A darkness awakes! Dimitri's
bitter betrayal of his former
apprentice Lien-Da resulted
in the creation of a new menace in
the galaxy: Fleetway the Hedgehog. Caught
in a deadly game of revenge between
Lien-Da and Dimitri, Fleetway barely
escaped the carnage.
Beaten and alone, he returned to
Enchantress, his creator, who
gave him a new quest: to pursue his
long-lost brother….
Dimitri was in his castle standing in front of Dark Oak with his back to him. Dimitri had his eyes closed and he looked troubled by something "I can sense him, General. That creature, Fleetway, is growing stronger and stronger as each day passes". "You consider him a threat?" Dark oak asked, "He is a threat to all of us, even the Shinobi. With the Yagyu eradicated, there's no one left to control him". He opened his eyes and stared out of his window "Something is rising, something sinister".
In a café on Stobar Fleetway was attacking a waitress as the customers ran outside. The owner ran at Fleetway while using a pot as a weapon but Fleetway threw the waitress at him knocking him over. "Call the authorities!" the owner said to a robot waitress. Fleetway ran out the back door and entered a docking bay where he hid behind a pile of crates. The talisman around his neck glowed when he leaned close to the crates "Enchantress". He brushed off the orange dust on the crate and put it to the talisman making it glow brighter "It's a clue".
Enchantress was in her temple and saw Fleetway's progress through green smoke which took the shape of an orange planet "Yes, my son, you are getting closer and closer. Soon you and your brother will be reunited. I must make the necessary preparations".
Lien-Da was sitting at a table at a bar with Opal, she held her drink up "Cheers". She then heard the door open, and she jumped up before grabbing her lightsaber. She realised it was nothing and sat back down, "Why so tense?" Opal asked. "I'm not sure. I thought I sensed someone from my past" "Who is this someone", Lien-Da felt afraid but hid it well "A monster".
Fleetway saw the cargo ship that dropped off the crates and ran inside before the doors closed on him. Inside was a surprised armadillo" Uh, hey, what're you doing here? Get out of here. I'm about to take off!". Fleetway walked up to him "The cargo you just dropped off, what planet did it come from?" "The junk fields on planet Granite". Fleetway pushed him "Take me there" "Okay, okay. You're not gonna kill me, are you?". They entered the cockpit without Fleetway answering and the pilot flew the ship away from the planet.
Shadow and Amy arrived at the café where hunter robots where already investigating. "Shouldn't we be getting back to the cruiser?" "Nah, I'm hungry. I'm tired of those government rations. Wait, looks like trouble though. Come on" Shadow said. They went inside and saw an injured woman on the ground, they went over to check her when the owner came in and saw them. "Hey, what're you doing!?" he said angrily holding a frying pan. Shadow stood up "We don't want any trouble. We're just trying to help". One of the hunters walked up to the owner "Lou, are you crazy, threatening a Shinobi? Put it down now!". Lou paused before sighing "I'm sorry, sir. I'm a little shook up" "We understand. You want to tell me what happened here?" Shadow asked him. "Just character causing trouble. Happens too many times to count. Why don't you and your friend take a load off? I'll get you some food" he took them to a table. Once sat down Amy noticed Shadow was looking troubled "Master? Shadow?". Shadow sighed "I sense a disturbance, something sinister" "All the way out here". Shadow nodded "Yes" "Do you know what or who it is?". Shadow sighed "No. But whatever it is, it feels familiar". Shadow didn't know why but it made him think of the sound of an Extreme Gear board.
The ship jumped out of hyperspace and entered the atmosphere of an orange planet covered in junk. The armadillo sighed "just my luck that I have to go back to this scrap pile floating in space" "Just get moving!" "Fine. I guess things could be worse although I'm not sure how". They travelled across the massive piles of junk when Fleetway's talisman glowed "He's close". They made a turn and the talisman stopped glowing. Fleetway looked out the side window and the talisman flickered slightly. Fleetway grabbed the armadillo by the throat "Get out. Now!" "Wait. No, no, no. Come on!" he threw him into the airlock and dropped him out. He then flew the ship back the way they came "I'm here at last, brother". He landed and walked out to search the area. He kept walking as the wind grew stronger which forced him to cover his eyes form the sand. The talisman suddenly stopped glowing "No, no! Not when I'm so close!" he kept walking in desperation. A blue skinned creature with two tentacles for arms and three for legs started walking next to him "Hey, hedgehog" "I don't have time for you" Fleetway said angrily before grabbing the creature by the throat. He tried to speak "You… tracking somebody?" "What do you know about it?". The creature gasped "I-I-I'm Meek. I could help you. We have everything here. I can get you what you want. For the right amount of course". Fleetway tightened his grip of Meek's throat causing him to gasp "I-I mean, it would be my pleasure to aid you for free". "I think I can manage on my own", Fleetway threw him aside and kept walking. His talisman still didn't glow "Show me something. Show me which way to go". Meek followed him "What you need is a guide" "Leave me alone!". Meek was either very brave or very stupid since he still followed Fleetway "Trust me, not everything on this planet is junk. There are things like me, things that live and breathe. Perhaps you're looking for someone?". Fleetway stopped "Show me" "You're already heading in the right direction, even though your handy doodad isn't working".
After some time travelling with Meek leading the way Fleetway noticed a large group of creatures watching them from the top of junk piles. They looked similar to Meek except larger and stronger "Ah, the Thickskulls. We better get out of here. They can get a little cranky". Fleetway didn't change his pace even when the Thickskulls started jumping down and shouting. Meek went for cover as the Thickskulls surrounded Fleetway who ignited his lightsaber "A fight" he said excitedly. The Thickskulls charged but Fleetway managed to cut through any that got close. Meek saw a Thickskull close to him about to shoot Fleetway in the back of the head. Meek kicked the Thickskull in the ankle causing him to hit the ground instead. He tried again but this time Fleetway was aware of him and deflected the shot back into his chest. Eventually remaining Thickskulls were forced to retreat. Meek walked out laughing, "Let's go" Fleetway said. As they walked Meek turned to him "So who're you looking for?", Fleetway hesitated before answering "My brother. I've been searching for him". This seemed to interest Meek "Does he look like you?" "Have you seen him?". Meek shook his head "No, no. I have heard stories about creature with spikes coming out of the back of his head. I thought it was just an old local legend". Fleetway stopped "How old" "Very. They say he drags things down beneath, and they never come back up. Oh, but it's only a legend like I said". Fleetway kept walking when it started to rain which hurt his skin, "Acid rain. We should find shelter soon" Meek told them as he pointed to a hut made out of junk and blankets. They ran in and found it filled with dead Thickskulls which seemed to surprise Meek "What the?". Fleetway's talisman began to glow "This is it" he started looking around, "It doesn't look like anyone's here" Meek said. "I can see that!... Enchantress… She betrayed me! My brother must be dead" Fleetway banged his fists against the wall angrily. He took a step forward and the floor under him moved slightly. Meek smiled "She's not the only one who betrayed you" he pulled a lever which dropped Fleetway through a trap door. He looked down and heard Fleetway scream "You'll make a good offering, and when my master's finished with you, I get the leftovers" he laughed sadistically.
Fleetway landed in a cave system when he heard rumbling. He stood up and looked around when he heard the sound again behind him but there was nothing there "Brother? Is that you, brother?". He ignited his lightsaber for light and cautiously walked through the cave. He heard a raspy growling sound coming from all directions. He turned a corner and saw some sort of eight-legged creature in the distance slowly backing away from him. He chased after it "You! Stop there! What have you done with my brother? Answer me, you monster!". The creature suddenly charged forward and pinned him against the wall revealing it had two normal arms. The talisman then glowed brighter than Fleetway had ever seen it "What? It can't be". He looked up and saw that the top half of the creature was a hedgehog with glowing blue eyes "Brother?". On hearing this it ran away screaming "Wait, brother!" Fleetway chased after it. He followed him to a large room lit by fire "No, no!" it yelled as it began to whimper. It got close to the fire allowing Fleetway to see it properly. It was Scourge the Hedgehog but he was different, he was almost skeletal with how thin he was, most of his fur was gone and what was left was no longer green but instead a deathly grey. He was almost feral with an animalistic look in his eyes. His bottom half was a metal spiderlike body while what was left of him was wearing an old leather jacket that he must have found in the junk pile. Fleetway saw two slashes across his chest from what Fleetway presumed was the Thickskulls doing. He had a pair of red glasses that were most likely for the sand when there was wind. Fleetway cautiously approached him "I've been searching for you, brother" "No, no, no!" Scourge said angrily. "Yes, we're brothers" Fleetway told him sounding hopeful. Scourged back away from him and climbed up the wall as he laughed "No! You… you don't know. You don't know anything!" "I know I am your blood" "No. Never, never!" he kept switching between laughing and crying.
"I'm ready for my leftovers", Fleetway turned and saw a surprised Meek at the entrance. "Oh, you're still alive, huh" he tried to run away but Fleetway easily caught him and lifted him up by the throat "Who did this to my brother? Are you part of this?" he asked angrily. Meek was desperately gasping for air "No, no, I-I found him this way. It wasn't me. I found him" "You should have been helping him!". The bones in Meek's neck were beginning to break "I didn't know! Please, I didn't-" there was a crunch, Fleetway threw his now dead body onto the fire. He then walked over to Scourge who was laughing manically "This is where you live? How long have you been here?" "Years and years and years. Through victory, my chains are broken. The chains, the chains are the easy part. It's what goes on in here that's hard" he pointed to his head. He began to sob, "You have been lost, my brother. Do you remember who you are, where you came from?". Scourge began to nod "Always remember I am fear. Always remember I am hunter. Always remember I am filth. Always remember I am nothing". Fleetway looked at the spider body "Your legs" this seemed to trigger something in Scourge "That scum! He took them from me! He took them!". "Who? Who took them?", Scourge began to growl and clenched his fists "Shinobi…. A Shinobi". Fleetway got closer to him "You remember?". Scourge began to cower form something that wasn't there "I won't ask for mercy, Master. Mercy is a lie, a lie used by the weak to make themselves seem strong. I won't ask for mercy". Fleetway kneeled down "What? What is it? Brother, what're you saying?". Scourged charged forward and again pinned him against the wall "Through the filth, through the grief, Shinobi!" he yelled right in Fleetway's face. Suddenly he calmed down and seemed to focus "Revenge. I want revenge".
On a dark and rainy night in Mobotropolis Espio entered the meditation chamber where Blaze was waiting. "Master Blaze?", she looked deep in thought "Do you feel the disturbance in the Force" "Yes, Master". Blaze closed her eyes "I fear you are in danger. An old enemy has awakened, seeking revenge". Espio stepped closer to her "An old enemy?" "He killed your master many moons ago". Shock came over Espio's face "How can this be? I killed him myself" "I fear it is so". Espio walked over to the window and looked out "Scourge, alive?".