To Void Reader and other reviewers; please don't bring up the possibility of me bringing in Amy again because sorry but you will only be setting yourself up for dissapointment. Plus there was this annoying guest who was being petty and immature while acting like they were the reasonable one despite me making my stance clear and I was almost ready to be petty and spiteful and have in the Sonic 3 story bring in Amy as just an oponnent in the arena fight that Clutch has Tails, Bunnie & Knuckles take part in but I realised that would be too petty. I think I have said that I don't plan on introducing Rotor since we already have a tech expert on hand in Tails and like I said last chapter; bringing in too many heroes for the team would make it too bloated. Plus I already have Rouge. I appreciate feedback and I don't mean any harm or ill will to any Amy fans but I have said before that me forcing myself to include Amy when I don't want to will not give out a version of her that people will like and I wouldn't have it in me to put much effort into her.
Up on the floating island of Albion at the temple; Knuckles was lying down bored in front of the podium that housed the Chaos Emerald. He had done nothing but guard the Emerald and fight the island's wildlife to train like he did most other days. The same thing day in and day out.
"Perhaps... I could spare some time to go and visit Sonic in Mobotropolis... All those lovely sights that they had there..." Knuckles asked himself out loud only for the spirit of Locke to appear before him.
"You cannot my son; it's your duty to guard the Emerald that protects the home of our ancestors You also cannot give too much thought to those outsiders..." Locke told him but Knuckles got up agitated.
"It's the same every day and you say that it's my destiny to restore the Echidna Empire but you refuse to say how! Plus with how much I owe Sonic and his friends; their help in stopping Robotnik from abusing the power of all 7 Emeralds... Why should I give them no thought?" Knuckles screamed at Locke only for him to look back sternly.
"It's not your place to question the wisdom of your elder..." Locke retorted back at him and then they looked and saw a portal open up and out came a legion of black armored legions with weapons and Knuckles got ready.
"Finally some action..." Knuckles grinned but his eyes widened as there came Zachary grinning as he began leading them. "Zachary; you dare show your face on this island again? Allow me to give you the beating that you are owed..." Knuckles snapped but Locke's ghostly hand put on his son's shoulder to stop him.
"Knuckles and the great Guardian Locke; an honor... I know that we went off on the wrong foot on my last visit but I return to you from the Twilight Zone or rather the Cyberdark Colony as it has come to be. I have been made the new Grandmaster of the Dark Legion." Zachary explained and then the Dark Legion soldiers with him then looked to Knuckles and bowed before him but he didn't take his eyes off from him.
"I want to invite you to see for yourself and to take the Emerald with you so that we could put our differences aside and work together to restore the Echidna Empire." Zachary offered as Knuckles was furious.
"Why would I do that..." snapped Knuckles but Locke looked to him.
"Remember what I told you before son; Zachary's ultimate goal is the same as our's. You are to listen to him." ordered Locke and Knuckles looked ot him and putting his head down sighed as he then followed Zachary and the Dark Legion soldiers through the portal.
Right now Sonic and Tails were with Nicole at Green Hill fishing with Thrash while talking with eachother; "Even if I could be able to program in Nicole being able to make copies of herself; they would be able hard for her to control on her won every one of them. You think an army of Nicoles would be that helpful Sonic?" Tails asked Sonic as he shared his latest idea with her.
"Actually; I was more thinking of Nicole using that to fluster Sal. What do you think Nicole; a harem of multiple versions of you to make our girlfriend red in the face?" Sonic asked jokingly as Nicole just laughed at the mental image.
However then jumped down from a tree was a Dark Legion soldier and then the helmet collapsed to show herself to be an orange furred Echidna girl causing their eyes to widen. "Are you Knuckles' Mobian friends that Dr Zachary told us about? Sonic..." asked the girl as Thrash then angry caught her by the neck and banged her back against a tree.
"You in cahoots with Zachary? Then you are an enemy to me..." Thrash threatened as Sonic and Tails got her to let her go.
"You have to excuse our friend here as Zachary has taken so much from Thrash but this is us giving you the chance to explain yourself to us." Sonic told her softly as they waited but Thrash looked like he would leap at another excuse to attack.
"My name is Shade and I am of the Cyberdark Colony and soldier of the Dark Legion. We are descendants of a science caste of Echidna who were experimented on becoming cyborgs and banished to the Twilight Zone awaiting our return to Mobius. I myself dreamed of dreamed of exploring the changed Mobius if our return happened in my lifetime and integrate ourselves to Mobius once more. I thought that it came true when Zachary came to our Zone and Grandmaster Ix willingly passed his title to him so he could lead us to Mobius and restore the Echidna Empire." she explained taking this in.
"Heard of the story from the monster himself and it looks like it was wishful thinking that he was gone for good this time..." Sonic muttered silently asking why couldn't things be easy for once.
"I decided to rebel and took an opportunity the use the Warp Topaz to create a portal here; I was caught and the Topaz taken back but I managed to escape the soldiers long enough to exit through the portal before it closed." Shade explained as they digested this information.
"Say we believe you; what made you rebel?" Thrash asked with a shake of a head as Shade sighed.
Shade then slowly said "Your world is in danger as I overheard Dr Zachary and Ex-Grandmaster Ix talking about the full scope of their plans..."
The main base of the Cyberdark Colony and Zachary showed Knuckles and Locke a case filled with a golden and blue set of armor with a helmet. "Is this really..." asked Locke taking it in...
Long ago when Knuckles was an infant; Locke was showing him a textbook with a drawing of a warrior wearing the armor. "This is the tale of Enerjak; experimenting with the 6 Chaos Emeralds to create a great warrior and they infused the energy into a suit of armor made from the strongest metals possible and one volunteer tried it on but something went wrong... He was consumed by the Chaos energy and corrupted; calling himself Enerjak and proclaimed himself a god and went on a rampage... The Guardian had to use the Chaos Emeralds to defeat him but his physical body was consumed and the Enerjak armor was given to a science caste to study and see about safely using it's power." Locke explained to Knuckles and gave a big sigh. "That was your uncle Dimitri who was consumed..." Locke managed to admit thinking about how their father had to defeat his own son.
"From all this time studying; the Legion have figured out how to use tech attached to the armor to make sure that Enerjak's power could be controlled. We want you to don the armor as your uncle has done Knuckles." Zachary told him and Knuckles was stunned.
"Are you sure... After what happened to my uncle..." Knuckles muttered but Locke put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"You have been trained by me and better disciplined than your uncle was. I have faith son." Locke told him and Knuckles sighed as he then nodded.
Knuckles donned the armor and felt the power within him and it felt good; "You shall use the power of the Emerald and with the Warp Topaz; we shall together lead an attack on the Kingdom of Acorn. Take the other 6 Emeralds and then use the energy of all 7 Emeralds to transform Mobius and bring forth the Echidna Empire once more. The children of this Colony can finally go home and rejoin their proper home. You shall act as the new Emperor." Zachary told him as Knuckles' eyes widened.
"Finally your destiny shall be fulfilled son..." Locke told Knuckles with a proud smile as Knuckles shook his head.
"How about Sonic, Princess Sally, Tails, Lupe... All the other people of Mobius... All that they have done..." Knuckles asked and Locke sighed as he shook his head.
"Son this is your destiny; as I have told you their interests don't align with our's. It's our duty to restore the Empire and crush any resistance; this is just how things are supposed to be. You might as well forget about any attachments to them." Locke told Knuckles but he was silent.
He remembered his visit to Mobotropolis after Robotnik stole the island's Chaos Emerald and them all showing them the benefits of peace and how much that they have achieved ever since the fall of the Empire.
"No. I refuse. I will not destroy Mobius to bring back the Empire." Knuckles finally said as eyes were on him and Knuckles then attacked the Dark Legion soldiers and then Zachary picking him up by the throat. Knuckles then screamed as he felt something go off.
"Like I said; we will have Enerjak under control and with the Chaos Emerald with your father's spirit in it... It shall help..." Zachary laughed with a smirk picking up the Chaos Emerald and bringing it to Knuckles as Locke sighed with his head down.
"I am sorry Knuckles but you forced my hand; you will learn soon enough..." Locke lowly said.
Yeah I am using Shade instead of Julie-Su so don't expect her popping up. Plus Locke forcing Knuckles to hear Zachary out in working together is a jab at Knuckles wanting the Legion to be allowed to be integrated on Angel Island despite them earlier having been full on villains who were stand ins for the Nazis with at least one panel evocating that imagery with "Hail Dimitri" and I bet it was deliberate considering Ken once infamously reworded a Holocaust poem to fit in with the War with Robotnik in the comics.