-Chapter 255-

Death of a Boy, Birth of a Demon


CONTENT WARNING: Graphic violence and trigger content (i.e. abusive parents) ahead. Reader discretion is advised.


Jesse chuckled darkly as everyone looked in horror at the sight of him.

"Isn't this great?" he exclaimed. "The gang's all here! Somebody get a camera! Ooooh, we're gonna have so. Much. FUN!"

"Jesse…" Lily teared up. "Oh, Jesse…"

"Aurora…" Sally gasped. "He can't be any older than Chris and the others. And he used to be the Wyldwest Egg Boss?!"

"Cream, how did you know?" Rally asked.

"The Chewy-Pops. You said his favorites were the green apple ones," Cream pulled a wrapper out of her pocket. "When I was traveling with him in the desert, he had a whole bag of them. He was always eating the green ones."

"Me and my sweet tooth…" Jesse stumbled around. "Mom always told me not to eat too much candy. Said it would rot my teeth." He laughed maniacally, making sure everyone got a good look at his sharpened, metal fangs.

"Or they would have...if they hadn't got bashed out first!"

Everyone flinched hard at that. Rally instinctively put Cream behind him

"Jesse, what happened to you?" Lily asked.

Jesse laughed a little bit longer, before stopping.

"You really wanna know, Lily? You really, really wanna know?" He suddenly looked up, furious as his eye glowed. "Here, lemme show you!"

"Cover your eyes!" Sonic yelled.

"Devil's Eye!"

Everyone moved to cover their eyes, but they weren't quick enough, and were hit by the blast.


Lily and the others lowered their hands to find themselves in what appeared to be the inside of a large tent. There was nobody there.

"Wh-What the...?" Lily managed

"Where is this place?" Rally asked.

"I know this place," Sonic realized. "It's a way station we set up during Operation Flesh and Blood to de-roboticize everyone."

"Next patient!"

Everyone turned to see a group of Robians lined up for de-roboticization. A roboticized bird was in the machine.

"This isn't gonna hurt, is it?"

"Not at all, sir," Sally's memory self assured. "In fact, everybody who's undergone the process says it feels wonderful. Just flip a few switches… Press this button here, and..."

The machine activated. The bird was enveloped in light as his robotic body became organic again. When it was done, he opened his eyes and looked at himself.

"It...It worked…" he broke out into a grin. "It worked!"

"Indeed it did," Memory Sally remarked. "Welcome back, Mr. Typhoon. We have food available, and a showering facility."

"Thank you, Princess Sally! I won't forget this!"

Sally smiled as Typhoon raced off.

"Another satisfied customer." Sonic's memory self remarked.

"Have the ring stations been restocked?" Past Sally asked.

"Yep," Past Tails remarked. "A few are sticking around for Uncle Chuck's party, but most just want to go home."

"Makes sense… Anyway, I think that's everybody..."

"Wait!" Everyone turned to see a Roboticized Jesse run in. "Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through!" He skidded to a stop. "Is this Station Number 5? All the other ones were jam packed. so they told me to come here."

"Don't worry, we've got an opening," Past Tails remarked. "Come on in, Mr…"

"MacNeil. Jesse MacNeil." Jesse walked over to the station. "Sorry for seeming a little pushy. It's been... " he sighed. "Hell, it's been nothing short of Hell. Pardon my language."

"Hey, it's alright, we get it," Sonic soothed. "C'mon, let's get you back to normal. I'm sure your family misses you."

Sally activated the machine, deroboticizing Jesse.

"How do you feel?"

Jesse slowly opened his eyes, looking around.

"My...My eyes. Everything's all blurry," he perked. "Wait...everything is blurry… I need glasses… I need glasses! My eyes aren't cameras anymore!"

He grinned happily.

"Here," Sonic gestured to a nearby table. "We've got a few prescriptions. Pick the one you need."

Jesse walked over, looking over the glasses they have.

"You really did it…" Lily breathed. "You really did save him."

Suddenly, everything rippled and shifted as time accelerated. When it settled, things had shifted to Uncle Chuck's party. All the former Robians were celebrating. Eating real food for the first time forever, dancing, talking, and just having a good time. All of them except for Jesse, who was off in the corner using a borrowed smartphone and looking anxious.

"Come on, come on…pick up!"

" We're sorry, the area you are trying to call appears to be experiencing interference. Please, hang up and call again later. "

"Dangit!" Jesse set the phone down. "I don't understand. What the heck is going on?"

"Is everything alright?"

Jesse turned to see Sonic approaching. "Oh! Mr. Hedgehog."

"Just Sonic, bud. We're all friends here."

"Oh, okay. Sonic, do you have a different phone I can use? I've been trying to get ahold of my parents to let them know I'm coming home, but the call isn't getting through."

"Huh, that's…weird." Sonic scratched his chin in thought, concern on his face. "Have you tried calling someone else?"

"Yes! I called my best friend, Lily. I called Father Wolfwood. I called Miss Possum, the Sheriff, and the Mayor, but I keep getting the same message!" Jesse froze. "Something must've happened!"

"Easy there, Jesse. I'm sure there's an explanation."

"Jesse?" they perked to see a past Jose approach. The crow was wearing a pair of blue jeans, sandals, and a red T-shirt that depicted an inebriated crow tipping his beak into a flagon of beer like a drinking bird toy.

"Scuse me, your name's Jesse, right? Jesse MacNeil?"

"Yeah, that's me. And you are…?"

"Jose Cuervo! ¡Ex Robian y borracho extraordinario! (1)" Jose held out a bottle he'd pulled from…somewhere. "Tequila?"

Jesse gave him a blank look. "Uhhh…I'm fourteen ."

"Oh right, they make you humans wait 'til you're twenty-one. That sucks." Jose pulled his head back, emptying half the bottle down his eager beak. "Ahhhhh! ¡Mi dulce, pequeño bebé! ¡Papá te extrañó mucho! (2)" He kissed the bottle, "Ummm…"

"Jose, do you know Jesse or his family?" Sonic asked.

"Not personally. I just know his papa makes saddles, boots, and belts and stuff. Check it!"

Jose lifted his shirt up, allowing Jesse and Sonic to see a belt around his waist. Jesse squinted as he leaned in closer to get a better look. Displayed prominently on the buckle was a silhouette of a cowboy riding a bucking pegasus, the words 'MacNeil Leatherworks' etched below it.

"That's my dad's business!"

"Ordered it from their place in Sand Blast City. Muy bonito stuff, hombre. (3)"

"Wait, Sand Blast City?"

Jose raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that your hometown?"

"No, I'm from Tranquil Gulch. They must've moved after I was…" Jesse shuddered, then pulled himself together. "Mr. Cuervo, do you have their number?"

Jose shook his head. "Sorry, ese . I forgot."

"Well, can you take me to Sand Blast City? I've never been there before, so I can't use the Warp Ring."

"Sorry, I ordered it online."

"Oh…"

"But I know a guy who has been there before."

Jesse perked. "You do!?"

"Hold on, I'll get him." Jose turned. "Bill! ¡Consigue tu culo peludo aquí! Vamos! (4)" [Get your hairy ass over here! Hurry!]

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!"

Jesse watched as a very tall, well-built Mobian bison with thick, shaggy fur walked over to him. It was Bill, completely organic and looking much livelier than usual.

"Jesse MacNeil, meet Bill Bison. Bill Bison, Jesse MacNeil."

"Howdy." the bison greeted.

"Uhhhh…hello." Jesse waved awkwardly.

"Easy there, son. I ain't gonna hurt ya." Bill looked at Jesse. "Gotta say though, you'd be a dead ringer for yer momma. Got yer pa's hair though."

"You…You met them?"

"Seen'em, anyway. Tall, lanky man with a mustache? Red-haired lady with freckles? Staunchly religious? Got a little girl named Jamie?"

"That's them!"

"I knew it. Jose and I are Sand Blasters ourselves. We were gonna warp on over and grab a few drinks, but we can make a little detour."

Sonic smiled. "Sounds like today's your lucky day!"

Sally handed Jesse a Warp Ring.

"Yeah…It really is." Jesse mused as he handed Bill the ring.

"Just picture where I wanna go and throw it, right?" Sonic nodded. Bill focused, then threw the ring, opening up a portal. "Alright, let's mosey."

" ¡Ándale! "

Bill and Jose jumped. Jesse turned to Sonic one last time.

"Thank you for everything, Sonic. I won't forget this."

"Don't mention it," Sonic gave him a thumbs-up. "Now go on, go see your folks!"

Jesse nodded, then leapt through the ring.

The memory shifted again.

"Now where are we?" Ray asked.

They looked around and found themselves in a familiar locale at night. They were standing outside a movie theater.

"It's Sand Blast City." Mighty realized as a Warp Ring opened up, depositing Jesse, Bill, and Jose.

"Whoa!" Jesse stumbled and waved his arms around, trying to regain his footing. Bill wobbled back and forth dizzily. And Jose just flat out faceplanted soon as he materialized. "Whew! Close one."

"Yeah, that thing's a doozy." Bill mused.

Jose got up, coughing and spitting out dirt as Jesse took a moment to look around the city. "So, this is Sand Blast City?"

"Yep, home sweet home." Jose confirmed.

"Wow, this place is even dustier than Tranquil Gulch. N-No offense."

"None taken," Bill shrugged. "It ain't fer everybody."

Jesse paused, his eyes widening in realization. "Uh-oh…"

"Somethin' wrong?" Billy asked.

"I just realized…do either of you know where my parents live?"

Jose and Bill's eyes widened as they realized their mistake.

"Ohhh…" Bill facepalmed.

"Yeeeeeah…we didn't think this through." Jose remarked.

"Well, that's just great," Jesse sighed. "Now what are we supposed to–?"

"Wheeeee!"

"Jamie, don't run."

Jesse perked. "Jamie?"

Jesse turned around to see a family of three exit the theater: a father, a mother, and their young daughter. The father was tall and lanky with short, black hair and a mustache and green eyes. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt, green vest, and red ribbon tie similar to Jesse's, and brown loafers. The mother had neat, shoulder-length red hair and wore a very conservative blue, cotton dress and shoes. She had blue eyes, just like Jesse's, and bore a prominent splotch of freckles. Around her neck was a golden pendant in the shape of an Auroran cross, which she wore prominently as if it were a badge of honor. Ahead of them was their daughter. She was about Cream's age, and had short, black hair and a green dress and white dress, with matching shoes. She was running ahead of her parents before stopping, happily laughing as she twirled around, holding her arms out like an airplane. Tears welled in Jesse's eyes at the sight of them.

"It's them…"

"Jesse's family…" Sonic realized.

"Paulette and Robert MacNeil," Lily confirmed.

"And his little sister, Jamie." Rally added.

"She looks my age." Cream realized.

As Jamie twirled around, she opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the trio. She immediately stopped spinning, her eyes widening in recognition.

"Jesse? Big brother, is that you?"

"Jamie…"

Jamie's eyes practically shined as her already big smile grew even bigger, running over to him.

"Jesse!"

"Jamie!" Paulette yelled. "Come back here!"

But Jamie didn't listen. She was too happy to see her brother as she practically leapt at him and threw her arms around him, a feeling Jesse shared as he returned her gesture.

"Jesse! You're here! You're really here! You're not a robot anymore!"

"Sonic and the Freedom Fighters saved me. They got me out of Dr. Eggman's castle and changed me back! I'm back, Jamie! I'm home!"

Bill, Jose, and the Freedom Fighters watched as Jesse and Jamie embraced. It was a sweet, wonderful moment, and one that couldn't help but bring a smile to their faces and a tear to their eyes…

"Jamie!"

The siblings turned to see their parents running toward them, Paulette running after Robert.

"Young lady, I thought I told you not to run a…way?" Robert and Paulette froze dead in their tracks as they saw who their daughter was hugging.

"Jesse?" Robert managed, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"Oh Aurora…" Paulette put her hands to her mouth.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jamie smiled. "Jesse's back, he's alive!"

Jesse got up. "Mom…Dad…"

Sonic and the others watched as Jesse ran over to his parents with open arms, tears streaming down his cheeks and trailing behind him. The sight was almost enough to make them forget what the boy had become in the present. To forget about all the people he'd hurt and killed, and remember that at one point, he was a kid like they were. A kid who'd had his whole world ripped away from him and thrown into a living nightmare. A kid who'd prayed to Aurora every night and day for someone to finally bring an end to it and make everything right again. A kid who wanted nothing more than to see his family again.

BANG!

A kid who screamed in agony as a gunshot echoed through the dark city. A kid who fell to his knees, breathing heavily and clutching his left arm as blood trickled through his fingers and onto the sidewalk. A kid who cried out in pain as his mother ran toward him…only to run past him to comfort his frightened sister, not even giving him a glance. A kid who looked up in confusion and horror at the sight of his father holding a smoking revolver, his eyes narrowed in contempt and burning with rage.

"By Aurora…" Sally gasped.

"He shot him…" Rally managed. "Jesse's dad just shot him!"

"Lily, what the hell's going on!?" Sonic demanded.

"I…I don't know…" Lily let out in shock.

"Jamie!" Paulette cried. "Are you alright, honey!? Did that monster hurt you!?"

"M-Mom?" Jesse let out.

"So, the rumors were true," Robert mused. "The dead really are rising."

"Dad? Wh-What are you–!?"

"Shut up!" Everyone gaped in horror as Robert kicked Jesse in the face, knocking him back.

"What's happening!?" Cream screamed. "Why is Jesse's father hurting him!?"

"Dad…"Jesse spit up some blood. "It's me…Jesse…I–"

"I said shut up!" Robert snapped. "Don't you dare speak to me like that! You may be wearing his face and speaking in his voice, but you aren't my son, demon!"

"Demon!?" Jesse let out, shocked and confused.

"Hey!"

Bill and Jose ran over at that.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Bill demanded.

"Have you gone loco !?" Jose shouted.

"Beat it, beefsteak!" Robert snapped. "This doesn't concern you!"

"When someone calls me 'beefsteak' and shoots their own son in the arm, it becomes my concern!"

"That isn't my son! My son died a year ago when Robotnik put him in his Roboticizer and turned him into a machine! That… thing is a demon of Ixis using his body as a meat puppet to spread his master's dark power over Mobius!"

"The fugg…!?" Jose let out.

"That…That's crazy!" Jesse insisted. "Getting Roboticized doesn't kill you or turn you into a demon!"

"Are you drunk !?" Bill yelled.

"What's goin' on here?"

Everyone turned to see Jack and the Sand Blasters approaching.

"Mr. Rabbit…" Jamie let out fearfully.

"Rob, Paulette, everything alright?" Jack asked.

"Jack!" Paulette exclaimed. Oh, thank Aurora, you're here! We ran into one of the demons! It's impersonating our son! It tried to hurt our Jamie!"

"No, I wasn't! I'm not a demon! I'm Jesse MacNeil! That's my little sister! These are my parents!" Jesse grabbed Jack's pant leg. "Please, talk some sense into them! I–!"

"Get yer mitts offa me, Robian scum!"

Everybody winced as Jack stomped on Jesse's hand, even the other Sand Blasters.

"Bastard!" Bill charged at Jack.

"Bill, wait!" Jose yelled.

Tex ran ahead and intercepted Bill, the two getting in a grapple.

"Keep your hooves off the boss, burger-breath."

"I'll put my hooves wherever I damn wanna! That sunnuvabitch hurt a little kid! What the hell's wrong with you!?"

For a brief moment, Tex faltered. "I-I…!"

"Tex, focus!" Jack cut in. "I remember that fella! That's Bill Bison, another one of the victims! He's tryin' to trick you!"

"What!?"

Tex quickly regained his composure and grinned.

"Nice try, devil." Tex squirted a jet of blood from his eyes and into Bill's face, blinding him. "Avery, get him!"

"On it!" Avery pulled out a bazooka and shot Bill with an electrified net, zapping him. "Heh, not bad, Shift. That Electro-Net works like a charm."

"Course it does," Shift bragged. "I built it."

"Toot yer own horn later, ya damn coyote!" Jack turned to the MacNeils. "Rob, get your wife and daughter outta here. We'll handle these creeps."

"Understood, Mr. Rabbit," Robert replied. "Aurora bless you. Paulette!"

Paulette nodded, then grabbed Jamie. "Come on, Jamie! We need to go!"

"But Mommy–!"

"Listen to your mother, Jamie! It's not safe here!"

"Wait! Jesse! JESSE!"

"Jamie!"

Jack stepped down on Jesse's head. The rabbit looked down at the boy evilly as he looked back up at him in fear.

"Alright boys, what say we give this little hellspawn and his buddy a proper Sand Blast City welcome?"

"Jack, you already beat 'em," Avery said. "Just finish them off."

"I'll finish them off when I'm good and ready, Avery! You just get your fancy, black table-thing and save this for the logbook!"

"...Yessir."

"Hey Boss!" Everyone turned to see Jolt grabbing Jose by his shirt. "I found this guy hiding in a trash can! Think he's a demon too?"

"Uhhhh…H-Hey there, Señor Rabbit!" Jose let out.

"Hmmm…" Jack glared at Jose. "This birdbrain is givin' me a weird vibe. Throw him with the other two."

Jolt grinned evilly. "Gotcha!"

"Que!?" Jolt shoved Jose with Jesse and Bill. Jack and the others loomed over the trio, weapons drawn. Jack had a wicked grin. Jolt was practically beaming with malicious glee, and Shift had a smug smile on his face. The only ones who weren't smiling are Tex and Avery, but they were still armed.

"Alright fellas, pick a body part," Jack declared.

The Freedom Fighters could only look in horror as the Sand Blasters raised their weapons in preparation to attack Jesse, Bill, and Jose. Fortunately, they were spared the ensuing torture right as they brought them down on the trio; the world going black.

"Those bastards…" Sonic uttered, fists clenched in rage.

"Yeah," Mighty said, "I told you they were messed up."

"Not just them, Jesse's parents…" Sonic briefly sparked.

"How horrible…" Cosmo added.

"That's why he did it…" everyone turned to Lily. The ninja-cowgirl stood there in horror, strangling her prayer book. "Ashe said that Jesse's family were killed by the Dust Riders one night…"

"Jesse…" Rally swallowed. "He must've killed them in revenge."

"Lies!"

Everyone turned to see Jesse standing in the void, his appearance that of the demon Sonic saw when he first experienced the Devil's Eye's power.

"I may have hated my parents for casting me out because of their idiotic religion, but I only killed them because they tried to kill me first! And Jamie…!" He clenched his fists. "It was Jack! He and his bastard friends killed her!"

Everyone gaped in shock and horror, none more so than Sonic, Lily, and Rally.

"Jack…he murdered Jamie?" Lily breathed.

"Jamie ran away from home and found us. We were going to flee to Tranquil Gulch on a train, but our parents found out and rallied a mob to find us, thinking I kidnapped her! We tried to escape, but that damned rabbit managed to box me into a corner! Jamie died trying to stop him from killing me! And he left me to take the blame!"

Jesse's hands trembled in rage.

"He took everything from me. Everyone from me! He destroyed my life! Destroyed my body! Made it so the only place I go was…was…was…!"

Jesse let out a wail of anguish and fury as the world was enveloped in bright light.


Meanwhile, at the Dust Riders' base, Beauregard was in the middle of explaining everything to Bunnie, Antoine, and Shard.

"The Diablo Kid is Lily's friend Jesse?" Bunnie let out.

"And his own family attacked him and left him to Jack's fou band?" Antoine added.

"How could they do something like that to their own kid?!" Shard demanded.

"Because to them, Jesse was as good as dead," Beauregard remarked.

"When the Roboticizer was revealed to the world, it caused all manner of controversy across Mobius," Lesath chimed in. "Not only because it was being used to turn people into robot slaves, but what it did to the very idea of the soul itself."

"What do you mean?" Shard questioned.

"You see, certain thinkers speculated that, because it turned the victims' entire bodies into machinery - inanimate objects - the machine essentially killed them," Twister explained. "When the Freedom Fighters discovered how to free the Robians' minds and eventually restore them to organic beings, the theory was considered disproven and abandoned entirely…almost."

"Certain branches of the Auroran Church, especially those found in the Baronies and the Wyldwest, continued to believe in the idea that Roboticization killed the victims," Chopper added. "They believed that their lifeless bodies had become inhabited by demons from the pits of Hell, summoned to Mobius by the 'sacrilegious nature' of the machine. So, these groups declared all former Robians abominations against Aurora and enemies of the world itself. We ex-Robians were kicked out onto the streets, had our businesses and homes burned down, denied basic rights like a fair trial or access to medical attention, and were beaten, insulted, and even brutally lynched and murdered."

"And before long, extended to any friends and family who refused to disown them," Lesath shook her head as she poured herself a drink, "Then, to anyone who aided or sympathized with them, and eventually to anyone or anything associated with the Robotnik Empire, no matter how superfluous. Even people who worked with machines, needed a hearing aid or pacemaker, or had above-average intelligence were victimized."

"Because of this, we Sand Blast City ex-Robians were forced to take refuge in Dust Town, since the state of the district and lack of electricity made it easy to hide," Twister shook his head. "Yeah… now do you see why we all decided going back to Eggman was a better alternative?"

As the Freedom Fighters took all this in, Meryl and Milly burst into the room.

"Baron Rabbot!" Meryl exclaimed.

"Meryl? Milly!?" Lesath exclaimed.

"It's bad! Really bad!"

"What is it, girls?" Beau asked, standing up.

"Jack's endgame!" Milly cried. "Operation Vacuum! He's gonna fry us all with an EMP!"

"And that's not the worst of it," Meryl chimed in. "The Kid and his group are loose in the junkyard! He's trying to kill Sonic right now!"

"He's what!?" Beau shouted, "Dammit, we gotta get there, now!"


When the light finally died down, the group found themselves in a shantytown set up in the Sand Blast City slums. It was a wide, open square filled with tents and other ramshackle buildings.

"Aurora..." Lily gasped.

"What... is this place?" Sally asked.

"Dust Town," Mighty remarked. "The city slums. Where the Dust Riders call home."

"Look at all these people…" Sonic let out.

Everybody in the area looked homeless and destitute. Their clothes were filthy and ragged. Their hair - or fur and feathers in the case of Mobians - was messy and unkempt. A few showed visible signs of sickness, while others were sporting unsightly injuries. Sonic watched as a man rummaged through a trash can before pulling out a half-eaten sandwich, which he almost immediately took a bite out of.

"Why isn't anyone helping them?" Sonic demanded.

"They're former Robians, Sonic." Mighty replied. "As far as everyone here is concerned, they aren't people anymore."

Sonic looked horrified at the idea.

"The hell do you think you're doin'!?"

Everyone turned to see a vagrant get thrown out of an abandoned building, the vagrant rolling down the stairs as Bill walked out the door, shabby, un-Cyberized, and rip-roaring pissed as he stomped over to the vagrant.

"You gutless, lily-livered sunnuvabitch...!" The bison growled. "Stealing food from sick people!? The hell's wrong with you!?"

"Oh come on!" the vagrant objected. "That little brat's not gonna last another week! He doesn't need it!"

Bill grabbed the man by the collar.

"That ain't your call to make. And if I see your ugly mug around here again…" He punched a hole in the wall inches from the vagrant's head, getting a terrified yelp out of him. "Now, scram."

The vagrant ran off screaming, everyone looking at Bill in fear.

"What are you starin' at!?" Bill snapped, everyone going back to their business.

"Damn vultures." he muttered as he went back inside. Everyone followed to find Bill walking down the hall. An equally shabby-looking Jose was leaning against the wall, drinking a bottle of tequila. Jose looked at the bottle, finding it less than half empty.

" Estoy triste... (4)" he lamented.

"Yeah, yeah," Bill sighed. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Ah! Bill!"

"How's the kid? Any change?"

"Well… One of his teeth stopped hurting."

"That's good."

"Because it...fell out."

"That's less good… He didn't swallow it, did he?"

"No, I put it with the rest." Jose pointed to a jar full of teeth on a stand.

"Damn… How many we at?"

"This one makes seventeen. More than half," Jose sighed. "Bill...I gotta be honest, hombre. I don't think he's gonna make it. None of us are gonna make it. We got no power. No water. And we're runnin' outta food. And not one of us can get a doctor or anything."

"I know, I know… but where can we go? Jack and his people patrol the streets night and day, and Eggman's robots are all over the desert. And even if we could get to another town, who knows whether they'd be willing to help us."

"I can think of a place." Jose's hand went to a gun on his belt. "But gettin' there's not gonna be fun."

"No!" Bill grabbed his wrist. "Jose, no. Don't even."

"Why not!? It's not like anyone else is gonna care!

"We can't! The Auroran Bible says..."

Jose scowled. "Oh don't talk about the book, vaca ! That's what got us here in the first place!"

"Jose..."

They heard a pained groan.

"Sounds like he's awake." Jose realized.

"I'll check up on him," Bill decided. "You take a minute to soak your head."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jose walked off as Bill went over to Jesse, whose face was swath with bandages, as was most of his body. He was laid out on a dirty mattress, had a gauze eyepatch over his left eye, and all in all looked miserable.

"Jesse?" Bill asked. "Hey Jesse, how ya feelin?"

Jesse tried to sit up.

"Hey, don't strain yourself," Bill soothed. "I know it hurts, but it's gonna be fine."

Jesse weakly shook his head, letting out a yelp as he clutched his arm.

"Hey, hey. Don't move. You'll just make it worse. Listen Jesse, I promise you, we're going to survive, and we're going to show those bastards that they won't win. We're going to survive, find a way to get help, and go home."

Jesse winced at that, Bill realizing he said precisely the wrong thing.

"Shit… Jesse, I'm sorry! I...!"

Jesse thrashed violently, forcing Bill to pin him down.

"Jesse! Stop it! Yer gonna reopen your wounds!"

Jesse just kept screaming and thrashing and wailing, tears streaming down his one good eye.

"Jose!" Bill screamed. "Jose, get in here! He's having a fit!"

Jose screamed in response. "Jose?"

Jose ran inside. "Bill! Bill, it's bad! Big...trouble...outside!"

"What kind of trouble?" Bill demanded. "Did those jackasses decide to come down here themselves?"

"No..." Jose's eyes widened in terror. "It's Robotnik!"

Bill's eyes widened in horror, as did Jesse's.

"Keep Jesse safe, you hear me?" Bill ordered.

" Si, si! I got it!"

Bill got up and headed out to see everyone panicking as Robotnik descended down in his Egg Mobile.

"Eggman..." Bill growled.

"Citizens of Sand Blast City!" Robotnik began. "I have..."

Bill screamed in rage, throwing a large hunk of rock at Robotnik, who calmly backed up the Egg Mobile.

"Ah, I remember you," he mused. "Rock Breaker 217. Good to see you're still as strong as ever."

"You got some nerve showing your ugly mug here, you bastard!" Bill shouted.

"Now, now, is that any way to talk to your future overlord?" Robotnik wagged his finger. "I know times have been trying these past few…" He took in the surroundings. "Actually, things look really trying here. This place looks like a twister hit."

"Screw you, Fatso!" Twister shouted.

"What was that!?"

"You heard me, you fat sack of-!"

"Mr. Twister, please calm down!" Mully pleaded.

"Do you wanna get blasted, you idiot!?" Meryl snapped.

"Don't stop me, Meryl!" Twister hissed. "He's the reason Lesath's blind and Chopper's quadriplegic!"

"And what do you think's gonna happen to them when you get yourself killed!?" Meryl shot back

"I'd listen to her, if I were you, Condorbot." Robotnik remarked.

"My name is Twister!"

"Really? I thought it was Carl." Twister growled in response.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes!" Robotnik turned back to address the denizens. Greetings to you all, my fabulous former workerbots! It's lovely to see you all again! I'd ask if you've been enjoying your newfound freedom, but… Well, I think the looks of things speak for themselves."

No one could comment; what could they even say? All they could do was glare at the Doctor as he went on. "Fortunately, today is your lucky day. For you see, I'm starting up a new little...business venture. And since we all worked so well together last time, I figured it only right to extend you the offer to be a part of it."

"The only thing we wanna be a part of is your funeral!"

Bill threw another rock at Robotnik, who narrowly maneuvered the Egg Mobile out of the way again.

"Ungrateful... truly ungrateful," Robotnik shook his head. "I'm offering you a chance to be free of this sand pit. And be honest with yourselves: do you have anyone else offering you a place to belong?"

Suddenly, a gunshot went off, Eggman losing control of his Egg Mobile.

"Whoa! Mayday! Maydaaaaaaay!"

The Egg Mobile crashed, spilling Robotnik out.

"The hell...!?" Bill managed, only to hear an enraged growl. He spun around to see Jesse out of bed, holding Jose's pistol and breathing heavily. "Jesse! What are you doing?!"

"Outta my way!" Jesse hobbled over as Jose ran out.

"Bill! Jesse's got loose! He grabbed my gun and–"

"I know! Help me stop him!"

Jesse limped over to the crash. Bill ran over, grabbing his arm.

"Jesse, stop!"

"Let go of me..."

"Jesse, you shouldn't be out here, you-!"

"I said, let go!" Jesse spun around, putting a bullet in Bill's shoulder.

"Bill!" Jose tried to intervene, only to yelp and jump back as Jesse fired a warning shot at him.

"Nobody move! He's mine!" Jesse limped over to Eggman, who was just regaining his bearings.

"Damn it…" the doctor let out. "What hit me?"

"You..."

Robotnik looked up to see Jesse glaring at him angrily. "What in the...?"

"Die…" Jesse shakily aimed the gun at Robotnik's skull. The evil doctor could tell the shaking wasn't from nerves. "Die...DIE!"

Robotnik fired a laser from his cybernetic arm, knocking the gun out of Jesse's hand and using the chance to knock him over. He crawled out from under the Egg Mobile.

"I sincerely hope that wasn't your best shot. Though, judging from your condition, it probably..." His eyes widened. "Hold on..." He looked at Jesse. "I know you… You're the little brat you threw that cowpie in my face!"

Roaring in rage, Jesse lunged at Robotnik, who grabbed his arms as the boy tried to grab and claw him like a wild animal..

"You're not looking too good, sonny. I dare say you're holding on by a thread."

"Hate...you.." Jesse hissed. "Hate...you… HATE...YOOOOUUUU!"

"Young man, you're hardly the first."

Jesse let out a roar as he managed to break Robotnik's grip on him.

"What the!?" Robotnik managed before Jesse lunged forward, biting his neck. Robotnik screamed, frantically trying to pry Jesse off as the boy tried to choke him out.

"You did this to me!" Jesse shouted. "You did this! Jamie's dead because of you! DIE!"

"Get off of me!"

Robotnik threw Jesse off of him, tearing his bandages.

"Miserable, little brat! I ought to..." Robotnik turned to see Jesse still trying to get up, and it was then he noticed the extent of his injuries. His left arm was seriously infected, covered in gangrene and infested with pus-oozing boils. A single dark spot could be seen close to his shoulder, the distinct black spot of an untreated bullet wound. His eyes then turned to his left leg, which was bent at a weird angle, like it was broken and didn't heal correctly. The most shocking feature was the boy's face. He was missing a good chunk of his teeth, and what remained was either broken or rotten. His right eye was red and bloodshot, while the left was swollen shut, dripping with blood and pus.

"My dear boy..." Robotnik's voice was softer, sounding more like Julian Kintobor. "How are you still alive?"

"Hate..." Jesse hissed. "Been...waiting… Waiting...for this day..." he hobbled toward him, each step eliciting a wince of pain. "Kill...you… Hate...you… Hate... Hate… Hate..."

"A child so full of venom that they fight against death itself… Just like..." Robotnik perked before smiling. He approached Jesse and pointed at the boy, a puff of green smoke hitting him and knocking him out.

"Jesse!" Bill cried.

"No!" Jose shouted.

Robotnik turned to him. "Rock Crusher 217, this boy is your charge, yes? If you want him to live, I suggest you come with me."

Bill looked at Jesse, then at Eggman, then he looked back at the slums

"Fugg it," he sighed before scooping up Jesse.

"Bill, what are you…!?" Jose objected.

"I'll be fine, Jose. Just…take care of yourself."

The two walked over to Eggman, who pressed a button on his arm, revealing a cloaked Egg Carrier hovering above the shantytown. He activated the tractor beam, which pulled him, Bill, and Jesse up toward the craft.

"I'll be back in a few days. In the meantime, I'd suggest you think about my offer."

The memory transitioned again, this time, to the Egg Carrier's medical wing.

"Jesse...wake up, Jesse..."

Jesse slowly woke up to find himself staring down Robotnik.

"Hello."

Enraged, Jesse tried to lunge at him, only to find himself strapped down.

"Now, now, settle down, young man. If you keep that up, you're liable to break something."

"The only thing I'm breaking is your neck!" Jesse was shocked, recoiling.

"Not today. Tell me, Jesse, my boy, do you know why I went through the trouble of collecting you and bringing you aboard my ship?" Jesse glared at him. "Because I want to help you."

"Help me?" Jesse spat.

"That's right. Your buffalo friend filled me in on what happened to you after Sonic and his friends stole you away from me. And I must say…it's quite the tale. Especially when I examined your condition." Robotnik looked over Jesse's body. "Gangrene in one arm, a ruined leg, your teeth smashed and rotten, and an eye so infected it's practically pus. Most people would've laid down and died by now. But you? You're still alive and kicking."

"Won't die. I…can't die…yet..."

"Because you hate me. You hate me so much that you refuse to rest until I'm dead at your hands. I can relate." Robotnik glowered. "There are people I want to kill as well." He clenched his fists before regaining his composure. "But, we're getting off topic. I've brought you up here, because I have a need for someone of your…particular mindset."

"Is there a rest stop between here and the fugging point?"

"My point," Eggman grit out before calming himself again, "Is as follows, Jesse: I want you to join the Robotnik Empire. Not as my robot slave, but as my cyborg soldier."

"Are you crazy?" Jesse roared. "Why the hell would I ever join you!? You ruined my life!"

"Did I, Jesse?"

"Of course you did! If you had never shown up in Wyldwest and roboticized me-!"

"And that's all I did," Robotnik cut in. "Yes, I turned you and all those people into robots. Yes, I used you all as slaves. But did I ostracize you and turn everyone in town against you? Torment you to the point you're knocking on death's door because of fanatical belief in Aurorism? Did I tell your parents to throw you to the wolves because my machine killed you and some demon took over your empty shell or some other nonsense?"

"You...!"

Robotnik held up a hand to silence him. "Answer the question. Did I do any of this?"

Jesse let out a growl.

"No? I didn't think so. None of this is my fault. When all this was going on, I was off kidnapping Princess Elise in Soleanna. I had no idea this was happening. If anything, it's their fault. It was those idiots in the church who came up with that 'Roboticization destroys your soul' nonsense. It was your idiot parents and all those other people who bought into it. And it was that idiot Jack and his Looney Brigade that helped spread it. Everything that happened to you and all the other Robians in Wyldwest was their fault. Because. They're. Idiots . Cowardly idiots who chose to trust the word of some phony-baloney goddess over their own friends and family. Cowardly idiots who cast you out and hunted you down like animals. I'm a mad scientist who wants to take over the world and even I think that's messed up."

Robotnik chuckled. Jesse looked up, his attention seized.

"In fact, that kind of thinking...or non-thinking, I should say...is precisely why I'm doing what I'm doing, actually. The people of this world are stupid. Pitiful, ignorant sheep. They'll say, do, or believe anything they hear if it seems convincing or scares them enough, even if it's utterly horrible. Machines, however, are the exact opposite. They don't judge, they don't ostracize based on their beliefs... because they only believe and act on what you specifically tell them to. It's sad, but it's the truth. People simply can't be trusted to do the right thing, let alone the smart thing. Honestly, sometimes I feel the world is better off without them entirely. After all, if two loving parents can allow something that horrible, let alone do something that horrible, to their own child, if a madman can blame someone else for murdering a little girl, despite indisputable evidence against him, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

Jesse's rage began to die down.

"So, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either go back to that little shanty town and die, cold, alone, and miserable from all your wounds... or join the Robotnik Empire, and live to make those stupid, cowardly idiots pay for what they did to you and the other ex-Robians. What they did to your sister. I can give you…Vengeance. What do ya say?"

Jesse laid there, seemingly lost in thought. He thought back to everything that happened, then he stopped, and for the first time since his reunion with Jamie, he smiled. A sick, twisted crooked smile that showed off all his broken, rotten teeth and stretched from ear to ear, but didn't reach his eyes. It was the smile...of a demon.

"Let's do it." he declared.

Robotnik grinned. "That's what I thought."

With that, the world shifted one last time.


They all came out of the Devil's Eye, all of them horrified and shaking as Jesse put his sunglasses back on.

"Jesse…" Lily managed.

"So now you know," Jesse went on, getting increasingly angry. "Tell me, Lily... is this Aurora's reward for the devoted and the foolish? If she's really out there and is truly all-loving and all-powerful, answer me this: where was her help when Eggman came into power? Where was her help when Von Stryker blew up most of his own men at Station Square?! Where was her help when I was roboticized and cured only for my own parents to declare me soulless and fugging shoot me?! And while I'm at it, where was my help when I was rotting away in Dust Town after what Jack and his Looney Brigade did to me?! WHERE?! "

Lily backed away as Jesse stepped forward. "Don't just stand there, you pious bitch! ANSWER ME! "

"I….I…"

Jesse grabbed her prayer book at that. "I'll tell you why she didn't do anything to stop it. Because she wanted it to happen! That's why people suffer and die! We're not her children, we're her toys ! All for her to make and pose and play with until we break or she gets bored!"

As Lily watched in shock and horror, Jesse threw the book into the air. He drew his gun, firing a Brimstone shell into it and blowing it apart. As the pages of Lily's Bible rained down, Lily reached for him.

"Jesse... please…"

Jesse whirled around. "My name is not Jesse! It's the Diablo Kid! I am not a human being, Lily! I am a demon from Hell! Heartless and cold-blooded! And I'm going to burn this entire, filthy, worthless planet and its filthy, worthless people to ash, starting with the so-called hero who let this happen to me!"

He turned to Sonic. "So Sonic, you still feel like making fun of me now? Still think I'm just another wackjob for you to take down!? Still feel like the same way past cool hotshot you were back in Tranquil Gulch!? Well?! Do you?! DO YOU?! "

Sonic looked right in Jesse's eyes. He took a deep breath, and regained his composure.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry about what happened to you. I'm sorry about your sister. I'm sorry that you felt that this was your only choice…"

Jesse scoffed. "I'm sure you are."

Sonic's eyes narrowed. "But that's no excuse for what you've done."

Jesse glared at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I won't deny that what happened to you sucks big time, but it doesn't come close to justifying going back to Eggman and being his Flint Westwood-style psycho for hire."

"You..." Jesse's eye twitched in response.

"How many people have you killed, Jesse? How many of them were actually bad? How many of them actually hurt you or your friends? I seem to recall you've killed more than one person just for mentioning Aurora or praying in your presence. Innocent people minding their own business until you shot them in the face."

"They worship that flea-ridden bitch," Jesse spat. "Anyone who does is not innocent."

"Seems a little judgemental, don't ya think? You honestly think that what happened to you gives you the right to be a killer? That you're not the only one who's suffered? Everyone's suffered! Eggman roboticized my Uncle Chuck right in front of me! I've had to live every day with the knowledge that I screwed up and left most of Shengchun Village on the Death Egg to be slaughtered! You don't see me going bad, do you?"

"You were never abandoned and cast out by your own family!" Jesse roared. "You didn't spend a whole year being beaten and tortured and treated like a criminal! You didn't spend months trapped in a bed, barely clinging to life because your body was wracked with disease! You know nothing of suffering! They tormented me! THEY HURT ME!"

"So you hurt them back?!"

"They only saw me as a demon, so I gave them a demon! It's their fugging karma! It's nothing less than what they deserve!"

"And you automatically get to decide who gets to live and who gets to die? You've been through hell, sure, but it doesn't give you the right to off whoever pisses you off."

"It became my right when Jack killed my little sister and destroyed my life!"

"You're gonna destroy your own life if you keep this up!"

"So what…" Jesse looked away, almost sad. "I've got nothing to lose. The world hollowed me out, and filled me back up with hate and rage…"

"You're sick, Jesse," Sonic told him. "But we can help you. We can fix this."

" I CAN FIX IT!" Jesse snapped. "I'm gonna take all this pain, all this blackness, and I'm gonna put it all in a bullet... and put it right through your fugging skull."

"You couldn't even touch me.

"Well, you know what they say..." Jesse grinned, his eye glowing. "Third time's the charm."

"Not this time."

The Devil's Eye flashed again... but Jesse's evil grin was replaced with shock when he saw that in the split-second beforehand, Sonic had taken a brown bandanna out of his jacket pocket and tied it around his eyes as a makeshift blindfold.

"You need to look someone in the eye for your Devil's Eye to work. So, all I gotta do is not look at it."

"And you think that's gonna save you?"

The two engaged in a brief back and forth, Sonic ducking out of the way of bullets and Jesse sidestepping his blind charges. Eventually, Jesse got a lucky shot in Sonic's shoulder.

"Give it up. Hedgehog!" You might be able to avoid my Devil's Eye, but you can't hit me if you can't see where you're going!"

He walked up to him, preparing a shot... but Sonic's quills stiffened before he dodged the bullet by simply tilting his head. Jesse swung his pistol like a club, only for Sonic to duck before catching his arm.

"How the f-?!" he was cut off by a right cross from Sonic to his left cheek, knocking him back. "'What the hell...!?"

"Sorry 'bout that, Jesse. Still getting used to the whole fighting blind thing. Takes me a few seconds to get a feel of things, but I think I got it now."

"How can you block? Or hit me?!"

"I'm glad you asked that, because this is the part where I explain how my moves work so you know how to counter them," Sonic scoffed. " NOT."

He zipped over to Jesse, punching him before darting off again.

"Mangy, spiny, blue rat!" Jesse roared.

"Shit…take cover!" Bill grabbed everyone and dragged them away as Jesse began shooting at Sonic, his eye practically shining, only for Sonic to zip away every time. Jesse practically howled in rage as he shot randomly.

"You can't keep dodging me forever, Sonic! You hear me!? You-!"

He was cut off when Sonic Spin Dashed into him from behind before breaking into a combo, beating Jesse around with a flurry of punches and kicks.

" Dammit! He really is faster than the speed of sound! I can barely keep up with him! " Jesse grinned. " But I have him right where I want him! I just gotta yank off that blindfold, then turn his brain into cornmeal! "

Jesse batted away Sonic's limbs, leaving him hanging in midair. He then made an attempt to pull away his blindfold, only for Sonic to grab his own hand.

"Nice try." Sonic started running around in a circle, dragging Jesse around. "Y'know something, Jesse? I think I figured out how a kid like you managed to become Egg Boss! Everybody and their grandma's scared to death of you! But every time we've fought, you only ever turned the tables because of your Devil's Eye! Or because we were still recovering from the shock that you're a total psycho! Or that you're only fourteen years old!"

"Shut up!" Jesse screamed. " Shut up! SHUT UP! "

"Why? 'Cause you know I'm right?"

"I'm the Diablo Kid! I'm Hell on Mobius!"

"Wrong. You're no demon, and you sure as hell aren't an Egg Boss. The only thing you are is a bully. A bully and a thug. Just. Like. Jack."

Jesse's eyes went wide just as Sonic tossed him into the air. Once Jesse reached his full height, Sonic leapt into the air and plowed into him with a Homing Attack, before chaining several more into him and appearing directly above him.

"Take this!"

Sonic performed one last Homing Attack, straight downward, right into Jesse's stomach. They plummeted at high speed, cratering the ground on impact. When the dust settled, Jesse laid on the ground, eyes wide in shock and twitching, as Sonic stood over him. He panted as Sonic removed the blindfold.

"How… what the…" the boy managed.

"A little something my mentor taught me," Sonic pointed to his spines. "Reading the wind currents. Every move someone makes displaces the air around them, sends out little vibrations my quills can pick up."

"You bastard... I'm the Diablo Kid... the Devil in the flesh... you're... nothing…"

Sonic stomped on Jesse's fallen shades, crushing them into the ground. "You're a bully and that's it. You take the easy, nasty way out, go around making everyone as miserable as you are, and get the quick reward. Big whoop. I do things the right way. I help others to make something bigger and better than just being mean. The good guys always win in the long run. And there isn't anybody who can run longer or better than I can."

"Stop acting all high and mighty," Jesse spat, glaring at Sonic in sheer hatred and pain. " You did this to me."

"No, Jack did," Sonic crossed his arms, shaking his head. "I knew he was bad news from the second I met him. The dude's brain is a sackful of Devil Dogs. You can smell crazy on him."

"No…" Sally piped up, getting their attention. "He's not crazy. I... I think he was inevitable."

Sonic turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Sally sighed. "Maybe... maybe we created the Sand Blasters. The minute we kick-started the Freedom Fighters Initiative and inspired people to stand up to Eggman and evil in general-"

"There's no connection," Sonic said firmly.

"There might be," Sally insisted. "Remember when Kane was slandering you, and Comedy Chimp started bashing you? Norris Wimple gathered those fanboys and planned to storm the studio to beat him up because he thought it's what you would do in that situation. Because us fighting Eggman led him to believe violence was the best option available."

"That… that was different!" Sonic insisted. "They were stupid fanboys! A bunch of nerds and angry fat guys in basements!"

"It doesn't matter who they were. It's what they became. We should have known that they wouldn't be the only ones to take the violent approach. Not everyone shares our ideals." Sally sighed. "It's a pretty straight line, Sonic. You rose up against Eggman's forces, and the world applauded you for it. I know that I did! I even whipped up the Initiative specifically to support you! And we—we never stopped to think that maybe our actions could open the door for people like this. People... with guns. People who think that the law belongs to them. That they're good people, and their actions are justified because they're fighting Eggman."

Sonic let that sink in. "Shit… you're right."

"We have to face the facts, Sonic," Sally said. "We're violent heroes. Yes, we pick and choose our targets carefully, but we're violent. Julayla put it best to me when I was little: we all create our own demons."

"But we-!"

Sally held up a hand to quiet him. "We have people like Knuckles and Kat on our team. People who choose to punch first and maybe ask questions after. The example they... that we set, it's what led to these demons. Jack said it himself: he's our fan, and he was inspired by us to make his own group. And now Jesse and Aurora knows how many others are paying the price for the examples we set."

At that, Jesse chuckled darkly, a smirk on his face. "At least your girlfriend admits it."

"You be quiet!" Sally snapped. "I won't deny we had some role in what happened to you, Jesse, but Sonic was right about one thing: it doesn't excuse your actions. You chose to work for Eggman, chose to become a killer. You had a choice every step of the way. You knew right from wrong, and you chose to do wrong. It's as simple as that."

"I chose vengeance," Jesse spat. "To make people pay for their sins. To purify the world in hellfire, rid it of scum and garbage. To end their worthless, meaningless lives. They deserve it. People kill and betray each other for the stupidest reasons! Even their own kids..."

"Jesse…" Cream cut in, getting his attention. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, and your sister... but this isn't the way to go. Giving in to hate and rage won't take the pain away, or bring Jamie back. And vengeance will just make it worse."

"She's right," Rally remarked. "Jamie wouldn't want this from you."

"Jamie's the reason I'm doing this!" Jesse spat. "She was just a little girl, and Jack killed her! Everything I'm doing is for her!"

"Like hell you are!" Lily snapped, finally finding her courage. "If you really loved Jamie like you say you do, you wouldn't be tryin' to kill everyone on Mobius! You'd be out there tryin' to make things better! To keep people like her from sharin' her fate! If she saw you right now, Jesse, she'd be horrified and disgusted by what you've been doin' in her name! Hell, I'm pretty damn sure she'd hate you for what you've become!"

Jesse's jaw dropped in shock at that.

"Please, Jesse…" Cream pleaded. "You're not a bad person, you're just hurting. You're still my friend. It's not too late." She offered him a hand. "We can fix this... together."

Jesse looked at Cream, seeing Jamie for a split second before closing his eyes and looking away.

"Abashed the Devil stood… and felt how awful goodness is," he recited, tearing up. "And felt how awful goodness is…"

The Freedom Fighters watched as Jesse fell to the ground, sobbing. The venom and vitriol in his voice had gone, leaving nothing but crushing despair.

"Jamie...I'm sorry...Please don't hate me...You're all I have left..."

Sonic slowly approached Jesse. "I'm sorry… I know you think I let you down, but I swear Jesse, if I had known just how bad things had become, I wouldn't have hesitated to save you and the other Robians. I'm trying to save you all now."

"You can't… Not anymore… There's too much blood on my hands. If you really wanna save me now, Sonic…" Jesse placed his gun in Sonic's hand, holding the barrel up to his head. "There's only one way."

Everyone gasped in horror.

"Stop!" Matilda called out.

"Jesse, no!" Bill cried.

"Jefe, don't do it!" Jose pleaded.

"Shut up!" Jesse snapped. "All of you! We all knew it was gonna end like this one way or another! I knew."

"Jesse… I can't," Sonic shook his head.

"You must. You have to. I can still feel it all deep down inside me. The anger. The hate. Sooner or later it's gonna come bubbling back up, and more people will die."

"I'm not Jack. I'm no killer. I'm one of the good guys."

"Then do the good thing!" Jesse screamed. "Don't you get it yet?! The day Jack killed my sister, I was already dead! This 'Diablo Kid' shitstorm has been nothing but one big suicide note, but that dusty old Baron won't Crack me no matter what I do!"

"And why do you think that is, Jesse?"

Everyone turned to see Beauregard walking toward them, Bunnie's group, the Sting Union, Meryl, and Milly right behind him.

"Señor Rabbot…" Jose gasped.

"Oh, man…" Matti winced. "Busted."

Sonic perked. "Bunnie's Uncle Beau... you... you're the Dust Baron?"

Beau tipped his hat in Sonic's direction. "Jules and Bernie's boy. Sorry our first meetin' isn't under better circumstances." He turned back to Jesse.

"Finally decided to show your face, old man?" Jesse sighed before punching the ground. "Why won't you just Crack me already?! You know I want it! Everybody wants it! You know I've hated your guts ever since Eggman demoted me in favor of you! I'm a monster, Rabbot! A demon !"

Beau nodded. "Yes, I know you want it... which is why I'm not gonna do it. It's the coward's way out."

"Coward?" Jesse scowled. "What kinda coward would throw himself into and face certain death without batting an eye?"

"One who knows it's easier to die than change. The hardest thing in this world is to live in it, boy. Dying is the easy way out."

"Change? What for? What point is there? I've killed hundreds of people. Treated my own subordinates like garbage. My… friends like garbage." Jesse looked at Beau's Cyberized limbs. "The entire reason you had to get those limbs is because of me. What I've done can never be forgiven?" he shook his head in despair. "Who in their right mind would ?"

" I forgive you."

Jesse froze up at that. "What?"

Beau looked at him, dead serious, but not unkindly. "Everything you've said. Everything you've done. I forgive you. Maybe one day…" He tapped a small panel on his arm. "You can forgive yourself."

Jesse stiffened, his body locking.

"W-what did you-?" Lily managed.

Sonic approached, poking Jesse and getting no reaction. He laid there, still as a statue.

"It's that suspension protocol thingy," he realized. "What Eggman used after Thunderbolt went postal at Twinkle Park."

"Lesath, get Jesse back to base," Beau ordered. "Then call Aggie. It's time we got him the help he needed."

"Yes sir," Lesath saluted. "Twister, Chopper."

"Yes, Sub-Boss."

Chopper morphed into his motorcycle mode while Twister and Lesath carried Jesse onto him. Beauregard turned to the other Hellrazers.

"And as fer the rest of you…" They flinched nervously. "I think you have somethin' to say." He motioned to Sonic and his friends. They all exchanged looks.

"Señor, with all due respect, are you saying we owe them an apology?" Jose asked.

"But... why?" Matti questioned. "They're Freedom Fighters. We're Egg Soldiers. We're mortal enemies."

"On paper, maybe," Beau pulled out a flask of whiskey from his pocket. "But think back to why we all became Egg Soldiers in the first place. Also, you all left base to go and kill Sonic without my approval. And you know the rules about 'unsanctioned villainy' as the lil' egg calls it."

That made all of them wince hard.

"And Matilda…" Beau gestured to the battered Mighty. "That goes double for you."

"What?!" Matti shook her head. "But Baron-"

What happened to you isn't Mighty's fault and never was. He's your only family. Do you really wanna waste what time you have hating him for something he had no control over?"

"I… I…"

"It's alright," Matti turned to Mighty at that. "There's nothing to apologize for. She has every right to be upset with me."

"Mighty…" Matti managed.

"Matilda… I'm so sorry," Mighty lamented. "I should've been faster… I should've tried harder to find you. Maybe then...things would be different."

"I… I…" Matti looked up. "Look out!"

Everyone turned to where Matilda was pointing and they saw some round, metal spheres flying toward them.

"Dammit!" Beau shot the spheres, which exploded in a burst of electricity, causing the Dust Riders to twitch violently.

"Uncle Beau!" Bunnie screamed.

"Shit!" Beau cursed. "Mag-Grenades…"

"Oh no…" Rally gasped. "Jack's plan is already starting!"

"Plan?!" Sonic demanded. "What plan?!"

"My master plan."

Everyone turned to see Jack walking in.

"The plan to finally free our city from these damned, deviled Eggheads once and for all." Jack grinned. "Howdy there, old man. Ya look like shit."


Author's Note:

(1) Former Robian and drunk extraordinaire!

(2) My sweet, little baby! Papa missed you so much!

(3) Very nice.

(4) I'm sad.

Now we know why Jesse went off the deep end, and what a monster Jack really is. Next chapter, his karma approaches, and the long-awaited end of the Sand Blasters arc/saga.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Robert - Keith Silverstein (Masayoshi Shido in Persona 5, Johan Liebert in Monster, Vector's current VA, Robert E.O. Speedwagon in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, William B. Baxter in Eureka Seven, Hisoka in Hunter x Hunter 2011, Zhongli in Genshin Impact)

* Paulette - Katelyn Barr (Ren Sohma in Fruits Basket 2019, Ryukyu in My Hero Academia, Baby 5 in One Piece, Imu in Senran Kagura)

Please R&R. Until next time!