Act I: CATACOMBS
Chapter V: Bad Moon Rising
"Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them." – Ephesians 5:11
As the dusky night had fallen, Sonic grew tired of being cooped up in a pile of garbage behind a brick building.
He sighed, fumbling for a cigarette and his matchbox as he stared with heavy eyes at the musky grey clouds, obscuring the light from the moon.
The town was cascaded in darkness, nothing allowed for light to poke in. He remembered his conversation with the Undertaker, and how foolish he felt after hearing what he had to say.
He was the savior? Him? What a joke.
Sonic had never known "saving" anyone, only saving his own hide when the goings got tough. He was surely not responsible for an entire town.
Huffing a sigh, Sonic knew that the longer he lay here in hiding the worse this was going to be. Stumbling up, he stuck the cigarette in his mouth before he began toting down the dirty sand roads.
The only sounds were the light hooting of birds, as well as the brushing of sand. A few tumbleweeds blew by him, signaling that even in this large, overpopulated town – he was still alone in the night.
Or so he thought.
A singing voice, that of a siren song, filled his ears. A woman's voice, no doubt. It stopped Sonic in his tracks, a tight scowl forming on his face. Turning his head, he noticed that the city had grown strangely foggy in a matter of seconds.
There was one light though, far in the distance. The outskirts of town…it had to be. One lantern flickered, and he knew immediately that's where the sound was originating.
As he approached carefully, the small barn seemed burnt on the sides. It looked as if it had survived some sort of fire, yet two cat-skulls hung still on the sides of the door, seeming to peer into his very soul. Sonic scowled again, scoffing slightly under his breath, yet the singing only grew louder and more sinister.
He shook his head, flicking his cigarette into the distance. Yeah, this was surely the place. A wheat roof, burnt wood, feline skulls, and even small bails of hay. It was abhorrently out of place.
That's when he noticed painted graffiti on the side of the barn. He cocked his head, adjusting his eyes to read the words in the darkness.
"LEAVE OUR TOWN, DEVILLED WITCHES."
Under that was a bible verse, though not the verse itself.
Matthew 6:13.
Witches? There were witches here? Since when-
Sonic felt a sharp pain in his head as the singing raised in volume instantly, almost as if it was angry that the hedgehog had yet to take the hint.
Fine. Have it your way.
Sonic sighed shakingly, stepping towards the door. It was dark wood, and it seemed to rattle in the wind ever so slightly.
With a deep breath, he pushed the door open.
Stepping inside, he looked around the room covered in sages, plants, books, candles, and statues. It was surely a witch's den.
Yet, the three women inside were not singing at all. Where the hell did that voice come from? Had they planted an illusion in his mind?
His eyes first met that of an orange raccoon, who was weaving threads together. Across the room for her was a golden tenrec, lightning various candles.
And in the center of the room, a purple cat, dressed in an elegant black cloaked dress, who silently poured liquid from a flask into a bowl.
Her golden eyes flickered up, her face staying a passive scowl as she examined the hedgehog.
"Come. Sit, Sonic the Hedgehog."
Sonic scoffed immediately, feeling the eyes of the raccoon and the tenrec whip towards him. He looked around the room once more, feeling even more isolated and trapped.
"You – how do you know who I am? This seems a bit…wicked."
"Wicked? Please, don't make me laugh," The cat said, yet no humor or play was in her tone. She gestured once again to the chair in front of her.
Even with the candles, the room was helplessly dark.
Sonic knew there was no getting out of this. He was called here, and there was a reason. Complying reluctantly, the hedgehog sat in front of the witch.
Sonic leaned back, shooting her an amused glance. "Well, if we're gonna chit-chat, can I at least get your name, hun?"
The cat cocked an eyebrow. "I am Blaze. That right there is Marine, and across from her is Gold."
Sonic turned around, nodding to Marine and Gold, who stared at him blankly.
"So…what do y'all fine ladies need from me?"
Blaze silenced him by flicking her hand, as the golden lights of the candles turned to an ominous red.
Sonic felt his heart stop for a moment, sweat beginning to form on his temples. He needed to keep his calm.
"You spoke with someone today, did you not?" Blaze asked him, peering into his eyes.
The hedgehog shuffled. "Y- yeah? Not of my own decision of course. He 'kinda caught me."
The cat rested her chin on her hands, interlocking her fingers together. "You are the key to freeing the town it seems."
"Th-this town? Pardon me, just doesn't seem to me that you would care about this town all that much?"
"Well, we do," Gold spoke up, beginning to walk towards him. "This is the same town that drove my brother, Miss Blaze's lover, away."
"We may not be able to forgive them for that, but it isn't their faults," Marine added, walking along the other side of Sonic, "Freeing them will make this place balanced once again."
"Balanced?" Sonic asked, returning his gaze to Blaze. "Alright, I need some answers. What exactly is happening here? No one has given me a damn clear answer yet, and if I'm supposed to do somethin' about it, I'd like some transparency."
Sonic was shocked at the balls he had to talk to her like this. She didn't seem shocked however, as the corner of her lip tugged upwards slightly.
"Corruption and wickedness pervade this place. Ever since the iron fist of religion and rule has implanted itself here, it has spread fear, doubt, and anxiety – giving the truly wicked control. Power."
Sonic stared at Blaze as she explained.
"A pure heart sets free. My lover, Gold's brother, attempted this – yet to no avail. Now he has run off, and I know not when I will see him again."
Suddenly, Blaze leaned forward, staring daggers at the hedgehog.
"Are you someone who leaves, Sonic?"
Sonic backed against the chair slightly, the air becoming quickly coarse and hostile. He stammered, before wiping his lips with the back of his glove.
"I – I run. I've always ran. That's what I know."
"Then you're not equipped," Gold spat, before turning around.
"Well – hey! Wh – why ain't I equipped?!" Sonic replied, offense taken.
Blaze doused a small olive-branch into a bowl of liquid, stirring it slightly yet keeping her gaze on Sonic.
"The more the pure hearts are driven away, the stronger the control of the wicked becomes. It is why the Undertaker returns. It is why he never stops coming back."
Sonic's throat dried up, watching the cat stir the branch in the liquid.
"You have no stake in this town. You have no family here, and you are yet to have any friends. You are simply another outlaw who wishes to find a place to call home, are you not?"
Sonic stammered again, feeling his hands clam up. "I – I guess so, yeah…?"
"Is this truly a place you'd want to call home?"
He knew what she was saying.
If this was truly the great Westopolis he had heard of – full of opportunity, community, acceptance, and wealth, then he couldn't just stand by and watch it fall under attack.
Of course, he wanted to call this place home.
But he couldn't. Not when it was like this.
"It is. But…I guess I can't be here if it's like this, can I?"
"The police are after you," Marine muttered, "Yet, if you were the hero that saved the town? Well – that don't sound like an outlaw to me."
Sonic glanced towards the ground, pondering her words before he looked at Blaze.
"So, what do you want from me?"
Suddenly, Blaze blew a powder onto Sonic, as the hedgehog coughed incessantly.
"What – what the?! The hell was that?!"
"Shhh!" Gold hissed, before Blaze nodded to the tenrec. She changed her gaze to Sonic, who had recovered from his coughing fit.
"A spell of protection, Sonic. You will need it. I see your heart is pure, your mind is noble. However, I also see your thirst for adrenaline is high. You must calm your speeding desires – they will not serve you in this fight."
Sonic wiped his mouth. "What exactly is this fight?"
Blaze sighed, before clapping her hands. Suddenly, a low, pulsing, and ominous drone filled the room. Smoke began to fill slowly, the only light now coming from a few lanterns – flickering between a fiery orange and an ominous red.
Gold and Marine surrounded him, staring at the hedgehog as they hummed lowly. Blaze stood up, fog surrounding them as she stared at Sonic, eyes cutting into his soul.
"The heart of light, the mind of purity. The ones above cast an evanescent glow upon you, Sonic."
Blaze's voice seemed deeper, and it sounded like her voice had tripled. The humming drone grew louder and louder.
"For your fate is now set and you cannot escape it. The mines contain the steely weapon you must set your hands upon."
Suddenly, on a dime, it seemed as if some otherworldly entity had taken a semblance of control over Sonic, and he began to respond to her without any sort of control.
"There, I will find the weapon to drown the wickedness from this noble town."
"With this weapon, you will hold it close to your chest, though your greatest weapon is your heart. When the rain begins to fall, the eyes of the Undertaker will glow through the dark. You will watch as the water cleanses the true evil from the hearts of men."
"There, Gaia will drown the wicked beasts, and restore purity over this town."
"For your path is now set. You will fight the forces of depravity with your words, your hands, and your heart. The deities above will protect your soul, guiding you to achieving the path of salvation."
"I will fight the forces of evil with the light of my soul. I will be their salvation, and I will destroy the wicked hearts that corrupt these innocent men and women."
"You cannot escape the fate of which Gaia has decreed. Now, be gone!"
Suddenly, Blaze thudded Sonic on the chest, knocking him back into his body with a yelp. His eyes grew wide as he was sent flying back, slamming into the door as it flung open. The hedgehog pummeled through the sand, toppling, and turning as he coughed. His lungs felt ablaze, faceplanting into the cold sand as the door to the witch's hut slammed shut.
Lifting his head, he stared at the barn. He shook his head in utter disbelief.
And suddenly, the lanterns on the side of the door lost their flame.
Jet waltzed into the room, whistling a bright tune as he twirled his revolver.
He kicked his foot up onto the doorframe, lighting two cigarettes as they hung from his mouth. He passed the other to Wave, who chuckled with glee.
"Alright you four – the hell can we do for you?" The voice asked, as Jet whipped his head to lock eyes with the green hedgehog.
"Scourgie…is that really the best way to greet 'ya old pals!?"
Scourge rolled his eyes with a chuckle, lighting a cigar. "Yanno – the Diamond Cutters are just next door with Whisper and Tangle. Maybe you wanna try those people?"
Storm rolled his eyes. "We ain't actin' on our own accord here. We got a special guy with a special request…"
Scourge's partner, and girlfriend, Fiona leaned forward. "Oh yeah? Who might this special guy be?"
"Let's just say he's a black and red hedgehog with a thirst for revenge…" Wave muttered.
Scourge whistled loudly, coughing slightly as a cloud of smoke blew from his mouth. "Don't tell me you're talkin' about Shadow now?!"
"Oh, yeah! Shadow! The one and only!" Bean piped in, chuckling under his breath.
"So, what? He got a bounty on someone?" Scourge asked, clicking his tongue.
"Well…you could say that!" Jet exclaimed, earning a scoff from Fiona.
"If it ain't got money involved, we don't care about whatever revenge fantasy ol' Shadow's got dreamed up," Fiona remarked.
"Oh, there will be money involved!" Storm replied.
"So, did he set this bounty up through Infinite and Nazo? Or is Shadow just runnin' his mouth?" Scourge spat, peering at Jet.
"We ain't really got all the details, but it's Shadow we're talkin' about! There's gotta be a reason for this, yanno?!" Bean exclaimed, earning a shrug from Jet.
"How do y'all feel about Robotnik?" Jet asked smugly, earning an overdrawn sigh from Scourge.
"Ah, so he's after the preacher huh? Why didn't you just say so?" Scourge chuckled, but Fiona grumbled.
"Preacher schmeacher – I wanna get paid. I don't care about that Undertaker bullshit."
"Look, foxy – we're gonna get paid. Shadow's organizing a big operation. There's bound to be money in it," Wave spat, earning a glare from Fiona.
Scourge turned to look at the fox, smirking. "Ahhh – come on babe! Putting the fat man out of his misery would be loads of fun! Money or not, I'm interested."
Jet smirked, tossing a cigarette to Scourge as he caught it. "So, y'all in or what?"
Scourge stared at Jet for a while, pursing his lips as he clutched his revolver by his waist. He turned to Fiona, who merely shrugged.
"Well…I know I am. Dunno about ol' Fi' here," Scourge replied smugly, wiggling his eyebrows at Fiona.
Storm turned to the fox. "Ah – come on! You know you wanna see him bleed out just like we do!"
Fiona pondered, her eyes scanning across the group inside. Finally, she gave in.
"Fine. But if I don't get paid? It's all your heads!"
Jet chuckled. "Ahhh – don't be like that! Of course you'll get paid! Do us a favor, pass the message onto the Diamond Cutters. I think 'ol Whisper is involved, but I'on know about her little team."
Scourge chortled. "You got it, Hawkeye."
As the Rogues left, they walked across the street, approaching Shadow as he smoked a cigarette underneath a streetlamp.
"Well, they're in Shadow. You got them on your side," Wave stated, as Shadow flicked the cigarette into the distance.
"Good. Glad to hear."
"Just…there is money involved in this, right?" Storm asked, twiddling his thumbs.
"Yes. Still working through the details with the jackal and Nazo. Give me some time."
"You got the Diamond Cutters in on it?" Bean asked.
"I have Whisper and Tangle on board. They roll with Rouge's group as well. The Diamond Cutters, not quite yet."
Jet sighed. "Well, you might wanna get on it. You're gonna need a good number of people to put some dents into his operation. I know the final bullet is all yours though."
Shadow turned to look into the distance, a smug grin on his muzzle. "Don't worry about the numbers. I have a perfectly good trio right here."
The Rogues turned, watching as three silhouettes approached, confused gazes on their faces.
Jet's turned into a wide, cheeky grin when he realized who it was by the fur-hides on their bodies.
Tikal, Shade,
and Knuckles.