Sonic:Freedom Forces

(The following Fanfic is inspired by Sonic:Polaris, Sonic:Legacy, Archie Sonic:Online, the notes of Ben Hurst, and the works of Karl Bollers and Ian Flynn.)

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Prologue: A New Threat Arises

On the planet Mobius, a once-peaceful world inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures known as Mobians, the memory of a golden age is marred by the scars of war. The Great War, a devastating conflict between Mobians and humans, had ended, and the planet was supposed to be on the brink of a new era of prosperity. However, the hopeful future was shattered by a man named Julian Kintobor, a human refugee who betrayed the Mobians. Once hailed as a brilliant inventor, Kintobor manipulated King Acorn into disbanding the army, then trapped the king and the court magician, Nagus, in another dimension, claiming the throne for himself under the name of Dr. Robotnik.

For ten long years, the Robotnik War raged. The various Freedom Fighter forces, most notably the one led by Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally Acorn, valiantly resisted Robotnik's mechanical forces. Finally, after countless battles, the Freedom Fighters succeeded in destroying Robotropolis during the Doomsday Project. Robotnik was presumed dead, but the cost of victory was heavy.

As the dust settled, a new shadow emerged from the ruins, a short, bald man in an overly long cape stepped out from a secret pod. Colin Kintobor, Robotnik's nephew, sneered into the darkness. "It's my turn now, Hedgehog," he hissed, his voice filled with venom. "And this time, I'm not alone!" Behind him, two piercing red eyes glowed ominously, like embers burning in the black night.

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Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm

At Knothole Village, the Freedom Fighters had returned to the forest hideaway that had been their sanctuary for years. With Robotropolis in ruins and the threat of Robotnik seemingly gone, life had begun to settle into a new routine. Rebuilding efforts were in full swing, and for the first time in years, the Freedom Fighters could afford to think about the future.

But not everyone was content.

"Geez, he's late again!" Sally Acorn fumed, her arms crossed as she paced back and forth. Today was a crucial day—a gathering of all the Freedom Fighter representatives to discuss the next steps in rebuilding Mobius. "Of all days, Sonic. You had to be late today?" she muttered, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

She sighed, thinking back to the massive celebration that had lasted for days after their victory. Sonic, ever the life of the party, had indulged in far too much chili and root beer, leading to a food coma that lasted well into the morning. Now, as noon approached, he was nowhere to be seen.

Sonic the Hedgehog darted through the dense foliage, a blue streak against the green backdrop of the Great Forest. The wind rushed past him, the familiar sensation clearing the fog of grogginess from his mind. Nothing felt better than a good run, especially after the indulgences of the past few days.

"Man, that party was awesome," Sonic thought to himself, grinning. "But I gotta burn off all those chilidogs somehow!" He zipped around a bend, the trees blurring into a green wall as he increased his speed. The sensation was exhilarating, but even as he reveled in it, a part of him felt… restless.

Robotnik was gone. Mobius was at peace. But where did that leave Sonic?

Sally's foot tapped impatiently against the ground. "How does someone with super speed always manage to be late?" she asked herself for what felt like the hundredth time. She was the leader of the Freedom Fighters, a role she had taken on at a young age after her father's disappearance. For years, she had borne the weight of that responsibility, guiding her friends and comrades through countless dangers. Now, with Robotnik gone, they had a chance to rebuild—both Mobius and their lives.

But Sonic? He was a different story. The same impulsiveness and carefree attitude that made him an incredible fighter also made him frustratingly unreliable when it came to serious matters. And yet… Sally couldn't help but smile at the thought of him. Sonic was infuriating, yes, but he was also brave, loyal, and had a way of making her feel safe even in the darkest moments. He was her hero, even if she'd never say it outright.

Bunnie Rabbot, her best friend and a powerhouse on the battlefield, walked up beside her. "Now, now, sugah, don't you worry none. That blue rascal will show up when he's good and ready," she said in her comforting Southern drawl, placing a reassuring hand on Sally's shoulder. "Besides, ain't nothin' that can't wait a little bit longer. It's not like we're in a rush anymore."

Sally sighed, leaning into Bunnie's touch. "I know, Bunnie, it's just… things feel too quiet. Like something's coming, and I can't shake the feeling we're not ready for it."

Bunnie chuckled softly. "Well, if it makes ya feel any better, I've been workin' on my upgrades with Rotor. Once these new blaster arms and jet boot legs are done, we'll be ready for whatever comes our way."

Sally smiled at her friend's optimism. "Thanks, Bunnie. I guess I'm just overthinking things."

"Maybe so, darlin'. But that's why we love ya. You're always lookin' out for us."

As they talked, a distant blue blur caught Sally's eye. Finally. Sonic skidded to a halt in front of them, striking a pose with his trademark grin. "Hey, Sal! Sorry I'm late. Got caught up in… you know, running." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Sally rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her relief. "About time, Sonic. We've got a lot to discuss, so I hope you're ready to actually focus for once."

"Focus? C'mon, Sal, when have I ever let you down?" Sonic winked, though the weight of her words wasn't lost on him. He could sense the tension in the air, and despite his usual bravado, he knew that the peace they'd fought so hard for was fragile. But that was a worry for later. For now, he had to be here for his friends.

"Let's do this," he said, his tone more serious as he fell in line beside Sally.

As the two walked toward the meeting, they were joined by the rest of their team. Tails Prower, Sonic's little brother, was bouncing with excitement, eager to prove himself. Antoine, as pompous as ever, strutted forward, his nose in the air as he tried to impress Sally with his over-the-top gallantry. Rotor followed, the usually shy walrus giving Sonic a nod of acknowledgment. And bringing up the rear was Lupe Wolf, leader of the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters, her younger brother Marcos beside her. The two shared a brief, knowing glance, their bond unspoken but strong.

Unbeknownst to them, a new threat was already on the rise. In the depths of Robotropolis, Snively Kintobor was making his move. Inside a hidden bunker lab, the diminutive villain cackled to himself as he rifled through the remnants of Robotnik's technology. Among the scattered blueprints and half-finished robots, Snively found something that caught his eye: a small handheld computer linked to an old project labeled Project Polaris.

"A techno-organic supercomputer satellite uplink… the fool never got it to work," Snively mused, attempting to boot it up. The screen flickered, then went blue, filling with endless binary code and equations. He scoffed, ready to leave it behind, when suddenly the screen flashed.

Boot up successful. Re-installing portable uplink to satellite. Reinitializing personality subroutine. Data sent.

Snively froze, a chill running down his spine. The monitor before him hummed ominously. "What… What have I done?" he whispered curious.

But the moment of fear passed, and his sneer returned. "No matter. With these blueprints, the future is mine!" he declared, pocketing the data on Project Metallix. But as he turned to leave, a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, the same ones that had haunted him earlier. Snively gulped, his bravado slipping. "I do mean ours, partner!" he quickly added.

The shadowy figure behind him said nothing, but the burning eyes promised one thing: Mobius would soon face a threat greater than ever before.

To be continued…