Power Enriched by the Heart
by Asher Tye
Disclaimer: Sega owns Sonic and crew, and that includes Robotnik and Shadow. I'm not sure who owns the other characters, whether it be Archie, DiC, or whoever did Sonic Underground, but I know it's not me so whichever one owns them I give full props to.
Author's Note: Okay, short note this time. I do not have any medical experience, particularly dealing with gunshot wounds. That being said, I'd prefer it if people refrained from pointing out any mistakes I made with this chapter on the subject. I'm taking this experience from television and I know it's probably not strictly realistic, but you have to admit it is dramatic. Enjoy.
Chapter 3
"What do you mean you lost him!" Shadow blazed at the five G.U.N. soldiers as they stood in front of him, one holding his injured nose as all looked miserable before the raging Mobian. It was the leader who came forward to answer for his squad.
"The target received outside assistance, sir," the sergeant explained.
"'Outside assistance?' You're supposed to be a highly trained G.U.N. unit, capable of handling anything that could conceivably interfere with your mission. What 'outside assistance' could possibly have enabled an eight-year old cub to escape from you?"
"It… it was a Mobian," one of the soldiers answered. For a brief moment, Shadow seemed to only quiver.
"That's it?" he finally asked, rounding on the soldier. "One Mobian?"
"It was a hedgehog dressed in black… We actually thought he was you for a few seconds, that's why we didn't attack him first," the leader explained. Shadow retaliated immediately, punching the soldier in the stomach and collapsing him to the ground. Angrily Shadow grabbed the man's collar and pulled him close to the hedgehog's face.
"NEVER try to use ME as an excuse for YOUR incompetence," Shadow growled, spitting the last word as though it was the bitterest of tastes in his mouth.
"SHADOW!" a nasally voice barked as Snively approached, though he did seem to do so warily, prepared to bolt if the black and red hedgehog wasn't interested in listening. For a few brief moments this seemed to be the case as a gray energy began to glow off of the hedgehog while he cast a baleful look back towards the long-nosed human. Nearby a discarded soda can started to rattle and quake as it began to dent inward, as though being crushed by some invisible force. "You remember your orders, don't you?" Snively half-threatened, half-begged. The dark hedgehog's eyes closed and he took a breath, opening them once more to reveal a much more composed and neutral, if still annoyed, face.
"Very well," Shadow responded, releasing the man whose collar he still held.
"Fine. Now then, tell me about this Mobian who interfered."
"SONIC HEDGEHOG! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Amy screamed as Sonic walked through the door of his apartment, a furious look on her face as Sonia and Manic stood behind her, worried looks on their twin faces. Presently, however, Sonic was more concerned with the darker pink hedgehog female who was currently grinding his eardrums into dirt.
"Amy, what are you doing here?" Sonic asked, surprise in his voice.
"Your brother and sister had the good sense to call me when midnight came around and you apparently hadn't turned up," Amy said. "And then that loutish friend of yours Mighty called asking if you managed to make it home safely or if you needed help!" Sonic's eyes widened at the mention of Mighty's name. In truth he hadn't told anyone the complete truth about what he was doing tonight, being very sure to omit the armadillo's name from everyone as he knew what conclusions they'd make if he did so.
"Look I can explain, but…"
"No 'buts' Sonic Hedgehog. Do you have any idea how worried we've been? All we could think about was you lying dead in the street somewhere, or rotting away in a jail cell, or frelling SQUISHED under a damned BIGFOOT! And for what? Money?" Amy yelled, suddenly reaching into her purse and throwing her wallet down at Sonic's feet. "If you need money, frelling ask me; don't let that frelling slime-ball talk you into putting yourself in danger." This was not good. As a typical rule Amy did not curse, unless she was under a fantastic amount of stress.
"Why didn't you at least call, Sonic?" Sonia asked.
"It wasn't like that," Sonic tried to explain. "It was just supposed to be a quick job, in and out…"
"How the HELL does that explain anything?" Amy rebuffed her boyfriend angrily.
"I mean the Bigfoot mech was a surprise and…"
"And what? You couldn't use those stupidly fast feet of yours to outrun it."
"If I had, Mighty and Espio…"
"Frell 'Mighty and Espio,' I don't care about 'Mighty and Espio,' 'Mighty and Espio' can jump off a tall frelling building for all I care about them! You're the one I care about, and to find out you lied to me just so you could live out some stupid fantasy and rob a museum!" Suddenly Sonic's hand shot out, covering Amy's mouth to quiet her. For a brief moment, a look of absolute fury passed over the pink hedgehog's face as she felt this brazen act, at least until she noticed the blood stain on her blue beau's normally white glove.
"Amy, I'd love to go into this in detail, and believe me I know I owe all three of you a massive apology, seriously, but I've got a bit of a problem," Sonic said, worry in his voice. Amy removed Sonic's hand and looked fearfully at him.
"Oh my God Sonic, what happened?" Amy begged; tears forming in her eyes as her mind began to imagine the worst.
"Geez Sonic, did you get shot?" Manic asked as he ran over to his brother. Only then did the green hedgehog, indeed all the hedgehogs present, notice the gray bundle resting in the hedgehog's arms, a bit of orange fur showing to them.
"Don't worry, I'm not hurt, but he is," Sonic replied, pulling aside some of the gray cloak to reveal an unconscious fox kit resting somewhat fitfully in the hedgehog's arm, blood from the wound on his shoulder soaking the normally orange fur that surrounded it.
"What in the… He's been shot!" Sonia squeaked as she looked at the wound.
"Sonic we have to get this boy to a hospital," Amy proclaimed as Sonic entered the apartment properly, gently lowering the small furry body to the wooden coffee table. Quickly he turned back to his girlfriend, a hard look in his eyes.
"Amy, I just saved this kid from a group of military guys with guns who were getting ready to shoot him," Sonic explained. "What part of that little scenario seems even remotely like it's on the level."
"They were gonna shoot him?" Manic asked incredulously before his brow furrowed in anger. "Those stinkin' human…"
"Not now Manic," Sonic stopped the boy mid-rant, turning back to Amy. "Babe, if we take him to a hospital, how long before those jokers find him again and finish the job?" The nurse shifted her gaze between her lover and the boy he'd carried in, trying desperately to figure out what to say. "The hospital is not going to be able to keep him safe if anyone comes asking for him, especially not if they're carrying government papers."
"So what are we gonna do about him?" Sonia asked. Rather than look at her, Sonic kept his eyes focused on Amy. Though the high-speed hedgehog said nothing, Amy was still quick to pick up on the message being given.
"Oh no," the pink hedgehog said, shaking her head as she held up her hands defensively. "No, no, no. You're out of your mind Sonic."
"You're the only one here who can help him Amy, the only one I can trust."
"That's not fair Sonic and you know it. You can't expect me to do this, you're nuts if you do." Before the young woman could back away further, Sonic grabbed hold of her wrist.
"Amy, please. If not you, then who?" Amy looked around. Manic and Sonia had turned their own attentions towards the elder female, waiting to see what her response would be. Sighing in defeat, Amy's arms dropped to her sides.
"I have an emergency medical kit in my car," Amy admitted. "I can check over the injury, but if it's too serious, we don't have a choice but the hospital, all right?"
"Fine," Sonic said, accepting the nurse's terms.
"Get him comfortable and clean him up. Sonic, if you have anything that can cut fur, shave his shoulder. Sonia, I need you to round up some gloves and hot water, and I mean boiling hot. Manic, find something we can put in his mouth."
"Why?" the punky hedgehog asked.
"Even if I don't do anything, I'll wager this is going to hurt, and a screaming little kid is going to attract a lot of unwanted attention." Now Amy turned to leave. "I'll be right back." All three hedgehogs scrambled to fulfill the medical professional's requests. Sonia smiled as the water she'd placed in their cleanest pot began to boil just as the other pink hedgehog returned. On the coffee table, Sonic had removed the clasp of the boy's cloak, noting silently the yellow crystal that decorated it, and just finished exposing his shoulder, looking up at Amy as she set her bag down. Manic brought in a thick hand towel he'd wound up into a tight cylinder as Sonia arrived with the water. Inside the bag, Amy pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, pouring some onto a cloth and wiping the wound with it.
"Okay Manic, put the towel in his mouth," Amy commanded. The green boy nodded his head and began to try to open the kit's mouth. Almost immediately the fox began to wiggle and try to knock Manic's arms away. "Sonic, keep him still, don't let him move his arm."
"Right." Sonic's hands quickly locked on the kit's wrists as he held the boy down while Manic tried to use his weight to keep his body still.
"Sonia, there's a tube marked Tetracaine in my bag, hand it to me." After a few minutes, two pink hands met over a white tube that very vaguely resembled toothpaste. Unscrewing the cap, Amy squeezed a small amount of what looked like cream onto her gloved fingers and began to gently smear it onto the wounded flesh. The unconscious boy winced and struggled harder, but was no match for Sonic and Manic.
"What do I do now?" Sonia asked, unwilling to be totally useless in this little endeavor.
"Get another clean bowl and pour some of that alcohol into it," Amy commanded, reaching into the boiled water and withdrawing a small pair of metal forceps. "I'm going to get the bullet out." Once more Sonia was off as Amy put a small penlight in her mouth and began to gently inspect the small hole in the boy's shoulder. Her eyes widened as she looked inside.
"What's wrong Amy?" Sonic asked, noticing his Ms. Rose's shocked face.
"I'm… I'm not sure Sonic, but the bullet is not here," Amy answered.
"Did it fall out?" Manic asked, trying to maneuver his head so he could see as well, only to be told to desist by his elder brother.
"I don't know, I've never heard of them falling out before," Amy admitted. "But the wound doesn't look all that deep. This doesn't appear to be as bad as it looked before."
"That's good."
"Here's the bowl," Sonia said, placing the aforementioned object down on the ground beside her friend.
"There doesn't appear to be anything in here. With any luck I can close up the wound and it'll heal. We just need to treat it with some antibiotics." The pink hedgehog reached into her bag again and pulled out some thread and a needle, placing both in the alcohol. "Hopefully this will sterilize them enough to use." Soon the hedgehog was busy stitching up the boy's wound, much to his own discomfort as the fox began to let out a pitiful whimpering as she did so.
"Okay, that's the best I can do," Amy said as she finished and began to wrap some bandages around the damaged shoulder. "All we can do now is let him rest for the night. I'll check his bandages tomorrow and make sure there's no infection. But Sonic, if there is, we have to take him to a hospital."
"But…"
"Even if those killers do find out he's there, it's better than letting him die here, isn't it?"
"I suppose," Sonic admitted, though it was obvious to all he didn't much like this option. "Okay, we see what tomorrow brings."
"Why do you suppose they were so hot for him?" Manic asked as he gave the small orange body now laying on his family's coffee table a closer inspection. "Think it's 'cause he's a mutant?" The one blue and two pink hedgehogs looked suddenly at their green compatriot, who stood at the fox's bare feet.
"Manic Hedgehog, what would possess you to say such a thing?" Sonia asked. "What could possibly make you think this cute little guy is a mutant?"
"Well these for starters," Manic answered as he picked up the fox's tail in one hand… and a second tail in the other.
"Whoa," Sonic announced as he walked over to his younger brother, taking both tails in his own hands as if to make sure they were indeed real. "I… I thought I was just seeing things before." Suddenly, the two fluffy tails began to moved and flick around in Manic's grip, obviously trying to extricate themselves from the blue Mobian's grip.
"I wonder if he has any, you know powers?" Manic continued. "Like maybe he can blow stuff up with his mind, or fire lasers from his eyes, or maybe…"
"Manic, this is real life, not a comic book," his sister pointed out. "But it does kinda beg the question of who he is."
"Nyah… nana nyah," came a groggy voice as the odd fox's eyes slowly opened to half, as though the conversation that had been transpiring around him had roused his senses. Orbs of clear cerulean hue slowly focused on his surroundings as the young kit woke up. Patches of color resolved themselves to blurry shapes, and finally to figures as each of the hedgehogs came into view. Startled at finding himself waking up surrounded, the young kit immediately tried to scramble away on his back, inadvertently falling off the table and tangling himself up in the long cloak that had formerly been fastened over his shoulders. The impact of the fall caused the pup to yelp in pain, an especially shrill yipping sound that caused all four Mobians to cover their ears as it hit them. With them currently incapacitated, the fox scurried on all fours, or threes thanks to his being unable to put much weight on his injured shoulder, into the bathroom, shoving the door closed with a loud slam that, strangely enough, did nothing to mask the clicking sound of the lock being tripped.
"What was that about?" Manic asked.
"Think about it," Amy Rose said. "Last thing he remembers he was being shot at, and then he wakes up here with a pain in his shoulder… poor kid's probably terrified."
"Well we can't just let him stay in there all night," Sonic said as he walked into the kitchen, pulling open the drawer where the hedgehog trio kept their odds and ends and removing a screwdriver and a hammer.
"Sonic what are you going to do?" Amy asked.
"I'm taking the door off the hinges," the blue hedgehog responded. "Unless anyone here knows how to pick locks." It was at this point, Manic slowly raised his hand. "You know kid, considering how edgy I am, I don't think it's a good idea for you to let me know that." The hand zoomed back down to the green hedgehog's side.
"Sonic, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"You said we need to get him to rest, right? And it's not like you can check his wound if he's locked himself in there."
"Yes, but do you really think it's a good idea to just come crashing in on him. If he's feral, he might hurt himself… or you."
"Me I can handle, but after all the trouble I went to ta get the little guy here, I'm not about to let him do something stupid just because he locked himself in the bathroom. Manic, come help me." Manic grabbed hold of the screwdriver and held it upside down under the middle door hinge as Sonic began to tap on it from the bottom. Slowly but surely the pin rose from its place until the blue hedgehog was able to simply pull it free. They repeated this same procedure with the other two pins, thus negating the ability of the lock to prevent them from entering. "Sonia, Amy, go stand by the door and window. If he bolts, I don't want to have to chase him all over the city again."
"Right."
"Whaddya want me ta do?" Manic asked, "Help ya go in and nab him?"
"Ain't gonna try to nab him, Manny, not unless I have to," Sonic explained as he prepared to pull the door free. "But you're my first line of defense in case he gets past me." Manic pounded his fist into his hand, a determined look on his face as he got himself into a blocking stance. Sonic shook his head as he eyed his weird brother and then he removed the door.
Inside the bathroom was dark. The kit apparently had the sense to keep the light off before hiding, but the blue hedgehog remedied this with a flick of the light switch. Now with proper illumination, Sonic's emerald eyes slowly scanned the white tiled room.
&How the heck could he disappear in some place so small?& Sonic asked himself as he carefully opened up the small cabinet under the sink. No orange fur greeted him however, and he moved on. Close inspection of the toilet revealed no small bodies hiding around it, which left only one more possible hiding spot. Carefully Sonic pulled back the shower curtain of the bathtub just a little bit and slowly peered inside. Sure enough, the kit had used his tails to curl up into a tight ball that was currently quivering in the far end of the tub. Quietly the elder Mobian sat at the furthest edge, his muscles tensed just in case he had to move quickly, as he pushed the curtain so that it was all on the fox's side.
"Hey there little fella, remember me?" Sonic cooed in his gentlest voice. To his credit, the hedgehog was not foolish enough to extend any of his limbs towards the kit, lest his earlier assumptions prove true and the fox turn out to be truly feral. At the sound of Sonic's voice, a single pointed ear rose from the quivering ball of orange fur, a clear indication that the boy was at least hearing his voice. "You remember me, don'tcha? I'm the guy that helped you escape from those dorks with the guns…" Another rose, and from the ridge of a foxy thigh, Sonic could just barely make out an eye peering out at him. With a friendly smile, Sonic waved. "Hi." For a few minutes, the two Mobians remained still, staring at each other. Finally, the apartment's owner chose to speak again. "I gotta think you feel cramped all bunched up over there," he said. "'Specially with that shoulder all beat up like that. If you want you could stretch yourself out a little. Bath tub's pretty big for a squirt like you." Almost immediately the ball of flesh and fur became tighter as the fox's head shook furiously in a negative response, but Sonic couldn't help but notice that both ears remained standing tall.
&He may not trust me completely, but he doesn't think I'm all bad,& Sonic thought. &That's a start at least.&
For his part, the fox could still see the hedgehog, though the image was somewhat obscured by his own fur. Puzzlement ran through the cub's mind as he stared at the blue Mobian who had saved him, for what purpose the fox could not understand. Though not the same black hedgehog as before, this one, this "Sonic" as the others had termed him, most definitely was strong enough to force C2 into doing whatever it was he needed the fox for. And yet, beyond simply taking him home, the hedgehog had shown little overt aggression. For a few more minutes they stared at each other, though C2 was quite sure "Sonic" didn't realize it.
"Hey Sonic, how much longer is this gonna take?" came a youthful voice. The fox didn't dare raise his head enough to see who had spoken, lest the blue hedgehog decide to take the opportunity to attack.
"Be patient Manic, this takes time," Sonic called back, breaking his gaze from the curled up cub as he did so. All too quickly those emerald eyes returned.
&What does he want with me?& the kit asked himself. Suddenly, Sonic's weight shifted, and C2 prepared for the imminent pain of an attack, closing his eyes in an attempt to hide further. When no feeling of pain, save for the dull one in his shoulder, came, the fox's eyes opened and he once more raised his head slightly. One of the hedgehog's feet, now bereft of the running shoe it had once worn, sat on the side of the tub as the hedgehog leaned back against wall, his hard quills making a dull scraping noise as they rubbed against the tiles.
"You know," Sonic said, "if you're afraid of some sorta payback for when we met a few days ago, you don't have to be. I'm not really mad about that any more." C2's mind drifted back as he remembered. The confrontation with the human gang, there had been a blue hedgehog that had saved him.
&This IS the same hedgehog?& the kit thought to himself. In truth he hadn't stuck around long enough to see the end of that little fight, preferring to escape while everyone's attention had not been focused on him. &I guess this really is two I owe him, but why would he help me?& More curious now than fearful, the fox's white muzzle appeared over his hip as his sensitive nose drew in some of the Mobian's scent, proving his story.
Though he still did not trust the hedgehog, C2 slowly found himself wanting to. And, truth be known, he was indeed starting to feel cramped all crammed up in the tub. Inch by inch, the kit uncoiled himself and stretched his leg out. For his part, Sonic stayed perfectly still so as not to startle the kit. As he watched, more and more of the fox's body was revealed as his tails moved away, showing off his white belly fur and plump body.
&Odd, I had this kid pegged as homeless, but he looks too well-fed to have been on the street for very long,& Sonic thought. Finally the fox sat up, his back against the wall just as Sonic's was, his blue eyes staring into Sonic's green. From this vantage, C2 could see from the corner of his eye a second hedgehog, the small green one he'd seen earlier, and obviously the impatient voice from before if the tapping of his foot was any indicator.
"Little guy?" Sonic said, drawing the fox's full attention back to him. "Look, I understand you're a little nervous, we're not exactly people you know, but I promise we're not going to hurt you." Tentatively the fox turned his head. Though Sonic remained in his peripheral vision, the blue hedgehog recognized the kid was starting to become a little more comfortable with them. Deciding it was time to run a risk, Sonic swung his leg back down off the side of the tub and fit his foot back into his shoe before standing up. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of looking at the same four walls." With that, Sonic moved away from the tub, and the fox it held, and out towards Manic.
"Manic, come on," Sonic whispered to his younger brother, careful not to allow the fox to catch his voice.
"What?"
"Don't block the door, or he might not come out."
"You think this is wise Sonic?" Sonia asked. "I mean if he bolts…"
"If he bolts, then I was wrong and I'll deal with it, but we can't just rip him out of there. We've gotta show him he's safe here, otherwise he ain't comin' out no how, no way." Nonchalantly Sonic took a seat on the couch and, using the remote, flipped on the television. "Sit down." The two younger hedgehogs obeyed, each taking a seat to the blue one's left. A sideways glance revealed the fox to still be in the tub, though he was now clearly watching the trio. Casually Sonic turned the channel to the news, hoping to catch something on the robbery earlier while he waited for the fox to make his decision. A few moments later, a soft thud could be heard from the bathroom and Sonic's eye moved almost imperceptibly to gaze inside the room. Shivering with a fear that comes from uncertainty, the fox had stepped out of the tub and was currently clinging to the wall for support as he stood. Fifteen minutes later heralded the sound of clicking as sharp, uncut nails padded across tile floor. He still clung to the wall, and now the doorframe, but he was approaching.
"Sonic, what do we do when he gets here?" Sonia asked in a hushed voice.
"Act normally, don't make any sudden moves, and follow… my… lead," Sonic answered back, stressing the last point. Out of sight but still nearby, Amy remained by the window, her eyes still on the bathroom door, ready to block the kit if he did truly decide to simply bolt for the window. Thirty more minutes passed and Sonic could suddenly see a pair of pointy fox ears poking out from the arm of the sofa. A small black nose and white muzzle poked its way around the couch's corner as well, its owner testing the waters as he allowed his presence to be known.
"Hey there little guy, glad you decided to come out," Sonic said, smiling down at the kit, mimicked by his two siblings. A gloved hand slapped the empty seat next to him. "Wanna sit down, bet it'd be more comfortable than just standing there." Looking around timidly, thoughts of a sudden attack coming from anywhere in his mind, the kit nevertheless nodded. Carefully the boy climbed up into the couch, quick to take a position as far away from the hedgehogs who were now staring at him as possible while remaining on the furniture.
"So, uh, you gotta name?" Manic asked, drawing the attention of not only the fox, but his brother and sister as well.
"Manic," Sonia said, upset the green hedgehog had not done as their guardian had instructed and simply followed his lead.
"No, no, it's all right," Sonic said, holding his hand up for silence. The last thing that would help would be if Manic and Sonia began griping at each other. "I guess we need something to call him other than 'kid.'" All four hedgehogs gazed at the kit expectantly, an act that caused the young fox to grab hold of one of his tails and begin to play with the tip nervously. "Do you have a name?" Sonic asked, somewhat hoping that the question would at least elicit a head movement from the suddenly self-conscious Mobian. Very slightly the orange head moved up and down, nodding in an affirmative fashion.
"Do you want to tell us?" Sonia asked. No answer came for a few minutes as the blue eyes focused on her. Small hands dropped the tail they'd been fiddling with and went straight to the kit's head, covering his ears as his eyes squeezed shut and his legs folded up to bring his knees to his chest. A distressed sort of whimpering began to emanate from the fox as he started rocking back and forth on his haunches. His mind was in turmoil as he tried to feel out the request that had been made of him. How long ago had it been since he'd actually spoken? The humans who ran the lab he'd escaped from had cared little for conversation, confining their questions to requiring a simple "yes" or "no," answers that, as he'd slipped more and more into the hopelessness of his situation, he'd given with simple head movements. Now this hedgehog was asking him for information that wasn't so simple to communicate, and C2 was having a very difficult time trying to remember how his voice was supposed to work.
As he watched the fox's struggles, Sonic became very concerned. Had they pushed him too far? Was there some sort of repressed memory attached to the little foxling's identity? Slowly Sonic moved forward, his arm gently petting the child's head as he attempted to calm the boy down.
"Hey hey, easy does it pal," Sonic cooed. "You don't have to say if you don't…"
"M-M-Miles," the fox finally managed to force out of his mouth. "M-m-m-my… n-n-n-name… is… M-m-miles."
"Woah, dude CAN talk," Manic said. From the door Amy moved closer as well, slowly so as not to startle the kit, but closer all the same.
"Miles Prower," the fox finally concluded. "I… am… Miles Prower." Sonic's hand shot backwards just in time to shove Manic back down, already sensing the laughing fit that was about to engulf the younger hedgehog.
"Miles Prower huh?" the hedgehog asked, not completely sure if he could believe such a ridiculous sounding name, but unwilling to shut the kid down again by giving voice to his concerns. Quickly he extended his hand to the now named fox. "Well Miles Prower, I'm Sonic Hedgehog…" The fox looked curiously at the extended hand for a moment before tentatively taking it in his own, just the slightest hint of surprise appearing on his face when it gave him a short shake. Then Sonic gestured back towards his pink sister. "This is my sister Sonia."
"Pleased to meet you," Sonia said, smiling a warm and friendly smile towards the kit.
"And this ball of quivering quills," Sonic said, indicating the green little pincushion that was currently doing his best to stifle his laughter, "is my baby brother Manic."
"Hey!" the suddenly indignant hedgehog yelled. "Ain't nothin' baby about me."
"Yeah, 'specially your mouth," Sonic quipped, receiving a slight punch to the shoulder from his green brother. Suddenly a second pink hand entered Miles's field of vision as a second female hedgehog made herself fully known.
"My name's Amy Rose," Amy said with a smile. Once more the fox grabbed onto one of his tails and began playing with it, his cerulean eyes staring, not at the Mobian who'd just introduced herself, but at the nurse's hat she wore. "Is something wrong?"
"H… H… Hat…" Miles answered.
"My hat?" Amy asked, removing the article of clothing from her head. "It's just a part of my uniform for my job, is something wrong with that?" Nervously the kit shook his head, afraid he'd offended the woman. Emboldened by being able to speak again though, Miles quickly ceased shaking his head, closed his eyes, and gave a few sharp nods. Once more his head became buried under his arms, as though he was expecting some sort of retaliation for this statement. "It's okay," Amy assured him. "I'm not mad."
"This is getting' weird, Ames," Sonic said, obviously just a little distressed himself at the implications of the fox's odd behavior. What had he gotten them into? "What the hell happened to this kid?"
"I don't know, Sonic," Amy answered back, stroking the shaking form.
"Maybe those creeps who tried to shoot him were using him for some kinda… experiment," Manic suggested. Once more Sonic moved to strike his younger brother for his rudeness, only to suddenly stop as he noticed that the once shaking fox was now practically quivering.
"Okay, this is bad," Sonia stated, getting up from the couch and beginning to pace, a clear sign that the she-hog was nervous.
"No duh sis," Manic answered back, laughing a little that this just seemed to cross his sibling's mind.
"She's right Manic, this has gone from spooky to downright scary," Amy pointed out. She turned back to the fox, her voice remaining gentle, but urgent. Something was definitely up here and it gave her a very bad feeling. "Why were those men after you? Where are your parents?"
"Don't… Don't know," Miles answered, rising from his balled up form just slightly. "I… I went to sleep, and woke up in the lab one morning."
"Okay, definitely bad news," Sonic surmised. "What lab? Where?"
"Not sure," came the reply, and a sense of frustration shot through Sonic's form. "but when I escaped, I wound up here."
"And they just followed you, either to get you back or keep this a secret," Sonic concluded. "So what are you gonna do now?" Tears began to well up in the fox's eyes as he looked at them.
"I… I want to go home," he whimpered. "I thought… if I came to the city… someone could… help me get there. But all everyone keeps doing is… yelling at me or chasing me. All I want to do is go home… why won't they let me go home!" Tears fell down the distressed vulpine's cheeks as he asked this question of no one in particular yet everyone at once. Quickly Miles grabbed his cloak, which still lay on the coffee table and brought it up to his face, blowing his ebony nose into the thick fabric as his tears streamed in as well. Amy's arm reached around and held the crying boy's shoulders, rubbing the tense muscles as she did so.
"Maybe we can help you," she offered, her generous nature shining through as Sonic's eyes widened a little, very interested in hearing his girlfriend's plan to pull off this little miracle.
"Any ideas how?" he finally asked. "I mean, I'm more than willing to help but I'm not exactly a match for the army or the navy or whoever's after this kid."
"Sonic, he was kidnapped. His parents have got to be looking for him, and if we tell them, they can probably come get him or find a way to help us send him home.
"You'll… you'll help me go home?" Miles asked; hope returning to his voice as he stared at Sonic. The blue hedgehog gazed into those puppy dog eyes that seemed to beg only for help, his heart melting for the plight of the poor cub.
"Fine, we'll help you, kid," Sonic said.
"Dr. Kintobor's offices have a link to the government citizen files," Amy said as she got up and grabbed her keys from the key rings. "When I go in tomorrow morning, I'll run a search on 'Miles Prower' and see if I can't find his parents."
"So what do we do in the mean time?" Sonic asked. Suddenly, a loud yawn erupted from the fox's mouth, showing off his sharp canines. Amy smiled as she saw that, having gotten to cry over the evening's events, the kit was beginning to show signs of weary sleep.
"Well, it looks to me like you guys need to figure out some sort of sleeping arrangement because I don't think you can afford to stay up too much later." As if to emphasize this point, Manic yawned as well, a sentiment that was echoed by Sonia, though she attempted to hide it by covering her mouth. A sideways glance at the room's clock showed it to be almost three in the morning, well past all of their bed times.
"You're right, we need to get to bed," Sonic realized.
"Right," Amy agreed, walking over and delivering a kiss to Sonic's lips. "I'll be heading home for the night and catch up with you tomorrow when I have some information on Miles here." With that, Amy opened the door to the apartment and left.
"Who's up for yawn movies?" Manic suggested, fighting it as his own eyelids began to droop.
"You heard the girlfriend; bed," Sonic commanded.
"Ah man," Manic said as he got up off the couch and began to trudge into the bedroom. It was then that the elder blue hedgehog noticed he still had a pink companion sitting with him.
"You too, Sonia."
"All right, all right," Sonia complied. Now Sonic turned back to his foxy houseguest, only to find that he had drawn his cloak around him and curled his body back into a fluffy, snug little ball, his eyes closed as he slept peacefully.
"Well, I guess I don't mind sharing," Sonic assured the sleeping kit as he went to the entryway closet and pulled forth his own blanket and pillows. With only one bedroom, and the occasional need for him and Amy to have their privacy, Sonic had co-opted the living room as his bedroom and the couch as his bed. Turning out the lights, the blue hedgehog lay down on the couch and went to sleep.
"K-k-kill me," the aged rat begged as he lay naked on the examination table, his limbs restrained by the straps used to hold resistant specimens in place. "P-p-please, just kill meeee-AHHH!" The rat screamed as a field of cyan energy began to cascade down upon his body, saturating his very being with energy. After only a few seconds, black smoke began to rise from the rat's fur as he thrashed about in his restraints, desperate to get away from the light blue energy that saturated his very form.
Atop the machine from which the rays of power descended sat a jewel of exactly the same shade, its multifaceted surface shimmering with a dimmed glow all its own as its power was siphoned off and into the tortured rat. Standing near the laboratory table, Shadow gazed at the jewel, recognizing it for what it was, the legendary Cyan Storm Chaos Emerald. From its place deep within his own cyber-organic body, the black hedgehog could feel his own Gray Dusk Chaos Emerald pulsing darkly, calling out to its lighter colored sibling, an act that tempted Shadow himself into simply grabbing the gem from its resting place. Ever the master of his own impulses, the dark one resisted, knowing full well the futility of such an action. Though his own emerald, the very source of his lifeforce and power, was active and virtually throbbing with energy, the cyan one remained dormant, it power and senses sealed for the time being. Hence the need to forcibly siphon off some of its limitless energy for what Shadow loosely termed an "experiment."
"You can't possibly believe this is going to lead to anything?" Shadow asked in a flat and unconcerned voice of the large human who stood at the machine's controls, slowly turning a dial to increase the intensity of what he privately referred to as the Emerald Cascade. "You're wasting your time if you think this rat is one of the Chaos Born."
"All Mobians are potentially Chaos Born, Shadow," Dr. Robotnik told his black and red minion as he watched his subject's formerly brown fur begin to grow black, a sure sign that such concentrated doses of the emerald's energies were frying the unlucky Mobian. "The nature of their creation almost assures it. I have long theorized that sufficient exposure to the chaos powers might be enough to awaken some rudimentary control over the emerald itself, a skill we need if we are going to use the Cyan Storm Chaos Emerald in our master plan." Black eyes lit by red irises moved to look at Shadow, a sight that would be unnerving to any other person. "And as to time, until our little C2 is found and returned, I have all the time in the world, wouldn't you say?" At his master's words, Shadow's own eyes glanced over at the second Emerald Cascade machine in the room, one which lacked its own emerald. Below it rested a table similar to the one the now still and wheezing rat lay on, its own restraints calibrated for someone significantly smaller in size than the rat. Even though long vacant, Shadow could taste the residual energies of the emerald that had been used in that machine; the Topaz Star Chaos Emerald.
The sound of an automatic door opening drew Shadow and Robotnik's attention as a diminutive and familiar form entered, carrying with it a clipboard.
"Ah my beloved nephew, I do trust everything went well?" the Doctor asked. Though his tone seemed friendly, even loving, years of observation and interaction between this man and his nephew allowed the younger human to fully understand that answering this question in the negative was likely to result in a rather harsh punishment.
"My meeting with the press went fairly well, considering. I managed to convince them that the Bigfoot unit that was destroyed was a prototype model, designed for the police SWAT team's arsenal," Snively answered. "No small feat, I assure you, but for a man of my abilities…"
"Don't crow Snively, it's just as much your fault as it is Shadow's that the target got away," Robotnik interrupted, turning the dial slightly and once more increasing the Emerald Cascade's intensity. A sharp shriek came from the restrained rat as tears that formed in his eyes were evaporated before they could make it down his cheek. Snively threw his Uncle an angered look that had nothing to do with the suffering sapient.
"My name is Colin, not Snively," he proclaimed through gritted teeth.
"When you have earned the name Colin, I shall refer to you as such. For now you are Snively and may heaven help you if you fail to respond to that call," the overlarge human responded as though he was stating one of the immutable facts of the universe. "Now then, are there any leads as to C2's whereabouts?"
"The G.U.N. soldiers say he was rescued," Shadow told him. "By something that apparently looked enough like me to prevent them from firing the moment they saw it and could move fast enough to evade my notice as I arrived." Robotnik's hand gripped a hold of his massive chin as he digested this new information.
"So, we're dealing with a hedgehog… and one that possesses a fantastic speed," the Doctor surmised. "Could it be one of the robots that were stolen from us? Perhaps a lost clone?" At the mention of a clone, Shadow's shoulders shivered as a look of disgust came to his face.
"I doubt it Doctor," Snively answered. "None of the stolen units were both small and fast enough to fit the description. And as to a clone…"
"Worthless lumps of genetic trash," Shadow spat venomously. "It'd never have been able to evade me." Once more Robotnik turned the dial, the intensity of the chaotic energy increased, and the tortured rat's spine bent upwards as he tried desperately to pull himself free. Skin under burnt fur began to crack as the liquid flesh underneath tried to expand beyond its capacity, causing the Mobian to howl in pain. His task completed, Robotnik steepled his fingers before his face as he gazed intently at his two compatriots.
"Then, my friends, I believe we have a problem," he proclaimed. "Without the Topaz Star Chaos Emerald and a way to control it, we do not possess enough chaos emeralds to fulfill my Master Plan."
"Gerald's Master Plan," Shadow corrected, an action that earned him a fairly annoyed look from the devilish scientist.
"Your loyalty to your creator is indeed impressive, Shadow, but don't forget, Great Grandfather died because HIS Master Plan was severely flawed. Mine is not, but for it to succeed we need to force three emeralds to flare their powers at the exact same time," Robotnik countered. "Since that all important fact is my contribution to this little fiasco, I think I can safely lay claim to this being MY MASTER PLAN!" So saying two fingers grabbed the console's dial and twisted it all the way to full power. From the table the rat screamed as black smoke rose from his body for a few seconds before the intensity of the cyan light became so great as to obscure the view of his body. It remained as this for a few moments, and both Shadow and Snively could see the Emerald Cascade beginning to strain under the massive amounts of power being channeled through it. Before the machine could suffer any true damage, Robotnik quickly reset the dial, shutting the Cascade down. As the light died, all that was left of the rat was a black smudge following the imprint on which his body had lain. "Such a disappointment," Robotnik concluded before turning back to his underlings. "Gentlemen, this failure would seem to illustrate that that fox is, quite literally, one in a great million. Finding him was a miracle we most likely will not be able to repeat, at least not without duplicating the same extensive search we did before. So it is with great zeal that I do beseech you… GET OUT THERE AND FIND MY EMERALD!"
The forest stood as it had for centuries, its lush foliage obscuring the light of the sun that fed it so as to create a form of perpetual twilight for the area underneath its massive canopy. All through the out the forest, life could be heard, whether in the form of a tweeting bird singing for a mate or the babbling of a pristine brook as it passed through the dense trees, the memory of a once mighty river that had fed this wood before being encroached upon by it. Herbivores fed on the plant life, and they in turn became prey for carnivores, while scavengers worked tirelessly to return everything to its beginning and continue the cycles of life. Above it all, a large bird flew through the air, its giant, brown wings keeping it aloft in the air only the need for an occasional flap.
Suddenly, as the sky begins to inexplicably darken, the majestic being begins to struggle in the air, as though the sky through which it had previously so proudly flown had lost the ability to sustain its flight. As it began to fall, the unmistakable sound of hacking could be heard as the bird struggled to breathe, its yellow beak open wide as it tried to draw in the air that rushed past it. This did little to help it though, as the air began to take on a foul quality while the bird rushed down, indicated as the wispy clouds that had once decorated the sky suddenly become dark gray before they dissipate as though never there. With a sickening thud the once mighty aerial lord crashes through the canopy of the trees and to the ground, an impact that kills it almost instantly. Above it's corpse, the once green leaves of the trees begin to quickly change their color, first to yellow, then to brown, and finally black, before falling form their branches en masse. The healthy brown bark of the stripped branches hastily turns to a dark gray as the phloem cells that once carried nutrients to them begin to whither and die. With an alarming rate, this blight spreads down into the ancient trees, transforming once thick and strong trunks into brittle dried up husks.
It is not only the plants that begin to suffer, however, as a young carnivore, attempting to take advantage of the fresh carcass of the fallen avian, stops in its approach and begins to hack and cough, its four legs collapsing beneath it as it falls the once fertile ground. All around it dozens of formerly tree dwelling rodents fall from their desiccated homes in a similar, or worse, state, gasping and writhing in agony as though asphyxiating. The ground, once rich with nutrients and soft, dries and becomes hard and brittle, with rocks that have remained in place for millennia crumbling to dust in mere moments. All around the once lush and lively forest dies in every sense of the word, with trees shattering under their own weight and animals collapsing into convulsing heaps trying desperately to cling to life. The clear water of the once gentle brook now flows dark with an unidentifiable sludge.
This scene of death is not unique to this hapless forest as all over the planet, more and more ecosystems suffer the same fate. Once damp and lush swamps dry and whither while harsh winds rip the fragile topsoil from the deserts. The oceans begin to grow dark and murky as they become littered with the bodies of dead marine life, unable to survive in the water that has been stripped of its ability to sustain life. Once active and warm volcanoes go dim and cold as the magma that fuels them goes out. All around the wind blows harshly, creating gigantic dust storms that tear the flesh of the planet's few remaining animals as they try desperately to escape their planet's death throes. A small tribe of bipedal sapients once destined to become the dominant life of this unlucky world huddle together, trying to protect themselves from the darkness that seems to be pervading the atmosphere. Females hug their children close as males brandish crude weapons in a valiant but futile attempt to ward off their unseen killer. Around a fire, the last fire, the older members of the tribe sit, their hands locked together as they chant a prayer with their medicine man, a supplication to their gods to protect them. If such creatures existed, they either weren't listening, or they'd decided against their followers. As the dark shadow passes over them, each man, woman, and child begins to cough and sputter, grasping at their throats as they gasped for breath in the growing darkness.
Deep below the surface of the planet, in the center, the light gradually dims as the molten core begins to cool rapidly, the very furnace keeping the dying planet warm going out. The effects of this are felt almost immediately on the surface as the putrefied but still liquid waters of the oceans begin to freeze over and the ground goes cold. In a valley on the other side of the planet from the first forest to die, a single hoofed herbivore, the last of its kind, the last living being on its planet, runs in terror as death approaches it. It does not get far however, as a newly opened crack in the proves enough to catch one of its small feet, tripping the poor creature up and sending it sprawling to the ground with a broken leg. Terrified eyes look back at the path it had taken, a terrified baying escaping its lips just as darkness encroaches upon its form.
To be continued…