Chapter 6: Pain
Andrea bolts upright in her cot, sweaty and shivering. The nightmare still plagues her mind, the images pulsing. The scenes replaying, reproducing the night she ran away:
About a year previously...
"Let me be free, EggmanI beg of you to let me goLet all of us go!" Andrea screams at the bald, fat man formally known as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, otherwise nicknamed Eggman.
"Why should I let you be free? You're entire clan have been of good use-"
Andrea snorts, "Oh, yeah, much good use, if you call dying a great help to-"
"Silence! They did their bidding, with no further use it's much easier to deal with that way. You're lucky you're still alive. How sad, yet interesting to be the last of your kind. As I was saying, you're been so good to Claire and I." Eggman grins, and the chair next to his slowly swivels. A young woman rotates into view, smirking. As she spins, her long blond hair flows with her, moving into the way of her cold, scarlet eyes. Her red dress sparkling in the light fits her perfect figure well, defining her every curve, reaching down to barely touch her knees. Her long legs are crossed with her hands resting graciously in her lap. She taps her foot, emitting a loud clack because of her hard, cherry high-heeled shoes. Claire glares at Andrea with disgust, "Yes, Andrea. You have helped us, not that it was your choice. So we owe nothing to you." Claire cackles and stands up. She prances to Eggman's chair and sits in his lap, placing her arms around his neck.
Eggman's grin widens as he kisses Claire on the cheek. Andrea turns at this sight, visibly disturbed, and spits to show her disgust.
"Metal!"
"Yes, sir?" Metal replies hurrying into the room.
"Will you please take Ms. Andrea to her room?" he stresses room as if to imply that it's meant to be some torture chamber.
Andrea grows angry, entering a state of rage, "No!" Metal grabs Andrea, but she breaks out of his grasp, sending him flying into a wall, immobilized, and sprints to where Eggman and Claire sit.
"Back away from us you stupid freak!" Claire shouts to Andrea, but Andrea pays no attention to Claire's threat. Andrea's anger boils.
"Do as I tell youBack off now!" Claire screeches.
Eggman, eyes wide, mouth agape, fumbles for the button – his protection – in order to call the other robots in the building; however, he cannot locate it.
Andrea notices the fear in Claire's eyes. Good you should be afraid Andrea laughs.
"What are you laughing for? Come on you rude, stupid, and most of all irritating lemur, back off!" Claire's voice sounds hoarse from screaming.
Andrea smiles wickedly, animosity filling her mind, "Hey, Claire. You know what? You're right maybe I should back off."
"Y...Yes, you should. If you say I'm right then b...back off," Claire stutters, revealing her distress.
Andrea smiles wider, "You know what? I just changed my mind!" Andrea runs and tackles Claire, they both fall to the floor.
"Claire!" Eggman shouts as he tries to get up from his chair, abandoning the button plan. He spins around to see Andrea holds Claire pinned to the floor, but Andrea glares, scowling straight at Eggman. He can see the malice burning in her eyes. Andrea's eyes appear wild, her normally bright, azure eyes are darkened, clouded, as if she is not her normal self – nearly possessed. Eggman's fear peaks. He takes a step backward.
"Don't you go anywhere!" Eggman freezes. "You're going to be next!" Andrea grins and turns back to Claire, who is desperately struggling, but proves too weak.
Claire is trembling, "P...please Andrea! Be r...reasonable! We can w...work this out!"
"Work what out, huh? I've tried to work things out, but have you ever listened? All you ever did was hurt my family along with myself. Did you ever really need us, or did you just like to see us suffer? I think it was the latter. This is you're fault, Claire. Yours and Eggman's. You picked a really great guy, Claire. You can thank him for this unpleasant act!" A groan escapes Andrea's throat and an inner glow emerges from her eyes, turning them blood red, "Say goodbye to your sweetheart, Eggman!" Andrea's snickers distort into insane laughter. A strange blue glow enshrouds Andrea, soon focusing into her hands, which press harshly onto the frantic woman's chest. Claire starts screeching to Eggman, but her bloodcurdling shriek cuts herself off as acid pours from the pores of Andrea's hands into Claire's body, burning her body from the inside out. Soon, only small traces of flesh and her skeleton remain of Claire, those parts left undissolved.
Eggman stands, gaping, in shock, having seen the whole thing. After recollecting himself, Eggman whispers quietly to himself, "I'll get you Andrea, for killing my one and only love. I shall not rest until I know you're dead." Then he runs off to the exit, so he won't be killed too.
Andrea stands and turns to see Eggman running. He is already, surprisingly, about fifty feet ahead of her. She can catch up easily, but she decides not to – too risky. Unknown to Eggman, the exhausted green lemur drops to her knees, clutching her stomach, "I never knew. Is this why Eggman wanted our clan?" Never before has Andrea ever known or used such disturbing power; she has only known of one in her clan who held any kind of power – the ability to see the near future. That person was her grandfather, and Eggman murdered him once he could no longer use his power. " What did I even...?" Andrea winces, her stomach churning to create new acid quickly, refilling the loss. I can't believe this. I'm not a murderer. I'm not like them. I was merely avenging. Yes. I don't want to kill, but it's Eggman. I have time to sort this out. I can't go after him in this condition anyway, Andrea contemplates, completely confused with herself and her actions. She has killed one of the two that has tortured and hurt her and her clan for many years. Now she can leave, but she has to find a place that Eggman can't find her, And where is that?
Andrea returns to her isolated room in Eggman's recently deserted headquarters, gathers some supplies, and steals some of Eggman's money. She puts these things in a small backpack she once hid under a board in her room. She hurries out of the building, the whole town, searching for a better, and safe, home.
Andrea sees Eggman, or at least the robot guards, has put out some food for her and Akio. Akio remains asleep, so she doesn't bother asking him if he wants food. Andrea splits the food in half, saving some for Akio.
After Andrea is done eating, she sits and waits for Akio to wake up, trying to block out her most recent dream.
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After about a half an hour, another person materializes from the back rooms and walks to Sonic, "Hello, I am Dr. Don. I am Miles's doctor for today. I came out to tell you that you can come with me to see him." Dr. Don motions everyone to follow him, gesturing to keep quiet. Dr. Don leads them to Tails's room and lets them inside, "I'll be back in a few minutes to check on you." Dr. Don leaves the room, lightly closing the door behind him.
"Tails? Buddy, can you hear me?" Sonic says patting Tails's hand lightly.
Tails's eyes open slowly, "Sonic? That you?"
Sonic smiles, "Yes, it's me. How are ya feeling?"
"Alright, I guess...everything kind of aches."
"Oh Tails! I'm glad you're okay!" Amy says – gasping slightly at her own loud mouth – to Tails, and she gently pats him on the head, slightly embarrassed by her loud outburst.
"Glad you're back with us Tails," Knuckles says.
"It's good that you're better now, fox boy," Rouge smirks.
"I'm glad to see you doing alright, Tails..." Shadow mutters.
Tails tries to sit up, but he doesn't even move – still too weak, "I can't wait to leave here. I want to get some fresh air."
"Yeah..." Sonic sighs.
A tall woman walks into the room, "Hello, everyone. Okay, Miles. You will be released today. Your friends will have to take you home. We'll get your wheelchair ready." Then she leaves, just as quickly as she entered.
Tails blinks, "Wheelchair? What wheelchair? I need a wheelchair?"
"Um, Tails? I'm sorry to tell you this..." Amy takes a deep breath, "...there isn't really an easy way to tell you this, but- "
Impatient, Rouge drops the news on Tails, "You are paralyzed." Knuckles shoots her a dirty look; she shrugs.
Tails's jaw drops. He couldn't, wouldn't believe it. He tries to move his legs, but no success. He tries again, but still, nothing. He is paralyzed from the waist down. Tails starts to cry.
Sonic puts his hand over Tails's and pats it gently again, "Please don't cry Tails. I hate to see you cry. You rarely ever cry. Come on. We'll get through this. You're a big man. The nurse said that you have a good chance of reviving. Just please don't cry," Sonic tries the best he can to calm Tails down. The others just watch. Tears well up in Sonic's eyes, but he chokes them back, as he tries to help Tails stop crying.
A tear slides down Amy's cheek; she hates to see the poor small fox cry. She hasn't seen him cry like this for a very long time. She hopes he never will have to. Rouge tries to reassure Amy that Tails would be okay, except with her sarcastic attitude, she isn't much help. Knuckles leans against Tails's bed post, watching. Shadow leans on the wall next to Tails's bed, rolling his eyes slightly, sighing sadly.
By the time the nurse comes in with the wheelchair, Tails has stopped crying, but his eyes are still red and puffy. Sonic carries Tails and puts him in the wheelchair – an electronic one, but it can also be pushed, in case of malfunction. Sonic pushes Tails out of the hospital, and so Sonic, who is pushing Tails, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, and Knuckles all walk back to Sonic's house, which is luckily not too long a distance.
Why did I have to be paralyzed? Why me? What did I ever do to deserve this? Stupid Metal Sonic. Darn Eggman. It's all their fault, Tails sniffles to himself as they return home. It hurts.