Sonic Battalions Issue 1: Allies

ISSUE #1

Exterior. Night. A figure is walking through a forest glade.

A chirp comes from his bracelet. The figure looks at it, its light revealing (introduction box here) MAXIMUS THE HEDGEHOG, dimension-hopping Freedom Fighter, defender of the Multiverse.

MAXIMUS: "Hmm. Something's going on in the Prime dimension." He presses a button on the bracelet. A golden light begins to surround him. "Better find out what." The light engulfs him.

Exterior. Day. Wide shot showing sky and ground FAR below.

Same shot. MAXIMUS appears suddenly with a loud ZWAAAPPP. Close-up on him as he looks down.

MAXIMUS: "Oh, no..."

Ground. Shot of CREAM THE RABBIT, cuteness incarnate; CHEESE THE CHAO, CREAM'S loyal companion; VENTUS THE HEDGEHOG, electrokinetic cyborg and adoptive big brother; and VANILLA THE RABBIT, mistress of baked goods, are having a picnic. CREAM and CHEESE are picking flowers, VENTUS is crawling around in the grass studying insects.

VENTUS: "Hey, Cream, check out this jewel beetle I found!"

CREAM comes over and is about to speak when she looks up at the sky with wide eyes. VENTUS turns to see something fall out of the sky and slam into the ground some distance away. They hurry over to find a crater with an unconscious MAXIMUS at the center. VENTUS slides down into the crater and kneels by MAXIMUS's side.

VENTUS: "Cream, fly back and tell Mom we're bringing back somebody hurt!"

CREAM nods, flaps her ears, and flies off. VENTUS pulls MAXIMUS over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and begins to walk in the same direction.

VENTUS: "Hang in there, buddy. We'll fix you up."

Wide shot of a planet shrouded in shadow. In the top left corner, a box reads, "In another dimension..."

Shot of a war-torn city with empty streets. In one of these streets, a silhouette is crouched behind some rubble, alternating between hiding behind the makeshift barricade and shooting energy blasts at attacking robots. A beep is heard on his bracelet, and he glances down to see a warning appear across it. He grimaces.

FIGURE: (thinking) "Dang it, just my luck!" He starts as an energy blast hits the other side of his hiding spot. "And here I was hoping to have some fun..." The figure leaps over the barricade and lands in front of the attacking robots, releasing a large flash of light. The flash dies, showing cinders and scraps of charred metal that were previously the robots. As the smoke clears, the figure is shown to be MAX THE FOX, contains unknown potential?, who wipes his forehead.

MAX: "I was hoping to have some more free time before another one of these buggers came around..." Holding out his hand, he forms a blue portal with a swirling black center and jumps in.

MAXIMUS is tossing and turning, a light sheen of sweat on his face. He jolts awake to find himself in a bed (CREAM'S house) with VENTUS standing next to him.

VENTUS: "Oh! Hey, Cream! He's a-"

VENTUS is cut off as MAXIMUS, with lightning speed, gets up from the bed and pins VENTUS against the wall. MAXIMUS leans in.

MAXIMUS: "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you will never get it from me."

VENTUS grips MAXIMUS's arm and sends a current of electricity up his arm as CREAM and CHEESE rush in. MAXIMUS yelps and lets go. VENTUS slides to the floor, coughing.

CREAM: "We're not going to hurt you! We just saw you fall out of the sky and wanted to help you."

CHEESE: "Chao chao!"

MAXIMUS: (panting) "My... apologies. I- I've spent a long time not trusting anyone. My name is Maximus. I need to find Sonic the Hedgehog. Have you seen him?"

VENTUS: "Sonic? You came at the wrong time, pal. Sonic and the rest haven't been here for a while. They thought it'd be nice to explore some of the other dimensions."

MAXIMUS grimaces in frustration.

MAXIMUS: "I have to find them! I have detected an anomaly in this world that must be put right before all of reality is destroyed!"

VENTUS: "What anomaly?"

Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble. Objects fall to the floor, some shattering.

VENTUS: "Come on!"

The trio rushes out to see a huge flying object above the house. CREAM gasps.

CREAM: "Is that... the Death Egg?"

VENTUS: "It can't be." He pushes Cream behind him, shielding her. "Sonic said that thing was destroyed."

MAXIMUS: (glancing at his bracelet) "Whatever it is, it is the source of the anomaly I detected." He looks up at the Death Egg. "We have to destroy it!"

VENTUS: "We can't trash that thing on our own. It's too big." He looks at Maximus. "I don't suppose you have any help you could call in?"

MAXIMUS: "Yes, but it will take time." He begins punching buttons on his bracelet furiously.

VENTUS: "I'll see if I can buy you some, then. Try to make it fast, though- I can only do so much. Cream, get inside and stay there. This could get dicey."

CREAM: "Be careful, Ventus!"

CHEESE: "Chao chao chao!"

VENTUS smiles, then uses his cybernetic eye to activate his HUD. He scrolls down a list of icons on his wrist gauntlet and selects one labeled "propulsion." He begins running in the direction of the giant, floating fortress, gaining speed with each stride. Once he catches up to it, he leaps into the air, rockets on his boots guiding him toward his target. He notices some inert gun turrets and curls into a ball, spin-dashing and slicing through five of them. Then he lands on the hull of the fortress, using his maglev gloves to stay in place. Immediately, lasers begin to fire at him.

VENTUS: "Oh, so now this joker wants to shoot at me. Perfect timing..." VENTUS flicks his wrist, ejecting a long red laser with a tssshhheeeeeww. "NOT." He stabs the laser into the hull, cutting a hole. He drops in, and, finding a conveniently located terminal (couldn't help it, guys🤣), plugs his finger into a USB port. "Maria, think you can get me the schematics for this ship and find me the transceiver?"

A computerized voice (MARIA, VENTUS's fearlessly sarcastic AI) answers.

MARIA: "If I had knuckles, I'd be cracking them. Hang on."

Outside, MAXIMUS is still trying to establish a connection.

MAXIMUS: "Come on... come on..." His bracelet beeps, and a hologram of BLAZE THE CAT, pyrokinetic princess, appears in the palm of his hand. "Blaze! Finally! I have dire news!"

BLAZE: "What is it, Maximus?"

MAXIMUS: "There's a reality-altering anomaly in Sonic's dimension aboard something called the Death Egg, and I cannot stand against it alone. I require immediate assistance, Blaze."

BLAZE: "I will gather the rest of our friends at once. Stay strong, Maximus!"

VENTUS's voice comes over MAXIMUS's comm.

VENTUS: "Maximus, I've called in some help. She should be here in ten minutes. I'm going to go up to the bridge and see who's driving this thing."

MAXIMUS: "Understood. I will see what I can do from out here. Good luck."

Shot of a throne room. Box in top left corner reads, "In the Sol Dimension..."

BLAZE is anxiously pacing the floor. Suddenly, a blue portal with a swirling black center opens. Out hops MAX THE FOX.

MAX: "I got your message, Blaze. Are we rounding up the others?"

BLAZE: "Yes, Max. But we have to hurry. Maximus is on his own."

MAX: "Okay, then, let's go!"

MAX and BLAZE vanish in a flash of blue light and flame.

Meanwhile, VENTUS is crawling through the vents of the Death Egg when he hears a chirping sound in his ear. He presses a button.

VENTUS: "Finally! I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

Close-up on IZABEL THE HEDGEFOX, demon bearer of the Ring of Khazzar'nox.

Izabel: (snickers) "Don't worry about me. I'm detecting an alarm system in the vents. You think you can handle it, V?"

Back to VENTUS.

VENTUS: (smiles) I'm over the bridge now. There's a friend on the ground causing a distraction. I need you to help him before he gets smashed flat.

IZABEL: "Okay, I'll be there!" Slight zoom-out as IZABEL flares transparent red wings and zooms toward the Death Egg on the horizon.

VENTUS continues crawling, then peers through a grate to see a jackal at the controls of a large terminal. He presses the comm button again.

VENTUS: (whispers) "Hey, Izzy. Off-topic, but there's this jackal at the controls. Metal mask, ugly high-tops. You know who he is?"

IZABEL stops dead in the air, hovering, and speaks in alarm.

IZABEL: "Oh no. V! GET AWAY FROM THERE!"

Shot of the vent. The corridor is empty, and light is streaming up from the hole where the grate was. Cut to VENTUS kneeling on the floor of the bridge, metal tendrils pinning his arms behind his back.

VENTUS: "Nice place. Could use some mood lighting, though."

A voice speaks off-panel.

VOICE: "You don't know who I am, do you?"

VENTUS: (smirks) "Well, you look like your career as a model failed-" His words are cut off with a wince as the tendrils tighten. The jackal steps into view and speaks. We see he is INFINITE, one of the more edgy villains.

INFINITE: "I am Infinite. And I have come for revenge on Sonic the Hedgehog. You should've stayed out of the way."

VENTUS: "HHHHHRRRRAAAAAAAAAHH!" An EMP erupts from his body and fries the tendrils, which fall to the deck around him.

VENTUS: (breathing heavily) "I'm tired of getting pinned down."

INFINITE: (looking at the tendrils) "Huh. An electrokinetic." He looks back at VENTUS. "You're just who I needed."

More tendrils leap from the deck, lunging at VENTUS and overwhelming him.

VENTUS: "Maria, switch to automatic comms!"

MARIA: "You're connected."

Cut to IZABEL flying. She presses a hand to the side of her head.

VENTUS's voice: "IZABEL! I need help! I need-" Static.

IZABEL: "V? V?! VENTUS!" Static. IZABEL races towards the Death Egg. "No. Not again. He's not going to take him, too!"

Inside the Death Egg, the tendrils release VENTUS, who slumps to the floor, shivering. INFINITE crouches down next to him, head tilted to the side, studying him.

VENTUS: (coughs) "What... what did you do to me?"

INFINITE: "I planted three negative-space detonators inside you. Try to use your powers too much, and they'll destroy you and everything around you. Including your friend outside... Izabel, correct?"

VENTUS: "You stay away from her!" He attempts to swing at INFINITE, who easily leans out of the way.

INFINITE: (chuckles) "Ooh, looks like I've struck a nerve." He leans in and whispers. "I will have the power she holds, and when I do, nothing will stop me- least of all, you." He snaps his fingers, and a chute opens beneath VENTUS, ejecting him from the Death Egg. VENTUS, completely unconscious by now, falls.

MAXIMUS and CREAM see him falling.

CREAM: "VENTUS!" She attempts to fly to him, but is held back by MAXIMUS.

MAXIMUS: "I think he's covered." He points to a distant figure flying rapidly toward VENTUS.

IZABEL dives toward VENTUS, managing to grasp his arms. Spreading her wings, she manages to slow their descent.

IZABEL: "Please. Please. Don't let it be too late..." She spots CREAM and MAXIMUS and heads toward the two. As she flies, VENTUS stirs in her arms and looks up at her, dazed.

VENTUS: "Hey, Dizzy. You change your hair?"

IZABEL: (with a relieved smile) "Idiot..."

VENTUS: "Glad... to see you, too..." He passes out again as IZABEL lands.

Back in the Death Egg, the terminal screen zooms in on IZABEL. INFINITE is looking at the screen.

INFINITE: (pause) "I'd know you anywhere..."

In text box in bottom right corner, "To be continued..."