The future. A broken, burning disaster full of despair, hopelessness and agony. Mobian life was made a nightmare, and humans weren’t that far behind, by the evil dictator who had conquered them all: Eggman Nega, a clone of the original Doctor Eggman who proved to be even more smart and evil than his predecessor. Every day now, humans were forced to be taken to Nega’s prison, either for interrogation or for brainwashing them into praising and respecting Nega’s rule. This day was no different, as a humongous line up of humans of every gender, age and race were being dragged, in chains, towards the nearest prison, each of them being escorted by Nega’s Nega Pawns, a much ruthless and strong version of Eggman’s Egg Pawns, who were authorized to terminate every human who resisted or fell behind. -<ORDERING-SUBROUTINE> COME-ON, LET’S-GET-MOVING. ANY-HUMAN-THAT-TRIES-TO-FLEE-WILL-BE-ERADICATED.- croaked the voice of one of the Pawns, pushing a few humans lagging behind with its cannon arm. The robot then noticed an old man slowing down the line walking with a little kid in his hand. -<QUESTIONING-SUBROUTINE>WHY-ARE-YOU-TAKING-SO-LONG?- asked the machine to the old man, who coughed and kneeled down with the kid helping him. -P-Please, mister robot, he’s too sickly! He can’t walk on his own…- sobbed the kid who helped the man as he released a violent cough and fell on his knees. -<TOUGH-SUBROUTINE>NO-EXCUSES.PREPARE-FOR-TERMINATION- growled the robot, aiming the cannon at the two humans, the kid getting in front of the man and begging the robot to stop, in tears, when suddenly the robot stopped charging up and looked around as it heard something. The sound of something small and hard hitting its hyper resisting armor. -<CONFUSED-SUBROUTINE>WHAT-WAS-THAT?- it asked, as it then felt more sound coming at it from above. There were pebbles raining down at it, making a clinking sound as they hit its armor. It then looked up in time for a massive boulder to come crashing down on its body, squashing it and making the two humans wince back. As the dust settled, a lonely figure appeared on a high rock formation nearby.
-Robots! You and your master have crossed the line! Threatening old men and kids is sickly! You pieces of junk really disgust me!- yelled Silver, his hair flowing in the wind as he spoke. The young psychokinetic hedgehog had faced Nega and his armies many times before, but never had he gotten this angry at them. -ALERT! ALERT! NEW-SIDE-MISSION-STARTED.- stated the robots as they all aimed at Silver. -<MOCKING-SUBROUTINE>MISSION-CODENAME: HEDGEHOG-JAM.- said one of them. -Oh, har har de har… Very creative…” Silver sighed as he smiled bitterly and made a slow sarcastic clap. -So, let me get this straight: you, a small squad of super armed robots against me, a poor, defenseless lonely little hedgehog? Sounds PREEEEETTY unfair…- said Silver, snickering slightly. -<ASSESSING-SUBROUTINE>THAT-IS-CORRECT.- said the head robot as they all readied to fire. -...FOR YOU.- Silver glared at them and raised his hands, which glowed in his iconic cyan glow that surrounded a few debris and made them float up and circle around the psychic hedgehog. -WITNESS MY POWER!- Silver yelled as the debris floated near him. -<CONCERNED-SUBROUTINE>ALERT! ALERT! HIGH-LEVELS-OF-PSYCHIC-ENERGY-DETECTED!- said the robots in a choir, beginning to pull back. -Hehehe… Surprised?- asked Silver, grinning smugly as the robots began to flee. -Me… NEITHER!- yelled the hedgehog as, with a quick gesture of his arm, he threw all the debris he collected at the robots, which all ended up destroyed by them. -Warning, rock slide!- said Silver as he submerged two robots in rocks. -Tsk, tsk, should’ve watched both sides…- he then joked as he had the other two run over by a car. -That’ll teach them. Now, to free the prisoners.- said the hedgehog, turning back to the line of humans.
Silver used his powers to destroy the chains and cuffs holding the humans and helped those who were in need of food, water or some quick medical attention. -Is everyone alright?- asked the hedgehog as he was done. -YES! THANK YOU SO MUCH, SILVER!!- they all said together, cheering and applauding the young hedgehog who saved them. -Oh no, no, no, please, please don’t. Just doing my job as your friendly neighborhood psychic superhero.- Silver said, waving his hands and giggling embarrassedly, even blushing slightly as they cheered for him. -Who now has a bone to pick with a certain egghead…- he then added, returning serious. -You’re going after Nega, are you?- asked the little kid from before. -I have to. This disaster… None of it would’ve happened if he wasn’t around…- Silver said, kneeling down to eye the kid and sighing, then he ruffled his hair. -Don’t worry for me, kiddo. I’ll be alright. That fatso has tried countless times to take me down and he has always lost. This time won’t be different.- he said, smiling as he got up. (Because this time… This time this ends… All of it.) He thought as he closed his eyes and started glowing in a cyan light which soon made him levitate. -Go seek for a Future Police officer or car. They’ll take you to a safe haven, where Nega won’t be able to find you.- he said as he floated up, then dashed forward, flying in the horizon until the humans weren’t able to see him anymore, then they left the zone to search for an officer. -...Grandpa? Is Silver going to kill Nega?- asked the kid to the old man, who sighed. -I don’t know, sonny. He’s always been a good kid, but… Even heroes break sometimes. Whatever happens, don’t forget what he did today and that he’ll always be a hero, no matter the actions he takes.- said the old man, sighing as another adult helped him walk. The kid sighed and hugged the teddy Silver gifted him as he looked in the distance, at the horizon suffocated by the black clouds. Far away from the humans, Silver flew straight forward, sprinting in the sky as he headed towards Nega’s last known position he picked from the Future Police’s radio signal. He was sighted riding his latest robot back in the Burned Wasteland Zone (the one Sonic would call Green Hill Zone), which had Silver clench his fists in anger. He was there where it all happened. Where Nega cemented himself as Silver’s worst enemy and the one he swore to take down at all costs. -Prepare yourself, Nega. I’m coming for you!- Silver snarled and accelerated, causing a sonic boom as he flew at high speed.
Sadly, he had to stop a few moments after that to catch his breath as using his powers that way still consumed him a lot. Huffing, he decided that for now it was best to continue by foot, so he started running. Everyone thought that Silver wasn’t as fast as Sonic or Shadow, but he really was. The thing was that, when he was using his psychic powers, he had to focus on them, which put a mental inhibitor to his super speed, however as soon as he wasn’t using them he could sprint as fast as those other two hedgehogs. He ran past the sign saying that he had entered the Burned Wasteland Zone so he decided to relax a bit by doing the old route and pass by a few of the more famous obstacles Sonic used to do. He did the almighty loop-de-loop, passed by the tunnels and even got to try out his other techniques like the Homing Attack and the Spin Dash with the robots Nega put on guard. He felt particularly playful with a lonely robot he disarmed quickly, so he flew to a distance where he was barely unreachable by the robot. -<FRUSTRATED-SUBROUTINE>GET-DOWN!- grunted the robot, waving the only other arm he had to try and catch him as Silver hummed mockingly. -Well, since you’re asking so nicely…- giggled the psychic hedgehog as he dashed down at full speed, breaking the robot’s glass eyes with his heavy boots, then Silver landed, lifted the robot with his powers and tore it in half. -FATALITY!- he chuckled as he then dropped what’s left of the robot on the ground. -Thanks, buddy, that made me feel better. See ya… If Egghead ever decides to repair you.- Silver sneered at the broken robot as he walked away, skipping a bit. In the end he got to the quadrant where Nega was sighted, humming his favorite song and walking without a care in the world, when he was stopped by a small quake. He opened his eyes and saw the massive, towering robot blocking his view. Like the Nega Pawns, it was armed with a plasma cannon arm and a massive mace arm and its armor was made of nanites and hyper-compressed polymers to grant it nigh-indestructibility. Yet Silver looked all but worried as he placed his hands on his hips and smirked. -Well, hello there, big guy.- he sneered at the bot. -Thought your size scares me? Well… It’s no use!- he said, smirking and leaning forward a bit. A hatch opened from its head and from it out came the man himself. Eggman Nega, in all his “glory”. -You again? Hrgh, you’re such an annoying little rat! When will you stop messing with my plans?!- growled the white-stached fat man, grabbing the edge of the control cabin he was in. -When you’ll realize that, as long as I’m around, you’ll never win. And that I’m not a rat.- Silver replied, smirking. -Oh don’t worry. You won’t be around for long. I surpassed myself with this robot! You’ll never win against the Nega Breaker!- boasted the mad scientist, throwing his hands in the air. -Oh wow, that’s original. Definitely haven’t heard this speech, like, a thousand times before…- Silver rolled his eyes and folded his arms. -SILENCE! Nega Breaker, destroy this insolent little rodent!- Nega growled as he returned inside the cabin and closed the hatch, readying the robot’s massive arms. -This is gonna be good…- giggled Silver, still keeping his arms folded.
-Here’s a little taste! Spike Missiles!- shouted Nega, making the robot shoot the spikes on the mace. Silver grinned and cracked his knuckles, looking all but worried as he started to dodge the spikes… by dancing. He started busting out some pretty sick breakdancing moves to avoid the missiles, concluding with a moonwalk that left a trail of spikes jammed in the ground where he used to be. -Are you.. ARE YOU DANCING?!- Nega growled, slamming his fist on the hatch. -Yyyyyyup. Sonic taught me these moves and, gotta say, they’re pretty fun to use.- chuckled Silver. -I’LL SHOW YOU FUN!!- growled Nega, turning on the plasma cannon and firing a rapid succession of energy beams at Silver, who blocked them by lifting a large chunk of rock and having them slam on it. -Oohh, so close, yet so far, Negs!- chuckled Silver, who then threw the rock at the robot, which pulverized it by swinging the mace. -It’ll take more than a pebble to destroy this robot!- Nega grinned and fired another round of plasma beams, which Silver eluded quickly since his powers had no effect on things like lasers or flames that had no tangibility. -Come out, Silver! I assure you, these beams are just mildly lethal!- Nega sneered at the hedgehog. -Eugh… Stick to empty menaces, Negs. Jokes aren’t your thing…- Silver commented, peeking from behind a rock before moving away and gathering some spikes, tossing them at the robot and making them pierce its armor. -GRAAAAGH! HOW??!!- snarled Nega as the robot stammered. -Huh, guess the only thing it’s weak at it’s… Itself.- said Silver, as he collected a few more. -Not gonna happen!- Nega hissed in anger as he made them detonate in Silver’s hands. -ACK!- he yelped as the explosion had him sent backwards, almost under the giant robot’s foot. However, Silver luckily used his powers to fly away before getting stomped. -Huff… Almost got me squashed…- Silver muttered before flying away from another barrage of plasma beams. (I have to wait for him to reload the cannon, that way he’ll be forced to throw those spikes at me…) thought Silver as, for now, he played the waiting game. -Oh, Silver… You’re so predictable. You think that I haven’t figured out your strategy already? You think that plasma beams and spikes are the only things I can damage you with? Think again, hedgehog…- Nega sneered at his enemy as he started to use his mace like a… Well, like a mace, to destroy any possible hiding spots Silver could find.
-...Ok, that was clever.- said Silver as he made a run for it and grabbed as many rocks as he could, tossing them at the robot in the places where the spikes broke its armor. It did some damage, but nothing of notice as Nega continued to swing the oversized mace at Silver, laughing. -Hahahaha! Goodbye, hedgehog! You won’t be missed!- cackled the mad scientist as he swung the mace directly at Silver, who blocked it at the last second with his powers, struggling as it was very big. -Hhrrgghh… I… Won’t… LOSE!- said Silver with determination as he ripped the mace’s head away from the arm, making the robot stammer again. -GAAAAHHHH!! YOU’LL REGRET THIS!!- Nega growled as he turned on the detonation for the mace. But Silver predicted that so he tossed the mace right on the robot before it went off. -...Oh, fudge…- Nega groaned before the massive thing exploded in the robot’s face, damaging it critically and causing it to deactivate and fall down on its robotic knees, then crushing flat on its metal face and causing the hatch to burst open and Nega to roll out of it and landing face-first in the dirt. -Ufgh… Gahk! Damn hedgehog, how dared he?! Next time I see him I’ll…- he grunted and spat out some dirt as he crawled away, only to find Silver in front of him, tapping his foot and clenching his fists. -You were saying?- asked the hedgehog, grunting. -GAH! How the hell are you so quick?!- he yelped, sliding back until Silver’s aura got him. -You… You can’t kill me! You’re the good guy! Good guys don’t kill bad guys!- Nega stuttered as Silver grabbed him by the collar. -You know, it’s bad to stereotype. I may be good, but I’m also tired of having to deal with you. And you’re not just a bad guy, you’re a monster. And monsters need to be taken down…- Silver growled the last sentence, making Nega shiver as he sounded serious. -But don’t worry, it’ll be quick…- added Silver, raising his right hand above his head and making it shine. -GAH! NO, DON’T!!- Nega yelled, but his yell died in his throat as he noticed that Silver was not doing anything else. (RRGGHH… C’mon, Silver, it’s easy… One quick strike and it’s over!) he said in his head, but he still didn’t do anything else, his body starting to shiver and a sweat drop flowed down his face as he gritted his teeth. Nega’s expression muted from scared to smug as he grinned.
-I-I’LL DO IT! I’ll k-kill you! S-So stop smirking! NOW!- Silver grunted, trying to act tough but the shiver in his body was more than evident now. -Oh Silver, you almost got me… Too bad…- Nega chuckled. Silver growled and striked, only to stop a few inches away from Nega’s face, his body refusing to go further. -N-Ngh… D-Dammit, wh-what’s going on? Wh-What did you do to me?- Silver shouted at Nega, shaking him. -I’m not the one with psychic powers here. You are. I’m not doing anything. YOU. ARE.- Nega commented, his sudden hiss made Silver lose his grip on his enemy, who got up and dusted himself off. -The only one holding you back… Is yourself. I know you, Silver The Hedgehog. And I know for a fact that you have NEVER killed anyone before. You thought you could destroy me, but you’re too weak-willed to do so.- Nega said, pointing his finger at Silver, making him back away a bit. Silver clenched his fists: Nega was right. In all this time with the Future Police and with his continuous time-hopping, the only things he ever destroyed were robots, but robots are artificial. They don’t feel remorse, fear or pain like organic beings do and this made Silver second-guess every time he fought an organic being, how much power he had to use in battle, always being careful about not hurting the other to the point of serious injury or death… Hell, even his occasional battles with Sonic and the others had him being very careful, even if he acted smug and prickly all the time. He lowered his ears and clenched his fists, before yelling and slamming the ground with them as he fell on his knees and fought his own tears. Why? Why was it so difficult for him to be ruthless? Why was this act, so simple-looking and so crucial for this time period, so indescribably hard for him? -Your morals hold you down, boy. Look at me, a man with no morals. For me, killing is as easy as breathing. But you? You’re too good for your own good, Silver.- said Nega, digitizing something on what looked like a watch. -I’m not wasting my time with a weak-willed, sorry excuse for a hero like you. In fact, I dare to say that this entire time has grown boring for me. Time to set my eyes on bigger prizes…- he said as he pressed a button and was enveloped in a bright light. -I-Is that…? NO!!- yelled Silver, dashing to Nega and managing to touch him before both vanished into nothing,. leaving only a charred, smoking circle on the ground.
