Previously in the Sonic the Hedgehog Series…

[Shadow]: (As seen in Sonic Adventure 2. He speaks to Maria in his memories.) "Maria, I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created…What my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I'll… I will find the answers. Maybe…"

—–—

[Maria]: (As seen in Sonic Adventure 2. She pleas in Shadow's memories.) "For all the people…on that planet…give them a chance…to be happy. Let them live for their dreams. Shadow, I know you can do it."

—–—

[Sonic]: (As seen in Sonic Adventure 2. He places a gold ring, one of Shadow's Inhibitor Rings, in Rouge's hands.) "He was what he was. A brave and heroic hedgehog."

—–—

[G.U.N. Soldier]: (As seen in Shadow the Hedgehog. He salutes, speaking to the G.U.N. High Commander.) "The Black Aliens have hit six major cities around the world…Among them, Westopolis has received the heaviest casualties, due to its weakened defense system. Downtown Westopolis has been almost completely destroyed…"

[Commander]: "If you find Shadow with the Black Aliens…then kill them all!"

—–—

[The President]: (As seen in Shadow the Hedgehog. He stares at a photo of Sonic and Shadow which lies on his desk. Next to the photo is a gold medal hung up on a small stand.) "This planet was once saved from tyranny and annihilation by you two heroes…"

—–—

[Mephiles]: (As seen in Sonic the Hedgehog.) "Humanity wasn't just jealous of your power. They feared it… Come with me, Shadow. Let us punish this foolish world of humanity."

[Shadow]: "That's absurd. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it alone. I determine my own destiny."

—–—

[Shadow's Radio]: (As seen in Sonic the Hedgehog.) "Transmission from HQ. There's an SOS coming from Dr. Eggman's base. Our last communication with our agent was 26 hours ago. We expect an immediate rescue…"

[Shadow]: "Understood. Initiating the mission now."

—–—

[Shadow]: (As seen in S0 E5.) "G.U.N. and I are no longer involved…"

[Sonic]: "Where will you go?"

[Shadow]: "…Somewhere I can make a difference. On my own."

—–—

[Shadow]: (As seen in Shadow the Hedgehog. He holds an old photo of Maria and Prof. Gerald.) "Goodbye forever…Shadow the Hedgehog." (He turns away, tossing the picture behind him and letting it flutter to the ground.)

And now, the continuation…

Westopolis City

In a dim alleyway between two tall buildings, a woman walks, carrying a small purse. "Excuse me, miss?" She turns around to see a very large man addressing her.

"Wh-what do you want?"

"Oh, nothing much. You, see, it's just that The Boss decided that he needs a little bit more out of you. You understand, I'm sure?"

"B-but I already payed my dues this month. Why does he want more?"

"Ooh, I'd be careful if I were you. It's not a very good idea to question The Boss. The Boss gets what The Boss wants. So, are you going to hand it over?" He pounds a fist into an open hand. "Or am I going to have to take it from you?"

"P-please, I can't afford another payment, not yet!"

"I'm sorry you feel that way." He begins to take several steps closer to her.

She cries out, "Somebody, help me!" Suddenly, a small, red projectile sticks into the floor between them, thrown from high above.

A deep, rumbling, artificially disguised voice shouts "Hold it right there!" Both of the humans look up, surprised, to the source of the voice. High on the top of the building, a silhouetted figure stands, with a tattered cloak billowing in the wind. The figure leaps from the roof, dives through the air, and lands gracefully on the ground behind the man.

The man turns to face his own assailant. The figure has the height of an animoid, but is covered head-to-toe in a skin-tight black suit. Outside of the suit is a dirty, tattered cloak worn around the shoulders, its hood up and shadowing the eyes. He also wears a pair of dark red gloves. The man starts to panic, "Hey, hold up, this all just one big–"

"Don't play games with me." The figure looks back to the woman. "Get out of here. Go on, go. This man won't be bothering you ever again."

"Who…who are you?"

"I'm no one. Now get out of here." She obeys, and runs off. He turns back to the man. "Is this how you get your kicks? Stealing from innocent people? Disgusting."

The man starts to back away in fear. "No, it's not that, it's…The Boss, he–"

"Just can it already. You and I both know that King didn't ask you for anything. You just wanted to get him a little more than he was expecting. To save your own behind from some other slip-up, I assume?"

"You, you don't understand, he, he, he has my family, if I don't please him then he'll, he'll–"

"I know all about you and your family. Now I'm only going to ask this once. Where is King?"

"I-I don't know where–"

He grabs the man by the shirt collar. "Answer the question!"

"I swear, I don't know! I've never seen him face-to-face. But there is…a messenger. It's the same man every time. I don't know his name."

"Do you know where I can find him?"

"I'm supposed to meet him at this time in a week. The corner of 25th street and Emerald Way. I don't know anything else, I swear!"

"I believe you. Now get out of here."

"The Bo-…King…. My family, he'll–"

"He won't get the chance. I'll make sure of it. Now go. Take your family, and get as far away from Westopolis as you possibly can."

"He'll find us. He always finds them…"

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

"…Thank you…stranger. Please, tell me who you are. Who, do I tell my children, saved us?"

"I don't have a name. But some call me…the Black Cloak."

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 0, Episode 9

Black Cloak, Part 1: Black Cloak Begins

Written by ChaosProject

Concept by ChaosProject

March 14th, 1 year B.E.

Six days later

The park is lively and sunny. Leaves rustle in trees and the grass sways at the touch of the near-Spring winds. Birds chirp, and a nearby brook babbles softly. In the center of the park, a white-haired man in uniform sits casually on a bench. One of his eyes is a turquoise-green, the other a reddish-brown. It is the G.U.N. High Commander.

"Pretty nice place you've got here." The unmistakable voice of Sonic the Hedgehog comments with just a hint of sarcasm. He walks into view, looking all around. "I don't see a single place to hide a camera. So where are the microphones? Hidden under the bench maybe?" He actually bends down and looks under the bench to answer the the question for himself.

"Sonic, I'm so glad that you agreed to join me here today." The Commander indicates the spot on the bench next to him. "Please, have a seat."

Sonic ignores the request. "So tell me, how'd you get every last person out of such a nice place on such a nice day? I mean, obviously you can't let anyone else hear anything important coming out of your mouth. But you tried to make me feel more comfortable by suggesting it was a public place. Clever."

The Commander sighs. "Sonic, I know that you still harbor some resentment towards G.U.N. for trying to capture you, and you have every right to. But we won't get anything done here unless we agree to start trusting each other. So please." He indicates the seat again. "Sit down."

Reluctantly, Sonic takes a seat on the bench. "So whaddaya want?"

"Well, let's start with this." He pulls out a small tablet device, and pulls up a video file. It shows an overhead view of Sonic and Shadow facing each other, talking. There is no sound. Suddenly, the image of Sonic leaps at Shadow, attempting to hit him. The two move offscreen for a moment, and then Sonic is sent flying the other way, hitting the back wall. After talking for a while longer, Shadow turns to leave. He stops to say one last thing, and then the video ends. The two viewers look to each other. "This security footage was recorded about three weeks ago. That hedgehog in there with Shadow…whoever he is…broke into a top secret base to get there, just to talk to Shadow by the looks of it. What do you make of all this?"

Sonic seems to understand the code that the Commander speaks in. "I'd say…that guy sure looks a lot like me."

"Our experts came to the same conclusion. But, in the interest of peace, and to avoid repeating past mistakes, we agreed to talk to you about it first. So…where were you, three weeks ago?"

"Hmm…" Sonic thinks back "Well, I've been moving around a lot over the past couple months, helping out wherever I can. Three weeks ago…I was somewhere around the west coast, I think."

"Anyone who can confirm this?"

"Oh, only a few thousand people in the city who saw me. I'm sure you could ask them, if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary." The Commander takes the file and drags it into an icon of a trash bin. "There. That was the only existing copy of that video. It no longer exists. Another symbol of friendship, if you will." Sonic says nothing. "On to our next order of business, then. What did Shadow say in there?"

"How should I know? I was on the west coast, remember?"

"Yes, of course. I mean the question hypothetically. You see—this information is highly, highly classified—this is the very last that was seen of Shadow before he defected from G.U.N.. You understand how important of an operative he is. It's important that we learn why. You know Shadow well. What do you suppose that he would have said? Where would he have gone?"

"Well…hypothetically, of course, I imagine that he would have left G.U.N.…because he wasn't accomplishing what he wanted to do there. So he would have gone…somewhere that he thinks he could make a difference. On his own. So…where did he go?"

"That brings us to our third order of business. Once again, I cannot stress to you how classified this information is. Shadow the Hedgehog has gone missing."

"What!?"

"You heard right. He hasn't been seen or heard from in weeks. As far as we can tell, he's disappeared from the face of the planet."

"How is that possible? Can't you track him?"

"We were, for a while. We witnessed him get as far as Westopolis. And then…nothing. We're ready to begin an investigation. But we knew that you would want to know this…to handle it."

"You assume correctly. When can I start?"

"Right away, if you'd like." He pulls out a folder full of documents and files, and hands it to Sonic. "Here's everything we know about it. But be warned. There's a reason we haven't simply stormed the city. It's a dangerous place. Crime rates are the highest in the world. If we sent a squadron of soldiers in there, we'd be declaring war. People would get hurt. So watch yourself. Try not to tick off the wrong people."

"Is that all?"

"Just one more thing. We're not going to let you handle this completely without us. We'll send an operative in after you. Keep an eye out."

"Just don't let him get in my way. I'm going to find Shadow, with or without you."

"And tell him that G.U.N. wants him back?"

"We'll see." Sonic gets up and starts to walk away.

"Sonic!" He stops and looks back. "I hope you'll keep everything that we're trying to do in mind. G.U.N. is changing. We're not the same corrupt organization that shut down the ARK. We aren't even the same organization that tried to arrest you. We don't want you as an enemy."

"I'm not your enemy. We're on the same side. We always have been. But that doesn't mean I have to like you."

"That's the part we're trying to change."

"You really want me to start trusting you? Then tell me. What's your name?"

The Commander almost involuntarily responds, "Classified."

"That's what I thought." He resumes his walk off.

The nameless Commander tries to stop him one last time. "Sonic. Bring Shadow home, alright? Do whatever it takes. He deserves that much, after everything I put him through." Sonic just keeps walking.

—–—

Westopolis: Outskirts

Sonic mounts the top of a grassy hill, and leans back against a tall tree. The sun is just beginning to set. Just a short distance beyond, behind a line of trees, lies the row of skyscrapers marking the entrance to the city. "Westopolis city. It's been a while." He can't help but think back to the sight of aliens raining from the sky. He sighs and shakes his head. "Shadow…everything's so different now than it used to be. I'm entering a world that you've been a part of your whole life." He pulls out a sparkling blue Chaos Emerald. "I could really use your help right about now. What a time you chose to go and disappear…" A strong wind begins to blow, rustling his spikes, the grass at his feet, and the leaves high above him.

His thoughts are interrupted as a piece of paper blown by the wind collides with his leg. Rather than let it blow away, he pick it up and looks at it. It appears to be a newspaper article. It reads, "Vigilante Assaults Citizens—Hooded assailant reported threatening civilians, wields dangerous weapons." Sonic looks the article over and nods. "Ugh. I see what the Commander was talking about." He looks back up to the city. Dusk approaches as the sun sets further. "Well, I guess it's time to get started. Here I come, Shadow." In the footsteps of the one he searches for, Sonic runs off down the hill and towards the city.

It's not long before he makes it onto a road, and past a sign that reads "Welcome to Westopolis." Scratched in by hand underneath are the words, "Turn back now." Sonic skids to a stop. In front of his path lies four stout robots with guns for hands. Each one wears a cape, and crown on its head. "What the!? Robots!? Is Eggman hanging around here, or what?"

The robots declare in unison, "Halt! State your name and business."

"Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm searching for a missing person. What's it to you?"

"Private investigation is not permitted in Westopolis. Entry is denied. Have a nice evening."

"Denied? Oh, I don't think so." He starts to walk closer to the line of robots. "Outta my way."

"Halt! Entry is denied. Leave now, or we will open fire." They point their weapons at him.

Sonic keeps walking. "Go ahead. Make my day."

Suddenly, a small red projectile sticks into the floor between Sonic and the robots, thrown from high above. Without waiting for any further indication, the robots turn and open fire in the direction the object was thrown from. The Black Cloak leaps from the rooftop to avoid the gunfire. Landing on the ground, he immediately leaps at one of the robots, crushing it with a powerful kick. Immediately he turns and throws another red projectile at the next one, nailing it in the center and disabling it as well. Meanwhile, Sonic has already struck a robot of his own with a well aimed spin attack. He bounces off and directs another right at the final machine.

Everything is silent again. Sonic has landed quite close to the first red projectile. He only gets an instant to look at it before Black Cloak snatches it back up, grumbling in his disguised voice, "Great, it's you."

"I see you know who I am. I'm afraid I haven't had the same pleasure."

"The people call me the Black Cloak."

"The vigilante in the news, I presume?"

"You can't trust the news. Not if it was written here."

"Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?"

"You've seen for yourself. Those patrol bots would have killed you. He controls everything here."

"And who exactly is 'he'?"

"His name is Wolfric King, usually goes by 'The Boss'. After the Black Arms attack, this city was in shambles. But almost immediately, King brought forth a series of machines he claimed were capable of fixing the city's infrastructure. He's a mechanical genius, supposedly. With the government so busy with the rest of the world, it wasn't hard for King to gain the people's trust, and seize power. He's a madman, a tyrant, a sadist. And I'm going to stop him."

"Sounds rough. But I've got my own problems to deal with." Sonic resumes his walk into the city, throwing up a hand behind him in farewell.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. You aren't wanted here."

Sonic stops and looks back. "Yeah, the robots made that clear enough."

"They aren't the only ones. I don't need some hero getting in my way."

"Well maybe I didn't make myself clear. Leaving's not an option."

Black Cloak takes a fighting stance. "I can't let you go any farther."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

Black Cloak wordlessly leaps in for a strike. Sonic dives back out of the way and delivers an uppercut, knocking Black Cloak back. On the offensive, Sonic charges a Spindash. Black Cloak catches the spinning ball in his hands, and, with a struggle, throws it the other way. Simultaneously, each of them clenches a fist, leaps at the other, and strikes them across the face. Sonic lands on the ground, panting. He wipes off the corner of his mouth. On the opposite side of the road, Black Cloak pants as well. He turns back to face Sonic. "You…you're stronger than I r–…than I expected."

"You're…not so bad yourself. But…I'm not giving up. So you can let me through…or we can keep fighting like this all night."

"You're right. That would be a waste…of time and energy. Whatever it is you want here…go ahead and try. Just don't get in my way."

"Wouldn't dream of it. You–…" Sonic looks around, realizing that somehow, Black Cloak has already disappeared. The last sliver of light from the sun disappears as night sets in. "Who is that guy?"

—–—

Westopolis: Downtown

Sonic opens the door of a shabby-looking building. From inside, a somewhat portly man behind a desk declares, "Welcome, honored guest, to the Westopolis Ho…tel… You…you're Sonic the Hedgehog! The Sonic the Hedgehog! In my hotel!" He runs out from the desk and begins to furiously shake Sonic's hand. "Oh, it is such an honor to meet you, I–"

"I'm flattered, but I'm here on business. I need a room."

The hotel owner lets go and clears his throat. "Yes, of course. We would be glad to have you stay here, free of charge."

"No, that won't be necessary. I have the Rings, trust me." To prove it, Sonic takes out a handful of sparkling Gold Rings.

Reluctantly, the owner takes the payment. "My, you are as kind and generous as you are heroic." He goes back behind the desk and pulls out a room key. "Your room will be on the sixth floor, number twenty-five. If there's anything else you need, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

Sonic thinks about this offer for a moment. "…What can you tell me about the Black Cl–"

The owner suddenly puts a hand around Sonic's mouth. "Shh, shh." He looks around frantically, making sure no one else heard. After a moment, he breathes a sigh of relief, and lets go of Sonic. "Please, come with me."

Sonic seems confused, but agrees, and follows the man down a staircase into a dim basement. The man closes the door behind them. Immediately, Sonic demands, "What was that all about!?"

"You have to be careful around these parts. You can't speak that name. He has ears everywhere."

"King?"

The man nods. "He has more control here than anywhere else in the city. Downtown Westopolis was almost completely destroyed in the attack, so that's where he first started. In fact…this building wouldn't be standing if it weren't for him. I owe him my livelihood, so he expects complete loyalty from people like me. Are you…are you here to stop him?"

Sonic sighs. "King sounds like a pretty bad guy. But no. He's not why I'm here."

"I see…"

"So…what can you tell me about Black Cloak?"

"The Black Cloak…no one knows who he is. No one's really sure how long he's been here either. His name has only become well-known over the past week or so. But some people claim to have seen him before that. Rumors and legends have been going back for years of a hooded figure who appears in the night. But now, he's trying to leave a message. He says that he's going to take down King, all on his own. No one knows why."

"What does he do?"

"It seems like he focuses on stopping small-scale injustices. Like theft, or unfair treatment by the police robots, that kind of thing. But he always tries to pull some kind of information wherever he can. He learns a lot about what goes on the city that way, he always seems to know what's happening, and when."

"I see. I'm here in Westopolis looking for someone who went missing. Do you think…?"

"If anyone knows where your friend is, it's him."

Sonic thinks on this for a while. "Thank you. I'll tell you if I need anything else." He turns and leaves back up the stairs.

—–—

Westopolis: King Industries HQ

A pair of yellow pupils stare out from the shadows. Their owner speaks in a gruff voice, almost like a snarl, "I must say, I wasn't expecting to ever see you around here. You're practically a legend in the robotics community. Not that I'm jealous, of course. I'm quite proud of my own robots, you see. The perfect balance of independent will and unwavering obedience. I understand you've had a few problems with that in the past? But I digress. So tell me, what's a nice man like yourself doing in a place like this, Doctor Eggman?"

Across the table, sitting in front of a window dozens of stories in the air, is the Doctor himself. "I'm glad you asked, Mr. King. You see, there's a very special building material I'm in the interest of purchasing. Something that only you can provide."

"Ah, I see. And tell me, what makes this material so important to you?"

"To you, it is simply a durable metal. But to me…if my calculations are correct…it is means of beating an unbeatable technique."

"Unbeatable, you say?"

"Tell me, how would you defend against an opponent who can warp anywhere in an instant?"

"I see your problem. I do hope you understand, though, this is no common element, almost impossible to manufacture. It'll cost you. Especially if you want enough to make any real difference."

"Very well. I believe that fifty thousand should cover it?"

"Rings?"

"No. Robots."

King is silent for a moment. "…I like the way you think, Doctor. But I'm afraid that won't quite cover it. You understand, I'm capable of making my own robots."

"Yes, I assumed as much. Which is why I brought a little extra." Eggman pulls out a glowing turquoise Chaos Emerald. "Accept the deal, and it's all yours." He places it down on the table.

"You have yourself a deal, Doctor." From the shadows where King sits, a metallic arm and claw reaches out to grab the Emerald, and holds it up into the air. Finished examining the gem, King's robotic arm retracts back into the darkness. "This may just be the beginning of a wonderful partnership."

The two engineers each let out a maniacal laugh, King's much like a high-pitched bark. "Hahahahaha!"

To be Continued…