"Geoffrey... Mr St John; what are you doing? It kind of looks like you are trying to threaten us?" Sonic asked in a low voice with his eyes slowly getting into a glare as he was getting ready for whatever the literal skunk would try; he never liked him much anyway as he was an arrogant creep.
"Stopping you from making a big mistake; what do you think would happen if word gets out? If our King in desperation resorted to such drastic measures; how would the people of our Kingdom feel? The outside kingdoms; how would the people of Downunda take it? They could start a war which we don't need when we are dealing with Robotnik and his Eggman Empire. I came here just in time when I got the alert that this ship sent out a message after so long." Geoffrey retorted as they then began glaring at him.
"Mr St John... Are you saying that you knew about this already?" Antoine asked indignantly as Geoffrey gave a look that silently asked if shouldn't it be obvious.
"I am the head of the Kingdom's Secret Service; I have files filled with secrets that have secrets on their own. I am privy to what the late Queen's father had for breakfast on the weekends. My Father was involved when he was alive in keeping it all hushed up when the project was getting on; tasked with tying up loose ends if things went south and that job passed to me when I took this job. This was one of the big ones that I hoped never had to deal with but I guess it was wishful thinking..." Geoffrey answered shaking his head as the feelings of anger grew.
"Are you for real? You know that they experimented on kids here! They lured them in with false promises and made them guinea pigs! I can't in good conscious let this be..." Sally thundered looking like she wanted to slap him in the face.
"No one is saying that what they did was right Princess but sometimes you just have to let the past stay in the past; no sense in digging it up so that it can nothing but bring bad feelings..." Geoffrey replied shaking his head as he got out some sort of device and clicked on it and there was an alarm in the ship. "When this project was set up; King Maximillian had a special protocol installed to activate a self destruct program. We have a few minutes so why don't you just erase what you are doing and we can leave together except for Zachary and the abomination here." Geoffrey smirked as they were alarmed and glared at him.
Sonic then Spin Dashed at Geoffrey with his experience making him barely able to dodge but then another sent him back; Geoffrey then got out some sort other device as Thrash punched him hard in the gut making him yell and then picked him up by the shirt. Everyone but a concerned Nicole yelled in pain as Geoffrey activated a high pitched sonic device as he got away from Thrash's grip.
Taking out some experimental bombs he then threw them at Thrash and the others sending them back. "Grabbed a few untested gadgets before I got into my craft..." smirked Geoffrey but then there was a beep from the Miles Electric.
"Everyone; the download is complete!" Nicole informed them and Geoffrey looked serious and determined as he ran to the Miles Electric and unhooked it.
He got out some sort of device and said "an experimental EMP to disrupt this little children's toy; was meant for Badniks but it should erase all evidence of this plus you Nicole. Don't worry about this hurting because you're just an AI and incapable of actual feelings..."
This got them super mad at him while Zachary was smirking enjoying the show as if this was theatre; Antoine had grabbed Geoffrey's dropped crossbow and fired at his hand making him drop the Miles Electric as Sally then tackled Geoffrey to the ground with them punching eachother.
"I don't want to hurt you Princess..." Geoffrey snarled as Sally laughed humourlessly and Sonic saw the EMP device about to go off as he found himself and ran to it and tossed it to Zachary who yelled in pain.
"That makes one of us because I REALLY want to hurt you for everything; you callously trying to murder my girlfriend is just the cherry on top..." Sally retorted stabbing at him with her wrist blades before he managed to kick her off. Thrash got the pouch that Geoffrey had brought with him and got out bombs that he tossed as Geoffrey making him fall to the ground.
Tails got to the Miles Electric and pressed a button; "I sent it to my computer back at home... Everything; along with a copy of the security feed as they cameras seemed fully operational as it turns out..." Tails smiled as everyone but Geoffrey cheered with Thrash snickering.
"Do you know what you have done..." yelled Geoffrey as Thrash kick him in the head to shut him up. They then heard the timer going down and Thrash picked up Zachary and punched him hard in the face before putting him over his shoulder.
"Let's go before everything explodes... Thrash, there should be room on the Tornado if you hold on tight..." Sally told everyone as they got ready to leave.
"But Princess; what about him?" Antoine asked pointing to Geoffrey as Sally looked at Antoine as if asking him if he was serious.
"What about him?" Sally asked in a low cold voice which unnerved everyone as it sounded totally unlike Sally. "Let's go... There is nothing left here worth saving..." Sally spoke leading everyone to the Tornado and they managed to get everyone up in the air and flying before the ship exploded.
Robotnik smirked to himself as the portal was opened up in his lab with Nack on the other side on his knees as he presented himself with the Chaos Emerald. Robotnik grabbed it and told him "your help is most appreciated my dear bounty hunter; I was sceptical when you told me that you could serve me well after finding Naugus' Warp Topaz but I must say that you are proving your loyalty. Bring to me the final Chaos Emerald and you shall be compensated well..." Robotnik watched as Nack was gleeful at this praise as the portal closed down.
Robotnik took it to where he was staring the other Chaos Emerald that he had; 2 Chaos Emeralds he now had with the energy making his creations that much more powerful which will give him more advantages against Sonic and his team in the Kingdom of Acorn. If Nack is able to bring him back the final Chaos Emerald still unaccounted for then they will be tied for 3 against 3 and then he could bring his plan to be more proactive into motion.
He will soon be unstoppable.
Geoffrey landed on the ground severely injured and barely alive; he awakened with a groan as he something overtaken him as his felt magic fixing his injuries and yelled in pain as he felt his body transformed. He felt a horn growing on his forehead and his left hand transforming into a crab claw. His horrified face became a grin; "Ah yes... This new vessel will do for now..." laughed the spirit of Naugus as he had overtaken Geoffrey's control over his whole body with his own conscious only able to watch as the Ixis wizard was now longer dormant within his head not that Geoffrey had known before...
The entire Kingdom of Acorn was gathered in front of the palace where there was a podium and stage set up with Sonic and his team standing by along with Thrash. They watched as a solemn looking Elias was getting ready looking as his advisors were pleading with him not to proceed for there were press there from around Mobius including the United Federation. Elias came to the microphone; "Good evening citizens of Mobius; for those who don't know, I am King Elias of the House of Acorn... Son of King Maximillian the previous King who was assassinated during the War against the United Federation... I love and look up my father and my memories for him but sadly I must reveal that he was not the perfect noble ruler that I had thought with him... Revelations that came to me thanks to the team led by the Kingdom's hero Sonic and my own younger sister Princess Sally." Elias spoke as Sally & Sonic bowed. Elias then motioned for Thrash who looked cautious as he came to stand by the podium.
"This is Thrash; during the War he was apart of a village of orphans in Downunda where representatives of my father welcomed them into a ship for sanctuary. This was a lie for they were to be used as test subjects by a wicked scientist called Dr Zachary who has been taken into custody; these poor souls were tortured and experimented on to create an army of Devil Dog soldiers for use in the War." Elias explained shedding a tear as his face was filled with regret as there were shock and horror as well as whispers in the audience. "The poor souls became feral and attacked and killed eachother and the scientists there; the staff there apart from Dr Zachary had their identities erased by the Secret Service and may they rot in anonymity. Only Thrash remained and I give him and the souls of his friends who were victims of a huge injustice my most sincere apologies." Elias spoke and gave the audience a minute to gather themselves.
"I know that nothing I can do can make all this right but I am extended citizenship to Thrash and i will be commissioning a full statue in memory of the victims of all this along with their names from the files so that they can be remembered and people can know what happened to them so we may not repeat history's mistakes. We will be documenting what we know of their stories and may the staff rot in the afterlife." Elias spoke seriously as Thrash looked a little appreciative at that.
"Not only that but the presumed deceased head of the Secret Service; Geoffrey St John was aware and was willing to attack Sonic as his team to cover it all up and attempt to murder Thrash a victim in all of this. Turns out that his father was in on covering it's existence as well so I am invoking the Mark of Shame on them both." Elias spoke even more seriously causing gasps from the audience who know what this was.
It was the ultimate mark of dishonour in the Kingdom which could only be invoked by the King; basically it meant that a servant or citizen of the Kingdom may have their records remain but any awards, statues or commendations would be forever stripped with all monuments destroyed. Any possessions of them would be destroyed and woudl be banned from having any sort of grave; if Geoffrey's body would be found them it would be cremated and then flushed down the toilet.
Last time it was invoked was during the War's aftermath when it turned out nobles, soldiers and aristocrats were selling out to the United Federation to; giving secrets in exchange for a chance at being spared with a cushy life and a chance at being barons.
"I don't know if this was a move of desperation for my father or if he always had a mean streak that he kept hidden but the fact of the matter is that he overseen these atrocities. May you all draw your own conclusions and make up your mind; I do know that he raised me to care and look after my subjects and it was his project to track down the Chaos Emerald that allowed us to turn the tide in the War. Just let his actions be remembered; the good and the bad and you will all be allowed to draw your own conclusions and judge him accordingly. Thank you all for your time." Elias spoke and left with a bow with the reporters wanting to ask more questions.
"How is your brother taking it all; you think Sal?" Sonic asked in a low voice as Sally sighed shaking her head.
"I know my brother well to know when he is bottling up his emotions to try and look like the good king for everyone; I know he is as hurt to know this as I am." Sally replied as Nicole put her arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "How about you Thrash?" Sally asked Thrash who shrugged.
"Didn't think the son of that monster I hated for my life would go this far... I can't see myself liking your family but this is a start and I am grateful..." Thrash replied and they accepted this and smiled.
"So can we expect you to join our team? Your strength could come in handy..." Antoine asked as Thrash shook his head.
"After a lifetime of knowing nothing but pain and violence... I just want to relax and rebuild my life and think about what I want to do... Start by doing some fishing to think as my few memories remaining of my dad was us fishing..." Thrash replied and they accepted that. Thrash looked to Sonic and Sally who had before offered to give him a place to stay at Green Hill Zone; "You sure that you are okay with me living with you guys?" Thrash asked as Sonic smiled giving a thumbs up and Tails nodded his head.
"More the merrier and besides... I can't help but think that we are both orphans who were experimented on as kids by evil scientists so I can relate and would hate to think about if I never escaped from Robotnik." Sonic told Thrash having caught Thrash up with everything that he had missed and Sonic gave him a fist bump motion and Thrash decided to go with it.
"He really is something..." smiled Sally and Nicole nodded.
The Mark of Shame was something that I came up with my self. Like I said this idea was inspired by the Suicide Squad and I had this scenario thought up with Geoffrey in the role that Peacemaker had in the referenced scene; wanting to keep the peace but this time the truth does get out and the stand ins for Rick Flagg in Sonic and his team do survive. Plus it's safe to assume that Geoffrey won't get his own awesome spin off where his more villainous qualities are downplayed.