GeneX - Knuckles the Echidna
Chapter 40 - Illusi's Despair
Stage 22(Dark 11) - Despair Depths
Boss 22 - Fera

Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.

The story thus far:
It's down to the wire! All heroes made a valiant aerial assault on Demon Island, forced to struggle their way past a blockade of battleships supplied by Dr. Eggman and Dr. Nammad. The arrival of Col. Gunner in a GUN Assault Carrier gave the heroes the opening needed to land on Demon Island, where they split up to divide and conquer their foes.
Seeing Tikal's ball of light, Punchy was led to a dark cavern leading to a secret entrance to Despair Castle. He was joined by Rainbow, Copter and Heather, and gradually was joined by SPOT, Team Rose, and Team GeneX. After yet another bout with Illusi, Team GeneX revealed that they'd found the entrance to the castle, but a key was needed to get in. They set out to look for it, but the dark energy of the cavern has begun to take a toll on Punchy, making him flicker into his Dark form!
Now, on to the next chapter!


Their rather large group had come to another narrow stone bridge spanning a chasm. Worried that too much weight might cause the bridge to collapse, they decided to cross two at a time. While Punchy waited his turn, that familiar orb of light passed in front of him again. "Huh?? ...Well, I guess I got time..." he mumbled as the world went white. When his eyes readjusted, he was in front of the Master Emerald shrine, sitting in the water surrounding it. "...Why am I wet?" he grumbled, looking around. There were Chao huddled around him, looking frightened. "Huh...? What're they hiding from?" He then heard a loud crash, and Shadow Chaos splattered against the steps of the altar! Howler was coming toward the creature. He wore the Chaos Tailbands on his tails, the Chaos Boots on his feet, and brandished the Chaos Sword. "My collection of Chaos Relics already makes me more powerful than any being who walks this world! Stay down, slime creature!" he warned. Tikal, Radia and Athair were following behind him. "...He has power-lust... Do not give him any more relics." Radia warned. "...Do you honestly believe we could stop him?" Athair whimpered. Shadow Chaos slithered down the steps, and reformed in front of the Chao, blocking them. Tikal's eyes went wide. "Shadow Chaos... He only wishes to protect the Chao, as Chaos did! When he couldn't find them, he raged... Now all he wishes is to ease Chaos's sorrow by protecting them for the part of him that is sealed in this emerald!" she said, clutching the Master Emerald tightly. Howler came up to Shadow Chaos with incredible speed and slashed him with the Chaos Sword! "I... am the god... now!!" he growled. As Punchy watched in astonishment, everything started to go white again, and he found that Copter, Rainbow and SPOT were the only ones left beside him. "...Looks like you haven't recovered yet, One..." Rainbow sighed. "Huh... I'm okay now..." Punchy grunted. Copter groaned. "Well, everyone left without us. We'd better move before the demons in here start swarming us." he said. Punchy nodded, and they started crossing the bridge together.


Beyond the bridge, there were three pathways. Since they needed to find the key, the groups each ended up taking a different path. Amy, Cream and Silver took a long, maze-like path that was riddled with deep holes. Fortunately, Cream and Silver could fly to a degree, enabling Amy to walk on the limited paths, when the paths became limited. Unfortunately, the demons born of dark energy were also wandering this area. These demons were more on the demonic side, and were clawed, snarling giants that otherwise didn't much look like anything of the Earth. Cream was even too nervous to send Cheese after these creatures, so she backed behind Amy and clutched the Chaos tightly. "Why did I listen to you and go in the cave!?" she wailed. Amy tried to wallop one of the demons with her hammer, but it simply grabbed it out of her hands! Fortunately, she always had another on her person, but now she was getting unnerved as well. "They just seem to get stronger the deeper in we go!" she yelped. Silver wrenched the hammer out of the demon's grip with his psychokinesis, and walloped it over the head with it. "Stay strong... I'll get us through this..." he stammered. Suddenly, a bright red light lit up the cave, drawing the demons' attention! A few gunshots stunned the startled beasts, and then a crazed feline rammed one, sending it tumbling into the others and dragging them all over a nearby ledge! "I'm... sick... of monsters!!" shouted Mia, who obviously had her share of run-ins with the demons to get this far into the cave. The red light, which was a flare, soon subsided, and Razor the porcupine stepped out of the shadows to greet Team Rose. "We figured the cave entrance might be safer than trying to breach the castle directly. Boy, were we ever wrong. Now I'm outta flares." he said. Silver stared at them. "Shouldn't you have run out screaming at the first sign of demons??" he stammered. "Nah, I've driven through Central City at rush hour." Mia shrugged. Amy nodded. "Right... Have you seen a key lying around?" she asked. They shook their heads. "Oh well... At least we can work together from here." Cream sighed.


Copter, Punchy and Rainbow were following SPOT's radar through the cavern. It was detecting something, and they wondered if somehow it was able to detect the key. Before long, however, they found some actual guards posted in the cave, led by Corky the frog. "Gah! It's dat blighted echidna dame agin! Come ta yoink my tongue an' hold it fer ransom!! Slit 'er throat and see how humorous she is then, boys!" he shouted. "Hostiles detected!" SPOT said in a robotic voice. "Gee, you think?" Copter grumbled, running ahead to start bashing Despair agents with his tails. Punchy picked up SPOT and placed him in front of Rainbow. "Protect her, or I'll smash ya." he warned. Before he could turn around, Corky's tongue grabbed his wrist. "Hah! 'Ow I oght aah!!" he said with his mouth open. Punchy's fur flickered black, and his eyes flickered red. "Get your filthy tongue off me..." he snarled. "Um... One?" Rainbow gasped, starting toward him, but blocked by SPOT's energy shield. "Protect mode." the robot said. Corky pulled him closer with his tongue and started bashing him with his fists, while Dark Punchy started to flicker stronger. "This cave is filled with darkness... You'll regret making me angry..." he growled. Corky released his wrist and slapped his face a couple times with his tongue. "Ha ha ha! Look at you! The cave's worn ya down! Yer no match for Corky da frog! Kiss my feet 'an maybe I'll let one o' you echidnas live..." he taunted. Punchy's eyes turned bright red, though his fur stayed the same. "You won't be killing the green one... I still need him. I think I'll kill you!!" he said with Dark Punchy's voice! He then grasped Corky by the throat and lifted him up as though he weighed nothing, hurtling him at a canine agent and sending them both plummeting down a chasm! "Punchy, no!!" Copter shouted, diving into the chasm after the Despair agents! Rainbow watched from behind the shield in fright as Punchy swiftly knocked out the remaining guards. "One... snap out of it! COME BACK, ONE!!" she shouted. Punchy's eyes suddenly returned to normal as Copter flew out of the chasm with Corky and the mutt. "...No murder, Punch... We're still hoping to get a pardon if Gunner ever gets fired, and murder will kill that chance." he panted. Across the chasms, Illusi had been watching them. "...I must hurry. Time is running short." he muttered, heading deeper into the cavern on his own.


Somehow, Heather found herself wandering with Team GeneX in their search for the key. Luckily, Zipp's helmet had an app for that. He'd been to the door, and scanned the keyhole with his helmet. Now, he could use its radar to search for anything that might fit the keyhole. "So... been a while, huh, guys?" Heather said awkwardly. "Yesss... Um... We are grateful for your...sacrifice..." Vortex said as cordially as possible. "I was really sorry when you died." Crash added, more sincerely. As they walked, demons resembling Despair agents crept toward them. They scowled at Team GeneX, not immediately attacking. "...What's with them? They're freaking me out..." Heather shivered. "As long as they're not attacking..." Zipp shrugged. Then, they all jumped back as a demon resembling Zeke stepped forward. "...Traitor!!" it groaned in a low, ghastly voice. Looking around, they noticed that many of the demons appeared familiar to them. One resembled Patch. "You've turned your backs on us..." it moaned. They were getting surrounded fast, and Vortex scowled at them as they chanted "Traitor... traitor..." repeatedly. "We are no traitorsss!!" he hissed. A demon resembling Basker approached Heather. "We revived you... Saved you from death itself... How can you turn away from us...?" he growled. Heather lit her hands on fire. "Maybe I didn't ask to be brought back! You think of that? And I don't trust the people who attack my friends!" she snapped. Crash let out a loud grunt. "Our allegiance belongs to Bucky, and no one else!" he yelled. "Except for maybe me!" Zipp added. "Enough of thisss... Tear thessse ghossstsss apart!" Vortex snarled. Heather shot flames at the Basker demon, while Crash charged through "Patch," and Vortex leapt atop Zeke and started burning him with Chaos Camouflage, which covered his body with Chaos energy. Zipp just shot wildly at the other demons with a pair of pistols, and they were out of the way in no time. Vortex panted, tired from using Chaos Camouflage. "We know what ssside we're on... Let'sss go." he hissed.

Zipp led them, conveniently enough, to the place where Team Rose exited the maze-like area they'd been exploring. There, they found something red and shiny. "Well... This'll fit in the lock... but you won't be able to turn it." Zipp muttered, examining the key in his hands. "Seems like they split the key into pieces. That's usually a pretty secure idea. If anyone finds a piece, they won't think anything of it because it doesn't look like anything." Razor said. "What'sss with the cop?" Vortex growled. "There are people up here who have to answer for terrorist activities in Troblusk City... I might be out of my jurisdiction, but when they're hovering over my hometown, I don't care." the porcupine grumbled. "So... Think the other pieces of the key are nearby?" Amy asked, getting the conversation back on track. Zipp groaned. "My helmet can only track the part that fits in the keyhole. With the key in pieces, it's useless!" he grumbled. "I say it's THAT WAY!" Mia shouted, pointing down the only path available that the two groups hadn't come from. "...Good point..." Silver sighed. Cream patted Cheese and followed along as the group continued on their way. "It's nice and crowded again! Let's see any monsters bother us now!" she giggled. Crash frowned and didn't say anything. He simply hoped for them to split up again soon so that he might get a word in edgewise. Heather noticed how quiet he was being and nudged him. "What's the matter? Uncomfortable in crowds?" she asked. "...You're one to talk. Didn't you freak out at the Sun Festival?" Crash pointed out. "Yeah, death has a weird mellowing effect on a person..." she muttered. "Hey!" Silver called back to them, "Hurry up! If you get left behind, the demons will pick you off for sure!" he warned. After that, everyone traveled in a much tighter group, nervous about being caught alone in the dark with demons...

While everyone else was having a nice chat in their large group, Copter, Punchy, Rainbow and SPOT found their way to the flat handle of the key, which had a Covenant of Despair symbol on it. "Okay... symbol... little notch for inserting something... I'm guessing the key is in pieces." Copter sighed. Rainbow smiled. "At least it's not something crazy, like having to find SEVEN keys... Right, Two? One?" she said. "Broken key's still crazy. Anyone ever heard of a regular hide-a-key?" Copter complained. Punchy was flickering into dark form again, and he collapsed to his knees, apparently growing exhausted from holding Dark Punchy back! Rainbow hurried to his side. "Rainbow... You and Copter... Go without me..." he grunted. Rainbow lifted his arm around her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. "...Nonsense, One. You'll be fine. We just need to get you outta this cave." she said. Punchy glanced at her. "After all we've been through... How can you still WANT to help me?" he sighed. She chuckled softly, not letting the difficulty of carrying him bother her. "We had one little fight, One. That could never change anything... You're my best friend..." she reassured him. His body slowly stopped flickering, and he stood up beside her, seeming perfectly fine. "...Thank you..." he sighed. Copter groaned as he held SPOT around like a flashlight. "Just kiss already! How long are you gonna draw this out!?" he grumbled. "M-mind your own business!!" Punchy snapped, blushing profusely. "Did someone say kiss? I want one!" Suddenly, Mia emerged from up ahead, and taking Copter by surprise, planted a kiss right on his nose, making him fall over and blush even redder than Punchy! "Wh-wha-WHERE'D YOU COME FROM!?" he stammered. Razor and Silver stepped out of the shadows beside her. "Oh, Copter... You found another piece of the key. Great work!" Silver said. Shining SPOT's light ahead, Copter could see everyone peering back at them. "Who's kissing in there!?" Amy yelled, being nosy. "NO ONE!!" Punchy shouted back. "Then can we PLEASSSE get on with it!?" Vortex groaned.

After everyone had gotten over their varying degrees of embarrassment, it wasn't long before they'd arrived at the secret door to Despair Castle, a black door with the red, thirteen-pointed star on it. There were chasms even here, on either side of the door. Fera the wolf was standing in front of the door, blocking their way. However, she freely tossed Copter the third piece of the key, which connected the teeth to the base. "Uh... You letting us in?" he asked. "Only if you can get past me..." she smirked. Silver crossed his arms. "Heh... That should be easy. There's only one of you, and I've lost count of how many of us there are." he pointed out. However, Fera had no intention of battling all of them. She raised her hand, and flicking her wrist in Punchy's direction, she somehow pulled him toward her! She then raised both her hands, casting a wall of dark energy between Punchy and his friends! "Hey!! Let One go!!" Rainbow shouted. Fera grinned. "I'll let him go, but you won't like it... I knew you'd be drawn here, Punchy. The Despair Seal tempered your darkness, and now it seeks greater darkness to strengthen itself... That it may be unleashed again! I can help there..." she said. Punchy growled. "Even without the Despair Seal... You can still manipulate me... But you will never enslave me! You failed to do so at the mountain!" he shouted. Fera shrugged. "Fine. I'll just unleash your dark side... On your friends. Then if you're feeling guilty, you can hurl yourself into one of these holes!" she cackled. Outside the dark barrier, Illusi pushed past the crowd and banged against the dark energy. "If you've come to kill Punchy, you gotta wait your turn." Copter grumbled. Illusi ignored him and called out. "Fera!! Enough!! End this madness now, I implore you... I BEG you!!" he cried, his normal composure giving way to an absolute panic. "Mousy...? You look pale!" Rainbow gasped. Fera barely glanced at him. "We all had our chance to define who we are... Now it's time for you all to see EXACTLY who I am... and who your dear Punchy really is!!" she sneered. Punchy clenched his fists and glared at her. "So be it, Fera!" he said.

Fera began by sending bolts of dark lightning Punchy's way. He began to flicker black again from the attack, but he shrugged it off and came at her with his fists! "You used me... Just to kidnap Rainbow! Then you used her sister to get to her!" he yelled as he threw punches at her, which she took through a dark energy shield, lessening the blow and adding to the dark energy making Punchy flicker. "Despair prays on...despair. That shouldn't be so surprising. Now, your rage shall lead to even greater despair!!" Fera declared, warping behind Punchy to pummel him with punches and kicks charged with darkness! He stumbled forward, and turned around with a red-eyed gaze. "Chaos BLAST!!" He fought back with a massive explosion of Chaos energy, resisting the urge to use the darkness his body was absorbing as much as possible. Fera was thrown back, but stopped in midair, using her dark powers to levitate. "Good... but you can do better!" she said, tossing balls of darkness toward him relentlessly! Punchy tried to evade them, but too many were coming, so he had to fight back. "Chaos Avalanche!!" he growled, using Chaos energy to pull up chunks of the ground and hurl them at the wolf! She warped safely away from the attack, but Punchy's body was starting to hold the black color, his green fur becoming more of a flicker. "Fera... NO!!!" Illusi shouted. "You gotta fight the darkness, One!" Rainbow cried. "Should we be... hiding?" Cream wondered nervously. Punchy charged at Fera, his fists flying at her furiously now that she was back on the ground. "Ooof... That's it!! Remember... I hurt your friends! Come at me with all your rage!" she grunted, seeming not to care about any injury she sustained. Punchy bashed her across the face, knocking her back and swiping the hair away from her normally covered right eye. The eyelid was sewn closed, and there was intensive scarring across the socket. Amy and Cream held their mouths, and others gasped upon seeing this. "...Human cruelty...has no limits. So my cruelty must also defy limits!!" she snarled, firing a massive beam of darkness directly into Punchy's chest! He groaned in pain, but the groan soon descended into demented laughter as his flickering ceased, and he fully transformed! "...Funny... I have a similar policy about MY cruelty!!" Dark Punchy roared.

Fera removed the dark barrier, grinning at her handiwork. "You're free now, dark one. Wreak your brand of cruelty on those wretches who dared contain you in that weak shell of an other self!" she commanded. Dark Punchy scowled at her. "Dark one?!" he snarled, rushing at her and catching her off guard, slamming her against the doorway! "Wh-wha!?" she stammered, firing jolts of dark lightning in an attempt to defend herself, but Dark Punchy simply absorbed them! "Never... call me... ONE!!!" he roared, smashing her across the face with a powerful, darkness-charged punch, rending her unconscious! Illusi staggered forward, turning completely pale. "My vision... No... It was unstoppable..." he mumbled as Dark Punchy lifted the unconscious Fera over his head. "Punch... Punchy, she's out...!" Copter stammered. "One, no!!" Rainbow cried. However, Dark Punchy ignored them, and slammed her against the wall once more before tossing her limp body down the nearby chasm! "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Illusi ran to the chasm and pointlessly extended his hand toward Fera, watching as she plummeted into the depths below. He started sobbing, but Dark Punchy wasn't through. "I should hurl you in there, too..." he growled. However, Rainbow stood in his way! "Enough, One!" she shouted. "I warned that wolf against calling me ONE!!" Dark Punchy roared, only to be slapped by a tailband-powered tail whip from Copter! "Back off, you! We're talking to Punchy, here!" he said, stepping beside Rainbow and taking her hand. Heather joined them, taking Rainbow's other hand, and Amy took her hand. "...What's this??" Dark Punchy grunted. "You can do it, Punchy!" Heather shouted. "Fight back, and free yourself!" Amy called. "Come back, Mr. Punchy!" Cream added, joining in. All of his friends started calling to him, chanting his name, showing that they still cared for him, in spite of everything. And Dark Punchy convulsed, as though pained by these words. He collapsed to the floor, and his color slowly reverted to green. "...So much for getting pardoned..." Punchy panted, staring at Copter. "You were not yourself." he replied. Team GeneX took the key fragments and went to open the door, while Razor stood beside Illusi. "...Are you all right?" he asked. "She's gone... It's too late..." he said, heartbroken, "I loved her as though she were my own child... How am I to go on now?" he whimpered, kneeling over the chasm on his hands and knees. A look of guilt passed over Punchy's face. "Let's...get outta here..." he winced. Silver led them through the door Team GeneX had opened, looking back at Illusi thoughtfully. "...War casts darkness on all our lives. We need to end this one before things get any darker..." he stated.

To be continued...