-Chapter 59-

The Wrath of Kodos

Devil's Gulag

Offshore from South Island, at the farthest reaches of the Acorn Archipelago, was the offshore prison complex known as the Devil's Gulag, used to house the Kingdom of Acorn's most dangerous convicts. The prison was a veritable fortress, situated atop a tall spire in the middle of a stretch of ocean and surrounded by a ring of active volcanoes. The lava flow continually heated the water to a boiling 220 degrees Fahrenheit, preventing any escape by sea, and gave the area a hellish atmosphere, hence the name. All in all, it was believed inescapable… until today.

An explosion sounded across the complex and alarms began blaring. Guards began rushing through the building as spotlights powered on.

"Prisoner on the loose!" the intercom screamed. "Prisoner on the loose!"

Several guards gathered, aiming crossbows as they saw the escapee: a Mobian lion with dark brown fur, a thick white mane, and red eyes, dressed in a striped jumpsuit with broken manacles trailing from his wrists and ankles.

"Out of my way, traitors…" he snarled before letting out an animalistic growl, sounding more like a wild animal than a Mobian.

"Just stop where you are and surrender, Kodos!" one guard ordered. "I'm authorized to shoot and burn your carcass!"

"You... you think you stand a chance against me?" Kodos demanded. "I will destroy ALL OF YOU!"

The guards all fired and attacked, using every defense they could think of to try to keep Kodos at bay. He literally dodged their fire, clawing on the walls and swinging over them. His claws tore through their weapons and armor like they were nothing.

Eventually, only one guard was left standing, trembling with fear as Kodos advanced. He lost control of his bladder as Kodos loomed over him.

"No need to fear me, boy," Kodos said calmly. "I always leave one man alive to tell the tale."

He lifted the guard up by the collar. "Go back to Mobotropolis, and tell King Max this. Kodos is coming. I will rid Mobius of the human pestilence once and for all... and make it my mission to destroy everything he loves."

He then shoved the guard forward, who began running as hard as he could. Kodos then stepped out into the main courtyard, letting out a breath.

"I'm finally free," he remarked, smirking evilly. "Free to exact my vengeance upon those who have imprisoned me."

Mobotropolis

It was peaceful in Castle Acorn, until the guard Kodos spared came bursting through the doors.

"Your Majesty!" he screamed.

King Max perked, recognizing the guard's uniform.

"You're from the Devil's Gulag?" he asked. "What are you doing here? Has something happened?"

"Th-there's been a breakout," the guard stammered. "Sir... Kodos is free!"

Both Max and Alicia let out a gasp.

"Th-that's impossible!" Alicia exclaimed. "No one can escape the Devil's Gulag!"

"Kodos did…" the guard confirmed. "He slaughtered everyone… He only left me alive to deliver his message. He's going after the humans first, then... then he's coming for you."

Max's expression steeled before he stood up.

"Prepare the troops!" he ordered. "Ready the soldiers! Comb every inch of Mobius if you have to. Kodos must be stopped!"

"Max, we must warn the Federation," Alicia insisted. "The Freedom Fighters… everyone must know. He's a danger to all of Mobius."

"Yes, of course," Max nodded. "Contact President Roberts immediately."

Station Square

The next day, Chris, Keith, and their friends were settling down for class. Everyone was writing papers on their future.

"So, I take it you two are going to become famous scientists," Helen asked.

"Probably," Keith admitted.

"Oh yeah," Chris agreed. "What about you, Helen?"

"I want to be a florist," Helen replied. "Own my own flower shop."

"I wanna be a police officer!" Frances declared.

"I wanna get into GUN," Hope confessed. "Help the world with my inventions."

"Me? I'm gonna be a star soccer player," Danny boasted. "I'm gonna be playing games all across the planet."

"How about you, Kat?" Keith asked.

"Me?" Kat responded. "Well, I'm not sure honestly."

"Oh come on, you have to have at least one idea," Keith urged.

"Well… I wanna be a Guardian, like Knuckles," Kat admitted.

"Is that even possible?" Helen questioned. "From what we've heard, the Brotherhood of Guardians has always consisted of Echidnas."

"I dunno, but I wanna try," Kat insisted. "Maybe then, Locke will respect me."

Before the conversation could continue, the intercom blared to life

"Attention, students," the principal's voice came. "Classes are being dismissed, effective immediately. Please proceed to your designated pick up areas to be sent home immediately."

Murmurs of confusion began rippling through the entire school. As Chris' group packed up and exited the building, they were surprised to see Sonic waiting out front for them.

"Thank Aurora…" Sonic sighed. "C'mon, we gotta move."

"Sonic, what's going on?" Chris asked.

"No time," Sonic insisted. "All of you, with me. Frances, Danny, Helen, Hope, you too. I've already informed your parents."

"Huh?" Helen perked, confused. "Sonic-"

"Look, something very bad is happening right now," Sonic snapped, exasperated. "I'll explain everything once we get to Knothole, but until then, just shut up and move your tails!"

At Sonic's seriousness, everyone was silenced, and they followed him without further trouble. He pulled out a Warp Ring, opening a portal. "Everyone through. Now!"

They went through one after the other, Sonic last.

Knothole

The minute they were through the portal, Keith leaned in to Chris.

"If Sonic's not showboating or goofing around like normal, whatever's going on must be really bad," he whispered.

Chris nodded. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

"Sonic, what the hell?" Kat demanded. "What's got you so worked up?"

Rather than answer, Sonic snatched up the remote and turned it to a Scarlet Garcia report.

"People all over Mobius are in alarm over what has happened in the Kingdom of Acorn last night," she declared. "Kodos Lion, an infamous war criminal, has escaped from the Devil's Gulag, once thought to be inescapable, and is currently at large. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous. Citizens are encouraged to stay indoors and off the streets until Kodos is found and captured."

"Kodos…" Hope gasped. "That's impossible…"

"What's going on?" Helen asked. "Who's Kodos?"

"One of the worst war criminals in the history of my kingdom," Sally said, entering at that moment.

"Just how bad is he?" Danny asked.

"Uncle Chuck and Dad used to mention him," Sonic began. "He's a violent, bloodthirsty psychopath who hates humans more than Kat hates Eggman."

"He fought on the front lines of the Great War, Sally added. "Not for the sake of his country, but so he could have a free pass to kill people."

"After my uncle defected to the Acorn Kingdom, he exposed Kodos for the bloodthirsty psychopath he was and had him found guilty of several war crimes," Hope included.

"One such war crime was him capturing a bunch of human soldiers during a battle," Sonic cut in. "Even after they surrendered, he beat them to death with his bare hands. The bastard personally took their blindfolds off so he could enjoy the look of terror in their eyes as he killed them."

All of the kids looked terrified.

"Did anyone else just pee themselves?" Danny asked.

Frances slowly raised her hand at that.

"He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Devil's Gulag," Sally went on. "A fate reserved only for the kingdom's most dangerous captives. In its entire history, nobody has ever been able to escape it... until last night."

"And that's why you pulled us here," Kat realized.

"Kodos has it out for all humans, especially those associated with my family," Sally informed them.

"He doesn't care if you're a girl, or a kid, or crippled," Sonic added. "If you're a human, he will kill you if he gets the chance. So I'm not gonna give it to him."

"How are we going to stop him?" Hope questioned. "He just escaped the most secure prison in all of Mobius."

"We aren't going to do anything," Sonic declared. "You kids are staying in Knothole, out of sight and out of trouble."

Frances, Danny, Helen, and Hope appeared to have no qualms against that. However, the main trio seemed to have some complaints.

"Sonic, you can't bench us," Chris insisted. "You're gonna need all the help you can get."

"We can help, and we'll be careful," Keith promised.

"What they said," Kat agreed. "Can you really afford to lose any fighters at this point?"

"No!" Sonic snapped. "Kodos isn't like Eggman! He's not gonna play around or make big speeches! And I'm not gonna lose anyone else!"

Everyone was taken aback at how desperate he sounded. He took a deep breath to compose himself.

"At least with Uncle Chuck, there's a chance we can deroboticize him," he went on. "But can you bring back the dead?"

"Sonic…" Chris tried. "I know you're scared, believe me, we all are."

"You don't seem to understand just how bad this situation is, Chris," Sally interjected. "Kodos is out there, on the prowl. He can't be bargained with. He can't be reasoned with. He doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And he absolutely will not stop, ever, until every human on Mobius is DEAD!"

"Which is why we shouldn't be wasting time arguing and be trying to find him," Kat insisted before turning to Sonic. "We're not helpless. We can fight."

"Kat, you're not changing my mind," Sonic declared. "You, Chris, and Keith are not having anything to do with catching Kodos, and that. Is. FINAL!"

By this point, Kat was getting annoyed. "Newsflash, Sonic. You're not the boss of me, and I'm not obligated to obey your stupid-ass decision."

"Ugh!" Sonic facepalmed. "For Aurora's sake, Kat, do you want to die?!"

"I'd rather die fighting than live cowering in terror!" Kat snapped. "I've done that before, and I won't do it again!"

The two stared silently at one another for a few moments. It was a battle of the wills. Kat crossed her arms, not budging, while Sonic did the same. Eventually, it wasn't one of them who caved, but Sally.

"Sonic, you're gonna hate me for this, but Kat's right," she sighed. "We're wasting time arguing over what to do with these three when we should be tracking down Kodos before he hurts anyone."

Sonic turned to her, a look of betrayal on his face. "Sally!"

"Thank you, Sally!" Kat declared. "Come on, boys. We've got work to do."

As the three walked off, Sonic turned to Sally. He closed his eyes, massaging his temples for a minute and taking a breath.

"Okay, Sal…" he began. "With all due respect, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR AURORA-DAMNED MIND?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, Sonic," Sally replied. "You're acting irrational and out of character. Chris, Keith, and Kat have all proven themselves on the battlefield, and as Kat pointed out, we can't afford to bench anyone."

"But they've never faced a monster like Kodos!" Sonic insisted. "Mom and Dad used him as a boogeyman to make me behave when I was little, and from everything we've heard, the stories about him in the war are even worse!"

"Sonic, none of us have faced a monster like Kodos," Sally pointed out. "None of us know what we're dealing with. We're all going in blind. Try again."

"He's a monster!" Sonic shouted. "A murderer!"

"So's Robotnik, and you didn't object to their help back then," Sally said. "Care to try one more time? Why are you being so overprotective of them all of a sudden?"

Sonic clenched his fists, shaking and looking like he was on the verge of a panic attack. "I- I don't… I can't… I won't…"

It was at that moment that Sally realized what was going on.

"I see…" she realized. "This is about what happened on the Death Egg, isn't it?"

By this point, Sonic was hunched over, struggling to breathe as his fingers dug into his hoodie. That was all the answer Sally needed.

"I can't let them do this…" he insisted. "They'll die… I can't let them die… I can't let anyone else die…"

"Hey, hey," Sally gently grabbed his arm. "Come here."

The two embraced, Sally holding on until Sonic managed to compose himself. Once he'd managed to come out of the attack, he let out a breath, but kept his snout buried in her shoulder.

"They'll be okay," she soothed. "We'll all be okay. We'll find Kodos and make sure he can't hurt anyone else ever again."

"Right…" Sonic pulled away, wiping his eyes. "Right."

Unbeknownst to them, the boys and Kat were hiding behind a nearby wall, having heard everything.

"Wow... He's really that scared for us," Chris mused.

"He had a panic attack…" Keith added. "I didn't even know Sonic could panic."

Kat remained silent, acutely aware of the source of his anxiety.

Robotropolis

Robotnik was sitting down to his breakfast, a plate of fried eggs set out for him as he picked up the morning newspaper. He was just taking a sip of his coffee when he saw the headline of the paper, spewing it out. Agatha, sitting on a phone book eating with him, looked over.

"Uncle?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"This…" Robotnik managed, showing her the paper. The headline screamed "Kodos Lion Escapes Prison! Mobius Paralyzed With Fear!", with Kodos' mugshot shown in full beneath it. Agatha dropped her fork.

"Oh, no…" she let out.

"How the hell did he manage to escape the Devil's Gulag?!" Robotnik demanded. "The entire point of it is that no one is supposed to be able to!"

"Does it matter?" Agatha questioned. "Uncle, he's loose. He'll come after you. It's because of you he was in prison."

"Agatha, it's not just me," Robotnik told her. "Not a corner of Mobius is safe while Kodos is at large. He will not stop until every human and their allies are eradicated."

He stood up. "Time to put that messenger bot of yours to work. We're going to send a message to the Freedom Fighters."

Mobotropolis

At the Hedgehog home, Jules and Bernie were seated nervously.

"Kodos…" Bernie gasped. "I can't believe that maniac escaped the Gulag."

"I can only pray the Federation is able to get all of their citizens to safety," Jules mused.

As they talked, there was a knock at the door. Both of them jumped at the sound. After a minute, Jules stood up, going to answer the door. He opened it, looking around to see nothing.

"Down here," came a high-pitched voice.

Jules looked down, seeing Bokkun.

"Are you Jules Hedgehog?" the bot asked. "Sonic's father?"

"Uh, yes," Jules replied. "Who or what are you?"

" I'm Bokkun, a messenger robot built by Agatha Kinto- uh, I mean Agatha Robotnik," Bokkun replied. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to the name change."

Jules was instantly on the defensive. "You're with Robotnik?"

"Yes I am, but I'm not a combat mech," Bokkun told him. "I'm just a messenger, and I have a very important message for Sonic."

He held up a TV set, which Jules cautiously took. It powered on, the message playing. Jules' eyes went wide as he watched it.

"Bernie, contact Sonic," he ordered. "He needs to see this."

-X-

As Sonic arrived, he stopped short to see Bokkun at the dinner table, eating apple pie.

"This is really good, Mrs. Hedgehog," he remarked.

"Y'know, when you said Eggman had a message for me, this wasn't what I was expecting," Sonic mused.

"Apparently, he was created by someone named Agatha," Jules explained.

"Oh yeah," Sonic perked. "Hope's cousin and Snively's sister. So she's joined up with Eggman as well? Thought she was better than that."

"Hey!" Bokkun objected. "Don't insult Lady Agatha!"

"Since she's working with Eggman, maybe it should be Eggatha now," Sonic chuckled before getting serious. "Alright. I've got enough on my plate right now. Whatever this message is that Eggman wants me to see, it better be important."

Jules showed him the TV, which turned on again to reveal Robotnik's face.

"Hello, Sonic," Robotnik greeted civilly. "I've heard about Kodos. I want to meet, just you and me. No robots, no Freedom Fighters. If we want to stop this murderer, we need to work together. I'll be waiting for you at Green Hill within an hour. Don't be late."

With that, the TV powered off. Sonic blinked before turning to Jules and Bernie.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Should I trust him?"

"Julian was present at Kodos' trial," Jules recalled. "And he also witnessed his atrocities. It stands to reason Eggman shares those memories."

"It's true," Bokkun confirmed. "The doctor's just as disgusted by and scared of that psycho lion as everyone else is."

"And yet, he's got plenty of blood on his hands himself," Sonic pointed out.

"Maybe so, but he never did half of the stuff Kodos did!" Bokkun objected. "Besides, what Dr. Robotnik does, he does for a purpose. An actual goal. Kodos is just a psychopath who kills for the sake of killing."

"...Okay, fair point," Sonic conceded.

"I say at the very least, you should hear him out," Jules decided. "But only if you feel it's best."

After a moment of debate, Sonic stood up. "I want Kodos to go down before anyone gets hurt. I don't think I have any other option."

"Just be careful," Bernie cautioned.

"I will, Mom," Sonic assured. "I promise."

Hugging them both, he headed for the door.

"More pie, please!" Bokkun requested, holding up his empty plate.

Knothole

First, Sonic made a pit stop at Knothole, showing his friends the message and explaining the situation.

"Sonic, you can't seriously be thinking of going to this meeting," Shortfuse insisted.

"I am," Sonic confirmed. "That's why I came to tell you guys. If I'm not back in an hour, then Eggman did something and we're screwed."

"You complete and utter IDIOT!" Kat shrieked, slamming her palms on the table. "Eggman is not to be trusted! How could you even think of going?!"

"Oh, I dunno, Kat," Sonic retorted. "Maybe it's because a mass-murdering war criminal is on the prowl as we speak?"

"And in case you forgot, those exact words can be used to describe Eggman!" Kat snapped.

"You haven't heard the stories about everything he's done, Kat!" Sonic shot back. "Eggman may be a villain, but Kodos is a monster! And if stopping him from hurting people means making a deal with my worst enemy, so be it!"

"When Eggman stabs you in the back, don't say I didn't warn you!" Kat hissed at him.

"You think I haven't thought of that?" Sonic questioned. "Why do you think I came back here to show you the message first?"

"Just... don't do something stupid in some delusional attempt at protecting us," Kat requested. "Okay?"

Sonic winced. "So... you saw my little meltdown with Sal, huh?"

"We all did," Kat confirmed, sighing. "Look Sonic, I'm grateful you want us to be safe, but don't make the mistake of trusting Eggman."

"This is just a temporary truce, Kat," Sonic assured. "I'm not gonna turn my back on Robuttnik for one second unless I'm running full-tilt in the opposite direction."

"Okay," Kat nodded. "Good luck, Sonic."

Green Hill Zone

Just as the Egg Mobile landed, Sonic arrived.

"I did a sweep while you landed," Sonic noted. "You really came alone."

"Well, not entirely," Robotnik admitted as he disembarked, holding Agatha's hand.

"Hi, Sonic!" Agatha declared, waving politely.

"Agatha…" Sonic greeted. "Or is it Eggatha now? It'd fit with your uncle's theme."

Robotnik's expression soured, while Agatha just rolled her eyes, going with it.

"Okay, enough games," Sonic said. "Let's talk about Kodos."

"Right," Robotnik nodded. "Everything I said on the message was true. I don't want Kodos on the warpath any more than you do. He'll destroy everything in his path, leaving nothing but a trail of bodies in his wake. I may seek world domination, but even I don't want what Kodos does. Thus, I wish to propose a temporary alliance."

"Why should I believe anything you say, Robotnik?" Sonic questioned. "You've hardly shied away from drawing blood before."

"Yes, but always with purpose," Robotnik pointed out. "Always with greater goals. Kodos' actions are nothing but the pointless, petty rampage of a racial supremacist. So please, listen to my offer. Take Agatha with you back to your headquarters. She'll be my eyes and ears, and insurance that I'll play nice."

He held out a hand. "Truce?"

After a moment of contemplation, Sonic took the hand, giving it a shake. "Agreed. But this doesn't change anything. As soon as we take Kodos down-"

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Robotnik said simply.

Agatha walked across the hill to Sonic, smiling at him.

"Let's go stop a crazy lion," she declared.

Sonic held up a finger before removing Agatha's glasses. Sliding them into his pocket, he pulled out a small, brown scarf, which he tied around her eyes.

"Nothing personal, Agatha," he told her. "But I'm not letting anyone on Eggman's side know where my base is, truce or not."

"Understandable," Agatha replied, nodding.

With that, he scooped her up and ran off. Robotnik let out a breath.

"I just hope we're not too late," he sighed.

Author's Note:

Here it is. Sonic and Robotnik's first official team-up in this version.

Those who read the Archie Comics may recognize Kodos. In that continuity, he was the Warlord of the Kingdom of Acorn before Julian Kintobor/Dr. Robotnik, and a bloodthirsty, human-hating psychopath who killed a Mobian and a human and sent them back to their sides with warning messages; effectively, he triggered the Great War so he could have an excuse to kill as many humans as he could. Here, since my King Max is much more reasonable and competent than the Archie version, he's just a soldier who joined for the love of carnage.

Next chapter, we get down to business. Can the Sonic-Robotnik alliance defeat the wrath of Kodos?

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Kodos - Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants, Dr. Neo Cortex and Uka Uka from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back to Crash Nitro Kart, Hades from God of War III)

Please R&R. Until next time!