#It’s been said before but Silver looking up to Whisper and the Diamond Cutters is really dumb since they have absolutely nothing on him

[universalzones]

"Come on guys. It's been, like, a month since it happened. Why can't we just let Silver rejoin the Diamond Cutters?" Tangled asked, still confused why they were still against it.

"Tangle, Silver didn't make a simple mistake, they got Duo hurt. Maybe I was a bit too harsh as I'm sure they didn't mean to, though it still happened. Besides, we might just slow Sliver down with how powerful they are." If Silver can go toe to toe with people like Sonic maybe it's best to let them run solo for now.

"I mean, yeah, but, come on. Whisper, what do you think?" Tangle would ask Duo, though he seemed to want to stay out of it, which was kinda weird if you ask her.

"I... don't want to misguide them again. Silver only reacted aggressively after I did, and I still don't believe I've overcome how paranoid and hostile I get when I suspect Mimic is involved." Whisper accepted her part in what happened between Silver and Duo. In the wolf's mind she needed to improve herself first before feeling comfortable with Silver rejoining.

"Well, um, I mean." Tangle wasn't sure what to say as she didn't want Whisper to be uncomfortable, and they both brought up good points.

"I say let them back in. I wanna see what's so great about them," Surge said, curious to what the hype was over Silver. They saw them for a bit and that hedgehog looked like a push over.

"From a tactical stand point Sliver would be a large boost to the team. Beyond the pure power their psychokinesis it will give us many more options in terms of defense, stealth, and aerial attacks." Kit saw it as the most logical play.

"With Duo refusing to take part in this vote and having excluded Tangles vote up until now this makes it a tie. So, the decision seems up to you Tangle."

"Oh, well, I want Silver to join, but." Tangle found herself looking between Surge and Kit on her left and Lanolin and Whisper on her right. Ugh, why couldn't it have gone the easy way with everyone voting Silver back in. The wanted Sliver back, though didn't want to stress Whisper out.

"I, guess it's a no if not everyone is comfortable with the idea." Ugh, now Tangle felt bad since she was the one who wanted a revote. Nothing can ever be simple anymore, can it?

"Then Silver is still out, for now at least." Lanolin could tell this brought down everyone's mood, minus Surge and Kit who didn't seem to care, though it's not like she wanted Silver out forever. Thus the Diamond Cutters went to go about their daily activities.

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer, Issue #59: Urban Warfare (Part 3)

Finally, it’s here! You guys have no idea how much I had been looking forward to this Issue, and for a good reason, but let’s first admire the art by Nathalie Haines, which was actually drawn like a classical painting. It’s magnificent!

*clasps hands*

Anyways, Urban Warfare (Part 3); what is there to say about it? Holy Hell, what isn’t there to say about it? Honestly, I had been losing my mind the moment I read the summary for it, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But, before I start, a little recap since it has been a while.

Sonic and the Diamond Cutters (Tangle, Whisper and Lanolin) arrived at Eggperial City to figure out what is going on, and have found out that the city is expanding by itself. As they plan their next move, the Diamond Cutters end up in a different dimension due to one of Eggman’s portals featured in The Test Run Arc, while Sonic calls for reinforcements. Tails, Amy, Blaze and Silver show up and as they progress through the city, they run into Team Dark destroying Badniks left and right.

So, I’m not even one page into the story and I’m already picking up Sonadow energy from this moment. Trust me, I had a field day with this one.

Sonic is genuinely shocked to see Shadow... and only Shadow. I can’t blame him though, considering how their last encounter went.

Yeah, I’m not sure how many of you remember, but Shadow’s last appearance was in The Chao Races and Badnik Bases Arc, where he made some rather questionable decisions, but not as bad as what happened during The Crisis City Arc (aka the Zombot Fiasco), based on how SEGA wanted him to be written in the story. Fortunately, regarding the writing, we had actually gotten some good news in the weeks leading up to Team Dark’s, and especially Shadow’s, reintroduction to the comics.

To keep it short, all that talk about Shadow having a bunch of locks and chains placed on him to keep him in line with their vision... well, they started to break. From what I understood, SEGA gave more workable guidelines for him that allow for more liberties with writing his character - or in other words, Vegeta!Shadow is finally gone!!! As a matter of fact, while reading through the story, the improvement in his character was remarkable. Admittedly, it might not be for everyone, but goddamn, I’m loving it!

Not to mention, this is the first time since The Crisis City Arc that we see Team Dark working together once again. Also, Rouge, why are you calling everyone else kids when you’re only 18? (And yeah, I know SEGA removed the ages for all the characters, but let’s be honest, who pays attention to that?).

Sonic quips how he’s flattered that they’re here to rescue him, but they’re late to the party and... Silver, what the hell are you doing with Blaze?

*laughs* Even Tails and Amy have noticed that Silver is holding Blaze upside down, while he didn’t register any of it. I suppose Silver is too focused on Team Dark’s reappearance to realize what he’s doing.

Shadow just leaps off the scrapped Badniks, replying to Sonic how he has no idea what he’s talking about, nor does he care. Sonic, on the other hand, looks a little disappointed with that answer. I suppose he had been hoping for some banter.

Rouge then quickly brings him up to speed, explaining how she called in “her boys” (I see this as another win for everyone who say Team Dark are friends!) to see what they could do about Eggperial City - aka destroy everything in their path, foil Eggman’s plans and maybe steal some kind of treasure.

Sonic figures that makes sense, but I’m still convinced he’s disappointed they (or rather Shadow) weren’t here to help him out.

Cue Amy shoving Sonic away to talk to Rouge. I saw people saying how she’s just being overprotective of her crush, but I was questioning where Amy’s line of sight is. Amy notes how this is awfully altruistic of Rouge, but as I said above, she’s in because she wants to raid Eggman’s private vaults for a handsome reward.

Tails and Silver are hyped up to work with them to destroy the city though.

Omega notes how the conversation is irrelevant to their mission, and Rouge notes how Team Sonic would just slow Team Dark down and they’d be going off on their own, with Omega also promising to not hit anyone in the crossfire. Honestly, I think this is the nicest thing Omega could tell them.

Meanwhile, Sonic looks so done with everything. We don’t get annoyed Sonic often, so it’s neat to see him like that, and it makes sense, considering how in a (I assume) very short time-span (depending on when Scrapnik Island takes place), he had discovered Eggperial City and was chased by Metal Sonic while keeping Tails, Kit and Belle safe and having his leg injured, fought Surge at least three times, discovered what Starline had done to them, got separated from the Diamond Cutters and is now trying to foil another of Eggman’s plans while being on his territory and having to deal with Badniks.

That, and Rouge said they were slowing Team Dark down.

Never tell Sonic he’s slowing you down. Never.

Oh, and as the cherry on top, Eggman decides to make an announcement. But instead of talking about how he’s gonna blow up the moon, he decides to explain to everyone how the Eggperial City works. It is a self-replicating and self-repairing metropolis. Anything they destroy, dozens more will rise to take its place. Eggman also figures that this would be a nice time to rise the stakes a little, so he calls in for a little surprise.

IT’S THE SHADOW ANDROIDS!!!

To note, we haven’t seen these guys since Whisper’s backstory way back in the Tangle and Whisper Miniseries and before that, we haven’t seen them since Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog.

Going by Shadow’s reaction, he’s clearly shocked to see them again, and Eggman’s obviously going to use the Shadow Androids to their fullest potential.

Hell, Eggman has already the popcorn ready, all to happy to watch the carnage unfold. He calls it a stroke of genius in regards of building robots that mimic Shadow’s skills and holding onto them for the right moment (and that’s not even accounting for the mindscrew Shadow had to deal with when he encountered one for the first time).

Metal Sonic, though, is not happy about the Shadow Androids being dispatched. I’m certain that he wants to be the one on the battlefield.

While this is happening, the Diamond Cutters have infiltrated the control room, Lanolin and Whisper sneaking in, while Tangle just strolls inside like she owns the place, much to Lanolin’s chagrin, and points out how no one’s gonna spot them as she places her hand through Metal’s head. Lanolin just sighs, figuring this should make checking the room out easier, while Whisper stares in the screen in pure shock, realizing that the past is about to repeat itself.

She breaks down, and honestly, I really love the backgrounds in this page. We can see the darkness surrounding Whisper as she tells them how everyone’s going to die. However, the moment Tangle reaches for her and comforts her, the darkness slowly fades away, replaced by a ray of light. Tangle hugs Whisper, promising her how things will be fine, and even Lanolin joins in on comforting Whisper. While these three are still learning, they do make a great team.

Speaking of the Shadow Androids, we see Team Sonic fighting them, everyone being clearly in shock to what they are, with Tails being unable to get clear readings about them as they’re too fast. Even Blaze’s fire is not enough to keep them back and they’re strong enough to deal with Amy’s hammer.

Now, I’ll stop here to put a reminder. On the heroes side, no one but Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Whisper and Tangle here knows about the Shadow Androids. Whisper’s encounter with them is obvious, and Tangle saw footage of that, while Shadow, Rouge and Omega ran into them in Sonic Heroes, and Shadow had another (dubiously canonical) encounter with them in Shadow the Hedgehog.

Realizing just how dire the situation is, Sonic calls Silver for help so they can escape. Silver, being the awesome psychic he is, lifts the ground into a ramp and with Blaze frying the Shadow Androids that are after them, Sonic grabs everyone to get away from the robots in pursuit (also, nice Sonamy moment with that little blush).

Team Sonic finds Team Dark after the groups have been briefly separated, with Blaze grabbing Sonic and Amy’s hands and rushing over to help Team Dark. Yeah, there is an error in the panels, as both show Blaze grabbing hands with rings around them, suggesting she was grabbing only Amy’s hand. I suppose the artist forgot to erase the ring to make it clear she was also grabbing Sonic.

Back with Team Dark, Shadow assesses how Eggman’s trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers and how there’s no strategy to their movements, meaning they can be easily manipulated. He figures that, once they move to a better position, they can take them out.

Cue Blaze throwing Sonic and Amy (another error, both are blue instead of being blue and pink) with Sonic spin-dashing and Amy smashing the Shadow Androids that were about to attack Shadow.

With a nose flick, Sonic is right back to quipping, asking Shadow whether he had some cousins he never told them about, while Shadow responds with “Please. These cheap copies don’t deserve to wear my place.”

Have I told you how much I love these two together? (≧◡≦)

As the battle continues, Shadow explains how the Shadow Androids are cheap copies created by Eggman, and how he’ll pay dearly for this insult. Unfortunately, Omega loses his footing and is being brought down by the Shadow Androids, but he keeps on fighting. Realizing how things are getting dire, Rouge asks Shadow to use his own powers against the Shadow Androids, but he responds how it is impossible without a Chaos Emerald (makes me wonder what happened to the Chaos Emerald Rouge stole in the Sonic Annual).

Tails rushes in, telling Shadow how the crystals are also generating Chaos Energy, with Shadow agreeing, but notes how the energy is distorted.

“Fake Emeralds... I hate to stoop to using such a pale substitute, but... it will do.”

Okay, can I say that this panel is absolutely amazing, and what’s about to happen is jaw-dropping!

I swear, this was my reaction to seeing this page:

Not only is the art absolutely gorgeous, but it finally shows Shadow as a pure badass who has the skills to support his title of The Ultimate Lifeform! Honestly, words cannot describe how much I love this! Bow your heads low, all hail Shadow!

And to add a cherry to the top of this moment of awesomeness:

Absolutely badass! It’s really great to see Shadow let loose from time to time. Hell, even Team Sonic is amazed!

Tails, Amy and Silver are starstruck, Rouge is proud of her boy, Blaze is... stunned, to say the least (I suppose she never saw what Shadow was truly capable of), while Sonic figures he should too give it a try.

And yeah, I saw the Dark Sonic jokes floating around. Are you guys forgetting that Sonic was the first to use a Fake Chaos Emerald for Chaos Control back in Sonic Adventure 2? He knows how to handle them.

Shadow then points out that they’re not done yet and goes for another Chaos Control, only for something to happen...

A giant crystal shoots out of the ground, throwing everyone off, while Rouge asks Shadow what’s happening. Shadow is crackling with Chaos Energy, warning her that it’s too much and...

Holy frigging Hell! Shadow unleashes a blast of Chaos Energy, nuking everything surrounding him. Everyone escapes, and when Rouge tries to get back to Shadow and Omega, she’s stopped by the crystals, which are now shooting out from everywhere.

Eggman quickly attempts to regain control of the situation, figuring Shadow would cause trouble. Tangle wonders what happened, with Whisper answering how it was Chaos Overload (how does she know that?). I suppose Shadow used to much of the surrounding Chaos Energy and it was too much for him to handle since the Fake Chaos Emeralds were spread out all over the city. He may be a Master of Chaos Control, but even this would overwhelm someone like him.

Eggman activates the emergency limiter, rebooting the system, noting how it’ll take more to take out his city.

Team Sonic and Rouge observe the destruction Shadow had caused, with Tails figuring it was some runaway feedback loop. Rouge is worried about Shadow and Omega, but Sonic, Silver and Blaze assure her that not only are the two tough, they also know what they’re up against and they can deal with Eggman. Rouge is cheered up, while Sonic looks forward to Shadow’s expression when he saves him.

Yeah, Sonic will never let Shadow live that down.

Back with Eggman, the power has returned, the system got rebooted... and Eggman lost Sonic and co. Lanolin points out how the power surge nearly crippled the entire city, so if they trigger another bigger one, this should destroy it. But in that moment, all three of them become suddenly visible, with Eggman spotting them.

In two magnificent panels, we get an Eggman obscured by shadows, really creeping me out, as he figures they ran into his spatial-displacement trap. He explains how they almost got out when the power dipped, but he has a way of dealing with them, summoning another model of the portal and telling them how this will scatter their atoms into oblivion.

Whisper takes the shot, and honestly, if she still hadn’t been trapped in that other dimension, she would’ve killed Eggman then and there. The blast went right through his chest. Like, this was probably the fourth time she attempted to kill someone in cold blood (first Mimic, followed by another attempt at Eggman’s life, then Surge and now Eggman again).

What’s even more chilling is how calm Eggman is, well aware what his trap had done. It then surrounds Whisper.

Tangle screams for her as Whisper is trapped inside the device, and then spots another one flying for her, only for Lanolin to ram her out of the way and tell her to tell everyone what happened and what to do before getting captured herself.

Tangle is cornered, but she suddenly phases through the window, falling out of the command tower. The story ends on a literal cliffhanger.

Holy Hell, I absolutely loved this Issue! It was beyond awesome for all the reasons I already talked above, but there is one specific thing I wanted to discuss in the ending of this analysis - Shadow’s portrayal.

Honestly, I had absolutely no complaint with how he was written in this Issue. People might not agree with me, but I think Urban Warfare really redeemed him, as rather than being prideful and arrogant, he was more business-like and focused on the mission, pragmatic and patient in explaining to everyone what is going on, as well as having his moments of banter with Sonic.

As for him being taken out of the battle, alongside Omega, I’m actually fine with it, as it’s the manner with how he was put out of commission.

Seriously, compare this:

To this:

It’s not about pride, it’s about saving everyone with his own power, and that’s what I had been missing from IDW!Shadow for so long.

I really hope we’ll see more of this in the future.

Links:

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#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[sublimenol]

I think this counts as my first Sonic character fic? Shit.

So I wanted to write a bad-end transformation ficlet. Something to quickly write while on my lunch break at work. I looked for some prompts, wholly expecting to do something horrible to someone's OC. What I got was Whisper and Tangle. Was a bit surprised, but I went for it. I probably will need to do something fluffy to make up for this. It's not a happy one, but it's short. It's also under a cut.

Last chance to back out.

The target was just another Eggman base. A holdover from the war, left fallow when the Metal Virus coated the planet. Still left an empty, haunting shell of a place in the days after the world pieced itself back together. It was empty, save for maybe a few residual badniks, but it could still be dangerous. It could still be a trap. It could. . .

"It's just an empty building!" Tangle complained, the lemur had accompanied Whisper the wolf on her scouting mission for The Restoration. It wasn't officially Diamond Cutter business, the empty lab was considered inert and only needed a coursory check up, so it was to just be Whisper's mission alone. However, when Tangle inserted herself and made a date night of the affair, Whisper couldn't say no. So now the two of them sat perched on an outcropping not far from the hillock-embedded bunker. The gurning face of Eggman's logo looking out at pleasant greenery, a single scar in the landscape.

Whisper froze at Tangle's interjection breaking her internal monologue. Tangle was quick to amend. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said, knocking herself on the side of her head, "I know you're being cautious after what happened last time, but it's just a single warehouse. It'll be easy."

A quiet monotone response. ". . .Remember Mimic the safe?"

It took only a single look at Tangle's reaction to make Whisper glad she had the mask to hide her shame. Whisper knew she went too far there. ". . .No. You're right. Nothing we can't handle."

That slight reassurance from Whisper was all Tangle needed to free her from bad thoughts and send her careening joyfully downhill by using her tail as a wheel. Down toward the door she tumbled. Faster and faster still until she collided with the entrance to the lab. The door's groaned and gave way to the follow up assault from Whisper's rocket and a second tail-lashing from Tangle.

From her spot on the hill, Whisper watched Tangle dash on ahead. Though it caused a spike of frustration, Whisper's care for the lemur had smoothed out the annoyance. She would give Tangle her time to go on an bash through the front line. Whisper herself would go in a little slower, to be protection. The Guardian Angel was what she had been dubbed after all. Silver had called her that before, at least.

Even with the lead she allowed, Whisper did not believe that by the time she entered the facility that Tangle would not be waiting for her. Immediately, her hackles raised, she readied her wispon. The still air was musty and the only sound was a distant groan of settled metal and the dripping of some unseen leak. Whisper's careful tread made sure even her boots were not to give her away nor make it hard to listen for threats.

Deeper she walked, darker it was, until an open door called her attention. "Tangle?" The wolf asked the quiet air.

A dripping was all that replied.

Whisper's gloves tightenes on her wispon. There seemed little else, and an ozone stink was rising. She should leave. She knew she should leave, but without Tangle was not a possibility. The strong headed wolf pushed through the door.

Her boots squelched into a viscous yellow mass spread about the floor. Whisper grimaced under her mask. She felt it suck on her boot, the goo held tight as she tried to pull herself free. And with a pop she found freedom, but without her balance. She piroutted in place, her wrist caught the doorjamb, her wispon clattered to the ground. She fell back, ignobly, with a splat on her backside in the yellow muck.

Whisper sat for a moment, in the mire, lit only by the nearby emergency lights and the few remaining monitors still in operation. She silently wondered what sort of thing was Eggman working on that involves making slime.

She would not have to wait long to find out. 

The first sensations were a tickling along her back, where she fell into the goo. Along her back and sending a cold chill up her spine all down her tail. She stood up more quickly then. And with her came much of the yellow slime. It wiggled and wriggled and rather than hold her to the ground it began to hold her. Wrapping about limb and waist. A creepibg yellow mold slipping into Whisper's boots and under her cloak.

The Metal Virus! The words screamed in Whisper's head. She had to escape. But try as she might, the mass of brightly colored goo clung to her. It tangled her legs, tied about her. She fell to the ground. Her mask bounced off her face. In the shock, she cried out, and the yellow mass writhed up and into her parting jaws.

The sweet taste stood opposite her terror. Worse, Whisper could feel the tingle of nerves on her back grow colder and colder. A creeping numbness. More and more of her body feeling disparate and dissolute. Held fast by the yellow experiment.

Whisper stuck to the ground, arm reaching out for her mask, for her Wispon, for her missing partner.

Unknown to her just how close Tangle was.

Whisper tried to pull forward. She dragged herself and felt her muscles burn as if she weighed a ton. She couldn't feel her tail or legs, believing them to be paralyzed dead weight. Behind her, she could not see that already her boots, feet, legs and tail were mingling with the yellow substance. Dark tans and black swirled and danced where the outline of her form grew indistinct. Up toward her back, and her arms pulled herself nowhere. Only falling backward into a liquid singularity.

True to her name, she held from shouting for as long as she could. And only when she tried to cry out Tangle's name did a sputtering, burbled spit of black and yellow muck tell her how far she had gone. Lungs, waist, she was disintegrating. Falling to pieces. Before her eyes she saw her arm lift, numb as her legs were moments before, and melt into an inky, dripping formless mess to plop into the surrounding spread of ooze. 

How much of it was her, she wondered as her head fell to the floor in a splat. Structure collapsing against the floor. A splot of dark ink on a spread of yellow.

The two colors mixed, and Whisper felt herself heavy and drifting. She could feel spread and diffuse. As though she were sprawled out on a bed. . .or a loved one. For a moment they were apart, but as the oozes merged, the could meet again. And Whisper knew Tangle's relief and her anxiety and her boundless energy. Whisper knew it as her own.

And Tangle, lost and alone until that point could feel and know Whisper's fear and loss and security at having her to hold. 

For a moment, they knew each other as themselves. And then they simply knew themselves. What walls kept them distinct melted with the merging mass of ooze  who they were dissolved away to fading feeling and distant awareness. A mass on the floor of a lost laboratory, faintly aware of a desire for friends and a need to find them.

To hold them.

To become one with them.

And nearby, Whisper's mask sat next to a sluggish, crawling ooze of black and yellow. A small light inside flashed. A beacon calling for others to rescue.

[roughandtumble-r]

Delays, Conspiracy Theories, the whole Shebang

Alright, so it’s been a LONG time since I’ve covered a bunch of stuff in a single post like this, but I figured now would be a good time to, so I’m planning on talking about stuff like release dates, what might happen in Bad Guys and the Annual.

First off, release dates! Issue 28 is still slated to come out on June 24th as previously mentioned, but the Annual has now been delayed to July 8th. Issue 29 has also been set to come out on July 22nd and Issue 30 is set to come out August 5th. Bare in mind that all currently revealed release dates should be taken with a grain of salt as they are subject to change. 

Speaking of the Annual, I’ve mentioned that it’s going to have six stories and have posted it’s solicitations, but I’ve never actually discussed what each story will be about, have I? Well, we unfortunately don’t have a whole lot of info outside of the covers and the solicitations to work with, but I think we can piece together what some of the stories are going to be about. First off, we have exhibit A...

So judging by Big’s appearence on this cover and his appearence on the A cover, it’s safe to assume there’s going to be a story with Big. As for when it takes place? I’m not entirely sure. It COULD take place towards the beginning of the virus’ spread (the Faceship in the background kinda suggests this too), but the whole gimmick of this year’s Annual is that they’re stories that take place after the virus has already begun, so this could also take place closer to when Issues 21-23 happen (especially because Big was supoosedly present in the events of Issue 22). Actually, because we never saw what happened to Big at the end of Issue 22, it is technically possible that this story could take place afterward, and judging by the background of this cover, it might be possible for it to take place on Angel Island after the Faceship shows up.

Next up, we have exhibit B...

Metal Sonic! He’s here too! The fact that he also gets a cover all to himself suggests to me that he’s probably going to get a story. As for what it’ll be about? I have no clue.

As for the other four stories, we have next to no information of what they could be about or who they’d be centered around. The solicitation DOES mention that some of Sonic’s “worst foes” are going to be important, and I guess that could encapsulate Metal Sonic, but who else could be included? Considering the fact that Rough and Tumble have the Metal Virus and both them, Starline, and Mimic are all going to be the main cast of Sonic Bad Guys, I feel like they probably wouldn’t be included. If any of them were, I feel like Mimic would be the most likely candidate, like maybe we’d get a story explaining how he breaks out of prison during the virus outbreak (kinda like the Scourge Lockdown arc in Sonic Universe but with zombies :3) and that’ll lead into his inclusion in Bad Guys. I guess there’s also the Deadly Six, but... we already know what they’re up to. I guess they could make a mini story involving them that takes place in the time while they’re conquering the planet, but other than that, I don’t see what they’d be able to do with them.

As for which of Sonic’s good ol’ pals could have their own stories, I’m not really sure either since most of them are already present throughout the main story and wouldn’t have many opportunities to go and do their own stuff. I think a story with Whisper after Tangle gets infected would be pretty cool, and they could also probably get away with making a story about what happens with Silver while he’s away. Bare in mind Blaze has also been completely absent since Issue 12, so she’s probably off doing her own thing too and could get her own story (which could also be a good opportunity to bring in Marine). The Babylon Rogues also don’t show up until after everyone gets to Angel Island, so maybe there could be a story about what happens with them before they get there. 

I’m pretty much grasping for straws at this point, so I’ll just leave it at that. There are a lot of possible routes the other stories could go, but for now we’ll just have to wait and see.

Next up I want to talk about mini-series related things! Of course, we have Sonic Bad Guys, which will be focused on the bad boys and will probably happen closer to next year. But what’s going to happen in it? Here’s the synopsis for the plot that we already know...

“Sonic the Hedgehog: Bad Guys is a comic miniseries and a spin-off of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by IDW Publishing. This four-issue miniseries focuses on Dr. Starline in the aftermath of the Metal Virus Saga and what happens when the former assistant and devotee of Dr. Eggman sets up in one of the doctor's abandoned bases.”

So this series evidentally takes place after the Metal Virus arc ends in Issue 29, and it’ll explain where Starline went after getting thrown out by Eggman. Starline’s going to use one of Eggman’s old bases to probably get revenge or whatever, and he’s probably going to team up with Mimic, Rough and Tumble, and I guess Zavok if this cover is to be believed...

Going back to what I mentioned earlier about Mimic breaking ot of prison, it’s basically confirmed with his presence in this series that he did break out of prison at some point, and Rough and Tumble somehow get out of that mine and meet up with them after the virus ends. As for Zavok and the rest of the Deadly Six... I dunno. Since Starline was the one who brought them into all this, I don’t really see why they would be willing to team up. However, I guess they both want revenge on Eggman, so that’ll probably be why. I can also see Rough and Tumble wanting to get revenge on him too (hell, that’s the entire reason they’ve been after Sonic this whole time), but I don’t know about Mimic. I don’t think Mimic really wants revenge because the two actually seem to get along well enough and he didn’t get thrown out or sacrificed, so his inclusion in Starline’s plan is kinda a mystery. Maybe Starline bribes him to get him to work for him? Who knows.

A little part of me also wants to believe that this mini-series is where we’re finally going to learn about the origins of a lot of these characters too, but it’s unknown if that’ll actually be the case. For example, since Starline is the main focus of the story, it would be cool to see his backstory and how he ended up where he is get explained in detail. Also... I want to know how Tumble got his tail chopped off! Give it to me, IDW!

Well, that’s pretty much it for what I wanted to talk about with Sonic Bad Guys. However, there is one other thing that I’ve been thinking about lately, and that’s Tangle and Whisper. You may be wondering why, which makes sense, the series ended way back in December. However, remember back when it was revealed and IDW said that it COULD be continued past Issue 4 if there was enough demand for it? I really only bring this up because... Well, there are still so many questions regarding Whisper and the Diamond Cutters that will have yet to be answered, and I don’t think they would really be the focus of the main series anytime soon. I mean just look at the Diamond Cutters, each dead member and Mimic all still have a lot of mystery behind where they came from and how the team even formed, and Slinger especially was said to have some kind of secret backstory that no one but him knew about. There’s also that scene where Mimic turns into Vector in the last Issue, so maybe a continuation of the series could finally explain how Mimic is somehow connected to Team Chaotix. There’s also one either thing that’s been in the back of my mind that everyone seems to have forgotten...

These wolves from last year’s annual that are very clearly related to Whisper but they’ve never been acknowledged outside of this one story! Like, is it ever going to be revealed how exactly they’re related to Whisper and will it ever be explained if she used to live with them? If she did, how and why did she leave them and join the Diamond Cutters? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS :(

Well, that’s pretty much everything I wanted to cover this time. I’m not entirely sure how often I’ll be able to do more posts like this since Issue 28 is, no matter what, going to be over a month away, but we’ll see what happens.

[silverscribe87]

I Am My Own Gem

I really should start posting my fics to tumblr more often... So here’s the final chapter of my latest fic. Or use the chapter link below to read from the start on Ao3.

Fic Summary:  Sometimes you suffer for what you believe in. Or a snapshot of the Rebellion Era and an untold story of some of the Crystal Gems we never had a chance to meet.

Chapter 5

“I didn't want to do this. You made me do this!” her jailer screeched hysterically as Dove looked on in horror. She expected to have her form tortured, she expected to be shattered outright. But not this. Anything but this. With strength fueled by terror Dove renewed her futile struggle against her bonds. She twisted and pulled with all her might. Tore skin and strained her form to near breaking in her efforts. Through it all Jasper held her left arm firmly in place. Held it steady. As the spinning, humming cutting disc of this latest torture device moved closer to the gem on her wrist.

“Don't do this! Shatter me, harvest me, but don't do this. Even Homeworld is better than this!” she shouted desperately as she stared down wide eyed at her gem, her struggle forgotten.

“I don't have any other choice, it's the will of my Diamond. They want what you know, nothing else has worked. This must,” Jasper grated out in a strained, hollow voice. She wouldn't meet Dove's eyes.

Dove's mind raced. She had to do something. Shape-shift? Yes, that may be worth a try. She hadn't bothered before now because she was confined in a small room with a hulking quartz whenever she held a physical form. Even if she shifted out of her bonds there was no room for her to fight. Jasper would easily corner and overpower her. But right now even the slimmest chance was preferable to this. Her form fluoresced as she began to shift and then...

Agony like she'd never imagined arced through her.

Not through her form. Through her. Right through her very being. A sickening whine came from the gem cutter as it dug into her gem. Particles of dust, particles of her flew into her face and the face of her jailer. Dove's back arched and her entire form writhed and shook and thrashed as violently as her bonds would permit. Through it all her jailer held down her left arm with gritted teeth and slowly, tortuously moved the cutting wheel through the gem on her wrist.

Dove began to scream. If the sound that escaped her throat could be called a scream.

Her shrieking voice was distorted and terrible. Wavering in pitch and intensity at random as indescribable pain racked her core. The closest comparison for her keen was the sound of a malfunctioning comm unit. Her voice breaking and distorting, rising and falling into what almost sounded like static. She lost all sense of self. Her vision blackened and the only sound that met her ears was the whirling grind of the torture device progressing through her. Time lost meaning. She lost awareness. She didn't know what was happening, what she was doing, what she was saying. She knew only torment. Jumbled sounds began to filter through the agonized haze that had settled over her. Her jailer she thought. Yelling at her. Questioning her. What was happening? Was she answering? Everything was so distorted. So indecipherable. Finally her vision cleared enough for her to make out Jasper's face in front of her own.

“When I come back you'll tell me everything you know and then this will be over. For both of us! You understand!?” she yelled in a panicked voice right in Dove's face. Dove could only stare listlessly at her as she whirled around and stomped out the door.

Then darkness took her.

Jasper fell to her knees the moment the cell door slid shut behind her. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath she didn't need and her hand clutched desperately at the gem on her right shoulder. The grinding whir of the gem cutter still echoed in her ears. Her entire form shook and crawled with the imagined sensation of it biting into her own gem. Jasper had seen and done many things over the centuries since her emergence. She'd shattered gems in combat and she'd tortured and twisted their physical forms. She was good at it, that was why she'd been given this assignment. No gem could keep their secrets under her ministrations.

But this pearl...this gem named Dove, somehow she had.

Even in the midst of her gem being cleaved she'd said nothing, given nothing. Just wailed that eerie, distorted scream for all she was worth. Jasper had never had to do anything like this before. It was detestable. Torturing an easily restored physical form was a simple means to an end, shattering a gem in fair combat was the life of any warrior. But this...this was barbaric. Jasper couldn't continue, she had to get out of there. Away from Dove, away from the grinding whir. But her Diamond had demanded it. Had promised shattering if she didn't produce results.

As Jasper crouched on the floor outside her prisoner's cell, arms around her knees and face buried, she began to wonder if being shattered wouldn't be preferable to what she was doing. To what she'd done.

Consciousness slowly returned to Dove and she wished with all her might that it hadn't. Her physical form flickered and shimmered where she sat in her chair. There one moment and a distorted blur the next. Like a malfunctioning holo-communication. Her mind was sluggish, fragmented. Where was she? Why was she here? Where was Sky?

Sky...

Who was Sky?

For a few moments Dove didn't know who she was. For a few moments she didn't remember the love of her life. Then she glanced at her gem. At the neat groove that perfectly bisected the round stone on her wrist. She looked down at her wavering form. At the glittering silvery-white dust that covered her. In a torrent it came back to her.

“Sky...Sky I'm sorry,” she choked out in a barely audible whisper as tears began streaming down her face. How could she forget Sky? For even a moment?

Her wavering form shook as she cried. Sobs racking her in time with the flickering distortions of her body. What else had she forgotten? What had she given to her captor during the brutalization of her gem? She didn't know... She didn't know and it terrified her. She'd believed she could withstand anything. That her sorrow and rage would sustain her to her shattering. But not through this...She couldn't withstand this. Stars above, what if she'd given them away? What if she'd told Jasper everything? Their base, their plans...What if she'd given up her friends? Her family? She didn't know. She couldn't remember if she'd said anything during her mutilation. All that came to her mind was white-hot agony and endless screaming.

Fresh sobs racked her at these thoughts. She couldn't do this. She couldn't endure this. She would give something away. Homeworld would get what they wanted from her. She knew of nearly every informant hiding within the enemy ranks, it was her job to know, the only gem who knew more was the Renegade herself. She would be the end of the Rebellion! Her breathing came in ragged gasps and her form wavered and flickered even more violently as she was overcome by panic.

It was then that she realized she was alone.

For the first time since her imprisonment she was alone while still maintaining a physical form. She stared around her small cell in disbelief. This was her chance. This was her opportunity to ensure that no more secrets of the Rebellion fell into Homeworld's hands. With a deep, mostly even breath Dove steadied herself. Struggled to regain some control of her form. Struggled to think clearly. Shape-shift. She had to shape-shift out of her bonds while she was alone. With another fortifying breath Dove closed her eyes and sought to change her form. Her body began to glow but at the same time the fluctuations in her form increased in intensity. Her eyes snapped open and the glow faded.

For the first time since she'd learned to shape-shift she failed to change her form.

No. No this couldn't be. She needed this. This was her talent. What was she going to do? Jasper was going to come back. She was going to cut into her again. Grind away at her gem. And then she'd tell her everything. Anything. Without control. She was panicking again. This wasn't like her. This wasn't how she was trained. But it was so hard to focus now...

Wait.

How she was trained.

Relax. Visualize the form you want to take. Feel it out. And then slip into it. Nothin' to it hun. But don't be too discouraged if you don't get it on your first try rookie.

A shaky smile came to Dove's lips along with a sense of calm as the words drifted unbidden through her consciousness. Sky's words from her earliest days of training. And Dove had gotten it on her first try. She could still feel the sense of satisfaction at the surprised look on Sky's face even hundreds of years later.

She could do this.

“Relax. Visualize. Feel it. Then just slip into it,” Dove whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and made a second attempt. Her form stabilized, then it began to glow. After a few moments she shrank down until finally a white feathered dove with silver flecked wing tips solidified in the seat of her chair. Free of all restraints. She gave a short hop and briefly sprang into flight, clearing the chair, but light filled the small room again as she lost the form and fell in a flickering heap to the floor below.

Well. At least she was free.

Dove struggled to her feet and took stock of her surroundings. She examined the room for something, anything she could use as a weapon. There was no way she could manage this next part barehanded. But there was nothing. Jasper's interrogation tools had left the room with her. She'd have to summon her mace. Somehow.

Summoning a weapon was a unique process for every gem. Ask three gems how they did it and you'd get three different answers back. But for Dove it had always been simple. Her weapon responded to need. She'd first summoned her mace entirely by accident during a combat drill she was about to painfully lose. She'd spent the better part of the next week apologizing profusely to the Citrine she'd walloped in the head. Sky thought it was a riot, she never had let Dove live it down. Told the story whenever the opportunity arose. The memory lifted Dove's spirits somewhat. She could do it.

If ever she'd had a need it was now.

Once again she closed her eyes in concentration and focused on her damaged gem. For a few moments nothing happened. Sweat beaded on Dove's forehead and ran down her face, her breathing quickened with the exertion. After a few more moments her scarred gem flickered weakly, silvery-white light igniting and fading at random intervals. “Come on,” Dove hissed between clenched teeth, “I need you. Please.” Her body shook as her gem continued to flicker and a mild distortion moved through her form. But at last her gem flared to life with a brilliant glow. With a relieved gasp Dove reached across with her right hand and quickly pulled her silver chased white mace forth and held its flanged head before her eyes. It was solid. It was stable. She leaned slightly against the small table next to her chair, the table that formerly held the devices of her torture, and collected herself. Now that she had her weapon she could bring a swift end to all of this.

Her cell door snapped open as Jasper returned to the room.

For several seconds they just stared at each other. Jasper standing in mild shock, her case of torture devices held at her side, and Dove leaning against the table mace hanging by her hip. It didn't matter. Jasper appearing wouldn't change her plans in the slightest. It was too late for her to interfere.

“What do you think you're doing?” Jasper said in a surprisingly haggard voice. She made no threatening moves. She just stood there, shoulders slumped, as if she were simply tired of it all.

“Stretching my legs,” Dove replied with all the snark she could muster. The wavering, distorted quality of her voice ruined the effect somewhat.

“Why are you putting yourself through all this?”

“Last time I checked you were the monster that did this to my gem, not me,” Dove answered while holding up her left hand and displaying the back of her wrist. To Dove's surprise Jasper winced and averted her eyes from Dove's damaged gem.

“I didn't have any other choice...” Jasper mumbled bitterly.

“If I've learned one thing from the Rebellion it's that we all have a choice,” Dove replied as she leaned her left hand against the table. She needed to end this soon, but some banter with her jailer of so long couldn't hurt while she built up the courage.

“Do you really think your rebels stand any chance against the might of the Diamonds?” Jasper snarled.

“Yes.”

“Then you're a fool.”

“Am I? Then why are the Diamonds so desperate for what I know? Why go through all this,” Dove gestured around the torture chamber with her mace, “for information on an enemy they can easily defeat?”

Jasper didn't seem to have an answer for that. She stood still and stared down at the floor as if contemplating what Dove had said. Dove took several deep breaths and tightened her grip on her mace, she'd delayed long enough, but as she was bracing herself Jasper spoke again.

“I don't understand you. You're nothing like what pearls are supposed to be.”

“You mean I don't act like a piece of property? A slave? I don't cower at the thought of the Diamonds and follow their every whim like you?”

“What else can we do?! It's what we're made for!” Jasper shouted as she threw her case of torture implements to the side. It clanged loudly against the metal floor.

“Whatever we want! Just because the Diamonds made us doesn't mean they own us! We have a choice,” Dove yelled back just a fiercely. Her navy blue eyes blazing as she stared defiantly at her jailer. Jasper seemed to deflate at the outburst. Slumping back and leaning against the wall as she returned Dove's gaze.

“There's nowhere for you to go.”

“I know.”

“Even if you defeat me you'll never make it to the galaxy warp in that state.”

“I know.”

“Then what are you doing?”

Dove didn't answer immediately. She had her left hand pressed flat against the metal table and stared down at the gem on the back of her wrist. She didn't want to admit it but she was scared. She was shaking and it wasn't the periodic distortions of her form. If Sky were here she'd laugh at her and just tell her to get on with it in that warm, encouraging way that she'd used throughout Dove's training. Well, maybe not in this instance if she knew what Dove was planning to do. But it was time. She had to do this. For the Rebellion. For the Crystal Gems. For the Earth. For Sky. She raised her mace and looked up at Jasper, who stood on her guard at the threat of the weapon, and answered her question.

“Making a choice,” she said solemnly and this time her voice was clear and whole. With those last words Dove brought her mace crashing down with all the strength she had left. Crashing down right into her silvery-white gem. With a puff of smoke and a spray of glittering shards it was over.

Dove was gone.

Her family was safe.

Jasper lunged forward with a cry of surprise as the pearl's mace fell, as she realized what was happening. It was a pointless effort, she couldn't stop it. The pearl... Dove never broke eye contact with her as she shattered herself. What Jasper saw in those eyes in the moments before they vanished in a cloud of smoke and spray of gem shards confused her utterly.

Contentment.

Dove had been entirely at peace as she took her own life.

Jasper fell to her knees where Dove had been standing and stared down at the silvery-white gem fragments spread across the cold floor. Slowly, methodically she began to collect them in the palm of her hand.

“I don't understand,” she whispered to the glittering remnants as she worked. “What drove you? What changed you? What made you willing to make such a horrible sacrifice?”

For the first time in her centuries of life Jasper found herself questioning everything. Homeworld, the war, the Rebellion, the Diamonds, pearls. Especially pearls. Pearls weren't toys or tools or barely sentient servants with just enough intelligence to follow orders. She was beyond certain of that now. They were gems. Gems as aware and alive as herself. Dove had more than proven that. She stood and gave to room one final sweep, making sure that she hadn't missed a single shard. Then she looked down at the glittering fragments in her palm and encased them in a pale, orange bubble. With that she turned and left the cell, heading down the winding, barren corridors of the base.

Many gems passed her as she walked although none dared to approach her. They knew her reputation, knew what she was doing here. Many glanced at the bubbled shards in her hand and quickened their pace. A few higher ranking gems looked from the shards to Jasper, a calculating expression painted across their faces. They would know of the orders she'd been given by her Diamond, of the ultimatum. They were wondering if she'd obtained the required information or if she was a shattered gem walking. But none of that mattered to Jasper now, none of them mattered.

Her footsteps echoed through the wide chamber that housed the galaxy warp as she climbed the steps up to the pad. She couldn't stay here, she'd failed and as far as Homeworld was concerned her fate was sealed. But again that didn't matter to her anymore. All she knew was that for the first time in her life she was without purpose. She didn't know if where she was headed would have answers, more likely than not it would lead to her shattering as well, just at different hands. But she was going to find out.

She wanted to understand.

Legs stood in the small, rose enshrouded clearing. Their thorny vines forming a protective wall around this place while their vibrant blossoms provided a mournful beauty for the precious contents they watched over. She stared up at the myriad and multicolored bubbles floating before her. Every Crystal Gem that had fallen in battle, every Crystal Gem that was beyond Rose's healing abilities was kept here. At least all the ones they could recover. She reached her cerulean fingers up to pluck a particular bubble out of the bunch. One with a silvery hue that contained the white streaked blue shards of a friend of hers.

It was Dove's bubble. The bubble that held Sky's shards.

It'd been months since the incident that shattered Sky and still they'd heard no solid word from their informants on Dove. All that they knew for certain was that she'd been taken off world, beyond their reach. Many feared that Dove would give them up. Some had even made the choice to leave their position within Homeworld's ranks and join the Rebellion proper for safety. But most knew better. Legs certainly knew better. Dove would be shattered before she gave anything of the Rebellion to the Diamonds. Dove likely had been shattered...

Legs sighed heavily as she sat and dipped her toned calves into the cool water of the small pool in the center of the sanctuary. She held Dove's bubble out before her and stared into it. She wasn't sure why she still came here. She'd cried out every tear she had within her weeks ago. Maybe it gave her some sense of connection to her fallen friends. Who knew. But she was here and once again she found herself playing the encounter with the carnelians over in her mind. Once again she found herself asking if she could have done more.

She'd been assured by her superiors, by Rose Quartz and the Renegade herself, that she'd made the right choice. That Dove had made the right choice. The information Legs had returned with meant that Sky and Dove hadn't been shattered in vain. And yet still she wondered what would have happened if she'd remained. Their informants had managed to glean one bit of information about Dove. A report cast aside as faulty information by the Homeworld higher-ups. Legs had been there when it was delivered to the Renegade. She still got chills at the memory of the savage yet proud smile that had spread across Pearl's face as she read it.

Dove had gone down fighting evidently. According to the report three carnelians had fallen at the hands of a lone pearl. One shattered, two poofed out of a squad of six before they'd finally put her down. She'd certainly shown them what pearls were made of. Legs was proud of Dove after reading the report but she also couldn't help but ask what if. If she had stayed behind would they have been able to defeat the remaining three together? She knew the answer was no. She was a courier, not a warrior. If anything she would have gotten in Dove's way and wasted the sacrifice she and Sky had made. No, she'd made peace with that. She'd done the right thing.

She took a deep breath as she stood up from the pool, relishing the dizzying scents that filled this melancholy grove. She had a mission to attend to soon and she still needed to pick up supplies. She stretched out her long arms and returned Sky's bubble to its place among the others. “Catch you guys later,” she whispered with a smile as the silvery orb floated back into place. Then she was gone, a gust of wind and a cerulean blur streaking into the distance the only evidence of her departure.

The Rebellion carried on.