The group had gathered with Antoine and decided to show him outside with him looking on in shock at the buildings outside and the people walking about in their various fashions. "Thousands upon thousands of years had passed and yet I never imagined that the world down below that Albion had left behind would change so much and so drastically." Knuckles said his voice filled with shock and intriugement as he munched on a bunch of grapes that were provided to him in the palace.
"You were expecting all the other Mobians to just fall apart without the Echidna Empire ruling over everything?" Sonic asked him and Knuckles was silent as he honestly hadn't thought of what Mobius down below would be like and what would have changed. "We got something to show you about we have managed to do just fine." Sonic told him with a smile.
The group had gotten citizens moving away to let them pass and waved to them with smiles and they returned the waves; Knuckles looked on and noticed a young child waving to him and he waved back hesitatingly. They then took them to the statue of peace between the Kingdom and the United Federation; "This was made to commemorate the end of a war between us and the United Federation made up of a race of larger beings known as humans that came from their own planet of Earth. Peace talks started but they ended in disaster with no one knowing what exactly happened but the human President at the time Charlemagne at the time was a war mongerer and took the chance to declare war. Sally and King Elias's father King Maximillian got killed but a plan by King Maximillian allowed them to turn the tide and capture Charlemagne and his cabinet; the UF surrendered and we managed to make peace." Nicole explained as Knuckles was open mouthed upon hearing about that.
"This is of my brother Elias at the time as he was only a child when he took the Throne; along with President Bushnell who was Charlemagne's replacement and made the order for surrender." Sally continued to explain as Knuckles thought it over.
"Had the Empire been on your end the orders would have been to show no mercy to the defeated enemies. No mercy given to the aggressors against the Empire was the mantra and we would have laid waste to their entire territory in retaliation. To show mercy to the enemies is to be seen as weakness for we see any weakness having the chance to turn on us." Knuckles managed to say as they shook their heads.
"Nothing wrong with showing kindness, compassion and restraint Knuckles." Tails replied with Sonic and the others nodding.
"Sure Knuckles; there were civilians on their side who supported the war because they were war hungry, benefitted for it or just compliant but there were plenty of innocents afraid of speaking up in fear of retaliation. We took care of the guilty but made sure the innocent didn't need to suffer." Sally continued on as Knuckles was once again silent in return.
This viewpoint seemed alien to him but didn't sound so bad despite being against everything he was taught to believe; would Locke his father stand for Knuckles even giving such weak thoughts even this little amount of thought?
Then suddenly there were portals opening up and out coming Badniks which attacked the civilians and buildings with them. Then they as well as the oncoming guards went to attack them and get people to safety.
Through a portal and starting shooting with his gun weapon was a smirking Nack; "Been a long time since I was home... Nack the Weasel at your service; do you remember me? No matter if you don't know who I am because I was only the soldier instrumental in the successful collection of the Chaos Emerald that made sure that we didn't lose the War!" Nack greeted everyone looking at the place with nostalgia and then bitterness, he then noticed Sonic and his team putting their attention to him. "It was that lack of knowledge that made me not think twice about going out there with Sergeant Simian." Nack smirked with their eyes widening.
"You! The War Lands; their Chaos Emerald somehow got into the hands of Robotnik! You joined up with him and gave it to him!" Sonic snapped out realising it with Nack's smirk grew as Sonic and his team had to focus on the Badniks as well as this confrontation.
"What can I say; I like to be on the winning team and Robotnik has valued me as his personal treasure hunter more than this stupid Kingdom ever has! Well let's bring out the person who hates this place more than anyone else!" Nack commented using a portal to bring out Brass in his new enhanced armor with glares on him and the fear of the civilians as they realised who it was.
"Been along time since I have been here... I am so going to love bringing it all down to the ground; that was all I dreamed of when I was fighting in the War!" Brass shouted out with glee as he started firing his hand cannons everywhere with Sonic and his team then beginning to put their attention onto him.
Antoine was directing civilians away afraid of Brass while Sally fought with her wrist blades while dodging his attacks, Tails was blasting with his blaster while having some drones with him to attack as well and Sonic was using his Spin Dash but the Chaos Energy fuelling his enhancements made him stronger.
Brass then took a strong punch from Knuckles and then Brass then started aiming for upper structures causing them to crash down. "If it wasn't for Robotnik's instructions then I would stay and finish you off but let's see what you prioritise!" Brass told them running away and they stopped and then focused on getting people out of the way with Knuckles catching falling debris. "Pathetic. Such weakness in the face of battle; that's why you will lose tonight like you should have done!" Brass muttered with Knuckles glaring at his words but looked down as he saw the child that waved to him before.
He managed to get the debris out of harms way and directed him to his parents with them embracing the child; they ran away but the child waved to Knuckles again gratefully as he managed a smile. They then focused on the Badniks and or getting the civilians to safety.
Brass made to where they were keeping the Chaos Emeralds and found the guard with Elias in front of them. "Hugo Brass. Been a long time since I last saw you." Elias commented calmly but firmly with his glare.
"The runt of a King himself; I should have ended your sorry excuse for a life like I did your daddy... I remember your feeble crying; a stupid little brat who thought he could take pity on me..." Brass commented with a slasher smile.
"If you are expecting that same scared little child afraid of seeing the boogeyman then sorry to disappoint you." Elias retorted and Brass looked to aim but then there was a beeping. The guards dragged Elias away to safety as Brass realised that it was coming from inside of him. Brass' eyes widened as he recalled something that Robotnik had said when they had returned from Albion or rather Robotnik had dragged him away:
"I could always strap a Chaos energy bomb around your chest for one last mission..."
Brass' face twisted into a snarl; "Robotnik; you son of a..." was all that Brass managed to make out as his final words that the bomb implanted in him set to detonate in the presence of the energy from the remaining Chaos Emeralds after a timer exploded. Brass in his final moments got visions of the flames that would await him in the afterlife.
The guards checked on their King as they noticed Nack retrieving their Chaos Emeralds and left. The Badniks in the Kingdom deactivated and they stared as soon Sonic and his team found them. Elias briefly told them at what happened but the story was finished when they saw the wreckage and understood in horror.
"On the plus side... No one seemed to have died except for Brass and one less war criminal in the world..." sheepishly said Antoine and at the moment they had to take what little victories that they could get out of this ordeal.
Nack had after giving the Chaos Emeralds to Robotnik then went to the dungeon prison of the Kingdom and had managed to break out Starline, Bean, Bark & Zachary and brought them to Robotnik's hideout. "The lair of the great Dr Robotnik... I am your biggest fan sir... Is that..." Starline cackled with glee kneeling as if this was his best day ever, Bean & Bark were just standing nearby and Zachary just wanted to observe.
There was Robotnik placing the final Chaos Emeralds into his giant robot. "All 7 Chaos Emeralds as gathered by my genius; at last... I have become the first being to unite all 7 of these legendary artefacts... All at my power and I have gathered you here as I have seen that you have made trouble for that blasted hedgehog and his group so I am offering you places in my Eggman Empire for after today... The Empire will be the undisputed dominant power of Mobius with me as the supreme overlord of the planet!" Robotnik spoke to them all.
"It is such an honour to be recruited by you specifically sir..." Starline spoke.
"An inner circle member of the rulers of Mobius; I will be sure to be famous!" Bean smiled.
"I just want to hit things!" Bark said as Zachary just nodded amused.
Robotnik then opened up the cockpit to the robot and went inside and felt the power of all 7 Chaos Emeralds oozing through the electronics and through the controls at his fingertips. "I feel the power of the universe at my fingertips... As close to godhood as any being could get..." Robotnik muttered and their eyes widened as the robot just teleported away in a green beam with Nack muttering about he didn't even use the Warp Topaz.
The robot then appeared on the field on the other side of the water from where Westside Island was. Robotnik then had vision portals high above every settlement, kingdom or place in all of Mobius as well as on every electronic signal so everyone could see. Robotnik then focused his mind and then behind the robot summoned the largest army of Badniks ever. He then had the robot point up and shot out a blast of green energy and directly hit the Moon with it now being a true crescent shape.
"People of Mobius... I am Doctor Julian Robotnik leader of the Eggman Empire... For quite a while i have been facing off against the so called heroes of the Kingdom of Acorn with the hedgehog known as Sonic being the most prominent. He has had his last victory he will ever get for I have become the first being to collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds and you have seen the destructive power already! I could easily destroy this entire planet in one blast if I choose but I prefer more direct victory but I will be fair... You will have get one chance to surrender all control to the Eggman Empire but any resistance will be eliminated!" Robotnik warned through all watching this transmission.
Everywhere on Mobius there were open looks of shock and horror.
Back in Robotnik's hideout; even most of the newly recruited minions were unnerved but what had happened but Starline's face was filled with pure delight. "They say never to meet your heroes but... Robotnik has truly surpassed his reputation..." muttered Starline giggling with delight.
The residents of Mobotropolis were horrified as well but Sonic and his team then glared at the vision and looked determined. "Gather all guards and soldiers... Any retired that wants to reenlist is to be allowed. We strike back against this foe..." Elias ordered his guards almost ready to bang the ground.
"He destroyed the moon..." Antoine pointed out but then made his best brave face.
"We will not take the coward's way out; he must be dealt with somehow!" Knuckles spoke confidently.
"Agreed; get the Tornado ready Tails... We have fought him too long to just give up... No matter how bad it looks or the odds... If Robotnik wants Mobius then he has to fight for every inch..." Sonic swore with everyone nodding at that.