Previous Chapter Recap: Last time on Sonic Forces! Amy goes to visit Tails, who was still reeling from the death of his friend Sonic. After a conversation with the pink hedgehog, Tails comes to believe that Sonic is still alive and resolves to find him. Now our "Six Months of Pain" miniseries has us visit Silver, Gold, and Knuckles as they come to grips with Sonic's demise.
Author's Note: Chapter contains references to my previous story, Sonic Forces: Prelude To War. It's recommended to read that story first for better context.
Two months after Eggman began his hostile takeover of the planet, and 30% of the planet was under his control. Holoska, Mazuri, and Shamar were the first countries to be conquered. Despite having the aid of GUN, their forces were no match for Eggman's army, especially Eggman's mysterious masked warrior, who singlehandedly took out an entire infantry. The footage sent panic throughout the globe as other countries considered capitulation.
Meanwhile, on South Island, things were not looking good for the Resistance. Tails had left! All they found was the translator that allowed them to understand the Wisps and a letter from him saying that he believed Sonic was still alive and he was going to find him and bring him back. This was bad. Without Tails' technological expertise, the Resistance would be at a huge disadvantage. Sure, they had Wave the Swallow, but managing Wispon production by herself would be daunting.
Even worse, Eggman's Arsenal Pyramid in Green Hill was continuing to pump out robots and send them all across South Island. The Resistance spread out in various Zones trying to fight them off and it was quickly turning into a battle of attrition. Silver had just come back from helping troops fight off Eggman's robots in the Jungle Zone. There were more casualties on Silver's side than on Eggman's side.
God, were they really that reliant on Sonic to save the day?
Silver walked into the room and saw Gold on the computer. "Hey, Gold." Silver greeted. "Where's Amy?"
"Amy needed a break, so I told her I'd take over for a bit." the telepathic tenrec replied.
"Huh. This must be stressful for her." Silver said.
"It's stressful for all of us." Gold replied, lowering her head as she suddenly went silent.
"What's wrong?" Silver asked.
"It's strange." Gold replied. "I've always wanted to come to the past, see what things were like before Onyx City. Now my first trip here and we're smack-dab in the middle of a global crisis. It's almost like we never left the future."
"Ain't that the truth." Silver dejectedly remarked. "Seems like every time I come here, bad news always follows. Just once, I'd like to come here and just hang out with everyone. But now Sonic's... gone. And Tails is gone too. And we're in the middle of a war! I knew we'd be fighting to save our future, but now we have to save this world too."
"Yeah." Gold said. "But we knew what we were getting into when we came here. There's no use crying about it. But... do you think we'll be able to stop Eggman without Sonic?" That question made Silver pause. That was the big question that had been swirling around the Resistance since Sonic's death.
"I want to say yes." Silver replied. "But honestly, I'm not sure. All I can say is that it won't be easy. Anyway, where's Knuckles? Have to give him my report."
"Same place he usually is: the Training Room." Gold said.
"I see." Silver replied. "Thanks Gold."
Meanwhile, in the Training Room...
Anyone entering the Training Room would hear the echoes of a punching bag being struck. That was Knuckles doing his usual exercise routine. Leading the charge against the Eggman Empire was stressful, so this had become his sanctuary of sorts. A place of solace where he could escape. His visits here have been more frequent ever since Tails went solo. With his genius mind gone, things have been harder as he had to come up with the strategizing. Also, Wispons weren't being made as fast as usual.
Knuckles was so into his routine that he didn't notice Silver walk into the room. "Hey, Knuckles." Silver greeted. The echidna stopped what he was doing and turned to Silver. "Silver, good to see you." Knuckles said. "Anything to report?"
"We managed to push back Eggman's forces in the Jungle Zone." Silver began. "But we suffered heavy casualties." Knuckles lowered his head and sighed, grasping the bridges of his nose. "Seems to be the case these days." Knuckles said. "No matter how hard we push back, we always suffer losses on our side."
"If only Tails were still here." Silver said. "Then we could form a strategy rather than just play defense."
"Tell me about it." Knuckles grumbled. "How could Tails up and leave like that? What does he think he can accomplish alone?!"
"He said this was something he had to do alone." Silver said. "He still believes Sonic's alive and needs rescuing. In a weird way, this gives him hope."
"Yeah, well hope doesn't always agree with reality!" Knuckles shouted, punching the bag with enough force that it was sent flying across the room. "And did he forget that we need him too?! Besides, this doesn't change the fact that Sonic's dead! He's-!" Knuckles caught himself, as if the reality of what he just said finally dawned on him. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, fighting back the tears threatening to leak out of them.
"He's gone..." Knuckles trailed off as he sat on the bench. Silver sat down next to him. "Guess Tails isn't the only one in denial." Knuckles gave a mirthless chuckle. "Funny. Two months in and it still doesn't feel real."
"I know what you mean." Silver said. "Sonic always seemed... unstoppable. Untouchable. Like nothing could hurt him."
"That's the way he lived." Knuckles replied. "I remember the day he first came to Angel Island, the day we first met. Eggman tricked me into thinking Sonic was after the Master Emerald and we ended up fighting. Unfortunately, Eggman used the distraction to steal the Master Emerald to power his Death Egg. Sonic helped me get it back. Even though I tried to kill him, he still risked everything to help me. Ever since then, even though he was a pain in the ass sometimes, he's been my best friend."
"Yeah. No matter how bad things got, we could always count on him to save the day." Silver said. "But not this time. This time it's up to us."
Knuckles went silent for a few moments. "Silver, do you think I'm really cut out for this? Leading the Resistance? When you and Gold first came to me, I said I would lead the charge against whatever crisis was coming our way, but this... who could be ready for this?"
"No one could be ready for this." Silver replied. "That's how life works. Sometimes life doesn't give you warnings. Even a time traveler like me can get caught off guard. We just have to play with the hand we're dealt."
"Maybe." Knuckles said. "But we haven't really accomplished much, have we? We certainly haven't scored any massive victories against Eggman. So far, we've been playing defense. And other countries haven't fared much better. Do you think that someone else should lead the Resistance?"
Silver placed a comforting hand on Knuckles' shoulder. "I can't tell you if you're cut out for this. That's up to you to decide. All I can say is that you're the leader and it's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself. That's not gonna win us this war. Only strong leadership will."
"I guess you're right." Knuckles replied. "Thanks, Silver. Things have been busy, so I haven't had anyone to talk to."
"Anytime, Knuckles." Silver replied as he shook Knuckles' hand. At that moment, Gold ran into the room. "Guys, trouble!" she yelled. "Eggman's robots have broken into the city again!"
"No rest for the weary, huh?" Silver asked. "Your orders, Commander?"
"Battle stations, everyone!" Knuckles shouted. "Let's show Eggman he can't mess with our world without a fight!"
"Yeah!" Silver and Gold shouted as the trio ran outside.
On the Death Egg...
Sonic was doing his usual exercise routine of sit ups and squats. With his hands restrained by energy cuffs, his exercise was limited, but he made do with what he had. It helped take his mind off of his situation. He had just watched the footage of Eggman's masked monster take out an entire infantry of GUN soldiers, then saw it lay waste to the country of Shamar. Anger and horror stirred within him. People were in danger and he couldn't help them. He hated this. This feeling of helplessness.
"Come on, guys." Sonic thought. "Don't let Eggman win! I know you can beat him!"
Next Chapter Preview: Innocence Lost. Next time on Sonic Forces! In the next chapter, we'll visit Cream, Marine, and Charmy and see how the horrors of war can affect even the youngest of us.
