New Twist On An Old Tail
The following is rated M due to violence, swearing, use of alcohol (mentioned) and adult views and themes (nothing sexually explicit).
I want to start by saying that this is not going to appeal to many peoples tastes so I won't feel bad if many hit the back button right here. I am changing the Sonic Universe a lot here and am pretty much taking creative license. That said, I will not tolerate any flames or trolling. If you have a valid opinion and wish to state so, then by all means go ahead. I would greatly appreciate it actually.
Since I saw fit to add a lot more realism I think it's best that I explain a bit about the version of Mobius I created. Here the Mobians have a more "Earth" like existence bringing with it the familiarity that we have with our own lives. A good example would be the psychological changes in the characters. Since Sonic does not have his super speed (yet) he therefore needs to find another way to get the rush that his base personality seeks as well as the drive to help others. He does this by doing what we would do in a similar situation by joining a police force or the military. The latter not really being feasible however since it's enough of a stretch to push Sonic to listen to orders as it is. That said we move on to the next point, because there is no way that a child who lost his parents would be left to their own devices in most countries on Earth. I made it part of his back story to be raised in foster care with a not very nice foster family. What this brought out in Sonic was a much shorter temper and an almost chronic need to seek out situations where he can be seen apart from the crowd. Because he was raised with the belief that wrongdoings would be met with sever punishment whether deserved or not he has iron control when it comes to his hair trigger temper but if the need arises he will not shy from violence. Sonic's childish side remains mostly unaltered as it is common for kids brought up in such circumstances to be on the immature side in order to get the attention they crave. His protective side has actually increased several fold since he firmly believes that he has to fight to keep what is his. This goes for both objects and friends.
Now for the final note before we start. I know that people hate when authors do this but I will be changing the characters ages. I know blasphemy right, but to suit the story it must be done. Don't worry though their base personalities will remain the same just altered slightly to represent their different ages and different upbringings Also I will only be divulging their ages as they are introduced. Okay I lied, this is the final note. There are no OC's here. If a side character has a name it is only because it is needed at that particular time and most will not be recurring... unless requested.
Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog aka Sonic the Hedgehog: 22
Chapter 1: Hangovers, Car Chases and Murder
The hangover. One of the bodies more obnoxious ways of telling us that what we did the night before was a very bad decision. Most of us who have suffered through one most likely made the false promise to never drink again. To those who haven't had the pleasure of waking up in the morning to this most wondrous of physiological miracles most likely think the poor fool who happens to be complaining about theirs is being melodramatic. In truth a hangover is absolutely nothing to scoff about as our favourite blue hedgehog is about to find out.
He was dying. Surely he must be dying, there was no other possibility for the ailments he woke up to. First it was the headache, like nails on a chalk board. Followed by an overwhelming sense of nausea that forced him to run to the bathroom on legs that did not want to respond properly. Then came the sickening realization that made him stop cold and want to scream to the heavens for this curse.
Today was a work day.
After a very brief shower and donning his uniform the hedgehog walked out into the oppressive sunlight. Shielding his eyes and muttering something about never touching a bottle again he set forth. As he entered the doors to the local police station he trudged past the front desk where the secretary gave him a knowing look. "Morning Sonic, you don't look so good today. Maybe you should take the day off." She chuckled as he shot her a quick glare before walking to the elevator bank.
Yup that was his name. Or at least his nickname. Sonic the Hedgehog whom received that name because he was the fastest cop on the road. No driver was more skilled than him and to this date no one had ever gotten away. As the elevator rose Sonic spent much of the ride cursing his own poor judgement but more so the annoying elevator music that seemed a lot louder today. It wasn't until the doors opened that he realized how incredibly screwed he was today. Once the doors parted his overly sensitive ears were assaulted by noise from every conceivable way. Dozens of people talking, typing on keyboards, various hand held microphones going off, and right in the centre was his desk. Not one step out of the elevator, not one freaking step and already someone was calling out to him.
"Hey Sonic, can I get a word with you?" Already frayed nerves caused him to snap toward the voice and bark back. "What a guy can't even take a seat before he gets harassed over some trivial crap?" As he finished the turn toward the person however his stomach dropped so fast it was in his shoes. Quickly composing himself he managed to stammer out. "Uh, morning Captain Ursa. Was there something you needed to discuss with me?" The large bear raised an eyebrow before calmly stating. "In my office... Now."
Once the captain closed the door to his office Sonic quickly tried to find some excuse for his outburst but was cut off. "What the fuck was that about Ogilvie? You never speak like that to anyone even the idiots you bring in. Seriously are you drunk or something?" After that comment the bears eyes narrowed and Sonic could tell he was taking a quick sniff of the air. Damn bears and their amazing sense of smell, he thought. Detecting the faint smell of day old alcohol on the hedgehogs breath Ursa stood to his full height and growled out. "Are you kidding me? Officer Hedgehog did you come into my precinct hungover? You are a cop for Chaos sake! I would have never thought that you of all people would come into work today as a fucking POLICE OFFICER HUNG OVER!" The last few words were screamed so loud that everyone outside stopped, then immediately started working again. Albeit at a much faster and louder pace.
After his outburst Ursa calmed down considerably, and now spoke with a much softer tone. One that did little to hide the pure venom that laced his next words. "Get out of my sight. But hear this Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog if you ever dare show your face under any further questionable influences you WILL be looking for a new job." Not even taking the time to speak Sonic jumped to his feet offered a quick nod and practically tripped over himself as he ran from the perturbed bears office. If only to serve as more proof as to how unlucky he was, today Sonic would be enjoying his eight hour grind from behind his desk as he had a (almost literal) mountain of paperwork to keep him company. Determined to complete his task as quickly as mobianly possible, he downed a cup of black coffee and popped two headache relief pills, sat down and blazed through his work. Thoughts of open road and the light hum of his cruiser pushing him. With the pills finally taking effect the beautiful sunlight poring in through the office window now called to him and served to only steel his resolve to be out there, where he truly belonged.
Emerald Hill was a beautiful city full of beautiful features. It had everything a tourist could hope for. White sandy beaches being lapped at by crystal clear, sun warmed water, a friendly and hospitable local population, and a thrilling night life. Emerald Hill also catered to the more adventurous of individuals as well due to the presence of both a large dense jungle and a large mountain range. It also hid secrets that no tourist would ever hope for. As the very existence of something beautiful and pure means that it must in some way be marred and tarnished. And so with the tourist boom so came the thieves and con artists that follow looking for a quick score.
It was these unsavoury individuals whom Sonic had vowed to protect the hardworking, honest people from. And he would be damned if he was going to be stuck behind a desk all day when someone could be getting into Chaos-knows-what kind of trouble. It was with this thought that Sonic signed his name on the last file and darted into the elevator before the Captain could interject. Once the doors closed, he let out a sigh and pushed the button marked "P". Three floors later the doors opened again to show the stations parking garage and his love and joy, an old Fjord Crown Vector. Sonic stood still for a moment to admire the vehicle before him. Sure it was old but it got the job done every time without fail. There were at one point talks of replacing that old beater, as the captain had put it. That idea however was quickly put down by an extremely perturbed hedgehog. Jumping into the driver seat Sonic sat still for a moment enjoying the feel of his car around him. Slowly, deliberately he reached out and started the engine. As the engine roared to life he sat back and enjoyed the subtle vibration and thought to himself that this vehicle was a true extension of himself. The culmination of all his currently honed ability manifested in a single tool from which he could embark and do what he deemed to be great things. Quickly snapping back to himself he realized he could not waste away the day , Sonic shifted into gear. Pulling out of his parking spot and leaving the dark parking garage and entering the bright sunlight, Sonic smiled as the open road stretched before him. Thinking that things were finally looking up for him he set off to see what the day would bring.
It took about an hour of cruising around before Sonic finally got something. I small green sedan that figured 145 kph on the highway was just dandy when clearly the speed limit was posted at 100. After pulling them over he waited in the car while running the plates. These quickly came back as those belonging to a rental car from an agency that was quite popular with the tourists. From his spot he could clearly see two individuals in the car, most likely a man and women. Getting out of his car he drew himself up to his full height added to the air of authority he already exuded due to his uniform. As he approached the driver side window however he could already tell that this guy was going to be a problem. Taking a closer look as he approached, Sonic could see the driver say something to the passenger and start smirking through the side view mirror. When he finally came up to the window the driver looked over, not even trying to hide the smirk and in a heavily accented voice spoke to Sonic. "Good morning officer. Can I help you?" "Ya, can I get you to cut the ignition for me please?" Sonic asked giving a quick gesture to the dashboard. The driver, a male wolf who looked about thirty or so reached up and turned off the engine before flashing that grin back at Sonic. "Alright now can I get you to show me a valid license and proof of rental." while the wolf rummaged through the glove compartment, Sonic took a minute to give the cars interior a quick glance. He noted that the interior was completely devoid of any personal belongings. Next he glanced at the passenger who appeared to be another wolf but much younger, possibly late teens. She seemed quite excited for some reason and kept glancing from Sonic to the driver. Retreating from the glove compartment the driver spoke. "Well it appears that the car lot forgot to put the rental contract in the car when we took it off the lot." Taking a deep breath to quell the slight annoyance bubbling up Sonic decided that he would simply need to call it in to ascertain the validity of this story. Not really concerned anymore with this he moved on to the next problem. "I still need to see a drivers license." With this the driver's grin threatened to split his face and he simply stated. "I don't have one." Now Sonic was just getting frustrated. "Okay, can I get you to step out of the car please." "I would but there's one small problem." As he spoke his right hand shot up and turned the ignition and the engine roared to life. When he noticed the movement, Sonic took a quick step back and his right hand lowered to the holster at his side. Taking a hard look at the driver he growled out. "Don't even think about it."
"Too late." Then the squeal of tires.
Instantly Sonic sprinted back to his car. Upon literally throwing himself into the driver seat and slamming the cruiser into gear, he keyed the mic and began relaying the location and direction of the speeding vehicle. "Car twenty three to dispatch I've got a green sedan travelling northbound on the 403 one klick south of the Westside Way on ramp. Suspects are a male and female of lupin descent. Driver is late twenties to early thirties and passenger appears to be late teens both are not considered armed. Plates read as echo charlie alpha eighteen whiskey indigo registered to Emerald Auto Rentals. How copy?" After a few seconds two quick beeps signalled and the voice of the dispatcher came through. "Good copy twenty three. Backup en route, eta two mikes off of Westside Way."
Weaving through traffic for a moment Sonic found his mark. The sedan had topped off at one sixty and was blazing past other motorists. Shifting gears, Sonic pushed his engine and closed the distance between the two vehicles. At that moment two other cruisers sped onto the highway from the on ramp just in front of the suspect vehicle. This proved to be a lucky break as the front left cruiser did it's best to stay in front of the sedan while the right cruiser pulled back slightly to force the sedan to the left. Seeing the tactic Sonic sped up and closed the box by pulling right up the the bumper. At that moment all the cruisers started to slow down with the hope that the sedan would be forced to do the same as well. Realizing what was going on the driver if the sedan tapped the breaks causing the brake light to flash but not actually engage the breaks. Seeing the flash of red fired Sonic's reflexes and caused him to hit his breaks to avoid a wreck. This granted the sedan's driver the chance it needed and as the formation opened he pulled back and out of the box and speeding past the two other cruisers.
The chase had been going on for about fifteen minutes and the call for spike strips had been made. Upon hearing that the spikes had been deployed all three cruisers slowed and weaved away to avoid getting hit as well. The wolf however had no such luxury as he sped over the spikes and all four tires were instantly blown out. Unfortunately the friction and forces caused by the excessive speed shredded the remains of the tires causing it to lose all traction and swerve from side to side on its rims. After a moment of this the car slammed into the centre median and flipped over onto its roof were it came to a stop about forty metres down the road. As soon as the car came to a halt the police surrounded the vehicle and closed in on foot, weapons drawn. As Sonic drew up to the inverted driver he found the wolf to be laughing, not loudly but just enough to be heard. "Well I guess it was worth a shot." Reaching into the centre console he pulled out a small black case and slid it out to Sonic. "You might want to back up before the bomb goes off. And make sure to get that shard the hell out of here."
At the mention of "bomb" the assembled cops scattered for the safety of their cruisers. Just as promised a moment later the sedan exploded raining car parts all over the freeway.
After an hour of cleanup and the bomb squad declaring the area clear of secondaries the forensics teams began combing the area along with several more police, bystanders and media. All this activity though held no interest for Sonic who had made his way back to the slight privacy of his car all the while still staring at the case in his hands. I was a small attache case that had the initials RP stencilled on the front. Sonic knew better than to open the case. He knew that he should have given it to forensics as evidence. He knew these things and yet he was still holding it. The case seemed to call out to him in a way that could not be ignored. Like a siren's song to a man with open ears. It called and yet he knew he should not open the case. Spending long minutes debating with himself whether he should follow protocol or follow the alluring call. Eventually Sonic could stand the suspense no longer and he popped the catch on the case.
Inside sat a small crystalline shard. It was bright green like an emerald but seemed to glow under it's own power. Slowly almost reverently Sonic reached in and touched the shard. Instantly his entire body was covered in a powerful wave of energy that even after letting go of the shard took a minute to dissipate. The sheer rush of power was almost addictive and even after letting go, Sonic was compelled to take the shard back into his hands. It was like nothing ever experienced before by anyone. It was adrenaline mixed with joy, hopes, dreams and power. After the rush fades Sonic opens his eyes and looks down at the shard. Its glow illuminates the cases i
interior showing small words written along the lid of it.
"1168 Acorn Palace Rd, Emerald Hill, Westside Island"
Suddenly the call of the shard brought his attention back down to where it rest. Taking a moment to compose himself Sonic closed the lid of the case. As the latch caught those he suddenly felt tired like his energy had been cut off. Shaking his head to rid himself of the feeling he tucked the case under his car seat and walked back out into the chaos. It took several hours to get things cleared up and get traffic flowing again, several more to write a detailed report and give it to the still pissed captain by that time the sun was setting and Sonic's day had ended hours ago. Sonic packed his things in a bit of a rush. Instead of going right home however Sonic decided to do a little bit of digging before heading out. Heading back down to the parking garage. On his way he passed several of the night staff. All of which were giving him various looks. Ranging from looks of sympathy to grim determination. It made sense really. Sonic had watched two people explode only metres from his face. The department had already made it clear that they wanted him to attend a few counselling sessions with the Internal Affairs psych guy.
As he blazed through the halls over to the elevator he couldn't bring himself to return any of the looks that he received. Why he couldn't look his co-workers in the face he did not know. Perhaps it was guilt over his failure perhaps it was something else, but it mattered little right now. All Sonic knew was that he needed to get some info on that shard right now Not fully understanding why he was rushing so much until he found himself back in the parking lot pulling the small black case back out from his car. After a moment of staring in awe at the case Sonic remembered the address written inside and realized it was only about four blocks from his own home. Booting up the computer in his car, Sonic entered the address in the search and was instantly rewarded with the details he was looking for. The residence in question was that of Amadeus and Rosemary Prower. As the names popped on screen Sonic fell back into the car seat slightly deflated. There was no need to dig any further as anyone was even remotely paid attention to the news knew who those two were.
Amadeus Prower was a General in the Westside Island Army and also the chief council to the Minister of Defence. This made him one of the most powerful men in the country. On the other side General Prower was also known for being exceedingly compassionate. Rosemary Prower was a little more of a mystery however. It was well known that she was a researcher, but for what Sonic did not know. Deciding to find out he started looking into her background. His search bore fruit when it was shown that she currently held a position with the government doing research into genetic engineering. At this point though Sonic found he was not able to dig any deeper. Unsurprising considering the families high profile with the government.
Suddenly Sonic realized that he had a serious dilemma. He had wilfully withheld evidence in a serious case. The least of his concerns if he was t caught was getting fired, especially when one considered the fact that the evidence in question belonged to a family of staggering pull in the government. Now he could either go ahead with his plan to check out the home or family or simply forget the whole thing ever happened. In the end it was a forgone decision since the instant he began to consider just abandoning the shard and forgetting about it, Sonic was immediately assailed by a blinding pain that caused him to grab his head out of reflex. Forcing his eyes open despite the immense pressure behind them Sonic noticed that the case was glowing. Reaching out he seized the case and after fumbling with the latch, opened it. The moment he made contact with the shard the pain disappeared along with his ability to remain conscious.
When Sonic's eyes opened he noticed he was in a spacious living room. Hearing a noise to his right Sonic went to turn but found he was unable to move. A moment after he mentally issued the command to turn his body finally responded and provided him with the angle he so desired. He was greeted with nothing but the homes equally spacious kitchen. As he started walking, which seemed to be happening all without his input, Sonic heard a phone ring. Quickly snapping around to the source his body moved and snatched up the phone. At this point Sonic realized that he was a passenger to whatever that shard had done to him and that he might as well hang on for the ride. Listening as the body he was in greeted whomever was calling Sonic began noticing things. On the mantle by the fireplace was a picture of three foxes, two adult and one child. Sonic instantly realized he was in the Prower home and if the deep voice that was answering the phone was anything to go by then he was clearly in Amadeus' body.
Not realizing that he was being watched by a spectral police officer. Amadeus answered the long awaited call with more trepidation then he had ever had before. "Hello?" Knowing who it was did little to ease the tension in his voice as the caller carried the conversation in the metallic voice the mixed demonic glee with a deep seated hatred. "Good evening General. I take it you are wondering how our little business arrangement went." It was not a question so much as a statement of fact. "If so I would advise you to turn on your television to channel seven." Doing so Amadeus was greeted with replayed footage of a very familiar green sedan being chased by police before being blown to pieces after it was stopped. Quickly realizing what this meant Amadeus was quick to try and placate. "I know how this looks but I can get it back from the police. No one will be the wiser. The only issue will be that we are going to need one more day is all." Amadeus was expecting anger, he was expecting screaming. He was not expecting laughter, and laughter he was met with. It was an unnatural sound, as though the person doing it was never meant to. Or never should have been able to.
"General, if it were as simple as taking it from the police then I would have left it at that, but you see we have run into a bit of a problem. Do you want to know what that problem is?" The delicate acid that dripped from the question was so potent that it was not to be ignored. It was bait and Amadeus knew he had no choice but to take. "What is the problem?" "Well my dear General, it seems that the police do not possess the shard." Upon hearing these words Amadeus was devastated. No it was impossible, completely impossible. That shard was absolutely tantamount for his plans. "T-Then who does?" Amadeus couldn't stop the slight stammer that crept into his speech. Through the phone he could almost hear the sickening smile as it crept over the others face. "That is the question isn't it? Sadly it is one that neither of us possess the answer to. Which brings me to the crux of the matter. We don't have time to track it down. If it was simply with the police I could afford the time but as it is, I cannot. So your job is to make ready the backup plan. Once that is done then you are free of my influence and can go back to whatever it is that you busy yourself with."
Amadeus heard the words but he simply refused to accept them. The backup plan that was so callously referred to was his son. This monster wanted him to give up his only son in trade for some stupid glowing rock. The boy that he held every night and made sure that he was there for in the morning. The boy that he drove to preschool and played with every evening. That boy meant everything to him and his wife and he would be damned if he was going to give him up like some kind of consolation prize.
"No"
The being on the other end of the line raised an unseen eyebrow at the declaration. "Hmm. Surely you don't intend to back out on our deal now General? If you were then I may have to take certain steps to protect my interests."
That did it. No one spoke about Amadeus' boy like an object. "You listen to me and you listen good. Our "deal" had nothing to do with the things you did to him. We asked you to help us have a son in exchange for a Chaos Shard. You are the one who did some fucked up experiment on him before he was even fucking born. That was not part of the deal, yet you took it upon yourself to impress that little bit on us. I provided the shard and I'll be damned if you think that you can alter the deal just because your couriers got themselves smeared all over the highway!"
There was silence on the other end of the line for several long moments before the other spoke again. "You don't seem to understand your situation Amadeus. You came to me asking for help because your wife was unable to have children. I fixed this, Prower. I fixed it at a very reasonable cost. I created life where none should exist and you dare to tell me that I cannot do what I will with the life I created?! I can change the deal however I please because I created it. What I did to the child was an extraordinary feat and now I am going to collect what is mine. Hear me well Prower. That boy is mine. I created him and I made him extraordinary and now it is time for him to fulfil his purpose in this world. He is going to be instrumental in the days to come. One more thing, Prower. Do you really think the police would have blown that car up?"
Realization hit harder then a freight train. "You killed them. You never intended for the shard to be delivered... Y-You planned this from the start. You sick bastard. I... no. No I will never allow you to lay one hand on my son. I don't care anymore. The deal's off and if you come near my family I'll kill you. I will kill you and leave your corpse to rot. You will never get your hands on Miles do you understand me! Never!"
"Tragic." Then the line went dead.
A/N
I maintain no claim to any intellectual property with regards to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise or any of the affiliated companies. I do however lay claim to the story and any unaffiliated characters.
