Act I: AWARE

Chapter XXII: Don't Fear The Reaper

Unknown Apartment, Sunday 12:08 AM

Sonic crept up the stairs slowly, the light on his gun illuminated as he carefully walked through the hallway of the apartment.

Everyone was right behind him – the stairs creaking with each step. Sonic turned the hall, the apartment door in question right in front of him.

With a sigh, he kicked the door open. "Police!"

No response.

Sonic walked down the hallway – and already he could tell this place was a tip.

Mannequin heads wrapped in cellophane, half-constructed bombs, mock-science experiments…

It truly was a terrorist's apartment.

Sonic walked into the living space, a grimy green rug accenting the already dismal atmosphere. Books lined the walls, mass amounts of weaponry –

And the flag with the upside-down cross.

This was his apartment.

Turning to his left, the wall was filled with newspaper cutouts, magazine pages, and two cages with rats.

Three computers sat turned on atop the table in front of the wall of newspaper clippings.

Tails recoiled at the sight, brushing under his nose. "Gosh – this place is horrendous."

"A true terrorist's hideout," Amy stated, as the police began rummaging through the apartment.

Knuckles and Espio peered into the cage with rats, watching as they scurried loudly. "Good Gaia – why does he have these cages of rats?"

"Must be some sort of statement about the rat. Or, Nazo – I should say," Sally remarked, Nicole appearing on her watch as she scanned the room.

Mighty and Tangle were peeking through the bookshelves, as Whisper picked up a book off the desk.

"A true manifesto," the wolf remarked – flipping to the fifth page.

She began to read it aloud.

"My life has always been a cruel, cruel joke I could never solve. I never knew what my purpose was – the reason for my being. But now…after watching the cacophony of horrors that this city was built atop – I understand my purpose. My purpose is to see the ones who have wronged me, and so many others…to their demises."

She flipped the page, which was covered in scribbled code.

"Good Gaia…how does one even read this?"

Knuckles scoffed, until a rushed Antoine thudded him on the back.

"Knuckles – we got a tip zhat someone saw a man use zhe fire escape from zhis apartment!"

Silver and Blaze walked up – sharing confused looks. "From here?" Blaze asked.

"Yes! He's sitting in a bar right now, it's just him in there!"

Knuckles looked at Sonic and Amy, huffing a sigh.

"Well – let's get down there and grab him."

Casino Night Saloon, Sunday 12:25 AM

The police and SWAT vans pulled to a stop in front of the bar, the officers stepping out with guns drawn as they began advancing towards the bar.

They rushed in hesitant fashion but were prepared for whatever tricks may lie ahead of them.

Knuckles and Vector led the charge, their eyes landing on the sole patron in the bar.

He was a black hedgehog with green stripes…

Who looked just like Shadow.

"Police! Put your hands in the air!" Knuckles commanded.

"Get 'em up!" Vector added, all the police with their guns pointed.

There was at least thirty members of both the police and SWAT there – calling all of their big guns to catch this guy.

The hedgehog set his coffee down, putting his hands in the air as he slowly turned his stool to face them.

He had reptilian green eyes, a pale muzzle and haggard quills, a faint smile on his face.

"Can't I at least enjoy a drink?"

Vector and another officer slammed him into the desk, Knuckles handing him handcuffs as they began fastening them around his wrists.

The hedgehog smiled with absolute glee – watching as Sonic and Tails approached the window with caution, their cold eyes peering at him.

The hedgehog grinned, but when he saw Shadow…

He smiled wildly.

Shadow looked pale and sickly, his heart thumping out of his chest.

"Shad-?" Sonic began.

"It – It's Mephiles," Shadow said quietly, putting his hand over his mouth.

"You know him?" Silver asked.

"I – I'll explain later. I promise."

Mighty shoved his hand in Mephiles's pocket, ripping out a wallet.

"Mephiles the…Dark?" Mighty said, his brow furrowing at his suffix as his eyes peered at the hedgehog's ID.

"In the flesh!" Mephiles slithered, his smile wide and frenzied.

Vector tore him from the stool, barking orders at him.

Mighty and Knuckles were about to follow, until his eyes peered into his coffee mug.

Mighty looked over into the mug, his brow furrowing hard…

As the creamer painted an upside-down cross right on top of the coffee.

Unknown Apartment, Sunday 12:28 AM

Mephiles was sent to the asylum, as the police-force reconvened at the apartment.

Cameras flashed, forensics collected evidence, as Sonic stood with Knuckles, Tails, Silver and Espio.

Silver moved his cyan lit gauntlet over pages, looking for any hidden messages.

"Why did that capture seem so easy?" Tails asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It did seem like he wanted us to find him," Sonic added, hand on his hip.

Knuckles shook his head. "Either way – there has to be something."

Espio tapped on Mephiles's computer, squinting his eyes.

"He has another video that's password protected. It had a couple thousand views."

Knuckles huffed a sigh, shaking his head at the mess around them.

Sonic felt his eyes move into the rat's cage – squinting as a note was hanging from a string inside.

"Theres a ball of paper hanging from the top of the cage."

Knuckles and Tails looked, eyebrows furrowing as they too noticed it.

"What the hell…" Tails muttered.

Sonic carefully popped the cage open – reaching inside as he took the paper, unwrapping it.

Inside read –

"IF YOU ARE SEEING THIS – NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME TO CONFESS. YOU MAY ASK ME ANYTHING."

Sonic scowled, but what caught his eye…

Was the fact that one of Tikal's bracelets was wrapped inside the paper as well.

"It – it's Tikal's bracelet."

Knuckles sucked in a breath as Amy had walked over, picking up the bracelet.

"So…if he gave Shadow the necklace, AND he had the bracelet-"

"Then he was there the night she died," Sonic finished.

"So…it looks like he was the one who killed her," Tails added.

It made sense – but Shadow telling Sonic he did not think Tikal was murdered still had him second-guessing it.

Maybe she did commit suicide, but Mephiles was using it to make it look like something it wasn't.

"On top of that…he was the hedgehog in the portrait in the basement with Maria," Sonic stated.

"So there's a connection to Maria…" Tails said.

"And one to Shadow," Sonic added.

"He did say he knew Mephiles," Silver piped in, fidgeting with his gauntlets.

"If that portrait was in the basement…the gas – it did put us in a weird daze," Tails said.

"Kind of like the daze the police were in at the scene of Tikal's death," Sonic added.

"So…we can assume that perhaps the reason the police were in a trance was because of the same gas in the basement," Tails concluded.

Sonic nodded, wrapping the paper up. "It all points to him."

A call rang on Knuckles's phone, and he took it.

As he stayed on the phone, his eyes moved to Sonic – scowling with confusion.

"Alright…thank you."

Hanging up, the echidna huffed a sigh.

"He wants us to ask him anything – and by us, he means you, Sonic. He wants to talk to you."

Sonic's eyes widened; his jaw clenched tight. Sonic nodded, turning towards Tails.

"Find Shadow – get him to tell you everything he knows about Mephiles, alright? I'll be good at the asylum."

Tails nodded, smiling. "You got it, Sonic. We will be right where you need us to be."

With a nod, Sonic made his way to the door, pulling his coat tighter around his frame.

He was ready.

Central City Asylum for the Criminally Insane, Sunday 12:54 AM

Sonic stood as the iron border slid up on the window.

He watched patiently, the buzzing of the window unlocking ringing in the room as a striped jumpsuit began making its way into view.

Sonic began stepping forward, sighing as the barrier finally fully lifted – sitting inside was Mephiles.

Mephiles raised his cuffed hands, a slight wave with a smile as Sonic sat down behind the wall.

Sonic stared coldly, biting his lip hard. "What do you want from me?"

Mephiles smirked. "Want? I've been waiting a long time to have this moment. This chance for us to talk…"

Sonic stared, his frown deepening across his muzzle.

"The day has finally come where I will be somebody. Someone that they will remember. You…persevered. You outlived. This legacy you carry…maybe they will remember you differently now, too."

Sonic didn't respond, scoffing with a shake of his head.

Mephiles leaned forward slightly, mouth agape. "Juuuuuuuuules. Aleeeeeeena."

Sonic winced, shutting his eyes tight as he cursed under his breath.

"Your pooooooor, pooooooor parents."

Mephiles closed his eyes briefly, smirking as he shook his head.

"I remember that day. The day your father announced he was running for mayor. All those promises of change…of restoration. That was his entire plan, right? Restoration?"

Sonic shook his head, unable to respond.

"Two weeks later he was dead. Everyone forgot about the actual children who suffered. You, your brother, and your sister? That is not suffering. In a fancy penthouse, looking down at all of us who had to kill to survive? Do you know what it really feels like to be small? To be unimportant? To be truly, and horrifically alone? Where you pray that wherever you stay that night isn't infested with rats, or murderers, or viiiiiolators?" Mephiles said, voice slithering and snide.

Sonic clenched his fist tight on the table, the glare of the light shining between the window that separated them beaming into his eyes.

"It was so…cold. So desolate to live a life of nothing. But now? I have done something. I have inspired real, raw change. They will remember me now. The man who liberated this city-"

"Why did you kill Tikal?"

Mephiles squinted, his smile dropping. "No one killed Tikal."

Sonic scoffed, shaking his head. "What do you mean no one killed Tikal?"

"I mean what I have said. Tikal did in fact commit suicide. Senseless, tragic…but no murder."

"Why were the police in a trance? Why do you have her jewelry? Who took her body?"

"I did not say my hand wasn't overrrrrr that tragedy. I saw an opportunity, Sonic. A way to kickstart this stream of violence that would freeee this city. The grief of Nazo killing Ashton overtook her. I knew then – things had been taken toooo far by these…animals. So – instead of allowing Tikal's death to go to waste? I used the gasses you are familiar with in the basement and spread them across the scene, putting the officers in a daze. I made off with the body and dropped the Zypothime vial. However…I decided I wanted you to go after Robotnik instead. Shadow and I had…unfinished business. I wanted to tend to that myself."

"Shadow said you two worked together? He even said you and Nazo worked together, yet you shot him with a rifle?"

Mephiles leaned closer to the window, his breath hot on the glass. "Have you ever heard of manipulation, deeeeetective?"

Sonic scowled, the hedgehog sitting back.

"I needed both sides to think they were safe. I needed you to be distracted by my work. It has allllll gone without a hitch thus far."

"It hasn't. You're in a jail cell."

Mephiles squinted, a knowing smile creeping on his face. "Such great walls can be knocked down and built again."

"You gave Shadow the necklace?"

"I did. I kept the bracelets for myself, however. Just another cherry on top. That was done for my own entertainment." Mephiles began chuckling, his tone inconsistent.

"So…Tikal did kill herself?"

"Mmmmmmmhm. Disappointing. It may have been more fun if she had been murdered, buuuuut I'm afraid we cannot always get what we so desire, can we, Sonic?"

Sonic scoffed, his glare cold. Mephiles looked down for a moment, huffing a sigh.

"Gaia…it really has been amazing. I wish you had gotten to see me in my element. It allowed me to be myself, free…and without shame. For the first time…I have achieved my purpose. They will remember me."

"How does Shadow know you?"

Mephiles stopped, his smile dropped as his eyes blazed with hurt. Rage overtook his gaze, with hints of raw grief.

"He…is my kin."

"Your…kin?"

"Shadow the Hedgehog…my brother."

Sonic stopped, feeling his heart skip a beat. "He's your…brother?"

"Same flesh. Same blood," Mephiles drawled, biting his lip hard.

"Gerald took us both in. But…Gerald never liked me. He always called me…odd. He decided to do away with me. He thought I was a danger to Shadow and Maria. So, he threw me onto the street. Shadow and Maria didn't bat an eye."

Sonic's heart sunk, watching as Mephiles rapidly shook his head. "They did nothing for me. They allowed me to be thrown onto the street, to rot away with the other poor folk of this disgusting, metropolis hellscape."

The black hedgehog smiled again, shrugging lightly. "But…what does it matter? I am not who I was then. I am…restored. Like your father wanted. Renewed! I couldn't have done this without you, Sonic…"

"How couldn't you have done this without me?" Sonic asked, his face scribbled in confusion.

"Youuuu inspired me. This taleee of vengeance against those who wronged you? It made me realize…that I too needed to take revenge on those who wronged me. The oppressors. I have admired that will of yours for so long. You joined the police-force to try and bring vengeance to individuals like your father's killer. That will…that strength…that focus. I have admired it for soooooo long."

"Then why did you try and kill me?"

Mephiles snickered. "Some things can only be taken to the grave, Sonic. But…you and I? Our mission is the same. In a way…we did this together."

"We didn't do anything. We are nothing alike."

Mephiles looked hurt again, shaking his head as he clenched his jaw. "No…you're wrong. You are WRONG. We are alike. We both want vengeance against the cruel, and the corrupt! Because of you, I am now SOMEONE!"

"No, you're not. You aren't someone. You're just a crazy, deranged terrorist."

Mephiles huffed a shaken sigh, his face blazing with rage and hurt as his breathing rapidly picked up in pace, growling with a light snarl as Sonic berated him.

"You killed people! You're just a murderer, who's going to die alone in this asylum!"

"NO, I AM NOT!" Mephiles exclaimed, sharply standing up from his seat, growling at Sonic through the window.

Sonic stood to his feet, hands pressed onto the table as he watched the hedgehog seethe.

"You…are WRONG, Sonic. I thought – no, I HOPED you would understand! But you don't! Shadow did not understand, YOU do not understand – no one understands! But they will, because when this alllllll goes down, I will be in here WATCHING – and then you will ALL see."

Sonic stopped, scowling. "What do you mean watching? Watching what?"

Mephiles squinted, shaking his head. "You…you don't know? It was all there. I led you right to where you needed to be, Sonic. Yet – you didn't figure it out?"

The hurt in his voice quickly turned to malice, a slight smile tugging upwards on his lip.

"Ahhh – then you truly are not who I thought you were. I expected someone smart, someone unwilling to fail…yet you did fail. You are not who I thought you were at all, Sonic…"

Sonic scowled. "What have you done?"

"It's too late. You can't stop it. I can't stop it. Tonight, is the night for a real change, right? It is a pity…I apologize deeply Sonic."

Suddenly, Mephiles broke into laughter – and soon, this laughter was uncontrollable.

Sonic watched as Mephiles cackled, shaking his head rapidly. "You – you can't stop what's coming! Tonight…is REAL CHANGE SONIC!" Mephiles continued cackling, sitting back down with a thud as he reeled his head back in laughter.

Sonic's eyes were wide and panicked, quickly grabbing his coat as he booked it out of the room –

Yet the sound of Mephiles's laughing continued, and it shook every bone in Sonic's body.

Mephiles's Apartment, Sunday 12:58 AM

Sonic opened the door, shining his flashlight. It was empty. Completely.

But after that talk – something was horribly off.

He had called Tails on his way over, telling him to meet him there. Sonic looked around, trying to find a spot that hadn't been checked.

After a few minutes of looking, the door opened, Tails walking into view with his own light.

"I came as fast as I could. You sounded shaken on the phone? Is everything okay?"

Sonic sighed, shaking his head. "Tikal wasn't murdered, Mephiles is Shadow's brother, he's been manipulating everything and then he said there was still something else that was supposed to happen."

Tails stared for a moment, mouth agape and brow furrowed. "I – gosh. I don't even know where to start…"

"I don't either," Sonic stated, moving his light across the room.

His eyes glanced to the computer, the same password-protected video still on the screen.

"What do you think the password is?" Tails asked, his finger brushing his chin.

Sonic shook his head, biting his lip. "No clue."

He shined his light on the flag, pointing his light towards the bottom as his eye caught an arrow pointing to the left.

He squinted, following the air to the wall – where an arrow was drawn across the wall – pointing to the flag.

It just…pointed in a circle?

He pondered, before the lightbulb went off in his head.

Sonic turned quickly, grabbing the top of the flag as he tore it down.

"Sonic?! Wha-" Tails started, before his eyes met a map.

He walked up, shining his light at the map of Central City.

Eight lightbulbs were blinking, Sonic and Tails squinting as they looked at the map.

Across the map, black marker was scribbled in large text across the map, saying:

"THE TIME FOR A TRUE CHANGE IS UPON US."

"What..in the world?" Tails asked.

Sonic thought for a moment, before turning back to the computer.

Opening the password-box, he typed in: "TRUECHANGE".

It worked.

"The video is open," Sonic said, Tails's eyes widening as he rushed over.

Taking a deep breath, Sonic pressed play.

He was met with a recording of a livestream, as the people in the chat were giving Mephiles support – telling him they were with him, and they wanted to be a part of the change.

He had inspired an entire movement. Sonic was wrong – he would be remembered.

Mephiles sat on the camera, but this time without any sort of guarded clothing. He was his full, authentic self.

"Hello to the favored ones. Thank you all for seeing the truth of this corrupted city, and for taking up arms along with me. Thank you for tips on detonators. Your research is greatly and wonderfully appreciated."

"Detonators?" Tails asked to himself.

"What we all mean to each other. What we all believe in? We are not alone anymore. We will all be remembered. And that…is beautiful."

"Jesus," Sonic whispered.

"I wanted to say this is going to be my last post. Tomorrow is Election Day!" He stopped, chuckling to himself as he licked his lips.

Sonic shook his head, clutching his fists tightly.

"Shade the Echidna will win – and Central City will be saved. Right?!" He chuckled again.

"Wrong. But – we all knew that, right?! We knew her 'real change' was just a lie, didn't we?" Mephiles rushed forward, picking up the camera as he held it to his face.

"We have alllll unmasked this city for what it truly is. It's corruption, it's disgust. It's truly a cesspool of evil, vile and inhumane specimens. All under the lie of RESTORATION!"

The detectives watched as Mephiles turned the camera around, walking towards the map on the wall.

"The day…of TRUE CHANGE? Is upon us. Unmasking it's corruption was not enough. No…we deserve more. We deserve a true change. The only way to change this city – is to make it cower in fear as it is drowned in the depths of hell – where we will get our vengeance, and our justice! Our retribution."

Sonic and Tails turned to the map, eyes wide with terror as they began walking towards it. The video continued playing in the background.

"I have planted bombs all across the seawall. You all have helped me with detonators, with construction. So now…we will do this together."

Sonic's eyes widened as he looked at the blinking lights across the seawall on the map.

The bombs.

"Sonic…"

"Aaaaand, on Election Day. The day where Shade will bring supposed change? Those bombs…"

"Will."

"Go."

"Boom."

An explosion rattled from outside of the apartment, Sonic and Tails whipping their heads towards the window as they darted towards it, Sonic pulling his head out of the window.

He watched as a bright explosion illuminated his face, the water beginning to rush in from the seawall – the flooding starting.

Another explosion sounded, as Sonic's eyes darted towards it – before the sound of yet another explosion rattled in the distance.

Mephiles watched in excitement from his cell-window, laughing as the bombs exploded across the city.

In just a few seconds, explosions boomed across the seawall, destroying the border as the ocean water began rushing into the city.

The pair walked back towards the computer in terror, both shaking in panic as Mephiles's slithering voice spoke.

"By the time the bombs explode, the flooding will happen sooooo fast – that evacuating will not be an option. Anyone who is not drowned in the flowing ocean-water, will be running in terror as their precious city is destroyed by the crashing waves."

Across the city, the ocean-water pummeled through the streets, washing cars and people away, as the oceans smashed through the glass of buildings.

People ran in terror, screaming as the ocean water overtook their home. In mere seconds, so much of Central City was becoming drowned in water.

"As the people are celebrating the news of Shade's win – breaking news will inform them of their city being obliterated by the water. The venue of celebration will become their last resort. Central City Stadium."

A crowd watched the LED screens in Central City square, celebrating Shade's win as breaking news arrived – informing them that flooding has started in the city.

The video of Mephiles began playing, the crowd beginning to shriek in terror as they began darting for the venue, or anywhere they could be safe.

"Call Knuckles. Call Knuckles!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Y – Yeah, yeah, right right right!" Tails said hurriedly, panic laced in his voice as he reached for his phone.

"This is where allll of you will come in. Where you will all receive your chance to give Central City true change."

Sonic's eyes flickered to the chat. His eyes wide, and his muzzle pale.

"WHAT CALIBER? WHAT KIND OF RIFLE?"

"DON'T FORGET YOUR UPSIDE-DOWN CROSS HOODIES."

"BRING ENOUGH AMMO."

"MEET IN THE STADIUM AT 1:00 AM SHARP."

"Oh…Gaia. No – no no no…" Sonic muttered.

"At the time of your arrival to the stadium, the vile police will have me in their custody. But that is okay. That is what must happen. Because now, it is YOUR turn."

On the catwalks above the Central City Stadium, a mass army of individuals in hoodies with masks began to take form.

Each held rifles, shotguns, bags of ammo, explosives.

They nodded at each other; all of their hoodies branded in Mephiles's upside-down cross.

They were ready to kill the mayor and begin this crusade of true change – to honor Mephiles and his wishes to unmask this city.

"It is TIME FOR THE LIIIIEEEES TO FINALLYYYYYY END! All these false promises OF RESTORATION? CHAAAANGE? OHHHHH – WE WILL GIVE THEM REEEEALLLLL CHANGE!"

Mephiles's voice was a frenzied growl, manic and loud as he barked at the screen, Sonic and Tails feeling their hearts ready to explode out of their chests.

"We have alllll spent our lives in this wretched, vile city-"

His voice began to squeal.

"SUUUUUFFFFERRRRIIIINGGGG! WE ALL WONDERED WHYYYYY US? NOW?! THEYYY WILL WONDER – WHYYYYY THEEEEEEEEM?!"

Mephiles began cackling again.

"THE TIME FOR CHAAANGE IS NOW. GAIA BE WITH YOU ALL. GOODBYE, AND MAY THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT STEAL THIS CITY'S SOUL – AND GIVE IT TO US! THE SMALL AND UNIMPORTANT – ARE NOWWWW THIS CITY'S LIBERATION!"

"Sonic I – I can't get through! The lines are down!" Tails exclaimed.

Sonic nodded rapidly, combing through his quills frantically, as he nodded.

"Then – then we need to get there now!"

Tails nodded, as they began to scurry outside of the apartment.

A true change was upon them.

The day of judgement had arrived.