In shock, a pair of violet eyes look up at the hedgehog. Down in the back corner of the bathtub, was a very startled and shaky long-earred child. He looked around the age of 5, maybe 6, his fur and quills were a light yellow color, he looked dressed for bed in his light purple pj's that had a rabbit pattern all over them, but the clothes were filthy like he'd been running around in the rain and mud. It was obvious from just one look at him that he'd been crying for a long time, the boy shook uncontrollably with tears pouring down his cheeks.
"A-... A boy?" Sally peered over Sonic's shoulder, when the boy caught a glimpse of Sally he looked even more tense. She lowered her voice "He looks so frightened..."
Sonic tried reaching his hand out to the child, slow and gentle, trying not to scare him. Sally leaned in as well- but with that the boy hid his face between his knees letting out a soft whimper. Sonic snapped his hand back and backed away from the tub, he pushed Sally back and pulled the curtain over again. He kept his voice low with his hands on Sally's shoulders
"He's scared, he must've been hiding in here the whole time"
Sally looked back at the bathtub with the curtain partly drawn back, "We can't just leave him here!" She whispered loudly. "Especially all alone like this. He looks like he needs someone, he's so young."
"We're not going to leave him here. We're just gonna give him some room to breath, he doesn't know us. For all he knows, we could've been the intruders before!" He could hear the boy's quiet whimpers echo around the tiled room. "I don't wanna leave him either, but he doesn't need a bunch of strangers grabbing at him." At that point Antoine entered the room
"Well we can't just leave ze boy here. Surely there has to be some way we can convince him, non?" With a third voice appearing the boy suddenly shouted,
"G-Go away! I-I don't want to go with you!" He screamed. "Ju-Just go away before papa comes back! H-He'll get mad if th-there are strangers in the house! He won't let you take me away!" Sonic looked back at the tub and Sally pulled him out the the room, they left the door open, just a crack.
"He's not just scared, he's terrified." The three of them stood outside the door, the boy sat curled up in the tub, quivering, waiting for them to return and try to take him away. But he realized they weren't in the room anymore. His large ear perked hearing their voices outside the bathroom. "If we're going to help him we need to now what happened. What if they took his family? He might be the only one left!" the boy hesitated, but slowly got up and inched his way to the other side of the tub, just enough to peeked around the curtain.
"Even if he is the only one here that doesn't mean we should just take him away... The kid is just being smart, he isn't trusting strangers." The boy gripped the curtain hearing the third voice
"Then we just sit here, waiting? But, if he is hurt?" At that moment, the three outside the room heard a new sound. The slamming of the screen door coming to a halt, and the creaking of the front door being pushed open,
"Hheeelllloooo?" A new voice echoed, followed by a loud stomp that entered the front door. "Hey kid? You in here? Comonnn, your dad's waitin' for ya outside!" The group remained silent, listening to the newcomer's boots stomping around on the lower floor. Sonic peered into the bathroom to see the boy peeking over the rim of the tub, shivering, frozen in fear.
"Take it easy, kid..." He whispered hoping the boy heard him. But the kid's expression hadn't changed,
"Alright kid, I've had enough of the games. We've already been chasing that father of yours for a few miles, my legs are sore and I'm ready to hit the hay. Make it easy and we'll be easy on ya and your ol' man." The hedgehog growled, this guy was obviously no friend. There was a sudden crash from downstairs "I SAID LET'S GO. I ain't waitin' all day for you-"
"N-No! I won't! You don't know papa!" The kid shouts at the top of his lungs, surprising everyone in the house. "I don't want to go with you! You hurt papa!" The boy ducked down behind the rim of the tub, the voice shouted back at him sounding more annoyed.
"Listen here you snot-nosed lil' brat. You're comin' with us whether you FEEL like it or not! Maybe if you're good from here on out we'll let ya see your dad again!" Before the boy or the voice could utter another word-
"HEY" Sonic yelled. "Whoever you are, lay off! He's just a kid!" The boy looked up from the tub seeing the blue hedgehog grab the bathroom door and slam it shut. He continued to listen to the blue stranger, "I don't care what the reason is, but there isn't an excuse for threatening a kid!"
"And what do you mean you'll let him see his dad again?!" Sally shouted to the stranger downstairs "Did you take him too?!"
"And what of ze boy's mother?!" Antoine was drawing out his sword, "If you want ze boy you will have to go through all of us!" The boy could hear them leaving the bedroom and closing the door behind them. He heard the stranger's voice booming down stairs
"And just who do you think you are, buddy?" As the hedgehog comes down the stairs, finally making eye contact with the stranger. The stranger was either a fox or a wolf, from the height it made it hard to tell. Their fur was a mocha color, some parts of him showed past injuries and scars, but the fur grew over them. They weren't dressed like an Eggfleet soldier, or any other form of lackie for that matter, they didn't look to impressed with Sonic either. "If you think you're gonna stop me from finishing this job then you're funnier than the ol' man".
With that comment Sonic cracks his knuckles, "Bet your gonna think I'm real funny when I knock the wind outta ya" Face to face with the wolf, flashing that confident smile he's known for as his friends back him up.