In this AU, humans and mobians aren’t the apex species, for there is another which hunts them—the Eldritch.
Creatures with no known origin and no known weakness. They cannot be killed and historians had discovered evidence of their longevity.
Dr. Ivo Robotnik, formerly a renowned Eldritch Scientist, one day disappears without a trace. Rumors quickly speculated that he was on the brink of a great discovery before an Eldritch got to him, however there was never any confirmation.
Years later, one Miles Prower (an aspiring robotics scientist) discovers that not only is Robotnik alive but also his location. Eager to meet his idol and get some answers, the young fox travels to the middle of a forest in nowhere. He’s shocked to find advanced robots milling about, building some sort of small facility and piloting transport trucks from elsewhere.
See, while Dr. Robotnik was famous for his accomplishments in Eldritch science, any actual fans of his would know his true passion always lied in robotics and technology. Miles had read every paper of Robotnik’s that had ever been published and had been both fascinated by the ideas he spoke of and frustrated that it all got swept under the radar by his other, less impressive (in Miles’ opinion) achievements. It was why the young fox so strongly believed that his idol wasn’t dead, but rather had faked his death.
Meeting the man was like a dream come true for the fox… but being scolded for traveling alone was definitely not what he had been expecting. Miles tried protesting as Robotnik began shoving him out the door, saying something about how his robots would drive him back to the nearest city— Only for the temperature in the lab to suddenly drop.
Miles Prower had never met an eldritch before, but the thing crouched on the desk was certainly not what he had been expecting. Blue quills, glowing slit eyes, taller than any human he’d ever seen, and grinning madly from every mouth that appeared and disappeared. It dropped to the floor and crawled closer, joints poking out in unnatural directions. Robotnik’s grip on Miles tightened but neither mortal moved or breathed. When those wide eyes were an inch from his own, Miles couldn’t help but flinch and close his eyes in sheer terror.
But no pain came and mere seconds later, Robotnik whispered that it was gone.
The man explains how he had came out here, away from annoying and idiotic people, because he wanted to work on his own projects. Those projects being to finally explore robotics to his desire. However, that was quickly halted when he realized he was being watched by three Eldritch creatures. Yet they never harm him, despite somehow making it past his security and watching him from across the room.
However, to Miles’ shock, Robotnik reveals that he believes them to be the first ever artificial Eldritch. Escaped experiments.
There’s Scitter, the blue one, who moves fast and eradiclly. It’s also the most “social” and curious, revealing itself to Robotnik far more than the other two.
The next is Golem, with glowing markings, unblinking eyes, and the most deadly-looking in appearance. It appears suddenly and without moving at all, before vanishing whenever Robotnik would blink.
The third is the most elusive and also the tallest. It never leaves the forest and Robotnik’s camera algorithm can’t tell the difference between it and the trees. With its appearance largely unknown, Robotnik simply calls it the Overwatcher for now. He theorized it doesn’t need line of sight to actually watch the Doctor.
Miles decides to stay and help Robotnik find out what they are and if there are more of them out there, becoming his assistant and, eventually, his protégé. To Robotnik’s pleasant surprise, the child’s mind easily keeps up with his own genius.
Elsewhere, Amy and Knuckles begin the search for their missing friend.
Eggman - While not an evil villain hellbent on taking over the world, he’s still a recluse who prefers the company of his robots. He also still has his ego and is a massive jerk to anyone he considers stupid. However, he begins to grow a soft spot for the young fox who’s not only able to keep up with him but also provides good ideas of his own.
Tails - Goes by Miles Prower in this AU due to a lack of Sonic. He was bullied for many years, until the Rose siblings moved into town. Amy and her adopted brother, Knuckles, quickly came to his defense and soon enough, the three were friends. However, when Robotnik vanished, they didn’t have the same confidence as Miles in the man’s survival. Determined to discover the truth to his idol’s fate, Miles sets out to find him… and finds more than he bargained for.
Amy and Knuckles - Amy came across Knuckles when she was young and upon discovering he had no memories or family, immediately declared them siblings. Everyone thinks him to be some sort of mutated hedgehog or porcupine. Amy is also Eldritch-touched but keeps it a secret from everyone but Knux. Later, Knuckles discovers his connection to the gods aka the Master Emerald and Chaos. In this world, Angel Island is still a myth and floats around without its guardian.
Sonic - Known as ‘Scitter’, is the “friendliest” and least-cautious of the trio. Scitter grows a strange fascination with Miles and begins showing personality once he arrives, favoring the kit greatly and showing up at the lab even more frequently. He’s also the only one of the three to lack cuffs. Miles is the one to gift him clothes.
Shadow - Known as ‘Golem’, he teleports all over the place, showing little to no emotion, and doesn’t move at all. Out of the three, he’s the most feral and it takes both Robotnik and Miles a long time before they feel comfortable enough to even breath in his presence. He seems to enjoy sitting in the rafters, sometimes going unnoticed for hours then disappearing once he’s finally spotted.
Silver - Known as ‘the Overwatcher’ first then later ‘Birch’ once Robotnik and Tails manage to finally see what he looks like. For the longest time, he did not approach the lab, or at least, not that Robotnik knew. Strangely, he seems to know where the cameras are. The tallest and skinniest of the three, Birch can’t move much, encumbered by his chains. It’s Miles who first comments how it seems strangely weaker than the other two.
Eldritch in this world are like endangered animals, but are world-wide and extremely dangerous. Due to them hunting humans and mobians alike, advancements in technology, medicine, and the like are slowed down much. Also, the overall population is lower and less spread out internationally. Eldritch are not social creatures and tend to mostly be by themselves unless they’re a swarm-type. They don’t seem to posses emotions.
90% of Eldritch attacks result in death. Few manage to escape and even fewer are spared. On that very rare occasion, the ones spared are called “Eldritch-touched”, gain enhanced senses, and glowing eyes. No one knows what an Eldritch-touched means beyond that. They are always disappeared by the local government, likely to be studied or killed, hence why Amy keeps it a secret.
The crew later discover that Amy can actually sense and even communicate with Eldritch. Not as a direct language but rather through intentions and memories. It’s by Amy connecting to Scitter’s mind that they learn Scitter, Golem, and Birch are man-made eldritch—confirming Robotnik and Miles’ theory—meant to be weapons. Weapons against what or who, they don’t know, but whatever happened ended up as a failure. More powerful than predicted, the trio escaped and slaughtered everyone, including the other experiments. Amy later reveals that Scitter’s mind was a lot more emotional than she predicted, further emphasizing just how odd these man-made creatures are.
The idea is that this AU is partially explored through Logs (inspired by the Egg Memos from Frontiers).
