Chapter 1 - Paranormal Chaos

GeneX - Nightmare Zone: Act IV
Paranormal Chaos

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.
Princess Sally, Antoine, and related non-Sega characters are (c) DiC and Archie comics.

There are many dimensions in the multiverse. All of them are filled with both good and evil. The planet Mobius, nestled in the dimension of GeneX Spectre, had long been dominated by darkness. The evil Dr. Robotnik had used his sinister technology to conquer much of the planet, leaving only small groups of Freedom Fighters to oppose him. Though Robotnik usually transformed his victims into robots using a machine called the roboticizor, he often saw fit to simply have many of his enemies executed. As the death toll increased, the dead began to grow angry. Enraged spirits popped up throughout Robotnik's empire. These spirits saw no friends, and frequently directed their rage at both Robotnik's forces and the Freedom Fighters. Finally, the Freedom Fighters had had enough. A special division was formed within the Freedom Fighters, charged with the task of stopping the ghostly rampage. Dubbed the "Phantom Fighters," these heroes used a special device designed by Knothole Village's resident genius, Rotor the Walrus. This device was capable of capturing and containing ghosts! One day, while Rotor was busy tinkering in his workshop, his occasional assistant, Antoine D'Coolette, stumbled into the room, his nose buried in a copy of "The Knothole Times," the Freedom Fighter's newspaper. "The nerves of that Sonic Hedgehog... Taking from me all the credits for Robotnik's de-feets!" he muttered before tripping over some scrap metal Rotor had left on the floor. "Ooof! Oh my..." Rotor looked up from what he was doing. "What's up, Antoine?" he asked. Antoine climbed to his feet and cleared his throat, but didn't get to say anything before Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Bunnie Rabbot, Rainbow the Echidna, and Princess Sally all charged into the room. Sonic grabbed the newspaper from Antoine and waved it in the air, showing off the headline. "Extra, extra! Ro-butt-nik finally bit the big one! Sonic the Hedgehog frees Mobius!" he shouted. Rotor's face lit up. "Really? Robotnik's... dead?" he asked. Bunnie nodded. "Yeah! Our last mission to Robotropolis was our last! Sonic took on nasty 'ol Robotnik in a final showdown, and he got caught in an explosion!" she explained. "We're free!!" Tails and Rainbow cheered, grabbing each other's hands and jumping around in a circle. Sally looked happy as well, but retained a bit more seriousness. "We should all be celebrating, but I'm afraid it isn't quite time for that yet. Robotnik left quite a mess in his wake, and Robotropolis is still teeming with ghosts. Robotnik may be gone, but it hasn't calmed them down." she said. "So, we'll need to organize one last mission for the Phantom Fighters. Gather the PCDs and I'll prep them for the trip, Antoine." Rotor said. PCD, as the Freedom Fighters all knew, stood for Paranormal Chaos Device. They were the machines used to battle the ghosts, each one powered by a Chaos Emerald; The only thing on Mobius that could touch the ghosts was Chaos energy. Antoine shivered at the thought of yet another Phantom Fighter mission. "The-the PCs? B-b-but I see no reasons why we must be going back to Robotropolis..." he stuttered. "Don't forget that Robotropolis used to be Mobotropolis, Antie. We gotta put it back to normal!" Rainbow insisted. Sonic zipped over to Antoine and dropped the newspaper on his head. "No problemo, Ant! I'll take the PCD and lead the team into Robotropolis while you chill here and wait around for the next Power Ring... ALONE!" he said ominously. Antoine yelped and Sally shook her head. "We've been through this, Sonic... You can't handle a PCD because YOU don't have the attention span for Rotor's PCD training program." she said. "What was that? Sorry, Sal, I stopped paying attention!" Sonic replied. Antoine scurried out of the lab in search of the PCDs, while Tails and Rainbow headed off to gather the Phantom Fighters. Before Sonic headed out the door, Rotor handed him a communicator. "You know Robotropolis better than anyone, Sonic. So even though you can't have a PCD, you'll be in charge of this operation. Use this communicator to keep in touch with me in case you get separated from the others. Their PCDs have communicators, too." he said. Sonic scratched his head. "Wait, what? Me lead? What about Sal?" he asked. "I've got more important things to do now, like getting Knothole prepped for the Mobotropolis restoration project." Sally explained. Sonic looked even more confused. "The what?" he asked. Sally shot him an amused smirk. "You didn't think the battle for Mobius would be over the second Robotnik was gone, did you? There's still a lot of work to be done!" she said.

Once the PCDs were ready, the group embarked on their journey to Robotropolis. Sonic led the way, with Tails close behind. On his back, Tails carried a PCD's power and containment unit, which was attached by cable to the weapon, which resembled a laser rifle. A communicator screen was attached to the rifle, so the Phantom Fighters could keep in touch with Knothole. There were six Phantom Fighters, one of whom was Tails. Antoine and Bunnie also carried a PCD, though the weight of the containment unit threw Antoine off balance a bit. Gemini the Fennec, the Freedom Fighters' magic expert, also carried a PCD. Lastly, Copter the Fox and Punchy the Echidna rounded out the group of ghost hunters, the two of them being lab experiments who were created to work for Robotnik, but defected to the Freedom Fighters' side in the past year. There had previously been other Phantom Fighters, and a PCD containing the seventh Chaos Emerald, but ghost hunting was a hazardous job, and these six were all that was left in the Phantom Fighter unit. Upon leaving the Great Forest, it wasn't long before the group arrived at Robotropolis. Before proceeding any further, Gemini contacted Rotor over the PCD's communicator. "We've reached Robotropolis." she informed him. "Good. Now remember, even though Robotnik is gone, Robotropolis is still dangerous. Keep your eyes peeled for ghosts AND SwatBots." Rotor cautioned. Antoine shivered fearfully. "S-swatBots? Should they not be de-activated?" he asked. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently. "Can we get movin' already?" he said impatiently. "Hold on!" Princess Sally's voice came from the communicator. "Before you start the mission, I want to remind you that ghosts are not like robots. They can be tricky. Everyone keep your wits about you... ESPECIALLY a certain hedgehog!" she said. "Hey, I'm always witty. Those ghosts don't stand a ghost of a chance!" Sonic grinned. Suddenly, a scream was heard coming from Robotropolis! "Look out! Sounds like this mission just started!" Copter said as all six PCDs were pointed in the direction of the scream. Someone came running towards the Phantom Fighters in a hurry. In the darkness, it appeared to be some sort of monster! Seeing this, Antoine freaked out and blindly started shooting his PCD's laser. "No!! Go away!! Yaaaaaah!!" he screamed. The "monster" stumbled around trying to dodge the laser, and soon fell on his "tail." Sonic ran over to Antoine and grabbed his arm, aiming his laser away from the stranger. "Get a grip, Ant!" he shouted. Once Antoine had calmed down, they could see that the visitor was a strange man in an alligator costume. He looked thoughtful as he climbed to his feet. "Now where was I? Oh, yeah. GHOOOOOSTS!! Run for my life!!" he shouted. Bunnie stepped forward and tried to talk to him. "Now, calm down, sugah... Where'd you come from, anyway?" she asked. The strange man pointed behind himself. "I'm the Great Gator. I've been lost in that dirty city for months. And there were ghosts chasing me the whole time! Now that I'm out, I'm going to look for that portal back to the Nightmare Zone! I left my milkshake in the castle there, anyway!" he said. Before he could leave, Punchy stopped him. "Hey, where'd you see those ghosts?" he asked. "Over there, that big yucky building on the left. You can't miss it. They were outside the entrance. See ya later, Punchy!" Gator said before running towards the Great Forest. Punchy watched him leave with confusion. "How'd he know my name?" he wondered. "Sounds like you've already picked up a lead." said Rotor over the PCD, "Good luck, Phantom Fighters. Mobotropolis is countin' on ya!"

The group proceeded into Robotropolis, keeping quiet to avoid attracting too much attention. The nervous chatter of Antoine's teeth was the only real noise made as they approached the building Gator told them about. Robotropolis seemed somehow darker and dirtier since Robotnik's death, giving the city a feeling similar to that of a graveyard. Armed with only a flashlight, Sonic approached the building cautiously. There was no sign of any ghosts, and Sonic quickly lost his temper. "That costumed weirdo lied to us. There's nothing here!" he grumbled. Tails glanced behind them nervously. "M-maybe HE was a ghost..." he whimpered. "Impossible. Antoine's PCD would have caught him." Gemini assured him. Suddenly, a robotic growling was heard from inside the darkened doorway of the building! "Eeeiiiyaaaa!! A goost!" Antoine shouted, running and hiding at the back of the group. Sonic pointed his flashlight into the doorway, revealing the roboticized face of Sir Charles Hedgehog! "Uncle Chuck!" Sonic gasped. The robot snarled in reply and jumped out of the doorway. He hovered in midair, much to everyone's shock. "I didn't know Chuck could fly!" Bunnie gasped. "He can't..." Sonic pointed out. Copter and Punchy fired their PCDs at Uncle Chuck, who did a midair flip to dodge it and swooped down at the group, nearly knocking Tails over! "Don't just gawk at him! He's possessed!" Copter yelled. "We gotta zap the ghost out of him!" Punchy added. Everyone but Sonic and Antoine circled around Uncle Chuck and aimed their PCDs at him. Nearly surrounded, the possessed robot turned to Antoine, who was shaking too much to aim his PCD. Chuck let out a demonic growl and swooped after Antoine, dodging the PCD lasers and grabbing him! "Waaaaaaahh!! No, no, no!! Let me go!!" Antoine shouted. Chuck carried him into the air and started to make a break for it. "After him! Before another ghost gets to possess Antoine!" Gemini shouted. Sonic was first to chase after them. However, Chuck very soon reached an alley where a white ghost with black eyes and pointy spikes on its head was waiting! "No!! Uncle Chunk! You do not want to be doing this! I am too young and handsome to being a goost!!" Antoine wailed. Luckily, before the ghost could touch him, Sonic sped onto the scene! He smacked Uncle Chuck aside and pulled Antoine away while the Phantom Fighters arrived and started shooting! A few quick blasts from the PCDs stunned the ghost and Uncle Chuck! "Great! Now let's contain those ghosts!" Gemini shouted. She and Bunnie quickly fired a continuous beam at Uncle Chuck and the white ghost respectively, and the beam from Bunnie's PCD quickly dragged the white ghost into her PCD's containment unit. However, Uncle Chuck's possessor was resisting. Copter and Punchy fired a few blasts to keep Chuck stunned, and soon another white ghost was pulled out of him and contained in Gemini's PCD. Sonic quickly rushed to his uncle's side. "Uncle Chuck? Are you all right?" he asked. Chuck stood dazed for a moment before glancing at his nephew. "S-sonic...? Whew... Bein' possessed sure takes a lot out of you... Thanks, Phantom Fighters!" The group cheered at their first victory of the night, but it was far too early to celebrate. First, Antoine had to be snapped out of the catatonic state he was now in. Tails walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. "Ant? Are you all right?" he asked. Bunnie smacked him on the back with her robotic arm. "Snap out of it, Antoine!" she shouted. Antoine quickly composed himself and tried to hide his cowardice. "Ah! Uh, I am never feeling more fine! I aren't afeared of no gooses!" he said. Tails laughed at him. "It's ghosts, not gooses!" he corrected. Uncle Chuck quickly called everyone's attention. "All right everyone! I assume you're all here to get rid of the ghosts hanging around after Robotnik's defeat. First, we've got to clear out the factory where I got possessed. It's one of our biggest jobs, so if we get it out of the way, the rest will be a snap!" he said. Everyone agreed, and began to follow him. As they left the alley, they failed to notice that someone was watching. "Well, well... Intruders in MY city... Let's see what they're up to..." A short man with stringy hair and a long pointed nose carefully followed the group to avoid detection. "No one sneaks up on Snively... Snively sneaks up on you!" he grinned.

Uncle Chuck led the group to one of Robotnik's many robot factories. The building was quite large, and had more smokestacks on the roof than most of the other buildings in Robotropolis. "Ugh! You take us to the nicest places, Charlie..." Bunnie groaned, holding her nose. Despite Robotnik's downfall, the factory was still spewing tons of smoke, making it one of the least pleasant places in the city. "If we can clear out all the ghosts, we can shut these factories down and put an end to this pollution. Until then, we'll have to put up with it." Chuck said. "Is it too late to ask for gas masks?" Copter asked Rotor via the communicator. "Sorry, guys. Robotropolis is so dirty, I doubt gas masks would make much difference, anyway." Rotor replied. "What? Is this gonna affect our health?!" Punchy wondered. Sonic ran over to the factory and kicked the door open. "We'll get sick if we spend any more time out here! Let's do it to it!" he shouted. The Phantom Fighters followed Sonic's lead, gazing at what the light from Sonic's flashlight revealed. Several robot assembly lines were running inside the factory, but no completed robots seemed to be present beyond the maintenance bots running the assembly lines. Incomplete SwatBots littered the floor, like dismembered bodies in a madman's torture chamber. "W-who defected the Swat-boots?" Antoine stammered. Uncle Chuck scratched his metallic head. "I guess without Robotnik to run things, the bots in charge don't know to get more parts when they run out. Robots don't really think for themselves much." he determined. "Where're all the ghosts?" Tails wondered. "Ha! They must have gotten scared when they saw ME and sneak-ed away!" Antoine said pridefully. "Yeah, that hair would scare anybody." Sonic teased. Antoine glanced at his reflection in his communicator screen and patted his head. "What are you sayings...?" he muttered. Gemini examined one of the robots working the assembly line. "Strange that Robotnik wouldn't have them better programmed..." she noted. Suddenly, the robot's head turned backward and glared at Gemini with ghostly red eyes! The other robots in the room turned around as well, revealing that they were all possessed! Before anyone could react, the ghosts flew out of the robots and began swarming around the factory! They were round, white ghosts of varying sizes. The largest and smallest ones had black eyes and creepy, stitched-closed mouths. The others had big, swirling red eyes and large mouths with rows of sharp, black teeth! "There they are! Quick, stop 'em!" Chuck shouted. However, there were too many of them! Several of the ghosts swooped down and grabbed some of the Phantom Fighters! First, Punchy was captured. "Gaaah!! Get me down from heeeeeere!!" he shouted, prompting several of the Phantom Fighters to shoot in his direction. In the distraction, Antoine was grabbed again! "Yeow!! Stop!! Let me go! I know King Fu!! You will being too sorry!" he shouted. Tails and Gemini were faring better, and managed to catch some ghosts that Sonic was distracting. "That's two down! Any other spooks care to try and catch the hedgehog?" Sonic taunted. However, the ghosts didn't fall for it twice, and instead went after Tails and Gemini! Bunnie fired her laser at the ghosts, catching one close to Tails, but Gemini got caught! The ghosts who'd captured Phantom Fighters fled the factory with their captives, leaving Sonic, Tails, Copter, Bunnie, and Uncle Chuck to deal with the rest. Uncle Chuck transformed one of his robotic fingers into a flashlight and pointed it at the ghosts. "They hate light! Keep 'em back usin' your flashlight!" he shouted. Sonic joined Chuck in pointing his light at the ghosts, causing them to flee in different directions. Bunnie, Tails and Copter managed to catch a couple more ghosts before the rest fled the factory! "That could've gone better..." Bunnie grumbled. Suddenly, the entire factory began shaking! "Look out, guys! It's not over yet!" Sonic shouted.

"BRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!" A loud roar echoed through the factory, and a massive ghost appeared above the remaining Phantom Fighters! It was similar to the other ghosts, but had proportionately smaller, bulging eyes, slender arms with clawed hands, and a huge mouth with blue lips and a rainbow colored tongue. "BRRAAAA HA HA HA! Well done! You scared off my subjects! I am King Boom Boo!" the ghost bellowed. Sonic held back a chuckle. "Did he say King Boo Boo?" he said. King Boom Boo cackled back and hurled a blue fireball at Sonic, which he easily evaded. "Too slow!" he taunted. The king tossed another fireball at Sonic. "Steeeerike two!" Sonic teased as he dodged. King Boom Boo snarled angrily as he tried once more. "Strike three! Yer out!" Sonic pointed his flashlight at King Boom Boo's eyes, causing the giant ghost to let out a furious scream! Tails, Copter, and Bunnie fired their PCDs at the stunned spirit, but King Boom Boo suddenly dove into the ground, vanishing! Sonic kicked at the ground. "Rats! Three strikes in one second! There goes the ball game..." he groaned. "Where'd he go?" Tails wondered. "Maybe he went back where he came from?" Bunnie said hopefully. "Hmmm..." Uncle Chuck scanned the ground carefully. Soon, he noticed a round shadow sneaking up behind Sonic! "Look out, sonny!" he shouted, pushing Sonic aside just as King Boom Boo erupted from the ground! His giant maw slammed shut around Uncle Chuck, and dragged him back under the ground with him! "Whoa!! U-uncle Chuck!!" Sonic gasped. "Oh, my stars!" Bunnie said. "He's gone! Everybody, be careful!" Copter added. Sonic clenched both of his fists in anger, squeezing his flashlight so tight he might almost crush it. "That's it! No one eats my unc! Time to let there be light!" With that, Sonic began wildly running around the room, casting his flashlight on everything! The Phantom Fighters struggled to follow him as he zoomed around. "Cool, he's snapped!" Copter chuckled. "No, he's doin' somethin'..." Bunnie observed. Sonic was running around with his flashlight so fast, most of the room was being illuminated almost at once! This drew King Boom Boo out of hiding. "BRRRAAAAAA!!!! BRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" he screamed, agonized by exposure to the light. "NOW!" Tails shouted, firing his PCD at the giant ghost. Copter and Bunnie helped out, shooting several blasts to keep him stunned while Sonic ran circles around him with his flashlight! Soon, Tails's PCD dragged King Boom Boo into the nozzle of his laser like a vacuum, sealing him inside the containment unit! "Yeah! I got 'em!" Tails cheered. The others were not quite as excited. "Where's Chuck?" Bunnie wondered. Sonic ran around the factory looking for his uncle while Copter updated Rotor on the situation. "Sounds bad... Chuck might be trapped in the spirit world now..." Rotor said after hearing the story. "We'd better find the others before they end up in the spirit world, too!" Copter realized. Suddenly, a strange noise was heard overhead. It was a labored sort of breathing, which sounded like laughter. Sonic stopped what he was doing and glanced up to see an orange dragon! "Need some help?" he said, gliding down from above to greet the Phantom Fighters. A red weasel in a black suit jumped off his back once they landed. Copter growled at the dragon. "Zeke... To what do we owe the displeasure..." he asked. "Hello? Who's there?" Rotor asked over the communicator. The weasel saluted at the sound of his voice. "Phantom Fighter Infin reporting in, Rotor, sir! Sorry it's been a few months..." he said. Copter scratched his head. "Phantom Fighter...?" he asked. "Infin? Where have you been? We thought some ghosts got you, or maybe you'd been roboticized!" Tails recalled. "Careful, guys! It could be a trick!" Rotor warned. Infin wagged his finger at them. "It's no trick. I'd nearly been captured, but I managed to infiltrate Robotnik's HQ. I've been doing some spy work there. Actually, you have me to thank for his demise... I caused that explosion. With Zeke's help." he explained. "I decided to join the winning team like my dear brothers. Hey, where's number one, Copter?" Zeke said. Bunnie glanced at them suspiciously. "If you were really a Phantom Fighter, where's your PCD?" she asked. Infin shrugged. "I had to ditch it to evade capture. But with Robotnik gone, I've been able to find where he'd stashed it. But... it's well guarded. I need your help to get it back." he said. Sonic was tapping his foot impatiently, bored by all the talking. "Well, come on! Let's find it! Maybe we'll find Uncle Chuck and the others on the way!" he said. Infin and Zeke smiled and nodded. "Follow me. I'll fry any SwatBots that get in our way." Zeke said, leading the group out of the factory.

Zeke and Infin led the diminished team of Phantom Fighters to one of Robotnik's weapons depots, a building which was apparently bustling with paranormal activity. A peek inside showed that the weapons were now floating in midair, as though gravity had been turned off. "Watch your backs... Lots of angry spirits in here." Infin cautioned. Tails was shivering as the group walked through the building, careful to avoid any sharp objects floating around in the air. "D-do we really have to go in here? What if these guns start... going off?" Tails stammered. "Be glad you'll be the smallest target." Zeke muttered. Infin led them to an elevator and pushed a button to get the doors open. As the elevator doors slid open, the group was forced to jump out of the way as what appeared to be a train shot out of the elevator shaft! It was a passenger train, and it appeared to be completely transparent! The passengers on board were all ghostly skeletons, calmly gazing out the windows, talking on cell phones, and reading newspapers like normal people. Poor Copter failed to get out of the way in time, but seemed unharmed as the train simply passed through him! Once the train passed, Copter dropped his PCD's laser and stood rigidly. "Oh, my stars! Are y'all OK?" Bunnie asked. Copter glanced back with wide eyes. "T-t-train..." he stuttered. Infin just shrugged. "Better take the stairs." he said. Everyone nodded. "Yeah, we don't wanna be caught without a ticket." Sonic joked.

The stairs were decidedly safer, with only a few minor ghosts haunting them. Tails and Bunnie handled the ghosts while Copter was recovering from his little "train ride." They soon reached the thirteenth floor, where they found a large room with dozens of strange contraptions sitting along the walls. At the back of the room were four PCDs! "All right! Mine's that one in the middle, there!" Infin pointed out. His seemed a little differently built than the other ones, but essentially the same. "Wait, weren't there only ever seven PCDs?" Bunnie pointed out. "There are... And I think I see where they got those other three!" Sonic said, pointing out three people standing near the PCDs. It was Antoine, Punchy, and Gemini! They were standing among a group of SwatBots! "Why do you suppose the SwatBots are ignoring them?" Copter asked, finally coming out of his daze. Sonic's flashlight revealed the truth: The SwatBots' and their friends' eyes all started glowing a ghostly red color! "They're all possessed! That ain't fair!" Bunnie groaned. Sonic cracked his knuckles, ready to fight. "They may be possessed, but those bots are still bots! I'll handle them!" he said, speeding ahead to attack the SwatBots. Copter nodded. "Good! Meanwhile, I'll un-possess Punchy!" he said. "I'll take Antoine!" Bunnie added. "Then leave Gemini to me!" Tails chimed in. Zeke and Infin glanced at each other and nodded. "Let's get the PCDs!" Infin said. The group sprang into action, battling their way through the possessed enemies while taking care not to hurt their friends or the PCDs. While everyone was distracted, Snively stepped into the room. He gasped as he noticed the PCDs in the room. "Oh, no! I'd better do something..." he said, quietly sneaking into the room. Meanwhile, Copter managed to capture the ghost possessing Punchy. "Ugh... I don't feel good..." he muttered. "Don't just stand there! Move it or you'll get possessed again!" Copter shouted. Punchy nodded and turned his attention to the SwatBots in the room. Meanwhile, Tails managed to catch the ghost possessing Gemini. She quickly pulled out her magic wand and cast a shield around herself. "Thank you, Tails! I'll try to recover my PCD!" she said. "Be careful, Gemini! You were scary with that ghost inside you..." Tails told her. This left Antoine still possessed. He was jumping and cartwheeling wildly, avoiding Bunnie's shots while laughing crazily. "Antoine, you're really driving me bananas!" she yelled. Antoine started hovering in the air and sticking his tongue at her, laughing goofily. Bunnie growled and extended her robotic arm into the air, grabbing him by the shirt! "Now hold still!!" she yelled, firing her PCD at him! With Antoine incapacitated, Bunnie quickly managed to capture his possessor, then dropped him on the ground with a thud! "Ooooooh.... Busting makes me feel too good...." Antoine said dizzily. Meanwhile, Sonic and Punchy were doing a good job taking apart the SwatBots, leaving the ghosts without a physical body to hide in. While Tails, Copter, and Bunnie set to work catching them, Snively reached the PCDs. He held a laser and pointed it at Infin's PCD. "Let's see you use this wretched machine now!" he snarled. "RAWR!!!" An ear-piercing roar startled Snively and caused him to shoot up, missing all the PCDs! Zeke, who had made the roar, grabbed Snively and held him up while Infin reclaimed his PCD. "Too bad Snivel... Looks like you're outta luck!" he grinned. Soon, the coast was clear, Punchy, Gemini, and Antoine reclaimed their PCDs, and the group was cheering over the capture of Snively. Looking miserable and pathetic, Snively shouted at them. "I hate you! I hate you all!!" he whined. "We feel the same about you, Slimely." Sonic grinned. "Wait until we're through with you, twerp..." Infin grinned. Snively suddenly had a look of horror on his face. "No, no, no, no, no! Sonic, old friend! You don't understand!" he shouted hastily. Zeke grabbed him by the collar and held him up for a second, choking him. "No talking, toad!" he said. Meanwhile, Punchy was updating Rotor on their progress. "Sounds like you all did a good day's work. It's probably best for you to get Snively back to Knothole as fast as possible." Rotor suggested. Infin grabbed Sonic's communicator out of his hands. "That's a negative, Rote. There's still something that must be dealt with, and it can't wait." he said. "What kind of something?" asked Sally over the communicator. Infin shrugged. "No time to explain, princess." he told her. Sally didn't seem convinced. "Wait just a minute! I need to know..." Before Sally could finish talking, Infin turned off the communicator. "Turn 'em all off. We... we need to maintain radio silence." he said. Sonic glanced at him questioningly. "Why? What's goin' on here?" he asked. Zeke chuckled softly. "You Freedom Fighters waste so much time asking questions." he said. Infin nodded. "Just follow me, and keep that slimy pest on a short leash. We've got to get to Robotnik's HQ. There's something you all need to see." he explained. As everyone started following him, Gemini looked concerned. "How can we be prepared if we don't know where we're going? And where did those two come from, anyway?" she wondered. Sonic shrugged. "They're cool, Gems. We wouldn't have found you if not for them." he pointed out. Still, most of the group proceeded cautiously. There was no knowing what was going to happen next.

Soon, the group reached Dr. Robotnik's headquarters, a building that gave them the creeps more so than any other in Robotropolis. Infin led them deep inside, to a room none of them had seen before. It was a large shrine of some sort, filled with candles and portraits. It was a shrine to Robotnik, likely made BY Robotnik. Bunnie shuddered. "Robotnik's got to fire his decorator..." she muttered. "He probably did it himself..." Punchy pointed out. Tails looked around thoughtfully. "Hey, guys... Did anyone notice how quiet it was on the way here?" he asked. Antoine looked around nervously. "Do you think maybe the SwatBots set a trap?" he wondered. Sonic shook his head. "Get real, Ant. The SwatBots are useless without Robotnik to boss 'em around." he said. Infin set down his PCD below the huge central portrait of Robotnik. "You got a point, Sonic. Zeke..." he said, nodding at the dragon. Zeke dropped Snively on the ground and pulled out a remote, pointing it at the door and pressing a button while Snively ran for the exit. The door slammed shut, and Snively shrieked at being locked in. "You foolish Freedom Fighters! Look what you've done!" he shouted. Copter and Gemini ran to the door and pulled at it, but it wouldn't budge! "We-we're locked in!" Gemini gasped. Everyone glared at Zeke and Infin, who had began chuckling unpleasantly. "Hey, what's the big idea?" Sonic snapped. Infin motioned to his PCD. "For months, Robotnik had been suffering in ill health. All the pollution in Robotropolis was finally taking its toll on him. He realized that even a dictator as ruthless as he would not live forever..." he began. "So, what? He leave everything to you?" Punchy asked. Zeke chuckled. "No. In fact, he designed most of Robotropolis to answer only to his own voice. But we are on his payroll... Well taken care of, too." he said. "What are y'all talkin' about?" Bunnie asked. Snively stomped his feet and pointed at Infin's PCD. "You fools! You still don't get it! That weasel betrayed you, and his device will bring Robotnik BACK!" he yelled. "Say WHAT!?" Sonic yelped. Infin grinned and nodded. "Yes... Robotnik planned it all out. He bought me over in exchange for my PCD, which he modified into a special PRD, or Paranormal Recovery Device! This machine insures Robotnik's kingdom will stand forever! Once activated, the containment unit becomes a portal to the spirit world, and guess who's waiting to use it?" Before anyone could react, Infin pressed a button on the side of the PRD, activating it! Infin and Zeke stood back as light erupted from the PRD's laser. "Oh, no!!" shouted several of the Phantom Fighters as their worst nightmare began to come true! Out of the PRD rose a hideous, ghostly shape. Soon, the group was face to face with the ghost of the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself! "Ha ha ha ha.... Ha ha hahahahaha!! Surprise, surprise... Hedgehog!!" Robotnik roared. The Phantom Fighters all let out a scream while Infin and Zeke bowed before their master. "Mighty Robotnik! We have returned you from the grave, as promised!" Zeke said. "Now, bestow upon us our great reward!" Infin requested. Robotnik grinned devilishly. "But of course... You know, Freedom Fighters, I used to think robots were the ultimate soldiers. Roboticization seemed so perfect. But I've learned something. The physical world... is all too temporary. I shall roboticize no more... Spirits are far stronger. So now..." He paused and pointed his hands at Zeke and Infin. "My army will be spiritized!" Zeke and Infin gasped in horror, but it was too late. Two ghostly beams erupted from Robotnik's arms, and in mere moments, Zeke and Infin's physical bodies had turned to ghostly bodies! "Y-you promised us riches!" Infin's ghost protested. "And you'll have all the riches I acquire... When your spirits are a part of me!" Robotnik reached out and grabbed Zeke and Infin, then opened his mouth wide and inhaled the two spirits into his own ghostly body! The Phantom Fighters gasped in shocked horror at this. "That is just plain nasty..." Copter grimaced. The two souls devoured by Robotnik caused him to glow brighter, apparently making him stronger! "Now, I will crush the Freedom Fighters and feast on all their souls! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" he cackled.

Just then, more spirits began to emerge from the PRD. They appeared to be ghostly SwatBots! "Guess what, rodent? I discovered that all the robots you destroy get sent to the spirit world, as well! SwatSpirits! Attack these Freedom Fighters, but beware of their ghost-catching equipment!" Robotnik commanded. As the SwatSpirits came at them, the Phantom Fighters opened fire on them, while Sonic ran around aiming his flashlight at them. However, the light proved ineffective. During the commotion, Snively tried to sneak over to the remote for the door that Zeke had dropped, but was stopped by Robotnik! "Snively!! You treacherous little worm! I saw you trying to destroy my PRD!" the furious ghost roared. Snively was shaking violently as he tried to talk his way out of this mess. "I- well- I c-can explain, sir! I-it was a ruse, to fool the Freedom Fighters! To make Infin and Zeke seem more like allies!" he lied. Robotnik seemed unconvinced. "You were planning to take over MY city! You little worm!" he growled. While Snively pleaded for his life, the PRD was activated once again. This time, an even brighter light came from the machine, and it shook violently until it managed to eject the next escapee from the spirit world. This was no spirit, however. It was Uncle Chuck, still in his physical roboticized form! "Whoa!! I don't know if that thing was designed to transport physical beings... I feel like I'd lose my lunch if I had any..." he grumbled. Sonic, seeing his uncle had appeared, ran to check it out. "Uncle Chuck! Unc, are you all right?" he said. Chuck glanced at Robotnik and then back to Sonic. "Don't bother worrying about me, sonny! We can't let Robotnik get beyond this room! If he escapes in this form, Mobius is doomed!" he warned. "We're on it, Unc!" Sonic assured him. As Sonic turned to try to assist the Phantom Fighters, Chuck grabbed his arm. "Wait. You can't just capture him. He's too powerful. But I have a clue that might enable you to beat him!" Chuck said this a bit too loud, and Robotnik turned in his direction. "Sir Charles, you dare betray me as well? Another reason why roboticization isn't perfect. Now let's shut that mouth of yours!!" Realizing what was coming, Chuck shoved Sonic aside. In the next moment, Robotnik fired a terrible ghostly beam at Uncle Chuck, knocking him against the wall of the shrine! "Uncle Chuck!! NOOOO!!" Sonic screamed, rushing to his uncle's side. Chuck's robotic body was sparking, and he seemed weak, but he still managed to speak. "Th-the ghosts... are against Robotnik... Good luck... Soni..." With that, Chuck's eye lights went out and his lifeless body collapsed on the floor. Sonic held back his tears and glared at Robotnik in a fury. "I... I'll kill you, Robotnik!!" he screamed. "Hee hee... Too late for that, rodent!" Robotnik taunted.

Next, Robotnik turned to Snively and fired a beam at him! Within moments, Snively was spiritized as well! "Aaaaaaah!! D-don't eat me, sir! Please!!" Snively begged. Robotnik scoffed. "You're not even worth absorbing, you twit. Besides, you'd probably taste horrible. You'll just have to do whatever I tell you for all eternity, or I'll show you a fate worse than death!" he warned. Snively nodded. "Y-yes, sir! Whatever you say!" he said. At this point, the last of the SwatSpirits had just been captured by the Phantom Fighters, but Robotnik didn't seem to mind much. "Oh, well. Who needs SwatBots when my foes are locked in? After all, that was the plan. With all of your wretched ghost catching machines demolished, nothing will be able to stop my spirit army! Snively, hold some of those Freedom Fighters still so I can spiritize them more easily!" he sneered. Snively saluted his master. "Yes, sir!" As Snively flew after the Phantom Fighters, Robotnik began shooting his ghostly beams at them, as well! The Phantom Fighters scrambled to avoid Robotnik's attacks, and tried shooting back. Snively ducked and dodged the blasts, but Robotnik didn't even bother trying to avoid them. He laughed demonically as the PCD lasers passed through his transparent body, unable to touch him! He then let loose a strange shockwave which pushed the Phantom Fighters back a little. "It... It is not working! We are doom-ed!" Antoine cried. Gemini tried firing again, only to have Robotnik laugh at her. "Why!? That's impossible!" she protested. "He must be too strong to be contained!" Copter realized. Sonic nodded. "Yeah, Uncle Chuck tried to warn us..." he said. Robotnik and Snively started attacking them again, forcing them to flee for their lives, but with the door locked, escape seemed out of the question. "My stars, what can we do now?" Bunnie wondered. "There's got to be something..." Punchy grunted. Tails glanced at Sonic. "What did Uncle Chuck say before...?" he asked. Sonic jumped away from one of Robotnik's blasts before replying. "Something about the ghosts bein' against Robotnik. But those SpookBots sure didn't seem against him..." he said. Tails flew over one of Robotnik's blasts and quickly came up with an idea. "What if we let out King Boom Boo? If he's against Robotnik, we might have a chance!" he said. Suddenly, Robotnik had had enough target practice. "This is rather boring. I'll just use my full power to spiritize you all at once!" he roared, glowing brightly as he began building up power to unleash a final attack! The room started to shake, and Sonic realized there was only one choice. "I sure hope King Boom Boo hates ol' Ro-butt-nik more than he hates us..." he said. "Quick! Press the button on the back of my PCD to release the ghosts I caught!" Tails shouted.

Sonic dashed towards Tails, hoping this one last shot would work. Snively, seeing this, tried to block his path. "It's all over, Sonic! Give up!" he sneered. "No time to chat, Snive-ly!" Sonic replied, running straight through his transparent body. "Hey! No fair!!" Snively yelled. Wasting no time, Sonic reached Tails and pressed the red button on the back of his PCD. With the machine reversed, Tails fired his laser, this time releasing all the ghosts he'd captured! A few SwatSpirits came out along with the others, but they were powerless against the other ghosts Tails released. Finally, King Boom Boo emerged, startling Robotnik into firing a beam at him, wasting his charge as it passed through King Boom Boo! "BRRRAAAAAA! You! At last, I shall have my revenge, Robotnik!" King Boom Boo shouted, grabbing Robotnik in his claws! Robotnik fought back, and the two ghosts soon seemed locked in a fairly even sumo match. "Yeah! That's it, Boo Boo!" Sonic cheered, "Now how about a little reinforcements?" The Phantom Fighters nodded, understanding. Sonic ran to each of them one by one and pressed the red button to reverse each of the PCDs, freeing all the captive ghosts! Some were busy keeping Snively and the SwatSpirits occupied, but the others joined King Boom Boo and pushed Robotnik towards the PRD! Knowing what needed to be done, Sonic ran to the PRD and found a similar red button on the back. "Hmmm... Hey, Ro-butt-nik, what do ya think would happen if I put this 'PRD' in reverse?" he asked. Robotnik glanced back and gasped. "No, no hedgehog! Don't even think about it!!!" he shrieked. Sonic quickly pressed the reverse button and strapped the PRD on his back, aiming the laser at Robotnik and firing! "Have a nice afterlife!!" he grinned. The PRD began dragging the ghosts that it had released towards it, starting with the SwatSpirits that the other ghosts had subdued! Next, one of the ghosts brought Snively to the machine. "N-n-noooo!! Look what you've done, Julian, you twit! I hate you, you fooooooool!!!" he screamed as he was dragged into the machine. Finally, all that remained was Robotnik. "Th-this can't be happening! My plan was perfect!! RRRRRRaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! I... I really, REALLY, hate that hedgehooooooooooooog!!!!" With one final push, King Boom Boo and his subjects pushed Robotnik into the PRD's suction, and he was pulled back into the spirit world like dust into a vacuum! "Yeah!! We did it!!" Sonic cheered, prompting the rest of the Phantom Fighters to cheer as well! However, they quickly silenced as King Boom Boo hovered in front of Sonic. An uneasy silence followed for a few seconds, until the ghost held out his hand. "Thank you... Friend." the ghost said. Sonic shook his ghostly hand and smiled. "Right back at you, big boo!" he said, winking. King Boom Boo turned to the other Phantom Fighters and waved. "Thank you all. Farewell!" With that, the remaining ghosts flew willingly into the PRD and back into the spirit world. While most of the Phantom Fighters started trying to get the door open, Sonic and Tails examined Uncle Chuck. "We did it, Unc... Thanks to you..." Sonic said sadly. Tails looked over the robot thoughtfully. "Sonic, I don't think he's badly damaged. All we have to do is get him to Rotor and he can repair him and recharge his battery!" he realized. Just then, Punchy got frustrated and smashed open the door. "Nice job, Punch, but I was just about to say I found the remote!" Copter groaned. Sonic smiled as he carefully lifted up Uncle Chuck and joined the others at the doorway. "All right, team! Let's go home!" he said. Antoine turned his communicator back on and talked to Rotor and Sally. "Mission completed, my princess! All is wells!" he said. Sally and Rotor both let out a sigh of relief. "Great job, guys! Now, Mobius is truly free once again!" Sally said. Sonic nodded. "Yeah. You might say ol' Robotnik didn't stand... a ghost of a chance!"

The End
...BOO! MUA HA HA HA HA!!!

Happy Halloween!

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