/Play Track 1/
"Eight years, hedgehog… Eight long years this conflict has gone on… For almost a decade you have thwarted my plans; been the thorn in my side; standing in the way of progress… in the way of destiny…
"Well no more! This has gone on too long! Do you hear me hedgehog? The march into the future is unstoppable, as are my badnik legions! You came close to stopping me for good, but I have returned form the brink of oblivion and I am stronger… The former regime has been swept aside… Now I am supreme!
The Chaos Emeralds are lost forever; no more protective chaos rings; what pitiful allies you do have are scattered across Mobius in a vain attempt to prevent the inevitable. There is nothing you can do to stop me this time! No one is going to interfere… It's just you an me now!
"Soon, hedgehog… Soon you will feel the bitter sting of defeat, of abject failure…
"At last… Victory will finally be MINE!"
/Stop Track 1/
/Play Track 2/
The sound of sirens and the flash of yellow hazard lights filled the huge underground hangar. In the gloom red eyes shone as machines powered up, ready for battle. With the clatter of armour plate dozens of the latest E-Series badniks piled into open top transport vehicles and with squealing tracks they were ferried out into the permanent sickly yellow twilight that remained beneath the polluted clouds of the Metropolis Zone.
As the last transports roared away larger badniks followed. Towering metal creatures many stories high, bristling with spikes and weaponry, marched out, huge lumbering strides carrying them quickly out of Robotnik's capital.
Many saw the army disappear into the barren and contaminated wilderness that surround city. Many smaller badniks stopped in their work and turned towards the rumble of tracks, the thud of huge armoured feet. Some of the bedraggled creatures that lived in the urban sprawl watched Robotnik's forces mobilise, though few cared.
A rabbit removed his goggles as he watched the dust cloud retreat into the distance. Wind tugged at his long ears and battered coat as he stood on the roof of a tall industrial complex. He blinked and looked up at the darkening sky. Behind him a transmitting device rested on the floor, its LEDs pulsing in a complex pattern. He would transmit the signal for another few minutes before he had to return to the shadows of the city.
Far away, in a hidden base far beneath the ground, the transmission was picked up. A badger stared at the screen as encryption algorithms decoded the incoming transmission. His eyes widened as the message became clear. He fumbled open a panel set into the console and hammered down on the button inside.
"Alert. Alert. This is not a drill. Enemies incoming. Attack imminent. Man battle stations. Repeat this is not a drill..."
Dusk wrapped the Emerald Forest Zone in crimson light. In the distance was the rolling green expanse of the Mushroom Hill Zone. Further still, already enveloped in evening haze, were the mountainous Hill Top Zones.
With a terrible mechanical wailing and the thunderous footfalls of huge machines Robotnik's metal hoards advanced tirelessly onwards. The smaller E-Series robots flitted about larger war engines, some flying just above the green canopy, others picking their way through the undergrowth. Around them the giants plodded and rumbled through the forest, leaving crushed and fallen trees in their wake. Far behind, casting a huge pool of shadow upon the forest, the badnik command barge cruised along, monitoring the advance.
Before them the badniks drove the zone's remaining inhabitants. Families held hands as they rushed headlong through the woods. Those that could fly hovered or circled overhead trying to guide those below. However not everyone could stay ahead of the metallic invaders…
Two creatures crouched in a makeshift watch tower, hidden amongst the uppermost boughs of a forest giant. Between them, perched on a tripod was a wide barrelled cannon.
"Look at them… Th-there are so many!"
A young mouse craned his neck to peer through the foliage at the advancing badniks.
"Hold it steady, lad…" said an old squirrel who waited beside him. Placing a hand on the cannon's barrel he steadied its aim at the enemy.
The mouse tried to keep the sights on a gigantic walking machine. As he watched a spindly mechanical arm shot out and plucked up a struggling creature. The hapless victim was casually tossed into a prison vehicle that trundled alongside. The young warrior's hand began to shake.
"They'll be captured…"
"And worse, lad. They'll be turned into menial badniks; made to work in Eggman's factories to build more of these soulless military machines. Unless we want the others to end up the same way we have to take down one that command ship!"
"Will that h-help?" asked the mouse.
"The E-Series robots aren't that smart… They don't have some poor creature inside, so they're dum machines without someone giving them orders. If we take out the command vessel them they'll be easier to pick off."
The mouse looked through his sights again.
"I… I don't think I c-can do this…"
"The rest of the team counting on you… We each need to hit that target with everything we have if the escape ships are to have enough time."
"I… can't… Can you do it…?"
The old squirrel pointed to his left eye. It was clouded and white.
"No depth perception, son. And my hand ain't as steady as it used to be. You've got to take the shot."
The mouse licked his lips and swallowed awkwardly. He watched the rangefinder slowly count down as the command barge slowly grew larger in the sights. A series of LEDs was lighting up, indicating when he should fire the missile. It was designed to shut Robotnik's machines down, immobilise them long enough for all the refugees at the base to escape.
There was a high pitched beeping and the LEDs lit up green. Now or never… The mouse yanked at the trigger. With a whoosh of smoke the projectile shot off into the air far away from any of the advancing machines. It wasn't even close to the command ship. The young mouse closed his eyes so he wouldn't catch a glimpse of the look of disappointment on his companion's face…
"Never mind, son…" the old squirrel said simply.
It was worse than any amount of reprimanding. The young warrior bit his lip in frustration. Then he heard the explosions. Peering out of his hiding place he saw the other teams projectiles find their target. There was a burst of light as crackling energy played across the hull of the command barge… But the badniks marched on. The massive vessel continued to float along too. The enemy was totally unaffected.
"Oh no…" said the old squirrel and fear twisted in the mouse's gut.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I don't know… They always worked before…" The squirrel trailed off and looked on helplessly. Now there was nothing they could do.
Then there was another noise. As the pair watched a chain blasts ran up the side of the distant robot's armoured flank. Finally, with a piercing thunderclap, the titan's head toppled to the ground, the hulk sinking into an inert heap amongst the trees.
/Stop Track 2/
/Start Track 3/
"Did we do that?" asked the young mouse.
"I'm afraid not, lad…" replied the old squirrel.
There was another deafening series of explosions. As the two freedom fighters looked on a swathe was cut through the robotic ranks. E-Series badniks exploded where they were or spiralled out of control to shatter on the ground, knocked out of the air by an unseen assailant. Prison vehicles shuddered to a halt as their tracks were torn apart, their cages fell open as locks were smashed and creatures rushed out, back into the woods. Another of the massive badniks ponderously turned to survey the damage to the battle line. Raising an arm hatches opened and released a cloud of missiles that hurtled in every direction.
"Look through the scope! Quickly…" shouted the old squirrel.
The mouse peered through the scope, zooming in and focussing on the distant fighting.
"What am I looking…?" He stopped mid sentence. Darting amongst the trees was a cobalt blue blur. With blinding speed it stayed one step ahead of the explosions that vaporised the foliage. The mouse could not use the scope to zoom in too close as he would quickly lose sight of the blue shape, unable keep up with the swift and erratic movements. As he watched the little figure leapt into the air and began to use the spiralling warheads, jumping from missile to missile, to climb towards the metal giant. With another burst of speed the shape hurtled straight into the creature, smashing through its armoured shell.
"What is it?" asked the mouse. There was a chuckle and the old squirrel grinned.
"You've heard the tales lad… That's the last hope of Mobius…"
There was a ripple of explosions and the huge badnik's frame shook with internal blasts. Black smoke poured out of rents that appeared in its armour plating. In a shower of sparks the blue speck shot directly up into the air. Beneath it the metal monster shook, the explosions signalling its death throes. With a final lurch it halted, remaining upright, silent and immobile. The blue shape nimbly landed on the giant's inert head.
The mouse quickly cranked the zoom, trying to centre the scope on the creature that had laid waste to the Eggman's forces. Pulling the image into focus he saw a cobalt blue hedgehog. He stood atop the now incapacitated robot, the red sunset beyond, pillars of black smoke rising about him. He surveyed the forest, looking at the faltering badnik force…
"What do you see?" asked the squirrel, grinning.
The young mouse gasped, looking in awe at the greatest hero of Mobius.
"Sonic…!
/Stop Track 3/
/Play Track 4/
"General Avion!"
The General, a wiry magpie with burning crimson eyes, turned towards the subordinate who had spoken. He and his staff were high above the forest in the huge command barge overseeing the onslaught. He crossed the deck to the robotic lackey who was hunched in front of its screen.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Forward units report that the spiky blue one has appeared on the battlefront and has engaged our forces…"
The General made a chattering noise with his beak. The hedgehog freedom fighter had appeared to help the lesser creatures, just as Robotnik predicted. Now all Avion had to do was close the noose and he would have succeed where many others had failed.
At the rear of the command bridge something stirred. A figure, swathed in a red robe, sat in a huge metallic throne. Cables ran across the floor, feeding the thing with power directly from the vessel's energy core. At the mention of resistance towards Robotnik's forces it had began to dig sharp claws into the solid metal armrests, its eyes glowing red beneath its hood, electricity humming as circuitry was powered up. It made the General very uneasy indeed.
"Get the command barge into position directly overhead the main fighting!" Avion ordered, pointedly avoiding turning around.
"ETA one and a half minutes!" rasped another badnik.
"Too long! Increase speed," the General shouted.
"All motive units are at full capability. The command barge is at its top speed," chimed another robot.
"Further reports from the front, sir! It seems…" began another robot, though a crash drowned out the rest of the words. There was a sudden breeze that whipped around the cabin. Turning around slowly the General noticed two things. Firstly the metal throne was now empty, the red cloak lay discarded on the floor in front of it, detached cables were tangled on the deck. Secondly the emergency escape hatch had been opened. Beyond were the pink and red evening clouds. Embedded in the opposite wall were the mangled remains of the hatch itself, torn completely off its hinges.
Outside an object plummeted in freefall towards the darkening woods. It was robotic, there was no doubt about that. Its blue armour was polished to a fine sheen, and it reflected the red light of the setting sun. It was shaped into a parody of a hedgehog, its armour sweeping back into a mechanical imitation of aerodynamic spikes.
The metal hedgehog swivelled in mid-air. Red eyes glowed as they fixed on the distant plumes of smoke. With a flash of light rockets fired up propelling the badnik towards its target and incredible speed…
General Avion stared out of the bridge's huge viewport, watching the little blue shape speed away, skimming the tops of the trees. Behind him a badnik looked up from its screen.
"Sir, should we inform Metallix of the change in circumstance?"
The General turned away from the window and began to plod across the deck, head bowed, eyes closed.
"Let him go… By the time we make contact it will be far too late. Inform Dr. Robotnik that there has been a setback."
/Stop Track 4/
Metallix hovered in the air and surveyed the devastation. There was no movement from below. All the denizens of the forest had escaped, whisked away to whatever hiding place they had. The badniks did not move either. The entire force lay in heaps of wreckage, dotted about amongst the trees. Many rested where they had fallen, but some had been arranged into a pattern amongst the flattened trees.
TOO SLOW BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, EGGMAN
Metallix scanned and rescanned the area. He couldn't detect any organic movement. Raising his gaze towards the horizon he picked out something of interest. His sophisticated imaging equipment zoomed in on what appeared to be a group of vessels. They were transport ships, large enough to carry a large number of creatures, small enough to be speeding away at a rate that left Metallix with no hope of catching up. They were sticking very close to the ground meaning that tracking satellites would be unable to follow them either.
Metallix's entire body began to shake, with a burst of released energy he roared, a piercing, grating sound that also choked a large proportion of the electromagnetic spectrum with static.
Slowly he turned and headed back towards the command barge.
/Play Track 5/
"Incredible!"
"Did you see the way he moved?"
"What about when he smashed that huge badnik?"
"…when he was jumping between the missiles…"
"…didn't stand a chance…"
"…hero! I wonder if he has a girlfriend…"
"…stuck it to Eggman again…"
On board the escape vessels there was excited chatter. Despite having to be evacuated from their homes the creatures were happy to be safe. Amongst the families were the freedom fighters themselves.
"Cheer up, son! We've won! You're alive to tell the tale. How we saw the great Sonic!"
The mouse grinned at the veteran warrior, though felt he had failed. Even if his aim had been good, even if he had hit the command vessel, he knew it wouldn't have made the slightest difference. Robotnik had found a way to immunise his machines against his weapons. Even so he still felt he had failed his mentor.
"Look! Out of the window!" one of the creatures cried.
There was a sudden rush as all passengers tired to huddle around the small view ports. The young mouse managed to squeeze his face close to the window and peered out.
"There he is! It's Sonic!" he squealed.
Running alongside the ships, zigzagging back and forth, seemingly keeping pace with ease, was Sonic the Hedgehog. He grinned and waved to the creatures and a cheer went up in the crowded passenger cabins. Then Sonic pointed up at the view port. The young mouse wasn't sure, but it seemed like Sonic was indicating him.
"Me?" he mouthed, pointing at himself.
Sonic nodded and gave a thumbs up. The mouse smiled as a hand squeezed his shoulder.
"What did I tell you, lad? The hero of Mobius…"
The mouse turned away from the window for a split second to grin at the old squirrel, but when he turned back Sonic had vanished. Speeding into the distant haze was a little blue blur. Sonic was hurtling away across the plains towards the mountains and the setting sun.
/Let Track 5 run to the end… Imagine some credits or something…/