-Chapter 256-
Sonic Vs. the Sand Blasters
Radio Tower
Hope, Sam, Rotor, Avery, Tex, and Ashe arrived at the Radio Tower.
"C'mon, hurry!" Avery yelled.
As they entered, Hope turned to Sam and Tex. "You two, stand guard and be ready for anything. Anyone or anything that isn't Sonic or one of ours shows up, you know what to do."
"Right," Tex nodded.
"What about me?" Ashe asked.
" You stay here. Where it's safe."
As they hurried up to the top, Avery explained his plan. "When Jack had me build the anti-Badnik tech and signal jammers, I slipped in a little failsafe. In case of an emergency, I can remotely shut down the defense grid through the program stashed in here." He tapped his tablet for emphasis. "We shut that down, the EMP goes down with it."
They made it to the central computer. As Avery hooked his tablet up to it, Hope stopped before the keyboard, cracking her neck and knuckles.
"Okay, let's do this."
"Rotor, keep an eye out," Avery ordered. "If I know Jack, he's got Shift and Jolt heading here right now."
"I'm on it." Rotor stood at the ready as Hope and Avery got to work.
-X-
Meanwhile, down below, Tex and Sam were keeping an eye out as Ashe sat with them.
"No sign of Zippy Chicken or Snaggletooth." Sam reported.
"Keep your eyes peeled," Tex warned. "Jolt may be an idiot, but he's got a knack for gettin' the drop on folks." He looked very grim and serious. "And Shift...his only real strength are his traps, and those things only work about half the time."
"He and Sticks would probably get along well if that wolf wasn't snake-fuggingly crazy."
Tex just shrugged.
"Uncle Tex...are you okay?" Ashe asked.
Tex didn't even look at him. "I'm good, Ashe. Don't worry about it."
Sam looked, seeing Tex was shedding bloody tears.
"Yeah... buddy, I know a coping mechanism and ways to hide your emotions when I see them. You're not fooling anyone."
A moment passed before Tex sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Joining up with Jack was the worst mistake of my life... I knew what he was doing to the ex-Robians was wrong, but I didn't have the guts to speak up. And I was so wrapped up in my own issues that I didn't even notice what he was doing to Ashe. And I'm supposed to be the big, tough, scary lizard guy." He scoffed. "Some tough guy I turned out to be. Let some crazy bunny screw with my head, turn me into his personal attack dog." He punched the wall. "STUPID!"
"I don't get it…" Ashe said. "Jack has done all these terrible things. Brainwashed the entire city, killed people. How can he still think he's the good guy?"
"I asked my grandpa the same thing about some of the agents in GUN, like Agent Westwood or the guys behind the ARK Massacre fifty years ago," Sam remarked, leaning back. "You know what he told me?"
"What?"
"Some people believe that, without a doubt, everything they do is for the sake of justice. Anyone who goes against them is going against justice and thus an evildoer, and they think they can do anything they please for its own sake, because they're justice. And that's the worst kind of evil."
"And what does that make me and Avery?" Tex asked. "We knew that Jack was poison. We knew this wasn't right. But we did it all anyway."
"At least you two have a functioning conscience. And you wised up and got out before it was too late. The fact that you guys pulled yourselves out and are setting yourselves back onto the right path... not a lot of people have that kind of strength, Tex."
"Yeah...all it took was seeing my nephew about to shoot two women dead, after I helped kill even more."
-X-
"Damn…" Hope let out. "I said it before and I'll say it again. Avery, this is some impressive tech. Seriously, if this is what you can do with scrap and junk, I'm almost scared to see what you do with real machines."
"I think he'd get along well with Tails, don't you, Hope?" Omochao asked.
Avery blinked. "The fox boy? Does he do crap like this?"
Hope nodded. "Let me put it to you this way. Tails has built a TV out of paper clips, and reprogrammed a supercomputer using nothing but dish soap and a toothpick."
"Seriously?"
"Oh yeah. That particular TV is the one sitting in our rec room at Knothole."
"Well, you won't have to worry 'bout me getting any machines, Hope. After this, the only tech Tex and I will be looking at is a prison security camera, from the outside," Hope turned to Avery as he sighed. "I knew Jack was toxic, that what he was doing was wrong... but I ignored my better judgment and went along with everything he said and did like a good little wind-up soldier. Once this is over, I'm turning myself over to the Acorn military, GUN, whoever'll slap the cuffs on me. They're gonna do it anyway, once they find out how many people we hurt. Poor Ashe is gonna be crushed… but then again, considering Jack was able to almost turn him into a future psycho right under my nose, maybe it's for the best I get out of his life. Aurora knows my brother's gonna want me out of it."
"Hey…" Hope soothed. "Don't beat yourself up. You still tried to do right by him. You flubbed it, yes, but you still tried. That's more than a lot of people have ever done. And you wised up and got out before it was too late. You're helping stop Jack's crazy plan."
"After all the heinous shit I did working for him, you really think one selfless act is enough to make up for any of it?"
"It's a start. What say we make it official?"
Avery smiled. "Yeah." He readied the program. "Just need to input the password and we'll be done." He typed. "HunnySalmon217. AAAAAnd...enter!"
Suddenly, the screen went red, as the machine began to spark.
"What the...!?"
"Get down!" Hope shrieked, but it was too late. The machine let out an electric shock that zapped Avery and Hope, the two screaming in pain.
"Hope! Avery!" Rotor ran over. "Are you okay? What happened!?"
"The password..." Avery winced. "Somebody changed the password."
"They found your override?!" Hope exclaimed. "How!?"
"I don't know! I programmed it myself! Nobody else can-!" A manacle suddenly clamped around his neck. Rotor and Hope looked up, following the chain to see a smirking Shift step out of the shadows.
"You really shouldn't have betrayed us, Avery."
"Shift?! What are you–! Did you–?!"
"Change your password and rig the Anti-Badnik Field Generator to zap you? Guilty as charged. Honestly, it was child's play. You may be smart, Avery, but I'm a genius."
Hope pulled herself to her feet, drawing her gun. "It ends here, Shift. You are not gonna get away with this."
Shift grinned. "We already have, Kintobor. You and your band of nincompoops are too late. We're going to do what that spiky rat is too much of a coward to do, and bring the Empire down." He pulled out a com. "Jolt, I've secured the brainiacs. Deal with the rest."
" Okily-dokily, Shiftarino! "
Shift rolled his eyes as he hung up. "Oh, brother." He pocketed his com before making his way to the edge, dragging the trio behind him. "Elevator down!" He jumped off, dragging everyone behind him.
-X-
On the ground, Sam perked as he heard the screams.
"That was Hope and the others!" he said, hopping up to his feet. "Something's wrong. We gotta get–!" Just then, a green blur dashed past him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm, looking to see a shallow cut on it.
"What the–!?"
"Hi buddyyy!"
Sam looked over his shoulder and saw Jolt leaning against the wall, spinning a bloody knife.
and Jolt spinning a bloody knife.
"Jolt…"
"That's me!" he declared happily. "Birdicus Fastius, Sandius Blasterus…" his voice took on a more sinister tone, "Executionus Yourus."
"So, you finally decided to show up, eh?" Sam raised his fists in a combat stance. "Bring it on, you crazy bird!"
Jolt focused, his legs spinning in a familiar figure-eight formation before darting toward him. Amazingly enough, Sam managed to dodge to the right, landing a punch, knocking Jolt away.
"Ow!" he rubbed his eye. "Either your reflexes are good, or mine are shot."
"Sonic's Figure-Eight Peel-Out…" Sam shook his head. "Plagiarist. If it was Sonic pulling it off, I'd be on the ground right now."
"That can be arranged."
Jolt charged again, only for Tex to intercept him. The lizard grabbed the roadrunner, slamming him into the wall.
"Tex, what the fugg are you doing?!" Jolt screamed.
"What I should've done a long time ago!"
"Look, if this is about your nephew, I-!"
Tex punched him in the face. "Ashe was the straw that broke the Pasha's back, you scrawny, oversized parakeet! You and Jack turned me, Avery, and everyone in this town into killers! I bought into his bullshit! I put up with it for way too long! And I'm DONE! "
Jolt scoffed. "I always knew you were a big softie underneath that hard, prickly shell." He grinned eagerly. "Let's take a look!"
He pecked Tex in the face, breaking free before slashing him across the chest. As he recoiled, Jolt pinned Tex down, rapidly pecking him.
"Hey, Jolt!" Sam's voice came.
Jolt looked up just in time for Sam to slam a lead pipe into his torso, knocking him off of Tex and sending him into the wall.
"Flock off, Beaky," Sam spat before going to check on Tex, finding him covered in little pecks. "You okay, big guy?"
"I'll live…" the lizard groaned as he rubbed his head. "But I'll feel even better once I get my hands on that damn roadrunner's…neck?"
Tex turned to where Jolt had landed, only to find he wasn't there.
"Where'd he go!?"
At that moment, they heard Ashe scream, turning to see Jolt holding him, a knife to his throat.
"Hey guys! Look at my new teddy bear! Ain't he just adorable?"
"Let go of me!" Ashe cried.
"You coward!" Sam shouted.
"Coward?" Jolt scoffed. "Don't be hatin' just 'cause we're smart. That's why Eggman's still running around, y'know. You and the rest of the Sonic Fan Club don't get that this is war, and in war, victory only goes to those who will do anything to win. Now get on your knees and put your hands behind your head, or I slit his neck…or peck his skull open, whichever's nastier."
Tex immediately did so, Sam scowling before tossing the pipe aside and following suit.
"Good filthy, Egghead traitors."
At that moment, Shift literally dropped in from above, bringing Avery, Hope, and Rotor with him. As soon as he hit the ground, he bit his lower lip and let out a whine of pain.
"Ha! Nice landing, Mr. Wuff." Jolt applauded.
:"Shut up." Shift slowly stood up, mumbling in pain as his knees straightened.
"Hope!" Sam cried.
"Avery!" Tex yelled.
Shift launched manacles at Sam and Tex, binding their arms. "And that makes five. Now, what say we get to the junkyard? It's almost showtime. Jolt?"
"Eeee! Train time!" Jolt applauded at that.
Jolt handed Ashe to Shift, who gave him the chains connecting everyone's manacles.
"Oh shit..." Avery let out.
"Avery, what's train time?" Rotor asked.
"Cover your heads. Now!"
They quickly did so.
"CHOO-CHOOOOO!" Jolt ran off with their chains, dragging everyone behind them.
"Oh fugg meeeeeeee!" Sam screamed.
Junkyard
Sonic and the others faced off with Jack, the rabbit grinning with maliciously delight as he stepped forward.
"Well now, I must say I'm impressed, Mr. Hedgehog," Jack commended as he clapped his hands. "You actually managed to defeat the Diablo Kid and his Hellrazers. Our city owes you a debt of gratitude."
"Save it, Jack!" Sonic snapped, pointing at him accusingly. "We know the truth! About the former Robians! You tortured Jesse MacNeil, pushed him into becoming the Diablo Kid! You shot his sister in cold blood and didn't bat an eye!"
The color drained out of Jack's face, the rabbit taking a step back. "T-that was an accident! I was tryin' to kill him !"
"Oh, so you mean instead of killing an ex-Robian who did nothing to you, you killed his little sister who wasn't even ten?" Sally demanded. "Was it also an 'accident' when you let Jesse take the fall for what you did, you slime?!"
"I don't have to justify myself to you people!" Jack shouted. "What I did was to protect my city from monsters and demons like them ! You have a problem with how I do things? Then maybe you shoulda taken more initiative yourselves!"
"You made us in the first place, you son of a bitch!" Meryl shouted. "Jesse only became a demon because you ostracized him! Tormented him! The entire reason we all signed back up with Eggman is because you wouldn't stop harassing and discriminating against us! Rallying everyone in Wyldwest into fugging lynch mobs!"
"Shut up, you bitch!" Jack drew his gun, putting a bullet in Meryl's shoulder.
"Meryl!" Milly screamed.
"You too!" Jack shot Milly next, both girls screaming and clutching their shoulders.
"You're a lunatic, Jack!" Sonic shouted. "You can't just go around killing people and call yourself a hero!"
"Why not?! GUN does it all the time! So does the Acorn military! Your old man and uncle didn't win any awards or medals during the Great War by picking daisies!" Jack spun around and fired, shooting Lily's gun out of her hand, causing her to yelp in pain. "Raising your gun against me, Lily? And after you were so eager to help us?"
"That was before I found out what you did to Jesse and Jamie!" Lily glared at him, angry, bitter tears in her eyes. "They were my best friends, Jack! You killed one and drove the other back to Eggman! I can't believe I ever entertained the idea of signing up with you!"
"How the hell do you sleep at night!?" Rally demanded.
"With the knowledge that I'm making Wyldwest safe. There are two kinds of people in this city, horse. One kind joins the Sand-Blasters and contributes. We bury what's left of the other kind out in the desert. Speaking of..." Jolt rushed in, dragging Hope's group with him.
Jolt stopped, sticking his tongue out. "Meep-meep!"
"Jolt, so nice of you to join us. Where's Shift?"
A loud "oof!" reached their ears. Lesath, Twister, Chopper, and Jesse went flying into the center of the area, all bound as Shift walked in.
"Sorry about that, Jack. Not all of us have super speed."
"You… bastard…" Lesath spat before getting gagged.
"Thank you. Now… go get the Kid's crew."
Jolt ran over, dragging Beauregard and the Sand-Blasters over.
"Get your hands off them, you-!" Bunnie hissed.
"Don't even try it!" Jack snapped, Shift holding up Ashe. They stopped in their tracks.
"Ashe!" Cream screamed.
Jolt turned to Sonic, glaring at him.
"Y'know, Sonic, we really looked up to you. We even got into fighting Eggman because of you. But after fighting by your side and seeing you for the soft-hearted wimp you really are, all I can say is, and I really mean this..." the roadrunner threw a crumpled up scrap of paper at Sonic's feet, "You can KEEP your crappy autograph!"
"Shift, start the stream," Jack ordered. "It's time."
"Just how low can you and your freaks sink, Jack?!" Sonic yelled, outraged.
Jack scoffed. "You're not part of our team. You're not in charge of me or anyone else here. If you're all so annoyed by how we operate, then show me a rulebook on how to be a Freedom Fighter, and I might consider changing my style. Until then…" Shift pulled out a camera. "It's showtime."
Shift turned the camera on. "We're live!"
-X-
All over Mobius, TVs displayed the scene in Sand Blast City of Jack standing seemingly victorious, the Dust Riders and Knothole group around them.
"Greetings, people of Mobius! This is Jack Rabbit of Sand Blast City, announcing the ultimate end of the Robotnik Empire... and the Sonic Cycle."
"Sonic Cycle, eh?" Sonic questioned.
Jack turned to him. "It's what we call your little status quo. Every time you two face off, we all know what's gonna happen. Eggman enacts a scheme, you show up and beat him, Eggman escapes, saying something along the lines of 'I hate that hedgehog!' And then he flies over the horizon and you won't see each other for... about a week. And then you'll do the same thing all over again." He turned back to the camera. "This is a call-out to the shadow cabinets, petty dictators and all-around asshats of the world. You're on notice. We're not bound by lines on a map or political alliances or governing bodies of any kind. We are our own bosses, and we have a very simple job. There are the good guys, namely us, and the bad guys, namely anyone who treats anyone else like trash to further their petty aims. We turn bad guys - especially Eggman and his crew - into memories. So mind your manners, or we'll blow your house down. We're the Sand-Blasters, here to end the Sonic Cycle once and for all. You asked for us, Mobius... and now you got us."
Sonic gave a sarcastic slow clap. "So, you rehearse that speech, or is this all off the cuff?"
Jack glared at him, then returned to the camera. "Now, I imagine a lot of you are skeptical. We don't blame you. After all, this is our official debut. So… perhaps a demonstration is in order." The camera turned to the gathered Dust Riders. "Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the Wyldwest Egg Militia, aka the Dust Riders. Dr. Robotnik's newest and by far most brutal band of soldiers. For the past year, they terrorized the Great Desert, slaughtering and enslaving hundreds of innocent men, women, and children, until today."
"Don't listen to him!" Cream cried. "They turned to Eggman because Jack's a big meanie! He turned everyone against them and- EEK!"
Jack whirled around, firing a warning shot into the ground by her feet.
"Shut your damn mouth! The big people are talking!" he snapped. "Now, where was I?" He motioned for Jolt to move the Hellrazers aside. "The Dust Riders are mainly composed of former Robians. Unfortunate victims converted into robots by the 'good' Doctor's Roboticizer. Yes, they were changed back. And what do they do? They go right back to working for the fat bastard! And why?" he chuckled darkly. "Well, because they're demons, pure and simple."
"Because we had no choice!" Meryl objected. "You turned the city against us, planted that idea in their heads and-!"
Without missing a beat, Jolt yanked his sock off, stuffing it in her mouth.
"Thank you, Jolt. And now...it's time to send them back to Hell. Shift, activate the Mag-Collars!"
Shift pulled out a detonator.
"Pay attention folks, this is how we save the day."
Shift activated it, and all of the Dust Riders sans the Hellrazers began convulsing and smoking, their bodies glowing with electricity.
"What...the...hell...is this!?" Twister managed.
"My body…" Chopper wheezed. "It feels like I'm on fire!"
"That would be our patented, Anti-Badnik magnet field. Any Eggtech near it shorts out and fries. And right now, it's cookin' you scumbags from the inside out!"
"You sunnuvabitch!" Bill shouted.
"Shut up!" Jack grinned. "We got special plans for you four."
Milly weakly reached out. "P-please…"
Several other Dust Riders were pleading as well, but Jack had no reaction.
"Jack, stop!" Sally cried. "They're begging for their lives!"
Jack just scoffed. "They signed their death warrants the minute they threw in their lot with Eggman and attacked my city. I'm just the Reaper."
"There's been enough death!" Sonic yelled.
"The only good Egg Army soldier is a dead one, hedgehog, and that's a fact!"
Sonic stood firm. "We're sending them to jail. It's that simple."
"Oh really? You did that once with Eggman, and he broke out. That's what happens; more pain, more suffering. You deal with crooks like him your way, and it accomplishes jack shit!" Jack turned to the camera. "Is that the world you want, people?! Or should monsters like these get what they deserve?! Say it!"
A few moments passed before Shift checked his phone. "The people have spoken, Jack. We've hit thirty thousand likes."
Jack smirked. "And the judgment is… DEATH. "
"You won't get away with this!" Bill yelled. "If you think people are gonna approve of this, you're even stupider than you-!" He suddenly started gasping.
"Pardon?" Jack asked. "Did you say somethin', Beefsteak?"
"Bill?" Matti let out. "Bill, what's wrong!?"
"I..." Bill wheezed out. "I can't… Breathe!"
"Yeah, that'd be your collar causing the tech in your throat to close up." Jack said, as casually as if he was discussing the weather. "Woulda gone with a bullet in your skull, but..."
Bill desperately gasped for breath as the others looked on in horror.
"Stop it!" Lily shrieked. "For Aurora's sake, let him breathe!"
"In the meantime…" Jack turned to Jose, drawing his gun as Jose started to panic.
"No…" he pleaded. "No please! ¡Merced! ¡Merced! "
" Hasta la vista , Quervo Loco." Jack pulled the trigger, putting a bullet right between Jose's eyes. Everyone gaped in horror as he fell back lifelessly.
"Jose!" Matti screamed.
"Halfway there." Jack turned to Matti. "Alright, Matti. Now you get yours."
Mighty's eyes widened in horror. As Jack drew his gun, preparing to fire, the armadillo charged forward.
"No! LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE!"
"Mighty!" Ray shouted.
Mighty put himself between Jack and Matti, allowing the bullet to hit his shell. Matilda could only stare in horror as he fell to the ground, blood rapidly staining his shirt.
"MIGHTY!" she shrieked.
"I-it's alright…" Mighty wheezed. "It didn't hurt at all…" He winced.
"Boy, you just made me waste my best bullet!" Jack shouted, kicking Mighty. "Now I gotta kill her the old fashioned way!"
"You…"
Jack turned to see Jesse, still suspended, moving, his Devil's Eye flickering. "Get...away...from...her..."
"The fugg?"
"Leave...Matti...alone!" Jesse's eye flashed as he fought against the suspension program.
"Dammit MacNeil, stay down!" Jack shot him in the head, causing him to scream in pain as his Devil's Eye implant shattered.
"JESSE!" Lily and Rally screamed in unison.
"You've been a thorn in my side long enough, Kid!" Jack yelled. "It's time somebody put you down!"
He took aim at Jesse.
"I'll...see you...in Hell, Rabbit!" Jesse spat.
Just as Jack fired, Bill staggered to his feet. He charged forward with all his strength and will, throwing himself in front of the gun and taking the bullet in the dead center of the chest.
"Bill!" Matti cried.
"NO!" Jesse screamed.
Bill panted heavily before coughing up blood.
"Bill…" Jesse let out. "Why?"
Bill just turned to Jesse, giving him a weak smile before turning to Matti. He stumbled over to her before gently patting her head. Finally, he turned to Sonic, looking him right in the eye.
"Keep… fighting…"
With that, he fell backwards, dying.
"Bill!" Matti cried. "Bill! Don't go! Please!"
She buried her face in his chest, sobbing hysterically. Cream teared up, burying her face into Bunnie's leg as Sonic stood there, his face expressionless.
"He just changed my kill order," Jack scoffed. "Now then…"
As he reloaded, the area suddenly grew colder. He perked before turning to see Sonic glaring at him in cold, utter hatred and rage, his eyes glowing bright blue with Chaos energy.
"What's wrong? No smart-ass puns or one-liners, Sonic?"
Instead of answering, Sonic slowly began walking toward him, his fist clenching as he approached the rabbit step by step, inch by inch. Jack began to sweat, but kept up a brave face.
"You want some too, hedgehog?!"
Sonic said nothing, calmly continuing his walk. Jack took aim, firing two shots, which Sonic dodged with almost no visible movement. Jack had just enough time to register this when Sonic got in his face and, with a furious growl, slammed his fist into Jack's face with all of his might, sending the evil Freedom Fighter flying out of the junkyard and across Sand Blast City. With that, Sonic then turned to the Dust Riders and rapidly dismantled their collars, freeing them from the effects.
"Sweet, lil' baby Aurora!" Beau gasped.
"Anyone else smell BBQ?" Twister asked.
"Twister..." Lesath sighed.
"Let me cope, Lesath!"
"Everyone who can still walk, take your wounded and get outta here," Sonic turned to where he sent Jack flying, glaring at Shift and Jolt as well. "I've got some redneck trash to throw out."
Jolt and Shift looked at him uneasily, Jolt gulping.
"Sonic?" Sally let out nervously.
Sonic whirled on her. "Just do what I said, Sally! All of you, get outta here NOW! Before I lose what little sense of reason I have left!"
"Sally, we have to go!" Antoine cried. "We have wounded!"
Sally looked at the Dust Riders, then at Shift's prisoners before nodding. "Alright."
They all got to work doing so as Sonic turned to Shift and Jolt.
"You killed innocent people," he began, deadly calm. "Tormented the ex-Robians. Threatened and hurt my friends. And now... you're gonna pay for it."
"O-okay, we'll pay!" Jolt shakily held up his wallet. "How 'bout four bits?"
Sonic sparked, Shift stepping back. "Jolt, I don't think he means that kinda pay! I... I think he's playing it our way!"
"N-no!" Jolt cried. "Sonic doesn't kill anything that's not a robot! Everybody knows that!"
"Normally, I don't," Sonic's eyes narrowed. " But I'm not feeling myself right now. "
"D-Don't even try it!" Shift stammered.
"Yeah!" Jolt held up Ashe. "You do, the kid gets it!"
Sonic dashed over and punched Jolt aside, snatching up Ashe and taking him to where Sally and the others were.
"Here, stay with them," he said as he darted away.
"Sonic, wait!" Ashe cried out.
-X-
As Shift helped Jolt up, they froze stiff as Sonic slowly headed toward them, sparking with dark blue lightning and his face near-emotionless.
"I finally get it," he began coldly. "Thank you... I made the mistake of treating you people like... people. Now, I understand better... I understand now what the world wants, what it needs. The world needs people in charge, willing to put the animals DOWN !"
From their seats watching through Shift's still-running feed, the world quaked in terror at the sight of Sonic, particularly when he gave a toothy, cold smirk. At GUN, Tower and the others are in shock
"Is…" Madonna began, "is that Sonic?"
Madonna shook her head. "Not anymore…"
At Mobotropolis, Tails' group watches from Lulumae's new home.
"Sonic…" Amy let out.
"They pushed him too far," Tails gasped. "He's...He's gone Dark…"
"No, Tails…" Everyone turned to Knuckles. "This isn't Sonic going Dark... This is…" He started to sweat. "I don't know what this is."
"Wha...What is this?" Shift demanded. "This...This wasn't in any of the footage!"
"Gettin' a real, tight sphincter here, Shift!" Jolt cried.
Shift stepped back, holding up Avery's tablet. "I've got Avery's weapons systems on my side! Computer, launch-!"
Sonic wagged a finger. "Ah-ah-ah…"
He began rapidly running around him, stirring up a Blue Tornado. Shift tried again, only to start gasping for air, dropping to his knees before collapsing. Jolt gaped as Sonic stopped.
"W-what did you do?!"
"Made a vacuum. Sucked the air out of the surroundings. Shift can't make vocal commands if he can't breathe, after all," Sonic glared at him. "Now he knows how Bill felt when you shut down his airway." He grabbed Shift by the scruff of his neck. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Jolt could only watch in horror as Shift weakly struggled against Sonic, who looked right at the camera.
"Hey, you gettin' this?!"
They fell behind a rock. All Jolt could see was shadows, which painted a grim enough picture: Sonic clamping one of Shift's own bear traps around his face, complete with what seemed like blood splashing the sand and intense choking and gurgling sounds.
"Let's see your big brain outthink that , Mr. Genius." Sonic scoffed as he came out, his clothes smeared with blood as he turned to Jolt. The roadrunner slowly stepped back before taking off back to the city.
-X-
Meanwhile, Jack was pulling himself out of the wall where he had hit after Sonic punched him out of the junkyard, just in time for Jolt to come running up.
"Jack!" he shrieked. "Sonic's gone cuckoo! He just killed Shift!"
Jack blinked before pulling out his phone, checking into the feed to see Shift's apparent death and the watchers' horrified reactions.
"A-alright, just stay calm," he insisted. "He won't try anything with the civvies around. We can regroup, and-"
Suddenly, a blue blur dashed in, snatching up Jolt and taking off with a sonic boom that shattered multiple windows. Jack ducked for cover as the glass rained down, before looking up, pulling out a Tommy gun.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" he shrieked.
"Up here." Sonic jumped from a building, cracking the pavement. "As for your buddy, well... he was fast, but he wasn't really built to withstand the extreme speed, air friction, and conditions of running at Mach 7."
He opened his hand, dropping a pile of ash on the ground, complete with Jolt's belt buckle and knife.
"You... You killed them!" Jack scowled. "You killed my team! You bastard!"
He shot at Sonic, who casually zipped around the shots.
"Your team of killers," the hedgehog clarified. "And guess what? They won't be killing anyone else." Jack narrowly ducked as Sonic threw Chaos lightning at him. "You should be happy, Jackie! I FINALLY bought what you've been selling!"
Much to Jack's shock, Sonic wasn't even bothering to cover his tracks or watch for civilians, several of them being seemingly crushed by flying debris.
"T-this isn't you!" Jack insisted. "This goes against everything you stand for! Why are you doing this?! You're hurting innocent people!"
"Why do you care? You do it all the time," Jack backed up as Sonic advanced on him, the hedgehog smirking all the while. "Now you know how Jesse and the other Dust Riders felt after you ganged up on and tortured them. So tell me…" He began sparking violently. "How does it feel, Jack?! How does it feel to be deconstructed? To be the victim?! To watch your dreams DIE?! It sucks, doesn't it?!"
Jack raised his gun. "YOU TELL ME, YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS HYPOCRITE!"
He began firing, only for Sonic to casually snatch each and every last bullet out of the air with an electrified hand
"Self-righteous hypocrite, am I?" Sonic calmly dropped the bullets to the ground, revealing he had taken the bullets apart at super-speed so they couldn't fire. "So when you kill, it's fine, but when you make the victim snap and play your game, that's when you start shouting? Dude, you played the game. Now you gotta face the final boss."
Jack frantically raised his gun again, only for Sonic to dart forward, grabbing the barrel and yanking it out of his hand.
"Welcome to the end of your life, Jack," Sonic casually crushed the barrel in his fist before tying it in a knot like rubber and tossing it aside. "And I promise... it's gonna HURT."
Jack swung desperately, but Sonic jumped into a wall before tucking into a Spin Dash, launching himself forward. He slammed into Jack, bouncing up and down and plowing him into the ground until a sizable impact crater was created. Jack coughed, bleeding and battered, practically in tears by now.
"This isn't you!" he exclaimed. "You don't do this! YOU DON'T DO THIS! "
"I do now." Sonic lifted Jack up by the collar, gathering Chaos lightning in his fist and preparing to put it through his skull when…
" WAIT! "
All eyes turned to see Ashe running forward. Before he could get any closer, Sally caught up to him, grabbing him.
"Ashe, stay back!" she cried.
"Don't do it, Sonic!" Ashe begged. "Please! You're better than this! Better than him!"
He was squirming in Sally's arms, trying to escape as Sonic simply stood in place.
"I was wrong! It's not okay to kill bad guys! I see now why you and your friends were against Jack and the others killing people! If there's anything left of the real you in there, Sonic, I'm begging you! Stop! Please!"
For a moment, all of them were frozen in place. Then, Sonic dropped Jack on the ground, taking a deep breath. As he let it out, the lightning around him faded away.
"Don't worry, kid. I'm no killer. And I don't plan to change that, ever."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Jack demanded. "You killed Shift and Jolt! Everyone on Mobius saw it on the feed! They know you're no better than the rest of us! There's nothing special about you!"
"You all saw what I wanted you to see, Jack. All I did was throw on a puppet show and throw some dirt around, that's all."
"What…?"
"Jolt's ashes were snagged from a bonfire. And Shift? I put on one hell of a shadow puppet theater. As for all the blood?" Sonic held up an empty ketchup bottle.
"But... bu-... HOW?! Where are they?!"
"Oh, I shoved them in a basement somewhere, tied up and unconscious," Sonic turned to Sally. "I assume you and the others got any civvies out of the way?"
Sally nodded. "Good thing Shard's as fast as you."
"Y-you were in on it?" Jack stammered. "You knew?!"
"Not at first," Sally answered. "But we've all seen how Sonic gets when he turns dark, and when I saw the lack of corruption, I knew."
By now, a crowd had formed around them. Sonic turned to address them.
"Sorry for scaring you, but that was the point. When Shift made that big broadcast, I got the idea to show you all exactly why I don't go crazy and just start killing Eggman and his goons. Jack and his pals were just a bunch of guys with guns. I have super-speed and Chaos Emerald power; imagine what would happen if all of that WASN'T an act. The thought freezes your blood, doesn't it?"
Several people murmured to themselves, seeing Sonic's point... only to be cut off by a dark chuckle from Jack.
"What's so funny?" Sonic asked.
"You think you win, Sonic? Well, you forgot one thing," Jack gestured with his thumb behind him, where the EMP tower was visible. "Operation Vacuum is still in effect! Any second now, the EMP's gonna go off and fry every Egg Soldier and Badnik in Wyldwest! You won the battle, but I won the war!"
He began cackling loudly, throwing his head back in triumph... until he realized that none of the Freedom Fighters were panicking. Sonic was even standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk.
"I'm sorry, did you say something, floppy buns?" he asked.
"Why aren't you terrified?! Panicking?!"
"Well, by my calculations, your EMP should've gone off by now," Hope mused. "Could it be that we had an ace up our sleeves?"
"Hey-o!" Cubot's voice came.
Jack perked, turning to see the 6-S standing there triumphantly.
"No…" Jack shook his head. "No you... this… how did this…!?"
"We managed to download some files while you had us strung up... including Shift's little password override," Orbot explained. "Once he and Jolt jumped Hope and the others, it was just a matter of sneaking up to finish the job while you were focused on your livestream."
"This…This isn't happening!" Jack insisted. "You're idiots! IDIOTS!"
"Maybe so, but we're the idiots who beat you." Decoe boasted smugly.
"Who's harmless now?!" Cubot bragged.
"Harmless to us, but you came through for us today," Hope patted him on the head. "Good job."
Cubot began purring like a Mobini cat. Avery stepped forward at that.
"And now, the finishing touch to make sure everyone sees you for what you really are," he held out his tablet. "Hope, your Omochao, please."
Omochao interfaced with the tablet, Avery tapping away. With that done, Omochao's eyes projected a holographic vid, depicting an uncyberized Jesse MacNeil cornered by Jack, about to be shot.
"It's the end of the line, kid," the rabbit said, "You got nowhere left to run to. Time to do what your daddy failed."
" Please… " Jesse begged, " Don't do this! "
" Say hi to Hatler, Zolin, and Gerald for me, demon! "
" No! " Jamie came running in, weakly punching and kicking him. " Leave him alone! Please! "
" Little bitch… " Jack threw her off. " You wanna protect this Egghead, you can go down with him! "
Jack began to sweat as the vid depicted himself pulling a gun on little Jamie.
"Get away from her!"
Jesse tackled Jack from behind, the two wrestling over the gun. Tex reached over, covering Cream's eyes. Seeing this, Ashe covered his eyes. The entire world felt the gunshot. Jesse and Jack slowly looked up, seeing Jamie slumped against the wall with a bullet wound in her belly. She cried in pain, reaching for her brother before going limp.
" JAMIE! " Jesse screamed in horror.
"An innocent kid, Jack," Sonic spat. "A little girl who just wanted to protect her brother, and a boy who you demonized for being a victim."
Jack whirled on Avery. "I thought I told you to-!"
"Scrub the footage?" Avery finished, grinning slyly. "You did. But I decided to save it for a rainy day."
On the video, Jack turned down the alleyway. " The demon's killed the girl! Come on! "
As the sounds of an angry mob approached, Jesse, with one last look at his sister, glared at Jack, angry, bitter tears in his eyes.
" You're gonna pay for this, Jack! I swear... if it's the last thing I ever do, you're gonna pay! "
The vid ended as Jesse ran for his life. Jack looked around, seeing the crowd glaring at him reproachfully.
"L-look, I can explain," he cleared his throat. "That… isn't real!"
But nobody was buying it.
"What's the matter?" Sonic taunted. "Silver tongue turned to lead?"
Sally took the opportunity to address the crowd and cameras.
"All of you wanted to believe that the Sand-Blasters' way was right. That anything even slightly related to Robotnik was evil and existed to be shunned and persecuted. So many have asked us why we don't just kill him and be done with it, let loose. Well... now you know. The power and responsibility we have isn't for the likes of Jack and his team. We don't decide who lives and who dies... because if we did, it would only be a matter of time before we become no better than Eggman." She thought for a moment before stepping forward. "That being said, I can understand how and why this happened. Being a Freedom Fighter isn't all fun and games. We make it look easy, but in truth, we've come close to dying more times in a year than most people do in their lifetime. It's hard, it's scary, and at times, it's overwhelming. Especially when you're fighting on your own. That's why it's important to remember what it is you're fighting for, and that you don't have to carry the burden by yourself. Jack and his friends carried their burden alone, and it broke them. They forgot why they took up arms against the Empire. They focused solely on eliminating evil, and not on creating something good to take its place. Which is why I'm taking this opportunity to send a message... to anyone and everyone who wants to take a stand against the Robotnik Empire for what is right, you are not alone. If you need help, come and find us. We are here. We are waiting."
"And never forget why you take up arms against evil," Hope chimed in. "I have a saying for you all. I learned it from my Omochao. 'He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.'" She turned to Jack. "That's what happened to you and your team, Jack. We looked into the abyss just like you... but when it looked back, you blinked."
Jack looked around, seeing the crowd who once revered him and his team glaring at him with anger and disapproval.
"I protected you from Eggman! Sand Blast City is still standing because of me! After everything I've done for you, you're turning on me like this?!" he yelled. "In a month, you'll be begging for me to come back! Begging me to protect you! Just you-!"
Tex promptly punched him out, knocking him to the ground. "Shut up."
He picked Jack up by the ears as he and Avery approached, both offering their wrists in surrender.
"You win, Sonic," Avery said. "Fair and square. We're ready to pay for what we've done."
Ashe's eyes widened in horror as Hope nodded and pulled out three pairs of handcuffs.
"No!" he cried out. "You can't take Uncle Avery and Uncle Tex! You can't!"
"Ashe…" Avery said.
"This…This isn't fair! They helped you, and you're throwing them in jail!?" he sniffled and hiccuped, tears welling in his eyes, "That's–!"
"Ashe…"
The bear cub looked up at his uncles.
"I'm sorry, kiddo," Avery said, "But even if we did wise up and turn on Jack, we still helped him. Still killed people…"
"But you didn't have a choice! You–!"
"We did have a choice," Tex cut in. "We could've fought back against Jack. Protected the people he was hurting. Instead, we threw them under the bus to save our own hides."
"We screwed up, Ashe," Avery explained. "Now, we have to answer for our crimes."
"B-But…"
"Hey…" Lily soothed, "It's alright. Your uncles may have done bad, but you're right. They did help us." She turned to the Freedom Fighters. "And Sonic and his friends are gonna make sure everyone knows it. Right?"
"That's right." Hope nodded. "I'm going to testify about your cooperation, and how you helped stop this. At the very least, it should get them early parole, or at least a lighter sentence." She then turned to Tex and Avery. "Especially if we had more information on Jack's operation."
The two ex-Sand Blasters grinned.
"I think that can be arranged," Tex said.
"Until then, we'll serve our time." Avery turned to Ashe. "You be good for your mom and dad 'til we get back, y'hear Ashe?"
The Freedom Fighters watched as Ashe sniffled, before running over and hugging his uncles, bawling his eyes out the whole time. Tex and Avery returned the hug, tears streaming down their faces. Real tears in Tex's case.
"Sam?" Hope said, "See if you can convince your dad and grandpa to give them a cell together."
"That was the plan, Hope," Sam replied. "That was the plan."
Dust Rider HQ
Some time later, the group had gathered at the Dust Riders' base, assembled in a detention area where Jesse was seated on the opposite end of a Plexiglas cell, a patch of gauze covering his shattered Devil's Eye. Lily and Rally sat opposite him as the others talked things over.
"I still can't believe it," Bunnie said, shaking her head. "The Diablo Kid, the old Wyldwest Egg Boss, is a fourteen year old kid ! Even knowing the whole story, it's all so…crazy! Even by Eggman standards!"
"Yeah, it's pretty nuts," Shard concurred. "What really bothers me is why he did it."
"Perhaps it was desperation?" Antoine suggested. "He wanted another Egg Boss and there were no other available candidates."
"Naw, the Doc chose Jesse for a reason," Beau recalled. "A teen full of hate and rage, wantin' to take it out on the world so much, he defied death itself to do it. Sound like anyone you kids know?"
Sally perked. "Kat... so that's it. Eggman saved and recruited Jesse to serve as his answer to Kat!"
"Wild Kat Winters," Beau nodded. "Heard of her. She anything like Jesse here?
"She was, yeah," Sonic confirmed. "But she got help. She has a support system, people by her side that keep her from becoming... Well, like that ."
"Yeah, Julie thought that since you took a scared, broken down kid and made her into a powerful ally, he'd try it himself. As you can see, it went 'bout as well as you'd expect." He shook his head. "Once he realized Jesse went off the deep end, he brought me on as a replacement Egg Boss... after the Kid blew out my shooting arm and kneecaps."
"You can still help him," Bunnie said. "Get him therapy. After this mess… I'm sure Eggatha can convince her uncle to allow it."
Beau nodded. "I'm definitely gonna try, baby girl."
"I'm more surprised you haven't Cracked him yet." Rotor said bluntly.
"Rotor!" Bunnie reprimanded.
"It's true!" the walrus sighed. "Look, I don't wanna sound callous, but Jesse tortured and killed, from what we've gathered, hundreds of people. Regardless of his age or circumstances, you're being very generous."
"I know," the old rabbit replied. "A lot of the other Riders said the same thing. But no matter what he's done, no matter what he's become, Jesse's still a kid." he lowered his hat over his eyes. "And I can't bring myself to kill a kid, not even one as crazy as him."
"Plus, it really does sound like he regrets what he did," Cosmo added. "If you had killed him, none of this would've happened."
"You end a life, you end a story." Beauregard chuckled wistfully. "Sherm, ol' buddy, where would I be without you?"
Rotor perked. "That's right…you and my dad, you were squadmates during the War."
"Squadmates? Son, your pa was one of my closest friends. He was like a brother to me." his grin faltered. "I'm sorry for your loss. He was a good man."
"Yeah…" Rotor said. "He was."
Off to the side, Cream and Cheese joined Lily and Rally at Jesse's cell. He gave her a small, sad smile.
"Cream…" he sighed. "I'm sorry I lied to you…that I hurt you. But, I just want you to know, that day I spent traveling in the desert with you was the happiest I ever had."
"Thank you for helping me," Cream replied. "I hope you get the help you need, too."
"So do we, Jess," Lilly added. "I'm sorry for all that happened to you, that I didn't know what you were going through or wasn't there for you. But I just want you to know that no matter what, you're still my best friend... and you always will be."
She rested a hand on the glass of his cell. With tears in his eye, Jesse placed his own hand on the glass opposite hers, the two standing there silently as Rally placed his own hand over Lily's.
"Thanks guys," he said. "I really, really needed that."
"Three Amigos," Rally said. "Now and always."
The three kept their hands together for a little while longer before letting go.
"When Sonic and his pals save you again, we're having that party we was plannin'," Lily promised. "No excuses."
"I'll hold you to it."
Jesse watched as his two friends left to rejoin the others.
"Well, Jack's been stopped, and you got what you came here for," Beau remarked. "Time for you kids to go home. Tell Lulu I'm doin' fine, and I'll be home as soon as I can."
"I will, Uncle Beau, I promise."
"Good girl. And 'Twan?"
Antoine snapped to attention. "Sir?"
Beauregard glared at Antoine. "If you let anythin' happen to my Bunnie while I'm gone, I will personally lead a siege on Mobotropolis just so I can tan yer hide."
Antoine flinched, but only for a second. "If something does happen to Bunnie, then whoever did it literally went through me first and I'm pushing up the daisies anyway."
Beauregard nodded, satisfied with the coyote's answer. "Now then," he said, "I suggest we head on out. Yer pals are gonna be here any minute now to pick y'all up."
"Yeah," Sonic said, sagging with relief, "It'll be good to be back to Knothole. It feels like we've been gone for months ." He stopped. "Actually, before we go, there's one last thing we need to do."
-X-
Sand Blast City Limits
Lesath and her comrades watched as Matti piled up two small mounds of dirt, a pair of sticks and a bottle of tequila at her side.
"Matti, would you like us to help you?" Milly offered.
Matti shook her head. "No."
"Will you hurt us if we help you anyway?" Meryl asked. "After all, they were our friends too."
"Bill and Jose were my teammates. It's only right that I do this myself." Matti patted down the mounds, then grabbed the sticks, tying them together into two crosses. Once she was done, she stuck one into each of the mounds.
"There." Matti dusted her hands off. "It's done." She grabbed the bottle of tequila and poured it over one of the graves. "Rest in peace, Bill... You too, Jose."
"Honestly, I'm surprised you're even doing this, kiddo." Chopper mused. "Ain't you guys supposed to hate anything and everything Auroran?"
"Chopper!" Meryl admonished.
"Seriously, dude!" Twister snapped. "Read the room!"
"What? It's true."
"Jesse didn't like it," Matti clarified. "But the rest of us… Bill... Jose… they did."
"I see..."
They heard the sound of a throat clearing, turning to see Mighty and Ray approach.
"Is...this is a bad time?" Mighty asked.
"Mighty..." Matti turned away.
"Oh boy..." Twister sighed. "I think we'd better give them some space."
"Agreed." Lesath nodded as the Dust Riders walked off, leaving the trio alone.
"So..." Mighty began. "Are those Bill and Jose's graves?"
Matilda nodded.
"Did...they already bury the bodies or...?"
Matti shook her head. "Empire law requires the bodies of all Cyberized soldiers to be returned to the Citadel to salvage any working cybernetics. Afterwards, the bodies are destroyed to keep them from being reverse engineered."
"So... you can't even bury them," Ray remarked.
"We'll get the ashes after," Matti replied.
"Right..." Mighty swallowed and took a deep breath.
"Matilda, I..."
"Don't…" Matti cut him off. "Please… just don't."
Mighty lowered his head in sadness.
"If anyone should be apologizing... it's me." Mighty perked. "I'm sorry…" She turned to him, a single tear rolling down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Mighty slowly walked over to Matilda, who just kept repeating "I'm sorry" over and over, like she was stuck on a loop. More silent tears fell before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind, choking on her words.
"It's okay, Matti," Mighty assured. "It's okay."
Matilda just sat there in shock, her eyes growing wetter and wetter with each passing second.
"How... how is this… how can you… I tried to kill you! I..."
"It's alright, Matti. You were hurting. You've been trapped here, all alone for so long. Surrounded by people who wanted to hurt you."
"That isn't-"
"It's okay. I forgive you… so long as you forgive me."
Matilda finally faced her brother, seeing his smiling face, the tears forming in his own eyes. That was the last straw; Matti couldn't hold herself back any longer. She cried out as she threw her metal arms around Mighty, burying her face in his shirt as he cried. It was loud and raw and so full of all the emotions she'd been suppressing for a year.
"Just let it out, Matti," Mighty soothed. "Let it all out."
She did, Ray smiling as he watched the scene unfold.
"Worth it," he mused.
"I'll say."
Mighty, Matilda, and Ray turn around to see Sonic and the others approach; Jesse behind them.
"Jesse..." Matti let out.
"I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. I knew one day you'd get your smile back, Matti." Jesse sighed. "Shame this'll probably be the only time I'll get to see it."
"...Thank you for trying."
"And thank you for looking after her all this time," Mighty told him.
Jesse smiled weakly. "Thank you for allowing me to meet her."
"You wanna thank me? Do it by getting better. Healing. Be the kind of person who can make Matti smile."
Jesse nodded. "No promises... but I'll try."
Matilda hugged Jesse before he was ushered away. Off to the side, Bunnie shared a hug with her uncle as he turned to Rotor, handing him a bottle of whiskey. "Whenever you go back to Artika, pour this on his grave for me, will ya?"
Rotor took it. "Right… Go back…"
As they all turned to go, Beau piped up one last time.
"One last thing you should know, from one of the Egg Bosses in Robotnik's inner circle," He removed his hat, his expression dead serious. "Julian Kintobor lives."
Sonic nodded, an expression of determination on his face. "He does. And we're bringing him home…and you all with him, I swear it."
Suddenly, the quiet of the desert was broken by the sound of jet engines. The assembled Freedom Fighters and Dust Riders looked up to see the Special flying toward them.
"Welp, there's our ride," Sonic said. "Come on guys, let's go home."
As the Freedom Fighters headed for the Special, Bunnie, Mighty, Lily, and Rally took one last look at Beauregard, Matilda, and Jesse. Sad smiles came over the Egg Soldiers' faces as they waved goodbye. Bunnie and the others smiled and waved back, their eyes misting as they went to rejoin their friends.
Once everyone was onboard, the Special took off, the Dust Riders watching as it flew off into the horizon.
Author's Note:
And with that, the Sand Blasters arc/saga has finally come to an end. Went on much longer than we were expecting, but hey, at least it entertained and helped move the characters' storylines along. Something most anime filler could learn from...
And yes, a good chunk of the fight was taken from Superman vs. the Elite.
Please R&R. Until next time!
