Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sonic the Hedgehog characters.
Winter Formal was here and everybody at CMHS was buzzing with excitement over the dance. The theme was "Alice in Winter Wonderland" and it was a mixed bag of people thinking it was stupid and people thinking it was awesome. Either way, the students were excited to dress up and have a great time. Especially the underclassmen, since this was the only formal dance they could attend because Prom was strictly for upperclassmen. Pictures were happening at the Storm House since they had the nicest backyard because of Midnight's gardening hobby. She took one class in college and has loved it ever since.
"Hailey you look amazing!" Ivy exclaimed when the Solaris arrived. Ivy was wearing a two-piece white dress. The top of the dress was a sheer lace top with a high-neck, halter and a cream underlining. The skirt was floor-length white chiffon with a beaded belt. The collar around her neck was beaded similarly. Some of her stomach was exposed along with her back and she had her quills curled and flowing down her back. Flash was beside her wearing a classic black tuxedo and both had white roses for their corsage and boutonniere.
"Thanks Ivy!" Hailey smiled. Hailey was wearing a simple dark navy dress with sequins all over. It had capped sleeves and an open back, exposing about half of her back and was floor-length. She had her hair curled and all pulled to one side with a navy clip on the other side of her hair. Lorgo was wearing a slate gray tuxedo with navy accents and looked incredibly happy to be here. Hailey's corsage and Lorgo's boutonniere consisted of dark blue calla lilies.
"Yes, a little too good." Spark muttered and Hailey rolled her eyes. Winter slapped his arm and he grumbled immaturely. Serenity walked into the backyard wearing a black fitted dress. It was floor-length and had long-sleeves that were made of lace. There was lace detailing on her torso and it was backless. She had her quills up in a curled and graceful bun with a few stands in her face. She smiled when she saw Conner talking to Julian in an all black tuxedo.
"Goddamn! I should've asked you to Formal." Julian exclaimed wearing a gray tuxedo with blue accents. Conner glared at him while Serenity rolled her eyes. They both took turns putting white freesias on each other for their corsage and boutonniere.
"Who are you going with anyway?" Serenity asked as Julian smirked.
"Me, Myself, and…Sierra Livingston when I pick her up." Julian said checking his watch. Bolt walked into the backyard from the house and smoothed his quills before fixing his cuffs. He was wearing a black tuxedo with emerald accents and had a white rose pinned to his lapel. He cleared his throat loudly garnering the attention of some people around him.
"Now introducing my lovely lady of the evening!" Bolt exclaimed while Chrissy walked out shaking her head. Her dress was emerald green with a cage-lace design on the bodice. There was a nude covering underneath the lace and the dress was floor-length with a slight on one side that ended above her knee. Her hair was pulled up in a curled bun with some loose curls hanging around her face. "And lovely indeed." Bolt smiled wrapping his arm around her.
"How cheesy can you get?" Chrissy asked and Bolt pecked her lips.
"Very." He grinned.
"Okay can we all go now?" AJ called after taking hundreds of pictures. He was wearing a classic, black and white tuxedo but had a bowtie. Amber was next to him wearing a short white dress with lace quarter sleeves. The dress itself was strapless, but had lace over it that connected with the sleeves. The skirt flared out and was covered in lace along with the bodice. She was wearing satin nude heels and had white carnations as her corsage that matched with AJ's boutonniere.
"Fine, but we want more pictures after!" Jillian said as the kids rolled their eyes.
"Let's go!" Shade cheered as everybody piled into their separate cars. Suzy followed him wearing a black dress with a lace bodice and a halter neck. The dress was floor-length and had a slit up to her knee. Her quills were straight and she had a braid on the side of her head. Shade was in an all black tuxedo with a bowtie and both had black lilies as their corsage and boutonniere. Everybody arrived to the dance and walked into the gym that had various Alice in Wonderland decorations with winter elements like snowflakes and snow.
"Are you playing tonight?" Ivy asked Flash and his eyes went wide. Before he had a chance to ask Ivy what she meant, Shawn appeared beside them wearing a black tuxedo with dark purple accents.
"We so are." Shawn grinned and Flash groaned dropping his head. Shawn returned to Ruby who laughed at his antic. She was wearing a short purple dress with sequins all over and long-sleeves. The dress had a boat-neckline and she was wearing strappy black heels.
"Sorry." Ivy said holding his hand. Flash squeezed her hand and smiled.
"It's no big deal." Flash told her wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Hydro immediately jumped up and kicked the DJ out of his station. Lauren smiled and stood by his side as he started to set up. She was wearing a fitted blue dress with a cut-out design on the sides of her torso. The dress had a high neckline and was floor-length. Her hair was in loose waves and she wrapped her arm around Hydro's shoulder showing off her white orchid corsage. Hydro was wear an all black tuxedo with a blue tie and smiled at Lauren.
"Let's get this party started!" She yelled into the microphone as everybody cheered. Hydro started to drop music while the dancing kicked into high gear. After an hour or so, Bolt walked over and put his hand on Flash's shoulder.
"C'mon, we have to perform." Bolt told him.
"We don't really have to." He mumbled and Bolt rolled his eyes before grabbing his cousin and dragging him towards the stage.
"I already told Becca DeLucci that we'd perform and believe me, you don't want to cross her." Bolt said shuddering at the thought of upsetting the ASB Events Coordinator. Flash sighed when Shade handed him his guitar and they all took to the stage when Hydro announced them. Flash walked up to the microphone and saw Ivy front and center amongst the crowd. He smiled at her before letting his guitar rift once. He pulled the microphone to his mouth while the rest of the guys started to play.
I can move mountains
I can work a miracle, work a miracle
I'll keep you like an oath
"May nothing but death do us part..."
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
Bury me 'til I confess
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
And I can't get you out of my head
Everybody went crazy for them and were dancing around them while they played the hard-hitting, yet catchy song. Ivy smiled up proudly at Flash when Suzy appeared next to her and they both cheered on their boyfriends.
The stench, the stench of summer sex
And CK eternity, oh, hell, yes
Divide me down to the smallest I can be
Put your, put your v-v-venom in me
I can move mountains
I can work a miracle, work a miracle
I'll keep you like an oath
"May nothing but death do us part..."
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
Bury me 'til I confess
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
And I can't get you out of my head
"How come we didn't ask to perform?" Lauren asked as they danced.
"And deal with the monster that is Becca DeLucci? No thanks." Hydro shook his head and Lauren snorted. Shawn was wailing on the drums and winked at Ruby when he caught her gaze. Suddenly he was rammed in the head with a vision. In the vision he saw Bolt skid across an unfamiliar surface on his back. He quickly got back on his feet, but suddenly was tackled by Spark who had glowing red eyes. His head turned and he saw his own dad growling at him with the same red eyes before launching towards him. He blinked and looked up to see Bolt staring at him confused as to why he stopped drumming. He shook his head and quickly got back into it and luckily no one really seemed to notice.
The blood, the blood, the blood of the lamb
Is worth two lions, but here I am
And I slept in last night's clothes and tomorrow's dreams
But they're not quite what they seem
I can move mountains
I can work a miracle, work a miracle
I'll keep you like an oath
"May nothing but death do us part..."
You'll find your way
And may death find you alive
Take me down the line
In Gem City we turned the tide
You'll find your way
And may death find you alive
Take me down the line
In Gem City we turned the tide
Everybody was jamming out to the song and Bolt saw that Flash got to that weird point where he was actually rocking out and seeming to have fun. He always got there, but then as soon as they stepped off stage, he'd faint. Just like at Homecoming. He never quite understood it. He turned to see Shawn banging on the drums—doing awesome per usual—but he noticed that he seemed a little distracted. He frowned and made sure to ask him about it later.
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
Bury me 'til I confess
She wants to dance like Uma Thurman
And I can't get you out of my head
I can move mountains
I can work a miracle, work a miracle
I'll keep you like an oath
"May nothing but death do us part..."
The band finished and all the students went wild for them. They all smiled and thanked them before walking off the stage. Flash got a little wobbly on his feet feeling like he was going to faint, but Ivy quickly ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"You were great." Ivy smiled before kissing him. Suddenly, that feeling of passing out was gone and he smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. The dance soon ended, but everyone had a great time with dancing, laughing, and lots of pictures. Everybody went their separate ways after the dance and Bolt dropped Flash and Ivy off at Flash's house. They were going to watch a movie before Roddy would pick Ivy up. Flash walked into the house undoing his tie while Ivy held his jacket close to her shoulders.
"Mom! We're home!" Flash called out expecting a warm welcome from his mom with questions about the dance. However, all they got was Midnight's scream scaring them entirely.
"Static no!" Midnight yelled and Flash immediately sprinted into the kitchen.
"Mom!" He yelled entering the kitchen with Ivy following shortly after. Ivy gasped when she saw Midnight on the floor holding her arm that was bleeding out. Static had been holding his head and on his knees when they first entered the kitchen, but he quickly snarled and turned on Flash with glowing red eyes. Flash became overwhelmed by the scene in front of him and held his head in pain. Ivy noticed a weird metal collar around Static's neck and figured this behavior was because of that.
"Flash! Look around his neck!" Ivy shouted pointing at Static. However, Flash brushed her off and knelt the ground in pain. "Flash?" Ivy asked as a hauntingly white glow surrounded him. She wasn't sure what was going on and Midnight hissed in pain.
"Ivy! Stay away from him!" Midnight yelled at her and she stepped away from him. Flash's fur became ruffled and completely white. His eyes popped open and were completely white now. He slowly stood up and stared at Static with an enraged expression on his face. Static growled at him, but was quickly tackled into the counter by Flash. Ivy screamed and Midnight ran over to her and pulled her away from the kitchen.
"You think you can beat me?" Static spat in his face. Their hands were locked together, surging with electricity, and shaking from the force. "I'm stronger than you, faster than you, and better. You're just a weak little boy who can't even save himself." He snarled and sent Flash flying through the wall with a surge of electricity. Static stepped through the wall as Flash got back onto his feet quickly.
"I will defeat you." Flash growled before tackling Static at full speed. They went flying through the opposite side of the kitchen and outside into the backyard. Ivy and Midnight ran outside, but Midnight made sure they stayed far away from the fight.
Flash grabbed Static by his shirt and threw him into a tree before charging at him and punching him rapidly in the stomach and face. Static kneed him in the stomach before smirking and kicking him in the face. Flash went straight to the ground, but flipped around sending a blast of lightning towards Static. He caught it in his hand before morphing it into a whip. He cracked the whip towards Flash, but Flash rolled out of the way dodging it. Flash planted his feet to the ground and sucked in a large breath of air.
"Cover your ears!" Midnight exclaimed and they both ducked away covering their ears. Flash screamed sending large sound waves towards Static. He went flying through the air, but grabbed onto the pool fencing to keep him from flying totally away. Flash stopped and Static dropped back onto the ground on his feet. Flash charged him, but Static stopped him before he could hit by grabbing him by the neck. He lifted Flash over his head before slamming on the ground causing several cracks into the concrete. Flash growled and grabbed onto Static's arm before throwing him into the pool. Flash immediately went after him and dove into the pool. He tackled Static to the bottom of the pool, but Static smirked before shocking him and sending him flying out of the pool. Static jumped out of the pool and slammed his foot onto Flash's chest.
"Flash! Cut off the collar!" Ivy shouted. Flash's mind was a muddled mess and all his thoughts were foggy and incomprehensible. But, he was able to hear Ivy's plea and grabbed onto Static's leg and shocked him. He amped up the energy and Static gritted his teeth while trying to reverse the lightning. Flash kicked him off and reached up with his other hand and ripped the collar off his neck. Static's eyes returned to normal before he fainted. Flash also returned to normal and he panted while sitting beside his unconscious father.
"I'm going to call Spark." Midnight told her. Ivy nodded before running over to Flash.
"Flash, are you—"She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because he took off leaving her there. Ivy could feel the tears coming, but she turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about him. He just needs time to think." Midnight told her and Ivy nodded. "I'm guessing you don't know about his Dark Stage." She said sitting down next to Ivy. Midnight had wrapped her arm in some gauze to temporarily stop the bleeding. She knew she needed to get stitches or a cast, but this would have to do now.
"No, was that what this was all about?" Ivy asked wiping her eyes.
"Not Static. I don't fully understand what happened there. But with Flash? Yes." Midnight nodded. "It came from Static and Spark. Except for Spark, he associates it with a demon inside of him. Static always just called it his Dark Side. Very Star Wars I know." She rolled her eyes making Ivy laugh a little.
"It's a gene they have. Hydro, Tsunami, and Flash all have it along with Bolt and Hailey. The gene becomes active after puberty and after that they have to learn to control it. Tsunami is still figuring it out and Hydro has a pretty good hold on it, but this is all new to Flash. This was his first time going Dark and I know this is eating him up inside. Especially since you were here to witness it." Midnight told her and Ivy frowned.
"I don't care if this is a part of him, if that's what he thinks. I love him all the same." She said before staring at Midnight wide-eyed. Midnight laughed lightly and tilted her head towards Ivy.
"I'm guessing you guys haven't said that to each other yet. Don't worry, I won't say anything." She smiled and Ivy nodded gratefully. "I love all my children equally, but Flash and I have always had a special bond. Tsunami and Hydro are more similar to Static, personality wise, but Flash and I were always on the same wave. Still though, he reacts to stress very similar to Static. He always wants to deal with it alone, but you have to show him that you're there for him and that you aren't leaving his side." Midnight told her and Ivy nodded taking her words to heart.
Spark and Winter eventually came over and helped take Static to Tails' lab where he would recover. Ever since Tails discovered the gene in Spark and Static, he has been researching ways for them to eliminate it or at least make something that will keep it under control without a constant conscious effort. Winter and Tails were close to making some device, but until then, they had a recovery routine down when any of them went Dark. Tails stitched up Midnight's wound while Ivy sat in a chair with Flash's jacket around her.
"Ivy! Are you okay?" Chrissy asked as she and Bolt burst into the lab. Bolt sighed when he saw Static hooked up to several machines and the familiar bright blue liquid being pumped into him. Despite Midnight telling him that she didn't think Static went Dark, Tails wanted to play it safe. He frowned when he saw a second set-up, but his cousin not laying there.
"Yeah, just a little worried." Ivy told Chrissy.
"I'm going to find Hydro." Bolt said.
"Midnight called him and Tsunami. They're both on their way." Ivy told him and he nodded. Hydro, Lauren, Tsunami, and Lazarus all soon arrived and Tsunami rushed over to her parents.
"We need to find him." Bolt whispered to Hydro who nodded. Despite them being quiet, Ivy heard them and turned around to face them.
"You won't find him." She told them and they stared back at her confused. "I'm the only one who really knows where he is." She said firmly. "I'll go."
"Oh no you don't! You're not leaving! Especially to go find him on your own!" Chrissy scolded and Ivy smiled softly.
"Too late." Ivy murmured when a blue flash blinded all of them. Shade appeared with Suzy by his side and holding his Chaos Emerald.
"Shade!" Chrissy gasped as Shade smiled nervously and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't believe you would do this!"
"Well, she might be the only one that can help him. We need to find Flash." Shade explained and Chrissy glared at him. Ivy rolled her eyes, impatient with all the talking, and grabbed the emerald out of Shade's hand.
"Chaos Control!" Ivy exclaimed before disappearing in a flash of blue and shocking everyone.
"What the fuck just happened?" Bolt said slowly.
"She did it!" Suzy gasped.
"I can't believe she Chaos Controlled." Hydro murmured.
"I mean, she is Sonic's daughter. She has to have some capability to use the emeralds." Chrissy shrugged.
"I can't believe she took my emerald!" Shade exclaimed and Suzy rolled her eyes.
Ivy appeared outside the diner, relieved that she was actually able to pull off Chaos Control without looking like a total idiot. Since it was nearly three in the morning, the diner was mostly empty when Ivy walked in. However, she immediately spotted Flash in the back booth with a stack of untouched pancakes in front of him.
"Hi." Ivy whispered quietly as she sat across from him. Flash looked up at her before dropping his eyes back to his clasped hands in front of him.
"I'm guessing my mom told you everything." He murmured.
"Yeah she did." Ivy told him quietly. Flash sighed leaning back in his seat and shaking his head.
"You know, I kind of had a glimmer of hope that this wouldn't happen to me. Tsunami went Dark for the first time when she was twelve and Hydro when he was eleven. I made it to fifteen." Flash sighed heavily.
"You are so strong, Flash. I know you and I know you'll beat this." Ivy told him and Flash smiled at her weakly. "We need to go back to Tails' lab." She said and Flash shook his head.
"I can't go there. I can't face my Dad after what I did to him." He frowned and Ivy put her hand on his.
"You had to do that, Flash. He'll understand. He was under control by that collar. If you didn't stop him…who knows what would have happened?" She told him reassuringly.
"No, I can't. He's going to hate me." Flash said shaking his head.
"Flash—"
"No! No! No! I can't go! I can't go!" Flash started to yell and before he could leave the booth Ivy grabbed his arm. Ivy sighed and Chaos Controlled them back to the lab. He wasn't even surprised by the fact that Ivy Chaos Controlled and was still trying to fight against her to stop himself from seeing Static.
"Flash?" Midnight murmured when she spotted him. He was trying to pull his arm away from Ivy, but Hydro came over and helped her hold him there. Midnight walked over and stopped Flash's frantic head-shaking by holding his face in between her hands. "Flash, it's me, your Mom. You better fucking stop freaking out and listen to me!" She told him firmly making him stop and surprising the children in the room.
"Mom?" Flash asked staring at her reminding her of when he was just a kid. Tears sprang into his eyes and he hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry." He murmured and Midnight smiled tightly.
"It's not your fault." She told him.
"Uh, I'm sorry to interrupt," Tails said as everybody turned to look at him. "But Static is awake." He said holding a clipboard in his hands and adjusting the glasses on his face. Flash froze immediately and Ivy took his hand into hers.
"You can do this." Ivy told him and he nodded. The Storm family walked down the hallway and walked into the room to see Static sitting up in his bed.
"Static!" Midnight exclaimed completely relieved.
"Midnight." Static murmured wrapping his arms around his wife. Flash began to panic and quickly left the room before Static could notice him there. Ivy saw him and quickly walked over to him to stop him from leaving.
"Ivy, I can't do it. He hates me, I know it." Flash told her before sinking down onto the ground and holding his head into his hands.
"Don't you dare even think like that. You are his son and he loves you. He's aware of what happened and I'm telling you, he's not going to blame you for what you had to do." Ivy told him. Flash sighed and Ivy dragged him back to the room. Tsunami and Hydro had left, leaving Midnight and Static there. At the sound of the door opening, they both looked up and Static looked relieved when he saw Flash.
"Flash." Static smiled.
"I-I'm so sorry, Dad." Flash whispered looking down ashamed with tears in his eyes.
"It's not your fault, Flash. You got to do what you got to do." Static told him and Flash smiled slight. "C'mere," He said opening his arms. Flash walked over and hugged him while Midnight watched with a smile on her face.
"Dad, what happened anyways?" Flash asked as Static sighed.
"Your Mom and I were talking in the kitchen and some girl and guy broke in. The girl was an orange hedgehog and the guy was a blue fox. Anyways, the fox and I started to fight—which I was winning by the way." Static pointed out as Flash shook his head and laughed. "When the girl came up behind me and clamped that collar on my neck. All of a sudden I could only see red and when I looked over to your mom I saw the girl. When I saw you, I saw the guy." Static explained and Flash frowned. "There's people after us, Flash. This wasn't some weird fluke. We need to know who they are and what they want." Static warned and Flash nodded.
"I'll warn the others." Flash said as Static nodded. Flash had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.