everyone's attention, "If this is a crypt...then where are the remains?"

"Y...yeah. This is just a room," Joker added.

-It says Vale's remains are supposed to be right there- Jack answered as he pointed to the statue of a mobian bird in the same robes the mammoth statue was wearing.

"Which means St. John's already been here!" Ace realized, "He must be hiding! I knew he'd hear us coming!"

-Um...he's not hiding dude- Jack stated as he had his visor on again, seeing a few, fresh footsteps leading outsied the room -He's already gone! I've got fresh tracks!-

"Alright...we'll head him off if we..." Ace began.

-Don't worry. I've got him- Jack replied as he rushed out of the room in a black and gold blur.

"Jack, wait!" Joker tried calling out to the robotic hedgehog.

"I don't think he heard you, little dude," Ten of Diamonds stated to the lynx, "He ran out of here like a bat out of hell."

"Y...yeah. He's fast...but not that fast," Joker said as he looked in the direction Jack left in.

"Then we need a shortcut," Ace spoke as he covered his pointer finger in cyan energy and 'drew' a map, "He must've slipped right past us. So if we came in here...and the passage leads like so..." he grinned as he covered himself in cyan energy, aiming at a certain spot on the ceiling, "That puts him about right there!"

"Um...wh-what're you doing?" Joker asked.

"Watch..." Ace replied with a grin as he clutched one of his hands.

At the same time, St. John was walking down the hallway with the arrow traps before the floor he was on started to rumble.

"W..what the bloody hell?!" the skunk gasped as the floor he was standing on was covered in cyan energy and formed into a hand' dragging St. John down into the room Ace and the others were in just as Jack coming into the arrow trap hallway.

-...- Jack blinked for a bit as he looked down the hole to see a smirking Ace, who had turned the hand that was holding St. John into a sphere made of rocks and tiles -Heh...show-off-

"You're just jealous," Ace smirked at the robotic hedgehog, "Can you see if our target's caught in that mess?"

-Not immediately, but I saw him fall- Jack replied, -He should be immobile, right?-

"Maybe not," Ace replied, "Unless I'm concentrating on him, he maybe just floating in there. It's hard to tell if..."

"Duck!" Ten of Diamonds yelled as he pushed Ace down just as the sphere exploded letting St. John escape through the hole in the ceiling.

-Oh no you don't! Freeze!- Jack yelled as he chased after St. John, only for the skunk to fire a arrow with a stick of dynamite on it at the robotic hedgehog -...shit-

Ace, Joker, and Ten of Diamonds braced themselves as the following explosion sent a damaged Jack falling down into the room, followed by multiple large rocks that threatened to squish Ace and his team, only for Ace to catch them with his powers just in time.

"A...Are you okay?" Joker asked Jack, the robotic hedgehog struggling a bit to get up.

-Y...yeah...Have I ever mentioned I hate being buried alive?- Jack frowned.

"No you didn't dude," Ten of Diamonds stated.

-Oh...well I do. I hate being buried alive- Jack stated with a frown.

"I won't...let you...get aw..." Ace began before the cave started to rumble with multiple explosions being heard form above as more rocks started to fall down, "Ahh!"

"Dude! We've got to get out of here, now!" Ten of Diamonds called out to Ace, the human carrying Jack over his shoulders.

"I...I can't...otherwise we'll...gah!" Ace gasped in pain as the strain from holding all those heavy rocks started to take it's toll on the silver hedgehog.

"Over...did it...with the magic...that...was too close!" St. John panted as he crawled out of the hole, carrying the bag over his shoulder as he grabbed his airboard and started to leave, unaware of the tracker underneath said object, "I don't know who those blokes were...but I'm glad I don't have to face them again."

-You got that, Ace?- Jack asked the silver hedgehog, who was doing his best to keep the rocks from crushing them.

"Y...yeah. I got it for now..." Ace nodded with a grunt.

-Good...because I don't know if I mentioned this already, but I really hate being buried. Once is enough for me, thank you very much- Jack stated before he sparked a bit.

"Dude? You okay? You got pretty smashed up back there," Ten of Diamonds said to the robotic hedgehog.

-Auto-repair's kicking in. I just cant' push my Power Core right now- Jack replied as he looked over at Joker, -And you. Don't jynx anything right now, okay? Just...sit there and think about non-jynxy thoughts-

"O...okay..." Joker nodded sadly a bit as he sat down.

-Good- Jack nodded as he looked over at Ace -If I start digging a tunnel out, is that going to destabilize things too much for you to handle?-

"N...no. G...go for it," Ace replied with a grunt.

-Alright- Jack nodded as he curled up into a ball and shot up, performing a mid-air Spindash on the large rock to make a tunnel for him and the others to escape through.

"We maybe trapped here, and the target got away...but at least we got the tracker on the airboard," Ten of Diamonds noted as he sat next to Joker.

"Y...yeah," Joker nodded while thinking, 'I...I hope the others are doing okay.'

Meanwhile, far away from Ace and his team, King was running through a tunnel like area before coming to a stop.

"I...I think I lost him..." King panted while thinking, 'But I got seperated from the girls in the process. I'll have to find a way to regroup with them so we can...' he noticed a bright, demonic fire-red light approaching him from behind, 'Shoot! How did he catch up to me so fast?-! I..I gotta hide!' He thought with a scared tone as he rushed behind one of the stalagmites there.

"You cannot hide, intruders!" A demonic, distorted voice roared as what looked like a fiery, demonic version of Naugus came rushing into the tunnel, lava dripping from the wizard's mouth and razor sharp teeth, "THERE'S NO ESCAPE!-!-!"

Seanzilla115: Holy crap in a pita! What the hell happened to Naugus?-! And what of Ace's team? Will they be able to escape from the cave before they're crushed? Will King(Elias) find his team and escape before the demonic Naugus finds them? Find out next time in part 2 of the Secret Freedom Fighters Arc, The Terror Below! until then, I'm Seanzilla115, and I'm signing off. Have a good day minna.*snaps fingers before dissipating from view*