Chapter 43- Vengeance’s Recognition 

It had been only a day since the mutation incident. Sotsu had been silent ever since. His face holding the look of shame and a bitter hatred for himself pitted in his stomach. His body had changed back to normal since then, though his hair had remained rigid for the most part, now giving him a small set of large bangs hanging over his forehead. Welkin had his side bandaged having suffered a cracked rib from when Sotsu had slammed him trough that wall back at the medical ward. Carmen only suffered a bump on her head from Raven hitting her, and Raven only suffered a slight burn on his chest from when he was zapped by the wild shadow energy during Sotsu’s transformation. Sotsu himself miraculously had no damage to him, even the blow from Shekaru’s hammer didn’t cause any damage to him. Sotsu regarded that mutation to almost be like his super form, though he knew the reason the hammer didn’t cause damage is because the force of the blow only knocked him out, nothing serious. His beast form was actually that tough. 

The group had made it into the Great Forest. The orange hues of the setting sun reflected from the pine treetops. Sotsu knew he would have to be careful not to be spotted by the Dark Legion here. Kragok still didn’t know that his escort had been killed by Gray, and Sotsu’s main concern was finding Skara. 

Knothole was a sore thumb, very easy to spot thanks to the gray segment of sky over it. They were an easy ten or so miles from the town, and judging by the outlook of the situation, they’d most likely run into the Freedom Fighters.

"What happened to Knothole?" Welkin asked casting a quizzical glance at the Black Knight.

"I happened to it," Sotsu replied in a shame filled voice which he kept quiet.

"What? What do you mean?" the doberman persisted.

"I formed a barrier of shadow energy over Knothole. It’s slowly draining the life from the town. Anyone who refuses to leave the town will suffer inexorably," Sotsu explained as tears hinted his eyes.

"Why? That’s a horrible thing to do Sotsu," Eron stated softly.

"It’s because of what I am dammit!" Sotsu shot violently.

"I work for the Dark Legion! My reason of being is to carry out Lord Kragok’s wishes! He wants the Freedom Fighters, Chaotix and the others to suffer for preventing him from fulfilling his wishes! So he sends me out to do his work so his hands aren’t dirty!" a few tears ran down Sotsu’s face as vivid images of events past and future played in his mind.


"As a consequence I take the guilt and blame for everything! Before I came here I wanted something else in life. I was a depressed person near being suicidal. Robotnik gave me a way out. He forced me to work for him, he told me my mission was to kill Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. That’s not what I wanted. Soon after I was rescued, I thought I might finally have a chance. Though from then I was forced into the Dark Legion, where I am now. All I ask for is a normal fucking life!" Sotsu took a few steps forward, his head hung, biting his lips to hold the pain.

"Let’s get going. I just want to get this over with," Sotsu said with a waving of his left hand.

The group trekked on trough the forest. After half an hour of walking the group stopped. They all looked up in shock at the relic placed a little above head level hanging (literally) from a low branch. There they looked upon a stuffed replica of Sotsu, with a noose about his neck. There was an arrow going through his head as well, and a wooden sign nailed on the trunk of the ancient oak, on which read in red letters "Death to the Black Knight".

Sotsu growled low and his eyes lowered to slits. He cupped his right hand and formed a crackling shadow ball. Upon thrusting his right hand up the whole oak was devoured in a dark blast. After a few seconds the blast subsided leaving nothing but an ash-ridden husk of wood. No remnants of the vengeful relic were anywhere to be seen. 


"To fulfill my masters wishes? So be it," Sotsu spat, his words dripping with pure abhor feelings.

"They’ve betrayed me. They’ve turned their backs on me and gave up. For that I’ll ensure the success of the Dark Legion. I’ll show them what suffering really is," Sotsu thought bitterly.

Sotsu hung their hunched over, he wiped the few tears away and stood there as he contemplated his plans. Gray walked up behind Sotsu and placed one hand gently on the black echidna’s shoulder.

"You okay Sotsu?" Gray asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," Sotsu replied looking toward his bodyguard with a saddened face, "let’s just continue." 

A good tenth of a mile away a group of five figures sat quietly in a clearing. One was an otter adorning baggy black jeans, a white tanktop, and a red cap. Resting near him was a small black mini-uzi. He sat quietly on a large rock with his head resting in his palms. 

On the other side sat a sky blue colored hedgehog. She wore a red sweater with large white gloves and shoes. Her head was resting on the right shoulder of a yellow echidna. The yellow echidna’s rainbow colored hair brushed against her face, his strong figure seemed relaxed but he was really on edge, he had been told about their target and knew not to take such a person so lightly. After all he had singly defeated the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix at once. He was also the person solely responsible for the evacuation of Knothole. 

The last two figures were wolves, matching in height and color. One wore a green pull-over poncho, the other wore leather warrior armor native to her culture. The female’s long silvery hair ran shoulder-length with a pair of white feathers sticking from behind one ear.

"So who’s this target we’re looking for?" the otter asked with a lazy look in his eyes.

"I’m not exactly sure. King Acorn said he’s a traitor to the Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix. And apparently he’s a very dangerous man," the blue hedgehog answer.


"Echidna actually," the male wolf answered, catching everyone’s attention.

"You know this echidna don’t you Wolf?" the yellow echidna asked.

"He was my best friend, of course I know him. I’m part of this search and destroy group for that very reason," Wolf replied.

"Why the hell did they assign us if the guy’s freakin’ able to defeat everyone else?" the otter asked with a hint of fright in his voice.

"Because we have a chance. Besides we’re the only people not busy helping move everything to Woodenal," the female wolf answered. 

Wolf smiled looking at her well-defined face and scratched the top of her head.

"That’s right. Karzola has a good point," Wolf began, "We’ve got Generation here who’s been in Sotsu’s position of working with Robotnik. We’ve got Quicksilver here who’s a Guardian- "

"Suppose-to-be-Guardian," the yellow echidna cut in, with Wolf giving a slight shrug.

"We’ve got Jim here who’ll provide us with back-up should we need it," the poncho-wearing ex-earthling stopped as he put his arm around Karzola’s shoulders.

"And we’ve got my Karzola cause she kicks ass," he finished with a large grin.

A gray hued flash briefly lit the clearing catching the three’s attention as they all turned their head’s to see the same thing. A great ray of crackling black shadow energy lifting up from the forest a ways away. 

"It’s him let’s move it!" Karzola said already running off into the depths of the forest, with all but Wolf following close behind her.


Wolf’s gaze held fixed for a few moments before his face held a darkness about it as he lowered his head.

"I’m so sorry Sotsu," he whispered before taking off after the group.

The group of seven had been walking for another few minutes before footfalls rang from nearby. Gray turned sharply lifting up Spitfire and tightening his finger on the trigger. Sotsu drew his pistols up and readied them, training the akimbo on the bushes in the general direction he sensed life forms. Shekaru pulled free her sledgehammer and Welkin drew his broad sword. Raven unseethed Yasha and positioned himself generally away from the group. Eron pulled free his pummel and formed a longsword, nearing the main of the group so he could provide support to anyone should they need it.

Silence held for a few moments, Sotsu took this time to activate the LED on his glasses; as soon as he did it picked up a major thermal reading to their right flank. Sotsu reactively sent up a shadow field on that side, no sooner as he did a large fire blast erupted from that direction and slammed into the shadow field jarring it powerfully.


"It’s Wolf!" Sotsu stated gritting his teeth.

"What’s going on?" Welkin asked in a rather panicked voice.

"Freedom Fighters attack!" Karzola shouted as she glowed brightly and her form changed into that of a feral wolf.

Gray saw a green and gray blur before feeling the end of an oak bo slam into his stomach and send him flying across the area. Sotsu turned to see the tall form of Wolf standing over him.

"Nice to c’ya again Sotsu!" he growled before lifting his bo high and striking in a wide arc toward the black echidna. Sotsu rolled under the strike and brought up his akimbo, pulling the triggers frantically. 


Karzola charged out from cover and threw herself at Raven, tackling the fox before he could react and sending his blade tumbling out of his hands and landing a few yards away. She bit down to find Raven’s right arm preventing the bite from reaching his neck. She growled violently as she jerked back and fourth trying to rip into the fox’s arm.

Quicksilver dashed forward with his right first drawn back. Carmen meet the echidna’s charge with her own. The two hand-to-hand combatants meeting center. Quicksilver swung wide with one large spiked fist, Carmen leaned back as it went by. The fox sent a strong kick to the Quicksilver’s stomach but it was blocked by the echidna’s left forearm. Carmen followed it up with a double-jump front-kick but Quicksilver merely backed a ways wheeling his fists to block the two kicks. As Carmen landed, the yellow echidna spun and keeping his stance low sent a powerful uppercut to the fox. Her stomach caught the blow and she bent forward, but used this to her advantage. Carmen sent one foot up and landed it up top of Quicksilver’s head. Then, using her low position to transfer displacement into energy, launched her other foot up. The result was a flip kick using Quicksilver as a stepping stone. The yellow echidna recoiled back with blood running down his nose. Carmen landed in a low crouch and seeing the echidna slightly phased she charged forward. 

Jim stayed in the cover of some thick bush. He propped his mini-uzi by the grip and aimed steadily at the stationary group. His crosshairs evened with Sotsu, but his aim was foiled as Wolf charged in and began melee with him. Jim scanned about for another target. A gray blur which he recognized to be Karzola sped out and slammed into Raven, another target he wouldn’t be able to get. He looked back to see Carmen engaged in a vicious brawl with Quicksilver. Wait, someone was coming this way!

Jim got up and readied his aim as Shekaru was charging forward with her revolver in place of her sledgehammer. She was already within a few yards, Jim naturally panicked having never really liked the idea of putting his life on the line.

He gritted his teeth as with shaking hands, pulled the trigger of his mini-uzi. The bullets jaggedly shot out toward the cat. With agile and grace Shekaru rolled to the side pulling the trigger of her revolver. With keen aim one bullet managed to strike the mini-uzi from Jim’s hands. The gun clattered onto the forest floor and the otter took to the ground in a vain attempt to retrieve it. He reached for it and gripped it clumsily, he smiled at the weapon and he finally got it in hand. Then as he turned to see his opponent only to find the barrel of her gun staring him down. He gulped, fear held in his large green eyes, he dropped the weapon and lifted his hands high above his head.

Wolf dived to the side as the blue energy from Sotsu’s pistols bolted past him. Eron swept wide with his blade toward the ex-earthling and Welkin took up the flank and he swept vertical toward the same target. Wolf circled his bo blocking both attacks with the loud ringing of metal. As he circled the bo about a second time he extended his arms to his sides, now circling a bo in each hand putting Eron and Welkin on defense. He growled with pleasure as he saw Sotsu get up and take aim with his akimbo. 

Raven used his other arm to punch at Karzola. He pelted the wolf repeatedly in the side but to no effect. 

"Get off me you beast!" he spat as he used his punching arm to grip the creature about the face and push forward.

"Blast you! I’ll have Yasha make dinner of you!" he threatened as he felt the sleeve of his shirt begin to rip.

Carmen rushed forward keeping her stance low. As she neared she turned her side and chambered for an uppercut. Quicksilver regained his stature faster then the fox had anticipated. Seeing Carmen rushing the echidna rolled to his side. Carmen took a few steps forward to stop herself, as she turned to meet her opponent she found him already on her. He sprang forward pouncing on her and taking her with him to the ground. The two rolled and somersaulted a bit as they struggled to gain topside. Quicksilver being the heavier won without too much of a struggle. 

Carmen put her arms in front of her to cover her face as Quicksilver rained down with a barrage of powerful punches. She bit down on her lip as her arms bruised and became painfully sore. Quicksilver didn’t let up for a second, he knew with persistence he’d achieve victory.

Karzola felt the blood of the black fox begin to drip fourth, this only invigorated her more as she jerked at the arm. 


Shekaru turned to see her struggling companion. She turned to Jim with a deathly gaze and pointed to him, then pointed to the ground. Jim nodded nervously in compliance. Then Shekaru took up her hammer and sped toward the beastly wolf with the weapon drawn back. 

Stepping within striking distance the cat swung hard with the hammer toward Karzola’s side. The wolf jolted back and back-flipped blazing white once again. When she landed she was in her normal form again with her curved blade drawn. She flew forward with the sword posed to strike. Raven scrambled toward his blade as Shekaru clashed Karzola’s attack with a swing from her hammer. 

Shekaru swung her weapon about in a wide arc aiming to land a blow on top of the wolf’s head. Karzola lifted her sword up to meet the attack and barely managed to block the attack as the strength of Shekaru’s blow nearly forced the sword from her hands.

Karzola stepped back in an attempt to gain an advantage for her extra reach. But it was no good and Shekaru pressed onward with another wide swing. Karzola dived to her right as the hammer came around and missed by mere inches. 

Raven righted his stance and charged forward to assist Shekaru. Karzola closed her eyes and breathed deep, summoning her inner strength and calling upon the ancient wolf spirits to ad her, as her grandfather had taught her when training her. She felt the berserk strength of the spirits enter her and fill her body. 

Her eyes snapped open as she took in the sight of Shekaru’s hammer coming down. Karzola swung her curved blade to meet the hammer, as soon as it connected the hammer rocketed out of Shekaru’s grip and off across the clearing. Then without hesitation the wolf sent a super-naturally charged strength kick to the cat’s stomach, which blasted her back like a rag doll being discarded by a tempered child. Shekaru hit the ground rolling, but she didn’t feel it having been knocked out merely from the kick. 

Wolf back flipped tossing both boes high in the air. Sotsu pulled the triggers on his pistols over and over sending a flurry of blue energy streaking toward his once best friend. As Wolf righted himself he caught both boes and forced them into one again. He spun the oak staff as the laser shots hit, all of them being deflected without effect. Then as Eron and Welkin prepared to charge to meet back in melee; Wolf chambered back his bo, then stepping forward he shot it straight out, sending a streak of fire toward Eron. When the flame contacted it exploded and sent the gray hedgehog backwards with a smoke trail following his path. Welkin cursed under his breath and charged forward with his broad sword ready. Sotsu quickly caught up now with the Chaos Blade in hand and blazing green with Chaos Energy. 

Generation, who had been working at the communication band for the time, finally picked up on the right signal, the one directing toward King Acorn.

"Come in, come in King Acorn," she spoke loudly into the microphone.

"This is King Acorn. Come in Generation we read you loud and clear," King Acorn’s strong voice replied through the static.

"We’ve made contact with the Black Knight. We are in need of reinforcements," she stopped to open her artificial side compartment. She, being half robot but with fake fur covering the metal, contained a small storage compartment in her right tight which held a mapping device and a blaster. 

"Coordinates 22 point 24! I repeat 22 point 24!" she called into the mic. 

"We read you Gen. All Freedom Fighters are leaving out as we speak. Good luck," King Acorn replied. With a click the link was severed. Gen took up her blaster and stalked toward the clearing line. She tightened her grip about the pummel.

"Time for me to join the fight," she stated with pure determination. 

-Nicholas D. Wolfwood-