Preview: Season 1, Episode 8

Well, as much as I’d love to do an animated preview for every episode, that last one took almost as long to make as the episode itself, and that was supposed to be an easy one! If I kept making those, I wouldn’t have any time left to actually write the stories they’re trying to tell! So, for now, it’s back to the old, boring, block-of-text previews. That certainly doesn’t mean that I’ll never do another animation again, it just might be a while. We’ll have to wait and see. And so, without further delay, I give you the preview for the very first Mid-Season Finale, coming one week from today!

The Eggman Empire Day Festival — Empire City

Down on the streets, citizens of many races and species are gathered in great lines down the sidewalks, staring up silently as confetti rains down from the sky. Speakers loudly blare a familiar yet strangely upbeat tune celebrating the Eggman Empire, and the sound of cheering can be heard as the first balloon float approaches between the skyscrapers, depicting a more classic appearance of Eggman, even blown up in a familiar pose. Despite the odd cheering, there don’t seem to be many happy faces in the crowd. Large digital screens hung up on the walls of buildings show zoomed images of what appears to be the same crowd, though that digital crowd seems unusually excited. Several of the real people in the back rows give an occasional nervous glance back at the guard robots stationed periodically behind the groups of people, weapons raised raised up to their chests as if prepared to fire on a moment’s notice.

One robot is suddenly drawn back into the shadows in a blur, and the sound of crunching metal can be heard. No one seems to notice. A few moments later, another disappears in the same way. This time, just a few people manage to see. Whispers quickly begin to spread through the crowd. The guard robots start to scan around on high alert, but still they disappear one by one, some hit with weapons, others by more direct attacks. By the time the second float approaches, depicting the Egg Mobile carrying a large checkered ball on a chain, there’s a clear excitement and confusion amongst the crowd. And that’s when Sonic appears on top of it.

He wears a large earpiece with a microphone that extends most of the way down to his mouth. When he speaks, his voice is greatly amplified, booming through the streets of the city. “Citizens of Empire City! As most of you probably know, my name is Sonic the Hedgehog!” All of the screens on the walls that had been showing the floats are now pointed directly at him, so the entire city can see. “No matter what Eggman’s been trying to tell you, I’m still alive, and I’m still fighting!”

The members of the Rebellion, now spread throughout the crowd, start to cheer. The rest of the crowd quickly joins in.

“Eggman wants us to give up! To accept his rule, to celebrate it! But we’re doing no such thing! The Rebellion will keep fighting until this world is ours again! And if you care about this world, if you’re tired of Eggman’s tyranny, then you can–”

“You can scatter like insects to avoid a far worse fate.” Infinite’s voice projects through the streets just as loudly as Sonic’s. “Because your little blue savior won’t be saving anyone today.” Infinite descends down to stand on the float across from Sonic, caught on the cameras for the whole city to see.

Sonic doesn’t lose his confidence. “Well, look who’s back from the dead. The masked clown. I almost can’t believe you’ve been hiding from me all this time. It’s been years, hasn’t it? Guess I must’ve left a pretty big impression.”

Infinite lets out a booming laugh as he adjusts the mask on his face. “How amusing it is that you think I fear you, filthy little sewer rat. It may have been years for you, but it wasn’t so long ago that I held your life in my hands. You are the only one who has something to fear.”

“I wasn’t afraid of you before, and I’ve only gotten stronger since then.”

“You could never defeat me alone.”

“I never said I was alone.”

On the streets below, the members of the Rebellion step forwards amidst their crowds, cheered along by the citizens around them.

Infinite pushes his mask up once again. “True. But then, neither did I.”

Heavy King slams down onto the street in front of Knuckles and Hero. Citizens immediately begin to scatter, screaming in terror with the new danger so close to them. But he is also not alone. Heavy Rider zooms through the streets, skidding to a stop in front of Amy and Tails. Heavy Gunner jets through the air, drifting down with weapon pointed at Shadow and Omega. Heavy Shinobi leaps in to cut off the escape route of Vector and Espio.

“So, you’re working with Eggman again? Guess some things never change.”

Infinite answers as he lifts back into the air, “We’ve been expecting you. Are you afraid yet?”

“Hmph.” Sonic wipes across the bottom of his nose, and takes off at a run, leaping from the float in a Spin Attack.

Rouge watches all these battles unfold nervously, slowly stepping back into the shadows of an alleyway. Until she is stopped by the muzzle of a gun pointed at her head. Fang gives a smirk behind her. “Rouge. Fancy meeting you here.”

The Battle of Empire City has begun. But something far more sinister lurks behind. What is the Anti-Rebellion planning? And where’s Heavy Magician?

Preview: Season 0, Episode 3

I was considering just publishing this today, but unfortunately, writing for the current episode isn’t going quite as smoothly as I’d hoped. So here’s a preview instead.

Rouge stares with wonder at the Chaos Emerald, held up on a pedestal in the center of the dim jewelry store. The glass case that once covered it has been removed, and placed on the ground. After a moment of hesitation, Rouge grabs for the Emerald. Everything remains quiet.

Rouge slowly turns the Emerald over in her hand, getting a close look at it. “I…I have it. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

A voice answer on the communicator in her ear, “More beautiful than me? I ought to be offended.”

Before Rouge can answer, another voice shouts, “You there!” A security guard stands in front of a door, weapon raised and pointed at Rouge. His eyes dart from the glass case on the floor, to the Emerald in her hand. “Stop, thief!” He fires off two rounds from his gun.

Rouge ducks down under the cover of the pedestal for momentary safety. “Sly, I’m pinned down, I need cover! Sly?” The alarm has been triggered, and flashing red lights now flood the smokey room, to the sound of an incessant wail.

Not getting any answer, Rouge carefully peeks out from her cover, just in time to see a blue and grey blur of motion strike at the guard, knocking the weapon free from his hand, and sending it sliding across the ground. An animoid raccoon, wearing a dark red backpack and a lighter blue sweater, stands crouched in front of the guard, wielding a long wooden staff in one hand. He glances back to meet her eyes for a moment. “Get out of here, go!”

Looking over to see the spot Sly entered from, a small round hole made in the shuttered window, Rouge makes a run for it. Halfway out through the hole, she glances back to see that the guard has drawn a baton in one hand and a taser in the other. Sly leaps up to attack with his own weapon. Rouge makes her own leap, flying out into the night.

Leveling out at the height of most of the rooftops in this area of the city, Rouge takes one last glance at the jewelry store, where a red light still periodically flashes through her exit hole. The alarm can still be faintly heard. She looks instead back to the Emerald in her hand as she flies along through the air. “You’re finally mine…” She gasps and weaves off to the side, just in time to avoid some sort of energy bolt that was fired through the air.

Down on the street below, covered behind a blockade of strobing police vehicles, a group of soldiers and robots alike all have their weapons pointed up at Rouge. Without saying a word, they continue to fire. As she dodges two more energy bolts, Rouge exclaims, “How’d they get here so fast!?” She dodges around another wave of fire, only to find a cable wrapping around her boot. “Uh oh.”

The soldier with the grappling gun yanks down hard, sending Rouge crashing down into the center of the blockaded area. She slams into the ground hard enough to see stars.

Through the spots in Rouge’s fading vision, she sees a pair of polished black shoes belonging to a tall figure approaching her. Though she can hardly hear him through the ringing in her ears, the man speaks in a commanding voice, “Rouge the Bat, you are hereby placed under arrest by order of the Guardian Units of Nations.” Then everything goes black.