Adventures of Sticks the Badger - Season 1

Episode 7

Tyrone fell to his knees as he and Fiona looked around at their surroundings, a barren desert, with an inferno in the distance, robots ravaging the savannah.

"Your old home?" Fiona asked, kneeling down next to Tyrone and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"We're...in the past, somehow..." Tyrone stated, "This is the invasion that drove Tempest and I away with the survivors of the Jackal Purge."

Suddenly, they both heard cries in the distance as Tyrone looked up to see himself as a teenager, running towards them, alongside a similarly aged female jackal, both of them being followed by five younger jackals.

"Hurry, come on!" His younger self called out as the group of jackals ran past him and Fiona, as a group of robots pursued them.

"My...old squad..." Tyrone commented, tearing up as he watched one of the robots fire at one of the young jackals at the back, killing them.

"No!" He heard his younger self scream before fighting and destroying the robots, before the group continued to flee.

Fiona looked over to see Tyrone crying as he watched the group of jackals run out of sight.

"What happened here?" She asked as Tyrone sniffled.

"Just another genocide committed by the Republic of Mobotropolis." Tyrone answered, "They tell their citizens it ended with the Acorn Wars, but that couldn't be further from the truth...they came and killed everyone. I was barely able to escape with my girlfriend Tempest and a group of kids."

He then stood up, looking over to see the figures of his younger self and the other jackals fade into the distance, as he wiped his eyes of more tears.

"We fled to Seaside Island with help from the Dolphins. It was shortly after that Shadow arrived on the island from Acorn." He continued as they looked back at the carnage, "Shadow joined myself and my new family for a time. We were all outcasts, and it felt as if we only had each other."

Tyrone then closed his eyes as he clenched his fists.

"Until he betrayed me...and killed the last family I had left..." He finished as Fiona watched the illusory savannah fade around them.

As the illusion faded, they found themselves back in Seaside Island, as Tyrone fell to his knees in tears. Around them, Sticks held Prim as they, the Diamond Cutters and both Lightning Bolts and village citizens all stood around, watching.

"Tyrone...let's get home." Fiona tried to reason with Tyrone as he stood up, still holding his red blade.

"No, Fiona..." He responded as he held his blade in his hand, pointing it in Sticks' direction, Whisper and the other Diamond Cutters preparing for another fight if necessary.

"Badger...you were an outcast just as I still remain, and yet you fight for them!" Tyrone called out as he began pointing the blade in the direction of the citizens crowded around, "All of you, know that you all did this, you all drove me to this! Shunning anyone who turns up because they just want a home! Me and my brothers and sisters, we just came here for a home, an escape from the destruction of our home at the hands of the same disgusting monsters that created Shadow, your so-called hero!"

As he spoke, Sticks looked down, as Whisper and the Diamond Cutters stood in place, listening but preparing to fight if needed. Mayor Fink stepped forward from the crowd of citizens, as Tyrone looked over at him, scowling.

"Shadow's no hero, he's just like them! They're killers, warmongerers! They tell their own they haven't committed genocide since the Acorn Wars, but it's a lie!" Tyrone continued, his voice growing more strained, "The reason I'm here is because those monsters brought their genocidal conquest to my home. And now...I'm the only jackal left! Because of those monsters, because of Shadow, because of your unwillingness to help those who need it most...when I die, that's it, my species will be extinct! Do you see now?! I'm the only one left...and I won't die without vengeance!"

Tyrone suddenly snatched the Phantom Ruby from Fiona again, screaming as he lunged at Fink. Sticks and the Diamond Cutters looked on in horror, unable to act in time as Tyrone drove his blade through Fink in an instant, as numerous of the citizens screamed, as Tyrone pulled out his sword, allowing Fink's lifeless body to drop to the ground. Tyrone turned around, his eyes now glowing a dark and sinister red as he marched back to Fiona, as Wally moved next to her.

"That should be all. Let's get out of here." Tyrone ordered, his voice deepened as he handed Wally the Phantom Ruby, as they all climbed back into the buses, working around the glass from the incident earlier, as Fiona followed, horrified.

As the buses drove off, Sticks and the Diamond Cutters all stood in shock, looking over as a medic and the village's two police officers were with Fink's lifeless body, as Whisper and Claire teared up.

"What the hell..." Sticks whispered under her breath, before turning to Whisper, "I'm gonna take Prim home, I need some time."

"All good, Sticks, I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Whisper agreed as Sticks nodded, before walking away, back to the cottage, holding Prim.

Back at the cottage, Sticks started preparing dinner as she looked over at the yellow Chaos Emerald sitting on the bench.

Shadow...what did you do to him to push him to this? She wondered as she looked up to see Prim at the dining table, munching on another apple.

She smiled as she watched Prim, subconsciously hoping that what Tyrone said about Shadow wasn't true.