*The events take place in the Knuckles the Echidna Comic Book series issue #1, not the mini-series. Again I stress all plots and characters belong to their respective creators and owners. I only claim creative credit for the OC's and the concepts of the Stormtroopers.*

Chapter I

The Dark Legion: Army of Darkness

Qorvinus POV

Inter-dimensional travel can be such a pain in the tail... and the head, and the stomach.

Who knew.

Phasing out through the entire dimensional space was trippy and mind-inducing.

Finally though, it came to an end when I along with ten of my fellow Stormtroopers emerged out the end of the portal by jetpacks and we carefully landed on the ground. After getting my senses honed and my stomach to calm down, I was ready.

"Alright, everyone sound off so that I know who isn't dying." I called.

"You got me sir." Zed called.

"Shouldn't have had that last bar." Dawn-Na followed.

"Everyone else seeing a dancing Zoah?" Allaun moaned.

"Okay we're alive." I called.

Looking up I was genuinely taken aback by the environment around me. All I've ever seen are endless voids and scattered platforms. Here I saw green fields of grass, tall lush trees, high reaching mountains, a clear blue sky, and a sun.

"So... this is Angel Island? Our home?" I whispered to myself. I felt too taken aback and stunned by the entire land. It had life.

"Kapitan, come in... is the landing point secure?" An annoying voice called through comms.

"Bastard," I muttered. "Hang on. Zed, Allaun, Dawn-Na check your scanners, finding anything?" I asked doing the same as my fellow troopers.

"All clear on my scanners." Allaun voiced.

"Nothing on mine either." Dawn-Na followed.

"I think we're clear sir." Zed said.

"Good," I replied. Now done with my own scan. Nothing outside of flickys. "All right Kragok you're all clear. Come on through."

"Good. And its Grandmaster to you Kapitan. I don't care what your relationship is with my sister, that ends on the field, understood?"

"Crystal." I growled.

A loud boom roared behind us. The rest of the Stormtroopers Kar-Ri & Rolan emerged and rallied with us. Behind them came an entire small army. Tanks rolled and mechanaught drones marched alongside them. All while cloaks hovered above and flew on saucers.

Finally after so long, the Dark Legion had been freed and had come back home.

Timeskip

Once we set up a base camp, Kragok finally came through with the rest of the Legion. It didn't take long for the bastard to start barking orders at the rest of us. Specifically sending us out to scout the rest of the island. Which my team had already begun before he started barking at us out.

I swear, he's out to make my life a living hell just because not only do I know his dirty little secret with his old man, but also because there might come the day he's stuck calling me brother-in-law.

Regardless, my troopers and I had been scouting for over an hour, but what was odd was the fact we still hadn't run into anyone else. From what my grandmother told my mom, this island was rich with other Echidna's, you could walk five miles and see a family living peacefully. It was both assuring our presence hadn't been detected, but at the same time it was eerie. But I was more worried about running into someone specific, someone who I felt was owed a lifetime beating for what his line did to us.

"Sir? Mind if I ask you a question?" Zed asked.

"Go ahead Zed. What is it?"

"Not that I find it good we haven't run into any opposition yet, but don't you think it's odd it's been this quiet?"

"Yeah, those mechanaughts don't exactly scream sneaky even while tiptoeing sir." Kar-Ri noted.

"Someone should've heard us by now." Rolan followed.

"Funny enough I was thinking the exact same thing," I began. "Judging from the previous invasion records, the Dark Legion was intercepted in a matter of minutes. Minus the party that accompanied Luger which avoided any confrontation. Though I just have one question on my mind."

"And that would be what, sir?" Allaun asked.

"Where the blast is the freaking guardian? Like you said, we should've been found by now. It's as if the island became an entire ghost settlement. Completely abandoned."

"Y-You don't think that our kind... went extinct here? It has been a few decades on this side." Dawn-Na said.

"Negative. If that were the case Moritori wouldn't still be communicating with us."

"Kzzt! This Hover-4 to Kapitan! Come in!" The speaker went off in our helmets."

"Go ahead Cloak what is it?" I asked.

"One of our mechanaught drones just detected some heat signatures near our location."

"Guardians?" I asked.

"Unknown. They just disappeared, then reappeared, and disappeared again."

"Intruder Alert!" The mechanaught alerted.

"What the-"

We heard a loud crash and groans from the cloaks.

"Hover-4? Hover-4 respond! What the hell is going on over there?" I asked. Suddenly we were now on alert hearing the struggle on the radio waves. "Respond you lousy cloak."

"Kzzt! Uhhhh, something just knocked the drone into us. I didn't see what it was."

"What's your location?" Zed asked.

"We're about two clicks from your location. Over."

"Alright, regroup with your squad. We'll meet up with you." I responded.

"Roger sir! Over and out! Agh, my freaking head! Kzzt!"

"Well, looks like we're not alone on this island anymore." Allaun spoke.

"Yeah, but I'm more concerned about who it is? A dweller, or a pilgrim? Let's go."

Timeskip

When we were getting close to the Legionnaires, that's when we heard more scuffle. It sounded like blaster fire, and I could've sworn I heard a saucer crash down.

"Move! Stay frosty!" I ordered.

Getting closer we saw a group of cloaks getting manhandled by the locals. Which was quite a colorful bunch.

A crocodile, an armadillo, a bee, and a chameleon. What got my attention though was the echidna.

"Say goodnight Charlie! Have some pleasant dreams!" The echidna said to the legionary soldier after a hard punch. "How's it going gang?!"

"I'm throwing out the garbage Knuckles," The Armadillo replied.

"Knuckles?! So that's his name." I muttered.

"Looks like we found our guardian." Zed whispered. "But who's the rest of the menagerie?"

"Doesn't matter right now. Just get ready to move for the fight. Kar-Ri, Rolan, Allaun. You three hover above and get ready to cut them off should they try to run. Zed, Dawn-Na, with me. Let's go introduce ourselves to our new neighbors." I commanded.

Kar-Ri, Allaun, and Rolan activated their jetpacks and took to the air. The others and I leapt out and began to fire our blasters at the group.

"Hey! Whoa!" The Crocodile gasped. "From behind? That ain't cool man. Though I'll admit I'm digging the style of these guys!"

"Don't compliment the bad guys." The Bee whined.

"Just three? I'm kind of insulted." The armadillo said.

We continued to fire our blasters again. They began to dodge our fire, but this was just us teasing them.

"We need a plan here, fearless leader!" The bee cried.

"Everybody due north. We need to find a place to regroup." Knuckles said.

Only for him and his company to be cut off by the others.

"Sorry! But nobody's going anywhere." Dawn-Na said.

"Uhh, Knux? You sure we're the only ones who know how to hip-hop around here?" The crocodile asked.

"Looks like we're gonna have to handle these clowns." Knuckles replied.

"Take them." I commanded.

We fired again to make the group scatter.

The bee was buzzing around Rolan, trying to annoy him like any bug.

"What's the matter? Can't see me with that big helmet?" The Bee teased.

"On the contrary, I can see you just fine. Big mouth." Rolan replied. From his wrist he launched a large net that caught the bee and electrified him. Knocking him unconscious. "Too bad your brain isn't just as big."

The Crocodile was being handled by Zed, who was using his speed and acrobatics to avoid his height.

"Nimble little fella' ain't ya'?"

"Lightweight armor. Gotta love it." Zed answered. The Crocodile slammed his tail to try and strike him, but Zed used it to run up close and slap him across the back of his head.

"Really? A slap? That's all you went for?"

"That's all I needed." Zed replied. Pressing a button on his gauntlet activated a shock patch that had been stuck to his head. Knocking the Crocodile unconscious. "Tough hide, but everybody's sensitive to electric therapy."

The Armadillo was being double teamed by Kar-Ri and Dawn-Na. Having seen his strength it was obvious they would need to outnumber him for the advantage.

"Normally a guy would like being double teamed by two girls, but I doubt they would like it like this." He quipped.

"Oh, trust us handsome it'll grow on you." Kar-Ri quipped. Firing a shot from her pistol but seeing it bounce off of his back.

"Hard shell, but I'm sure there's a way to break you out of it." Dawn-Na said.

"Well I can be a social person when I need to." The armadillo replied. He lunged to throw a fist but both of the stormtroopers activated their jetpacks and went to the air.

"Then lets get connected." Dawn-Na said. Nodding to her fellow trooper, they both fired their wrist cables at the armadillo. Ensnaring them on his arms.

"I'm flattered. But you could at least buy me dinner first." He quipped, then pulled down to drag the troopers down. Landing on their feet.

"How 'bout we buy you the hangover instead." Dawn-Na replied. Both her and Kar-Ri pressed a switch and sent an electric taser shock to the armadillo. Knocking him unconscious.

The Chameleon was dodging blaster fire from Allaun.

"Yeesh, can't you shoot straight?" The Chameleon mocked.

"Believe me, if you hold still I'd be happy to show you." Allaun replied.

"Yeah, hold still and get shot, do I look that gullible?"

"I don't know. Look up." Allaun said.

The chameleon saw a massive branch coming down. Which was Allauns actual target. The chameleon dodged but was met by a kick from Allaun when he used his jetpack to sneak up fast.

"Agh! C-Cheap shot!"

"Maybe. But you do what you have to if you want to win." Allaun replied.

"Good to know." The chameleon then camouflaged and disappeared.

"Camouflage, okay. You're a clever lizard, I'll give you that." Allaun said. But activated his visor and switched it to heat sensor mode. Where he saw him on the tree and launched his tongue out to try and ambush him. Allaun swayed and grabbed it, wrapping it around his fist in a tight grip.

"Ack!?"

"But not clever enough." Allaun pulled him with force and swung the chameleon into a tree, knocking him unconscious. Then unwrapped the tongue off of his arm before swatting away the saliva. "Disgusting. And I just had this armor polished."

That left the echidna Knuckles and me. Distracted when he heard his friends getting electrocuted.

"No." He cried.

"Sounds like your team didn't match my team's metal." I mocked. I threw a punch taking him off guard before I uppercut him and sent him back. "Also never take your eyes off of your opponent. It's sloppy."

"Good to know. Crunch time tough guy." Knuckles said.

He leapt up and came head first towards me, I activated the taser mode on my gauntlet fists and stepped to the side. I jabbed my knee to his gut and threw a hard punch to his head.

"Crunch time? Wow, how original. Someone's a bit inexperienced in his martial arts. Your ancestors were way formidable."

"W-Who the heck are you?"

"Pfft, you'll find out soon enough. For now, take a nap knucklehead." I replied. Slugging him one more time, he was knocked out. "Seriously? This is what the guardians legacy has become over the years? Disappointing. Report."

"Got mine." Allaun called.

"Tough guy is tuckered out." Dawn-Na responded.

"Got myself a gator." Zed followed.

"The bugs buzzed out." Rolan answered.

"Good. Clamp them and let's get them back to the camp. Kragoks gonna be giddy when he sees what we brought 'em."

Timeskip

Knuckles groaned when he came back to consciousness. His hands were handcuffed behind him, and I tossed him down to the ground. My team dragged his camaraderie behind us.

"Agh! I'd rather trek through the desert again, thanks very much!" He groaned.

"Oh, he's awake. Just in time, cause you're gonna reconsider that in time." I said.

"He's right, you know." Kragok spoke. "Afterall we have more in common than you think!"

"Huh?! Who are you?"

"I am Kragok. Join me, and together we can reclaim our birthright. Oppose me, and you can call me your worst nightmare! So, what's it going to be? Guardian?"

To Be Continued...

A/N: Apologies for taking so long. Life and a lack of interest has been getting in the way, even though that's no excuse. But to explain why the Stormtroopers made short work of Knuckles and the Chaotix is simple. One, they've trained their lives for combat and adapting quickly in the field of battle. So they would of course be equipped to handle most situations. Two, Knuckles and the Chaotix hadn't encountered something like the Dark Legion, so they're gonna be a little rusty before they get a feel as to what they're capable of. Also, who would you imagine as the voice actors for the characters? LMK in the comments below.