#6-Vile Files Installment 1: The Sceptre Of Darkness

(A/N: Preceded by #5- Sonic Heroes Adventures Installment 1: Escape From The Tower Prison.

All right. My readers have been very patient with me, so you should all be rewarded. Finally, the long awaited next story. It's not completely done yet. I need some help on a certain battle scene which I reluctantly must reveal to be Team Evil versus Pir'Oth Ix. Sorry for the spoiler. I hope you enjoy. More likely than not, the next story will be a 'season finale' so to speak. Like Painful Memories was, in a way, the 'season premier.' It's done enough, though, to start putting it up.

I've noticed that I've been deviating quite a bit from the villains, and the heroes, and the plot, we all know and love. I will remedy this eventually, starting with this story, which goes back to the bumbling villains scenario, in a way. I sincerely hope you enjoy. Thank you for your patience. Expect to see the theme song up more often, too. I love it. I love writing it.)

(Sonic)
Triplets born, the throne awaits.
A seer warns of a deadly fate.
Give up your children, separate
Bide your time, lie in wait!

Sonic Underground (Sonic)
Sonic Underground
They made a vow, their mother will be found.

The children grow, learn what's right
Leaders of the freedom fight
They seek their mother, she knows they do
Is it time? If she only knew
Will the prophecy come true?

Sonic Underground (Sonic)
Sonic Underground
"I long for my children, but I have to wait
To act too soon could seal their fate."
They made a vow, their mother will be found
Sonic Underground!

Team Vile Verses Dark Oak

The trio looked up at the Metarex commander in horror as he laughed. "Uh Sleet, this ain't good mate," Dingo groaned.

"No, ya think!" Nack shot for Sleet.

"Yeah, I do," Dingo replied. Sleet's horror fell to annoyance, as his eyes narrowed in disbelief. With a sigh he face palmed.

Looking back up, his eyes widened in alarm. "Whoa!" he cried, desperately diving to the side. Fang leapt onto his air bike and flew above the striking bio-robot. Dingo stood his ground and caught it, managing to violently throw Dark Oak.

"Good job Dingo!" Nack called from above, flying in for the attack, laser guns he'd been given at the ready. "Sleet, these ain't gonna go through him!" Fang told the wolf as he flew around the Metarex, shooting. Dark Oak just laughed.

Sleet looked nervously at the weasel, then dug through his pockets, hoping it was still there. Finally he pulled it out, saying, "Ah ha." Looking to Fang, he called, "Here, use this! It's a special kind of ruby from the Mobian mines that intensifies the laser's potency!" He threw it and Nack snatched it, quickly placing it into his laser guns without bothering to ask how on earth that would help. He shot, and Dark Oak cried out in pain.

"All right, it works!" Fang exclaimed, darting around Dark Oak like a fly. "We have him now!"

"Don't be so sure," Sleet murmured.

Dingo rushed to the Metarex and tackled him, bringing him down. Nack shot at his face, and Dark Oak cried out in pain. However, it didn't work much longer, for the next moment Dingo was sent flying, and the Metarex leapt up, saying, "That's it! I'm through playing nice!" With that he rushed at Dingo and swung, pinning him into the wall with a cry of pain, then beginning to crush him.

"Sleet, Nack!" Dingo called.

"Hold on Dingo!" Fang replied, shooting again. Dark Oak hissed in pain and blindly struck. Nack's luck had run out, though, and the attack nailed him right out of the air! He cried out in fear as he fell towards the ground. Sleet gasped as Nack came down at him. The wolf quickly pushed off a wall and caught the falling hybrid, rolling as they hit the ground. Standing, Sleet scowled at the weasel wolf. Nack chuckled nervously, then gasped, exclaiming, "Sleet, look out!"

"Huh?" Sleet barely had time to ask, as he turned and was promptly met with a blow that sent him across the room and into the wall, leaving a dent. Weakly he sat up, groaning.

"Sleet!" two voices cried. He turned quickly, only to see his teammates held firmly at Dark Oak's mercy! Sleet leapt up to face the threat in fear.

Laughing, Dark Oak boasted, "Give up pathetic fools. I am at full power now. You knew from the start you stood no chance. Why are you continuing to try?"

Sleet's fear fell to anger at the insult. Time to think quickly. He'd been on a winning streak, with exception to the Sonic Heroes and Freedom Fighters. He didn't plan on losing this one too. He needed to isolate this Metarex's weakness. Surely he had one. His people were all destroyed, but he doubted Dark Oak would really care, since he was one of the principle causes of the destruction of the Seedrian's. The road to Hades was paved with good intentions. So much for saving his people.

He had no time to think now, though, for the Metarex commander began to attack him full force, having put the other two out of commission for the moment. Sleet leapt and ran around desperately, fleeing his attacker, and could only hope the other two would get up before he was vanquished as well. He needed to either make this bio-robot turn back into his Seedrian form, or get him onto his side.

Desperately he ran around, but he knew he couldn't hope to outrun the Metarex for much longer. Sure enough, the next thing he was aware of, besides his self-preservation instinct, was a painful blow hitting him, knocking him violently into the wall again. This time, however, he struggled to rise. Immortal Solaris, his body hurt. All at once he was grabbed. He yelped as he was lifted from the ground. He found himself staring into the Metarex's eyes. Desperately he tried to recall all the stories he'd heard about them, urgently trying to find something he could use.

Dark Oak said coldly, "I win."

Oh no he didn't, Sleet realized, for all at once the solution, at least the most likely one, presented itself to the wolf plain as day, as his life flashed before his eyes. Chaos, he wanted to erase half of it and never look back again. His own personal torment, he supposed. However, it had saved his life once more, hopefully. Aleena, Earthia, treachery, love. Hertia was the solution.

"Earthia!" he exclaimed loudly. He got the hoped for outcome. The Metarex commander paused in charging up his final blow. Good, Sleet had struck a chord. Now, at least, he had something to work with; but by the gods he'd have to think fast on this one. Dark Oak looked surprised. From the corner of his eye, Sleet spotted Nack and Dingo getting up, and Nack whispering a 'just in case this doesn't work' plan to Dingo. Sleet grinned coldly, fear fading. "You thought I didn't know about her."

"Prepare to meet your doom," Dark Oak replied.

"I know what it's like," the wolf quickly said.

Dark Oak started at this. After a moment, with no blow given, he asked, tone quiet and solemn, "What would you know about anything?"

"Must I repeat everything? I know what it's like to be in love with a woman who later left you behind, betrayed you, tried to kill you," Sleet continued, triumphant grin falling. He wasn't acting anymore, just remembering. He detested, abhorred, having to drag those memories back, all the wasted time. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but now it meant the difference between life and death. He'd found a weakness. The ever classic weakness all men had. Family.

Dark Oak looked at him a moment, then replied, "You do not know what you're talking about."

"She begged you to give up the war; so many lives were being lost. You refused. You didn't want the soldiers to have died for no reason. You remind me of a general I once knew. The pathetic fool. She probably played the guild card. How could you? What have you done? You think this will save us? You begged her to understand, but she wouldn't be moved, and neither would you. So she left, ran. Then, when the time came, she ordered you all to be destroyed, as she escaped on the refugee ship. Why fight for a home that wouldn't survive anyway? She never waited for you. She signed your death warrant. You got away though, and you took your revenge on her. You were beaten, however, and as you were dying, you were pressed into a soul search. For the first time in years you felt her misery, remorse, hurt, and yours as well. The ever present question of why? You regretted it so much, but you couldn't go back," Sleet narrated.

The Metarex was breathing heavily. Slowly he morphed into Seedrian form, dropping the wolf. Sleet stood up as the man sobbed. "Don't bring her into this," he begged.

"Ah Lucas, I was wondering when you'd finally come back," Sleet coldly remarked.

"You spoke of yourself, not me!" Lucas challenged.

Sleet was quiet a moment, but soon enough he replied, "Oh no I didn't. There are some parallels, but that was all you. Don't think you're the only one, Lucas, who has ever been hurt. A lover's betrayal and broken promises are not something I'm oblivious to. The life we were meant to lead, the promises we made, every one of them broken over the span of one night, and Solaris I wanted so badly to blame it all on her. In all honesty, though, I suppose it was my fault as well. She signed my death warrant. I promised her I would come back for her, but she never waited. I escaped, though. I vowed revenge on her. At first I couldn't do it. Years later there was a confrontation. She played the guilt card, she showed her hurt and confusion. She tried to change me, but it was too late, I wouldn't be moved. Why should I? So any chance we had of a future disappeared with that last conflict."

"I'm sorry," Lucas found himself saying.

"Don't be. You see, Lucas, the difference between you and I, is that you still love her with all your heart. When she told you that you could have a second chance, you took it gratefully. As for me, love died years ago. Now there's only hate. I long for the day I kill her. I don't need sympathy, I need help, and in exchange I'll help you get back the life you want," Sleet replied.

"And I will help you," Lucas declared, feeling a connection with the wolf. Though Sleet would never say it, he too felt the bond. Sleet saw his teammates relaxing, sensing things had been resolved. Too bad. Sleet wanted to see Fang's plan in action. That young wolf weasel was becoming more devious by the day. Sort of a protégé. Sleet was proud of him, he had to admit.

A section of wall lifted to reveal a glass window, from which Eggman, Scourge, and Fiona had been watching everything unfold. "Well done Team Vile," Eggman complimented. "I didn't honestly expect you would succeed."

"Thanks doc," Nack called back.

"Now, what weakness did you discover?" Robotnick asked.

Sleet looked to the Metarex-Seedrian, awaiting his permission to tell. Strange. Before their conversation, the wolf had had every intention of telling the doctor. Now he was waiting for the alien's okay. He hated common ground. Come to think of it, he hated a lot of things. Lucas nodded permission. Sleet replied to Eggman, "Family, sir."

"Earthia, I guessed as much, and those girls of yours, Cosmo and Galaxia," Eggman said.

"We can't presume they were his," Fiona remarked.

"Oh yes we can," Robotnick replied, seeing the Seedrian's fists clench. "Team Vile, Dark Oak, get up here." Quickly the quartet hurried to obey.

As Lucas approached, an impressed Scourge complimented, a rarity for him, "You know, you're pretty good. Better than I gave you credit for. We'll make great team."

"Naturally," Lucas responded.

Rolling his eyes, Sleet said in response to Eggman, "Yes your greatness."

"The time has come to put my plan into action. You and Team Vile are to leave immediately for the secret location in which I have hidden the sceptre. The Desert Temple," Eggman declared.

"Hold on doc, before we go, we need to know a little more about what we're dealing with," Fang remarked.

Eggman looked coldly at him, then answered, "I suppose now is as good a time as ever to tell you how I managed to bring Mephiles back into existence. You see, during The Solaris Project, Solaris was split into two parts my scientists. His cunning mind became Mephiles the Dark. His raw power became Iblis. Solaris himself was a sun god, and as such couldn't be destroyed, though supposedly Shadow, Sonic, and Silver completely obliterated him. Somehow they overlooked the fact they couldn't kill a god. Despite the destruction of Mephiles and Iblis, which was supposedly final, time travel still remained possible. I knew how to use it. Who says the outcome couldn't be changed? Silver, Shadow, and Sonic did it enough times. You learn from your mistakes, after all."

"What did ya do docta?" Dingo asked.

Robotnick answered, "I'm so glad you asked. You see, I've gone through time and space before. Why should once more hurt? I had acquired the Sceptre of Darkness, but during a fight with Shadow and Rouge, it shattered, realeasing Mephiles. This time, however, after the Sceptre was shattered, I went further ahead and stumbled upon Mephiles by chance, watching Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. I was ready for him this time, though. He would have attacked, had I not mentioned his impending defeat. He was intrigued, and I explained what I meant to him. I offered an escape. I told him I could create a prototype that would mimic every move Mephiles himself would have made. I told him that I would help him escape, if he would help me build a sceptre that could hold him. A sceptre that the effects of time travel wouldn't work on. I would bring him back to our time and call him when he was needed. He agreed, as long as I took Iblis along as well, and I transferred Mephiles into my copy Sceptre."

"And…" Fiona pressed, sensing there was more to this story.

Eggman went on, "I developed a fake, but equally powerful, Mephiles and Iblis. I programmed the illusions with the exact actions the real Mephiles and Iblis used, then I let them loose to take Mephiles and Iblis' cruel fate. Behind Mephiles' back, using his own skills, I developed an orb powerful enough to hold Iblis. I knew Mephiles' plan. When those two are put together, things get hairy. In order to keep Iblis from Mephiles, I trapped him in the orb and placed him in an old base of mine. I'm not stupid, after all. Since I doomed the prototype illusions to follow the exact pattern the real Mephiles and Iblis actually utilized when they tried to defeat Sonic, Shadow, and Silver, nothing would change except that the real Mephiles would be left alive and well. Trust me, it was no easy feat to program those things so perfectly."

"So the illusions were just as powerful as the real Solaris pieces, except they too were doomed to repeat their real counterparts' mistakes because they had to?" Sleet asked.

"As far as Sonic, Shadow, and Silver, the only three who remembered every detail, know, it was the real Mephiles. Nothing's changed, except Mephiles and Iblis weren't wiped from existence, only their prototype's, which I had no use for," Eggman replied.

"You're saying you actually trust this hedgehog?" Sleet questioned incredulously.

"He owes me," Eggman replied. As if that mattered. If this Mephiles was as bad as they'd heard, Sleet doubted the thing would care. He supposed Robotnick knew what he was doing, though, didn't he?

"My brain hurts," Dingo moaned. Fang and Fiona shared exasperated looks. Lucas shook his head.

"Not surprising," Scourge taunted. Sleet and Scourge exchanged cold grins and chuckled.

"Now that you know how I captured Mephiles, go get that sceptre," Eggman ordered.

"Of course, sir. As our favourite blue hedgehog would say, we'll have it here in a Sonic second," Sleet replied.

"If you could move that fast," Scourge said. Sleet scowled at the green hedgehog, but let it slide. He simply motioned for Team Vile to follow, and the three raced to their scorpion ship. Above them, a flashing light turned off, then crawled out of the hideout.