"You're alone."
"No I'm not," he hissed. "They'll come. They always come."
"Where are they?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that they're on their way."
"Sure they are. And I'll bet that I can't squish you like the insignificant bug you are too."
"Shut up."
"Give me one good reason and I will."
He couldn't think of one.
"Finally, out of comebacks! I've been waiting for this day for a long time, my friend."
"You're no friend of mine."
The man laughed. It grated on him, because he knew what was coming, and he didn't want to hear it.
"You haven't got any friends."
"Yes I do. I've got lots of 'em."
"In your mind, maybe. Perhaps you have finally gone insane. Although in my opinion you were always a little nuts to start with."
"Look who's talking."
"I never said I wasn't, my friend. All the most intelligent people are a little bit crazy. Scientific genius stems from unconventional ideas." He paused, then continued, "However, being insane doesn't make you a genius, hedgehog...I suppose you're on your own there."
"Shut up."
"You mentioned that option already, and I already declined it. You're out of luck."
He placed his foot on the hedgehog's head.
Sonic the hedgehog winced as his face was pressed into the cold, hard ground.
"They'll come for me," he said. "They'll come."
"No they won't, " Dr. Eggman said. "They hate you. You finally alienated all of them. Just like I always knew you would."
"They'll come," Sonic insisted. "They'll come."
"How tiresome," Eggman said. "You continue to repeat that, and yet there is no one here to save you. Isn't that strange?"
Sonic had no answer.
Eggman kicked Sonic brutally in the head, and the blue hedgehog went skidding across the rough ground until he hit the leg of one of Eggman's bots. He winced. His scalp had split and blood was now running down his face. "Leave me alone!" he said, immediately regretting it. He sounded like a whiny teenager who wasn't allowed out after curfew.
Eggman laughed. "Why should I? I finally have you right where I want you."
Sonic stood up, trying not to show Eggman how much it cost him. He tried to stop shaking. His hand kept trying to drift towards the large gash in his chest, and he had to keep forcing himself to stop thinking about the pain. That used to work. It wasn't really working now.
"You foolish boy," said Eggman. "Do you really think that I can't tell how you're feeling right now?"
Sonic tried to figure out how to get out of this. He was surrounded by a whole bunch of bots, and he really didn't feel up to destroying them all. He didn't know what to do. Usually right around now somebody came in to back him up.
He tried not to think about who it usually was.
"Are you still waiting for someone to come? How dreadfully pathetic," Eggman drawled, walking slowly over, taking his time, drawing it out.
"Someone will!" Sonic spat.
"And just who is it you are expecting?" asked Eggman. "Mighty? Because he's about the only one who might.
"And even he has a very small probability of arrival.
"Second to none, I'd say."
"Whatever," said Sonic, trying to get some of his old fire back. Eggman laughed again. It was really starting to grate on Sonic's nerves.
"You were quite the arrogant teenager once, weren't you?" Eggman mused. "No matter. It is finally time to end it."
He walked in front of Sonic and pushed him. He fell without resistance, too weak to stand. He crumbled to the ground as the doctor loomed over him. Sonic tried to fight. He really did. But he had nothing left. He had spent so long trying to escape from Eggman's trap that he had exhausted everything inside of him. He had never thought it would come to this. He had never thought he had a limit.
He didn't close his eyes. He wasn't going to go that way.
Eggman leveled his wrist at Sonic. "Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog," he said, smirking, and Sonic hated the fear he saw in his own eyes, reflected in Eggman's glasses. Everyone always said that the only thing Sonic feared was drowning. That wasn't true.
He was afraid of dying. The fearless were always the ones who feared the most.
The thing on Eggman's wrist started to glow white. Sonic didn't really want to know what was about to happen, but he couldn't avoid finding out at this point.
He could feel his heart pounding in his throat, and he suddenly became dizzy. He hadn't realized until now just how much blood he had lost. Then all of a sudden there was a blinding flash.
He opened his eyes.
Eggman was gone.
In his place was Tails.
"T...Tails?" said Sonic weakly.
Tails didn't answer. He turned around instead, and looked at something in the distance.
"Buddy?"
Tails turned back around.
"What," he said flatly.
"You came," Sonic said.
"I did," said Tails.
"I knew you would."
Tails suddenly became angry.
"That's why I wasn't going to!" he spat. "You always felt entitled, didn't you!"
"What?" said Sonic, struggling to sit up. Tails didn't help him.
"You know why I didn't come earlier?"
"Well...you couldn't, I guess."
"Wrong.
"Do you know just how smart I am, Sonic?"
"Uh...pretty smart, I guess," said Sonic.
"I'm not even going to tell you, since you don't really care," said Tails. "'course I do," said Sonic.
"Sure," said Tails. "Excuse me if I don't believe you."
"Anyway," said Tails, "I could have defeated all of those robots days ago. But I decided to let you fight it out, like you wanted to."
Tails smirked.
"It was quite entertaining to watch, actually."
Sonic was stunned.
"You...you've been watching me all this time?"
"We all have."
Sonic looked at the ground.
"And...and none of you...wanted to help me?"
"You didn't ask, did you?"
"I shouldn't have to ask!" Sonic yelled. "If I need help, you should help me!"
Tails snorted. "You didn't help us when we needed it. And didn't ask."
"Well...I..."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't want to hear it. If I wanted to hear it I would've come days ago."
Sonic managed to prop himself up agains a rock enough so that he felt like he was sitting, even if he wasn't. "Well, I guess I could've paid more attention. But I needed help. I could've died!"
"Who would've cared?"
"Wouldn't...wouldn't you care if I was dead, Tails?"
"Shut up!" said Tails. "Don't call me that."
"But...but I've always called you that."
"That's not my name," said Tails.
"It's just a nickname, bro, calm down."
"Don't tell me what to do," said Tails. "I'm tired of listening to you."
"Okay, okay!" said Sonic. "Geez, someone's cranky today."
Tails walked away.
"Hey, Ta-Miles, where're you going?"
Miles stopped.
"I saved you. What more do you want?"
"I don't know...help?"
"I already helped you."
"...buddy? What's wrong? I know we haven't been the best of friends lately, but...y'know...I miss ya..."
"Right," said Miles. "Like a hole in the head."
"Bud...c'mon...what'd I do?"
"You're an idiot," said Miles, and he started walking again.
"I...what'm I supposed to say? What do you want me to do? T-Miles!"
Miles stopped again, this time turning around. He went back over to Sonic and crouched down in front of him.
"I want..."
Miles looked distant.
"I tried to kill you," he whispered.
"No, Eggman did," said Sonic.
"No," said Miles. "I built those bots. I just made Eggman think he did."
"But you came to save me," said Sonic.
"They all told me not to, but I couldn't...I couldn't help myself..." said Miles.
"Thank you, buddy," said Sonic. "I'm sorry if I hurt you...hey, I know I used to tease you a lot, and I know I haven't been around, but that's how I roll, y'know? I can't stay in one place...I didn't think it would affect you that much."
"Why did you come back?"
"For old time's sake," said Sonic.
"That's why I saved you," said Miles, and Sonic saw how hard he was fighting to hold his tears back. "For old time's sake."
"I've missed ya, buddy," said Sonic. "But I have to be on the move...yeah, we were happy here, but I'm restless. I gotta keep moving."
"I know," said Miles. "I just...I just..."
"C'mere, Tails," said Sonic, and the brothers were just about to have a long-needed embrace when all of a sudden there was another blinding flash. When Sonic could see through the spots in his vision, he wanted to scream.
Eggman was there, a beaten, ragged old man with his chest heaving in rage.
"Damn you, Prower," said Eggman. "I knew you were too soft. I knew it!"
It was then that Sonic realized that Tails had been blown away, lost forever on the wind.
With the last of his strength Sonic managed to hurl the stone he had been leaning on at Eggman. It hit the doctor in the middle of his forehead and crushed his skull. Eggman collapsed.
Sonic lay on the ground and tried not to think about what had just happened. Even if he did live, he would be alone. He curled up into a ball, in great pain. He was so afraid to die...
"Sonic."
He opened his eyes.
"It's okay, Sonic...everything will be okay."
"I love you, Tails...thank you..."
Sonic was no longer afraid.
"No I'm not," he hissed. "They'll come. They always come."
"Where are they?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that they're on their way."
"Sure they are. And I'll bet that I can't squish you like the insignificant bug you are too."
"Shut up."
"Give me one good reason and I will."
He couldn't think of one.
"Finally, out of comebacks! I've been waiting for this day for a long time, my friend."
"You're no friend of mine."
The man laughed. It grated on him, because he knew what was coming, and he didn't want to hear it.
"You haven't got any friends."
"Yes I do. I've got lots of 'em."
"In your mind, maybe. Perhaps you have finally gone insane. Although in my opinion you were always a little nuts to start with."
"Look who's talking."
"I never said I wasn't, my friend. All the most intelligent people are a little bit crazy. Scientific genius stems from unconventional ideas." He paused, then continued, "However, being insane doesn't make you a genius, hedgehog...I suppose you're on your own there."
"Shut up."
"You mentioned that option already, and I already declined it. You're out of luck."
He placed his foot on the hedgehog's head.
Sonic the hedgehog winced as his face was pressed into the cold, hard ground.
"They'll come for me," he said. "They'll come."
"No they won't, " Dr. Eggman said. "They hate you. You finally alienated all of them. Just like I always knew you would."
"They'll come," Sonic insisted. "They'll come."
"How tiresome," Eggman said. "You continue to repeat that, and yet there is no one here to save you. Isn't that strange?"
Sonic had no answer.
Eggman kicked Sonic brutally in the head, and the blue hedgehog went skidding across the rough ground until he hit the leg of one of Eggman's bots. He winced. His scalp had split and blood was now running down his face. "Leave me alone!" he said, immediately regretting it. He sounded like a whiny teenager who wasn't allowed out after curfew.
Eggman laughed. "Why should I? I finally have you right where I want you."
Sonic stood up, trying not to show Eggman how much it cost him. He tried to stop shaking. His hand kept trying to drift towards the large gash in his chest, and he had to keep forcing himself to stop thinking about the pain. That used to work. It wasn't really working now.
"You foolish boy," said Eggman. "Do you really think that I can't tell how you're feeling right now?"
Sonic tried to figure out how to get out of this. He was surrounded by a whole bunch of bots, and he really didn't feel up to destroying them all. He didn't know what to do. Usually right around now somebody came in to back him up.
He tried not to think about who it usually was.
"Are you still waiting for someone to come? How dreadfully pathetic," Eggman drawled, walking slowly over, taking his time, drawing it out.
"Someone will!" Sonic spat.
"And just who is it you are expecting?" asked Eggman. "Mighty? Because he's about the only one who might.
"And even he has a very small probability of arrival.
"Second to none, I'd say."
"Whatever," said Sonic, trying to get some of his old fire back. Eggman laughed again. It was really starting to grate on Sonic's nerves.
"You were quite the arrogant teenager once, weren't you?" Eggman mused. "No matter. It is finally time to end it."
He walked in front of Sonic and pushed him. He fell without resistance, too weak to stand. He crumbled to the ground as the doctor loomed over him. Sonic tried to fight. He really did. But he had nothing left. He had spent so long trying to escape from Eggman's trap that he had exhausted everything inside of him. He had never thought it would come to this. He had never thought he had a limit.
He didn't close his eyes. He wasn't going to go that way.
Eggman leveled his wrist at Sonic. "Farewell, Sonic the Hedgehog," he said, smirking, and Sonic hated the fear he saw in his own eyes, reflected in Eggman's glasses. Everyone always said that the only thing Sonic feared was drowning. That wasn't true.
He was afraid of dying. The fearless were always the ones who feared the most.
The thing on Eggman's wrist started to glow white. Sonic didn't really want to know what was about to happen, but he couldn't avoid finding out at this point.
He could feel his heart pounding in his throat, and he suddenly became dizzy. He hadn't realized until now just how much blood he had lost. Then all of a sudden there was a blinding flash.
He opened his eyes.
Eggman was gone.
In his place was Tails.
"T...Tails?" said Sonic weakly.
Tails didn't answer. He turned around instead, and looked at something in the distance.
"Buddy?"
Tails turned back around.
"What," he said flatly.
"You came," Sonic said.
"I did," said Tails.
"I knew you would."
Tails suddenly became angry.
"That's why I wasn't going to!" he spat. "You always felt entitled, didn't you!"
"What?" said Sonic, struggling to sit up. Tails didn't help him.
"You know why I didn't come earlier?"
"Well...you couldn't, I guess."
"Wrong.
"Do you know just how smart I am, Sonic?"
"Uh...pretty smart, I guess," said Sonic.
"I'm not even going to tell you, since you don't really care," said Tails. "'course I do," said Sonic.
"Sure," said Tails. "Excuse me if I don't believe you."
"Anyway," said Tails, "I could have defeated all of those robots days ago. But I decided to let you fight it out, like you wanted to."
Tails smirked.
"It was quite entertaining to watch, actually."
Sonic was stunned.
"You...you've been watching me all this time?"
"We all have."
Sonic looked at the ground.
"And...and none of you...wanted to help me?"
"You didn't ask, did you?"
"I shouldn't have to ask!" Sonic yelled. "If I need help, you should help me!"
Tails snorted. "You didn't help us when we needed it. And didn't ask."
"Well...I..."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't want to hear it. If I wanted to hear it I would've come days ago."
Sonic managed to prop himself up agains a rock enough so that he felt like he was sitting, even if he wasn't. "Well, I guess I could've paid more attention. But I needed help. I could've died!"
"Who would've cared?"
"Wouldn't...wouldn't you care if I was dead, Tails?"
"Shut up!" said Tails. "Don't call me that."
"But...but I've always called you that."
"That's not my name," said Tails.
"It's just a nickname, bro, calm down."
"Don't tell me what to do," said Tails. "I'm tired of listening to you."
"Okay, okay!" said Sonic. "Geez, someone's cranky today."
Tails walked away.
"Hey, Ta-Miles, where're you going?"
Miles stopped.
"I saved you. What more do you want?"
"I don't know...help?"
"I already helped you."
"...buddy? What's wrong? I know we haven't been the best of friends lately, but...y'know...I miss ya..."
"Right," said Miles. "Like a hole in the head."
"Bud...c'mon...what'd I do?"
"You're an idiot," said Miles, and he started walking again.
"I...what'm I supposed to say? What do you want me to do? T-Miles!"
Miles stopped again, this time turning around. He went back over to Sonic and crouched down in front of him.
"I want..."
Miles looked distant.
"I tried to kill you," he whispered.
"No, Eggman did," said Sonic.
"No," said Miles. "I built those bots. I just made Eggman think he did."
"But you came to save me," said Sonic.
"They all told me not to, but I couldn't...I couldn't help myself..." said Miles.
"Thank you, buddy," said Sonic. "I'm sorry if I hurt you...hey, I know I used to tease you a lot, and I know I haven't been around, but that's how I roll, y'know? I can't stay in one place...I didn't think it would affect you that much."
"Why did you come back?"
"For old time's sake," said Sonic.
"That's why I saved you," said Miles, and Sonic saw how hard he was fighting to hold his tears back. "For old time's sake."
"I've missed ya, buddy," said Sonic. "But I have to be on the move...yeah, we were happy here, but I'm restless. I gotta keep moving."
"I know," said Miles. "I just...I just..."
"C'mere, Tails," said Sonic, and the brothers were just about to have a long-needed embrace when all of a sudden there was another blinding flash. When Sonic could see through the spots in his vision, he wanted to scream.
Eggman was there, a beaten, ragged old man with his chest heaving in rage.
"Damn you, Prower," said Eggman. "I knew you were too soft. I knew it!"
It was then that Sonic realized that Tails had been blown away, lost forever on the wind.
With the last of his strength Sonic managed to hurl the stone he had been leaning on at Eggman. It hit the doctor in the middle of his forehead and crushed his skull. Eggman collapsed.
Sonic lay on the ground and tried not to think about what had just happened. Even if he did live, he would be alone. He curled up into a ball, in great pain. He was so afraid to die...
"Sonic."
He opened his eyes.
"It's okay, Sonic...everything will be okay."
"I love you, Tails...thank you..."
Sonic was no longer afraid.