"There are many mysteries surrounding the disappearance of the ancient civilizations that once had a great influence in our world. Though archaeological findings suggest that these echidna tribes once controlled more than sixty-percent of the world's lands, and created many of the marvels that still baffle explorers to this day, how is it that such an advanced race could be wiped out, seemingly overnight?"
Professor Pickle stopped typing as he looked to the stack of books to his right. Research journals and thesis papers related to the ancient echidna tribes and the ruins they left behind.
"Though recent findings have given credence to the theory that these ancient tribes were wiped out by the God known as Chaos, new information has brought to light the existence of the Twilight Cage, a prison within which an entire community of ancient echidnas still lives to this day. This lost tribe could prove to be a valuable source of knowledge, shedding light on many questions that still remain regarding the ancient world, but it appears that their hostile attitude will make contact dangerous. Still, we are fortunate, for one such echidna, a rather helpful young lady named Shade, has recently been helping my former student, Relic.
"According to her, many of her tribe are seeking to join our world peacefully, and included in their ranks are scholars such as myself, who have extensive records of their tribe's history. In my studies, I believe I have discovered something rather vexing. The Nocturnus plan to escape from their prison-"
The sound of a door opening and then closing alerted Professor Pickle to the presence of another in the library. Picking up the nearby lantern, the Professor called out, "Is somebody there?" A figure approached, though he could only make out a spiny silhouette. "Shade? Is that you, my dear?"
"Please don't ever mistake me for that traitor again," the figure said, venom in her tone as she finally entered the lantern's light. Indeed, she was not the orange-furred echidna that had introduced herself to Professor Pickle. This echidna sported a red coat of fur, and wore a black leather suit, in contrast to the armour that Shade wore. Her hair was worn in dreadlocks, tied with white bands, though what stood out the most was one particular dreadlock that was metallic.
"'Traitor'? Then, I assume you are with the Nocturnus Clan."
"So you are smart. I'm glad this wasn't a wasted journey," the visitor said with a roll of her eyes. "We're here for you. I hear you've been helping out Shade, but you're going to be helping us now."
"I would happily answer any questions you might have," Pickle said as he gently placed the lantern down, returning to his laptop, "But I'm afraid that I still have much work here at the university. This paper is due for tomorrow morning and-"
"We weren't askin'," the echidna said, stepping towards him until she reached the opposite end of his table. She slammed her palms on the wood, startling him, but he continued typing.
"Please, at least allow me to finish this thesis."
The visitor growled. "If it were up to me, I'd rough you up and drag you back with us in chains. But our master wants you alive and well, so consider yourself lucky."
"'Us'? 'Our'?" Professor Pickle gasped and spun around. There, standing behind him, was another red-furred echidna. This one was draped in a black cloak, but the Professor could still tell that it was a male when he spoke.
"Relax. As long as you comply, we won't hurt you. Of course, if you don't, we still won't hurt you, but your colleagues, well…"
"P-Please, spare my team. They have nothing to do with-"
"Then we have an understanding?" The echidna stretched out his left hand, revealing it to be as metallic as the female echidna's dreadlock. "Good. Lien-Da, take the Professor's books."
"Don't give me orders, Kragok," Lien-Da spat.
"I can't hold them, Sis," Kragok said, holding up his metallic hand, which consisted of only three claw-like digits.
Lien-Da huffed, but still took the stack of books nonetheless. "Is this everything here related to the ancient tribes?"
"I would answer truthfully," Kragok warned.
Professor Pickle nodded his head. "That's everything that this library holds." He finished typing and then closed the lid of his laptop.
"Good," Kragok said. "Our master will be happy to fill in any gaps you might have in your knowledge."
"Your master being the leader of the Nocturnus?" Pickle asked.
"That's right."
Professor Pickle smiled. "Then in that case, I am grateful. After all, I've been wanting to talk with the Nocturnus Clan to further my research, but I was afraid I would never get the chance."
"Well isn't that just convenient? Still, can't take any chances." Kragok nodded to something behind the Professor, but before he could turn to see what it was, something heavy struck his head, and he was out in an instant. "You rest easy. When you wake, you'll be able to meet Imperator Dimitri."
Sonic raced across the great plains of Spagonia, arms outstretched as he bounded across a ravine, and then rolled into a ball at the top of a huge slope. As he rolled, he picked up even more speed, and as he neared the bottom of the hill he lunged out, creating a sonic boom that shook the trees and nearby wildlife.
As the warm sun rained down on the fast-moving hedgehog, Sonic couldn't help but to bask as he continued running, releasing a pleasant breath as his entire body felt the warm glow. "What a sweet place for running! I've gotta remember to come here more often." The buildings of Spagonia came into view. "First thing's first, though. Tails asked me to come right away!"
Entering the city, Sonic ran up the first building that he came across, running along the rooftops of the houses cluttered together in the residential area. He noticed crowds below looking up and waving, some out of joy to see the hero grace their city with his presence, others out of frustration for him causing a commotion. To all though, Sonic gave the peace sign with his fingers and grinned.
As he neared Spagonia University, he leapt off of the rooftops and lowered his speed, still moving very quickly as he weaved between the people walking through the streets in their day-to-day lives until he finally came up on his friend at the university's entrance. Though he wasn't alone; outside of the building, Tails stood with three of Spagonia's police officers, whilst several more were walking about, checking all over the place and transporting items in clear plastic bags.
"Yo! Tails!" Sonic called out as he approached. Tails turned and waved, before giving a curt bow to the officers. They tipped their hats and walked away. "What's goin' on here? Is this what you called me for?"
"Well, not exactly… I'm not sure what's going on, but I was asked to call you here by-" Tails began, but before he could continue, a new voice chimed-in.
"He called you on my behalf." From within the building emerged Shade, an orange-furred echidna dressed in black body-armour, the trademark armour of the Nocturnus clan and proof of her former station as Procurator. Around her wrists were bands that glowed pink, and around her head was a black, cloth headband sporting the crest of the Nocturnus. "Since I wasn't sure how to contact you, with you always on the move."
Sonic simply shrugged. "Yeah, I get that a lot. How you been, Shade?"
Shade reached up and nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, about as well as could be expected. It was quite shocking to find the site that my people once called home now has a – what was it called? A 'water park', built over it."
"Oooh, that sounds rough… Sorry to hear."
"No, it's fine, it's… I mean, it has been roughly four thousand years. The land was bound to claimed at some point." Shade cleared her throat. "Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. There was an incident here last night and I was hoping you'd be willing to help. Your reputation as a hero is known throughout the world, and I have witnessed your abilities first-hand."
"Charmed, but I don't know. Depends on what exactly you need," Sonic said matter-of-factly. "If it's anything science-related, Tails is your guy, but if you've got a problem with some bad guys, then sure, I've got you covered there!"
"It's a little of both, actually," a new voice stated as a figure emerged from the building. This was a red-furred echidna, with a black tuft of hair and a tan, wide-brimmed hat atop his head. He wore the same type of armour as Shade, which caused Sonic to quickly raise his guard. "At ease. I am on your side, Sir Sonic."
"'Sir'? I don't like the sound of that," Sonic said, scratching his ear as he relaxed his posture. "Just call me Sonic, okay? And uh… what should I call you?"
The echidna stood at attention and saluted. "Constable Remington, of the Nocturnus Security Force." Remington then grinned and stood at ease. "Or just called me Remington for short."
"Remington here is part of the New Nocturne," Shade began. "It's a long story, one that I don't have the full details of myself, but…"
"Allow me," Remington offered. "You see, shortly after you defeated Imperator Ix, the Nocturne was left defenceless against the other races inside the Twilight Cage. And as you might have guessed, they were not happy with the way they had been enslaved and lied to by us. To ease their anger, we agreed to hand over Imperator Ix, placing all responsibility for our actions solely on him."
Sonic crossed his arms, an uncertain look on his face. "You'd give up your own leader, just like that?"
"Please don't make it sound so heartless," Shade said. "It's not a complete lie that Imperator Ix was to blame for everything. He had lied to the whole of the Nocturne, too. The majority of our people, like myself, had no idea that Ix had been planning to conquer this world upon our return. And the reason we had to steal the Chaos Emeralds in the first place, rather than simply asking for your help, was because we were told that your people had attacked our scouting teams."
"Moreover, many of us were opposed to the enslavement of the other races trapped with us in the Twilight Cage," Remington continued. "We had little choice but to fight them, but Imperator Ix took it too far! Of course, at the time we had no way to oppose him…"
"Alright, so he was a bad guy," Sonic summarised. "I mean, more bad than we already knew."
"For what it's worth, his punishment was far from harsh," Remington said with a smile. "The Voxai are the ones that took custody of him. They, like you, are a merciful bunch. Ix lives, but he is atoning for his sins by working as an attendant to the new Overmind. The other races were opposed, of course, but none of them dare to start a fight over it."
"I kinda hope he learns his lesson and comes back a better person," Sonic said. "I know it would mean a lot to Knuckles. He risked his life trying to turn his mind around."
"Anyway, after handing over the former-imperator, there was a divide between the people over who should lead the Nocturne, and what our next actions should be. Many of us wanted to stop the pointless fighting, and are content on just returning to this world. But, those who conspired with Ix had managed to win over a large number of people, and convince them that war was the right course of action. That they would return to Mobius and conquer it, as they had nearly done thousands of years ago."
"'Mobius'?" Sonic asked.
"It's what the ancient tribes referred to our world as," Tails explained. "When human populations started rising, 'Earth' became the more-popular name, and Mobius fell into obscurity."
"Unfortunately," Remington continued, "The new Imperator, backed by the majority of the Nocturne, was able to overpower the rest of us. He and his troops managed to seize the most-strategic locations before we could, and control the entire Gizoid army."
"An army of Gizoids?" Tails asked, a worried look on his face. "That sounds bad. Are your people…"
"Our people are fine. Thankfully, I foresaw this eventual outcome, and decided to withdraw before any fighting could breakout. The Voxai took us in, letting us live on Colony Beta, and without a Chaos Emerald, the new Imperator wouldn't dare to attack us."
"So then this 'New Nocturne' you mentioned is…"
"Everybody who fled the Nocturne with me, and who opposes Imperator Dimitri's actions. Still, even though we are safe, we are now more trapped than we were before." Remington sighed. "Now we are not only prisoners in the Twilight Cage, but we are forced to hide from even our own kin. We need to escape, and to that end, I used a warp belt to make contact with Shade."
"Relic suggested we meet with Professor Pickle, here at this learning institution," Shade explained. "We explained the situation and he was more than happy to help us out."
"The Professor's a good guy," Sonic said with a smile. "Cooky, but cool."
Shade averted her eyes nervously. "Well, he contacted me yesterday, telling me that he had information to share regarding what the Nocturnus are planning. It seems he discovered something quite urgent, and so I rushed here as soon as I could, but…"
Sonic gasped, and clenched his fists as he looked around at the police investigating the area. "What happened? Tell me he's alright!"
"I can't tell you that," Shade said with a shake of her head, "Because he's not even here. He's been taken."
"Why weren't you guarding him?!" Sonic demanded.
"We didn't think he was in any danger," Shade admitted, her face falling. "My sincerest apologies. Neither of us were aware that Dimitri had started to act, and we believed we were moving discreetly, but somehow he must've caught wind of our actions."
Sonic took a deep breath, and calmed himself down. "… Okay, it wasn't you fault, I know that. Do you at least know where he was been taken?"
"We have an idea," Shade told him, "But we don't know how numerous the enemy is. Remington was only able to take a few warp belts with him; the majority are still on the Nocturne."
Sonic grinned. "Well that's why you called me, right? Don't sweat it! Doesn't matter how many they got, Tails and I'll get him out of there!"
Tails nodded in agreement. "Yeah! We've fought countless badniks in the past, we can do this!"
Shade and Remington exchanged elated smiles. "Sounds like they'll be every bit as reliable as you said," Remington said.
"So, when do we head off?" Sonic asked.
"We're still waiting for two others," Shade told him. "We sent one of our allies to fetch Knuckles. He'll be interested in helping us-"
"Think again." Everybody turned around. Approaching them was a pink-furred echidna wearing only a black tank top and long, green boots. She had a tuft of lavender hair contrasting her pink spines, but what stood out the most to Sonic was the metallic dreadlock she wore. "That guy's way too stubborn! Keeps saying he won't leave the Master Emerald, for any reason!"
"Look, I get that it's your duty and all, but we need your help! Shade needs your help!"
"I heard you the first time!" Knuckles responded. "But let's get one thing clear here: Shade might be my friend, but I'm the sole guardian of the Master Emerald! I can't just leave it whenever someone needs my help! I've made exceptions in the past but I can't keep putting it at risk over every little incident! Heck, it was even stolen by your people, once!"
"I told you, I'm not with them! I'm-"
"The 'New Nocturne', I heard!" Knuckles sighed. "I want to help, but my duties as a guardian come first. Tell Shade I'm sorry, but she'll have to do this one without me."
"That's what he said," the pink-furred echidna concluded.
"I see…" Shade put her hand to her chin in thought. "I was really hoping he would join us. The feud between his clan and ours is a dark chapter in our history, one that I would like to resolve for good."
"For what it's worth, I'm sure it wasn't easy for Knuckles to turn you down," Sonic said. "The guy has trust issues sometimes. It took him long enough to warm up to Tails and me."
"Well, we'll just have to press on without him," Shade decided. "Remington will remain here on standby. Julie-Su, you'll come with us to scope out the enemy and confirm Professor Pickles' whereabouts."
The new echidna, Julie-Su, nodded her head. "Got it. Is it just these two, then? The hedgehog I understand, but is it really okay bringing a kid along?"
Tails pouted, but Sonic was the one to retort. "Tails can handle himself. He's the smartest guy I know, and he's not a bad fighter, either."
"If you say so," Julie-Su said in an unconvinced tone. "I'll go get the car." With that, she turned to leave, not giving the others any time to respond.
"You'll have to forgive her," Shade said as Julie-Su rounded a corner. "She's still young, and she lost her parents in the war. Er, the war against the Knuckles Clan, that is."
"Right, that wasn't too long ago for you guys," Sonic noted.
"She became a soldier when she was only ten, so she tends to act cold towards others, but she comes through in a pinch."
"Just outta curiosity, why isn't she wearing the same armour as you guys?"
"You noticed the cybernetic on her head, yes?" Sonic and Tails both nodded. "She was part of a programme designed to create a whole new legion of soldiers that could interact directly with technology, acting as spies and saboteurs. Though it was mostly a success, it was found that the cybernetics interfere with the technology in our armour, and cause… complications, to occur."
"I remember Ix didn't wear that armour, either. Does he have the same implants?"
"No, the Imperator never wears the same armour as the common soldiers," Shade explained. "Furthermore, it was only a specific generation of children that became test subjects for these implants. The new Imperator's own grandchildren, Kragok and Lien-Da, also have them. If nothing else, it at least makes them more recognisable."
As Shade finished her explanation, a jeep rounded the corner behind the group and pulled up in front of them, Julie-Su at the wheel. "Looks like our ride's here," Sonic said. "Mind if I just run alongside you all?"
"I would rather you save your energy in case you need to fight," Shade said, to which Sonic simply shrugged.
"I got plenty of energy. 'Sides, if we do have to fight, I could use a warm-up."
Shade sighed, but also laughed. "Alright, if you say so. Let's go, then!"
Remington saluted as Shade and Tails entered the car. Julie-Su took off as Sonic began his stretches, and then the blue hedgehog followed after her moments later.
"Knuckles, are you sure you don't want to go?"
Knuckles groaned and turned onto his side, ignoring the voice coming from above him.
Tikal's spirit floated over to the other side to face him, prompting the echidna to simply roll over again. "If you're concerned with the Master Emerald, Chaos can guard it just fine."
"That's not Chaos' job. I can't just ask him to tag-in every time I want to go help someone."
"But Knuckles, they're our people."
"They're the Nocturnus Clan. We're the Knuckles Clan. Two different tribes."
Tikal pouted as she sat beside the young guardian. "'Knuckles', 'Nocturnus'. Who decided we should be separated by something as trivial as that? They're still our own kind, no matter where they come from."
Knuckles grunted and bolted upright. "Alright fine, and while I'm at it, why don't I just go lend a hand to everyone who needs help?!"
Tikal turned her head away with a huff. "Well you don't have to be so mean about it."
"Argh! I'm sorry, I just… I tried opening up and helping others out. I helped Sonic and Tails when Eggman threatened to conquer the world, and I went down to help the people when the Black Arms attacked. But when Tails asked me to help him trap the Marauders, not only did I play right into their hands, I also let the Master Emerald get taken!"
"So you're afraid that the same thing might happen again?" Tikal hummed in thought. "Or maybe, you're afraid that you won't be able to persuade the Nocturnus to give up their wicked ways? You don't want to risk failing again, do you?"
Knuckles returned to laying on his back, staring up into the blue sky above him. "I'm just one echidna. What difference can I make? They can manage without me, but I'm the only one who can protect the Master Emerald."
The two were silent for several moments. Eventually, Tikal rose to her feet. "I see. I suppose that that is your decision then."
"… Yes, it is."
"Very well. Then I'll leave you to it."
And with that, Tikal returned to her resting place within the Master Emerald, leaving the guardian alone in complete silence, only the gentle breeze left to keep him company.
"It's quiet… Just the way I like it."
As Julie-Su drove cautiously through the plains outside Spagonia, far off-road, Sonic ran briskly beside her car, occasionally running backwards, running circles around the car itself, or sometimes even running on ahead only to return moments later.
Eventually, Julie-Su snapped. "Will you just… stop moving so much! You're making it hard to concentrate!"
"Well pick up the pace, will ya?!" Sonic yelled back, pointing at his wrist as though there was a watch there. "At this rate it's gonna take us forever to get to… Where are we heading, anyway?"
"There's a dig site about twenty miles from here!" Shade answered as she poked her head out of her window, groaning as the strong winds brushed over her face. "It was abandoned some years ago, but witnesses say they saw several vehicles approaching it recently, driven by people in black armour!"
"Twenty miles? I could be there in a heartbeat!"
"Best to stick together, Sonic!" Tails called out. "If the Professor's in trouble, we don't want to make any wrong moves!"
"All the more reason to hurry up! C'mon, kick it into gear!"
Julie-Su slammed her hands onto the steering wheel. "Look, I hadn't even seen a car until recently! I can only drive here because it's so open, but I'm still not going to go faster than I need to!"
Sonic sighed. "It'll be fine!" Shade assured him as she pulled herself back into the car. "They went through the trouble of taking him alive! They have a use for him, so they won't kill him any time soon!"
"Let's hope not!" Sonic replied as he went back to running in various ways to pass the time. Julie-Su simply sighed and continued to focus on driving, ignoring the blurry blue distraction all around her.
Professor Pickle pondered as he stared ahead. Through the bars of his cramped cage, he could see echidnas dressed in black armour similar to Shade's wandering about. Some were carrying and placing crates, others were patrolling the perimeter, and others still were negotiating battle strategies as they inspected an assortment of weapons that the man had never before seen.
The echidna watching him simply huffed and said, "If you're looking for a way out, don't bother. You'll never make it out alive even if you did manage to escape your cage."
The Professor laughed heartily. "Oh no, my dear boy. I was simply wishing that you had allowed me to pack my notebook and quill. But, since I am without my writing implements, I will just have to make-do with jotting everything down in my mind."
The echidna raised an eyebrow and took a bite out of his apple. "You're studying us? You know you're our prisoner, right?"
"Hm? Oh yes, yes, of course. Still, a chance to study an ancient race, to see how you move and function as a society. All the weapons you've invente-" The Professor gasped. "Tell me, do you have any Gizoids in this camp?!"
"No, unfortunately. They're not compatible with the warp belts."
Professor Pickles' face fell at the news of that. "Oh, well that certainly is a shame."
"I don't get it. How can you be so excited when your life is in danger? When the Nocturnus escape the Twilight Cage, this whole world will become ours!" The echidna finished his apple and threw the core into the cage. "There, you can have the leftovers."
The Professor looked down at the apple core, and then back to the echidna. "Would you perhaps happen to have any sandwiches instead? Maybe cucumber?"
"You get what you're given. Don't like it? Go hungry." The echidna guffawed, until a strike from a whip silenced him. He growled as he turned to face his attacker, but quickly straightened as he saw Lien-Da standing before him. "S-Sir!"
"I do not recall giving you permission to speak with the prisoner."
"M-My apologies, Sir! It won't happen again!"
"No, it won't. I'm demoting you. Go report to Kragok and tell him you've volunteered for mining duty."
"Wha- But-" Another lash from her whip, and the echidna promptly saluted and ran off.
"A tad harsh, don't you think?" Professor Pickle said with a frown. "The poor chap was only keeping me company."
"Fetch the Professor some bread," Lien-Da said to one of her escorts, ignoring his comments. "I'll watch over you from here. We need you alive, but that doesn't mean I won't get rough. So if you don't want to taste my whip I suggest you not talk until we need you to. Am I clear?" No response came from the Professor. Lien-Da rolled her eyes, and added, "You can answer that."
"Perfectly clear, Miss Da."
"Good." Lien-Da dismissed her escorts and took a position by the cage, sitting down on a nearby rock as she watched over her underlings. "Useless lot. We have to hurry before that traitor finds us."
As Shade and Julie-Su observed the situation from the nearby cliff's edge, Sonic was stretching his legs, eager to get moving. "Alright, say the word and I'll get him out of there in a flash!"
"Not yet," Shade said, motioning for Sonic to calm down. "We've got a problem; Lien-Da is personally guarding the Professor."
Sonic simply shrugged. "Then I'll just grab him and be out of there before she even realises what's happenin'."
"And how do you intend to get Professor Pickle out of his cage?" Shade asked, and when she received no answer other than Sonic scratching the inside of his ear and averting his eyes, she followed with, "Thought so."
"It looks like it's an electronic lock," Tails said, examining the cage through a pair of binoculars. "Any idea what it needs to open it?"
"Probably a fingerprint. Lien-Da's, that is," Julie-Su answered. "Which means we'd need to force her to open it, and that… would be no easy feat."
"What if we just take the whole cage and worry about it later?" Sonic asked.
"If you can carry it go ahead and try," Julie-Su quipped. "Not only is it heavy, but it's rigged to electrify if moved without permission. Even if you survived, the prisoner would fry."
"Is there anything with Lien-Da's fingerprint that would likely be lying around?" Tails asked. "Like, maybe a spare whip?"
"Her diary," Julie-Su said, drawing everybody's gazes. "She and I were in the cybernetics programme together, and the whole time, she kept a diary that she would write in every few hours. It was like a compulsion, and if we're lucky, she still has one to this day."
"Okay, here's the plan," Shade began as she stood. "Sonic, you distract Lien-Da and cause as big an uproar as you can. Tails, I need you to distract the sentries in the watchtowers by flying around." Shade pointed to a tent in the camp, which had a large flag sticking out from the top. "I'll sneak in and see if I can find her diary, or anything that might have her fingerprints. I'll signal you when I'm done." Shade offered the pair a couple of earpieces, which they accepted. "At that point we'll return to the car, which Julie-Su will have ready to go right away."
"We're leaving Professor Pickle?" Sonic asked.
"We don't have much choice, Sonic," Tails said. "We need to lift a fingerprint to open the lock, and I need my workshop for that. As long as he's safe though, we can come back for him later."
Sonic sighed, but nodded. "Alright, if you say so, buddy."
"Okay, then let's take a moment to-" Shade was interrupted by a gust of wind and a blue blur zipping past her, heading towards the camp. "WAIT-"
"Too late," Tails laughed. "Guess the plan's on then!" Tails took off after Sonic, leaving Shade and a Julie-Su behind.
"Don't just charge blindly into danger!" Shade yelled after them, but they were already too far away. "Julie-Su, get the car ready!"
"Right…" Julie-Su said, watching with bewilderment as Sonic confronted Lien-Da in the distance. "He's… different than I imagined."
"Trust me, I know the feeling," Shade said as she put on her helmet. "But if there's one thing you can be sure of, it's his ability to come through." With that, Shade took off towards the camp, sticking to the shadows and advancing cautiously.
Lien-Da stood with a devious smirk as she faced her opponent – the arrogant blue hedgehog who had the gall to approach her in the middle of her own basecamp and demand she release her prisoner. Surrounded by troops, Sonic seemed not to be deterred. She had to admit, his attitude was admirable… but his situation was certainly not enviable.
"Do you really think you're in any position to be making demands?" she asked, flicking her whip out at Sonic. He simply stood there as it reached just short of his muzzle. "Well, you live up to your reputation, it seems. Fearless, daring… and dangerously impulsive."
"I prefer the term 'free-spirited'," Sonic returned. "Here's my offer: let the Professor go, and I won't embarrass you in front of all your flunkies."
"Nice offer. Here's my rebuttal!" Lien-Da jumped forwards, lashing her whip at the hedgehog. Sonic shifted aside, leaving an afterimage in his wake as he dodged the attack with ease. She lashed again, but this time lost track of him entirely. "Wha-"
"Yo, careful with that," Sonic said, standing right behind her. "You could take an eye out with that thing!"
Lien-Da gritted her teeth, turning around quickly, only to find him not there. A foot met her back and knocked her to the ground. "UGH!"
Sonic jumped out of his homing attack and landed behind the downed echidna, dusting his hands off as the troops around him began to inch forwards. He looked around at them, still smiling. "Well now, looks like more of you want to play." Sonic rolled himself into a ball, spinning quickly in place as light began to converge towards him.
"I want him alive!" Lien-Da barked as she picked herself up, glaring furiously. "But feel free to break his legs!"
"READY…" Sonic uncurled, and just as the Nocturnus soldiers around him moved to attack, he unleashed the energy built-up inside of him, performing a light-speed attack that took out every last troop in a matter of seconds. "GO!"
Lien-Da stared baffled at the sheer speed this hedgehog displayed, making quick work of some of the Nocturne's finest soldiers as though it were nothing. She tried to keep up, but found it impossible.
"Now then," Sonic said as he came out of his attack, standing once again before Lien-Da, but this time his cheerful demeanour was replaced with a stern stare. "The Professor. Let him out, now."
Lien-Da gritted her teeth. "Don't act so cocky…"
"Sonic, wait!" Professor Pickle called out. "Please don't do anything rash!"
"Don't worry, Prof!" Sonic gave the Professor a sure look and a thumbs-up. "I'll get you outta there, no problem!"
"No, you don't understand! I want to stay here."
Sonic froze for a couple of seconds, simply staring at the Professor with a dumbfounded look on his face. "You… what?"
"I want to research the Nocturnus, not just for my own curiosity, but also to help Miss Shade. But I fear the only way I can do that is to work alongside them."
"Professor, that's crazy! These guys are dangerous!"
The Professor gave a hearty laugh. "Come now. I'm sure they can be reasoned with. Perhaps over a plate of cucumber sandwiches."
"But what if they just kill you when you're finished?"
The Professor mused on that for a second. "Well then, I suppose you will have to save me."
"Exactly-"
"But not just yet. Please, give me a few days. No, maybe a week? Oh, there's so much to learn, but so little time…"
Sonic slapped a hand into his face. "Now's not the time for this!"
"It doesn't matter!" Lien-Da yelled, pressing a button on her whip to send a current of electricity through it. "Neither of you are leaving here! You'll both be our prisoners until Imperator Dimitri is done with you!"
The two stared each other down for a few seconds, each one daring the other to move first. Lien-Da made the first strike, flicking her whip at Sonic, who responded by dodging quickly to the side… Except…
"Yow!" Sonic cried, stopping and checking his smoking shoulder. He blew on it a few times. "What the? Could'a sworn I avoided that."
"Maybe you're not as fast as you thought," Lien-Da offered with a smirk.
Sonic chuckled. "Okay, so you got a lucky hit. No biggie." As she sent another lash his way, Sonic dodged to the side again… only to once again feel a shock through his shoulder. "Yikes! What's goin' on?!"
"Having trouble keeping up?" Lien-Da asked. "Don't worry. I'll ask my brother to prepare a special cage for you, one big enough to run around in. Now isn't that kind of me?"
Sonic frowned, now more than a little peeved at the mocking echidna taunting him. "Alright, there's some trick to your whip, I get it. Just try hittin' me again!"
Lien-Da put a finger to her chin, feigning thought. "Oh, I don't know. Should I?" She motioned to the side. Sonic followed her gaze and gasped at what he saw. "Or perhaps I should use it on your friend, should you refuse to stand down."
Shade, held captive by two Nocturnus soldier, turned her gaze away from Sonic, a look of deep shame in her eyes. Her helmet was gone, and her armour was cracked and shattered in several places. "Sorry…"
"What happened?!" Sonic asked.
"The tent… it was an ambush."
Sonic looked from Shade to Lien-Da, then back to Shade. 'Okay, no need to panic. Tails is still flyin' around somewhere. He can take 'em by surprise and-'
"Still have that defiant look in your eyes, hm?" Lien-Da mused. "If you're counting on your little two-tailed friend to save the day, you can forget it.
A couple more Nocturnus soldiers arrived, these two carrying a struggling Tails. "Let go of me, ya creeps!"
"Tails!" Sonic's face turned red with anger as he made a move to rescue his buddy. However, he was stopped by a crack of Lien-Da's whip.
"Ah-ah-ah," she warned. "Here's what we'll do. You can save one of your friends, but the other…" One of the soldiers detaining Shade placed a knife to her throat. "Surely even you aren't fast enough to save both of them. Though if you want to try, feel free."
"Grrrr…" As much as Sonic hated to admit it, she was right. Shade and Tails were being held too far apart. He was confident he could save either one of them, but not both…
"Or," Lien-Da continued, "You can surrender now, and I'll let both go free. So which will it be?"
"He'll take the third option!" As everybody else looked around for the source of the voice, Sonic knelt down and readied himself to run.
The ground beneath Shade suddenly opened up, and a flash of red rose into the air, knocking out the two soldiers holding her. At the same time, Sonic took off in a sprint and took out the two soldiers holding Tails.
"Took your time, Knuckles!" Sonic said as he helped Tails to his feet.
"I was just waiting 'til you needed me," Knuckles retorted.
Before Lien-Da could react, the sound of an engine drew her attention. A car suddenly drifted around a nearby corner and made its way to the group, braking violently to stop close to Sonic. "Get in!" Julie-Su shouted.
"YOU!" Lien-Da yelled. "What are you doing here?!"
Julie-Su simply smirked. "Sorry, Lien-Da, but things don't always go your way!" Lien-Da glared daggers at the pink echidna.
"Guys, the Professor-" Sonic began as Tails and Shade hopped into the car.
"Sonic, please trust me! I will be fine!" Professor Pickle yelled. "But, do come here for a second. I have a request, if it's not too much trouble."
Knuckles hopped into the car, and asked Sonic, "You coming?"
"You go on ahead! I'll catch up!"
Julie-Su sighed. "Alright, if you insist!" She slammed her foot onto the acceleration pedal and forced several Nocturnus soldiers to leap aside as she powered her way through the camp.
Sonic, meanwhile, ignored the furious screams from Lien-Da and rushed over to the cage holding Professor Pickle. "I'm comin' back for ya, Professor. Count on it."
"I will, and you just trust me to 'hang in there' until you save me." The Professor chuckled, before leaning down and motioning for Sonic to step closer. In a low voice, he told Sonic, "Go to Station Square. There's a man there who will be able to help you. He's a scientist, and his intellect is on par with that of Professor Gerald's."
"Another brainiac, eh? Guess it wouldn't hurt, 'specially not if you're recommending it. What's his name?"
"His name is Nate Morgan. I have a feeling I know what the Nocturnus are after, and I forwarded all of my research to him before I was taken."
Sonic nodded. "Got it. Thanks for the tip!"
"Well, at least we got one of them," Lien-Da said as she and her troops surrounded Sonic, both on the ground and in the towers overlooking the camp.
Sonic and Professor Pickle bumped fists through the bars of the cage, and then Sonic turned around and regarded Lien-Da. "Well, it's been fun. Take good care of the Professor for me." Sonic stretched his arms and kicked his feet against the ground, before crouching. With a fierce glare, he added, "So much as one scratch on him, and you're finished."
"Get him!" Lien-Da ordered, but as her troops moved in, Sonic blasted off, creating a sonic boom and leaving a trail of electricity behind himself as he tore through her ranks. Lien-Da was left dumbfounded as she could only blink at the spot where the hedgehog once was. "Did he just… break the sound barrier?"
"Oh yes, youngsters today," the Professor said with a hearty laugh. "Always in a hurry."
Lien-Da's surprise turned to rage as she stomped towards Professor Pickles' cage. The man stopped laughing as he noticed her raising her electrified whip. However, a metallic, claw-like hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her rampage in its tracks.
"Sister," Kragok began, "I believe I told you that no harm is to come to the Professor."
Lien-Da broke free. "You also told me I'm in charge of his captivity."
"The Professor may be the key to saving our people. Right now, he is more valuable to the Nocturnus than any of you, and yes, I am including you in that!"
"You dare-"
"I do," Kragok interjected. "Now instead of taking out your anger on everyone around you, I suggest you start making preparations! We need a more-secure location for our prisoner while we continue excavating this area."
"It looks like we have two traitors to deal with now," Lien-Da spat as Kragok turned to leave.
"Julie-Su? I wouldn't worry about her… That blue hedgehog, however, may prove to be a bigger problem than we first thought…"
Sonic caught up to the car and hopped in through the window, joining Tails and Knuckles in the back. "Whew! Now that was a workout!"
"So, the infamous Sonic does get tired," Julie-Su quipped. "What were you doing back there?"
"The Professor had something he wanted to tell me," Sonic explained. "He said we should go to Station Square and look for some scientist guy."
Knuckles groaned. "Station Square? I just came from that direction!"
"I thought you weren't going to be joining us," Shade said, looking back over her shoulder.
"I wasn't," Knuckles said, scratching the back of his head. He was silent for a bit, before letting out a frustrated groan. "It just didn't feel right. I failed to reason with Ix, but now I've got a second chance. A chance to save so many echidnas."
Julie-Su scoffed. "What happened to your 'duties coming first'?"
Knuckles frowned. "I was being stupid." He shot Sonic a glare before the snarky hedgehog could say anything. Sonic simply shrugged and looked out the window, though the grin on his face said it all. "It doesn't matter whether you're Knuckles or Nocturnus or whatever. I want to help you. I have to help you."
"But what about the Master Emerald?" Tails asked. "The Nocturnus stole it last time. What if they go after it again?"
"Well, Chaos is there, and I managed to find someone else to help…"
"Who?" Sonic asked, returning his gaze to Knuckles.
"The Chaotix," he answered with a smile. "They'll watch over the Master Emerald, and I'll do what I can to help. Oh, and I put the fee for their service on your tab."
Sonic groaned. "Gee, thanks."
Turning to Shade, Knuckles added, "I won't let the last of our people stay trapped in that dimension."
"Thank you," Shade responded.
"'Our' people?" Julie-Su muttered.
Shade turned to Julie-Su. "We failed this time, but we can regroup at this 'Station Square' and form a new plan-of-attack!"
"And next time, we won't fail to rescue the Professor," Sonic added, looking over his shoulder to the dig site that was getting smaller and smaller in the distance.
