The Vigilants: Chapter 4
All Sonic characters belong to SEGA/ARCHIE
The Hideout
Wielder and Golden Mech walked to the living quarters after the small fiasco with Breakmaster, and the hedgehog.
They saw Breakmaster sitting in the couch, watching the news with soda on his left. Breakmaster heard them come in and said, "Here to chew me up? If so, let me get the earplugs" he said, still looking at the TV.
"This isn't funny, Knuckles" said Wielder. Still agitated with her hands on her hips, "We're trying to make some progress with him, and you doing that can set us back" remarked Wielder.
Breakmaster jumped out of the couch and said, "Progress? What progress?! All we've done was abduct him, and had him blast us with whatever the hell was in him. That isn't progress!"
"What about what Speed's doing? You think he's just talking to him to pass off time? No, he's trying to make an effort" she said.
"Effort? Effort into what?" He asked loudly to Wielder.
Suddenly, Breakmaster stopped in his tracks, looked at Wielder, and said, "I get it now… You guys are thinking about recruiting him" he said, pointing his index finger to both Wielder and Golden Mech.
Wielder looked quizzically at Breakmaster. She didn't think that far ahead about what to do after finding the hedgehog. She just assumed that they'd find him a shelter.
"He could prove useful to us" Golden said to Breakmaster.
"Oh, so you're on her side on this?" He said angrily to Golden Mech.
Golden signed, saying, "In a way, yes, I am, but it is a much better alternative than leaving it up to society to mold him. Especially with whatever that energy was he used to blast us with" he remarked to Breakmaster.
Wielder calmed down a bit, approaching Breakmaster, and said, "I know you're being defensive about having someone who we don't know on our side, but Gold's right; we can't let him wander off, and stumble upon crime. Give it time" she said to him.
Breakmaster started to calm down as well. Rethinking about everything, and how this will be another obstacle, but one that they can overcome. He looked at Wielder, saying, "Okay. I'll give it time. Hopefully it's short" he said.
Sonic had just revealed his identity to the hedgehog. He was still conflicted if it was right or not, but now, it didn't matter. It all out in the open for the black and red hedgehog.
Speedster pondered on what other questions to ask him. Maybe a 'how do you feel?' Or a 'How comfortable are you?' He shook his head; knowing that those are very simple question that would go nowhere. So, he asked a question that he felt that would go.
"Do you remember where you came from?" He asked to the mysterious hedgehog.
The hedgehog looked at the ceiling; his expression was of one trying to think of what they said after a hangover. He said softly, "I'm not sure. I see small stuff, but nothing important"
Speedster signed. He hoped to get something good, but the hedgehog continued forward, "-But I do remember the cold…" he said.
Speedster looked back at him and said, "What cold? Flu cold, or weather cold?" He asked.
"No" he said, "It was like, being in a cold room full of metal" he said. Speedster thought, 'Metal room? Cold? What is he talking about?' He shook his head once again.
Then, Speeder thought of another question, "Do you really not know your name, or are you still hiding it? It's alright if you are" he said.
The hedgehog shook his head; not knowing his real name, or if he had a name. Speedster smiled, and said, "Looks like you need a new name then!"
The hedgehog didn't know on how to respond. After a few brief seconds, he asked "Can I pick it?"
Speedster looked at him with his grin, and said, "Of course. Wouldn't be much of a name if it didn't express who you are!"
That said, Speedster dashed to a tablet that he had in a drawer of the living quarters. He rushed back in to the hanger. He saw the hedgehog calmly sitting on the bed.
He sat next to the hedgehog, clicked on a tab, and typed, 'common names' on the search bar. The then showed the hedgehog tablet with the site of common names.
He picked up the tablet from him, and looked at the names. Speedster looked worried for a second, and asked, "Uhh… You know how to read, right?"
The hedgehog looked closely at the words on the site, saying, "I… Think so. What do I do?" He asked.
Speedster went closer to him, used his index finger to swipe on the screen that revealed a new name. He then said, "That's how you do it. When you swipe, it shows you a different name. Go ahead and choose"
And so he did. The hedgehog swiped for a different name. Speedster was stunned on how fast the hedgehog was moving his finger on the screen. It was like his for a good minute or two till he stopped swiping.
Speedster saw this and asked, "Found the name, or gave up?" He said joking at the end.
He saw the hedgehog smiling as the showed him the name on the screen. The screen that displayed, 'Shadow'.
"That's the one" said the hedgehog. Speedster grabbed the tablet, rubbed his head, as he looked at the hedgehog questionably, "Shadow? That abite of an unusual name, isn't it?"
"And Sonic isn't?" Remarked the hedgehog. "Ouch" said Speedster. Then lightly chuckling at the burn.
"Why Shadow? Out of all names?" Asked Speedster.
The hedgehog shrugged at the question. Looked back at it a little bit, and said, "Something about it feels right…"
Speedster looked at him and said with his smile, "Shadow it is"
They both smiled as they now knew their identities. Now, it was a question on what to do with Shadow.
He then look towards Golden; who was sitting down on the couch - watching TV while that happened. He came close, and said, "Gold, I have something to ask you"
"Yeah" replied Golden Mech. Breakmaster then said, "When that hedgehog blasted us with that energy, do you by any chance know what the hell it was?" He asked.
Golden was silent. He honestly didn't know in what the man hit them with. But, they know that it wasn't something they experienced in their time as crime-fighters.
"I don't know. Not now at least" he said to Breakmaster. They both started to question what that was. And how much progress was Speedster doing with him right now.
"Do you all think it was, like, superpowers?" Wielder asked to both Golden and Breakmaster. They both looked confused, then Breakmaster said, "Superpowers? Like in comics? Can't be"
"I don't know" said Golden, "It's not too far off. I mean, we don't even know what hit us, so superpowers is the closest we got"
"Now we're relying on fiction for answers?" said Breakmaster.
"For now" said Wielder, "Speaking of him, i wonder how they're doing now?" she asked.
"Should we check up on them?" Asked Golden. Weary on interrupting their time.
"I think we should. I'm sure Speed's had this under control" said Wielder. They both agreed, and walked over to the hanger. Before Breakmaster can go further - Wielder placed her hand on his chest, she then said, "You're not gonna start trouble, right?"
Breakmaster huffed, and said, "No. I, Breakmaster will not engage in conflict" he said in reassurance.
"Good. Let's go" said Wielder in a joyful smile.
Speedster and Shadow were doing small talk, as Shadow was still on the bed. Speedster asked, "Any questions for me? I've been asking all day it seems" he said with a chuckle.
Shadow rubbed his chin; didn't have a question now, but he snapped his fingers and asked, "Why be costumed heroes?"
Speedster rubbed his chin as well; he never really thought of why he, and his friends did it - becoming costumed heroes. He didn't know a direct answer. So, he told him, "Well… I guess it felt natural for me. I saw bad things happening to people, and I was one of the few who stood up, with my friends, of course"
Shadow thought, 'He became a hero because of bad things? Interesting. Can anyone become a hero because of what they perceive as wrong? That's strange, but then why aren't more people he-'
"Hey, Shadow" asked Speedster. Shadow backed out of his thoughts, and said, "Yeah?"
"I have something to ask you, if you do mind" he said to him. Shadow replied with, "Uh… Sure"
"What was that?" Asked Speedster. Shadow was confused by the question. Speedster noticed this and said, "I'm talking about that thing that happened with your hand when you woke up - the green light. What was that?" Asked Speedster.
Shadow kept thinking, but didn't have a clear cut answer for what he had, so he said, "Powers, maybe?"
Shadow couldn't describe what he had or why it was there. He didn't even knew that he had those abilities himself, as it only came out when he was confused or scared hours ago.
It was at this time that Wielder, Breakmaster, and Golden were walking a back to the hanger to check up on Speedster.
As they walked in, they noticed something that was off. That's when they saw the mask of Speedster was off his attire. They looked at him stunned.
Wielder walked up to Speedster saying,"We need to talk for a minute, Speed" she said in an impatient manner.
She pulled him to the other room with Breakmaster and Golden. Once they got in, she said, "Sonic, what the hell are you doing!? There is a reason why we have masks!" She said while pointing at Breakmaster, Golden, and herself.
"Don't you know the risk?!" She asked to him. Speedster looked directly towards her and said, "Yes, Amy, I do know the risks. I wouldn't have done what I did if I wasn't sure..."
"Sonic, you can't just reveal your identity nonchalantly" she said with a sigh in her tone. It was silent for a few moments.
It was like that, until Breakmaster broke the silence, "Why'd you do it?" he asked.
"I figured that, if I take off my mask, he'd trust me" he replied. Golden followed up, "Did it work? Does he trust you, now?"
"I think so. He's spoken more to me than I thought. And, he now has a name" he said.
Wielder gasped, and asked, "He has a name, and you got him to say it?"
"No" said Speedster, "He didn't have a name, so I gave him the chance to make his own, and he picked, Shadow"
They looked at Speedster confused "Shadow?" said Wielder, "That's a strange name"
"At least he has a name, now" commented Golden. He turned back to Speedster. He asked, "You think he's ready to meet the team?"
Breakmaster and Wielder then looked at the Speedster for a response.
Speedster didn't know how to respond. He thought, 'Would it be a good idea? Would he be frightened, or feel intimidated?' All these thoughts came across his head.
Nonetheless, he smiled to them, saying, "I have faith that the does. Come on, y'all should introduce yourselfs"
As Speedster walked back to Shadow - the rest followed. As they walked in, they saw Shadow still sitting there with a blank expression.
The team stood side to side together. As Speedster stood right be Shadow and said, "Here's the team, and who they are"
It started with Wielder, she said, "Hi, I'm Wielder! I'm the big guns of the group" she said with a big smile. Breakmaster snickered at her.
Breakmaster was up. So, he came forth and said, "Uhh, I'm Breakmaster, and IM the big gun around here" he said directly to Wielder.
Golden saw his turn pop up, so he stood up from his chair and said, "I'm Golden Mech, or Golden if ya like"
Speedster came forth and said, "You already know my story. How about you tell yours, Shadow?"
Shadow was silent for a moment. He looked at the costumed heroes before him. He felt like he had something, since they did for him, and that it's risky, as Speedster told.
He huffed his breathe and said, "I'm Shadow… I don't know where I came from or what I am, but I am Shadow"
They looked in awe (except Speedster) since it was really the first time they heard Shadow speak in a sentence.
Speedster smiled at him, walked closer and said, "Hey, Shadow, how'd you like to join The Vigilants?"
Authors Notes: Finished with Chapter 4. Wooo! Took me longer than expected. Feedback would be appreciated and see ya!
