The Birth of the Bad Girl

"FAKER!" I cried out to myself, so consumed with rage about what I had been told weeks ago, but still couldn't help feeling pissed off after thinking about it for too long. I couldn't help it. I felt like such an idiot. Not only was I tricked by an alternate evil version of the guy I thought had been hitting on me. But I hadn't been the only girl. Nooooo, he wanted me, and Amy, and Bunnie, and Mina, and who knows what other hussies he came across. I should have known something was wrong. Something different in the way he acted, the way he talked to people, the ways he tried covering up that stupid city accent of his. But it all went right over my head.

"That self centered. Egotistical. Obnoxious. Womanizing… Tirón!"

I surprised myself with that one. Being away from my family for so long, it was rare that I ever said anything in Spanish anymore. I thought I had forgotten it all but apparently I remembered the insults. I decided to just calm down and think of the good things that had been going on recently. I have been dating Sonic for a while. The real Sonic this time. And there were a few slight differences I spotted. The real Sonic's spirit was different. Evil Sonic seemed more annoyed with interaction with certain people but Sonic just seemed happy to be talking. He was annoyingly cheerful at times but not to the point where I wanted to rip my eyes out. Just an annoying quirk you find when dating somebody I suppose. I had also been taken in as a member of the Freedom Fighters as well. It wasn't a lot but it was hard to fine good in my life and it was nice to slow down from my old habits of thieving and risk taking. Any activity that didn't involve that bat was a good activity. But it wasn't like being a part of the freedom fighters didn't come with risk as well. And what's worse there's no payoff! Well, at least we get a nice place to stay, and the fridge is always stocked. And people seem to like giving us stuff, although I was never one to rely on other people, so the idea of taking people's charity bothered me as well.

I decided to just focus on my mission instead. Nicole had picked up some type of energy reading a good 3 miles outside of knothole and I was tasked with finding out what it was. I was realizing just now that Sonic could have been done and finished with this job in under a minute and I wondered why Sally hadn't asked him to do it instead. I don't know, she didn't seem to be talking to him very much, I heard they were pretty serious before I came along. I hadn't questioned it earlier because I wanted to jump on some time to myself. With Amy constantly giving me the evil eye it was good to get out of there.

I snapped back into reality when I heard a voice?

"Hey there Fy."

I whirled around, thinking I was going to meet the eyes of my boyfriend. "Maybe he heard I was out on a mission and wanted to keep me company." My mind quickly processed in the time it took for me to turn my head. But I quickly saw that it wasn't Sonic. I wasn't sure who it was when I first looked at him.

"What's wrong babe? Don't you recognize me?" The figure said to me, lowering his shades below his eyes and giving me a sly smile.

I started to piece together where I had seen the black leather jacket and sunglasses before and came up with a name to place on the person standing in front of me.

"E-Evil Sonic?"

"No, not Evil Sonic. I don't go by the name 'Sonic' at all anymore as a matter of fact. Name's Scourge."

I looked him up and down. He looked like Sonic, but instead of the trade mark blue I was used to seeing all I saw was a slight beige. My colorblindness wouldn't allow me to see anything beyond that but I didn't care either way.

"What… happened to you?"

People don't just change colors over night and I had just noticed the sharp row of teeth that lined his mouth as he smiled. He also had two identical scars going down his chest that he didn't seem ashamed of as well. My natural curiosity had overpowered the anger I had felt towards him only minutes ago and I wanted to know what could possibly cause such a drastic evolution.

"What? Oh, this? Ehhhh, nothing big. Tried going super with you guys's version of the Master Emerald. Guess it kind of… back fired with me being from a different dimension and all. Then the old guy protecting it got a swing off on me while I was doing it. Maybe that had something to do with it?"

"Well you might want to check a dentist out. You got something weird going on in this area."

I replied back, moving my pointing finger in a circle around my mouth to show the area, slyly pointing out his new set of chompers.

He moved his tongue around his mouth for a second before replying

"Yeah, I can tell you that took some getting used to. Gotta be careful eating crunchy things. Learned that one the hard way, I thought Miles put razors in an apple I was eating."

"Why don't you go and recklessly eat several apples?"

He pretends to be taken aback by my harsh words, as if they were unexpected. Taking a step back and putting his hand over his chest as if they had stabbed his heart.

"Why, Fy, it almost sounds like you don't want me around?"

"What do you want Sonic? Or Surge, or whatever it is you're calling yourself. Was I your favorite or something?"

He gives me another grin, this time because he thinks whatever he's about to say is clever. I recognize it because it's the same one Sonic does all the time.

"If I say 'Yes' will you be so flattered that you'd run off with me?"

I just glare at him but it doesn't phase his confident look, as if he knew that some way, somehow, I was coming with him. His confidence almost seemed to overpower my attitude and it actually made me worry about what exactly he planned on doing to me. Kidnap me? Kill me? I was afraid, but I didn't show it. I never show it.

"Why don't you run off into a spike pit?" I reply back, hiding my fear behind another statement clearly showing that I didn't want him near me, hoping that would be enough to scare him away.

"Isn't that kind of like your first little quip?"

"No. Shut up. Go away. I'm busy. And I'm not coming with you"

I turn away from him and start walking again. He puts his hands behind his head and follows me.

"Hey, I'm just saying, you'd do a lot better with me then with those freedom dorks."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that, chico?"

"Well for one, I won't hold secret meetings without you."

I stopped in my tracks, not sure if I had processed what he said correctly.

"What?" I snapped back.

"Oh? You didn't know? Well of course you wouldn't, they were keeping them a secret from you."

Then he put on a little show, acting out a conversation he might have had with Sally while he was pretending to be Sonic.

"Hey. Hey Sonic. Come here a minute. We're going to have a meeting." He said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, well do you want me to get Fiona?"

"Uh, no, of course not. This meeting doesn't concern her."

With the performance over he paused for a few seconds to let me reflect on what he had just said before saying "She said that a lot."

"You're lying." I replied back. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Oh, you don't have to babe. I'm just telling you what I know and you can decide whether to disregard what I say, stick your fingers in your ears, and ignore the obvious fact that you'll never be able to find any sort of trust with these losers, or you can come with me and ride all the way up to the top. Actually be something."

"Be what? The girl friend of that guy with the bad teeth?"

"Hahaha. No, how about my queen?"

I think to myself for a few seconds before coming to a decision that I'm happy with.

"I don't think the Freedom Fighters would treat one of their own members that way."

Scourge just laughs, head snapped back and mouth open wide as a crackles. I guess he found what I said funny.

"If that's the case then what does that make you?"

My fist clench as he begins to list the things off.

"Cannon fodder? Dead Weight? A liability?"

"Can it!"

I didn't want to hear any more of what he had to say. I needed time to think about he had already said without him giving me more to be paranoid about. I just needed time to think about where I stood with everybody with Freedom Fighter HQ.

"Oh, one more thing."

He steps up to me and places what looks like a small rectangular computer into my hands.

"What is this?" I ask him before opening it up.

"It's a video game I was playing out here. Has a battery power of, oooo, I don't know, about 5? 6 hours maybe? Not nearly enough to power anything dangerous."

Another "I'm going to say something clever" look before continuing on.

"Of course they'd send you to check out the non-threatening power reading."

Then he turns and starts to jog away.

"I'd be careful if I were you Fy. If they start treating you like this and keep secrets from you because of your past, then you should be worried if you can really trust them when you're out saving the world as the team mascot."

And then he's gone, leaving me there in the middle of the forest. A harmless game in my hand and a truck load of thoughts that all come down to one decision. What should I do now?

I had finally made my way back to Knothole and I still hadn't figured out what I should do now. Most of me wanted to take Scourge's advice and just shut out any thought that I might be considered an outcast in the group. But I knew I couldn't let myself do that. I'm not one to drown myself in a world of ignorance and stupidity. If I did then I'd listen to more of Mina's music.

My hand was on the handle door of Freedom Fighter HQ before I had finally decided my next action. Find out if there was a shred of truth to what Scourge had told me.

I opened the door and closed it behind me silently. I know where Sally usually likes to hold meetings and if they really were all in one place then I shouldn't see anyone walking around. Despite that I still made sure to keep quite as I came to the meeting room door. I could hear voices and I placed my ear to the door so I could make them out better. They were all there.

"I don't see why we can't have Fiona here, Sal."

"Because we can't trust her Sonic, you've heard the thing's she's done."

"Yeah, because she told us."

"Ah think that we should at least give the gal a chance. She's been on enough missions with us to prove she's committed to the team."

"Yes, Yes, if she could trust us enough to tell us somezing she rather keep in ze past, zen we should be, ow do you say, 'Chilly'?"

"That's 'Chill' Twan. And they're right. I mean, she told us about her past to help us out with Rouge right?"

"Look guys, I can see your points, I really can, but with how many times people have betrayed us in the past, we should really be more selective in what information we give out. Especially with people who have shady backgrounds."

"But she's not a bad person."

"Sigh, Tails, I know you like her, but we can't just ignore her past."

"Ah think we can."

"Being reckless is what gets us into trouble in the first place. And we can't afford to be reckless anymore. Even if it's someone within our own ranks."

"I don't trust her either."
"Ammmes."
"What?"

"Thank You Amy."

"She doesn't count! She has problems with every girl I date!"

"She doesn't have a problem with me."

"*Whistle*"

"Do you Amy?"

"Um, I agree with Sally as well."

"Eu tu Rotor?"

"Well, we gotta be careful. With all that's happened to us, we really can't afford any slip ups."

"So it's settled then. We'll continue to limit the information that we give Fiona. Agreed?"

"I guess"

"Wee-Wee"

"No problem"

"Sure"

"I don't like it, but sure Sal, whatever you say."

"…"
"Bunnie? Are we clear?"

"…"

"Bunnie?"

"… Crystal Sugah."

I backed away from the door, finally having heard enough.

"I can't believe this." I thought to myself. "I wanted to start over. I wanted to forget my past. But I knew it would help them if I confessed about the things I had done. And THIS is the way they treat me?"

At this point I realized that I had allowed myself to cry. I shook my head and the tears flew off, giving me the sense that I was clearing my head.

"Fine then. If they won't forget who I was, then neither will I."

End of Part 1