A/N: This is an OC-centered fic. Although other Sonic characters will appear, it will mainly focus on my personal OC, Shock the Echidna. If you don't like OC-centered fics, don't read this.
Reviews are very welcome.
A seventeen-year-old grey echidna sat in the cool shade of a large rock to escape the day's heat as he ate. His hand rested on a bent knee holding a bunch of grapes. He twisted another purple sphere off and automatically popped it in his mouth, his mind, as usual, deep in thought.
His name was Shock, and when he was alone, which was almost all the time, he started thinking. A lot. He spent the majority of his time in the countryside near the Mystic Ruins, and had become adept at noticing a slight shift in the air – usually meaning a change in the weather – and had seen every type of all the countryside animals in the area. What he hadn't seen a lot of were other people. Humans and "anthros", as his diverse collective race were sometimes called. He didn't want to be around others. Partly because they made him uncomfortable and partly because he was dangerous, albeit unintentionally. He had an innate ability to manipulate electricity, just as other anthros had the ability to control fire or had the gift of flight or strength.
However, he did not have complete control over his ability. Sometimes he would feel a tingling inside him. Seconds later, his entire body would become electrified and bolts would shoot out from him, indiscriminately frying anything nearby. Over the years, he had learned to somewhat suppress it, but was still unable to fully control the outbursts.
It was for that reason he had left his home and family and lived in the countryside, away from noise and people. He didn't have any friends, but that didn't bother him; he preferred to be alone.
...Right? he asked himself, with some uncertainty.
His electric blue eyes flicked to the cloudless sky to focus on a strange shape trailing smoke as it gradually descended. As it neared, Shock could see it was some sort of flying contraption in the shape of a semi-oval. The pilot was a fat, bald man with a huge moustache and spectacles that appeared to have the lenses made out of one-sided glass.
The echidna watched with interest as the moustachioed man struggled with the controls and then yelled when the craft veered towards a forest. Shock lost sight of the strange contraption and even stranger pilot when they dipped below the tree line, although he heard them crashing through the branches and the heavy thump as the machine hit the ground.
Frowning slightly, Shock stood up, dropping the grapes on the ground for any hungry animals that wanted them as he did so, and walked towards the forest to find out what was going on. From the loud complaining, whoever the pilot was, he was alive and not so injured that he couldn't shout at his "stupid rust bucket" craft.
Winding his way through the trees, Shock saw the heavyset man with his back to him, bent over his machine, fiddling with it and grumbling. Even from behind, the grey echidna could see the moustache jutting out on either side like thin brown wings. The wings flapped slightly as the bald man continued muttering.
"...I hate that hedgehog..." he grumbled to himself.
Shock cleared his throat to get the man's attention. The egg-like figure started and turned to face the echidna.
"Knuckles? How did get here so—?" the bald man looked closer, "You're not Knuckles..."
Shock opened his mouth to respond, but the large man in front of him spoke again before he had the chance, "Well, who are you? Are you one of that meddling hedgehog's new friends?" he asked with a deep frown.
"...Hedgehog? No. I'm Shock. Shock the Echidna."
"You're not with Sonic?" asked the bald man suspiciously.
"Sonic..." the echidna said with little recognition in his voice, "...No."
"You've never heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?" asked the heavyset figure even more suspiciously.
"...It seems vaguely familiar. I don't pay much attention to what goes on beyond the country."
The bald man's right eyebrow twitched up, "Do you know who I am?"
"I think I've seen you flying around, before. But, no. Sorry, should I?"
There was a glint in the man's eye as a plan formed in his head. He placed one hand behind his back and raised the other in the air, "I am Doctor Eggman, philanthropist, animal-lover and arch-nemesis of Sonic the Hedgehog. That blue devil ruins almost every plan I come up with to better the world."
"Is that so?" asked Shock, not too interested.
"Come now... 'Shock', is it? How would you like to join me in my fight against the evil Sonic and his cohorts?"
"Sorry, but no."
"Is there a reason, if I may ask?"
"I'm... dangerous," replied Shock in a low voice, And I don't really want to be around anyone...
"Dangerous?"
"Yes, my... I have the power of electricity. But sometimes, it goes out of my control and I become a danger to everyone and everything around me."
"Hmmm. I may be able to help you with that, my friend."
Shock gave him a cynical look, "How so?"
"Accompany me back to my lab and, trust me, I will do what I can to aid you."
"I'm not so sure..." replied Shock, folding his arms and turning slightly away.
"Really now, do I look like someone who can't be trusted?"
The echidna turned his head towards Eggman with an expression that asked, Have you seen yourself in the mirror, lately?
Eggman grimaced, "Okay, so I look a little rough, but you would too, battling against that despicable hedgehog."
Shock thought for a while, then sighed, "...Alright."
"Splendid," said Eggman, giving a smile that was anything but winning, "But, before we can go anywhere, I'll need to repair this machine."
He turned to the craft as he spoke. He studied it for a while before reaching over and pressing buttons on the control panel and using various tools on the insides of the machine.
After a few moments, he turned to Shock, who had been leaning against a tree trunk, absently watching squirrels scurrying along the branches, "Mister Shock, you said you can control electricity, correct?"
"Yes...?"
"Well, do you think you could give my machine a little jolt?"
"I guess..."
"Thank you," said the Doctor and then gestured to a circular plug hole, "Just give it a second or two of juice."
Shock stepped forward and placed his index finger over the hole. Hoping he wouldn't overload the machine, he sent a current through his finger and into the socket. The onboard panel lit up and the craft hummed.
"Hmmm. He might be more useful than I thought," said Eggman quietly to himself.
"...What?" asked Shock, distractedly, removing his finger.
"Hm? Oh, nothing," replied the overweight scientist, waving his hand dismissively, "Just thinking out loud. I do that, sometimes; so many brilliant ideas in my head, you see. Often they just have to come out," replied Eggman.
Whatever... thought the echidna, rolling his eyes as Eggman inserted the plug into its socket.
The large Doctor clambered into the cockpit, "Come on, my new friend. Let's get you back to my lab, shall we?"
Still not fully trusting the scientist, Shock nodded and climbed into the space behind Eggman's seat where various small scientific gadgets also lay.
The craft's engine whined on and after a wobbly ascent, the ship rotated and then flew off in the direction of Eggman's base.
I just had a brilliant idea... the Doctor thought with a menacing smile.