THREE HOURS EARLIER…
Insurgency HQ
Dr. Finitevus was ready to take the most incredible risk of all time. He had made such risks in business dealings, and in trusting Sonic to ensure the safety of Mobius. Only this time, he was willing to defeat Sonic once and for all.
As Finitevus checked his newly-created Iron Echidna Armor, laced with the small rocket launcher-sized Chaos Neutralizer underneath a hatch of the armor's left arm, he listened to the news report coming in from Prison Island.
"As reports continue to flood in from Prison Island, we now go live to the scene with reporter Jennifer Cluck. Jennifer?"
"Thanks, Larry. It's absolute pandemonium outside Prison Island, one of the One-Planet Government's fortified military bases. High Councilor Sonic and his One-Planet forces are battling what can only be described as giant robots designed to look like ancient deities from Japanese folklore. The One-Planet forces are holding on their own, but the regular military is in disarray."
"But with Shadow the Hedgehog in custody; is there any sign of who's directing the attack?"
"One possibility would be the Insurgency, by far the only resistance opposing the full power of the One-Planet Government."
With a sigh, Finitevus turned on a nearby video recording device and stared at it sadly.
"Hello, Amanda, Justin, Gale, Claire," he said. "If you receive this video… I'm already gone. I'm sorry. I had to do this. Sonic has gone too far, and he must be stopped. No matter the cost. When you see this, run. Run far away from Albion and never look back. I love you all. So very much." His eyes glistened with tears, "Goodbye."
Wiping his tears off, Finitevus turned off the camera and took his own C-4-A-08 capsule. He swallowed it whole, giving an added boost to the Chaos Energy that mutated his body. Afterwards, Finitevus wore the armored suit.
"Seal appendage armor," Finitevus instructed the suit. "Activate reactor core." Whirring and hissing, the armor sealed up all over Finitevus's body, with the exception of his arms and legs fitted with Warp Rings.
The installed A.I. of the armor confirmed, "Affirmative." It was based off the voice of Finitevus's wife, programmed to give him every bit of advice and advantage he needs to take on Sonic and his forces. "All systems functional. All inputs tethered. Neutral command scheme now online." The suit was now fully sealed, "Thank you for choosing the Iron Echidna Armor. Have a nice day."
Soon…
New Mobotropolis
One-Planet Government Headquarters, the Hall of Justice
"Attention!" Two lines of Regime soldiers stood still upon seeing Dr. Finitevus making his appearance at the Hall of Justice. Not a moment later, Finitevus, in his new attire, strode forward.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Finitevus," the commanding officer greeted. "We haven't received word you were coming. Oh, and nice new outfit, by the way."
"Why, thank you," Finitevus smiled warmly. "I thought I would need a little change of clothes. And it matches my eyes." He shifted his topic, "Now, then… Do you know where I can find the Hall of Justice's secret vault?"
"W-Why do you ask?" the commanding officer questioned.
"I need to make sure the vault is well-protected," Finitevus explained. "I fear the Insurgents would infiltrate and steal its valuables."
"But…" the commanding officer tried to interject.
"High Councilor's orders," Finitevus added.
The commanding officer complied with a nod, "Oh, right then. It's at the eighth floor."
Finitevus nodded contently, "Thank you…" With a sly smile on his face, he slowly paused and looked at each of the soldiers standing in line.
"Dr. Finitevus?" one of the soldiers asked. "Is there a problem, sir?"
Finitevus corrected with a smirk, "Just a few."
Suddenly, the armored echidna points to the floor, summoning a multitude of Warp Rings that appeared underneath the unsuspecting soldiers. All of the soldiers screamed as they fell into the Warp Rings before they vanished.
Satisfied with his progress, Finitevus pressed a button on his earpiece, transmitting a message to the Insurgency via a shared communications link, "The job is done. All of the soldiers occupying the Hall of Justice have been taken care of, and all security systems have been disabled."
"Alright," the voice of Hope Kintobor communicated. "It's time to bring out the fireworks! Can I give the order to set the bombs all over the Hall of Justice?"
"It has been given, dearest Hope," Finitevus assured with a smile. "The bombs have already been set. You just focus on the media broadcasts at Station Square. I want the people of Mobius to witness the spectacular entertainment I'm about to prepare this evening."
"Okay, then. What about you? Will you join us?"
"I will be there momentarily. I have some loose ends to tie up."
Finitevus walked down the hallway before he vanished with a Warp Ring summoned from his finger.
Hall of Justice
Sixth Floor
The armored echidna stood in front of the Hall of Justice's secret vault, which used to be guarded by high-level security, now disabled like the rest of the security systems and guards by Dr. Finitevus's handiwork of Warp Ring teleportation. Finitevus accessed the vault's door via special hacking codes, and it took a few seconds to discover the password. The hatch opened, allowing Finitevus to enter.
Surprisingly, no stash of secret weapons or endless amount of gold filled the vault; in fact, the entire vault was empty, except for a few objects that stood at the center. A few objects that caught Finitevus's interest, he couldn't help but grin.
Standing at the center of the vault were the seven Chaos Emeralds, all deprived of their color, and their energy drained as a result of transferring all of their negative power to feed Perfect Chaos.
"There they are," he said quietly. "With these Emeralds, true victory will be achieved. Sonic's downfall will be assured. But first things first…"
With that, Finitevus vanished with a Warp Ring along with the Emeralds in his hands. What does he intend to do with them? Whatever it is, it might be another plan for the Insurgency, or something else that will change the tide of war indeed.
Later, at the streets of New Mobotropolis…
Finitevus was using his Warp Rings, jumping and teleporting from location to location to join the battle at Prison Island. This was now the point of no return.
But before Finitevus could make the next jump, two rockets were heading right towards him, much to his annoyance. He warped around, trying to divert the rockets. No matter what maneuver he did with the Warp Rings attached to his arms and legs, the rockets would not break off. They weren't just any rockets; there were tracking ones. Jumping upwards with his Warp Rings, Finitevus spun around in an attempt to confuse the rockets, but it was no use. They were almost at his feet.
"Chaos Barrier!" Finitevus chanted, and a barrier of dark Chaos Energy surrounded his body just in time. But he didn't realize until now that the rockets have the ability to cancel out Chaos Energy. When the rockets exploded and collided with his Chaos Barrier, the flames slightly drained Finitevus of his Chaos Energy, dispelling the barrier. Finitevus found himself falling to the ground, but luckily, he summoned a Warp Ring to teleport him into safe ground and land on his feet.
Finitevus dusted himself with his hands, before he turned to the Iron Echidna Armor's A.I., "Iron Echidna Armor, damage assessment."
The A.I. reported, "Chaos Neutralizer reserve energy drained. Engaging recharge."
"The missiles may have drained not just my Chaos Energy, but the Chaos Neutralizer's as well," Finitevus theorized. "How long is the recharge to 100%?"
"Full restoration in fifteen minutes," the A.I. answered.
"Oh, dear," Finitevus sighed, holding his head. "One such victory would take some time."
To make matters worse, a familiar 'Ho-ho-ho' was heard. Pulling up a stolen Regime vehicle was Dr. Eggman and Snively. Finitevus glared at the egg-shaped scientist putting away a rocket launcher. It turns out Eggman was the one who shot him down.
"Well, Dr. Finitevus," Eggman sarcastically remarked Finitevus's new outfit. "It just goes to show that your new suit is but a cheap imitation to my—"
"I like the color, Dr. Finitevus. It matches your eyes," Snively interrupted with a compliment.
"It is quite impressive, I must admit," Eggman rubbed his chin. "Then again, it's just another example of constructive criticism."
"Unless you want Sonic to win, I suggest you both step aside," Finitevus sternly ordered.
"You're going to take on Sonic?" Snively exclaimed. "He's your best friend! He's almost like a son to you!"
"No," Finitevus corrected. "Sonic the Hedgehog is not my son. But I have children. My two sons are Justin and Gale, and my daughter's name is Claire. My allegiance to Sonic was simply a ruse so I could aid the insurgency."
"Well, then," Eggman grinned. "How about we share!" He turned to his nephew, "Be a good boy, will you? Help Dr. Finitevus out of my suit."
"With pleasure, Uncle," Snively acknowledged, stepping up.
"I don't think so," Finitevus shook his head.
STAGE 1: DR. FINITEVUS (INSURGENCY) VS. SNIVELY (PARALLEL)
Acting quickly, Dr. Finitevus fired a Chaos Turret from his palm that hit Snively in the chest. He slammed both his Chaos Fists into his back, sending him crashing. Finitevus then fired four Chaos Beams at Snively, who kept dodging each one until Finitevus tripped him with a Warp Ring grab to the leg. Finitevus summoned two Chaos Orbs before Snively managed to punch him in the arms. Finitevus felt the pressure on his arms thanks to Snively's own durability enhancement, but fortunately, his Chaos Energy combined with his own pill he ingested earlier helped to ease the pain.
Finitevus summoned a Chaos Geyser from the ground, sending Snively flying into the air. He then summoned a multitude of Chaos Orbs surrounding him in a circle, before firing two more Chaos Turrets at Snively. The five Chaos Orbs homed in on an aerial knocked Snively and successfully connected. To deal the final blow, Finitevus charged his Chaos Energy into a giant Chaos Rift which flew towards Snively, devastating and collapsing him to the ground, unconscious.
"Do yourself a favor, Colin," Finitevus suggested, pointing a finger at his uncle. "Stay away from him."
"He can't quit!" Eggman shouted, hopping about of the vehicle in frustration. "He's fired!"
"What?!" Snively exclaimed, utterly shocked.
"Oh, don't worry," his uncle grinned, taking out a knife. "I'll take something from you to remember you by."
"Dr. Eggman!" Finitevus warned.
"No, no, no," Eggman assured sarcastically. "You go ahead with your little rebellion. I've got this."
Dr. Eggman was ready to skin the face of this alternate version of his nephew, when Finitevus saves her by knocking the egg-shaped scientist aside with Chaos electricity, forcing him to drop the knife.
"You'll thank me for this later, Colin," Finitevus assured.
STAGE 2: DR. FINITEVUS (INSURGENCY) VS. DR. EGGMAN
Eggman went for the first punch, but Finitevus acted quicker and tripped him on his feet with a Warp Ring kick, followed by two Chaos Fists, smashing Eggman to the ground. Eggman tried a flying kick, but Finitevus managed to block it. However, his legs were open for Eggman to kick Finitevus in the kneecaps. Finitevus groaned in pain, but recovered and fired two Chaos Beams at Eggman. He punched Eggman with a massive Chaos Punch that sent him flying upward into a nearby building as Finitevus followed him.
Eggman flew upwards, continuing to smash through multiple floors of the building whilst civilians ran everywhere in panic, before he finally smashed through the roof and landed on top of a nearby building. In the distance, the Hall of Justice could be seen.
As Finitevus arrived, he realized he needed to end this fight quickly so he could take down Sonic. Finitevus delivered a series of punches and kicks faster than Eggman could have anticipated, backing him up into a nearby billboard. Finitevus delivered a strong punch that bounced Eggman off the billboard, into a nearby patrol robot, and smashing through the roof, beginning a long journey downwards. Finitevus followed again as Eggman continued to crash through the floors until he reached the bottom. The bottom was a museum erected in memorial for all those who died in New Mobotropolis five years earlier.
Reappearing with his Warp Rings, Finitevus seized and threw a museum display at Eggman, knocking him back to the far wall, and gave him one last strong punch. Eggman went flying through the wall before he crashed through a pipe. Sailing through, he crashed through another pipe, and finally through the wall, leading him back to the street where he collapsed unconscious, with Finitevus standing as the victor.
"Perhaps Sonic had the right idea about you," Finitevus pointed out.
At that moment, Snively had recovered from his fight with Finitevus, and quickly grabbed Eggman's knife on the ground. In a fit of rage, he used another hand to bring the unconscious body of his uncle's alternate version upwards.
"You're trying to kill me?!" he screamed. "I'll slice that stupid moustache off your face!"
Finitevus stopped him in a calm voice, "Colin, no."
"He was going to…" Snively stared at the alternate version of his uncle regrettably, "I… I can't believe it… I can't believe I fell for him again!"
"He knew exactly which weakness to exploit to the upmost," Finitevus assured. "Your uncle is such an arrogant coward who seeks to manipulate anyone for his own ends. He was only using you as a stepping stone." He eyed Snively with a sincere look, "It's not your fault, Colin. It's what he does. It's what he has always done."
Snively was quiet for a moment before he brought the knife up. With a single stroke, he would at last end all the years of abuse and suffering from his deranged uncle. But the sooner he looked at Eggman's face even further, he more he realized he couldn't bring himself to do it. Snively turned away, dropping both Eggman and the knife. He nearly collapsed, but brought his hands out and prevented himself from doing so.
Finitevus walked over and gave a comforting on his shoulder, "You've outgrown him."
Just then, a group of Egg Clan members approached, pointing their guns at Finitevus.
"There they are!" the members identified. "Over there! Back off, Finitevus!"
"At ease, my friends," Snively assured. "He's on our side." He looked down at his unconscious alternate uncle with a disdainful glare, "Turns out he wasn't."
There was a collection of gasps and confused expressions from the members at first, but by the look in Snively's eyes, it took a little while to grasp the situation.
"Take care of him," Finitevus instructed the Egg Clan. "And keep him locked up this time. Afterwards, rally up the rest of the Egg Clan and join with Hope to commence Phase 2."
"That'll be the least of our troubles," Snively smiled at Finitevus. "When Shadow breaks out of Prison Island, we'll give the word. We'll cause a distraction in the meantime." He urged, "Go. Defeat Sonic once and for all. For all of us. For all of Mobius."
"I will," Finitevus nodded determinedly.
Sometime later, during the battle of Prison Island…
Knuckles dodged the countless energy beams shot from his Regime counterpart, Enerjak.
"Here's a present for ya!" Knuckles yelled. Channeling a bit of Chaos Energy, the energy balls emerged from the ground, creating the red aura around him. The energy-powered Knuckles flashed towards Enerjak and slugged him with a series of energy punches, the last punch powerful enough to sending him flying and crashing into the roof of nearby building. Knuckles smirked, "He really is a fallen Chaos demigod."
Upon sensing something, he rolled out of the way to avoid an electric whip crack from Fiona Fox flying in a jetpack, and a crystal blast from Ixis Naugus floating in the air. Before the two could strike again, both were hit by black powerful energy beams. Knuckles turned to see that the beams came from Dr. Finitevus in his Iron Echidna suit, having arrived just in time with his Warp Ring abilities, and fired two Chaos Turrets from his hands.
"Finitevus!" Knuckles cried.
Finitevus ordered, "Knuckles, go help your friends!"
Knuckles wanted to argue, but saw that Amy was getting choked out.
"You sure?" Knuckles asked.
"I'll handle these two!" Finitevus assured. "Go!"
With that, he used his Warp Rings and disappeared in the direction of the two Regime operatives. He zoomed between Fiona and Naugus as the two gave chase. Finitevus led them as far away from Prison Island as he could, while effortlessly dodging Naugus's magic and Fiona's jetpack missiles with continuous Warp Ring teleports. As soon as he was far enough, Finitevus pulled back so that he was now behind Fiona and Naugus.
Finitevus summoned a ring of multiple Chaos Orbs around his body. The two Regime operatives turned around in time to see Finitevus firing all of the Chaos Orbs at them. Fiona and Naugus tried to block them, but eventually, the assault proved too much for them to endure, and they were both hit repeatedly, falling to the ground. Naugus crash-landed into the street below him, while a screaming Fiona crashed into the roof of Tommy Turtle Memorial Hospital, her jetpack broken as a result.
As Finitevus reappeared, he demanded Fiona, "Surrender, Fiona Fox." He eyed the energy whip in her pocket. "Your Chaos Whip. It has Chaos Energy powering it. Give it to me. I'll need it to replenish my strength."
Fiona spat at his face, "I'd rather be at Scourge's deathbed before I put the whip down, you filthy traitor."
"I'm giving you a choice," Finitevus offered. "We shall end this without any further bloodshed."
"Too late," Fiona replied, and she lunged at Finitevus, striking him in the chest and sending him back a bit. Fiona took out her Chaos Whip and swung it at the traitorous echidna, but Finitevus managed to block the attack with his Chaos Energy, forcing Fiona to be slight pushed away.
Finitevus pointed out, "You're done, Fiona. Overmatched."
STAGE 3: DR. FINITEVUS (INSURGENCY) VS. FIONA FOX (REGIME)
Fiona swung her whip against Finitevus, who grabbed it, pulled it with Fiona along, and head-butted the fox, pushing her back. Finitevus counterattacked by using his Warp Rings to teleport his Chaos Fists, slugging Fiona continuously. He fired a Chaos Turret at Fiona, who managed to avoid the attack with a flip. However, Finitevus took Fiona by surprise with a sudden Chaos Flame Pillar from the ground, which began to burn Fiona's body. Fiona screamed in pain, but fortunately, due to her enhancement pill, she survived being scared by the flames. But it didn't stop Finitevus from firing two more Chaos Turrets at her. Taking the gloves off, Fiona threw her Chaos Whip continuously at Finitevus, but he managed to dodge all the attacks and fire two more Chaos Turrets at Fiona, sending her back.
Fiona cracked her Chaos Whip at a nearby Regime patrol robot and threw it at Finitevus's head, which exploded upon impact, but Finitevus blocked the attack with his Chaos Barrier. Finitevus counterattacked with a series of Chaos Beam attacks, knocking Fiona to the far side of the rooftop. Pulling his fist back, Finitevus slugged a hard Chaos Punch to the face, knocking Fiona far away from the rooftop and sending her flying into a nearby neon sign, electrocuting her. Fiona fell into the street below, unconscious and her body fried up.
"Like I said," Finitevus repeated. "Overmatched."
Finitevus teleported to where the unconscious Fiona stood. He was about to take her Chaos Whip to absorb its energy for his own, until he heard an angry voice screaming.
"FIONA!"
And just like that, Finitevus was interrupted by a punch from behind. It came from Miles "Tails" Prower, berserk with tears streaming his eyes. By the expression in his face, Tails was furious at the way Finitevus attacked Fiona, the fox girl he used to have a crush on during their Freedom Fighter years, despite him younger than her. With a thunderous battle cry, Tails fired multiple blasts from his Buster Arm Cannon.
"Chaos Barrier!" Finitevus chanted, and he deflected all the blasts, a few sending Tails backwards. Finitevus rushed towards Tails, but the two-tailed fox tossed him back a few feet.
Finitevus greeted sarcastically, "Hello, Miles. You were hoping the accommodations are up for my taste."
Tails yelled, "HOW COULD YOU?! How could you attack her like that? She's on our side!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Finitevus joked. "I didn't mean to hurt your lover. Oh, wait! She wasn't. She was the lover of Scourge the Hedgehog!" Finitevus laughed to himself, causing Tails' anger to grow further, before his face turned serious, "And yes. It is true. I've been in the same side as you and Fiona. But it was very clear to me that I've picked the wrong side."
Tails snapped, wiping his tears, "After everything we've been through together, this is how you return the favor?" He used all of his might to scream, "SINCE WHEN ARE YOU WITH THEM?!"
Finitevus replied, "Since the day your 'big brother' decided to herd us like sheep."
"He only wants what's best for us," Tails protested.
"We're not his playthings," Finitevus retorted. "And he's no god!"
STAGE 4: DR. FINITEVUS (INSURGENCY) VS. MILES "TAILS" PROWER (REGIME)
Finitevus tried to attack first, but Tails spun his two tails around, slamming Finitevus to the chest. Finitevus responded with a Chaos Punch to the face, and two Chaos Beams to the chest. Tails fired two charged Buster Arm Cannons at Finitevus and another tail spin attack, knocking him to the ground. Finitevus responded by firing two Chaos Turrets and three Chaos Orbs at Tails, which knocked him back a bit. Finitevus grabbed a nearby trash bin and threw it at Tails, knocking him again. Finitevus then gave two more Chaos Beams followed by five Chaos Orbs, stunning Tails even further.
Finitevus summoned three Chaos Pillars from the ground, but Tails dodged them all by flying with his two tails. As Tails returned to the ground, Finitevus delivered a Chaos Knee to Tails' chin, followed by a Chaos Punch, and a Chaos Turret to the chest. Tails came back for another attack, only to have Finitevus punch and kick the two-tailed fox continuously.
Finitevus fired a few more Chaos Orbs, as Tails fired a few more Buster Arm blasts, the two projectiles colliding and creating explosions in the air. When the smoke cleared, Finitevus was about to punch Tails, but he was pushed back.
"Are you alright, Miles?" Finitevus asked. "You look pale."
"I… I can take you…" Tails wheezed.
The two clashed at each other, and Finitevus struck first, sending Tails flying backwards. Finitevus proceeded to finish off Tails with a few Chaos Punches, Chaos Beams, and Chaos Orbs, and the final blow channeling all of his Chaos Energy into a giant Chaos Rift which he threw at Tails, creating a small explosion, and knocking Tails out.
"No good comes from hero worship," Finitevus pointed out. He turned to the Iron Echidna's A.I., "Status?"
The A.I. calculated, "Chaos Neutralizer recharge completed."
Finitevus sighed with relief, "That's good to hear. I was hoping I didn't miss anything…"
Just then, Finitevus noticed a blue flash from the sky, indicating the Space Colony ARK had blown up. That meant the next phase of his plan was at hand. As he was about to take his leave, Finitevus noticed that Tails was mumbling something into his communicator. No doubt talking to High Councilor Sonic, but it was clear due to the intense battle he had with Finitevus, Tails was heavily dizzy and wasn't focusing.
A beeping sound echoed from Finitevus's earpiece, and he answered by pressing the button, "This is Dr. Finitevus."
"Howdy, Doc White Knux!" Bunnie's voice rang. "Ah got outta the ARK just like everybody else from Prison Island with that teleporter before it blew up. Oh, and we got ourselves another black sugar-hog!"
Finitevus sighed with relief once more. Not only did the prime heroes succeed in rescuing Insurgency Shadow from the One-Planet Regime, but they also escaped unharmed. But the greatest satisfaction of all was the loss of one-third of the Regime's military power.
A glorious hour for the Insurgency was at hand.
Finitevus answered back with a smile, "Excellent. You and your friends deserve a long rest. Leave everything to me. I'll handle Sonic alone."
"Roger that, partner," Bunnie's voice acknowledged, which soon turned into worry. "Ah just hope ya know what yer doin'…"
"Trust me," Finitevus chuckled. "I always do."
As the communications link with Bunnie switched off, Finitevus pressed his earpiece again to share another link, "Hope, what is your status?"
"We got hold of the media broadcasts," Hope's voice reported. "You're good to go, Dr. Finitevus! Knock 'em dead!"
"The stage has already been set," Finitevus nodded before cutting his communication. Reaching underneath his black cape, he took out a black iron mask and wore it on top of his head. "Now, then, may the fortune favor the foolish."
Time to take out Sonic the Hedgehog.
Meanwhile…
Just then, multiple monitors visibly appeared in the air, broadcasting a very special message throughout the whole planet of Mobius. Appearing on the monitor stood a mysterious figure dressed in a caped black-and-red armor exposing his golden ring-outfitted arms and legs, and wearing a black iron mask concealing his face.
The mysterious spoke with a strong voice glinted with passion and ideology. And Sonic knew who it was.
"Citizens of Mobius!" the figure declared. "For too long, the One-Planet Government has enslaved us, leading us like we were their sheep! They brutalized us, oppressed us, dragged us down! The Regime promised us peace, but brought only war! Promised us well-being, but brought only poverty! Promised us protection, but brought only harm to our homes and families! The Regime has lied to us! Deceived us! Betrayed our trust!"
A roaring boo emanated from the citizens of Mobius.
"Before, under the rule of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, we were slaves to the machine. Now, the One-Planet Government hopes to make us slaves to the nuclear bomb! The nuke of war that does not make food or shelter or clothing, but guns and shells and bombs! I say to you, citizens, will you submit to this nuke?"
A resounding "No" throughout the planet erupted.
"Citizens, I say to you all, this age of tyranny and oppression will no longer stand! We must take matters into our own hands! The One-Planet Government is powerful as they believe they were, but we, the people, have the greatest power of all. The greatest power no one will ever take away. Our freedom!"
The figure's speech whipped the population into a frenzy.
"We hereby declare war against the High Councilor and his absolute authority! Once we emerge victorious, we will begin the REAL change in Mobius. We will return power to the people and give them to means to rebuild the world into a better place for all. A world where the nations of the world unite not by force, but by peace. A world where cooperation is the essence of society, and all is free and just. A world where the strong shall not reign over the weak! What did the One-Planet Government and its cronies offer? Dictatorship!"
There was another round of applause, cheering, and shouts of approval.
"Dictatorship, with all its vices and imperfections. These frauds do not seek compromise. And so, we will not seek it with them. Tyrants have no place in this world, and they seek only this planet's destruction. But we will destroy them first!"
And there was again the planet-wide cheering. The enigmatic figure moved to his right, giving way for the viewers to see a familiar building.
"The Hall of Justice…" Sonic recognized under his breath.
The mysterious figure introduced, "Behold! This is the Hall of Justice, the central seat of power for the High Councilor, who demanded our families' blood for his regime, and our labor for his dinner table. His followers also feast upon our lives. And what did they do to deserve it? Blood inheritance?!" he scoffed.
The citizens erupted again, this time with booing and hissing.
"This is but a living example of tyranny, one of many examples the High Councilor decided to keep alive! Now we will show him our response, and set an example for tyrants across the world!"
That was the cue. One hand lifted a remote. One finger pressed a button.
And then, a blood red sea of flames erupted from the entire Hall of Justice, destroying it completely.
Upon watching the footage, Sonic's rage had once again reached a maximum point. First, the ARK was destroyed… Now, the Hall of Justice? The main headquarters of his regime… GONE?!
"And as for you, Sonic the Hedgehog," the figure now directed his attention to a glaring Sonic. "Your time is over. Your days of tyranny are numbered. We will submit to you no more!"
The citizens of Mobius once again applauded not just his words, but his actions as well.
"If you wish to prove yourself worthy enough to be listened to, I challenge you to a duel at the Coliseum in New Mobotropolis! You and me, one-on-one!" He concluded his speech with much conviction, "Come forth, and we shall decide the fate of Mobius in one battle! Come, and face the might of… The Iron Echidna!"
At the Coliseum in New Mobotropolis…
"ETA, 12 seconds," Finitevus's A.I. calculated.
"I see him," Finitevus nodded, activating the Chaos Neutralizer in his left arm and pointing it at the target through the mask's display. The Iron Echidna had to wait until the right moment when Sonic was in range, and he would activate the weapon to neutralize his connectivity with the Chaos Force and de-power him.
The A.I. analyzed, "Maximum weapons range: 1500 meters. Weapons lock in seven seconds."
The Iron Echidna manages to see Sonic flying from the sky in a yellow wisp of light, directly to the center of the Coliseum.
"Five seconds."
The Chaos Neutralizer was fully charged.
"Three seconds."
One shot is all it takes. One shot, and victory will be theirs.
"One second."
He was about to fire…
…only to be suddenly shot in the back by an electric shock, courtesy of a half-conscious Miles "Tails" Prower. Finitevus screamed in pain and looked up to see a rageful Sonic slam his fist to Finitevus's forehead… with unexpected results.
"Systems failure. Systems failure. Systems fail—"
The collision shook the entire Coliseum, a massive shockwave reducing the structure into a pile of rubble, and a massive crater left underneath Finitevus due to the speed and intensity Sonic had been travelling at.
As the smoke cleared, Tails saw Sonic standing over the fallen body of the Iron Echidna amidst the ruins of the Coliseum. Finitevus's was coughing loudly as Sonic tore off the mask. Finitevus had a bleeding lip and forehead, though Sonic doesn't seem to care about his degrading health.
"You…" Sonic said in disbelief. "I trusted you… You betrayed me!"
Finitevus coughed weakly as he looked at Sonic, "Who… betrayed… whom?"
Sonic tore off the armor and furiously grabbed Finitevus by his fur.
"I GAVE YOU PEACE!" Sonic roared.
"Your peace…" Finitevus was losing consciousness. "Your peace… is a joke…"
Sonic had heard enough. He grabbed Finitevus by the throat with a strangling hold. Instantly, Finitevus began having flashbacks of his life. His astronomical achievements in the Chaos Force, the birth of his children, the rise of his research, his home city of Albion… the last thing Finitevus remembered was the final night he spent with his family.
And then Sonic the Hedgehog, who considered Dr. Finitevus to be a second father figure as his real father Jules was, stabbed his fingers through the neck of the white echidna. The sound was sickening and resembled the sound of bugs being stepped on and squashed. And just like that, all of his Chaos Energy, his strength, and his life force— Sonic drained them all completely into him, until Finitevus was reduced to a body of skeleton. He threw Finitevus's dilapidated body to the ground, huffing at what he had done.
It was then that Sonic realized there was a crowd surrounding the Coliseum ruins. Sonic could hear their comments of fear and distrust, and it was driving him mad as he held his hands to his head.
"Oh, my gosh! Did you see that?"
"Sonic just killed Dr. Finitevus!"
"Murderer."
"Why would he do that?!"
"Somebody do something!"
"Right in front of the Coliseum?!"
With an inhuman roar, Sonic's Chaos Energy erupted throughout New Mobotropolis like a tsunami, and the comments from the crowd gave way to screams. His rage had reached its breaking point and grew like an endless inferno. Sonic turned around, and growled at the crowd with red glowing eyes. The people began to flee.
The golden energy furiously spread. Cars flipped into the air, buildings shattered into rocks, people flew backwards from explosions. Then smoke. Then fire. Then blood. Then ruined structures.
And rage, rage everywhere.
When Sonic vanished, the area was already reduced to ashes and rubble, and all the people living in that area had died; most of them wiped out, others with their bodies on the ground. The only living soul was a now-conscious Tails, who silently watched the sky lit by a small yellow light vanishing into the clouds. And it was with horror in his eyes.
In fact, Tails was the only one who witnessed Sonic massacre the entire city district of New Mobotropolis out of feelings of hatred and betrayal. He was lucky to have been spared from Sonic's wrath, but he couldn't do anything to snap him out of it. His eyes later shifted to Dr. Finitevus's skeletal body, this time of sadness and regret.
This wasn't right. Not at all. He joined Sonic to make the world a better place and prevent any more casualties from happening… Ironically, it was Sonic who caused this casualty, and the blood of Dr. Finitevus was on Sonic's hands. But most of the blame was on Tails.
For once in his life, Tails realized he had made a mistake.
A very big mistake.