Sonic & Gadget: Freedom Fighters
'Sic Parvis Magna.' - Sir Franchis Drake
Mobius Year: 3239
The Resistance fought against the forces of Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik and his Eggman Empire for most of the year. With a mysterious being named Infinite harnessing the mind-bending power of the Phantom Ruby and Sonic the Hedgehog being defeated early on, Eggman had held the upper-hand for most of the war. That was until a new hero appears on the scene to help turn the tide in the Resistance's favour.
The Resistance began making heavy pushes against Dr. Eggman's forces with Sonic later leading the charge following his rescue from a six-month stint on the Death Egg. They were all emboldened with the will to win the war even with heavy losses after being on the back foot for so long and their foes were now the ones feeling the terror of going up against a determined army of rebels on the warpath to take back the planet.
Eventually, the Eggman Empire would lose a lot of ground in the war until most of Eggman's military were sent packing to the Eggman Empire Fortress at a mountain top where a backup power supply for Infinite's Phantom Ruby is located. The surviving numbers of the Resistance would mount a massive everything or nothing assault on the fortress to end the war once and for all.
Infinite would face defeat by Sonic and the new hero he once spared in his own arrogance before glitching out of existence and thus the empire lost their greatest asset. Then Dr. Eggman in his most insane state of mind yet attempted to bring down the sun to destroy the world when the idea of total victory became a distant dream.
The heroes engaged the madman in a mech-suit powered by an overclocked Phantom Ruby before defeating him for good. The fortress would soon be destroyed afterwards, concluding the Phantom Ruby War with the Resistance emerging as the victors and the world saved from utter annihilation.
The rest of the Eggman Empire that haven't perished or been captured by the authorities have retreated to parts unknown to lick their wounds. The empire being left severely battered from the losses incurred by the closing days of the war and suffering its' costliest defeat since the demise of Julian Robotnik in 3235. Its' leader Ivo Robotnik nowhere to be seen with his current status and whereabouts unknown.
For the first time in a long time, being associated with Robotnik is seen as a death sentence rather than a benefit and the doctor's absence created a power vacuum too tempting to pass up on. Grandmaster Lien-Da amongst the most prominent players vying for it since her Dark Legion had split from the Eggman Empire in wake of the sun incident.
It'd been roughly a whole month since the end of the Phantom Ruby War and reconstruction efforts to restore society back to normal already set into motion. They were all more than glad to see it end at long last and be able to get back to their normal lives again from the almost year long conflict of global proportions.
This is the story of the new hero who has helped Sonic and friends win the war... A hero they call Gadget the Wolf and how he became a member of the famed Knothole Freedom Fighters.
November 28th
Castle Acorn, New Mobotropolis
Morning
Several members of the Knothole Freedom Fighters were gathered at Castle Acorn's mostly intact dining room for an induction.
"Sonic's bringing in the rookie who's been nothing but instrumental in turning the tides of the war for us." Cobalt leans on the table, hand on his chin. "Without them, we would still be fighting Eggman's army right now."
Cobalt is the group's designated field medic who had been appointed to the position on the recommendation of Doctor Quack and serves to help patch their injuries wherever they are at. Handy if they don't have immediate access to a hospital.
A blue and white racoon codenamed Miraju spoke. "There were quite a few of them who were vital in us finally retaking our world from the doctor's clutches. Who is it?"
"I only know as much as you do." The cobra medic replied. Having a dark-coloured scales with baby-blue skin tone and having a more standard bipedal appearance more akin to Espio the Chameleon than Lord Hood Modred, Sub-Boss of the Eurish Egg Army.
"Who do you zhink it is?" Antoine is as curious about the newcomer as his wife is. The swordsman having heard a lot of different accounts of the Avatar's wartime deeds from other people.
"For all I know, it could either be Fuchsia or Perry he's bringing in." The aristocrat broadcasts his guess while smoking a cigar. "Both had good kill counts against the Eggman Empire and helped out in some of the key missions."
"From what I can tell..." Bunnie chimed up, the beautiful southern rabbit sitting daintily at the dining table. "This rookie of ours managed to even catch up with Sugah Hog as good as Shadow."
"Not to mention helping out to rescue him while he had been imprisoned by the empire." Tails added, sporting an orange and gray short-sleeved hoodie and dark red cargo shorts. Wanting to try out the new threads.
"In any case, It is a good thing he joined when he did." Sally sported a pair of skintight blue and black compression tights in addition to her signature vest and boots plus a grey and blue-striped long-sleeved shirt under her vest. "We wouldn't have had the victory we had without his accomplishments."
"How's he able to keep up with Sonic at full speed?" Sonia wondered. Being the half-sister of Sonic on their father Jules' side and a fuchsia-coloured hedgehog with pink hair who tends to occasionally get mistaken for Amy Rose to the unobservant.
"Apparently according to Tails, it's a thing called the Double Boost. It's like his other tag-team moves but it doesn't require the partner to have chaos energy themselves as they'd mainly be borrowing it from him and harnessing his speed as well. Basically his own equivalent to the Deep Power Stones with their similar abilities."
"I never heard of it before."
"That's because it was a theoretical possibility that has been discussed for years and no one knew how it could be done. Wasn't until Sonic and he went to the Arsenal Pyramid together that such a thing was proven possible. Apparently, he just knew how to do it or somehow learned to start using it. Still a mystery on how exactly it works and wether it's applicable for us as well or not."
"An inherent ability that one can harness simply through instinct. Now that is a feat." Manic mused. The green half-brother of Sonic that often gets mistaken for Scourge the Hedgehog from Moebius due to their similar appearances and a twin of Sonia's.
"In any case, we should bring the rookie up to speed once Knuckles brings him in here." Sally spoke, getting out her handheld, "I'll have Nicole help in the briefing."
They heard the doors open and in came two echidnas. Knuckles and Juile-Su. One a Guardian of the Master Emerald while the other is an ex-Dark Legion Officer and half-sister of Lien-Da.
"Where's the rookie?"
"Him and Sonic are on their way here." Knuckles responded pridefully. "The moment I first met him, I knew he's something special."
"You're only saying that in hindsight."
"If I didn't think he had what it takes to be a hero, I wouldn't have sent him on that important mission." The echidna crosses his arms with a triumphant grin. "I'm privileged to have known him personally before he rose to the occasion and saved the whole world alongside Sonic. I knew he had it in him the whole time."
"He truly is the ringer of our team." Julie-Su agreed with a nod. "And an underdog who rose to the challenge no matter what obstacles were put before him."
"Dipping into the boxing movies again, are we?" Manic remarks to her.
"In fairness, Shorty got me into them." Julie-Su admitted with a smile.
"Must be a particularly great newcomer if Sonic's the one heavily insisting on his induction into our ranks." Sonia noted. "I don't recall him ever doing that for anyone else to the same extent."
"Correction: Team Sonic insisted on it. Even Amy bugged Sally to make him a part of the team. Excluding Knuckles here, that's three from your group in favor of his inclusion." Sally stated.
"And it just so happens that Amy was already considering adding a new member to your ranks with the new initiative."
"Probably did that so shecwould quit pestering her all night and day." Cobalt the Cobra jokes.
"Admittedly, there is some slight truth to that..." Sally admitted, humming in wry amusement before continuing; "However, the important thing is that with this new member; we started standing more of a chance against the Eggman Empire. Retake the world from them. Even helped save it and for that, he's more than earned a spot with us."
"At least until the next threat comes along and tries to destroy the planet. They always do."
After Cobalt said those words, they heard something whoosh into the Acorn Castle and hearing it slow to a stop. Sonic briskly walk into the room a moment later.
Sally looked over, putting a hand on her own hip as she held her handheld in her other hand with a smirk. "Fashionably on time as always, huh?"
"Today's a special day for our new friend and I wouldn't want to miss it." Sonic flashed his trademark smirk.
"Well, where is he then?" Cobalt raised a brow.
"I was just about to introduce him. A few of you have already met him..."
Stepping to the side as he spoke. "As for the rest of you, meet the guy who whooped both Masksy and Eggsy's butts… Some call him the Avatar, a few call him Rookie and I call him Buddy but what you need to know is that his name's Akira Amamiya aka Gadget... The... Wolf!"
In came a red wolf wearing square black-rimmed glasses, a yellow utility belt, army green gloves and boots and a wrist mounted grapple-hook. The one named Gadget gave the group a soft smile. For the ones who hadn't already seen him before i.e Miraju, they were expecting someone a lot more extraordinary befitting their near-mythical status than the one standing before them and thought at first Sonic ribbing them.
"Nice to finally meet you more formally despite the mouthful introduction." Sally greeted the wolf, more than happy to meet the one that made Infinite pay for his arrogance and saving their world from destruction. "I apologize it took so long for us to be fully-introduced properly. We had our hands full in this war and evidently the Empire wasn't making it easy for us."
"That's alright." The wolf said in a soft-spoken voice. "I'm just glad to be here."
"Well, in any case... Let's get right to it."
She then activated Nicole's hologram avatar, making her materialize before the group. "I'm certain that you were briefly aware of Nicole's presence during the Phantom Ruby War when it came to breaching the enemy database but this is her. Well; this is her Holographic Avatar."
"I'm very pleased to finally meet you face to face Amamiya." Nicole said cheerfully, giving him a smile. Gadget was rather taken back by the AI's holo-lynx form. He'd worked with computers before and knew of her but none of them were as sophisticated nor as beautiful as the one he sees before him.
"Our old friend Infinite might be good at casting illusions but Nicole here is an artist when it comes to producing images with the use of nanites. Unlike his constructs, hers are pretty real." Sonic says to the wolf.
"But of course. The images I can create using nanites nearly look and feel real but mostly they are artificial constructs much like that of a 3D printer or things of that nature. The nanites in my holographic avatar however tend to look and feel very real."
"Impressive huh?" Sonic playfully nudged the wolf's arm with a grin.
"Y-Yeah..."
Pushing up his black rimmed glasses. Nicole smiled sweetly, her eyes having the same virtual doll-like expression yet still soulful in equal measure as Gadget could tell from just looking at them. More alive than any simple AI software he's ever encountered.
"Anyways, let's get right to the briefing..." Sally spoke. Going back to the table.
Gadget couldn't believe in his wildest dreams that he'd be among these people; the very folks he had heard stories about and has always wanted to fight evil alongside but never had the courage or ability. Son of an unknown, inheritor of little but his ordinary roots. Here, he stands in their company.
The Knothole Freedom Fighters' heroics were a big source of inspiration for him when he used to work a job prior to the Phantom Ruby Wars. The courage, the heroism and the conviction they practice made him question if he's out of his league here amongst them.
He stood at attention like he's a soldier at a military boot camp.
Knuckles told him as he patted his shoulder assuringly. "At ease . The war's over and we stand here as equals now."
With that, he relaxes himself and waits for Sally to start with the briefing regarding a situation with the recently-broken away faction of the Dark Legion led by Grandmaster Lien-Da and Kommissar Gae-Na. The latter having risen in prominence ever since Julie-Su's half-sister took control of the organization for herself.
Having just severed ties with the Eggman Empire in wake of Dr Eggman's defeat, the Dark Legion have become an independent faction again like they had been years prior. Even nicking a few resources from the Eggman Empire just to let them know they're not their grunt factory anymore.
"...For those in the know, you may be aware of what I'm about to say to our newest member about a current situation involving the Dark Legion."
Sally says to the group with Nicole providing a 3D hologram at the center of the room. "Much of the information you've already heard about except for one of you of course."
"Aunt Wicked decides to try to seize some dirt from our good friends in the United Federation while they're still rebuilding themselves from a near year long global war on our green, lush planet and it'll be bad for us if she got ahold of those lands. There, he's up to speed." Sonic does a speedy summery in his own way and looking over to Gadget. "And I saved you Sal the trouble of explaining all of that to him."
"Sonic, we've been over this more than once. Alright?"
"Fine..." Sonic crosses his arms as he lets Sally continue on. He's gotten better with handling his own impatience but he still finds himself acting first before thinking. She understands this and only gently remind him not to jump on ahead.
"What Sonic just said there is more or less exactly what's been going on with the Dark Legion. Albeit not as simple as he's making it out to be." Sally turns to the red wolf. "But those are indeed the essential facts of the with her empire attempting to claim currently unprotected pieces of landmass for strategic reasons, they're reportedly believed to also try to expand into other avenues."
She directs his attention to the holographic screen depicting information relating to the current topic. "Both to acquire more resources and widening their wealth of influence akin to the earlier Robotnik Empire back when Dr Julian Robotnik was still ruler of Mobius."
"Whatever for?" The soft-spoken wolf asked with a raised eyebrow.
"To make themselves as strong politically and economically as the Eggman Empire was before their recent loss. The Dark Legion are taking advantage of the major power vacuum left behind to seize whatever they can while everyone else is preoccupied in the post-war cleanup initiative Operation: Restoration." Sally answered his question. "That's the motive we could discern from them right now based on our analysis. According to recent intelligence we've received, it is likely they're making moves as we speak."
"How recent?"
"About half a week ago."
Miraju told the wolf, eyeing the holo-screens. "We're trying to uncover what they're up to and what they're involved with. Everyone else is busy chasing Eggman's ones to start chasing after these people, G.U.N are still in the middle of their reformation and the Restoration have their hands with the rebuilding efforts. You're brought in because Sally believes we're a little short on manpower to handle this one. Make of that what you will."
"Don't be rude like that dude." Manic chided the raccoon before assuring the wolf with a toothy smile; "We're more happy to have you aboard man. A friend of Sonic's is a friend of mine, you follow?"
"I follow?"
Gadget wasn't even counting on getting a membership with Sally's group when all was said and done. Figured he'd return to his regular life but fate had other plans.
"You'll get the hang of this in no time." Sonic tells him. As well-meaning he's being towards him; that wasn't helping the wolf's internal anxieties much.
"Until we can determine the place to where to start our search, this case will have to wait in the meantime. I'll let you all know right away when we get an update and that concludes our briefing for the day." Sally said when Nicole switches off the projected screens and turns her attention to the red wolf with a gentle smile. "With that said, welcome to the team. We owe you our thanks."
"It's all because of Comm—Knuckles' leadership. I just carried out his orders. Anyone else could do what I did..."
"But you're the one who pulled it off." Knuckles interjects, regarding the wolf like an accomplished student. "That counts for something and no one can take that from you."
"Buddy. Just don't get your sensei here all too emotional or he might get very sentimental and bring the whole house down with tears of joy." Sonic quips to Gadget with the others present including Julie-Su chuckling to that one. Knuckles just shrugs to that.
"In all seriousness, I hope we can get on well together." Sally clears her throat, addressing Gadget and introducing herself to him as she would with all newcomers to the team. "I'm Sally Acorn and head of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. If there's anything you want to ask about, you can come to me and I'll be more than happy to answer your questions."
"I-It's an honor to meet you at last." The wolf nodded, doing a customary Yamatoese bow to his new team. "A-And I hope I can do my best with you all."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine."
"I'll leave you to get yourself settled in. I'll see you around." Knuckles says as the lupine nodded before turning and heading off with Julie-Su.
"Where are you heading?" Tails asks his friend. The echidna turned his head to him.
"Going back to Angel Island. I just came down here for the occasion."
"I'll see you later then."
Both Tails and Knuckles did a fistbump as both echidnas soon left to head home. No doubt to come back to find someone trying to make off with the Master Emerald like usual, Relic unearthing some archeological discovery that disproves a long-held theory or Charmy leaving behind one of his belongings on the island somewhere. Such is the life of Knuckles the Echidna.
"Bonjour Monsieur Amamiya."
Gadget turns to face Antoine and Bunnie D'Coolette as the couple come over to greet him. "I am Antoine and zhis is my chéri Bunnie."
"Howdy." Bunnie adds, shaking the wolf's hand with a wink. "It's nice to meet ya hon and a pleasure to meetin' the hero of the hour."
Gadget looked at her hands and saw both were organic which she explained before he'd ask; "I use nanites nowadays. I'll show you."
From the left sleeve of her jacket, the nanites came out covered over her arm to make a metallic arm very similar to the one she used to have before becoming fully organic again one day. Made to give her all the abilities she had from her cyborg days and allow her to go around as a normal full-bodied bunny if she wishes to.
The nanites then retreated back into the jacket and her hand's normal again, Bunnie flexing her fingers. "Cool, huh?"
The wolf is curious to know the full story behind her tech and more but he'll have to learn about it later as the other members present were introducing themselves to him. Eager to meet the young war hero as Sonic and Sally step out of the room to go chat in peace.
"...You believe in him." Sally spoke and Sonic simply nodded. "I understand your reasons but remember he's a mobian too. Just thought I'd tell you that."
"Gotcha." Sonic leans against a wall with his arms crossed. "To think it's been this long since I set foot in here without some Badniks to ruin the peace."
"It's been long since we got to see the sun rising in the distance without having to look over our shoulder and we're still picking up the pieces."
"Making good progress from the looks of things."
"It's easy to replace demolished buildings and destroyed farm crops but there's the psychological factor we have to consider. Trying to return to normal life after an entire war fighting for your life." Sally held her gaze on him, eyes softening. "...How are you?"
"Oh, fine and dandy. Never been better." Sonic responded a little too quickly for her comfort. She saw the way his shoulder tenses up for a moment before snapping back to normal.
"Sonic. Don't take my question as an intrusion. It's just that… It's just that…" The chipmunk's brow furrowed to go with the light frown and somber eyes. "We all thought you really perished at his hands. When Tails fell off the radar and your body was nowhere to be seen, we really feared the worst had happened."
"I've been presumed dead more than once. Rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated." Sonic reminded her with his carefree facade. "Always coming back to save the day."
"It's not that one which concerns me. It's what they were doing to you on the Death Egg in the six months you were assumed dead..." She sees his hands tighten up when she brings that up to him, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his arm.
"We've lost so many good people to him and knowing you were kept a prisoner up there for months in a cell… I-I understand if you do not want to talk about it now or ever but know we are all here for you as you had been there for us."
Sonic's expression softens, reaching over to her hand. "...I have to be strong for you, my friends and everyone else around me. If I show any weakness in front of Eggman and them, then they got my number. I'm crawling through a field of broken glass on my stomach to reach an exit door while I had to grin and bear it as Shads would say."
"Don't feel like you have to keep it all inside. We all have our own limits."
"I know… I just need time and space to properly process everything about it before I actually want to start talking about it."
"Take it at your own pace. We'll wait for you until you're ready." Sally said gently before adding; "But if it's starting to negatively affect you, know I won't hesitate to take action for your own sake unless you'd rather have Shadow come drag you over to a psychiatrist's office."
Sonic lets out a laugh to that one with a charmful smile. "After six months of being in a cell, I know not to take conversations like these for granted and I'll keep that in mind."
"Remember that we're here for you. If you excuse me, I need to go and check in on how Amy's been handling the Restoration. I'll keep you informed should anything come up." The chipmunk princess bid him a farewell and headed on her way. Having a lot to tend to and oversee in a restoring New Mobotropolis.
Sonic watches her leave while mulling over her words and going off to go take a jog to kill time. He's not a broken hedgehog. Just a little scuffed up from the captivity.
There is nothing wrong with him. He'll be back to normal and it'll never come up again. Fine and dandy.
"Akira's Personal Log Entry… One. I've been recently inducted into the Knothole Freedom Fighters and been getting introduced to most of the senior members of the group at Castle Acorn. Still need to meet the rest of the team that I'll be working with in the future.
Personally, I felt rather overwhelmed when getting introduced to more of my heroes but I thankfully seem to handle the meetings so far; probably because I had Tails around as a familiar face I know already from the war. I've decided to start creating my own journal to record my experiences with the group both to record my thoughts and be keepsakes of my service to the cause…"
Akira's House, New Mobotropolis
Afternoon
With his old house in Sunset Heights demolished early on in the Phantom Ruby War and being given membership to the Knothole Freedom Fighters; he now has a new place to call home. Rather surreal after getting accustomed to his wartime homing conditions and living out in a shelter for the houseless civilians.
He got a tour of the place from Tails; getting shown his new accommodations gifted to him and he suspected that some strings were pulled to get him his new house. It's a very nice house with plenty of space inside, a beautiful bathroom, a living room that's comfy, a kitchen that's straight out of a showroom display and the other rooms were more than what he had back at his former apartment.
His father once told him that if he puts in the work to excel at something, he'll be rewarded accordingly and seems like he was onto something when he got the key to this new house.
"...And that's about it."
Tails finishes his tour, handing Gadget the key and standing over at the front door; arms crossed behind his back. "Any questions?"
"What about the expenses?" Gadget was curious to know. "I was paying rent back in Sunset Heights with cash from my computer shop job and this looks like high value real estate to me."
"Since you're given a membership, you're getting paid a salary for your services and you're entitled to insurance but I'm not too up to date on that one myself. If you're looking for work in the meantime, we can provide you with a list of jobs available for you to sign up for or help you set up your own business." Tails explains to him, both of his namesakes moving idly. "Me, Aunt Bunnie and a few others have our own independent source of income."
"How do you earn your income? You're younger than I am."
Tails smiled sheepishly. "I think I'll have to answer that another time… Got things to sort out at the moment. How about it?"
"Uh, I think I'll get a job for now and learn the ropes from there before I try my hand at running my own business…" The wolf rubs his neck. "What about my qualifications and CV?"
"I don't think the requirements are too important once the employer is made aware of who you're with but if you need to beef up your credentials, we can put you on a class program that fast tracks you to an exam and qualification grade. It's up to you."
"Thanks. I think that's about it for now. My existing qualifications should suffice for my employment but I'll keep that in mind."
"Okay!" The fox says with a beaming smile. "See you later!"
On that, Tails went and exited the house through the front door before closing it after him. Looking forward to working with him in the future as a teammate like with the others he's been introduced to today.
Leaving Akira 'Gadget' Amamiya alone in his own company for the first time all day; the red lupine was more than happy to have his space to gather himself.
As much as it is a dream come true for him and it is; it's also a lot more than he had bargained for and then there's that nagging voice in the back of his mind. A critical voice born from his own realist beliefs or being his own greatest critic. A harsh voice that seems to exist to anchor one half of him to reality.
"What makes you more deserving of this over countless others who achieved just as much or more than you did? You got handed this on a silver platter because of your bond with Sonic." The critical voice says curtly and to the point; telling him how it is according to Akira. "If not for that, you'd have nothing more than a medal and a handshake for outlasting a global war. You thought little of you becoming one of them because you viewed it as a mere fantasy..."
The war veteran walked over to his fridge, running the fingers through his hair and seeing his own reflection; imaging it talking back at him. "But now that you are; you have a new problem worse than overcoming your fear of Infinite. The need to prove to them that you're worthy of their admiration and the fear of disappointing them when you fall short of their expectations."
Nothing Infinite could summon would rattle him quite like his own internal voice that lives to doubt him at every turn.
Shutting his eyes and clenching his teeth, leaning on the fridge. Nothing he would say that could retort the assessment made against himself. While they regard him as a hero, he regards himself as a coward who learned to force down his cowardice deep into the depths, couldn't find his hands from his own hinds and happened to be at the right place at the right time.
He is a fraud who didn't earn his spot despite the achievements and a possible flop who couldn't quite cut the mustard. Stuck with an inner voice second guessing him even at his greatest highs.
If he's to be sure he has earned his way onto the world famous team, he'll have to prove his worth to them. Perhaps to show them that their faith isn't misplaced with him but to prove to his cynic self that he is worthy of Sonic's respect. To disappoint them is to disappoint himself. Gadget will show them his heroism wasn't a wartime fluke and that it is a power of his' on par with what they bring to the table.
Anything less, he may as well give up and go home. Prove the negative voice right in being a fake.
'Sonic never has to deal with these. If only I had his strengths...' He thought, believing that the blue blur is someone who has a grasp on himself and being balanced within. Everything he isn't.
"...After all's been said and done today, this concludes the first of many log entries to come as an official member of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Akira signing out. End log."
November 29th
Central Freedom HQ, New Mobotropolis
Morning
The following morning arrives and the sun dawns on a New Mobotropolis still in the midst of its' restoration but slowly became more like the capital city of the Acorn Republic as it had been pre-war. The city regains most of its population with residents returning home when their houses are restored from their wartime damages.
For many, this was what they needed when the war ended.
Gadget came to the base for a scheduled checkup with Cobalt. Standard policy for all members of the team to have medical profiles created for them. He made his way to the medical infirmary and let the cobra check him over while answering questions put forth by the medic.
"...Any history of allergies?"
"None but I find myself sneezing more often when it's sunny out."
"Plenty of people have it too; so you're not alone there."
Cobalt checks the scans of Gadget on a nearby screen, having scanned him just now and having a look while talking to him. "Your hand-eye coordination is excellent, your hearing's good, your body appear to be in healthy shape, dentals' in good condition and you have no medical abnormalities or hereditary diseases from what I can see here. Only thing I could point out is that your need for glasses though you mentioned you can see alright without them on but objects and shape will appear soft to you."
"I mainly need them for smaller print reading and focusing on very small objects like a figurine when I'm painting them. My father can't see without his pair." Gadget nods. Laying on the infirmary bed and rubbing his eyes before slipping his glasses back on.
"You're a lucky wolf. Many glasses wearers would kill just to even have your soft focus eyeballs." Cobalt remarks lightheartedly, looking over to his patient. "I'm just bringing this up in case you're looking to upgrade from the glasses but you're entitled to a laser eye surgery to restore your vision if you're looking to see better without the lens or you could trade the glasses for contact lens. You interested?"
"Uhh… I'm wary of taking laser eye surgery in case it causes me to go blind."
"There's been advancements in the field including use of sophisticated A.I to accurately perform the procedures safely and the rate of eye injury from the laser process has been lowered down to a single digit percentage; making it safer than ever before."
"I just don't feel comfortable leaving it to an A.I to do my eyes in case it acts up and I'm good with wearing my glasses here."
"The option's there if you ever need it." The cobra checks his notes. "I'll be performing more checkups on you in the future but otherwise, you're free to go. I will let you know when I need you."
"Thank you doctor." Gadget sat up straight on the bed and got off it onto his feet.
"Don't mention it. You're a better patient than Sonic is." Cobalt said offhandedly, switching off his medical scanner and going to his desk to start making up a new file for the wolf. "You stay put and don't whine too much."
"He does that?" Gadget raised an eyebrow. The cobra shaking his head.
"He may be the fastest thing alive but you'd be lucky to get him to wait in one spot for more than five minutes. Ask Sally and Johnny about it. You'll see what I mean the longer you're with us." The team medic replied sardonically, remembering what an annoying patient Sonic was for him at the start of his tenure. "Saying that though, he is getting better with his patience and he's not rushing headfirst into danger as much."
"Was he that bad then?"
"I can't say whether he was or not; I've only been around for a fraction of the time compared to the others. I just know from those who knew him in his early days that he used to be a hedgehog with a real attitude. If you think he's got an ego now, it was a lot worse then."
"He doesn't seem bad to me. He was very supportive of me." Gadget told him of his own experience with Sonic. "Even got me to overcome my own fears against Infinite."
"That's him alright and you can thank Tails for that. Before he came along, Sonic was a dick from what I've been told. Still heroic but a dick nonetheless and not someone you wanted to meet personally as your hero."
Ironically, the realist in Gadget once held onto the proverb of never meet your heroes regarding people like Sonic and that tidbit about him was what he feared him to be before meeting him for real. Hindsight's a funny creature sometimes.
"Me? I met the same Sonic as you did. The upstanding hedgehog of conviction who can convince a world destroyer to find the light and become good… While being a cocky smartass. You can ask him about it if you're curious to know more." Cobalt would check his schedule list. "If you see Manic about, tell him to come see me today. He's overdue for an appointment and I want to clear through more of my backlogs."
"I'll let him know."
Gadget left the infirmary and walk down the halls of the base. Hands in his pockets, taking a stroll around the place that he'll be seeing plenty of in the future and admiring the work gone into the design of the headquarters.
He'd head to the training room described as state of the art by Rotor the other day where a male gray rabbit and a brown female badger were sparring on the mattress together while Big and Manic were watching from the side as a spectator. The badger being on the defensive against the barraging rabbit and his foam double-headed club.
The wolf went over to go sit with Big and Manic as the pair fought each other. "Who's the challenger?"
"Sticks. Johnny had challenged her to a one-on-one and she accepted it. If one gets knocked off their feet or leaves the mat, they lose." Manic filled him in on the action before saying to Big. "Hey Big, this' the new dude I was telling ya about."
"Nice to meet you." Big looks over to the wolf and extends a hand to him. "I've heard Amy talking about you recently. Says you're a war hero."
"Akira Amamiya and I've heard a little about you likewise." Gadget politely shakes his hand back. "Apparently, you've trashed Badniks with a fishing rod?"
"Not apparently. He has trashed Badniks with it." Manic clarifies. "I've heard of unconventional weapons but this guy can clear a mob of those tin-cans with it and it's something to behold man. If you want to talk about a master fisherman, he's in a league of his own."
"I just like to fish in peace and don't really care much for fighting myself..." Big admitted bashfully. Gadget can tell he's laid back by nature and gentle; no aura of intimidation. He finds him a more easygoing presence compared to Sonic's.
"Even still, you'll come and help out where it matters most my man. I think you and this dude will get on just fine."
"Amy says you're a good friend of hers' and Sonic says you're one heck of a guy to be with." Gadget spoke to Big, looking up at him given the height difference. "I know a little bit about fishing but I doubt I'm as good at it as you are."
"You never know until you try it and practice for yourself. You can be good at anything if you put your mind to it." The stout cat said to him with encouraging words. "I fish for the love of it and I like to do it at my own pace. That's what matters to me; not the rush to get somewhere. You're free to come and fish with me if you want to take a time out of your day for it."
"I'll take that into consideration once I get settled here... Including finding a new fishing rod." The wolf murmured that last part out.
"Won't be long until you're off on your first field mission." Manic commented to the newcomer. "It can gets real hectic at—"
"YAH!"
The three spectators looked up to see Sticks attempting to throw Johnny off his feet but he evaded and proceeded to sweep her onto the mat when his foam club caught a leg of hers'. The rabbit spinning the club in his hand.
"Luv. You gotta work on your stance and not throw too much of yourself when you're going in to attack." Johnny tells her with him helping the grumbling badger back to her feet. The wildster gave him an annoyed look.
"Not everyone likes to conform to the regiment system. I fight just fine my way."
"You might be good at fighting but it doesn't mean you can win against every style the same way and it takes a very good opponent to start countering until you can't get a hit in. You need to adapt and change."
"Yet you still can't hit a bullseye on electro darts consistently or get used to a yo-yo without tangling it." Sticks spoke back at him and Manic mouths to Gadget the words 'here it comes' when the rabbit runs a hand down the side of his face.
"I swear this is like teaching Shorty how to make a glass sculpture without rushing it..."
"I heard that!"
"As you should since you're being stubborn with me right now and I know it's always me you're doing it to because you don't give anyone else that hard of a time!" Johnny points at his teammate. "I swear when they made you a member, you decided that I should be the target of your strife."
"You're the one who put up with Sonic at his most egotistical yet I'm the one who gets you riled up more than anybody. I just have to annoy you a little bit and you start getting irate in minutes."
"No I don't!"
"Yes you do!"
"Guys, guys… As fun as it is to watch you both pounce on each other in more ways than one and especially when you're trading good insults like Johnny Lightweight or Badger in Mud…" Manic spoke up to interrupt their bickering, directing their attention to him and Gadget. "You can do the whole 'I act like I hate you but I actually love you lots and lots' shtick for another time because we have a newbie here for you both to introduce yourselves to."
"Mate, you're playing with fire there…" Johnny chided Manic lightly before greeting the red war hero. "You must be the bloke Sonic's been on about. Johnny Lightfoot's the name."
"I was told you're a longtime friend of Sonic's."
"Childhood friends from way back. Way before he became world famous but this isn't about my history with him." Johnny chuckles while Sticks eyes up the red wolf with a scrutinizing gaze. "Akira Amamiya, right? Gadget the Wolf?"
"Yep."
"Nice to meet you at last. You're going to like it here."
"...You with the Wolf Pack Nation?" Sticks abruptly asks. Eyes narrowed at him.
"No? I'm not too well read up on my own ancestral roots." Gadget looks at her a little uneasily. "Is that a problem?"
"Don't mind her. She's probably wondering if you're some double agent or something and wants to test that theory out. Does that with a lot of people she meets." Johnny spoke up, flashing Sticks a look. "A conspiracy theorist who makes the wildest assumptions."
"And has been proven right more than once." Sticks added firmly. Snapping her gaze at him.
"Only when they don't debunk or contradict what you've stated and you have been proven wrong a few times. You believed one time that Blaze was actually from Silver's time."
"It's a hunch I had when I see those two together and Blaze remarked to me that he seemed familiar to her. Like she met him somewhere before she started coming here."
"It's called déjà vu. We all have that feeling and just because we feel something's familiar doesn't mean we've actually seen it before. Besides, she's not from our universe and what we do know of her childhood does not sound like anything from Silver's time."
"Ugh, must you bring up that one…" Manic moaned at that topic. "The last time I heard that one, I got a migraine trying to understand what Sticks was on about and don't get me started on the whole thing with Eggman Nega."
"Who?" Gadget raised a brow at that. "That a clone?"
"Him being a clone would make his existence not as complicated but no, he's not a lab grown madman. Depending on which dude you ask, Nega is either a version of Eggman from Blaze's universe… Or he's a descendant of Eggman from Silver's future…"
"Could be both." Big commented offhandedly.
"If it makes life easier running with that one, then sure. I just try not to think about it too much and just focus on what he's doing in our present." Johnny shook his head, turning to the newcomer. "Anywho… Are you up for a little sparring match?"
"I mean, I suppose I could do that..." The wolf scratches his ear and sees Sticks looking him over. "Something the matter?"
"When word spread about the rescue of Sonic from the Death Egg, I heard different things about the Avatar's identity. One describing you as being an orange wolf with a cap and purple bow tie or describing you as being blue."
"They must have misheard and got confused on the details; I understand why because of how news traveled during the war. I don't doubt those two existed and were present because there were a lot of us involved on that mission but I know I'm neither of those two."
"Maybe you're just one of several assuming the Avatar mantle throughout the war and the Resistance made it seem like it's the same guy pulling off all those feats for the sake of morale!" Sticks theorized out aloud. A theory that would sound actually believable… If pretty outlandish and something that can be easily debunked by asking the very people who were with the Avatar at the time.
Gadget just looked at Sticks with bug eyes like she has grown two heads and Johnny facepalmed at her. "Mate. There's so much wrong with what you just said."
"I-It's alright." The war hero quickly spoke up to Sticks' defense. "After the war ended, I've heard some people going around claiming they're the Avatar and no doubt that someone somewhere is going around pretending to be me for whatever reason. It's one of those things..."
"...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed that." Sticks said apologetically, likely realizing how poorly her words came off to him and feeling guilty about it. "Do you... Hate me now?"
"W-What? No, I don't hate you." Gadget assures her, rubbing the back of his neck. "You didn't know and mistakes happen. If anything, what you said does make sense in a way when you think about the luck factor of people like me compared to the luck factor of say… Shadow the Hedgehog and given what I went through; I survived what realistically would have gotten most people killed in my shoes."
"I think you have what's called Plot Armour Karma on you."
"A what?" Manic asked in confusion before Johnny chimes in, knowing what Sticks is trying to get at. Mostly.
"I think what she means is that our friend here was blessed with good fortunes to survive incredible odds and live."
The hedgehog going 'oh that makes sense I think' with his nodding after Johnny's clarification.
"Exactly!" Sticks said energetically with a grin, fists on her hips. "Because he's here means he's lucky."
"Sure, we'll run with that? I'm sure Tails and them can check out the probability on the matter. Get an answer." The wolf then looked to Manic. "Almost forgot, Dr. Cobalt's looking for you."
"I was so hoping he'd forget about it…"
"Man up Manic. It's only just a routine checkup." The badger tells the moaning hedgehog with a teasing look. "Nothing to worry about unless you got something to be embarrassed about~"
"You're one to be talking; you don't trust those instruments of his' and he says you're one of his worst patients!"
"He says you are one of his patients and he can verify that fact. Everyone here knows I'm a technophobe." Sticks corrected him. "If he's looking for you today, don't keep him waiting."
"I'm with her on this one." Johnny added to the hedgehog's dismay. "You should go and see him now."
"Thought you were on my side dude?"
"I never said I was."
"You're both a pain when you're on the same page as each other. I'll see you later man." Manic glances at Buddy before heading off to the infirmary, grumbling to himself. The wolf looks to the other three.
"Long story." Johnny said simply; going back over to the mat. "Shall we? I'd be happy to teach you if you're willing to learn."
"I'm open to learning." Gadget took off his cardigan to set it on a bench and went to grab a practice prop off a stand, then joined him on the mattress. Taking a stance across from his teammate.
"Then let's see what your wartime experience has accumulated for you and testing your might first before we get to work my dear student." Johnny held a neutral grin, friendly enough to let his opponent know he's not going to be brutal to him but confident enough to let him know he's up against a skilled fighter.
A grin like that of Sonic's and having the same energy as his hedgehog friend.
"Don't be expecting too much from me. I just fought through the war and learned as I went along the way." The red challenger says, already starting to build a rapport with the long-eared individual. The latter nodded and the pair started sparring against one another.
"Akira's Personal Log Entry Two... When I had dreams and aspirations of fighting evil alongside Sonic and his friends; it never dawned on me at how nerve-wreaking it actually feels actually living it out in reality when you're the newbie needing to make a good first impression. I supposed that's something a lot of people would feel if they were in my shoes and some would handle it better than me.
With some, they can fit in the existing team dynamic like a glove. And then there's the likes of me, awkwardly existing like a Kup on a team of Dans. I'm the one playing catch-up with the vets who have themselves figured out while dear old me is having to unlearn what I was taught before to adjust to their rhythms..."
"...Something the matter?" Big looks away from the mock fight and sees the uneasy expression on Sticks' face. She turned her head to him.
"I have a hunch that something stormy is approaching soon and we're going to get caught up in it whether we want to or not. This is only just the calm before the storm… The hour before the bell tolls..." The conspiracy theorist admitted to the purple cat. "I could almost feel it."
"Is this one of your predictions you hope to be wrong on?" The large cat asks with the badger nodding in response. Others normally wouldn't be as quick to put too much stock in Sticks' assumptions unless they have evidence to support her claims but Big believes she's sensing the way the winds of fate's blowing both as a friend and as someone who filters out the clutter to find the key points.
He was the first to correctly discern Sticks' prediction of a great war was oncoming months before the Phantom Ruby War began and that was when she had a very bad episode thanks to an incident instigating it which made most of her friends not think too much of the statement at the time since they reasonably thought it's just a byproduct of her delirious episode. She didn't even remember making that prediction as she was out of it when she said it and had no clue on why she said those words.
Big had once overheard Sally saying to Amy that in hindsight, they should have investigated her statements more thoroughly and this was a week after the war ended. How they could have been better prepared than they were when the Eggman Empire started attacking and not be caught off by surprise as much. He remembers Amy assuring her leader and friend that they couldn't have been able to anticipate the scale or scope the war would have on the world until it was over.
He's noticed lately that a few of his friends are going through a troubling phase of regret and self-guilt. Amy wishing she'd have done more than what she did, Tails thinking he had let Sonic down, Knuckles feeling the burden of his decision behind Operation Big Wave that got a lot of people killed, Silver lamenting that he couldn't avert the war and who knows what Shadow must be feeling on his end for what his imposter had done in his absence. What this destructive war has cost them in the end.
Even though this state of peace should be one of joy, there's a hanging sombreness and uncertainty over the aftermath; reminding Big too much of the Knothole Freedom Fighters' darkest times where most of the core members were out of action or AWOL with a tightly wound up Sonic despite still carrying around his lighthearted demeanor. He remembers how off note Sonic felt to him at the time and he wasn't even present for his uglier moments.
"If it comes to pass, we'll take it on together as a team." Big gave her words of comfort; never one for pessimism. "We have gotten through and emerged from much worse."
"I hope you're right…" Sticks said quietly while watching Johnny getting the better of Gadget on the mat with the club before the wolf recovers and strikes back. "This is unfamiliar territory we're in now and it's unsettling..."
"...As insensitive as Sticks' comment was to the others present, I'm inclined to agree with her take however wild it sounds. With my level of combat experience, how intense the conflict was and the fact I was spared from Infinite's massacre of my squad to later be a thorn in his side of all people; it does feel like every feat I've pulled off as the 'Avatar' is realistically improbable for a single civilian to achieve. I must have possessed incredible luck to survive through it all.
It'd be more believable if I really was one of several soldiers donning the moniker as a symbol of hope. Maybe I'm one of Infinite's little dolls that achieved enough awareness of the self to exist or a forgotten Auto Automation that has suddenly taken to fighting against my own creator... Is this what they call imposter syndrome when one doubts their own personal accomplishments? I don't know...
Perhaps I'm not seeing the same picture they're seeing about me and letting the poisonous words of an old friend from long ago chain down my self-esteem like scars from a snake bite. When I hear Infinite speak to me about what he senses within thyself, it's as I'm hearing him talking instead... It might why I felt so afraid of him more than his own magic tricks until Sonic's morale support gave me the strength to block out that voice to fight Infinite without any fear for him to use against me.
Someday, I hope to look back on this to see that I was worrying over nothing and it's just my anxieties getting the better of me here. Akira signing out. End log."
Station Square, Soumerica
Night
Sonic watched over the streets below while perched atop a building. Seeing cars, taxis, trucks, buses and people moving through the night under the lights of the street lamps; finding the night scenery pleasant to watch.
Everything was nice and peaceful in the streets below til the blaring sounds of police sirens cut through the nightly ambiance. He'd look down to see a bunch of police cruisers speeding through the roads in a rush; the numbers of cruisers telling him something big is going down.
"Ah yeah, this is happenin'!" Sonic smirks to himself as he knows there's trouble nearby and he's here to kick some tail. The blue hedgehog makes his way down to the streets and follows the cruisers to the Station Square City Hall where a big commotion is taking place.
The police personnel present barricaded the area around the building with both their vehicles and barriers while two helicopters have their searchlights focused on said building. The officers at the scene dressed in SWAT gear and had their weapons pointed at a figure standing on the roof over the front entrance.
"...You are completely surrounded!" Police Sergeant Albright says to the figure of interest through a megaphone and clad in SWAT gear. "Surrender yourself!"
The trespasser jumped down and landed in front of them. That prompted Albright to give the order. "Lock on target men! Ready… Fire!"
Bullets were fired but none hurt the target and all clinks to the ground. The figure growls in annoyance with a narrowed gaze.
Albright's face turns to worry and quickly issues new orders. "Retreat! All personnel, fall back!"
Sonic makes his appearance at the scene on top of a police car cordoning off the city hall; coming in very confident while the officers present were in the middle of making their retreat. "This could be—Chaos?"
To his confusion, Chaos in his base form was causing the disturbance in the area again like he did when Sonic first met the guardian when he was full of wrath. The see-through water-like being's green orbs flashed with a fearsome, murderous glare.
Then to Sonic's horror, long metallic silver tendrils suddenly burst from Chaos' body in a blink of an eye and tore through all of the retreating officers including Albright. Happening too quickly for Sonic to even move in to save any of them from getting killed.
"For a being that calls himself the fastest thing alive, you should logically be fast enough to save those officers quicker than I could end their fleshy lives but I suppose even you have your shortcomings..." Came the familiar voice of A.D.A.M; a foe Sonic thought was destroyed years ago and the water mantis-appearance of Chaos morphs into a metallic turtle visage with red eyes against the black voids where the eyeballs would be. The metallic turtle smirked tauntingly at the blue blur and the hedgehog snapped out of his shock.
Furrowing his brow, he looked upon A.D.A.M with a stern gaze. "I don't know how but you're going right back to the scrapheap when I'm done with you!"
"So much for an emotional reunion with a long-parted friend…" The metallic menace cackles before doing battle with Sonic. The hedgehog dodging the tendrils and attacking the malevolent A.I through a few offensive moves; battling the same way as he did from last time.
Then just as he was about to land a Homing Dash on A.D.A.M, a clawed metal hand suddenly catches him just before he'd make contact and be hurled back. When Sonic landed on his feet and saw what was going on, his eyes widen when he sees the owner of the silver hand.
Clad in pointy purple armor accompanied by the billowing tattered capes, light purple purple boots, a green orb in the chest, and a crested-helmet with a green orb at the front acting as the eye. Gone was A.D.A.M and in his stead; Dark Oak stood before him and both hands atop the bottom hilt of a golden blade. An unwanted ghost from his past.
"Surprised to see me?" The armored one remarks coyly with Sonic's reflection appearing on his green eye. "Even after I am gone, you have not forgotten me nor those that no longer walk on your world. You could never forget the faces of all those that have made a scar on you."
"B-But why you?!" Sonic stammers, taking a step back. "Why A.D.A.M? Why Chaos!?"
"It's not who we are that scares you. It is what we are attached to that haunts you my dear hedgehog." Dark Oak said neutrally and calmly. "We are reminders of your inability to save everyone and how people with so much to give perish so soon…"
Unwilling to hear anymore, Sonic charges at him. Just as he touches the armored being; the entire area would switch to the ruins of Station Square. A scenery he knows too well. Dark Oak would disappear and leaves Sonic alone in the ruins of the Station Square City Hall.
"People die all the time. Many you barely know…"
That voice. He knows that aged voice anywhere.
"Some you know well."
When he looked over in the direction of the voice, Sonic froze up as his green eyes lay upon a dark brown smiling senior feline he thought he'd never see again; the one loss of the Knothole Freedom Fighters that haunts him most. "It's always the worst when it is someone you know that goes."
"Cat…" Sonic utters the name out aloud, feeling the emotions bubble up and rushes to him. "CAT!"
Just as he was about to pull Cat into a hug, the feline suddenly flickers out of existence. Disappearing without a trace just the way it went when he tried going back to rescue him from Julian Robotnik's captivity.
A cruel, mocking laugh rings out. Sonic snaps around to face Infinite hovering over the lifeless forms of all his friends that decorates the ruins while the masked figure casts his shadow over the bodies and sees him holding up two people by their throats.
In his right; a severely beaten Tails with one eye swollen shut and bloodied teeth. In his left; a battered Sally with third degree burns and one of her ears torn off from the base. Both alive but in severe pain.
"Try as you might blue rat…" Infinite says sneeringly at Sonic, gazing down on him like he's a god looking upon a peasant. "It'll never be enough to save everyone and like a cancer in your body, your inability to be the savior you wished to be will eat away at you until you are wrought of despair followed by mercilessness and indifference. What shall you do when more perishes because of your own inadequacy?"
"I'll not give up!" Sonic gritted his teeth and brow furrowed in determination. "You tried to wear me down for six months but couldn't make me submit nor will I start doing it now Ultimate Nercenary because I whooped you before and I can whooped you many times after!"
Infinite emitted a metallic growl. Growing tired of his exchange with the hedgehog.
His visage then shifts to that of the late Doctor Julian Robotnik with the reds from his abyss for eyes glares hatefully at Sonic. "Such defiance and will was wasted on a punk with an attitude… May you lament this Hedgehog."
Sonic's face pales and quickly hurries at Julian, rushing to save two of his loved ones from the black-hearted monster. "NO!"
Then just like that, the man breaks the necks of both his victims with a sicken crunch…
The Great Forest, Northamer
Lunchtime
Sonic jolted awake with panting breaths, snapping his gaze around to see himself in the forest and the Great Wastes; named as such after the Knothole Village area was destroyed from orbital strikes. His breathing was uneasy til he calmed himself down and took in some air for his lungs. Running a hand over his forehead to find a bit of moisture from the cold sweat.
The nightmares have struck again. Every so often, they come and invade his sleep like demons. Make him experience the feeling of helplessness. Hearing those laughs from Infinite and Eggman over and over.
He would pull himself off a tree he was resting on and take a look around himself, gazing over the trees as well as the places where there used to be trees. Why did he pick to take a nap around here knowing what happened with Knothole's destruction?
Thankfully, he is alone and in his own company. No one around to see him having what would appear to be a panic attack. Sonic would never have a panic attack he tells himself. He'd simply dust himself off and get on with it he adds.
Last thing he wants is others seeing him like that and thinking he's losing it or needing to handle him like he is made of glass. The hedgehog abhors the thought of the others fussing over him just because he had a little episode. He is not a child; he's a grownup and doesn't want to be treated the way one would with a child who doesn't know too much. This blue hedgehog has lived through a few major wars and three alien invasions before he would have his twentieth birthday.
They don't know what it's like to be him; so why make a big deal out of it when they didn't come looking for him in the six months he was being held as a P.O.W? Six months of being Infinite's little plaything. Six months of having Eggman mocking and taunting him almost daily to the point of wanting to punch his lights out. Six months of wondering if his friends are still alive or dead and his captors' attempts of trying to gaslight him into believing they have abandoned him...
'No. You're not bitter over it like Fiona…' Sonic stops that negative train of thought, running the hands down his face. 'You had faith in them to come and rescue eventually however long it took. They just got held up for a while. That's all.'
He starts walking off to explore the Great Wastes with hands in pockets, going where his feet take him while he gathers his thoughts and perhaps come up with something productive he could do to get his groove back. 'You're still just getting your bearings back after not running or being on Mobius for about one hundred days. Just need more time to get your rhythm back in order, get into your familiar routine again and get settled back into a sense of normalcy… Have your good vibes back.'
That's it. He's just having some gunk leftover in him; only needing more time to clear it all out before he is back in business. Back to being the coolest hedgehog around who's extreme, one with the winds and an annoyance to evil everywhere. It is merely a temporary setback. Nothing to it.
Sonic thought of having a speed competition with Shadow if he's around or finding a jobber villain like Doctor Genius and annoying them for laughs if he finds them about; something that's familiar territory for him after nearly seven months of war before speeding off to wherever his path takes him. A big adventure might be around the corner and he'll be his old self again.
It's just a temporary setback the hedgehog tells himself. The memories and experience of the Death Egg are no more than some scratches that'll heal and he'll get over them...
Radical City, Resort Island
Night
"...Finally. It's over." Ian grabs his coat and puts it on, he looks up to the clock in the back room of the retail store. Seeing that it's now midnight after a long day's shift.
"Thought we'd never see the end. Things' been crazy since the war ended and we're nearly coming up to the end of the year." A work colleague of his named Steven says to him; letting out a big sigh of relief. "Last week was crazy but this comes close. So many customers, so few of us."
"The beginning of Christmas is close and they'll be opening the new factory on the second day."
"Heard about that. It's going to be a big celebration in December; the beginning of much needed economic growth as my sis would say. Although we got people going missing recently and there are supposed strange sightings going around at night time."
The pair goes to clock out for the night, then leave the building soon afterwards. The sweet relief of being off their shifts washing over them like sweet nectar.
"I think whoevers' seeing these sightings had too much juice past their bedtime I reckon." Ian remarks, walking alongside his friend Steven in the wet streets of the night following a session of rain. "The bar's full of their types."
"Must be all drinking the same juice when they're claiming to be seeing mechanical objects patrolling around the premises of that new factory at night. Two of them even claim they're seen going around the streets of Radical City when it's all quiet at night."
"If that's the case, then how come nobody has taken pictures of them? It's probably just a thing everyone's been subconsciously thinking of since that rumor first broke out a while back."
"I recall the person who first made these claims went missing not long after. Heard a crackpot theory from someone that these things are responsible for the abductions. That there's a big coverup going on from the administration." Steven scoffs to himself, not putting much stock into the claims. "If that's the case, then how come those other people are still here and how do we know Paine ain't making stuff up to smear Speechley's name some more?"
"Maybe they're looking for attention? Brought into what that paper's been putting out?" Ian looks to his friend. "You know what it's like around here. We're known as the city Sonic once did a foot race on. Not exactly Station Square famous ourselves."
"We're going to be ground zero to a new industrial revolution of the future when that factory opens. We'll be the ones to make Station Square feel envious and Radical City will be the bee's knees." Steven waved dismissively. "Things really changed when that new genius came along to help us get back on our feet and bring us towards the future."
"Rather mysterious fella though. Don't even know what he actually looks like."
"Probably very camera shy I think or doesn't enjoy being in the public spotlight. He's apparently a scientist from the Great War from what I've heard."
"So was another scientist we all know of. I gotta head home now. I'll see you tomorrow." Ian waved Steven a farewell before breaking off from his company at a four-way junction with one leading off in the direction of his home. The other worker bids him a goodnight as he heads on, going down to the bar for the night.
Ian stuffs his hands into his pockets, heading down the footpath in one of Radical City's less densely populated areas; illuminated by the street lamps and the odd lights from the surrounding buildings. Taking the fastest but loneliest routes towards home that had him going through a local park in the dead of night. Hardly another soul graced his sights.
Do those supposed sightings have any real basis in truth? He wanted to dismiss such notions while going through the quiet park, yet he couldn't help but think there could be some truth to the reports and the correlation it might have with the recent disappearances around Resort Island.
Ian had a strange feeling about Radical City lately; one he can't quite exactly put his finger on as to what that strange vibe is. He knows that he doesn't like it whatever it is
Then the hairs on the back of his head stood up; an unease shooting through him and he quickly turned around to see what's setting off his alarm bells. Thinking someone was there behind him but saw nobody about. He's sure he is being watched.
The strange vibe he felt burned within him very fiercely. It's only just now he started realizing Radical City recently seemed to have gain an air of—
"Huh?!"
He snapped his attention towards something when he saw the light reflection on a nearby wet bench move and his eyes widened upon seeing the source of that light, proceeding to start backing up. "What are you!? No, stay back! Stay back!"
Ian turns and starts running the other way. Wanting to get away from the threat; fearing for his own life as it proceeded chased after him. An emotionless predator hunting for their frightened prey.
"Whatever you are, stay away from me—AHHHH!"
Author's Notes: Howdy. Welcome to a new story featuring Sonic Forces' Red Wolf Avatar otherwise known as Gadget the Wolf becoming a new member of the Knothole Freedom Fighters after the end of the Phantom Ruby War. How he fares as one of their newest numbers and how he gets on with his team.
This is my new amalgam Sonic Universe built on various iterations to make up a well-rounded world. Same applies to the characters, histories and all that jazz. A bunch of stories already have occurred as part of the world's background with Sonic Forces as an obvious example but specific details on what exactly went on may vary including how characters perceive the events and mainly to show that a lot of adventure happen offscreen.
In spite of the reinvention at play; the characters are as you know them. Difference is that they're allowed to develop and change from the status quo according to experiences.
As you have all seen, Sonic didn't walk away from his P.O.W status entirely unscathed and since this is a Mobius that combines different iterations of Sonic together; this is a Sonic who has already gone through enough in the past. A Sonic that's more mature and seasoned from his mainstream self but still the Sonic as you come to know bearing the best qualities of his various incarnations to make my own iteration of Sonic the Hedgehog. Hopefully I can nail both his voice and personality in my efforts.
Akira on the other hand is someone who's brought in to be something of a viewpoint character but also somebody who's not a complete blank slate either. A Reginald Barclay type. Show our titular wolf learning the ropes a bit and delve a bit into where Sonic's state of mind is now after this universe's version of Sonic Forces happened.
In case you're wondering, there's no Classic Sonic involved in this version of Sonic Forces because his role in that game's story was so superfluous to where you could easily cut him out and lose nothing which is what I did.
It's always fun to throw in names, events and such from all over for world building; show that these characters have been through a lot already while I can focus on the current business. Skip the footwork to get to the juicy new stuff rather than rehash stories you've already seen.
Stay tuned for more and leave your review to share your thoughts. How do you like this Sonic and how do you like Gadget as they are presented here?
I'll see you all next chapter and remember tha—Sticks! Get off my keyboard!