GeneX - Entering Despair
Chapter 4 - The First Mission

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:
Violet the Echidna, filled with a powerful hatred of humanity, has joined the Covenant of Despair, and completed basic training, befriending Daisy the Skunk and Simon the Gecko along the way. Meanwhile, the covenant is searching for secret items that were supposed to be part of the hidden weapon shipment they seized recently. In the city, Razor the Porcupine, with help from Guard the Gargoyle and Sgt. Gunner's personal Spy, has managed to link the covenant to the theft of the weapons. But Chief Paynson of the Troblusk City police is hiding something...
Now, on to the next chapter!

It was another dark Tuesday morning in Troblusk City. After spending an entire day and night at Despair Castle, Violet found herself back in the familiar surroundings of the streets near her home. Joining her was Daisy and Simon, who were going to help her gather her things to be moved to her new home within the covenant's castle. As they reached the building containing Violet's apartment, they found objects being thrown out of her window! "Whoa, looks like somebody's mad at somebody..." Daisy observed. "That's my stuff!" Violet shouted, running over to find a pile of junk below the window. "Better get up there and try to save something, then..." Simon suggested. Violet ran into the building, with Daisy and Simon following, and soon made it to the door to her apartment, which was wide open! Inside, Violet found her landlord stepping out of her bedroom carrying a bundle of her clothes. "Made it back, eh? Well, that's good; I can say this to your face! You've been late with the rent for the last time! So, you're outta here!!" he shouted, tossing Violet's clothes out the window! "Hey! I was right here! You could've handed that to me!" Violet shouted, furious. The old landlord walked over and pushed her back out the door, right into Simon and Daisy! "You had your chance, furball! I've been a bit too generous with you for way too long! Now, you run out under the window and CATCH your junk!" he snarled, slamming the door in Violet's face! "Now what?" Daisy wondered. Violet was growling hatefully at this treatment. She had to make him pay! Using the dark magic she learned from Fera, she created two balls of dark energy in her hands and used them to blast the door off its hinges! The old landlord turned to Violet in a fury. "What the hell are you doing, freak!?" he yelled. Violet's eyes seemed to be emitting dark energy as her hands began sparking with darkness. "You called me a freak?" she said angrily. The landlord kicked a chair out of his way. "That's right! Freak! You owe me a new door now!" he shouted. Violet responded by shooting black lightning through the room, which slammed the old man into the wall! Violet began stepping towards him, when Simon grabbed her by the arm. "That's enough, Violet! Let's go, before someone calls the police on us!" he pleaded. The dark energy coming from Violet subsided as she realized Simon was right. "Yeah, we've got other things to do today..." Daisy muttered as they turned to leave. "D-don't let me catch you back here, freak..." the landlord said weakly. Violet didn't bother trying to take anything with her as they left. Her old life didn't mean so much to her anyway, and she felt it was better left forgotten.


At the Troblusk police station, Colonel Thade and Sergeant Gunner were preparing to leave for the nearest GUN base. Thade had called Razor and Chief Paynson together. "Chief, I'm ordering this officer here to keep an eye on you. The Covenant of Despair targeted you once, and it is likely that you will be targeted again. I'm sure officer Razor will be up to the task of keeping you safe." he told them. Razor saluted the colonel. "Yes, sir! It is an honor to be chosen, sir!" he said. Not far away, Gunner was giving Guard new orders. "All right, Guard, listen up! The Covenant of Despair has been allowed to come and go as they please for far too long! I'm ordering you to locate their headquarters so we can put a stop to their plans before it's too late! Understood!?" he growled. Guard looked a bit unsure. "Grrrr.... Yes, but it won't be easy. Grrrr... I likely won't return for some time." he said. "You'll be faster than me!" Spy noted. Gunner glared at Guard. "I don't care how easy it is! Get it done, and get it done fast! Now, move!!" he shouted, prompting Guard to exit the police station. Thade walked past Gunner at this moment. "Let's get going, Sergeant." he said. Paynson followed them. "W-wait, colonel! I protest! You can't leave me in the hands of this animal! He's only working here because the Commissioner insisted we have at least one animal officer!" he said nervously. Gunner and Thade stopped to speak to Paynson. "I agree, colonel. A human would probably be more appropriate..." said Gunner. Thade smiled at Paynson. "He helped save your life once already, and you still don't trust him? Listen, stick with him. It might be good for you. You might learn something." he insisted. "But, colonel!!" both Gunner and Paynson whined. "My orders stand. Trust my judgment on this. I'm not saying any more." Thade said before exiting the station with Gunner and Spy behind. Razor stepped beside Paynson. "Don't worry, sir. You're in good hands!" he said. Paynson looked worried. "This week just keeps getting worse..."


Violet, Daisy, and Simon had another job to do in Troblusk City. They'd been assigned their first mission, and were discussing it near the construction site, since Violet knew it was a good enough place for the mobsters to make plans at. "So, we gotta capture the chief of police and bring him to Troblusk Plateau. Sounds like a tough job. Why are we the only ones in charge of it?" Daisy wondered. "There're probably more important jobs that more experienced agents are working on." Violet reasoned, "After all, what important info could that fat old monster know, anyway?" Simon held a bag he'd been given by Fera and peeked inside it. "Well, I think we have a plan. I'll create a... disturbance, and draw out all the police near the chief. Then, you two should be able to make your move." he suggested. "Won't you get arrested?" Daisy said with concern. "It's a possibility, but at least THESE cops will only imprison me. Don't worry, I won't tell 'em anything." Simon told them. Violet thought about the plan. "I'll get us all out okay. I can use my dark magic!" she realized. Simon nodded. "Right, but just remember, the mission comes first! Now, let's get moving!" he said. As the three of them started to leave, a strange man with blue hair wearing an alligator costume peered out from inside the construction site. He was holding a hot dog. "Gee, I finally find a peaceful place to eat, and bad guys come and mess up my appetite... Wait, there it is!" he said, quickly eating the entire hot dog. "Yummy! Now, Gator better think... What to do..." Gator stepped out of the construction site and paced around, thinking. "Aha! I got it! If I tell someone and help save the chief, I'll be a hero, and maybe they'll forgive me for forgetting to pay for that hot dog! Brilliant! Away I goes!!" he said with glee, teleporting away in a puff of smoke!


Troblusk Plateau was a small mountain just outside of the city that could easily be climbed. From its peak, one could see the entire city. There, Fera the Wolf and Mitch the Weasel were waiting for Violet, Daisy, and Simon to arrive. Mitch lit a cigarette as he gazed out at the dark, dirty city below. "Y'know, Fera, I don't think that police chief is gonna have any more information for us. I think we know enough to complete the next mission, anyhow." he said. Fera snatched the cigarette away from Mitch. "It disgusts me to see you smoking, Mitch! Do you wish you were a human?" she growled. "Only if it means I can smoke." Mitch grumbled. Fera crossed her arms. "I'm your superior now, you know. Don't take that tone with me! Anyway, I'm sure this mission won't be a total waste. I've got some questions for that chief that he might be able to answer. Besides, this will be a good test for our new recruits." she reasoned. Mitch chuckled. "I knew it. This is just another training exercise... Still thinkin' like a Huntress, Fera?" he asked. The rank of Hunter within the Covenant of Despair was responsible for finding and training new recruits. Fera scoffed at Mitch. "There are no small missions, only small agents." she said. Suddenly, the smell of smoke filled the air around them. Mitch looked around. "Did you start a fire with my cigarette?" he asked. Smoke obscured their vision, but Fera didn't even move. "Come out, Anubis. You don't need a smokescreen here." she said. The smoke, as though in response to Fera's words, quickly subsided, revealing a black and brown jackal approaching from behind Fera and Mitch. "I bring news. There has been a sighting." said Anubis. Fera and Mitch turned to face him. Fera looked a bit intrigued. "A sighting? Is it..." she said, trailing off. Anubis guessed what she was asking about and shook his head. "No, not that. One of the GeneX Experiments has been sighted in the city. They could be powerful allies... or enemies. I know from experience." he snarled, recalling his defeat at the hands of Punchy and Rainbow. He had managed to fool them into thinking he had died, but he never forgot that day. Fera looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm not a Huntress anymore, but I suppose I should look into this. You'll be OK on your own, won't you, Mitch?" she asked. Mitch frowned. "Infin! You're supposed to call me Infin!" he groaned. Fera handed Mitch a paper. "Ask the chief about this stuff. We'll see you later." she said, following Anubis away. Mitch lit another cigarette once they were gone. "At least she's off my case..." he muttered to himself.


Violet, Daisy, and Simon were not far from the police station now. It was almost time to put their plan to work. "All right, get going, ladies. It's about to get very loud out here..." Simon said. Violet and Daisy immediately began running towards the police station so that they would be ready once the police came out. Once Simon saw that they were safely hidden near the entrance to the police station, he made his move! Reaching into the bag Fera had given him, Simon pulled out a hand grenade! "All right, United Federation, ready to see what your tax dollars pay for?" he muttered. The grenades were among the weapons stolen at the museum robbery two days before! Simon pulled the pin out of the one in his hand and tossed it at a car parked nearby! As the car exploded, Simon chuckled to himself. "That's what you get for being illegally parked!" he shouted, tossing another grenade at another car! Civilians began running in panic from the explosions as Simon continued wreaking havoc in the area! Soon, police began scrambling out of the station, hoping to take control of the situation!

The explosions got the attention of more than just the police, though. Copter the Fox, who had arrived in Troblusk City earlier that morning, ran towards the loud noises he heard, and found the police station, with cops scrambling out the door. "Geez, I should probably be running the other way..." he said, worried that the police might come after him. After all, he was still a fugitive. Glancing down the street, Copter saw Simon using grenades to repel the police. "Well, I WAS bored... But this looks more like a job for Sonic." he said, glancing back at the station. In front of the station, he saw Violet and Daisy who, like Simon, were wearing uniforms of the Covenant of Despair. "Oh, that guy's just a diversion... Interesting. But am I bored enough to check it out..." Copter squinted at Violet as she and Daisy entered the police station. "Well, this is weird. She kinda looks like Rainbow! Just... less colorful. Consider me curious..."

Razor was the only police officer to remain inside the station with Chief Paynson. "What in the world do you think is going on out there?" Razor wondered. Paynson scoffed at the question. "Just some nut, I'll bet." he said. As Violet and Daisy entered, Razor recognized their uniforms based on the description Spy had given of Infin's uniform! "Heya, chief! You're coming with us!" Daisy announced. "Not if I can help it!" Razor shouted, pointing his gun at them! "You don't want to be doing that..." Violet warned. "Yes, you do! Shoot them!" Paynson shouted. Razor didn't stop pointing the gun, but didn't fire either. "Hands on your heads! Right now!" he ordered. Violet responded by tossing balls of dark energy at Razor, knocking him across the room! With no one left in their way, Violet and Daisy approached the chief. "Now, come quietly, or else!" Violet threatened. "T-take it easy, miss. The other officers will be back any minute!" Paynson said with uncertainty. "Hello, what have we here?" came a voice at the entrance! Violet and Daisy turned around to find Copter standing in the doorway. "Now, what's all this? Trying to get payback for a few parking tickets? What's going on?" he asked. Violet raised a fist covered in dark energy at Copter. "Stay out of it, pal! No need for a fur to get hurt defending a human!" she warned. Copter crossed his arms. "Hurt? Defend who? Look, I came in late. The least you could do is bring me up to speed. What, am I in your way? Heh, look, don't threaten people you don't know..." he said, only to find Daisy approaching him with a katana. "Look, we don't have time for unwanted guests! So, take this!" As Daisy attacked Copter with the sword, he flew over her head, causing her to miss! "Let's try this another way. I'm Copter the Fox! Now, traditionally, you should give me your name, next!" Copter said as he landed back on the ground. "E-experiment 2!" shouted a dazed Razor, who was just making his way back to the area. Copter turned to face him, squinting. "Huh...? Oh, you again!? What are you, EVERYWHERE!?" he shouted, frustrated at running into the same police officer for the third time in a different city. This served as enough distraction for Violet and Daisy to reach Chief Paynson and grab him! Realizing they'd never make it out the door, Violet tried plan B. She focused her inner darkness to conceal all three of them and warp away!

Violet, Daisy, and Chief Paynson reappeared outside, near Simon, who found himself targeted by a large amount of police weapons. As Paynson appeared in front of them, the police lowered their weapons. "No, stop, you fools! Shoot these kidnappers! Help!!" Paynson yelled. Simon aimed a gun that was also in the bag at Paynson. "Sure you want them to risk it, chief?" he asked. Daisy waved at the police officers. "So long, scumbags! It's been real!" she said. Violet motioned for Simon to come closer so she could warp them all away. "Enjoy the world while it's yours, humans, because the Covenant of Despair will bring your rule to an end soon!" she declared as she used her dark magic to warp the four of them away! Razor and Copter exited the police station just in time to see them warp. "Shoot, I'll have to let you go again, experiment! I gotta try to save the chief!" Razor shouted, running for his car, which was parked nearby. He pressed some buttons below a screen in his car to display a map of the city. "Good thing I had the foresight to plant a tracking device on his person!" he said to himself as he began to drive away. Copter growled as he watched Razor leave. "Sure, he gets to have all the fun! Well, I think I'd like to have a word with those mannerless maniacs!" he said, pulling out the Hurricane Remote. "Too bad I have no idea how to find them..." Suddenly, a puff of purple smoke appeared nearby, with Gator emerging from it! "Aha! Mr. Prower! I've been looking for you, Chomper!" he said, running over to Copter, who rolled his eyes at his sudden appearance. "What do you want, Gat- I mean- captain?" he asked as the Hurricane appeared overhead. Gator looked a bit flustered, like he didn't know where to start. "What was it, what... Oh, yeah! There's these bad guys who are gonna kidnap the mayor! No, wait... The hot dog vendor? Naw..." he said quickly, failing to gather his thoughts. Copter groaned at him, guessing what he was trying to say. "The police chief? Too late, Gator! They already captured him!" he said. Gator kicked the Hurricane in frustration as it landed. "Dang it! Now we'll never find them before they get to that play-dough place! And... OW, my foot!!" he said, hopping around holding the foot that didn't hit the Hurricane. Copter scratched his head. "Play-dough...? Hmmm..." he muttered, reaching for a map he left on the Hurricane's seat the last time he used it. "Ah! Do you mean Troblusk Plateau? Thanks, Gator!" As he hopped into the Hurricane, Gator waved to him. "Bye, swabbie! Bring back pie!" he said as the Hurricane flew off. Suddenly, Gator noticed all the police around. "Uh, oh... Someone told them about that hot dog! I'm outta here!! Bwaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" he screamed, running away.


Violet, Simon, Daisy, and Paynson emerged a good distance away from the police station, but close enough that the people in the area were hiding, due to fear of the explosions that had been going off. Simon pulled ropes out of the bag and began to tie up the chief. "You really should have listened to me that night, chief." Violet said angrily. The chief squinted at her a moment, and then seemed to remember her. "Oh, you! You actually JOINED the covenant? It was they that robbed the museum!" he told her. Violet glared at him. "Maybe they did. So? What were weapons doing in the museum anyway? They sure don't seem like artifacts!" she said. Daisy nodded in agreement. "You humans are all alike! All sneaky and violent! How do you like your own junk used against you?" she growled. Paynson was desperately trying to think of a way to get them to reconsider this. "W-wait! Listen! There's more! It was them! The covenant! They told me not to listen to you! They paid me to look the other way a lot, and they had me ignore you that night! Them!" he told them. Simon had finished tying him up by now. "What's this joker going on about?" he wondered. Violet scoffed. "It doesn't matter. Whatever the covenant did, I doubt they would have allowed what you did! Your men, they came after me! They... They tried to kill me! I swear, if they hadn't found something else to do, they would have!" she yelled. Daisy looked disgusted with what she heard. "Always with the killing, eh, you hairless monkeys! I wish we could just tear you apart right now!" she shouted. Simon tried to quiet them down. "Shhhh!! We can't do that, remember the mission! And don't let any cops hear us!" he warned. Suddenly, a police car siren was heard coming towards them! Razor's car was rapidly approaching, and soon stopped in front of them! Razor hopped out of the car and pointed his gun at them. "For crying out loud, freeze! I won't let you get away with this!" he shouted. Violet started to warp them away again. "You're going to have to! I may not be able to warp far yet, but it's still going to be enough that you won't be able to catch us!" she exclaimed. Razor attempted to stop them by shooting at Violet, but they were already gone by the time his bullet reached them. "Blast! This is just not my day!!" he shouted, running back to his car.


As Mitch waited at the Troblusk Plateau, and lit another cigarette, a black and red plane could be seen heading his way. Mitch glanced up at it and grinned, not bothering to try running away. "Not a cop. I wonder who this is?" he said to himself as the Hurricane passed overhead. The plane continued flying straight as Copter dropped down from the sky and landed in front of Mitch, who had already pulled out a gun. "Ain't ya gonna lose your plane that way?" he asked. Copter shrugged. "Who needs it. Anyway, have you seen an echidna, skunk, or lizard?" he replied. "Gecko." Mitch corrected. Copter pointed at the gun in Mitch's hand. "Bad time for visitors? Why be all cowardly like that, anyway? You in a hurry?" Mitch lowered the gun, then blew some smoke from his cigarette. "Can't be too careful around this neighborhood. Hey, it's pretty cool that you found me. I wonder... Would you be interested in joinin' the Covenant of Despair? We could use a resourceful fella like you." he said. Copter grabbed the cigarette away from him, prompting Mitch to point his gun again. "Give it back!" he threatened. "Hey, I'm just looking out for your health, pal. By the way, what exactly is this covenant? What's it all about? And why did you kidnap the police chief?" Copter asked. Mitch grabbed the cigarette back from Copter, who didn't bother to fight over it. "Addicted, eh?" Copter said. Mitch continued pointing his gun at Copter. "You ask a lotta questions. Just why do you care?" he wondered. Copter grinned at him. "I don't. I'm just really, really bored lately." Suddenly, Violet, Simon, Daisy, and Paynson appeared nearby, immediately drawing Copter and Mitch's attention! "Ah, good, you're all here! Listen, could youse see that this guy's comfy while I ask the chief a couple questions?" Mitch instructed. Violet pointed at Copter with surprise. "You again!?" she yelled. Daisy pulled out her katana again. "What is your DEAL!?" she growled. Simon picked up a grenade from his bag. "Last one. Lucky you!" he said. Copter waved to the covenant members. "Hi. I'm still waiting for those names! Oh, but there are new people here, so I'll start again. I'm Copter, and you all are?" In response, Simon tossed the grenade at Copter, who flew over it and allowed it to fall over the edge of the plateau, exploding in the air! "Argh! He's just like Tails!" Simon observed. "Let's get him!" Daisy shouted, leading the charge! As the three of them rushed at Copter, Mitch was holding the gun against Paynson's head, asking questions. Paynson was utterly terrified. "All right! I'll tell you all I know! Just... Stop pointing that gun at me!" he whimpered. "That's a good big boy. OK, I'm all ears..." Mitch replied.

Copter's style of fighting was not something the new covenant members were used to, and Violet wasn't even used to fighting at all. Still, with her dark magic, she fared better than Simon, who Copter managed to knock down with a Tailband of Chaos powered tail whip! "Simon!!" Daisy shouted. "Relax, he'll be fine. He just might take a while to get back up..." Copter assured them. Daisy glared at Copter and came at him with her katana! She kept swinging it at him, ensuring that though he could dodge it, he couldn't counterattack easily. "Geez, all I did was ask your names... I wonder what happens if I ask something really personal!" Copter joked. Violet was ready to join the fight, but was suddenly called by Mitch. "Violet! Over here!" Hearing the name, Copter jumped away from Daisy and towards Simon. "OK, he's Simon, she's Violet... Now, who are you?" he asked. Daisy pointed the katana at Copter. "I'm Daisy, and I will tear you apart if you don't get away from Simon!" she warned. "All right, whatever..." Copter said, stepping away from Simon and focusing on the enemy in front of him. Meanwhile, Mitch tossed his gun to Violet. "I've got all the info we need outta this guy. He's outlived his usefulness now. So, since you're not busy, why don't you finish him off?" he said, telling more than asking. Violet walked over to Paynson with the gun. "H-hey, wait! I told you what you needed to know! S-stop!" Paynson pleaded. Violet pointed the gun at Paynson. Now was her chance for revenge on him. However, she hesitated. She'd caused quite a bit of damage so far, but she hadn't actually killed anyone yet. She stood there shakily. This man might be vile, but it was still a life. Did she really have a right to take that life? She thought about her parents. "I... I can't do it..." she thought. Mitch was growing impatient. "Come on. He's a human. He deserves it. You can't fight 'em if you're gonna have a weak stomach. Do it!" he ordered. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard, but it wasn't from Violet's gun! Mitch fell over suddenly, grabbing his foot, which had been shot. "Son of a... Aaaaah!!!" he yelled! Violet pointed the gun at the shooter. It was Razor! "Listen! Put the gun down! I got backup on the way!" he warned. Hearing this, Violet dropped the gun and turned to Simon, who was just standing back up. Daisy was still fighting Copter, but Copter grew impatient at the sight of Razor. "Gotta go, Daisy! Chaos Whirlwind!" he shouted, knocking Daisy towards Violet with a chaotic wind! Copter then used the Hurricane remote to call back his plane. Daisy stood up and ran to Simon, helping him over to Violet. "Remember the mission, Vy! Get the chief!" she shouted. Violet glanced from the chief to Mitch. "We don't need the chief. Just the info he gave us." she reasoned, running towards Mitch. Daisy and Simon followed her, and in a moment, she warped them all away! Razor sighed and pointed his gun at Copter. "I knew they'd do that, but I can still catch you!" he shouted. Copter backed towards the edge of the plateau. "You could, but I kinda just helped buy you time to save your big fat boss. I think you owe me." he said, jumping off the edge and landing on the Hurricane, which he'd called to that area using the remote! As Copter flew away, Razor didn't bother shooting at him. "Plane probably would've crashed into civilians if I did anything, eh, chief?" he reasoned, rushing over to untie Paynson. The chief stood up and saluted Razor. "You... You saved me again... Without the GUN agents watching... I guess I was wrong about you! I'm sorry to have doubted you. I promise, I won't make the same mistakes again! I'm going to change my ways, and together, we'll put an end to crime, and to the Covenant of Despair!" he said, shaking hands with Razor, who smiled back at him. Paynson seemed to be sincere, so Razor felt he'd won a small victory after all. "That's great, chief! Now, let's get back to the city! After all, we're still on duty!"

To be continued...    ...    ...    ...    BZZ BVZZZ ZZZT!!!


Back at Despair Castle, a meeting was taking place at the throne room deep inside. A figure cloaked with a black hood with red stripes sat upon the throne, glowing red eyes gazing at a pair of Agents of Despair approaching him. One was a blue hyena with a big, crazed grin. The other was a canine with a grayish blue fur color, black ears, and a uniform with a blue star. His bored, droopy-looking eyes were made terrifying by the red glow they sported. The cloaked figure on the throne spoke first. "Has there yet been a sighting?" his voice boomed. The canine shook his head. "Not the sort we've been waiting for." he said. "Eeee hee hee! Some of our new recruits have run afoul of the GeneX Experiment that unleashed it." the hyena reported. The red eyes of the cloaked figure narrowed ever so slightly. "That is intriguing, Eddie. Keep me apprised, and keep a vigilant eye for any sightings of that which emerged from the Shrine." he said. "Do you believe the experiment could be an ally?" the canine asked. "All furries are my allies, Basker... I need only understand how to use them..." the hooded figure mused. "Eeee hee! Eloquently put, master!" Eddie chuckled. With a gesture toward the door, the hooded figure dismissed Basker and Eddie, and as they waked out of the throne room, he sat with his fingers tented and a ponderous expression on his face. "We'll meet soon enough... 'Copter'..."

To be continued...