Initial Publish Date: Jan 29 2021
Mar 27 2021: Minor Edits
Apr 26 2021: Added Changelog
June 10 2021: Added Chapter Title to Chapter Contents.
Jan 3 2022: Minor formatting changes for consistency with later chapters. Applies to Chapters 1-7.
I'd like to thank anyone and everyone who spends any amount of time reading this story. I'm not that new to writing (on and off for a few years, but nothing on this scale), but I'm new to making my work public. So… anyone that decides to use their precious time reading what I've worked on is simultaneously the recipient of my heartfelt gratitude and the source of a rather large amount of nervousness on my part.
I've always felt that Sonic Forces had a lot of potential, but fell flat in almost every way. This is my attempt to retell (and add to) its story in a way that I hope is at least marginally better.
Please let me know if you find any typos or grammar errors! If you have questions, feel free to ask.
And with all that said, please read on, and enjoy this retelling of Sonic Forces!
Chapter 1: Prologue to Terror
I screamed. I couldn't help it. It was all just too much. People I'd known for months, people I'd trusted to have my back… gone. All of them. Wiped out in moments by that… monster.
My boots slammed into the pavement as I ran for my life, away from the terror behind me. I could dimly hear the dying screams of countless people, falling victim to the hordes of robots surrounding the city. I could feel the heat from burning car wrecks and blown-apart buildings as I passed them by.
Deep, cruel laughter echoed in my ears as I gasped for breath, stumbling in my desperation to keep running. I continued down the street, dodging the occasional laser blast, and closed the distance between me and the corner. I was almost out!
BOOM! A car I passed by exploded, sending me sprawling to the hard cement. I landed hard, and the impact knocked the wind out of me.
I saw a robot stomping towards me. It was only feet away. I desperately tried to crawl away, but I was much too slow. The robot marched closer and closer to me, its laser arm trained at my face. I watched the end of its arm light up as it prepared to finish me off.
I closed my eyes, unable to face my fate with them open, and awaited the end…
2 days earlier…
"... And with that, I would like to congratulate this recruit class for their graduation, and bestow upon all of you the rank of Cadet." The Sheriff concluded his speech.
A cheer went up from the crowd. I raised my arms in triumph, as did a number of the Mobians beside me. Just like that, we'd done it. Just like that, we were officially police officers. Our training was complete.
A wave of emotions rolled over us. We were elated to have succeeded in finishing our training, excited to be able to go out into the world and make a real difference, and relieved to be done with the rather-grueling regimen we'd had to train under for the past two years.
But we were also aware that this was just the beginning. Now that we had a rank, we had a duty. With that rank came authority. With that authority came great responsibility. We swore to protect the people, and to fight injustice. We swore to uphold the law, and enforce it when necessary.
We were police officers.
I almost missed the Chief of Police's announcement amidst the atmosphere. "Tomorrow, report to your assigned stations. You'll be given a patrol route and a shift schedule, and assigned an experienced partner."
I smiled. Sunset Heights, here I come!
The next day, I walked nervously into the police station I'd been assigned to. Would I get a good shift? Would my partner be a nice guy? Questions darted in and out of my head like fireworks in July, and I didn't have any answers. Not yet.
The wolf officer at the front desk looked up upon my approach. He read my name tag. "Kyle Rubyen. You're our new recruit, eh?" He smiled at my nod. "Pleased to meet you." A furry hand reached out. "I'm Corporal Eddison. Let me show you around." We shook hands.
Over the course of the next half-hour, I got a crash course in the full layout of the police station. The tour finished up with the locker room, where I'd stash my gear and equipment that I didn't personally own while I was off-duty. One locker already had my name on it.
I opened said locker, and there it was. My uniform. New and shining blue, ready to show the world that I was ready to protect and serve. A smile came to my face, uncontainable, as I brushed my hand along the folds of the crisp, clean symbol of justice.
"Go ahead." Eddison told me. "Put it on."
I did. A look in the mirror, and I couldn't have been more proud.
Eddison whistled. "You look like you were born to wear that, Kyle."
Yeah, I kinda do. I thought in agreement. The uniform fit me perfectly. My red-furred hands stuck out of the blue sleeves, the opposing colors somehow fitting together as if this was meant to be. A nametag ran across the left side of my chest, proudly proclaiming my name to the world. My currently-beaming, hedgehog face would be a symbol of peace and security to the people of the city.
"Well, look who's fresh face we've got here!" A new voice spoke from behind me.
I turned around to find another officer looking me over, a cheerful smile across his feline face.
"This old cat's name is Irons." Eddison told me. "He'll be your new partner. I'll leave you and the Sergeant to get acquainted." the friendly wolf left, likely to return to the front desk.
"Glad to meet you, rookie." Irons read my nametag. "Rubyen, eh? I heard your scores at the academy were fairly promising. Come on." The charismatic cat gestured for me to follow him, and I did.
Sergeant Irons led me to the briefing room. "I'll give you a look-see at our route for today." He told me, gesturing to a nearby map of the city. Lines of multiple different colors traced individual loops around various sections of Sunset Heights. Patrol routes, I realized.
"Sorry the Captain couldn't greet you, personally." Irons continued. "Something's going on out West, over by Green Hills. Dunno what, but the Cap's been spending a not-insignificant amount of time checking it out."
"Hmm." I responded shyly, unsure what else to say. If the station's Captain has been spending so much time out there, then it must be pretty serious. I wonder what could be going on? I studied the map of the city, and quickly realized something. "Uh… whi-which line is us?" I asked hesitantly.
"Green. We'll be sitting cozy right next to the station for most of our route." Irons chuckled. "Wouldn't do to put a fresh-faced Cadet right in the line of fire, now, would it?"
I shrugged. Whatever the higher-ups think is wise. I knew better than to think I was wiser than the people whose job was specifically to assign such tasks as this to people like me and Irons. I had no experience, no idea what life would really be like.
"Come on." Irons gestured for me to follow him. "Let's gear up and get out there. Should be a nice, quiet day." The feline smiled warmly.
Thank you for reading chapter 1! I hope you enjoyed it, and don't worry; the action starts next chapter.
For those who are familiar with police training; I am not. I readily admit that most if not all of what I claim policemen are trained in with this story could be completely false. Please don't burn me alive! :smiles nervously:
Tiny side note: Full name of the current protagonist is Kyle "Red" Rubyen. Last name pronounced ROO-bee-en.
Again, please let me know if you find any typos or grammar errors! And if you have questions, feel free to ask.