Hey everyone! I'm back with another story that I'm absolutely stoked to write. For some context, I wanted to combine multiple versions of Sonic media and combine them in one story. Some examples would be from the games, Archie, IDW, and Underground. This is probably my most ambitious story on this site yet, and I'm hoping that many of you will stick around to the end. Starting November, I will push out two chapters a month, with each arc spanning around two parts. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 1: Fastest Thing Alive - Part 1

Kingdom of Mobius

Today marks the first invasion. The prosperous Kingdom of Mobius was now under siege by a fleet of death machines above. Darker than stormy clouds, these frigates purged the buildings below as if they were a force of nature. The Mobian army retaliated with all the artillery and weaponry they had, but it would never be enough to break through the frigate's sturdy hull. By the time the kingdom's defenses were stripped, another ground force burst into the roads—mechanical, soulless, unthinking drones with black metallic armor and dome-shaped heads. These swat-bots marched through, tearing everything in their path apart.

Within the central section of the kingdom, a castle resided, overviewing the destruction, Inside, a lone hedgehog gazed through an arching window. Her hands fidgeted below her waist as the fleet grew closer. Her time here was running out, and soon, her life would be put in jeopardy. But she didn't think of herself at this moment. She thought of her kingdom, her people, and most importantly her son. A soft wail echoed through the chamber as the queen rushed to a crib. She saw her son stirring awake due to the explosions outside, which advanced forward. She rocked the crib in an attempt to soothe the blue hedgehog, but there was no way to put him back to sleep at a time like this. "I told you this day would come." A mysterious voice spoke from behind. The queen remained unphased by the voice's presence as she kept trying to rock her son back asleep. Entering the chamber was a hooded figure, who showed no distinct features other than his ceremonious voice. "Are you ready to listen to me now?"

The queen finally devoted her attention to the cloaked man. "Are you sure there is no other way?" She desperately asked. A low head shake accompanied the hooded figure's response.

"I'm afraid that this is our only choice." He said out of despair. The queen hesitated to comply as she stared deep into her son's eyes. But the steps that must be taken to ensure a better future started with this difficult choice. She took the child into her arms and followed the hooded man out of the chamber. Through a secret passageway, the three were able to evade detection from the swat-bots entering the castle. In a matter of moments, this kingdom fell under the control of a vile dictator, who rested comfortably on the bridge of one of the frigates. He grinned callously as he viewed the aftermath of his invasion. His thin legs propelled his round body out of his chair, flailing his yellow cape across. He spread his arms in victory, with one of them being a full-on metal prosthetic.

"At last…" His breath sizzled the air. "My capital of machine starts today!"

Dense Forest

Far away from the stretches of civilization, the queen and the cloaked man approached a lone cabin. The queen kept holding her child tightly with every step that she took. As they reached the front door, her fingers were like bolts to a door. The child quickly began to cry again once it started to rain on them. The more the queen looked at him, the less sure she was of going through with this. The hooded figure extended his hand to her shoulder, revealing a webbed glove with golden caps on each finger. "I understand that this is hard, but he'll be safe here until he's ready." The queen took a deep breath as she kneeled on the first step of the cabin, and placed the child, who was wrapped in a warm blanket, right outside the door. He cried even louder as his mother's grip loosened around him. But as her finger rubbed against his cheek for the last time, he suddenly stopped crying. While he was calm, she slipped a small piece of paper into the blanket before retracting her comforting hand.

"Goodbye…Sonic" The queen's voice started to break as she quickly got up and left, disappearing into the forest. With her no longer in sight, Sonic started to ball his eyes out once more. His excessive crying caught the attention of the cabin's residents, as a curious head peered out the window facing the door. That head immediately rushes away from the window and flings open the door, looking down at Sonic.

"Hon?" The grey wolf hollered into the cabin.

"Yes?" Another voice answered from inside.

"Get out here now!" She quickly picked up Sonic and cradled him in hopes of ceasing his crying. Just then, the wolf's husband approached her, confused about what she was holding.

"What is it-" He immediately realized the child in her arms, sobbing a storm more wild than the one outside. "Oh my…" The woman holding Sonic then looked around the yard in front of their cabin, trying to spot whoever left him.

"Hello!" She yelled. "Is anyone still there?" She was met with silence as her husband reached into the blanket, pulling out the index paper. "What does it say?" She asked.

"It just says: Sonic." He said. "I guess his name is Sonic. What do we do?"

"Well, we can't leave him out here. I can't believe someone would just leave a child out in the rain like this." Overhearing the conversation was the queen, who was hidden behind the wall of trees. Devastated about what she has done, tears started to roll down her face, as she watched Sonic get brought inside by his new family. At least for now, he was safe.

Many Years Later

"Percy? He's gone too far again."

"Seriously? Annie, this is the fourth time this week." The two wolves conversed as they patiently waited on the porch of the cabin. They were unsurprised but disappointed all the same. "How far did he go this time?" Just then, a boom in the air quickly told Percy that answer. "Never mind." The two braced themselves, holding onto the porch's rail. This has been going on long enough for them to prepare for when he arrives, especially knowing that he was in a hurry too. They saw it in the tree line as it split from intense winds and a wall of dirt was kicked up and through the line. In no time at all, a blue blur rapidly approached the cabin.

"Ok you got to believe me on this one," Sonic said. "As soon as I realized I went too far I came running back."

"Hold that thought, Sonic," Annie responded as she tightened her grip on the rail. It was then that a gust of wind came in Sonic's wake, knocking his step-parents off their feet. Fortunately, since they were so used to this happening, they nonchalantly held onto the porch rail and waited for the powerful winds to die down. "Ok, we can talk now."

"Actually, we should probably do so inside. I'm pretty sure I stepped on a wasp nest on the way back and I give it five minutes before they get here." The hedgehog was soon proven wrong as a loud buzzing started to emerge from the woods. Sure enough, a swarm of wasps had already reached the yard. "Crap."

Inside, Annie was dusting off her clothes from the leaves and dirt that had been kicked up from the wind, while Percy fixed his fluffed-up hair. Sonic anxiously sat on the couch, awaiting another lecture. "Sonic, how many times do we have to say it? It's dangerous beyond these woods." Percy started.

"It's not like I'm leaving the forest," Sonic retorted. "I'm just exploring, that's all."

"Even so, going where you don't know what's ahead can attract trouble." Annie promptly said. "We don't even know what's out there anymore. No one has visited in years, not since we found you. I'm worried."

"All the more reason to find out. I can get out there and get back without concern. No one can catch up to me." Sonic's adventurous attitude simmers down as he glances to the corner of the living room. He saw the blanket he was left in piled on top of others. He was reminded of how little he knew about himself. Perhaps out there he could find the answer to who he was. Who he belonged to. "I just….I have to find out what's out there." Annie saw what Sonic was looking at and understood the desire Sonic had. Despite that, she knew that there had to be a reason his parents left him with them, and she feared the worst was lurking out there. Annie leaned forward and touched Sonic on the cheek, trying to fix his attention away from his harrowed past.

"I'm sure that you will find the answers you're looking for, and I admire how strong-willed your spirit is. But it's our job to protect you no matter what, and right now, I'm afraid we'll fail to do that." Sonic smiled warmly.

"You don't have to worry. I've learned to take care of myself a little. But thank you for taking care of me as long as you could." Both Annie and Percy felt at ease as they believed they reached Sonic this time. As the day progressed, Sonic stayed indoors until the sun started to set. His step-parents were off to bed first as Sonic stayed in the living room. He was lying on the couch, eyes wide open. Too much was on his mind again, and his body became antsy. He wanted to go out again, but there was a part of him that knew it was a bad idea. Perhaps it was meant for another day. Sonic finally started to drift to sleep as his eyes slowly shut. But before he could doze off, a loud thud suddenly echoed deep within the forest. Sonic shot to his feet, peering out the window in an instant. As he listened, he heard the mechanical thud once more, followed by a glare from what seemed to be a light shining from the ground.

This was new. Definitely out of the ordinary. Sonic wanted to investigate, but he knew that he would never hear the end of it if his step-parents found out. To make sure they weren't aware of the noise, Sonic sneakily poked his head through their bedroom door and found them sound asleep. "I'm sorry," He whispered. He didn't want to go out so soon after all they said to him, but this was the first time he noticed something alive in these woods other than insects and trees. Without much time to waste, Sonic quietly bolted out the door and headed into the woods. As he sprinted across the winding trails, he came closer to the source of the lights and noise. And as he turned a corner, he encountered the culprit.

Two drones floated gracefully in the air. Their one eye shone a blinding light down on what seemed to be a small crater surrounded by smoke. The hedgehog was intrigued, if not profoundly disturbed at the design of these horrific bots. So much terror and mystery resided in their vile black shells. As Sonic eased in to get a closer look, he unknowingly stepped on a small twig, snapping it. The silence of the night made the snap sound like a gunshot, as the drones immediately turned in Sonic's direction. Sonic was quick enough to hide behind a tree, but that wouldn't deter the drones as they maneuvered closer. As they did, spiked tendrils sprouted from their shells, armed with blades. A low shriek bellowed between the two, seemingly acting as a way for them to communicate. With one swift turn, they were already facing the point of the snapped twig. However, no one was to be found. Sonic made his escape discreetly while the drones were approaching. Unfortunately, the drones would not be satisfied until they found their target. Their scanners analyzed the broken twig and detected a faint shoe mark in the dirt. They tracked the marks until they found a trail of footprints leading in one direction.

Back at the cabin, Sonic went straight to his step-parent's bedroom, shaking them awake in a frantically. "Guy! Wake up!"

"Sonic? What are-" Percy slurred his words as he was slowly coming out of his deep sleep.

"There is something out there. Some sort of machine was in the woods." The urgency in his words made Annie spring awake as she knew something was wrong.

"How do you know that?" She asked. "Did you go back outside?"

"That doesn't matter now. I got back as soon as I could but I think one of them might've-" Suddenly, a loud crash came from the living room. Percy jumped from the bed and grabbed an ax stored in the closet. Annie followed his lead as she looked out the bedroom door. She quickly went back to Sonic and placed her hand on his shoulders.

"Listen to me. You need to hide. Percy and I can do what we can to hold them off."

"I can help too!" Sonic pleaded.

"No!" Annie snapped. "I promised myself that I would protect you, and I'm not endangering you now. Stay here…please!" Annie stepped away from Sonic and went outside the bedroom with Percy. It wasn't long until a loud scuffle rocked the entire residence. Machines whirring, frequent grunts of pain, windows shattering. All of this action over him, and yet he was sitting it out. Sonic felt helpless, pained to hear the destruction of his home because of his recklessness.

"I have to do something…" Sonic told himself. "This is my mess. I won't let it get them hurt!" Sonic, neglecting his step-parent's warning, raced outside the bedroom door and into the living room. Sure enough, it was the same two drones that he found in the woods. Now that Sonic had seen them up close, they were much bigger than he originally thought. They were twice as tall as him, and their one red ocular lens was the same size as his head. They towered over him, flailing their bladed tendrils as they started to inch closer. What worried Sonic more than anything was that he didn't initially see Annie or Percy until he heard their whimpers below the drones. They were incapacitated on the floor, covered in sharp cuts and bruises. "Get away from them!" Sonic ran forward and drew his arm against the first drone, but all that he was met with was a pathetic tink as his fist failed to damage the drone's hull. Sonic recoiled his arm as pain jolted up his arm.

The drone looked Sonic dead in the eye. Despite being a lifeless machine, Sonic almost felt like it was taunting him. The drone raised its tendrils and pointed its blades directly at the hedgehog's head. Sonic was petrified with fear, once again helpless to fight back. But as the drone was about to strike, Annie had lifted herself off the ground, holding the ax Percy had dropped, and sliced off the tendril that would've pierced Sonic. "Sonic, run!" The second drone was quick to restrain her against the wall while the injured drone furiously waved its tendrils, almost as if it felt pain. Sonic hesitated to move. She wanted him to run? To where? And how could she expect him to just leave her here?

"Just go, boy!" Percy cried out too, barely being able to lift his head off the floor before it was slammed back down by the uninjured drone.

Him too? Sonic thought to himself. I can't just leave them! Not when this is all my fault! However, there was little that the naive hedgehog could do now. The injured drone's rage was soon to be directed at Sonic as its glaring eye flickers rapidly at him. That's when it hit Sonic. How could he save his family if he couldn't even save himself? If he kept pushing forward and got himself killed, then all that his step-parents did would be for nothing. Before he could fully rationalize that, Sonic's legs started to move on their own. He almost screamed for them to stop as they carried him out the door and into the wilderness. All he could do was run. He didn't stop at anything, which caused him to periodically trip over stones and logs. But he didn't care about any of that. If anything, he felt like he got let off too easily. This was his mistake, and yet he wasn't the one to pay for it. It drove Sonic to tears as he aimlessly dashed through the woods.

Eventually, Sonic was able to find an end to the forest. He came across what looked to be a meadow at first glance, but the closer Sonic looked, the more he saw what was wrong. The grass had already wilted away, and the heads of flowers withered into the dry soil. There were holes drilled into the ground, which appeared to be caused by heavy machinery and rigs. "Who could've done such a thing?" The sight of nature being profaned mortified Sonic. He couldn't comprehend why someone would go this far to drain all life here. As Sonic continued through the sunken meadow, he smelled a rich–almost acidic–aroma in the air. Its fumes were heavy on Sonic's nose, as he started to develop a mild headache from how rotten it was. Sonic tried to pinpoint the source of the smell, and as he looked into the sky, he saw dark clouds resting above him. Great, what poor timing for rain. Sonic paid no mind to the clouds. But as he ran directly under them, not only did the smell become more potent, but Sonic also noticed that it was not raining.

He looked back up to the cloud and realized something horrifying: These weren't clouds. They were too dense and dark to be any old rain cloud. Looking farther out into the horizon, Sonic saw the thick haze curve down, leading to something bigger. Sonic kept moving forward, keen to know what was out there. Once Sonic reached the peak of a small hill, his eyes widened as he stared at what he thought was an entirely different world. It was a city constructed entirely out of metal. Each and every mile of it was filled with factories and warehouses, which pumped dark fumes into the air, forming the clouds above. In the middle was some sort of egg-shaped fortress which was far more vibrant than the rest of the city.

"What is that place?" Sonic asked himself. Suddenly, two objects flew high above Sonic, heading toward the city. From the direction they were coming from, which was the same way Sonic took to get here, they had to be the drones that attacked, and maybe, just maybe, they had his step-parents. Anger quickly filled Sonic's heart as he saw them descend into the heart of the city. "So this is where they came from," Sonic said with disgust. "Then I guess it's time to get to the bottom of this." Sonic continued to race forward down the hill and to the city. This time, he ran with purpose. He was going to figure out who was responsible for all of this destruction.

Robotropolis

The air was dank, and the streets were scattered with puddles of water and oil. Alleys were filled with garbage and waste, and each building that faced the roads lacked windows and basic lights. Sonic was confused as he strolled down the middle of the street. This is a city, right? Why does it seem like no one lives here? The only signs of activity he found were set in the larger factories, and especially in the colossal fortress. It seemed like someone was home, but what did that mean for the rest of the city? As Sonic wondered the story behind this place, a bright flash flared behind him. He snapped his whole body around to come face-to-face with a small floating camera. Its lens blinked curiously as it hovered around Sonic's head. "What in the–" Sonic was soon interrupted as another flash emitted from the lens, temporarily blinding him. Mere seconds after the second flash, a city-wide alarm blared across the streets. "Crap!" Sonic smacked the camera out of the air without even a glimpse of hesitation. It whimpered as it clashed against the rough ground, breaking into a million pieces. Sonic took this time to rush into cover within an alleyway.

As the alarm continued to shout, another noise started to rise. A loud purr rapidly approached, bouncing against the walls surrounding the intersection. Sonic hugged the wall of the alley as he peered his head over. A swarm of robots began to cross the intersection. Many were made up of the drones that Sonic had already encountered, but there were still some unfamiliar ones. However, he couldn't make out any of them as they passed through the intersection and away from Sonic. "Wait, were they not after me?" Sonic left his cover as he heard the hoard of machines fade into the distance. "Then what was that all about?" The answer to that question was soon answered, as a fiery explosion enveloped the sky. Sonic gasped as his body was illuminated with crimson. This ball of fire ignited the cloud of fumes above and as Sonic looked closer, he could see exactly where this explosion was set off.

Sonic started to make his way there. If someone was stirring the hive that took away his step-parents, he wanted to meet them. Once Sonic got closer to the point of the explosion, he kept hidden to avoid detection by the robots encircling it. He could barely hold his heart from pounding from his chest. His heavy breathing picked up some of the smog that came from the burning building. There, he finally was able to see the robots better. Most were humanoid in shape, but still systematic and cold as the rest. They were about Sonic's size and possessed qualities strikingly close to someone like him. Sonic's racing heart skipped a beat as it hit him.

"Are those…people?" There was no denying it. Many of them shared the same physical features as someone else but turned mechanical and lifeless down to their souls. Their movements were synchronized as if they were all controlled by a singular hivemind. "That's it," Sonic whispered to himself. "That's why it seems like no one lives here. They've all been turned into that!" Many of the converted citizens raised their right arms forward, where a cannon-like apparatus was in place of their hand. Water starts to shoot out from them as a means to control the flames.

"Go! Quietly." Sonic heard a hushed voice echo from a nearby passageway. Through the haze of the smoke, he caught sight of four lively silhouettes moving away from the smoldering building and into the shadows. Checking for if the coast was clear, Sonic snuck past the perimeter of bots to follow those mysterious strangers. He squirms through a tight crawl space, covering himself in grime and muck, to which he is led to a more worn-down section of the city, where old houses and broken-down stores still reside. It was once what the rest of the city looked like before it was transfigured into this hollow place. Sonic needlessly asked himself how long this had been going on for. How long had he been unaware of all this? This injustice. Oppression. How could this have happened? Who was responsible for it? Sonic had sunk into an endless ocean of fruitless questions. Only just today did he discover what the world was, and even then, it was nothing of what it was supposed to be. At least what it was supposed to be in Sonic's eye.

Sonic was broken out of his reverie as he spotted the four figures cooped up in one of the run-down stores. They looked out of breath and fatigued. Now that the hedgehog got a better look at them, he was able to clearly see who they were. One was a blue ocelot, outfitted in black leather gloves, boots, and a bandolier. Another was a browned-furred coyote who was the most exhausted. He also had surprisingly neat hair that was well-groomed, which was a little off-putting for Sonic. Next was a golden rabbit with pink bow ties wrapped around each of her fluffy ears. One thing about her that was curious was her left arm and legs. They were all robotic. Finally, there was the chipmunk. She had short auburn hair, brown fur, and a light blue vest and boots. Sonic was bound to meet up with them, but something stopped him in his tracks. He sensed something lurking beyond the horizon, stalking not him, but the four held inside.

"Alright everyone, we're not done yet," The chipmunk announced to the rest, standing tall amongst the others. "Gather the rest of the explosives. We still have three more factories to hit."

"Are you serious?" The coyote spoke in a thick accent. "We barely made it out of the last one. Not to mention that all the oils of zis rancid place 'as started to grease my hair in a bad way." He was still out of breath as he finished his thoughts, leading him to wheeze in more air afterward.

"We're already too deep in it. We can't turn back now, Antoine."

"Sally…" The rabbit spoke up. "'Twan has a point. If they weren't onto us now, they sure will be soon."

"Leaving now doesn't accomplish anything, Bunnie." Sally tried to reason. "They'll just rebuild all of it before we can plan another attack. If we halt their production now, we might buy ourselves a few more days."

"Living to fight anotha' day is already enough." Sally lowered her head, disheartened but understanding of her friend's needs.

"You're right. We've overstayed our welcome." Sally turned to the ocelot. "Any ideas, Kleid?" The ocelot seemed a little nervous to be put in the spotlight.

"Well–we could stay just a while longer to catch our breath. We were moving around a lot." Kleid sheepishly muttered.

"Ya' sure?" Bunnie tilted her head. "I'm feelin' ready to go. It even looks like 'twan has recovered from that short run." Antoine pushes himself up, using his hands to brace against his knees, bringing his upper body into a confident rise.

"Thanks for noticing."

"I'm being serious," Kleid continued to stammer. "Just a few more minutes and I'll be ready. Give it some time." Sally looked dead on into the ocelot's eyes. She wasn't quite sure of it but something about Kleid was off. His eyes looked like they were hiding something behind them.

"Are you feeling alright?" She directed her focus at Kleid.

"Me? Oh yeah! Just a little nervous is all."

"Getting out of the city shouldn't be hard. We've done it a million times. What's there to be nervous about?"

"Well–it's really nothing–really! It's just…it's just…" Suddenly, a distant hum starts to grow closer to time, approaching hastily. They all recognized that sound, one from a plethora of engines. Robots were on their way, and considering how quickly they were closing in, they knew they were there. As quickly as they came, the ocelot's paled expression settled and turned to one more cunning. "About time," Sally grunted in anger as she pinned Kleid to the wall. Yet his smug face still held strong.

"What's going on!?" Antoine bleated.

"You sold us out?!" Sally yelled at the ocelot. "When were you an informant?"

Kleid scoffed at Sally while shrugging his arms. "Oh, Sally…Ever since your kindness graced my pitiful facade. My only regret is that I didn't play along enough for you to show me Knothole. But I think the big man will appreciate it regardless once I bring in the leader of the Freedom Fighters." Bunnie looked out the boarded windows and saw an army of bots marching their way toward them.

"Company's here!"

"What are we to do!?" Antoine panicked.

"Oh, that's simple." Kleid continued. "As long as you don't put up a fight, I'm sure that they'll take most of you alive. Antoine, I'm not so sure about you though."

"Why did you feel the need to say that?"

"Well, that's too bad." Sally dropped Kleid on his butt, leaving him in the corner. She faced the window and gazed into the endless army. Her anger grew as she saw them, and it grew even more as she considered what Kleid said. Give up and just let them take us? Sally raised her voice heroically as she spoke, "I'm sure the tyrant will be disappointed once he finds out of my passing. I bet he has loads of questions for me. But then again, that's assuming we don't make it out of here." She takes the satchel containing the rest of the explosives and straps it around her body. Sally then turns to Bunnie and Antoine. "Eyes forward! We're taking this to them!" Bunnie cracked her knuckles as Antoine wearily unsheathed his sword.

As the three foolhardy fighters exit through the door, charging into battle, a blue streak nabbed Sally right in front of Bunnie and Antoine, disappearing into the distance. "Uh, what was–" Before Bunnie could react, the blue streak returned and grabbed her too.

"Eek!" Antoint cowered in fear as the hoard of bots were just in reach of him. But before he could be destroyed, the blue streak once again appeared to take him to safety.

Kleid left the confines of the building, dumbfounded at what he just witnessed. "Huh? What just happened!? No!?" Kleid kicked over a mound of pails, which caused him to leap up in pain from the simple kick.

Outskirts of the City

Antoine kept his eyes closed throughout the whole trip, as he believed that he was still left in the city in front of all those robots. "'Twan?" The coyote heard a familiar voice. It was Bunnie's. But Antoine's distraught state led him to believe that what he was hearing wasn't actually her, but the ghost of her that was left behind after that blue streak took her.

"My, my…how horrid it is. How could zis world be so cruel as to take such a beautiful soul?"

"Antoine…" This time it was Sally's voice, which was much more stern than Bunnie's.

"Not you too! Oh, I can't bear to look either of you in the eye, I'm sorry. But don't worry. Once I open my eyes and draw my sword, I shall avenge you!"

Sally, tired of letting this bit go on, snapped her fingers in the coyote's face to lift him from his delusion. "We're not dead." Antoine takes a sigh of relief as he lays on the ground. Sally turns to Sonic, intrigued by this stranger who miraculously saved them. She was even more intrigued by his speed. She had never seen anyone that fast before. "Thank you for saving us. We sure owe you a lot."

Sonic was a little caught off guard by her. For the first time, he was able to save someone. He never expected any gratitude from it, but here he was. He wasn't alone anymore. There were others out there. Others who were fighting back against whatever controlled this world. Maybe it was his best shot at getting his step-parents back if he stuck around. "Uh, you're welcome…I guess." Sonic got embarrassed about how those words came out. Yet Sally was still touched by his generosity, nonetheless.

"What's your name, blue blur?"

"Me? You can call me Sonic…Sonic the Hedgehog."

To be continued…

Up Next: Fastest Thing Alive Part 2