Sonic GeneX: Doomsday
Chapter 15 - Darkness in the Depths
Stage 8 - Wisp Mine

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


"Wake up, living day by day.
Do what I want, and I'll do it my way.
The world is flying right below my feet.
Got no regrets inside of me.
Not looking back!
Not giving up! 
Not letting go!
I'll keep on running!" - Reach for the Stars, Sonic Colors


Previously on GeneX…
After helping Sonic find his way to the GUN trucks in Central City, Knuckles and Violet set out in search of Chaos Emeralds, the best weapon they could think of to use against the Lost Ones.
They wound up at a mine run by Rotor the walrus. Wisps lived in the mine, making it a perfect place to harvest Hyper-go-on energy for Wispons. Knuckles could sense a Chaos Emerald in the mine as well, and confirming his senses were right, the Covenant of Despair arrived with plans to take the emerald.
Joined by Shade, Knuckles and Violet journeyed into the cavern, which had been transformed by the Wisp energy into a natural wonderland. To protect the Wisps, the echidnas fought off some Despair agents. Later, the Wisps helped the echidnas fight off Eddie and a Lost One-revived Corky.
Now, our tale continues...


Howler, the Darkseeker, had arrived in the mine. As he followed the tunnels, knowingly heading in the direction of Knuckles, he eventually came across the retreating Eddie and Corky. Even the undead Corky expressed shock to see the Darkseeker out and about. "B-b-boss! Yer here!" he stammered. Eddie clenched his fists. "Eee hee... What illusion is this? The Darkseeker is dead." he said warily. The hooded wolf snickered softly. "Edward... You should know I plan for every eventuality. The Despair Seal that Anubis was carrying had a piece of my soul bound to it. Yes, much like how Tikal's heart was bound to the Master Emerald...you're not supposed to know what I'm talking about there." he stated, "The Lost Ones recovered the Seal as well as my body." He lifted his robed arm, pulling back his sleeve to show the Despair Seal, "As long as I wear this seal, I am immortal. Remove it, though, and my rotting corpse reveals its true form. I have those echidnas to thank for this state of affairs... Needless to say, I'm disappointed you haven't killed them." he said with a growl. Corky recoiled and hid behind Eddie. He really wasn't keen on dying a second time, but the hyena had a bit more self-esteem. "Eeee hee hee... Nice story, boss. World's changed a bit since you've been gone, though. Wisps are like weird, living mini-Chaos Emeralds. Eee hee! And sadly we aren't versed in making them work for us!" he chuckled. Howler turned his back to them and raised his hands, pools of darkness appearing before him. "I have something from home that could prove useful here..." he said as shadowy claws reached out of the dark pools! Shadowy demons resembling Despair agents long since passed emerged from the pools, snarling viciously. "Go, my Demons. Find that Master Emerald guardian. I have business with Athair's heir!" he commanded, letting the demons speed into the caverns like shadows as Corky recoiled in fright! "Blimey... You still got it, boss!" the frog babbled.


Knuckles, Violet and Shade found another mine kart in the caverns. This one seemed to go through a rather long tunnel. "Alright, now, as much fun as walking has been... Come on! How can we not ride one of these?" Violet asked, tugging Knuckles' arm. "Now you're reminding me of your sister with that energy." Knuckles muttered as he was pulled along. Shade chuckled softly. "What's the matter, Knuckles? Don't like roller coasters?" she teased. The red echidna scoffed. "A mine kart is hardly a roller coaster." he said, climbing aboard after Violet. These karts weren't really designed to carry more than two people, but Shade sat herself next to Knuckles anyway. "Okay, uhh... Cast off!" Shade babbled. "That's boat lingo." Violet chuckled, finding a lever and pulling it to get the kart moving. It started off going at a fairly slow, relaxing pace, passing beautifully luminous mushrooms as it rolled through the tunnel. Shade yawned softly. "This is...nice..." she said, resting her head on Knuckles' shoulder. Both echidnas realized how closely they were positioned, and suddenly jolted, edging away and looked out the sides of the kart, their faces red with blush. "I...should be in front..." Knuckles babbled. "Nope, I was here first!" Violet teased. After a moment, though, she gasped and gripped the sides of the kart tightly. "I take it back, I wanna sit in the back!" she gulped. Before the others could question why, the kart zoomed down a steep drop, all of them screaming before the momentum carried them up a bit of a hill! Looking ahead, they could see a real roller coaster ride was in store for them! Knuckles and Shade barely realized that they were hugging one another in their panic. "Pull the brake, Violet, pull the brake!!" they both shouted. Violet attempted to as the kart was rolling down another steep incline...and it snapped off, failing to stop the kart. "Shoddy work, Rotor..." she whimpered.

As the mine kart zoomed out of control through the caves dimly lit by glowing mushrooms, Wisps watched them zip by with alarm. Still, Knuckles thought for a moment that they'd be okay, that they just needed a place to jump out. Then, he heard snarls and the sounds of claws against the walls behind them. Looking, he saw the shadowy demons based on deceased Despair agents that Howler had summoned, chasing after them by climbing and leaping along the very walls. And they were FAST! "Violet!! Why are those THINGS from Demon Island chasing us!?" Knuckles shouted. Violet looked back with alarm, yelped, and tried shooting a blast of dark energy at the demons as they chased after them! "Demon Island is gone, or so I thought, but who knows, the Lost Ones are bringing back everything horrible!" she shouted to answer Knuckles. The demons, many of whom looked like feral canines, were rapidly catching up to the speeding kart. Shade equipped the Chaos Gauntlets and pointed a fist towards the nearest one. "Monster, zombies, demons... Sometimes I think I should've stayed in the Twilight Cage!" she huffed, firing a bolt of chaos energy from her fist at one of the demons, knocking it off the wall! Knuckles turned his attention to the speeding kart while the girls were pelting the creatures with projectiles. "This doesn't seem like what the Chaos Claws were made for... but..." he murmured, jamming his claws into the wall in an attempt to slow the kart! It wasn't really working, it was just leaving claw marks in the wall. What was worse, was that the demons were grabbing on to the back of the kart! "Get off! Let go! Hey, didn't I know you?" Violet babbled, kicking at the clawed demon hands to try and knock them away. All the ruckus rocking the kart was making it start to jump the track. "Brace yourselves!! I think we're gonna crash!" Knuckles warned. "Ya think!?" Shade grunted, trying to punch a demon as it leapt on the wall right alongside the kart!

Popping out of the tunnel, the kart tumbled off the tracks, sending the echidnas inside flying off into the cavern beyond! They rolled into the dirt, groaning in pain, but none of them were badly injured. Knuckles lifted his head to see a blue glow near him. It wasn't a Wisp. "Th-the Chaos Emerald!" he gasped, grunting as he lifted himself to his knee, and glancing to see Violet and Shade starting to get up as well. He quickly grabbed the emerald, looking around. Wisps had surrounded them with concerned looks in their eyes, Yacker among them. "We're okay, don't worry..." Violet sighed to put the aliens at ease. "Might wanna get out of here, though. We've got demons on our heels..." Shade warned. As the demons leapt out of the tunnel, snarling at them, Yacker quickly said something to the other Wisps. They nodded, and formed a colorful wall around the echidnas, glowing with energy as they protected them! One of the demons hesitantly tried to attack the Wisp wall, but recoiled from the hyper-go-on energy swirling around them! "That's... Incredible!" Violet gasped, looking around as the colorful wall of aliens formed a perfect shield around them. "We can't just wait here for demons to decide to leave us alone, though. Hmm, maybe if I dig under the shield and take them off guard..." Knuckles murmured. However, before he could try it, a powerful attack pierced the shield and caused the Wisps to begin scattering! "Wh-what happened!?" Shade gasped. Knuckles raised his hands defensively as the dust was settling. "Something else is in the shadows!" he warned. Yacker stayed by their side, looking angry. The demons were bowing to whatever it was that had attacked from the shadows. A sinister laugh came from the darkness. "Those are Wisps? Pitiful aliens. They should have stayed in the stars where they belong..." said Howler as he stepped into the light, to the utter shock of the echidnas.

"It can't be!" Knuckles gasped. Another voice spoke from the shadows. "Bozos, anything's possible! RAWR!!" Stepping out of the darkness was a jet black dragon with glowing yellow eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. "I think some of you know Zeke," Howler said, "This is Xezek, the unchained darkness within him. The Lost Ones were kind enough to provide me with his assistance." Violet scoffed at this. "So, you're just a Lost One like Corky!" she guessed. Howler laughed softly. "No, no, my dear descendant of Radia. I am as you knew me...my immortality merely comes from another source now. So, nice try, descendant of Athair, but I am back to finish what I started. I will purge all life...even if it means feeding them to the Lost Ones. Yes, my goals are aligned with those beasts." he said with a dark smirk. Knuckles started to charge at Howler. "Immortal or not, I'll stop you!!" he shouted, only for Xezek to get in his way, smacking the echidna back with just a flick of his broad wing! Angry, Yacker flew past Xezek to try something, but Howler simply grabbed the Wisp in his clutches! "Disgusting tentacled thing... So much tolerance in this world now. It makes you weak! Witness what allowing these freaks to come to roost in our world will wreak upon you!!" the Darkseeker snarled, holding up Yacker tight in his clutches, the Wisp shutting his eye tight and crying out in pain as dark energy coursed through his body! "What are you doing to him!!" Violet shouted, trying to charge at him herself only to find demons in her way! Shade had been observing this the whole time, and finally started to launch chaos bolts from her gauntlets at the demons and Xezek! "I have no clue what the history is here, but you're gonna let the Wisp go!!" she yelled. Howler held up his other hand, dark sparks crackling from it in a threatening manner. "By all means, Nocturnus echidna, come and get me! I thought your kind was gone, how thrilling that I can snuff you out myself!" he taunted.

Howler held up the hand clutching Yacker, and the Wisp levitated over it in a vortex of darkness. He was focused on what he was doing to the Wisp, so this should have been their chance to attack him. Unfortunately, Xezek and the demons stood in their way. Shade went straight for the snarling canine demon directly in her path, punching it directly with the Chaos Gauntlets using all her might! With a burst of light, the demon shrieked and faded into nothing. "Seems I need a direct hit to take out these things..." she said, recalling how little her earlier attacks seemed to do. Violet's power WAS darkness, unfortunately, and she couldn't do much of anything but warp away from the demons. "Well, you hurry and get those direct hits!" she shouted as she was being chased. Knuckles decided to put his focus squarely on Howler, but Xezek was still blocking his way. "So, you're a Dark? Gonna crumble like Dark Copter did after a little roughing up?" Knuckles smirked. Xezek responded by blowing fire in his direction, forcing Knuckles to dive out of the way! "Look, this isn't anything personal. All we Darks want is a little respect... And we'll break you down to get it! RAWR!!" the dragon roared, swooping after Knuckles and blowing more flames at him! Knuckles leapt to one side, and Xezek created dark purple flames in his hands, tossing it as fireballs to add more pressure! He was running out of options, so Knuckles dove into the dirt ground, drilling in with the Chaos Claws! Xezek landed by the hole and peered in. "It's about to get hot in there!" he snarled, blowing fire right down into the hole! Knuckles burst out of the ground behind him, however, and slashed his back with the Chaos Claws! "Yaaaaargh!!" Xezek yowled, the wound glowing. He staggered to his knees, and Knuckles turned his attention to Howler...but it was too late. The dark energy around Yacker subsided, and what was left was an angry-looking Black Wisp! "Dear me, Xezek... It seems you require assistance. Here...TAKE THIS!!" Howler shouted, hurling the Black Wisp towards the wounded dragon!

The echidnas watched with alarm. Xezek yowled and snarled, his body enveloped in black and purple energy. He went into an unstable Wisp transformation, his form flickering and morphing in midair, leaving only his wings attached as a constant! Knuckles backed away from this Black Beast, unsure what to do about it. "I'll leave you with the dragon, then. Once I've gathered some more aliens to experiment with, I'll check back to pry the emerald and Chaos Relics from your corpses..." Howler taunted, retreating into the cave with a laugh. Violet and Shade ran up to where Knuckles was standing, looking up at the morphing dragon with concern. "That alien...Yacker... He's trapped in that thing!" Shade stammered. The Black Beast seemed to hear her. It shifted into a black EAGLE style form, soaring towards her, only to turn and whip a broad tail at the unprepared echidna, sending her soaring across the cavern and knocking her head into the wall! "Shade!!" Knuckles cried, dashing over to her with Violet. "She's unconscious..." Violet gasped, unsure if she should even move Shade in her condition. However, she took the Chaos Gauntlets from her. "What are you doing?!" Knuckles stammered. "If she's down for the count, I'd better be ready to pick up the slack!" Violet pointed out. There was no time to talk it over, as they heard the Black Beast shriek behind them with an otherworldly voice. It was suddenly shifting into a black hole, a VOID pulling in the remaining demons in the room! It also started to pull the echidnas! Thinking fast, Knuckles dug his Chaos Claws into the air as he was pulled along, releasing one hand from the invisible grip in order to grab Violet, who in turn grabbed the unconscious Shade! The demons were devoured by the black hole, and after a moment, the Black Beast began to change form again. "How can we stop this thing?" Knuckles wondered.

Violet warped Shade a safe distance away, leaving Knuckles alone with the beast for a moment. It leapt around the cave like a strange, winged energy snake, and Knuckles watched carefully to see what it would do. Its body concentrated into a LASER beam, shooting at the echidna fast! Knuckles quickly raised his golden claws to block the laser, reflecting it into the roof of the cave! "Unpredictable and seemingly intangible... Well, can't say that, I just deflected it..." he grunted, looking around for the Black Beast again. "Knuckles, look out above you!" he heard Violet shout. The beast was crashing down as a heavy CUBE, barely giving Knuckles time to run out of the way! As Knuckles staggered away from the mini-quake that surrounded the cube when it crashed down, Violet ran in close to try and punch it with the Chaos Gauntlets! The cube seemingly shattered; However, a gray QUAKE sphere crashed out of it, rolling towards Knuckles! He turned quickly and stabbed his claws against the rolling iron ball, his feet creating a pad in the dirt as it pushed him back! Violet smacked the sphere with the gauntlets from the other side, and the sphere began to crack. Screeching, the Black Beast turned back into energy, and then BURST into flames, its fiery form resembling a dragon! Violet warped for cover while Knuckles ran from the blazing, speeding dragon! "I think the Chaos Relics almost work! They need more power!" he shouted. Violet took off the gauntlets and tossed them in Knuckles' direction. "Combine their power!" she shouted. The Black Beast heard her voice, turned and opened a VOID in its chest, attempting to pull her in like the demons! "Yaaah!! H-hurry!!" Violet cried, fighting against the pull of the void! Knuckles raced for the gauntlets, and also produced the Chaos Emerald. "I wonder if they'll work together..." he murmured. He heard Violet shriek, so he hurried up and took off the Chaos Claws, slipping on the gauntlets and then the claws over them. He turned to the beast, focusing all the energy he now commanded. "All right... Take...THIS!!" he shouted, punching his fists toward the beast as he clutched the Chaos Emerald. Massive bursts of bright gold energy shot from his fists, crashing into the Black Beast and making it wail in pain! Knuckles finished it up by slashing with the claws, sending beams in the shape of slashes crashing through the Black Beast!

As the dust settled, Yacker popped out of Xezek, the black color fading from his body. Xezek himself collapsed to the floor on his stomach, the slash on his back from before looking worse, glowing brighter. Violet pumped her fist in victory. "Oh, yeah! My idea! Who's a genius!" she cheered, "Oh! Shade!" she gasped, rushing to check on her. In the meantime, Knuckles pulled off the Chaos Relics he was wearing. "Well, I'm not sure how much the emerald contributed there...but that sure worked." he muttered. Shade opened her eyes groggily and looked around. "Huh... Guys... Ah! P-pachacamac, stay away!!" she gasped. The others looked to see the Darkseeker returning from the shadows with his hood on. He removed the hood to reveal that he was indeed still Howler. "Wrong Darkseeker, girl. Honestly, he was a false Darkseeker as far as I'm concerned. I think the Lost Ones only told me about him to taunt me." he grumbled. Xezek looked up and reached a hand to Howler. "P-please...help me!" he grunted. The wolf kicked his hand away. "My hands are full." he sneered, lifting a capsule full of trapped Wisps! Yacker looked in his direction and shouted angrily. "I can't understand you, pest. I'm going to take your fellow aliens and fine-tune the transformation so I can have the perfect soldiers..." Howler announced. Knuckles looked at Xezek and then at Howler. "Your friend there will die if you don't help him!" he shouted. Howler scoffed. "All beings are merely my tools. Be they dark shadows or aliens, I care not what happens to a tool. As long as my goals are met. Try to help him if you choose, hero..." he said with a chuckle, escaping into the shadows with the Wisp capsule. Before anyone could chase after him, a blast of darkness struck the cave exit he'd gone through, causing it to cave in! Howler must have had another way out beside the main entrance. The echidnas looked to Xezek, but Violet frowned. "I don't know how to save him, and I'm the closest we have to a magic expert here." she said. The dragon coughed and nodded. "Time to... return to... the darkness..." he sighed, his body fading away into nothingness before their eyes. Xezek was gone.


The echidnas made their way back to the entrance, bidding a bittersweet farewell to Yacker. They wanted to promise they'd get the Wisps back, but between Howler and the Lost Ones, who was to say the Wisps would even survive? At any rate, they found Rotor and Dulcy waiting for them. "Now, this dragon, I'm happy to see..." Shade sighed. "Gee, thank you." Dulcy murmured. "You all look miserable," Rotor observed, "Didn't get the emerald?" he asked. Knuckles held up the blue gem. "Got it, but lost a bunch of Wisps. Hey, did you have a sinister-looking capsule in there?" he asked. Rotor rubbed his head. "It was for containing Nega Wisps. Eggman transformed them. I was working on a cure." he explained. Violet nodded. "At least you treat Wisps with respect...unlike some who only view them as weapons." she stated. Before they could relax much, the echidnas could hear Tails on their comms. "Hello? Come in! Over!" the fox called. "Yeah, yeah, we're here, Tails! Got a Chaos Emerald! What's up?" Knuckles asked. "That's great!" Tails said, "And I got more good news! We got help tracking down my...uh...son." he said with an awkward chuckle, "Feels weird having a son." Shade made a confused face as she listened to this, but Knuckles and Violet were already up to speed on Tails' son, Skye. "That's great! Uh... Who's helping with that in all this mess?" Knuckles asked. Tails chuckled softly. "Well, uh... Your daughter." As Knuckles eyes widened, Rotor turned to Dulcy. "Kinda wish I knew what they were talking about..." he whispered. Tails continued. "But, uh, yeah, we may have found him! We're getting a gang together to take on the Lost Ones head on and rescue him! This could deal a heavy blow to their forces! You with us?" he asked. Knuckles held his head. "I have a...daughter? Huh? Uh, I mean... Ha! You bet I'll be there! Point us at those creeps!" he laughed, pumping his fist excitedly. Violet turned to Rotor. "Thanks for all your help. I'd suggest getting in touch with the old Freedom Fighters, we could use all the power we could get!" she told him. Rotor crossed his arms. "Yeah, power... That's me... Well, guess I could give Chuck a call." he murmured. Saying their goodbyes, the echidnas started on their way back to the city to meet up with Tails and the others. They might be a bit late, but they wouldn't miss this fight for the world!

To be continued...