Sonic Adventure 3: Worldwide

by Tiamat19

A storygame. One year after Robotnik's demise, a new threat surfaces from an unknown origin. My vision of Sonic Adventure 3, with gameplay explanations integrated into the story. The final chapter is up.

10. Calm Before the Storm

Begin Knuckles' scenario.

Chapter 10 – Calm Before the Storm

Everyone in the Congregation Hall followed suit and went outside. The 20+ strong spread out to various parts of Angel Island to increase surveillance. The enemy could strike at any time. Knuckles, Vector, Charmy, Espio, and Mighty were ready to set out to their first destination, when they were stopped by the blue hedgehog.

"Wait up Knucklehead!" he yelled as he ran up to them. He had something in his hand.

"What is it Sonic? We have to go. Now."

"This communicator will keep us in touch. If trouble starts up here, we'll give you a buzz. Or if you just want to have a conversation and talk about your feelings, you can do that too."

"…Yeah. Thanks. Whatever. I'll keep that in mind." Knux said, taking the device from him. "I'll see you later."

"See ya! Don't screw up! The world is depending on you!"

"What's up with the negative vibes!" Vector yelled. "Don't jinx the man like that! Let him do his thing!"

"Vector's right." Espio added. "The fear is often worse than the danger itself."

Sonic put his hands up, being defensive. "Alright alright…sorry. All of you will do just fine."

"We'll be back before you know it. Let's go Chaotix."

The echidna and his crew turned around once more, but Knux was stopped again when he felt a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around. "Hmm? What is it now Son…oh? May I help you?"

Ray gave a little chuckle. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to say good luck to you. That's all."

"Uh…thanks."

Knux and the Chaotix waved to everyone, and they returned the gesture. The echidna and his band walked up to the edge of the floating island. For the exception of a few clouds scattered about, it was a perfect clear view of the land below.

"Chaotix! Follow my lead. Our destination: Hilltop Heights. We have a red emerald to nab. Let's go."

Knux leapt off with his fists forward and began to glide down toward the Earth. In a quick wisp of the wind and a few fluttering leaves, Espio disappeared and reappeared on the echidna's back. Vector put his hands up and grabbed Charmy as he began lift off. Mighty grabbed hold of Vector's feet. Poor Charmy had the duty of carrying the heavyweights.

"Gee whiz. Urrragh…you get heavier and heavier every time I carry you guys…ever consider a diet you two?"

Vector looked up at him. "Hey…why you gotta diss us like that? We could say that you're too scrawny and that you need to work out!"

Mighty agreed. "I concur with what fatty said."

"Haha!" Charmy laughed along with the armadillo.

The crocodile looked up at the bee and down at Mighty again and again, not very amused. "H-HEY! I'm not fat! I'm supposed to be heavy! It's natural for a crocodile."

"Really?" Mighty asked. "I guess it was 'natural for a crocodile' when you ate 3 whole pizzas in the fridge that one time?"

Charmy stick his tongue at him. "Yeah! Thanks for asking if we wanted any you pig!"

"No one else was eating them!"

"IT WAS 3 IN THE MORNING!"

"And? I was hungry! Why all the hatin n' hostility?"

"Next time we get pizzas, you're buying."

"We should glue your mouth shut too!"

"Charmy! You said Mighty was heavy too! Go rag on him!"

"Okay Vector. Hey Mighty. Have you ever stuffed your face with three pizzas in the middle of the night?"

"Nope. I sure haven't!"

"Are you selfish and not care if you deprive your friends of extra cheese and pepperoni goodness?"

"Absolutely not! I wouldn't dare do such a thing!"

"Cool! Back to you Vector!"

"STOP PICKIN' ON ME! THIS AIN'T COOL! I'M SORRY, AWRIGHT!"

"Sorry that you did it, or sorry that we're bringing it up?" Mighty asked.

Both Knuckles and Espio rolled their eyes as they heard the squabble continue behind them. The chameleon was sharpening a shuriken with a small knife, and the red guardian remained on course.

"Some things never change…" Espio said.

"I know…everyday it's the same routine. Fight, yell, complain."

"But regardless of that, we stick together through thick and thin and pull through."

"No doubt that Espio. Hilltop's getting close."

Several minutes later, the five descended and landed upon the Hilltop area. This was an unstable high-altitude region of lush green grass, rocky trails and pine trees broken up by pits of lava. Not to mention the occasional earthquake shaking things up. The constant high-pressure underground faults keep the rumbles coming. A mighty volcano sat far back in the distance, a swirl of clouds circled its narrow peak.

"I can sense the emerald…" Knux told his crew. "It seems to be coming from that direction…toward the volcano up ahead, possibly inside it."

Espio cracked a smile, raising his right hand. Three shurikens were placed in between his fingertips. "Inside it huh? I'm looking forward to a challenge."

The ground shook for a moment, almost knocking everyone down. Mighty looked around, then spotted some red lights dead ahead. The faint sound of machinery was also heard in the same direction. "Hold on…looks like those tin-heads we met on Angel Island are here too."

Charmy gained some air to get a better look.

Vector looked up, curious. "What do ya see, Charms?"

The bee put a hand over his eyes to block out the sun. "…Sheesh! There're robots scattered all along the path to the volcano! These models look different too…they're not like the ones we beat before, Vector."

"Tch. The bots must be here for the bling-bling too."

Knux clenched his fists together, and cracked his neck. "Shoot…but it's to be expected I suppose. No time to lose. We'll have to bust our way to the volcano. Charmy, are you set?"

"Ready!"

"Mighty, are you ready?"

"Right behind you Knux."

"Espio, good to go?"

"I am prepared."

"Vector, shall we begin?"

"Let's get this party started."

Knuckles and the Chaotix stood side by side in a line, then marched down the soon-to-be treacherous path.

Stage 21: Hilltop Heights (Player: Knuckles)
Mission: Get to the volcano.
Yo, this is Knuckles and the Chaotix
And we're back to our old tricks
We've been away for a while
And now we're here to kick some butt in Hilltop Heights
We shall find all the missing emeralds
They wanna play us like fools?
Then they're playin' with the wrong crew…

Traverse through this unpredictable high-altitude region where the natural elements are just as dangerous as the SWATbots. Jump carefully from platform to platform floating upon the lava. Climb sheer rocky walls, and glide over huge chasms. Earthquakes will happen from time to time, causing certain sections of land to rise, sink, split apart, or all three. Keep your eyes peeled. For the interior portions of the stage, a door will shut behind you. The area will start shaking and the magma will begin to rise. Ascend as fast as you can via platforms, climbing, jumping, etc. New, deadlier models of SWATbots are prowling about here too. The silver swatbots are armed with micro chain guns, so be wary of their rapid fire. Red swatbots are armed with flamethrowers with surprising range. Jump over the sweeping flames and nail them. Black swatbots are equipped with ball-n-chains. Watch for a spark in their eye, that's when they'll launch the ball. Avoid it and quickly knock the bot out. Knuckles can use the B button and a direction simultaneously to throw different punches. That will be explained later. Of course, your Chaotix buddies got your back. Push a direction on the C stick and a Chaotix member will appear. Knux and the sidekick will both be holding a ring, keeping them together. Push the X button and the assistant will perform a move, at a certain cost of the Burst Meter. Push the Y button and the connecting ring will glow, causing Knux to inherit that Chaotix member's ability. Your Burst Meter will steadily drain (2 percent per second) as long as Knuckles still has the ability. You can push the Y button again to cancel. Push the Z button if you rather go as the echidna alone. The following is a list of the Chaotix's moves and inherit abilities, as well as the percentage cost of the Burst Meter.

C Stick Up - Mighty. Move: Rush Punch - Mighty will rush forward with a long range punch. (20 percent) Inherit: Knuckles' punches will be more powerful.

C Stick Down - Charmy. Move: Sting - Charmy's sting will stun a nearby enemy for several seconds. (15 percent) Inherit: Knuckles' jump height is increased.

C Stick Left - Espio. Move: Shuriken Throw - Espio will let loose with ninja stars that take out all enemies on-screen. (40 percent) Inherit: Knuckles' speed is increased.

C Stick Right - Vector. Move: Pump It Up - Vector cranks up the headphones and knocks all nearby enemies back with a musical blast. Slight damage. (20 percent) Inherit: Knuckles' digging has a higher success rate.

Knuckles fighting moves:
B button: Hook. (Damage: C)
Up & B: Jab. (Damage: B)
Left/right & B: Left/right Body Blow (Damage: B)
Down & B: Uppercut (Damage: A)
L Button: Block (not all attacks can be blocked)
R Button: Focus on nearest enemy.
Enemies won't go down in one hit. Find combinations to effectively take out your foes. Some SWATbots are weak in the head, some in the body, or no weaknesses at all. Keep that in mind. Complete the stage by reaching the base of the volcano.

Knuckles stepped through the opening into the volcano, with his comrades right behind him. They could feel and see the heat and humidity of the place. It was seething. The path ahead was lined with slow moving currents of magma, going every which way. Steam was thick in the air. A hot orange glow consumed the area.

"I can feel the emerald's presence…it's really strong here." the leader told them.

Vector had to fan himself to keep cool. "Whoooowee…it's hotter than a devil's drawers in here…"

Charmy hovered right in front of the crocodile's face, letting his wings fan him. "Is that better Vector?"

"Ahh…much better Charms. Thanks man."

"No prob."

Espio put a hand out to the side, alerting the gang. "Shh…there's something big here…and it's not the emerald." The chameleon vanished in a twirl of leaves and reappeared on a higher ledge.

"What do you see?" Mighty questioned. "Is it trouble?"

He leapt to another ledge, his light feet not making so much as a sound. "I see more swatbots…and I see something really big with them…I can't tell what it is though…"

Meanwhile, on Angel Island.

Sally sat under a tree, near the edge of the island. She leaned back against the trunk, taking in the magnificent view of the sky ahead of her. The shade kept her cool from the sun beaming down upon the floating land.

"May I sit here?" came a voice from behind her.

"Huh?" She looked up. There was a familiar face. "Oh…h…hi Ray. Wh…what brings you here?"

The squirrel had a sunflower in his hand, with an inviting little grin. "Just thought I'd talk…to get to know you better. Here you go. I picked this for you."

She blushed, taking the flower from him. "..T…thanks…umm…what did you want to talk about?"

Ray sat down beside her, looking at the same piece of sky she was looking at.

Antoine was watching them carefully from behind some nearby bushes. "I don't like this…I don't like this at all. That charlatan is getting awfully close to the Princess."

"What are you doing?"

The coyote was a bit surprised and turned around quick. It was Sonic.

"Shh! Get down!"

The blue hedgehog was pulled down behind the bushes along with him. "What are you doing anyways?"

"I'm protecting Sally. I'm her bodyguard you know."

"Protecting her? It looks you're spying on her to me."

"Call it what you want. I'm just making sure everything's on the up and up, without disturbing her."

"Ray is cool. You don't need to worry about him."

"We'll see about that."

Ray and Sally began to laugh. The both of them seemed to be having a nice time. Their lips were moving but Sonic and Antoine couldn't tell what they were saying.

"I wonder what they're talking about over there…" the canine wondered.

"What are you two doing?"

Both hedgehog and coyote turned around. It was Tails.

"Get down!" both of them said.

Tails was pulled down behind the bushes along with Sonic and Antoine. "So guys…what're we doing? Playing hide and seek?"

"Nah little buddy…coyote boy here is spying on Sally over there. I think he's jealous."

"Tch. You assume too much. One, I'm not jealous. My heart already belongs with someone else. Two, my name is Antoine D'Coolette…not 'coyote boy'. Three, I'm not spying. I'm making sure she's safe. I don't trust that Ray character one bit."

Sonic and Tails looked at each other. They didn't believe it. "…He's spying."

"Shut up."

Sally turned around suddenly, toward the bushes. "…Did you hear something Ray?"

"Shoot! I think she saw us!" Antoine told them. "Stay absolutely still!"

All three stood still like statues, not daring to move another muscle. The only thing they could hear right now are their own rapid heartbeats.

"…No….I don't think so…" Ray replied.

She continued to look toward the shrubbery. "…Hmph…my imagination I suppose." she muttered, and then turned back around toward the sky.

Tails panted. "Whew…that was close…we almost got spotted!"

"What in the world are you three fools doing in the bushes? Having a secret club or something?"

Sonic, Tails, and Antoine turned heads. It was Nack.

"Mind telling me what the hell y'all are doing?"

"Shh! Get down here!"

Nack was pulled down into the greenery.

"Hey now. You all still haven't told me what's going on."

"Ant here is 'watching' Sally over there. He's her bodyguard."

"Watching eh? It looks more like he's…"

"The next person that says I'm spying gets his ear lopped off."

"…"

"Look!" Tails pointed. "Ray's getting closer to Sally!"

Like the fox said, Ray leaned over toward Sally's ear and began whispering. It was a long while as he continued to say whatever he was saying to her privately. She turned away soon after with a hand on her face, blushing even a deeper red.

Nack grinned. "Heh heh…well…this is getting interesting…"

"Oh that's it…I'm chopping something off." Antoine growled, getting up. But he was pulled back down by Sonic.

"Chill out. Like I said before, Ray is cool. He didn't do anything wrong Ant. Don't be so uptight."

"Uptight? That man probably said some inappropriate, foul things to Her Majesty. I won't stand for it."

"WHAT ARE YOU PERVERTS DOING!"

The four shrub occupants did a 180 and looked up. It was Amy, tapping her foot with her hands on her hip.

"Shhhh!" Sonic told her.

"SHHHH! Nothing! Those two are trying to have a romantic moment together and you all are being peeping toms!"

Nack cocked his head to the side. "Peeping? I prefer to call it observing."

"We weren't doing anything bad. Honest!" Tails insisted. "We're just inspecting the texture of these leaves here. Hmm hmm…interesting…yes…"

"We're not perverts. You're in no position to make the call." Antoine said.

Amy yelled out, while pointing down toward the bushes. "HEY SALLY! HEY RAY! SONIC, TAILS, ANTOINE, AND NACK ARE WATCHING YOU FROM IN HERE!"

"Run!" Nack shouted.

Hedgehog, fox, coyote, and weasel ran like the wind and scattered in different directions.

Amy readied her Piko Piko hammer, and gave chase. "Boys…go figure…COME BACK HERE YOU PERVS!"

Sally was fuming. She picked up a big stick and followed Amy. "ANTOIIIIIIIINE!"

Ray simply laughed out loud to himself.

Back at the volcano…

Knuckles continued to lead the pack deeper into the smoldering venue. "Let's keep marching Chaotix. The emerald is so close I can taste it."

Stage 22: Blast Volcano (Player: Knuckles)
Mission: Find the red emerald.
It's gettin' fierce now in Blast Volcano
Where the action's hot and the magmas flow
The danger is seething around every turn
One wrong move and you'll feel the burn
But Knux and the Chaotix still remain cool
As we rush ahead to nab that jewel…

Things get hot and heavy inside the volcano. In the first section of the stage, streams of lava will criss-cross along the twisting path. Not to mention flames will shoot out of the ceiling, floor, and walls. Use some dodging skills to get around them. In the second part of the stage, you will have to scale a giant rock wall. This area of the volcano is extremely unstable. Watch for cracks that will form in parts of the wall, these are where lava will spew out. Keep on the lookout for discolored sections as you climb. Dig into these for powerups and rings. After you reach the top of the wall, you will be in the third and final part of the stage. Here, Knuckles and his comrades will ride on a large stone platform down a huge magma river. The ride won't be easy though; chain-gun packing SWATbots will shoot at you from afar on overlooking ledges. Espio's shurikens are the only thing that will take them out. If you don't want to spend the Burst power, just stick it out and avoid the shots as you pass by. Complete the stage by reaching the red emerald, which is floating about on the surface of the magma.

Knux pointed straight ahead, at the crimson jewel floating in the hot river. "There it is! The Chaos Emerald!"

"Whew! Bout time!" Vector told him as he rubbed his expensive gold medallion to a shine. A big 'V' was etched into it. "At least the hard part's over.."

Espio bent down on one knee and wiped his forehead. "Man…I must be slacking in my training. Usually something like this doesn't tire me out at all."

"Heat and humidity will do that to anybody Espio. We're inside a freaking volcano you know." Mighty said.

"Now I'll just have to reach it…" the echidna muttered. He reached out further and further as their platform got closer and closer. It was merely a few feet away. "Almooost…got…it…"

Charmy flew over ahead of him. "Allow me Knuckles! No need to reach for it!"

"…Okay. Go for it."

Knux looked above as the young bee swooped down quickly and made a clean grab. The jewel was now in his hands. He fluttered down to the middle of the platform where the other 4 members surrounded him.

Mighty patted him on the head. "Nice grab Charmy. That's one down, two to go."

Out of the blue, they felt something rumble beneath them. The 5 looked down, all alarmed.

Espio remained still, keeping his arms out for balance. "What was that?"

Another rumble, more violent this time, shook the platform. Vector fell on his backside. A big crack appeared in the center.

"This…isn't good…" Charmy commented, holding the emerald tight.

A rumble once more, the largest one yet. What came next took them completely by surprise…

KASHOOM!

The stone platform burst apart into six pieces as a massive all-metallic armadillo emerged from its center. The red Chaos Emerald flew from Charmy's grip and into the air. The echidna, crocodile, bee, armadillo, and chameleon were thrust into the air as well. All 5 of them kept together by holding hands, their leader Knuckles guided them safely to the nearest piece of platform. The 12 foot long beast opened its mouth and swallowed the airborne gem, then landed back down onto the surface on all fours. A loud click sounded off as six large barrels stuck out from its heavily armored back, all pointing in different directions. It gave a haunting robotic screech that echoed throughout the volcano. Its menacing red eyes glowed bright as it stared them down. The posse stared back as well.

Charmy stepped back, bumping into Mighty. "This…DEFINITELY isn't good…"

Vector continued to stare at it. "What the HECK is that!"

"Must be the Ace up their sleeve." Espio replied. "It was almost like they knew we were coming.."

"Well everyone…since it has the emerald, you all know what we have to do..."

"Thrashin' time?"

"You got it Mighty. Let's beat this thing, grab the emerald, and get the hell outta here."

Knuckles, Mighty, Espio, Vector, and Charmy readied themselves for a fight.

Boss: Mecha Magmadillo (Player: Knuckles)
There are six small platforms surrounding the Mecha Magmadillo. The machine happens to have six flamethrowers aimed at each of those platforms. Two of the barrels will show a slight flame, giving you a warning of which two platforms will get a fiery blast. Watch them carefully and jump to an appropriate platform to be safe. After three sets of blasts, the dillo will stand on its hind legs and open its mouth. It's about to launch a large spiked ball at your direction. Hold still. The spiked ball will go slow. As soon as it reaches you, punch it. If timed right, it will bounce back and damage the beast. It'll go back down to all fours. If timed wrong, well…you'll get hurt. They will keep coming until you get it right. After the 1st hit, the 3 wave process will repeat, but the flamethrowers will blast three platforms. The spiked ball will also launch faster. After the 2nd hit, four platforms will get burned. The spiky orb will be shot even faster. After the 3rd hit, five platforms will suffer the scorch. The deadly sphere will be at its fastest speed. After the 4th hit, all platforms except for the one you're standing on will sink. There's no where else to go now. It's gut check time. The Mecha 'dillo will stand on its hind legs once more. In quick succession, it will spit fireballs and the spiked orbs in a random pattern. Jump over the fireballs and punch the orbs. Don't get the two mixed up. After 4 more hits, this bot is permanently shut down.

The metal armadillo was unbalanced, and smoke bellowed out of several parts of its body. It fell on its back and emitted a low churning growl. The magmadillo slowly sank beneath the surface until it was no longer seen. A few moments afterwards, the red emerald bubbled back up to the surface.

Knux reached out and snagged it quickly. The gem didn't have a scratch on it whatsoever. "It's still safe…thankfully. Is everyone okay?"

Vector, Mighty, Espio, and Charmy were on their butts, panting heavily. That battle took its toll on them.

"We're…all cool." Vector replied. "No matter what the feat, the Chaotix just can't be beat!"

Knuckles tapped into his communicator. "Ksssshhh….Hey Sonic…Sonic…can you hear me? We got the red emerald. It was inside a volcano."

"Good job Knucklehead. I knew you can do it."

"Is everything okay up there?"

"Yeah…we're all just fine. Nothing's happened yet."

"What's going on Sonic? Why are you whispering?"

"Tails, Ant, Nack, and I are hiding from Sally and Amy."

"…I'm not even going to ask."

"Good. You don't wanna know."

"We're about to depart for the Mystic Caves to get the next Chaos Emerald."

"Sure thing Rad Red. Good luck to you. We'll continue to keep an eye on things here. AHH! H…hi ladies! Nice weather we're having eh?"

"Heh heh…busted."

"I'll talk to you later Knux. NO! PUT THE HAMMER DOWN! OW! TAILS! WHERE'RE YOU FLYING OFF TO! OW! TAKE ME WITH YOU! NACK! STOP LAUGHING! HEY! ANTOINE! YOU SUCK UP! STOP BOWING TO HER! AHHHHH!….KSSSSSSH…."

"…Okaaaay…"

"Everything going smooth Knuckles?" Mighty asked.

"Yeah…Sonic's just being an idiot. Nothing unusual."

The red guardian looked up toward the ceiling, where the mouth of the volcano let the sunshine beam down upon the gloomy landscape. "Charmy, can you give us all a lift?"

"Sure! You can count on me!"

Charmy beat his wings to his utmost fastest and carried his 4 pals up and out of the volcano. The sun's position told that it was high noon. Their next stop in the quest for the emeralds: Mystic Caves.

Next Chapter: The Revolution