I find myself actually enjoying writing this story. This chapter is 3rd person, and deals with the person responsible for the new Enerjak, Finitevus. For those who stayed and read, I hope you enjoy this. Spoilers for StH issues 182 and 183 within.

Italics- Finitevus' thoughts

Disclaimer: Just writing for fun.

Evil events from evil causes spring – Aristophanes (c. 456 B.C. - 386 B.C.)

Dark Soul

In a dark chamber, lit only by a green glow, a figure stood, on his face a sinister smile. So easy, he thinks, Just so easy to deceive those pathetic fools. The smile grows more sinister as Finitevus thinks over the events leading him to this particular point in time as he waits for his new creation to complete his work.

It started in Albion. He was once a normal Echidna, rising quickly in the ranks of scientists there with his work in the energies' field. When he learned of a new threat the council felt they needed to contain, he quickly volunteered his new invention, the Chaos Suit to assist with this endeavor.

The threat was a young Echidna named Knuckles. Due to the strain of certain events concerning his homeland, he went through a transformation bringing out the powers of the Chaos Emerald that were implanted in him due to genetic experiments before and after his birth. His powers were quickly becoming uncontrollable. However, when the suit was used to drain the power, unexpected interference from two friends of Knuckles' caused a backlash, and he absorbed too much of the Chaos energy. Knuckles escaped, and the bounty hunters who had assisted in the containment refused to help further, not wanting to risk their necks. As they could do nothing else for now, the members of the High Council took him home to treat his injuries.

Those injuries created many alterations, not only in his appearance, but in his abilities and way of thinking. He could now channel a black form of Chaos energy and before long, felt that science and technology were a great evil that must be destroyed. When the High Council learned of his strange inventions and radical thinking, they had him arrested. A debate over his fate raged for hours, and eventually they elected to execute him, with High Councilor Gala-Na giving the deciding vote. Learning of this, he used his special invention, the warp ring, to escape. Upon his return, he was leading a fleet of Robotnik's. The fleet's job of destruction and capture was quick due to his sabotage of the defenses.

Finitevus' smile grows darker and he chuckles as he remembers. Fools, thinking they could stop me. Only fitting they die at the hands of a greater fool. Robotnik was so easy to manipulate. His arrogance and belief in his greater intelligence made it child's play dealing with him. He did serve a purpose, however, by giving me the means to destroy that technological cesspool called Albion. Pity I won't see his face when he receives his reward for his assistance.

Knowing Robotnik would eventually betray him, he went to Angel Island to join the Dark Legion, having learned of them through records Albion kept. Offering his services to them, he spun his own version of the recent events there saying an unknown traitor created an explosion in the control room and he escaped in the general confusion of the initial attack. Some of the Legion had doubts about his story, but Lien-da could tell he had a strong scientific ability, and since they needed every advantage in fighting the Dingoes, she accepted his offer. And there I received the knowledge necessary to create my vision of a technology-free world. Ah, Dmitri, how foolish of you to think I would actually help you regain your body. Locke and Lien-da were easy to manipulate as well.

Dmitri proved to be a rather willing pawn. One part of his experiments involved breaking down Dmitri's cyborg body to determine how the Chaos Powers worked. He created a ball empowered by magic and placed Dmitri's head inside it, keeping him alive. Dmitri agreed to all of this as Finitevus promised him to restore him as Enerjak. Foolish yes, but not quite as foolish as the others though, for he did finally realize I would never keep my word to him.

As for Locke…Finitevus' dark smile turns evil. His actions and words made it all too easy. During a battle with the Dingoes, Locke was captured and imprisoned. Knuckles received word and returned briefly to free his father. The rescue attempt succeeded, although with heavy losses due to Robotnik's interference. Finitevus went underground for a time and only learned what happened later: Knuckles' reaction to what he saw on the Island was grief, but a promise he made, as well as his belief that Robotnik was the greater evil, gave him reason to feel he could not stay then. Locke angrily told him to suit himself and walked away, not seeing the hurt look on his son's face. Several weeks later, after the Legion divided, he heard rumors that Locke communicated with his son again. No one knew what passed between them, but afterwards Locke refused to speak of Knuckles at all.

He gave me the perfect opening with that quarrel. Plus he was so willing to do anything to find his family. Cold laughter echoed in the chamber. His dealings with the Ultimate Lifeform and the bat provided me some amusement. Especially knowing I had the answers he sought. The evil smile grew wider. Injured in the initial attack, they were brought to the Legion as prisoners. I kept them drugged, and strapped to metal tables, analyzing them with every machine the Dark Legion could provide just so I could find out the secrets of their bloodline. Locke did not trust me, seeing me as a member of the Legion, so did not even bother to investigate my experiments. Oh, such a blind, pathetic fool!

Locke's leaving was his most dangerous mistake, giving Finitevus the opportunity to complete his plans. Locke did not trust Finitevus in spite of previous aid given in protecting the Master Emerald from Robotnik's rogue A.I. Still less did he find either faction of the Dark Legion or the Destructix trustworthy. Yet he allowed himself to be convinced to search for them, making the firm decision to leave after Finitevus said he could ask Knuckles to come home to assist. Locke refused to hear of it, and after a warning he would return to check on events, he walked through the warp ring Finitevus gave him. Locke's departure left Finitevus free to weave the brainwashing spell he had constructed around the Emerald. Locke will never find his ancestors. They are all rotting in another zone, where I put them when I was done with my experiments. I wonder what his reaction will be to Knuckles being Enerjak. It should be most entertaining.

Once everything was ready, he waited for Knuckles to arrive, knowing that his sense of duty would bring him back sooner or later. Finitevus remembered how he decided to use a different method of dealing with Knuckles, for he was not as gullible as he used to be. However, Knuckles did have two small weaknesses he could play on: that sense of duty, and the care he had for others. All Finitevus would have to do was twist the truth of the Echidna population's destruction just enough to cause the necessary reaction: touch the Master Emerald.

And it went exactly as planned. His reaction to the news contained the right combination of anger and guilt. Finitevus again chuckles. Now he does exactly as I wish, and while a part of him may see what is happening and despises such actions, he cannot fight the spell. Soon enough, that piece will give in to despair and disappear completely anyway. And once Enerjak completes his task, I will remove him. The weapon his ancestors created for a potential return was an excellent discovery.

This world requires cleansing of technologies' corruption. And I will destroy everything necessary to bring this about. Mobius will dawn to a new age where technology is seen as evil, and all will understand what I did was necessary in order to create it.

All will hail the name of Finitevus.

"All will be cleansed in a wave of Emerald fire" – Finitevus, StH #183 "Ashes and Dust"