Samuel's POV

We had arrived at the convention center where Paul Lexington was having his rally. Everything was going according to plan, and yet... I still felt slightly uneasy. The thought of that retard G.U.N agent stayed in my mind. All stains must be washed away. I reminded myself, yet her's was a stain that could not be so easily washed.

When I had left Aurora at the orphanage, I had been told by my colleagues, over and over again, that I had done the right thing. Theodore, on the other hand, did not seem to think so; he hit me, kicked me, bit me, and in his calmer moments, wouldn't even look me in the eye. He didn't seem to understand that Aurora would never have a full life-never make friends, never graduate, never have a job or a family. To him, I was-and still am-just the evil boogeyman that took away his beloved . Outwardly, I punished him for his outbursts, but at certain moments, I would lie awake wondering if he was right. And now, Aurora-now Echo-had shown up again, and I could not push the thought of what might have been away.

I looked around the area quickly for a moment. When I was sure no one was looking, I went into my phone, went to the internet app, and typed "echo charter" into the search bar. These were the first six results that showed up:

AUTISTIC G.U.N AGENT BUSTS METROPOLIS DRUG RING!

ECHO CHARTER GENFORENER KIDNAPNING OFRE MED FAMILIER!

"AGENT ECHO" EMPECHE CATASTROPHE NUCLEAIRE!

ECHO CHARTER APPREHENDS VITA MAKOSA YA JINAI, HUTOA AID KWA KUSHAMBULIWA KIJIJI!

"AGENT ECHO" WIEDER IN AKTION!

ECHO CHARTER: TUTTO QUELLO CHE C'E DA SAPERE SUL AGENTE PIU CALDI DI G.U.N!

I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. The BPM had always said that autistic individuals couldn't initiate a conversation, couldn't make eye contact, and could never understand emotions. Yet Echo Charter, once my daughter Aurora Frost, had done all of this!? I continued to read on about how Echo was adopted by the late Jonathan Charter, how he had taught her to harness her "gifts" into forms that could be used in a combat situation, how he was later killed in action during one of Echo's missions, and how, rather than resigning, Echo went back in to honour her father's memory. I read about the special suit she wears to keep her senses from overloading during missions, about her love of iguanas, and about how she had earned the respect of everyone in G.U.N. I kept scrolling down until I came across a video featuring Echo during an interview. I clicked the link and saw something truly remarkable.

A man with short black hair and a fancy suit sat behind a desk. Sitting next to him, in a velvet seat wearing a bubble gum pink sleeveless dress, was Echo. "So, Echo," the man asked, "you've dealt with a fair amount of challenges in both your life and your illustrious career. Is there anything you'd like to say to those watching who may be struggling with the same challenges?"

At this rate, Echo turned towards the camera, and for a moment, I felt her lilac eyes staring into my soul. "Never give up hope." She replied. "If someone says you cannot do or be something, do or be that very thing! Go to college! Have a career! Start a family; do whatever makes you happy. We never know what we are worth until we try to do the very thing that everyone believes to be impossible. You could be the next tech innovator, the next astronaut in space, the next scientist to make a groundbreaking discovery. If you believe you can do it, the only thing you need is a chance to try."

I closed the window, turned off my phone, and put it back in my pocket. Ever since I had found out about Aurora's autism, I was told that she would be nothing but a burden-and I believed it. However, the hedgehog I had seen in that video did not look like a burden to me; instead, her open heart, peach spines, lithe, agile frame, and laser sharp determination reminded me of Emily during the days we had first met. I took out a photo I had held in my wallet-one of me, Emily, Theodore, and Aurora in the park pre-diagnosis. Perhaps, I came to realize, the BPM was wrong about my daughter.

And if that was the case, it meant that I was wrong too.

Sonic's POV

I looked around the room at everyone in front of me. Shadow, Rouge, Amy, Knuckles, Tails-all of them captured with me and Echo. Knuckles, of course, was the first to speak up. "Well, this is just rotten luck!" He growled. Rouge, for her part, simply responded with her best shrug given the circumstances. "Could be a lot worse." She added. "Tails almost had a run in with the Desremaux Police. Turns out, Tabitha Fox doesn't really have a sense of humor."

During this time, Echo had remained completely silent. "Echo?" I asked, wondering what was on her mind. Echo then turned to me, the usual light in her eyes now a blazing fire. "I don't know about you guys," she replied, "but I, for one, don't plan on going out like this. If I'm gonna die, I'll die fighting." Within moments, I heard the sound of rope being cut, and Echo was soon free from her bonds. She then quickly untied me before we got to work on the others. "How did you..." Tails managed to get out after we were all cut loose. Echo responded by taking out a small green hairbrush, turning it upside down, and taking off the cap to reveal a long, thin knife.

"First rule of the field." Echo replied. "Be prepared for anything." She then put the cap back on the hairbrush and took out her phone, playing a recording of Paul Lexington admitting to funding the BPM. I soon made a quick guess of what her plan was. "Tails," she continued, giving Tails the phone, "once we get to the rally, I need you to plug this into the sound system and play the most recent audio file in the voice memos." Tails nodded, and Echo turned to Shadow and Rouge. "Shadow, Rouge," she said, "I need you to contact G.U.N and tell them we have our man. The rest of us will deal with the BPM directly and attempt to subdue Kaiser Fade long enough for backup to arrive." Within moments, Shadow and Rouge started working their communicators while Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Echo, and I left the building through the construction elevator.

Echo's POV

The ride down the elevator was a bit of a long one, as there was almost no one at the construction site at this time save for us. My mind began to wander as we went down-first to my adoptive mother Ava, and then to my real parents. Did they recognize me? Do they even care?

"Echo?" I small feminine voice asked, interrupting my daydreaming. I turned my head to notice Amy Rose looking at me, jade green eyes filled with curiosity. "All those things Paul Lexington said... About you, about autistics... You don't think we believe those things, do you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." I replied. "Do you?"

"Well, I don't know about anyone else in here," Amy replied, "but I don't. Echo, you weren't meant to simply get married and have a family-and I only say that because I see the potential for you to do far more with your life. Do I see you as a rival for my Sonikku's affections? Yes, but after what I've seen you do and the sacrifices I've seen you make, I honestly consider you a very worthy one. The life of an agent, of a hero; it's never been easy, but you? You were born for it."

I smiled. I had begun to doubt myself after hearing those things, so it was nice to hear that people still believed I was a capable agent. "Thank you, Amy." I replied, before adding with a giggle, "And I can assure you, Sonic and I are just friends."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." Amy replied nonchalantly. I, however, paid very little attention; I had not lied to her with my last statement, but during the course of this mission, I had felt Sonic and I develop a deep, personal bond, one that was formed during times of heavy tribulation. Maybe, just maybe, Sonic and I were more than friends. So what were we, then? I wasn't quite sure, but I did know one thing: There would be no one happier than me when Paul Lexington was finally put in his place.