Act I: CATACOMBS

Chapter IV: Hymn for the Missing

"The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous." – Proverbs 3:33

Sonic could feel the sweat collecting on his temple, watching through his peripheral as the police eyed him suspiciously.

He turned back, as Robotnik was leading the town in a hymn. The words were frightening – almost placing the hedgehog in a trance.

Yet, he couldn't stay much longer. Turning his vision back to the police, he saw Espio and Sally approaching him – and that was all he needed.

Turning quickly, he kicked the door open – earning a gasp from the audience and a loud scoff from Robotnik as he sped from the church.

"Stop him!" Espio commanded, and soon the police were chasing him down.

Sonic felt his hat slipping from his head, clamoring to grab it before he darted through the town. Turning around, he saw the marshals pursuing him relentlessly – and the towns people started shouting all sorts of wicked things towards him.

Christ, what is this place?

And furthermore – how the hell did they recognize him? He had been here for a total of two days!

Sonic felt his feet pounding the concrete roads, turning back relatively to see they hadn't given up their pursuit.

"Stop right there, outlaw!" Antoine commanded, pulling out his revolver.

Sonic's eyes widened, seeing that they were more than ready to start firing. Bullets whizzed past him, yet Sonic kept laser-focused on his run, avoiding their shots with hectic precision.

He whipped behind a building, charging down an alleyway before hopping behind a wall, plastering himself to the back of it.

"Down here!" Bunnie yelled, as Sonic spat with a curse – heading behind the buildings again.

There must be somewhere he can hide.

He continued whizzing behind buildings, dodging through alleyways – they had to give their pursuit up eventually.

Sonic was nearing one of the exits of the town – seeing nothing but desert land. With a sigh, he kept running – hopping a fence as he tumbled through the ground.

The shouting had grown softer – hoping to Gaia he had lost them.

Sonic darted through the sand, shaking his head as he felt his breath becoming less supported. He took his hat off, finally stopping feet and feet away from the town's exit as he looked up at the sky – saying a quiet thankful prayer.

Shaking his head, he stood there for a moment – catching his breath. He sighed, continuing to walk through the desert sands. Sonic felt weak, sodden, and sluggish – his mouth dried and pasty.

He walked for a while – hours it seemed like. Turning around, he realized he hadn't even gotten that far from the town.

He stared the town in the distance for a moment. He bit his lip, exhaling a sigh through his lips as he shook his head. What a mess.

"Have you found your stay welcoming?"

The sudden, low and venomous voice shook him. He felt his entire body lock for a moment, licking his lips passively. His muzzle paled; his eyes widened slightly.

He slowly turned around, feeling his hands shake as his eyes lay upon the one entity he hoped not to speak with.

The Undertaker. He was sat upon a rock, one leg crossed over the other and his hat low over his reptilian green eyes.

Sonic shook his head. "Look man – I don't – I don't know what you want, but it ain't me…"

The man chuckled, removing his hat. "You are not what I want, correct."

Sonic got a good look at him now. He was a black and green hedgehog, with reptilian like eyes and looked a lot like Shadow.

"Then…what do you want?"

The man chuckled. "You see what that town is like? They bring this on themselves – yet they wish to invoke the Lord's name in defense? They are certainly uneducated on my purpose…"

Sonic was confused, fiddling with his bandana. "What's your name…?"

"My name?"

"Yeah – you ain't just called The Undertaker, right? Surely you gotta have a name…"

The man chuckled, tapping his nose. "I suppose so. Mephistopheles is my name – but I simply prefer Mephiles. The Undertaker, however, is my most preferred. That name has a certain power to it – and power produces respect."

Power produces respect? Who the hell was this man?

"What do you want with Westopolis?"

Mephiles sighed. "I come to towns when there is a certain stench of wickedness hanging in the air. The Lord curses the house of the wicked as you know…"

His next words shook Sonic to the core. Mephiles lifted his head, staring Sonic directly in the eyes.

"I am that curse."

Sonic felt his mouth drop open slightly.

"So – you're here because of wicked folk? I don't understand, what's so wicked about Westopolis?"

Mephiles snickered, tipping his hat lower. "Oh, it is pervaded with evildoing. I am simply sent to cleanse. Do you view me as an evil entity? No, Sonic. I only do what my job is – and that is to curse the evildoers of this world."

How the hell did Mephiles know his name?

"You look evil, no offense…"

Mephiles smirked. "Then think of me as a mirror. A mirror to the truly evil folks of these towns."

"Who sent you? Gaia? The devil?"

"I send myself."

Sonic clutched his hat tighter, feeling his heart race at seemingly inhuman speeds.

"I heard you've been to Westopolis before. Why?"

Mephiles rolled his eyes in the back of his head for a moment. "That is in the past. Let us not dwell on reasonings of the past – only what my purpose is now."

"Who has to die for you to leave, Mephiles?"

Mephiles groaned. "Oh, it is not that simple, Sonic. A man's death does not get rid of wickedness. It would certainly start the process, sure, but reformation is necessary."

"Reformation?"

"Changing of ideals. There is not just one wicked man or woman in that town – but many wicked men and women."

Sonic pondered his words, taking a look back to the town in the distance, before turning to face Mephiles once more.

"You're not here for me, does that mean I ain't wicked?"

"You haven't dropped dead yet, have you? If not, you have your answer."

Sonic started tapping his foot, feeling a smug smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"So – what, is Gaia mad or somethin'? Wants you to kill a bunch of bad people?"

Mephiles chortled, clapping his hands tighter softly. "If that makes sense to you, then sure."

"Do you kill them?"

"Some I do kill myself, but some others? They may die solely and purely on their own – but then it is left for me to deal with."

Sonic stared at the sand, before his eyes flickered to Mephiles' donkey as it stood sodden in the sand.

"Why are you telling me this? Of all people?"

Mephiles smiled, feeling his eyes grow frenzied and wide. "Because you are capable of saving them all. You have the capabilities to make them do what's right. You may simply be the sole vehicle that could save this town from evil. If you don't, however? I will lay waste to every soul in that town, and only then is my mission succeeded."

"Why kill them? Surely that ain't the right thing to do?" Sonic asked, feeling his voice shake.

Mephiles only laughed in his face. "Right and wrong do not matter. You think of such mortal terms! I am doing my job – doing what I was created to do. There is no room for personal actions in this mission – only when I sense that wickedness has left am I through."

Sonic shook his head, taking a glance up at the misty grey skies. The sun was starting to set, and he needed to get away from this person and run. Run anywhere – it didn't matter.

Mephiles stood up, grabbing the rope on the donkey, and untying it, before he slid on top of it. The donkey murmured, as Mephiles stroked his head passively.

"Heed my words, Sonic. This is simply the beginning of the cleanse. I would recommend leaving the town for good if you have no heart to witness what will come. I will challenge you to try and save them – if such a thing is possible at all."

Sonic pondered his words with a squint in his eyes, feeling his head start to pound as Mephiles flashed him a sick grin, before riding off.

Sonic stared after him for a long time, finding himself continuing to stare in the distance even once he couldn't see him any longer.

He turned to look back at the town, feeling his mind race with millions of thoughts.

He could save them from the Undertaker? Him? Sonic – the notorious robber, bandit, dueler, and slacker? He wasn't sure – he wasn't even somewhat sure he could do it.

But the words of the Undertaker had him rethinking everything. He knew what he stood for personally – and maybe that alone could be enough to save them?

He shook his head and spat out a quick curse.

Fuck it.

Sonic kicked dust as he began to trek back to town.

He wasn't gonna leave just yet.

Shadow slid off his horse, inspecting the vision of orange in the trees underneath the night sky.

This had to be the place.

After his "meeting" with the Babylon Rogues – he wasn't certain what was going to come next. But he did know his thirst for revenge needed to be quenched.

And he needed all the help he could get.

Shadow gave his horse a pat on the head, before he removed his hat and began pushing through the trees.

The orange light grew closer and closer as he approached, nervous that he may be interrupting something.

Pushing past the final tree, he walked into the large campsite in the mountains, staring at a campfire.

Turning his head, he watched as the orange echidna turned her head, her eyes widening at the sight.

"Shadow?"

Shadow nodded. "Hello, Tikal."

Tikal took off her fur headcoat, pulling her fur coat tighter across her body. Her face was dabbled in white markings.

They really had become full-fledged Mountain Folk.

Shadow turned to see Shade exiting a tent, her brow furrowing at the sight.

"Ey, Knux? You gotta visitor…"

Shadow turned to see a tent opening, as Knuckles emerged – removing the fur headdress from his dreads.

"Shadow?"

Shadow nodded. "Knuckles."

Knuckles stared at him for a moment, a furrow in his brow as he examined Shadow.

"Are you strapped?"

Shadow removed his gun from his belt, dropping it onto the grass. Tikal crossed her arms, looking at Shadow with nerve in her eyes.

"Why are you here, Shadow?"

"I need your help. All your help."

The three echidnas looked at one another in confusion, watching as Knuckles stepped from around the campfire, coming face-to-face with Shadow.

"Help with what, Shadow?" Knuckles asked, wiping some of the face markings off.

"Robotnik."

Knuckles scoffed, sitting on a log as Shade took over.

"Shadow, what do you want us to help you with concerning the preacher man?"

Shadow sighed, tossing his hat to the ground. "I need to settle a score with him. He drove me out of that town once, and he's going to pay for that."

Knuckles grumbled. "Look – I'm not keen on what he did either, but there's a reason we're up here and not there anymore."

"Right," Tikal started, "That isn't our lifestyle anymore."

Shadow pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. "Look – you three know as good as I what kind 'a man he is. No one else can help me in the way y'all can."

Knuckles stared at him for a moment, roasting a stick of beef in the fire. "Regardless of how Robotnik treated us, our want for any sort of revenge is passed now. We can't keep up with that lifestyle anymore."

"We had to embrace our cultural roots or else we'd drive ourselves crazy, Shadow," Tikal added.

"This is how it is now," Shade remarked.

Shadow shook his head, sighing. "The Undertaker is back."

And suddenly – it was like a pin had dropped.

The three echidnas whipped their heads towards him, confusion, fear, and dread in their eyes.

"He – he's back? Since when?" Tikal asked, her voice quaking.

"And why?" Shade added, crossing her arms to her chest.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I am not sure why he's come back – but he has. I am supposing it's something to do with Robotnik. It's always something to do with him." Shadow stated, pulling his hat back onto his head.

Knuckles planted his face in his palm, lowering the stick of beef onto the grass.

"If we don't deal with Robotnik, the Undertaker will lay waste to everyone. Everyone we care about in that town," Shadow said, fury in his eyes.

"Is there anyone else you can ask?" Knuckles said, a certain grumble in his tone.

"The Rogues have made stake in Westopolis. I've offered them a deal – I'm trying to get as many people to help as possible."

"Is that it?" Tikal asked.

"They're the only group I've seen since I went back to town."

Knuckles sighed, staring at the stars. He stood up, putting his hands on his hips.

"Our ancestors always fought for what was right. We've been more in tune with them then ever before. Yet – it does feel that something is missing. When there's something to protect, we have to protect it…" The echidna said.

"But is it our place anymore?" Shade asked, "Is it our place to help?"

Tikal sighed, patting Knuckles on the shoulder lightly as she shared in the sentiment. "I know what he means. Our ancestors…they'd want us to help. As much as it's been fantastic to be here – there's more work to do there."

Shadow stared at the stars; somewhat somber he couldn't share in the exact sentiment – but was glad they were coming to an understanding with him.

Knuckles turned to Shadow, stepping towards him. "Give us a few days and we'll be there. You can count on us."

Shadow looked between the three of them. Shade looked unsure, Tikal looked afraid, and Knuckles looked determined.

He nodded, grabbing his revolver, and sliding it into his belt. "I await you then."

Knuckles nodded, as Shadow turned on his heel – pushing through the trees.

He was getting somewhere now, and he was thankful Knuckles had agreed to lend them a hand.

Now – he could get rid of Robotnik, and hopefully get rid of the Undertaker as well.

He could have his home again.