Sonic: Legacy: Volume 1

Act 2: Chapter 7: Scars Run Deep

Present day, March 6th

Arnec snapped out of his daydream, looking around. He was in the museum, where Tangle and Whisper were talking to each other. Arnec grabbed his coat from the coat rack and started to head out the door. Tangle stopped him though "Hey, where are you going?" She asked. Arnec looked down at his amulet "Just a place I haven't been to in a long time."
"Oh... Need some company?" She asked, smiling. Arnec thought about it for a second "Yeah, that would help." Arnec replied shyly. Tangle looked at Whisper, who reluctantly nodded. They walked from tbe museum to the woods. After a few minutes they reached a burnt down house. Arnec solemnly smiled.
"What is this place?" Tangle asked. Arnec sighed "My old home..." he said as they looked at the charred wood. "Wow, so this is what it looks like... It's... Is there a particular reason you wanted me here with you?" She asked as she looked over at him. Arnec's smile shrunk a little. "Going here alone, I don't think I could handle it." He simply replied. He looked up at the night sky and noticed something wrong. There were red streaks, incredibly thin to the point that he could hardly see it, but it looked like shattered glass. Arnec looked at Tangle "Get Sonic here, now!" he yelled. Tangle rushed off, Arnec growling "It can't be..." he said as he looked at the sky. He heard something behind him and turned. It looked like him, but made of shadows. It had glowing red orbs for eyes, and laughed in a voice identical to Arnec's, but distorted. Arnec smirked as he drew the Deimos, the scabbard crackling "Well, I dont think this is what they meant by "facing your demons"."
(Ultra Violet - DMC OST.)

Arnec quickly did a stinger to close the gap, him shooting his sword forward and him going with it. Doppelganger blocked and smiled. Arnec growled and tried to to it again, failing yet again
"Ugh, why isn't this working!? He can't block it every time!" Arnec yelled. He went for a third and doppelganger deflected the blade, Arnec being wide open for an attack. Doppelganger went for a stinger, barely missing as Arnec twisted his body. Doppelganger laughed before doing another Stinger, and another. Arnec growled "He's mimicking a move that I used a lot? Hmm, guess I'll have to use some variety..." Arnec said as he dodged a slash. He swiped from the right before using his momentum to swing his foot as he swapped to Lucifer. His boot collided with his doppelganger and he spun from the whiplash. Arnec swayed from left to right, using his dash ability to rapidly shift back and forth as he was in the boxing position. Doppelganger got into the same position and both went for a punch. Arnec however teleported behind him and swapped to Deimos, swatting his legs out from under him with the scabbard before swapping to Ares and activating Szakala's devil form. Before Doppelganger could even move Arnec had swiped twice, the blade slashing across his chest and stunning him. Arnec then growled before getting out of the devil form and drawing Deimos "This... Is... Power!" he yelled before unleashing a new move: Dimension slice. He shot rapidly around the area, the air looking like shattered glass as he sliced the air, cyan streaks from each slice hanging in the air. He slid on the ground, nearly on one knee before slowly sliding Deimos into it's scabbard. Right as the guard tapped the scabbard, the glass shattered in a flash, launching doppelganger into a tree. Arnec walked up to him, doppelganger too weak to do anything. Arnec put his hand over his chest and closed his eyes, doppelganger disappearing as black energy circulated around him. Doppelganger reappeared, but mimicked Arnec alongside him as he swiped his sword, slicing a tree down. Before it could fall on top of him, him and Doppelganger both swapped to Lucifer and kicked the tree, splitting it in half. They gave each other a fist bump and DG disappeared. "How did you know to do that?" Lucifer asked. Arnec looked confused himself "I... Have no idea. It just... It just felt like an instinct!" Arnec said as he looked around. A few minutes later Tangle and Sonic arrived. "Sorry we're late, what's going on!?" Sonic asked. Arnec walked up to him "We have a big problem. Skies cracked."
Sonic looked up "What the...? That mean anything in particular?"
"We need to check on Knuckles!" Arnec yelled. He quickly opened a portal with his sword to Angel Island. They all went through and it was a wreck. Knuckles as against a wall, scratches all over his face and body. He smirked as he saw Sonic. "You okay!?" Sonic asked as he helped him up. "Yeah, couldn't hold them all off. Little things got my radio before I could call for backup. Took the Master Emerald too!" Knuckles said, huffing. Sonic looked at Arnec "So... Where does that leave us?"
"Looks like Whisper's idea is going to be put into motion. Make sure everyone is ready to invade the demon realm." Arnec said, looking conflicted as his eyes moved down to his sword. Sonic nodded "Yeah, I'll talk to the others. You okay?"
"Yeah, just... Haven't been back there in a while is all." Arnec replied, his sword disappearing. Knuckles smirked "Well before we go and do whatever you two got cooked up, I gotta go grab something." he said before walking off. A minute or two later he was back with a brown cowboy hat. Sonic smiled "Hey, you got that thing back!" Sonic said with a chuckle. Arnec looked confusingly at them, having no clue what the heck was going on. He looked at Tangle and they both shrugged. Sonic looked at Arnec "I'll make sure everyone is ready, just need to know when we're doing this."
"Tommorow would be best."
"You got a plan, right?"
"Here's what I had in mind... If we're going to invade, we need a large force obviously. Well, not that many people can fit through the portals my sword makes. And the warp topaz is kinda... Not in our possession. My father's seal wasn't perfect, those hotspots that Whisper mentioned are only one way to here from the demon realm. Except for one... Right outside Capital City. There's a functioning hellgate."
"That's Eggman territory." Sonic said, smirking as he looked at Knuckles "...Knuckles didn't have too much luck when he tried to capture it." Knuckles nodded. Arnec smirked, crossing his arms "Well we're gonna have to take it. I'll lead the charge alone." he said, Sonic widening his eyes "You're kidding, right? That's a suicide mission if you go first-" "Suicide mission or not, I'm doing it. That'll give you all the best shot." Arnec said as he knelt down. Tangle knelt by him "But... What if you die?" She asked. He looked at her "Then I will embrace my fate. In the end we all die, that's how nature works. Fighting nature is a fruitless effort, for nature always wins..." he asked before getting up. "...I don't care about glory, history can forget who I am for all I care. But I do want to help this world the best I can. Not for myself, but for everyone who lives on it. If I can help save lives before they're put into danger, then I can die in peace." Arnec said as he crossed his arms. Tangle could see the fire in his eyes as he looked at the sky. Sonic and Knuckles stood dumbstrucked at Arnec just willing to throw his life away for the world. Sonic finally spoke after a few minutes of awkward silence "Alright... I'll get everyone ready. Good luck Arnec." he said before walking off, Knuckles following. Tangle looked at Arnec, the wolf just staring off into the distance. Asmodeus spoke in her head "You're the only one he trusts, the only one that can break that shell of his..." she said, her voice like a whisper.
"Hey, Arnec?"
Arnec slowly turned his head, his eyes going from teal to aqua green as he looked at her "What is it?"
"We get back, can we talk?"
"I mean, I don't think anyone's watching."
"I'd rather do it at the museum."
Arnec shrugged a little "Okay." he said quietly. He opened a portal using Deimos and they were back in the museum. Arnec sheathed his sword and it disappeared. He turned to Tangle "Let's head up to my room. I don't need anyone interrupting..." she said before they headed upstairs...