Hey, everyone. I've been having writer's block on The Two-Tailed Fox, so the past day, I've been working on a new story. Once I get back in the groove with The Two-Tailed Fox, this will probably receive less attention, but I'll still try to update often.

Rogue the Hedgehog

Prologue

Central City isn't exactly the best place to be living since the GUN is always breathing down your neck, but it doesn't help when breaking the law is the only way you can survive. I have to steal a lot of things just to stay alive.

I've been to many places since I became homeless, like South Island, Westside Island, Future City, and others. I came to Central City about a year ago, hoping to find a home, but I wasn't granted such luck. The people of Mobius must have no sympathy, even for someone who's been wandering for almost six years.

"Well, well, I think I've caught a little rat!" Oh, great… I've been found… Again… I need to be more careful. The red coyote that runs the shop picks me up by the collar of my black t-shirt. "What did I say last time…? Ugh… I said that if I catch you one more time in here, it's over to juvy with you! I'm sure the GUN would be happy to have you out of their way. I hear you injured one of their officers the other day when he tried to arrest you. Why don't you just let them take you to juvy, Rogue?"

I try to struggle free from his firm grasp with no avail. "Because I just want to survive," I state without looking into his eyes. "Either that, or get a good home, but the latter isn't exactly possible. Now let me go!" While flailing around, I end up kicking the coyote in the… area. He lets go of my shirt and I grab a small bag of potato chips next to me. I immediately dash out of the store without looking back.

I've been getting more and more reckless each time I try to steal something. This time was a bit of a close shave. Had I not been that lucky, I probably would be heading to juvy right now. That's not a place I ever want to see.

It's not my fault that I don't have anybody to take care of me! Should I have to go through all this trouble just to feed myself? Well, at least I have it easier than this one kid on Westside Island. The poor twin-tailed fox was getting beaten up on a daily basis, and he ate way less than I did, but I digress.

As soon as I'm in my little hiding place near one of the parks in the city, I open the bag of chips and immediately stuff a handful of them in my mouth. Oh, they taste so good! I haven't had chips in probably two months! "Hey, Rogue, you finally got some food, huh?" If I didn't know who it was, I probably would pull my gun out on him, but it's just my friend, Aiden. He's an eleven-year-old cyan chameleon, and ever since I got here, he's been the only one who's actually nice to me. "You know I could probably steal some food from the orphanage for you."

As he sits next to me, I shake my head and reply, "Aiden, I won't have my friend give me food that's not his. I need to fend for myself." Aiden just sighs. I hate making him feel bad, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he got caught or something. "Just stick to being good company."

He nods, but hands me something wrapped in foil. "I already got ya something anyway. I used some money I had made at my new job to pay for it. It's a present from me! And don't even think of trying to give it back to me, Rogue! I hate ketchup and mustard." I unwrap it, and there's a bacon cheeseburger sitting right there in the palm of my hand. I haven't had one since… since my parents died. I had told Aiden that this is my favorite food, but I never actually expected him to get one for me. I really am stunned speechless. "Th-thanks, Aiden…" I finally manage to stutter. "But why did you get one for me?"

Then, Aiden throws me an inquisitive look. "You do realize what today is, right?" I raise an eyebrow. Today's special? I simply shake my head. Aiden sighs once again. "It's the thirteenth of May, Rogue! It's your birthday! Happy thirteenth, Rogue! Hey, it's even your golden birthday, too!" It… is my birthday, isn't it? I had completely forgotten! He remembered my birthday even though I failed to remember it myself.

"Yoo-hoo! Aiden, my dear boy! Where are you?" Who in the world is that? "Uh-oh!" exclaims Aiden. "That's the orphanage lady! I'd better get out of here quick before she—" A brunette female human looking about in her thirties appears in front of us. "There you are, Aiden!" she says in a British accent. Then, her eyes focus on me. I politely wave to her and try my best to make eye contact, and she asks, "Oh, Aiden, did you make a new friend? He looks very… dirty and…" Then, her focus falls onto the pistol in my shorts. "Oh, my goodness, he has a gun! Aiden, get away from him right now!" She pulls him away and shoots a piercing look toward me, which immediately makes me drop eye contact.

She then looks back at Aiden and asks sweetly, "Did he threaten you? Did he try to hurt you?" He tries to wriggle free of her grasp as he answers, "No, Miss Thorn. He's my friend. He's a very nice guy. He just has a gun so that he can protect himself if he needs to." Miss Thorn wags her finger at Aiden. "Mm-mm-mm!" she exclaims. "Why would he need that to protect himself? He can always call the police or his parents." Aiden growls quietly and responds, "But he can't! He's homeless. Do you expect him to feel completely safe all the time? He doesn't have a cellphone, and it's not like he can just walk up to a payphone and dial 911 since payphones don't exist in this city anymore. What else is a thirteen-year-old hedgehog supposed to do to defend himself?"

Miss Thorn looks at me again, still unsure about whether I'm trustworthy or not. "Are you sure he wasn't lying when he told you about himself, darling?" Aiden nods. "I'm completely sure, Miss Thorn. Plus, I think that, if he were dangerous, he probably would have hurt me a year ago when I met him." Trying to sound as polite as I can, I point to my pistol and say, without looking at her, "If it makes you uncomfortable, ma'am, I can put it somewhere else for now." I feel naked without it, but I don't want my only friend to stop seeing me.

Miss Thorn puts a slightly curled index finger horizontally over her lips and ponders for a moment. "Well…" she mumbles after a few seconds. She resumes normal volume as she continues. "You do seem courteous and… I don't see any intent for harm in what little I've seen of your eyes, but…" She pauses once again for three seconds. "All right, Aiden, you can, as you kids say, 'hang out' with… What's your name?" I'm about to tell her my real name when Aiden answers, "His name is Rogue the Hedgehog." So much for telling her my real name… Oh, well. I don't like my real name, anyway.

Miss Thorn raises an eyebrow. "Rogue? That's an… interesting name… But if I hear anything about you trying to harm little Aiden here, I will not hesitate to call the GUN and have them throw you in not just juvenile hall, but in prison. So, you'd best behave yourself." She walks away and mutters, "I can't believe I trust that kid…"

"She's finally gone!" exclaims Aiden quietly. "She's so annoying sometimes." I sigh and finally take a bite of the cheeseburger. It's so delicious! It's been six years! I take several more bites in quick succession. "Man, you really like bacon cheeseburgers, don't you?" asks Aiden. I nod. They're my favorite food. What did he expect? I continue to eat the burger and the chips. "Y'know, it's too bad that the orphanage is full. I'm sure you'd be way better off there."

I stop eating and ask, "Would it, though? I'm pretty sure that Miss Thorn wouldn't like me one bit. Plus, I don't think I'd get along with the other kids. I'm too quiet." I start eating again. So good! I wish this cheeseburger were infinite. That isn't to be however, as I finish the rest of it within thirty seconds, and then I eat the bag of chips within another fifteen seconds.

"Wow!" remarks Aiden. "I've seen you eat fast before, but never that fast! How long has it been since you last ate?" I think back. "A day and a half…" I answer. "Maybe two…" Aiden's mouth drops open in surprise. "Holy crap, Rogue! How can you even stand that? I wouldn't be able to make it twelve hours without eating something!" I sigh and respond, "That's because I've been doing this for six years. It takes some time to get used to it, believe me." He and I just sit and talk for the next hour or so. When it's about nine o'clock, Miss Thorn comes over to us.

"He didn't hurt you, did he, my little Aiden?" she asks as she thoroughly examines him for any cuts or bruises. I can tell Aiden is getting annoyed, so I say, "Ma'am, I promise I didn't hurt Aiden. He's my best friend." I definitely couldn't live with that lady. She's way too paranoid. Even if I were to go to the orphanage like Aiden wants me to, I'm sure she would take my pistol away before I could even say the word "gun". Aiden tries to push her away from him and answers, "He didn't Miss Thorn. I told you that he's really nice. You can trust him."

Miss Thorn clicks her tongue and sighs. "Okay, Aiden, you're fine. Go back to the orphanage now, quickly." Aiden nods and runs off to the orphanage, but he first yells, "Bye, Rogue! See ya later!" I wave in his direction before Miss Thorn sternly says, "Enough games. I won't let a bad influence like you be around sweet Aiden. I know you steal things from local convenience and grocery stores. Why would someone your age do that instead of trying to live in an orphanage or foster home?"

I know this answer is probably going to keep me from seeing Aiden, but I've got to say it. I look straight into her eyes. "Because I don't want some naïve adult to tell me how to do things, dammit! Especially when they try to take my pistol away from me! I could tell you were eyeing my pistol, just waiting for the moment when you could take it! You don't know what I've been through in the past six years! I don't think anybody but Aiden understands what I'm going through! The first time I tried to go into an orphanage, they immediately took my gun from me! I feel completely defenseless without it, but unlike most of you adults think, I won't hurt anybody with it! Not unless they hurt me! And for your information, I steal to survive, so if you don't understand what life is like for me, then you're just another naïve adult that I don't want to deal with!"

I break eye contact as Miss Thorn gasps and responds, "Why, of all the rude things you could say… You are definitely not to see Aiden anymore. I'll let you off the hook just once, but if I ever see you with Aiden, it's off to jail with you." She walks toward the orphanage. I knew it… Aiden's probably going to get scolded big time all because of me. I'm sorry, buddy, but I have to leave. If I stay here, you'll probably just get caught with me, and then we'll both be in huge trouble. It'd probably be best if you just go on and forget I exist. I get up and start walking away with my small backpack on my back and my trusty pistol in my pocket.

"Rogue, you aren't going, are you?" asks a familiar voice from behind me. I sigh. Aiden, please don't do anything stupid. I simply answer, "I am." Aiden runs in front of me and says, "Take me with you. I hate it here, anyway." I look away from him.

"No."

"C'mon, Rogue, please?"

"It's too dangerous."

"No, it's not. I can fend for myself, too."

"You'll get caught."

"Fine, then stay here."

"I can't."

"Either you stay or I go with you. I'm not letting you leave my life."

Aiden, you're being too stubborn. Why do you have to make everything so hard? I love that sweet kid like a brother, but he's making it difficult to leave and to stay. If I leave by myself, then he'd probably get really depressed. If I stay, though, then both he and I would get in a lot of trouble when he would try to see me. And if I leave with him, he'd basically be risking an okay life for the life of a wanderer. I hate to put him in any danger, whether it's emotional or physical. "Come on, Rogue. Let me come with you. Please, Rogue. C'mon…"

I can't take this anymore. "Dammit, Aiden, I said no!" I shout as I finally look straight at him. "I don't want to leave you, either, but things change! I'd rather have you be sad that I left than have you get hurt because I decided to be stupid and take a kid with me!" Anyone who doesn't know me or doesn't know I have Asperger's syndrome would have probably been offended by the way I yelled, like Miss Thorn was with my little monologue back there, but Aiden is rather unfazed. I look down at my feet. "Forget about me. Go and make some other friends. I'm not a good friend anyway if I would just up and leave like this." That is what stuns him.

"But…" mumbles Aiden. I sigh and walk around him. "I'm sorry, Aiden," I say without looking back. "but I think this is for the best. Good-bye, buddy. Maybe I'll come back in about a year or two when, and if, the GUN forgets about me." I begin to walk away, but Aiden runs up and hugs me from behind. His gloved hands cover my stomach as he embraces me tightly. I turn around while in his arms and return the gesture. "See ya, Rogue…" he murmurs. I let him go and I turn around, walking toward the city exit.