Sonic GeneX - The Series: Countdown to Doomsday
Mini Episode - Prologue: Aftermath Pt. 1
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Chief Paynson sat across from Razor the Porcupine in the police interrogation room. His droopy moustache was looking droopier than usual. "Where have you been?" the chief asked. Razor folded his hands on the desk and wore a sheepish expression. "I'm a bit fuzzy on that myself. I remember Eggman taking over the world... I remember battling his army... Then, I was shot. I... died." he murmured. Paynson looked at him incredulously, but Ridley the Coati leaned down next to him and muttered in his ear. "Uhh, it's not that crazy, chief. Reports say Sally Acorn died, too, yet she's back at home, safe and sound." Paynson scratched his head. "Hm... Well, Ridley's report indicates your actions these past months were not your own. In light of that, and your apprehension of the fugitive hyena, I am willing to brush it all under the rug and welcome our finest officer back to active duty." he offered. Razor nodded. "Thanks, chief. I would like to come back as soon as I'm ready... but I've got some missing time to fill in, and that'll take more than a quick recap." he sighed. Paynson shrugged. "Try the quick recap anyway, would you, Ridley?" he asked. Ridley chuckled. "Ahh, well... Fera turned good and helped beat Eggman. Rebuilding the world started. Gemini went to the past to stop the Lost Ones from being created for...reasons. Guard and Bucky were out searching for the missing Robians from when Eggman took over, including Crash and Mia. Robians are Mobians-turned-robot, if you're wondering. Gemini failed to stop the birth of the Lost Ones in the past and learned that they were even in cahoots with the Zodiac Council that was controlling you, Sally, and a bunch of others. So, we got Sonic and Tails and attacked their freaky space base in some place outside time, which blew up and caused the Zodiacs to lose their powers. And Cancer the Vulture died. I think Sonic and them chased the snake-dude to another dimension and ended up beating him somehow. Copter convinced Gemini to start training the holders of the Chaos Relics, and your first order of business was arresting Eddie who isn't Scorpio no more." Ridley summed up, speaking fast. Razor and Paynson stared at him. "Take as much time as you need, Razor..." Paynson muttered. Ridley gasped. "Oh! And you missed Punchy and Rainbow's wedding! Fera went nuts again and chopped off Gunner's arm!" he added. Razor rubbed his head. "I owe you big for looking after Tommy... What a year..." he sighed.
Fera the wolf was now hearing the voice of Howler, the former leader of the Covenant of Despair, through the power of her Despair Seal. Somehow, it was letting him speak to her from beyond the grave, and he was seeing to her retraining in the ways of dark magic. She walked with her eye shut, only his voice to guide her. "Breathe slowly... Your senses are consumed with your task, and only your task. You must purge all weakness. You do not feel despair...you wreak it upon those who oppose you." Howler whispered as Fera stepped deliberately, avoiding any debris in her path as though she could see it. She was near the place where the Resistance prevailed; EggmanEmpire Fortress. Or, what remained of it. As she stepped, she heard a stirring in the ground. Wrapped hands burst through the earth. Black mummies were rising, their moans familiar to her. Fera stood ready for battle, her eye still shut. "Darkness is yours... Death cannot harm you!" Howler sneered. Fera held out her hands, holding one palm over the other. Violet flames emerged from her palms, seemingly hers to hold and command. "I do not fear death!" she scoffed, leaping into action and hurling dark flames at each mummy with shocking accuracy, burning them and causing their corpses to drop, moaning as the fire overcame their will to move! Fera heard a clapping, and opened her eye to look, seeing Anubis approaching her. One of his ears was bent, and his body seemed a bit scratched up, but he had survived his fall down the chasm from months ago. "You have returned, Fera... I feel the darkness from you." he smirked. Fera nodded, placing a hand upon her heart. "The light has a hold on me still, but I hear him... our Darkseeker... He left a bit of himself in this Despair Seal. Together, we can rebuild." she stated. Anubis nodded. "Despair can rise again...and should that foul Infinite show his mask again, we will be ready, our power crushing him and showing him why...why I was chosen, and the other jackals were cast out!" he sneered, fire burning around him to show his conviction. Fera nodded. "Good...because the Darkseeker wants you to find our friends. Gather them back. It's time to return to our purpose..." Fera grinned.
It was the very same night after the defeat of the Zodiac Council, and the sealing away of Ophiuchus. Astra the fennec, who had been found alive and well in a cell within Zodiac Station, and used a spell from Gemini's wand to restore her own youth and vigor, now had some explaining to do. Since Rainbow wasn't using it during her honeymoon, her house in the newly restored Hidden Ruins would suffice as a place to talk things over. Copter, Gemini, Libra and Timothy sat around a table as Astra stood nearby. "So... You created the Zodiac Council?" Copter muttered. "She said that like three times now, Copter, keep up!" Libra groaned. Astra nodded. "I know it's tough to wrap your head around. I was a student of Divine magic even before joining Rex and his group. I learned from the Divines themselves... ordinarily they are distrusting of outsiders, but they found me as an infant after my mother had been killed by bandits, leaving me alone. They decided to take me in...only until I came of age." she said with a wistful sigh, "At any rate, after Rex fell to darkness, I didn't want to give up on protecting the world like Bard did. I gathered new allies, and formed the Zodiac Council. We couldn't use the Creation Relics, so...I fashioned new powers for them, creating the Zodiac Station to share my own magic amongst them." she explained. "You must be insanely powerful!" Timothy gasped. "Not so much now. Ophiuchus had separated most of my power from me and made the Station self-sustaining. Now that it's gone, I'm just an old lady with a fair bit of knowledge..." Astra frowned. Copter rubbed his head. "Magic isn't fair. You can do whatever you want. Yeesh. Even steal other people's magic. Chaos..." he muttered. Gemini nodded. "So, we've established that Ophi betrayed you... Probably a long time ago, too. How about this whole Creation Relic thing?" she asked. Astra nodded. "Only a few of us close to Radia knew they were called Creation Relics. They don't harness power from Chaos. It's creation energy itself... It flows through all life." she stated. Copter slapped his forehead. "Gah! It's literally GeneX energy! ...Sometimes I pay attention when Bucky talks." he mumbled. Gemini nodded. "Yes, Copter, that stupid name your creator came up with ties back to the Relics. Not incredibly relevant but way to pay attention." she noted. Astra chuckled at the interaction between the two. "Well, anyway... When you know the Relics harness creation energy, it becomes easier to take control of their true powers." she stated. Gemini looked around and sighed. "And you want me to train people to use them? I've never even held a Chaos... Creation Relic." she babbled. "No, stick with Chaos. We are NOT changing their names again. Sorry, Astra." Copter insisted.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Lospecter floated into the room! "Hello, kiddies! And may I just applaud you all for getting rid of that snake-headed time lord? Now the Lost Ones are free to pop in and wreak mayhem as they please!" he chuckled. Gemini and Timothy both aimed their wands at him, and he yawned in a bored fashion. "I just popped in to tell you all that past-Ophiuchus is popping in to see how his plan went. He'll wanna talk to Gemini. If he sees any of the rest of you, he'll probably suspect things went awry and decide to fiddle with history. That'd suck for all of us. Convince him he wins, and his timeline stays intact!" Lospecter said, floating out of sight. They all looked to Astra. "I'd do what he says. Zodiac Station runs on a different time axis. For a past version of Ophiuchus, it still exists, and he still has power!" she warned. Timothy ran to Libra and grabbed her hand. "Cleviso!" he cast, turning them both invisible! "Darn, I miss my tailband, it could do that, too!" Copter said, rushing out of the room with Astra in a hurry. Gemini gulped and looked to see Ophiuchus soon enter from the other side of the room. "Here you are..." he sneered. "O-ophi... Wh-why are you here?" Gemini stammered, looking nervous. Ophiuchus glanced at her. "You aren't in my power... My plans have gone awry, haven't they? Tell me what's happened." he ordered. Gemini backed up a step. "Y-you monster... You may not have dragged me off with you, but you got what you wanted! You're off ruling some other world...while the council is basically dead. You decided sharing was overrated, I guess." she snapped, clenching her fists. Ophiuchus was looking her straight in the eye. "Hmmm... I'm an excellent judge of whether or not... Someone is telling me the truth. I believe you...so what's stopping you from chasing me through time to change your fate?" he growled, stepping closer to her. "You... You have..." she hesitated, unsure what would convince him, "C-copter... You'll kill him if I try to stop you!" she sniffled. Ophiuchus grabbed her chin and stared her in the face. "Hmm... Chin up. You're free to live out the rest of your life as you see fit. Just don't ever cross my timeline again..." he warned, turning away from her. "Chronokadabra!" he called, stepping through a time portal and leaving. Copter, Astra, Libra and Timothy appeared moments later. "Man, that was intense! What'd you tell him?" Copter asked. Gemini crossed her arms and looked at the ground. "Only the truth..." she murmured. "He's ruling over a world...of nothing. The council is dead...or Cancer, anyway." she sighed. Libra nodded. "I guess we gotta be careful about running into past versions of him if we ever time travel again, huh?" she said nervously. Astra nodded, and Gemini wiped her eyes. "In the morning, let's get in touch with Tails and Knuckles. We gotta train those Relic holders... The Lost Ones are still out there!"
To be continued...
