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Sonic and Sash: Tides of Chaos 3
Phantom Forces
Act 1

Prologue: Ruby Delusions


Five days after the Corazon incident...

Within the depths of a rocky blue mountain, a massive underground lab stretched out for several miles, filled to the brim of metallic venting and piping. Robots of varying variety seemed to scuttle among the halls, several of them heading down several halls towards hangars. In the center of base, upon a raised control room looking over a massive assembly line for the robots, was an egg-shaped doctor with an impressive mustache, decked in a military jacket and black trousers with goggles. With a twitch of his mustache, he soon hit a button on the control panel beside him, activating an intercom.

"Attention Badnik forces." The man spoke. "Most of the army is nearing completion. Get the new Egg Fleet ships ready for launch. Cubot, activate Project HBH and get them up and running. Orbot, report to me immediately." He then hung up the intercom, returning to his view to the assembly line before a red orb came up through a transport pipe and rolled into the office, unfolding to reveal it as a robot.

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik?" The robot spoke with its British accented voicebox.

"Is everything ready?" The egg shaped doctor spoke.

"Well... ehm..." The robot stuttered a bit, causing the doctor to grow irritated. "The ships are... but..."

"But what?" The doctor growled.

"...we've run out of resources for the sentinels, sir." Orbot spoke. "The sheer size and quantity needed for this comeback has bled all our resource and funding veins dry. Even with the generous donation exchange with Miss Corazon a while back, it was only enough to create two of the ordered five-hundred sentinels for-"

The doctor grew irritated, knocking over papers and the like onto the floor. "I've been concocting a full-scale revenge plan this entire time, and only now when we're about to launch it is when you tell me the sentinels are not ready?!" He angrily yelled, the anger strewn across his face.

"Y-you never asked for updates during the entire process!" Orbot spoke worriedly. "A-all you wanted was to make sure they were completed!"

The doctor growled, angrily storming back and forth in a pacing matter. "Well here we are now, a plan ruined because of a shortage of funding and two worlds I now can't conquer! Now what do I do?!"

"Well," Orbot spoke. "We still have enough troops to overthrow one of the planets-"

"IT NEEDS TO BE BOTH!" The doctor yelled. "It's not like the solution is just going to crash-land outside our base now is it?!" At that moment the entire base shook violently, as if something struck the side of the base itself, throwing the doctor off his feet and onto the desk, the force from the weight of him breaking the desk entirely. He grumbled angrily before a message came over the PA System.

"Aye, doctor!" A pirate voice came from over the intercom. "Something massive just crashed outside our base!"

The doctor got up from the destroyed desk, growling angrily to himself. "What is it this time Cubot?!"

"We not be entirely sure!" The pirate voice responded. "But whatever it be, it requires ye attention!"

"Grrr... fine!" The doctor said. "And fix your damn voice chip!"

"Right away cap'n!" The voice responded before the transmission cut out entirely. The doctor angrily grumbled and grabbed his coat before storming out towards the elevator. "This had better be good..." He grumbled as he entered the elevator, soon beginning its descent towards the ground level...


The elevator doors soon opened up into the hangar, the doctor departing from the elevator as what Egg Pawns that were in the hangar saluting the doctor as he crossed the hangar towards the hangar doors, the imprint of Metal Sonic still present from the previous break in and chase. His mustache twitching in frustration, the hangar doors soon slowly opening to show a crater in front of the hidden base, several badniks surrounding it along with a yellow cube robot.

"Aye, there ye be cap'n!" The cube robot said, drawing the attention of the other badniks, the Eggrobos and Egg Pawns giving a salute as the doctor approached the crater. "Here be what the disturbance was!"

"And where is it now?" The doctor spoke, looking into the empty crater. "There's nothing here."

"The bots dug up the treasure cap'n!" Cubot said as an Egg Pawn came forward with the discovery. "Looks like some kind o' mystical gemstone thingamagoocus!"

The Egg Pawn then handed the doctor what appeared to be the gemstone; it was magenta in color, seemingly cut in a icosahedron-like formation, what appeared to be black rings circling around the outside edging. Within the center of the gem was an unusual metal piece in an '8' formation...

"Now what in the world is this..." The doctor muttered to himself, soon setting a hand onto the jewel and taking it into his own hands... and then it started to glow, surrounding the area before the outside surroundings warped and changed from the blue rolling mountainous hills... to a twisted and warped theme park in the mad doctor's image. The doctor, in complete shock and surprise from the sudden change from the surroundings, ended up dropping the jewel itself onto the ground, causing the view to fade entirely...

"Wh-what was that?!" The doctor exclaimed as Cubot soon scooped up the gem.

"Looks like this here gem compl'tely warped the surrounding area cap'n!" Cubot spoke. "Look around more, there still be remnants of that other reality!"

Cubot wasn't wrong; there will still several pillars with the doctor's name across them scattered throughout the hills. If it weren't for those pillars, no one would have known that the gemstone activated in the first place...

"Interesting..." The doctor mused, looking between the gem and the pillars. "Somehow, this gem warped reality, even for a fraction of time... this could be useful." He spoke to himself. "Cubot. Get that stone to the lab and start analyzing it. Now."

"Right away cap'n!" Cubot said, carting off the gemstone into the base as the rest of the badniks stood there looking at the doctor.

"Well, what are you all staring at?" He spoke. "Back to your defense positions!" He ordered as the badniks scrambled back to their defense positions as the doctor returned inside the base...


Unbeknownst to the doctor, off on another ridge, a pair of binoculars was watching the entrance to the base. Those binoculars belonged to the piercing yellow eyes of a black and white furred female jackal, her white hair fashioned back into a spiking ponytail between her ears. She wore nothing more than a tight military green vest that came no lower than her midriff and tight fitting black leggings with holes in them with a belt holding a short sword and military grade boots. Her tails swished slowly behind her as she observed the base in front of her...

"Hmph... now this is sure to please the Finn..." The jackal spoke to herself, smirking as she took her eyes out of the binoculars. "All those bots and Buttnik tech out there are sure to fetch a hefty price, but that gem..."

Just then her radio started buzzing from her thigh, catching her off guard. After the initial surprise, she grabbed the radio off her belt and answered it. "Fiora speaking, who dis?"

"Now, is that any way to talk to your leader?" The voice over the raido said, causing the female jackal to freeze, her tail standing on end.

"F-Finn! I wasn't expecting you!" Fiora responded.

"Relax, I just want an update for the squad. Are we ready to attack?" The voice said.

"Y-yes, but the place is heavily guarded by that madman's forces." Fiora responded. "We gonna bum-rush him like the last guys?"

"...well, overwhelming with sheer numbers has worked before." The voice said. "Now hold your position, the rest of the squad will be there shortly, and then we can begin our assault."

"One more thing." Fiora spoke. "He's got some kind of gem with him. Looked like a Chaos Emerald or something, but I couldn't tell if it really was."

"Eh, it'll probably fetch a hefty price nonetheless." The voice spoke. "Just hold your position until we arrive."

"Sure thing." Fiora replied before closing the link, returning to her lookout point. "What are you hiding Robotnik..."


"Cap'n! Report to the lab!" Cubot sounded over the intercom. "We got readin's on the gem, and they be all over the fritzamajig!"

"Very well, I'll report down." The doctor spoke as he headed for the elevator. As he stepped in, the thoughts of the power of this gem came back to him in full force. Warping entirety of reality? Completely reshaping everything to his whim? Finally being able to create the empire he always wanted? This could finally be the chance he had!

"With this gem..." The doctor spoke to himself. "I could finally have a chance to smash those little rats led by that blue hedgehog wide open! I could finally have a chance to win!"

The elevator stopped at the lab as several large cyan-glowing canisters lined the hall, leading to the control computer. The doctor walked down the rows before he came to the computer, Cubot rapidly typing away at the keyboard while Orbot was to the side, soon saluting as he saw the doctor.

"Doctor Robotnik on deck!" Orbot said, causing Cubot to back away from the PC. "The gem's been analyzed, sir."

"Let me see." Dr. Robotnik spoke, looking onto the monitor at the readings. "Now... what's this? These readings are everywhere..."

"Th-the gem appears to be... extremely powerful, sir." Orbot spoke. "In fact, its power readings exceed those of the Chaos Emeralds!"

"Does it now?" Robotnik replied, raising an eyebrow. "Now, that is interesting... Have you run Chaos Energy tests on it?"

"Well, ehm... we couldn't sir, seeing as how Corazon took our two Emeralds for her cannon..." Orbot replied.

"...point taken." Robotnik spoke, turning back to the monitor. "Now... we just need something to refer to this as other than just a gem..."

"Aye, can I be the mate to name it?!" Cubot said. "How about the Spooky Sapphire?!"

"But it's clearly a ruby..." Orbot spoke.

"Then it be the Anarchy Beryl!"

"Too derivative."

"Precious Stone!"

"Now you're not even trying."

"Shut up you two." Robotnik spoke. "I have the perfect name for this..."

"Eh?" Orbot spoke.

"What be it cap'n?" Cubot spoke.

"This gem, I will call..." Robotnik spoke, grinning. "The Phantom Ruby..."

"Aye, that was me next suggestion!" Cubot spoke, before being shoved back into his form by Orbot.

"Hush." He spoke, before looking to the doctor. "So... what are you going to do with the Ruby doctor?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Robotnik spoke. "I finally have a means to an end of that annoying mercenary group of Sonic's and for my empire to finally form! With this gem, I can finally destroy them for good!" The doctor then started laughing loudly to himself before a rumble occurred, shaking the base.

"What the-" Robotnik yelled before the intercom and siren came on.

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!" The voice over the intercom spoke. "BASE IS UNDER ATTACK! ALL BADNIK FORCES REPORT TO FRONT LINES!"

"Gah! Damn it all!" Robotnik yelled, grabbing the Ruby out of the canister. "Cubot! What's the status of the HBH project activation?!"

"They be active cap'n!" Cubot said. "Must be out fightin' this opposition right now!"

"Good!" Robotnik answered, getting into his Egg Walker. "Now, time to remove this little resistance..."


"JACKAL SQUAD! MOVE IN FOR THE KILL!" The leader of the squad yelled, a male black and white jackal wearing padded gloves and boots with a pair of black cargo shorts and flowing white lockes and a heterochromia with a yellow left eye and a blinded blue right eye with a scar across it, as he pointed his blood red sabre sword at the base. "Raid that base and leave no survivors! That technology is going to fetch us a hefty price!"

"ALL BADNIK PERSONNEL, DEFENSE POSITIONS!" The intercom from the base sounded as the Egg Pawns and Eggrobos soon fired off volleys of shots at the oncoming Jackal Squad. Buzzbombers were soon coming out of hatches on the side of the rock face and aimed their stingers at the oncoming jackals, their stingers opening fire on them. Motobugs soon rolled out of hatches in the ground, soon charging at the jackals, only for several of them to immediately be shredded by the blades wielded by them.

"You think these little toys are gonna stop us?!" Fiora yelled, soon slashing another Motobug in half. "Our merc group is undefeated!"

"We'll see about that!" Robotnik growled, the massive lumbering Egg Walker coming out of the front of the base, soon launching several bombs out of its left cannon. "If you know what's good for you, you'll call off your attack before I make pelts of your dead hides!"

"Never!" Fiora roared, grabbing onto a passing Buzzbomber, growling angrily before she goaded the metallic bee into firing on its own forces. Several other jackals were making mincemeat of the other Badniks until five other hatches opened up... and out came five specially modified Eggrobos, colored in red, blue, yellow, green, and purple, with the purple one riding a special Motobug.

"Let's light 'em up boys!" The blue Eggrobo said, taking off to the skies and loading his rocket launcher, firing off a barrage of missiles upon the Jackal Squad, several exploding and sending several of the jackals flying. The green Eggrobo spoke nothing, but merely brandished several Asterons and flung them fast and hard at the intruders, some getting lodged into some of the jackals themselves before violently detonating, sending a shower of spikes everywhere.

"YEAAAAAHH!" The purple Eggrobo squealed, ramping off a mound in the rolling hills before landing on another jackal's skull, caving it in before swinging her mace like mad, knocking away more of the squad. "Put 'em up you little furry runts!"

The yellow Eggrobo merely giggled before opening her hat, letting out a Caterkiller that soon morphed into gigantic proportions and lunged at the Jackal Squad, sending several of them into the air before they were stuck by the blue Eggrobo's missiles, blasting them into chunklets.

The large red Eggrobo looked merely unamused, merely firing blasts from his sceptre, blasting the jackals away. "Honestly, if this was what I was called for, this is a waste of my time." He merely spoke, backhanding another jackal. "I thought this was supposed to be a challenge."

"Oh, so it's a challenge you want ay?!" The lead jackal growled, charging the large red Eggrobo. "Bring it!" He roared, his blade colliding with the sceptre that the red Eggrobo blocked.

"No." The red Eggrobo said, knocking the jackal back before firing a laser strike from his sceptre at the jackal. The jackal growled, slashing through the beam before charging forward, soon another jackal attacking the red Eggrobo.

"You go fer the doctor boss!" The other jackal said. "I'll handle this bucket 'o bolts!"

The head jackal nodded, taking off on all fours, sword clenched between his teeth as he ran past the other badniks, heading straight for the doctor, his eyes glazed with adrenaline and rage. Soon after vaulting off the wreckage of a Badnik pile, he drew his sword from his teeth, ready to slice down right on top of the doctors head. "DIE!" He roared, ready to plunge his blade straight into the 300IQ 295lb mad doctor...

"GAAAHH!" Robotnik yelled in shock, and in reaction, held up the Phantom Ruby above his head.

"FINN, NO!" Fiora cried...

But it was too late. Finn's blade struck the Ruby, and suddenly it seemed as if all time had stopped momentarily. The air went dead silent as nearly everyone froze...

And then all hell broke loose.

The Ruby let loose a shockwave, knocking Finn away from Robotnik entirely as soon the Jackal Squad started panicking, scrambling in circles from the resulting chaos as the Ruby started spinning fast, sucking in energy from around it, letting loose cracks of magenta lightning from it.

Fiora, in her haste, rushes and grabs Finn before slinging him over her shoulder. "JACKAL SQUAD! FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" She screamed as she and what survivors left of the squad fled with their lives as the Ruby raged out of control, the lightning strikes becoming worse and more unstable as rock chunks were heaved into the air.

"What the hell is going on?!" Robotnik yelled as the Phantom Ruby soon became veiled in a opaque orb of swirling gaseous air. A burning insignia of an 8 symbol burned onto the orb before it creaked and rotated, twisting itself into an infinity symbol. After it did so, a series of cracks started to break up across the orb itself, the energy expanding harsher and harsher before the orb itself shattered, sending shards of the orb all around the area as a figure emerged from the smoldering remains of the orb; a tall, white-furred hound, decked out in dark form fitting armor, armored boots and armored gauntlets. A long flowing black cape held onto the armored shoulders by two magenta crystaline pads to the armor. Four crystalline magenta bracelets were around the wrists and ankles of the figure, glowing softly, and right in the figures chest was the Ruby itself...

The figure chuckled to himself. "Finally... I have returned..."

Robotnik was flabbergasted, self-pressed back into the cockpit of his Egg Walker. "Wh-what is this?! Who are you?! E-Explain yourself!"

The figure glanced back, showing the scarred face of the hound. "Are you the one who has found my Ruby?" He asked.

"Wh-what?! Your Ruby?!" Robotnik countered. "I found that rock outside my base first!"

The hound figure merely smirked. "Hmph, claiming you found it first. Typical nature of a scientist of your caliber."

"What is that suppos-"

"Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, aged 62, height 6'7", weight 295 with a IQ of 300, and a record of 0-20 against Mobius-renowned Sonic Ideka." The hound figure spoke, causing Robotnik to stagger back in shock.

"H-how do you know all that?!" The doctor accused.

"There are many things I know and see about..." The figure merely responded. "And I know you can help me in enacting a plan of revenge against some certain pests..."

"And why should I put in my trust in what I can only assume is another Chaos Demon like the Zeti?" Robotnik growled.

"I can help you eliminate Sonic." The hound spoke.

"Oh you can?" Robotnik spoke, starting to think to himself. "Maybe I can use him in order to take over both Mobius and Avalice... if I can just recreate that Ruby-"

"So you can warp the planets to your will?" The hound finished for him. "Of course. Expected from someone like you."

Robotnik froze. "Well then... I suppose we have a deal ready then. However, I have one request."

"Recreating the Phantom Ruby's power into prototypes?" The hound spoke.

"Indeed." Robotnik answered.

"And one more thing; I need a mask." The hound spoke.

"What for?"

"...personal reasons." The hound said, not disclosing the truth as to why he needed it.

"Very well. Come with me." Robotnik responded, his Egg Walker turning and heading into the base. The hound merely nodded and followed, the base doors shutting behind him...


It wasn't long before what little remained of the jackal squad returned to the Mystic Jungle of the Mystic Ruins, setting down after what could only be described as a failed raid, wading heavily on the group's morale.

"What're we gonna do now?" One of the jackals asked. "Almost three quarters of our squad are dead from that failed raid."

"Maybe it's about time our squad retires?" Another jackal spoke. "Maybe we're losing our touch."

"No." Fiora merely spoke, setting Finn down on a flat rock nearby. "We don't retire. Our pride means too much."

"Second boss, not to dampen ya spirits, but..." A third jackal spoke. "We've lost seventy-five percent of our squad, our leader has taken a nasty blow... we don't even know if he's gonna survive."

"He will." Fiora spoke, not taking her eyes off of the unconscious Finn. "Finn is strong. I know he'll make it through this..."

"But what if he doesn-"

"He will." The female jackal restated. "Look, the rest of you get settled down for the night. We're not going anywhere else for the night."

"Sec-"

"Do as I say." Fiora interrupted. "That's an order."

"...as you wish, second boss." The jackal said, turning to the remains of the squad. "You heard the lady, let's get set up!"

The other jackals nodded as they started getting camp set up for the night...


Dark days have begun to fall Mobius and Avalice. With the bad egg now gaining a new ally and the Jackal Squad in shambles, the new threat of the Phantom Ruby begins its rise. But where's Sonic and Sash in all this? Who is Eggman's new ally, and how could he claim he could defeat Sonic when Eggman has failed so many times? A dark time is on the horizion for the group next time in Chapter 1: "The Fall of Legends"...