Betrayal is a Chaotix story beginning in Issue 269 of Sonic the Comic Online.
Staff
- Story - Charles Ellis
- Art - Adamis
- Colours - Pete Murphy
- Letters - Michael Corker
Story
Choy is reporting on the Emerald Hill Folk's efforts to rebuild their home after Super Sonic's last rampage, even if he's not helping by pointing out the gaping hole in their defences. However, Supreme Command of the Free Mobius movement is well aware of this and are making plans to strike the crippled Egg Bastion before Robotnik can go for the Emerald Hill Zone. Chaotix are up to the task and intend to launch a digital assault on Robotnik's systems with help from Iggy. She gets to work on getting them in before Espio and Mighty can really start bickering, but unfortunately Espio and Vector havn't told Mighty or Charmy about the waiting Shadow 2, who can show them the way. Mighty launches an attack upon Shadow but the others are able to hold him back. Shadow isn't in the mood for squabbling and cuts to the chase. He has created a back door into Robotnik's systems, but hasn't used it himself yet. As he eloquently puts it, he's not stupid, and Robotnik's main systems are protected, by security programs taking the form of Badniks and (suited) Troopers. The crew launch into battle but quickly become concerned. There's a lot of security programs and they haven't heard a word from Iggy. They suspect their link to her is being blocked and Shadow reveals that he informed the programs of Chaotix's approach. He reveals his deal with Robotnik and departs, leaving Chaotix to battle the Troopers and a desperate Iggy trying to contact either them or Shadow to no avail. Elsewhere, Robotnik congratulates Shadow, revealing his new Metallix body and informing him that he'll soon have a list of targets to use it against.
While Chaotix valiantly fight on, Robotnik muses upon Shadow's actions, mentioning that his own backers don't want him to stray too far from their plans. Shadow immediately turns on Robotnik. This was his plan all along, even if he planned to leave Chaotix for dead just to convince Robotnik of his loyalty. Even while Chaotix have been downed, Shadow continues to hack and damage Robotnik's programs, in his own effort to end the war, as Kintobor would have wanted. He ponders on his sudden development of a conscience of sorts while taking out the Troopers surrounding Chaotix and is swiftly socked in the gut by Mighty. Vector makes plans for the crew to make their getaway, but Iggy restablishes contact and provides them with some getaway vehicles. They return home, Mighty reassuring Iggy that Shadow's OK and "he kicked Robotnik's teeth in". Later the crew return to cyberspace to tell Shadow that they're going to let the incident go as he is still learning, and with Robotnik's systems down, Mobius will need all the help it can get as the heroes gather for the big push against him. Unbeknownst to Shadow and Chaotix, Shadow's attack indeed damaged and took out a lot of programs, but it also wiped out the Drakons' monitoring and control software: Robotnik is now in full control of his remaining systems and mental faculties.
Trivia
Ray reappears in Choy's news report and gives his first spoken line to date: "You are NOT helping."