Prologue
Knuckles looked down, past the steel panels and pipes that made up the wings of the Tornado, and watched the explosive fury of the bombs that he'd just released. Orange and red clouds of superheated napalm caused the black, skeletal features of the xenomorph infestation to burst into fire themselves, spreading the chaos and destruction throughout the final hive, which had formerly been a bustling, highly-populated city, nicknamed the Metropolis because of its heavy activity.
With a sigh of satisfaction, the crimson echidna gunned the engine, unlocking the trigger on the newly-installed chain gatling cannons. With a grimace of concentration, the muscular, gloved hand gripped the button on the modified control stick, unleashing a lethal hail of supersonic steel projectiles, a strangled humming rhythm that cut through the fleeing aliens' exoskeletons like a stone through water. Acidic blood slowly melted the earthy ground away, giving off the characteristic sulphurous fumes of corrosive liquids, and suddenly there was no movement anymore.
Knuckles landed, running over several leathery pods and cutting up a white something that resembled some grotesque hybrid between spider and snake. Before any of the surviving xenomorphs could move to intercept the intruder, Knuckles pulled out a very impressive-looking, futuristic rifle from the back seat of the biplane, and let loose on the stunned infestation with a wave of intense thermal energy, burning away half of the dark population with a single, superheated blast of power.
With a quick flick, the war-bred echidna opened a compartment in the gun, and faster than any eye could follow, removed a glowing red emerald from the hidden space, and installed a golden jewel, crackling with energy. Then, with a grin of anticipation, Knux ducked down and swept with his feet, knocking down one of the xenomorphs that had gotten too close. With a heave, the red wraith of vengeance tossed the creature by its tail, the writhing alien slamming into a large group of advancing monsters.
Before they could get up, Knuckles thumbed the trigger again, this time producing a solid beam of energy, frying every molecule of their existence in one concentrated ray of electrical power. Before the last of the lethal attack had exited his weapon, Knuckles checked a monitor attached to the side of the firearm. Only one left! That'll be the Queen! Knuckles thought, once again changing the emerald, this time inserting a crystalline blue emerald, off of which immense amounts of steam were rising.
Knuckles then proceeded to run straight into the heart of the decimated alien lair, turning passages and corridors through the slime-covered core of the Metropolis, before coming to a gigantic chamber, filled with weird mists that stank of death. With a smile of one who has waited forever for this moment, the echidna fired his gun again, this time letting out a cold tidal wave of sub-zero energy, freezing anything it contacted with. Most of which were alien eggs, leathery pods which spelled death for those who came too near them.
Nodding with dutiful purpose, Knuckles once again switched his source of power, activating a green emerald, which didn't emit any glow or shine. With a quick leap, Knuckles shot upwards, landing on the Alien Queen's tubular head and jumping up again as its claws rent the air where he had stood. With a quick twist in mid-air, the echidna hit the trigger of the weapon, causing the barrel to emit a wave of sonic power, which ripped the earth apart behind the hideous matriarch of the infestation.
Before he had landed, Knuckles loaded the purple emerald, and ducked as the Queen's tail lashed towards his head. With a flipping hop, the heavy feet of the ruby fighter landed solidly on the extended weapon of the evil creature, cracking bones and snapping it in an awkward way, and causing it to pull back in pain. With a deft movement, the echidna launched a galestorm of unbelievable force at the Queen, sending it flying backwards into the abyssal chasm that the previous attack had opened. With a shriek of rage, the insect-like behemoth plummeted downward, falling straight into the very core of Mobius, incinerated in an instant.
Knuckles laughed with relief: the nightmare was finally over, with the death of the Alien Queen and its spawn. With a yell of joy, the echidna raced out of the rumbling hive, holding a silver gem in his gloved hand. With a flash, the mighty warrior's crimson body became as metallic as the exposed walls of the Metropolis, and with little effort he smashed through the thick steel barriers, making his way towards the biplane.
A few weeks earlier, Sonic the Hedgehog, leader of the resistance, had destroyed a larger alien hive, the master hive at Mechanopolis, where the crazed killing machine, Mecha Sonic, had enslaved the relentless alien species for his purposes. Sonic had committed the ultimate sacrifice, destroying the entire hive at the cost of his own life. Knuckles wiped away the white tears that trickled down his charred, scraped and bruised face.
"Finally, it's all over! Peace can now be restored!" With a weary look on his scarred and battle-worn face, the only survivor of the most grisly war in the history of Mobius flew off to Floating Island, his home, to enact the final phase of the beginning of the Mobian rebirth...
*****
Elsewhere in the universe, an evil presence was making its way towards the planet. A destructive force of unimaginable, ravenous darkness was about to make itself known to the galaxy. Close behind, a second, enigmatic power pursued the strange forces with grim determination. Another war was brewing, but this time, it would rage across the cosmos, and would bring out hidden sides in every soul. Fear & hope, rage & calm, love and hatred; all would soon collide in a cataclysmic battle of destiny and fate. The stars would cross paths, and some would be absorbed by the cold emptiness of the void, but times of great happenings were fast approaching, and none would be prepared for the ordeal ahead.
Knuckles looked down, past the steel panels and pipes that made up the wings of the Tornado, and watched the explosive fury of the bombs that he'd just released. Orange and red clouds of superheated napalm caused the black, skeletal features of the xenomorph infestation to burst into fire themselves, spreading the chaos and destruction throughout the final hive, which had formerly been a bustling, highly-populated city, nicknamed the Metropolis because of its heavy activity.
With a sigh of satisfaction, the crimson echidna gunned the engine, unlocking the trigger on the newly-installed chain gatling cannons. With a grimace of concentration, the muscular, gloved hand gripped the button on the modified control stick, unleashing a lethal hail of supersonic steel projectiles, a strangled humming rhythm that cut through the fleeing aliens' exoskeletons like a stone through water. Acidic blood slowly melted the earthy ground away, giving off the characteristic sulphurous fumes of corrosive liquids, and suddenly there was no movement anymore.
Knuckles landed, running over several leathery pods and cutting up a white something that resembled some grotesque hybrid between spider and snake. Before any of the surviving xenomorphs could move to intercept the intruder, Knuckles pulled out a very impressive-looking, futuristic rifle from the back seat of the biplane, and let loose on the stunned infestation with a wave of intense thermal energy, burning away half of the dark population with a single, superheated blast of power.
With a quick flick, the war-bred echidna opened a compartment in the gun, and faster than any eye could follow, removed a glowing red emerald from the hidden space, and installed a golden jewel, crackling with energy. Then, with a grin of anticipation, Knux ducked down and swept with his feet, knocking down one of the xenomorphs that had gotten too close. With a heave, the red wraith of vengeance tossed the creature by its tail, the writhing alien slamming into a large group of advancing monsters.
Before they could get up, Knuckles thumbed the trigger again, this time producing a solid beam of energy, frying every molecule of their existence in one concentrated ray of electrical power. Before the last of the lethal attack had exited his weapon, Knuckles checked a monitor attached to the side of the firearm. Only one left! That'll be the Queen! Knuckles thought, once again changing the emerald, this time inserting a crystalline blue emerald, off of which immense amounts of steam were rising.
Knuckles then proceeded to run straight into the heart of the decimated alien lair, turning passages and corridors through the slime-covered core of the Metropolis, before coming to a gigantic chamber, filled with weird mists that stank of death. With a smile of one who has waited forever for this moment, the echidna fired his gun again, this time letting out a cold tidal wave of sub-zero energy, freezing anything it contacted with. Most of which were alien eggs, leathery pods which spelled death for those who came too near them.
Nodding with dutiful purpose, Knuckles once again switched his source of power, activating a green emerald, which didn't emit any glow or shine. With a quick leap, Knuckles shot upwards, landing on the Alien Queen's tubular head and jumping up again as its claws rent the air where he had stood. With a quick twist in mid-air, the echidna hit the trigger of the weapon, causing the barrel to emit a wave of sonic power, which ripped the earth apart behind the hideous matriarch of the infestation.
Before he had landed, Knuckles loaded the purple emerald, and ducked as the Queen's tail lashed towards his head. With a flipping hop, the heavy feet of the ruby fighter landed solidly on the extended weapon of the evil creature, cracking bones and snapping it in an awkward way, and causing it to pull back in pain. With a deft movement, the echidna launched a galestorm of unbelievable force at the Queen, sending it flying backwards into the abyssal chasm that the previous attack had opened. With a shriek of rage, the insect-like behemoth plummeted downward, falling straight into the very core of Mobius, incinerated in an instant.
Knuckles laughed with relief: the nightmare was finally over, with the death of the Alien Queen and its spawn. With a yell of joy, the echidna raced out of the rumbling hive, holding a silver gem in his gloved hand. With a flash, the mighty warrior's crimson body became as metallic as the exposed walls of the Metropolis, and with little effort he smashed through the thick steel barriers, making his way towards the biplane.
A few weeks earlier, Sonic the Hedgehog, leader of the resistance, had destroyed a larger alien hive, the master hive at Mechanopolis, where the crazed killing machine, Mecha Sonic, had enslaved the relentless alien species for his purposes. Sonic had committed the ultimate sacrifice, destroying the entire hive at the cost of his own life. Knuckles wiped away the white tears that trickled down his charred, scraped and bruised face.
"Finally, it's all over! Peace can now be restored!" With a weary look on his scarred and battle-worn face, the only survivor of the most grisly war in the history of Mobius flew off to Floating Island, his home, to enact the final phase of the beginning of the Mobian rebirth...
*****
Elsewhere in the universe, an evil presence was making its way towards the planet. A destructive force of unimaginable, ravenous darkness was about to make itself known to the galaxy. Close behind, a second, enigmatic power pursued the strange forces with grim determination. Another war was brewing, but this time, it would rage across the cosmos, and would bring out hidden sides in every soul. Fear & hope, rage & calm, love and hatred; all would soon collide in a cataclysmic battle of destiny and fate. The stars would cross paths, and some would be absorbed by the cold emptiness of the void, but times of great happenings were fast approaching, and none would be prepared for the ordeal ahead.