Tears On The Veil

by TangentDream2

"I want you to tell me that I'm wrong. That this is not right. Because it isn't, is it? I'm not supposed to be- I'm not supposed to love you. Not when you're my... Brother."

10. Interference of the Father

Chapter Ten: Interference of the Father

Sanctuary was taken from the comforts of the family sofa. With pillow and blanket as his only belongings, the hero found himself back to limited luxury, exiled from his sumptuous bed to escape the unbearable soundings that were his brother's womanly encounters.

It was actually rather astounding just how much companionship he required to function. He counted four days a week; the actual number of copulation was another calculation he was definitely not willing to work out.

Shuffling to find a comfortable position, Sonic groaned, frustrated by his inability to sleep.

The faint sounds of a rhythmic thud coming from above wasn't helping either. Just how the rest of the family managed to sleep through Manic's rendezvous was beyond him.

Surrendering to his insomnia, he decided to ready himself for the big day; The Heroes' Cut. A rather pompous occasion where he and the rest of the heroes were to be displayed like runway models in front of thousands; showing their abilities and revealing themselves as the saviours of the world. It was said to be a big event with the chancellor being one of many to look out for. The moneybags to the project.

And there were others who intrigued interest. Word spread of their feats against Doctor Robotnik, bringing forth ambassadors around the world. With today's success, they would likely be funded by multiple countries and possibly recruit more heroes.

For once, his father's visions were considered admirable.

Morning routine now executed, Sonic made his way to the kitchen. As he made his way down the steps of the stairs, he acknowledged the light coming from his destination, illuminating the living room and the hallway, poking beneath the closed kitchen door. Curious, he headed through the living room and stood underneath the archway.

In front of a countertop stood his girlfriend, preparing her breakfast. Clothed for the day ahead. She had been too focused on cutting an apple to be aware of his presence. An excellent opportunity for mischief.

Dainty was his tiptoeing without his shoes. He prowled towards her, each step assumably undetected by the ears of the pink hedgehog. Slow like his movements, his grin deviously formed. The thought of her terror humouring him and fuelling his execution.

A little less than a metre between them was his ideal position to ambush. With eager hands and light footing, he pounced; his hands grabbing onto her waist expeditiously and a whispered 'boo' transmitted into her ear.

His plan however did not follow accordingly. Rather than displaying any signs of fright to his little prank, Amy placed her free hand against his, leaning back against him and resting her head against his shoulder.

"Morning, handsome." She whispered softly, placing the knife down on the chopping board and bringing it to the side of his face. She moved his head towards her direction and deposited a light kiss on his unexpecting lips.

Taken back by her greeting, the blue boy blushed, his lips parting slightly on her exit. "How'd you know it was me?"

"One, you've left your pillow and covers spawned across the sofa. Two, Manic and Sonia wouldn't be up this early. And three, you're nimble, but not that nimble."

"Ah..." He uttered, smiling bashfully in return. Reviving the affectionate moment, he captured her lips in another kiss. His delight to see her was embodied into his passion; tenderly slow with moderate appetition. She happily accepted, matching his avidness. Her equalling enamoured nature was the key to his unlocking lust. His frustration caused by his brother being another emotion vented into their moment of ecstasy.

He broke the kiss abruptly, spinning her to face him before bringing their lips back into their connection. It was heavy; heavier in comparison to his previously tender approach. She received his aggression and zeal in a midst of his adoration, a performance she found herself aspiring to replicate. Her efforts were quickly abandoned at the sensation of his tongue requesting access. A faint moan and swooning to the lustful haze, she submitted to his advances.

The unshackling of his emotions brought upon uncharted intensity. His rigorous thrashing against her tongue bringing forth his bridled passion contemptibly reined in to fit his parents' ideals. Their disgrace forbidding such intimacy was, like his thoughts, drifting away.

One hand settled against her heated cheek while the other remained at her waist, pulling her close to him, minimising all gaps between them. The heat of her body resonating against his own feverish form. She moaned against his lips, signalling her enthrallment. A part of him raised alarms to their sounds of pleasured moans and heavy breathing, but the lack of logic kept him in his hazy condition.

It was thrilling, intoxicating... Wrong. The badgering shame still playing a huge part to their romance. It prevented them from moving forward, stopped them from fulfilling the craving they held for one another, left them nauseated with the petrifying notion of exposure.

Yet he was far too worked up to contemplate anything, too amorous to consider such negative thoughts. If anything, the taboo only flamed his desires; making him want her even more.

Breaking the kiss, he lowered his lips to her neck. Delicate kisses prepared the area for his impetuous lust. Hearing her sighs increase in frequency, he bit down the sensitive area, gently sucking on his passionate affliction.

Her back arched instantaneously to his marking, pushing against him harshly. A quivered breath was shortly followed by a high audible moan. One that had shocked both of them back to their reality.

"Ssh!" Sonic silenced her with his hand over her mouth. The couple listened out for any sounds coming from above. They were relieved to know their amatory activities had not been unveiled.

Her lover relaxed, slowly removing his hand from her mouth. "Sorry." She bashfully lowered her head, embarrassed by her lascivious sounds. She blushed deeply to the overview of what had happened. His actions; so tantalising, so raunchy."That was, um... Heh." She breathed out, her mind racing to the moment's memory. She smiled coyly back at him. "That was... Wow."

"Heh..." He copied her bashful laughter, grinning widely as he looked to the ground. "Sorry..."

"No, no. I liked it. A lot actually." She giggled another sheepishly girly laugh. "It was a little different than usual. More aggressive."

"Yeah, well sharing a bedroom with 'Manic The Hornhog' can leave you very on edge." He stated, crossing his arms to match his newfound stern demeanour.

"Wait, Kelsey's here again? Isn't this the fourth time this week?" She received a displeased expression from the blue hedgehog as her response. "Did he kick you out of the room?"

"No." He smiled passive aggressively, his annoyance surfacing beneath the false smile. "After his countless fails to actually get through the bedroom window, he and Kelsey finally stumble in, stinking up the place with alcohol and vofegon root, collapse onto his bed in a fit of giggling, right before they started getting it on."

Repulsed by the information, Amy gagged at the thought. "Ugh, so I take it you heard it?"

Another look of displeasure signalled his disdain. "I thought I knew what trauma was until I heard them." His body shuddered at the memory. "Eugh. I can still hear them when I think about it!" He groaned, shaking his head violently in a bid to rid the echoing horror.

"You have suffered a great deal." She cooed, kissing his cheek lightly.

The question to her early rise came to mind. If Manic hadn't made it his mission to traumatise him, he would still be wrapped up in lavish sheets on a plush mattress. Her awakening had no obvious explanation.

"Why are you awake?" He asked suspiciously. He briefly looked back at the clock on the wall to discover it was 4:36am, much earlier than he had anticipated.

"I always wake up at four. I gotta put the training in if I'm gonna make it onto the Heroes' Cut." She explained.

"Ah. You're wanting on my team, huh?" He grinned.

"Of course! But don't flatter yourself too much, having you as my commander is only a bonus." She grinned back at him. His fading smile was transforming to a look of confusion, intrigued to know her reasoning for her dedication. "I wanna be on the front lines to avenge my family. All those people who died, defenceless and without hope. I want to avenge all their deaths, to provide their lives with the justice they deserve."

There was passion behind her purpose, one he couldn't help but admire. While his own objective was similar to hers, it had always been more obligatory. He was born with the traits of a hero, raised by a man who envisioned him as a hero. It only seemed right that he took on that role that had been predetermined for him.

But for Amy? Her purpose had been more meaningful, more passionate. Though not gifted with some obvious supernatural powers, she was gifted with undeniable abilities. Abilities in which were enhanced by her determined heart.

Rather than allow her grievances to weigh her down, she allowed her trauma to motivate her in seeking out the problem and exterminate it.

His eyes dazzled at the marvel that was his girlfriend. A tremendous force from all aspects, easily unsung by the graciousness she emitted. Her power over her trusty hammer didn't make her a hero, but the grace of her compassion.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, he slipped into entranced state, admirably staring at the pink hedgehog.

She got back to work on making her breakfast, smiling coyly to his loving gaze. "What?" Her smile grew as her eyes left the chopping board and wondered back to his captivated face.

"If the officers don't put you through to the Heroes' Cut, I'm gonna boycott this whole thing. I need you on my team."

"Oh, and why's that?" She grinned, leaning towards her lover.

"Eye candy." He smirked back at her.

"And that's all I'll be on your team? Your personal entertainment?"

"No... That's just an extra to the package." His arms made their way back to her waist, bringing her into another embrace. "You'll be the heroine by my side, cracking that Egghead."

Delighted by the vision, Amy giggled fondly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That sounds like a dream..." Her glee shortly faded as she looked down at the floor, their dream being stomped by reality. "But I'll never get to be the heroine by your side. Not to everyone else anyway... I'll just be known as your youngest sister."

He shared her discouragement, his lips arching into a frown as he watched her sullenly drop her head. Authenticity had always been a leading plight for them. Their secret relationship compelled them to refrain from the simplest of activities many couples would often pay little mind to: Dates, public display of affection, introduction to friends. While they understood the importance of sacrificing these typical milestones, it didn't stop them from mourning what could not be.

They had previously strived for some normality. Though it was anything but a date, they had managed to walk together to Central City HQ on their own. The incident had triggered off their father's paranoia, resulting in their communicators receiving on demand messages and calls, a passive aggressive lecture in front of their friends, and for Sonic, a threat and an assault to the abdomen.

Their father's prying eyes were seen a lot more since that day.

But with Valentine's Day just a week and a half away, he was determined to do something. Anything, to put a stamp on their relationship. He owed it to her for her seven year long blind dedication and for just a day, realistically a few hours, they'd step out of the shadows and embrace the continual flames of their passion.

The plan was set. Once his parents were out for their candlelit dinner, he would make his getaway with Amy and whisk her off to the tropics. Relaxed against the soft sands, overlooking the ocean, he'd serenade her with the strings of his guitar and watch the sunset, holding her lovingly as they said goodbye to another day.

His forehead leisurely fell onto hers, the gentle knock to the head, followed by a tender nuzzling against her bangs, brought a smile onto her face. "All that matters is how we feel." He reassured her. "Besides, in just under two weeks, we'll be on a hot beach, half way across the world. Far from everybody we know, free to be ourselves."

The description of their secret escape broadened her optimism. Thanking her partner, she planted a tender kiss on his lips. "I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Although until then, we should probably practice on our PDA."

Grasping his implication, the girl grinned coquettishly. She shared her approval at the reunion of their lips, imitating the libidinous behaviour of her lover. Taking lead, a salacious, quietened moan came from her in the midst of her desirous kiss. Fingers trailing into his quills, she pushed him back against the counter, giggling with coy-like deviance to her established ardency.

The clatter of footsteps came down the steps. One emerald eye peered to the side, towards the kitchen door and then proceeded to widen in it's vigilance. Someone was coming.

He pulled himself away from his lover, spinning their positions round to bring her back to her original task of making herself breakfast. With Amy facing the chopping board, he dashed to the opposite side of the kitchen and pretended to be busy looking for his own dietary energy.

Successfully dodging their exposure in front of their father by three and a half seconds.

The man promptly stopped beneath the archway, stunned to see the siblings in the same room, alone, at this time in the morning. He blinked, registering the presence of the pair. Paranoia instantly active.

"Good morning..." He said, reserved.

Turning to their father, his children smiled back at him. They held a certain irreproachable poise about them, a strong act before the suspicious blue elder.

"Morning, Sir." Sonic greeted his superior.

"Good morning, dad." Amy smiled sweetly.

In the presence of his daughter, Jules forced a smile. "My, aren't we both up and ready for the big day? That's what I like to see!" He beared his pearly whites.

"Anything it takes to make it onto the Heroes' Cut!" Amy enthused, placing her apple slices onto the plate holding her bagel.

A short breath, along with an uneasy smile painted his features. Only for a moment where he had been overcome with his guilt. The signs of his remorse were quickly recovered with his lying gleam. "I'm sure your efforts have paid off, Little Petal." He told his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The tiny slip of emotion was not missed by his eldest son. As the lead to the Hero project, Jules had a great deal of involvement in the decision making for the Heroes' Cut. If those expressions were aimed at his own daughter's dream to make the cut, he dreaded their meaning.

He knew his dad was corrupt. But surely he couldn't stoop to such levels.

"Ack--!" Jules gasped. His eyes squinted, wrinkling around his darkened eyes. His outburst had woken the hero from his thoughts. Blinking rapidly, Sonic turned his head to see his dad holding onto his lover's shoulder, leaning in closely towards the girl's neck.

To the marking on her neck he had created not so long ago. The dark purple bruising forming under pink tints.

Intuitively, and to Amy's dismay, Sonic looked away. The less involvement he had in the explanation for the love bite, the better.

"What's that on your neck?" Her father questioned her, talking aggressively slow through his teeth. His paranoia could not be hidden from the girl any longer once he had witnessed the vital evidence on her neck.

"Uhm..." Amy frozen, her eyes looking downward then back to her dad. Silent. Astonished and silent. Her dumbstruck response was all the fuel he needed to set his anxiety ablaze.

Kindling with fury, his golden eyes found their way to his son. He was met with a poised, unfazed attitude. A protective shield of perfected acting. Creating insecurity in his accusation.

"Aaaaah!" A horrified scream came from upstairs. The outraged yelling of the mother shortly followed, leading the three hedgehogs to jump to her trumpeting hysteria. "MANIC THE HEDGEHOG!"

No words were given by the father. At speeds stunning both his children, the man raced up the stairs to see just what had caused such disturbance in his easygoing wife.

"Sonic..." Amy gasped, overwhelmed by the discovery.

Dashing by her side, he took her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. "Keep calm. No matter what he does or says, you need to keep calm."

She nodded in return, too perturbed to speak. The mark of his love beared on her neck was now a grand piece of evidence which would undoubtedly be used against them in future.

Fleeting steps came rushing down the steps, breaking their affection once more. As he stepped back, his eyes fell onto the intrusive, blonde pelted fox. Half accumulating her belongings and clothing, the girl stood under the archway, holding her jacket over her front, covering her lack of modesty.

"Hey, guys." Kelsey smiled bashfully.

"Uh, hi Kels..." Sonic waved, awkwardly averting his eyes away from the teen.

Embarrassed, Kelsey blushed deeply. "I don't suppose you could let me out, could ya?"

The blue hedgehog dashed to the front door and unlocked it, racing back to where he stood before the girl could blink. "It's open."

She blinked, dumbfounded. Turning to look pass the living room and at the front door before turning back to the blue hedgehog, awestruck. "Wow. Manic told me you were fast. I can't say I ever believed him until now." Her bashful smile slowly formed to an endeared, coy grin.

Catching onto the girl's subliminal flirtation that had flown over her boyfriend's head, Amy stepped forward and expressed her disapproval, deeply frowning. "I think it's time you left, Kelsey."

Kelsey nodded back to the pink hedgehog, smiling optimistically. "Can you let Manic know I'll message him, please? Thanks!" She said, spinning on her bare heels towards the exit and rushing out of the house.

"See you around, Kelsey." Sonic waved to the girl, earning a nudge from his girlfriend. "What?" He shrugged.

Shaking her head at her boyfriend, Amy took her plate and walked away from him.

"What? What did I do? Ames?!" Sonic tailed the girl, mentally analysing what he had done to anger her.

---

He was beginning to realise the tiers of anarchy in his parents' style of parenting. The level of discipline was not determined by the actions of the child, rather it was decided by whom they were disciplining.

His mother had been rightfully angry at his younger brother; screaming, crying, nagging him for hours on end in regards to his rebellious behaviour, his unhealthy habits and overall disrespect he had shown. In the midst of all this, his father remained wholly calm, expressing his disappointment through an almost patronising lecture.

It wasn't as though he wished for his brother to receive a severe punishment. Not at all in fact. But when he was given such heinous beatings and unspeakable torture for simply looking at his father a certain way, it was highly unjustified.

His brother had been sneaking out the majority of nights, returning home with his go-to fling in tow, taking illegal substances and underaged drinking. Not to mention the additional body art on his left arm and chest he had gotten in his drunken night out, and the new piercings he now had stapled to his nose and lips.

But all that compared to simply forgetting to smile at his dad the one time? Nothing.

After all the severe behavioural issues they had found, Manic was given a slap on the wrist and told to not do it again. His place on the Heroes' Cut was compromised, granted. However, Manic had never been phased by the top ten. He had only been interested in engineering and luckily for him, his compromise landed him that exact position.

That wasn't even the most ludicrous thing to happen from the events of that morning. After his father was done giving Manic a tap to the wrist, he sought him out and badgered him for not telling him about Manic's late night activities.

Anarchy. Anarchy reigned supreme.

Sat on the edge of the apron of the stage, Sonic was caged in his own thoughts, head down and inattentive to the rushing staff members and technicians around him. Physically present, mentally anonymous. Cloaked in a heavy mist of black, a gloom emulating down onto him. It had always been there; Like he was back in that lake, sinking to his death. A weight holding him down beneath the rough currents and suffocating him.

The tones of darkness deepening with his descent.

"Ayo, Sonic!" Chimed a voice he hadn't heard in a while. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Rob standing over him, smiling down at him.

His mood faded with his merry smile. "Rob!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and exchanging a brotherly handshake with the man. "Good to see you, man. How ya been? I haven't seen you for ages!"

"You can thank your dad for that." He said, a false irritation entwined in his voice was taken seriously by the younger hedgehog. Chuckling softly, Rob changed his demeanour. "That night at that party back in Mercia, your dad offered me a position in strategics." He scratched his head sheepishly. "Can't say it was ever something I wanted to get into... Heck, I wasn't even that great at the job at first, but eh, I learnt on the way."

That information contained more questions than answers. As Rob specified himself, strategics was not the area he ever expected him to flourish in. The older hedgehog was a hero specialising in ranged attacks. An artist with the bow and arrow. A man designed for the fight, not the tactics.

And for the general to single out Rob for this role... There was a deeper reason to this.

"So where've you been based? Can't say I've seen you in HQ." Sonic investigated more into his father's plans.

"Station Square. It's not so bad there. Hell of a busier than Mercia. You know, what with having a civilisation there, but it's alright." He looked around the grand scale arena, scanning the countless workers. "But now I'm finally in Central City, I can start my search for my cousin."

Sonic smirked. "Remind me. What was her name again? Rose?"

"Heh, you got some memory on you, my friend." Rob gave the hero a thumbs up to confirm.

"Cool..." He said, briefly looking around for any sign of the general before grabbing the man's wrist. "Come with me." He insisted. Giving the man little chance to disagree, he dashed off, a screaming Rob in tow, towards the backstage dressing rooms.

---

"Oh now this, I could get used to." Sonia reclined against her seat, crossing her legs and raising her head to allow the artist to perfect her make-up for the evening.

"I bet." Rouge smiled, walking passed the fuchsia hedgehog. She slowed her walk to check herself out in the mirror, the bright lights illuminating her white pelt. "I'm sure you could use all the help you could get in the looks department." She giggled in spite as she walked towards her workstation.

The prying eyes of Amy and Sally wandered over to the mighty female. Predictable were the coming events. The first insult had been served. A fight would soon follow.

Her curled tongue protruded against her bottom lip, then forming into a grin. "Hahaha, that was so clever!" She clapped sarcastically. "But do be careful, Rouge. Can't use too many brain cells at once. You'll give yourself an aneurysm."

"Girls... Behave." Sally warned. Her gaze fixed to the mirror ahead.

"Sorry, Sal. Jealousy can bring out the worse in some people." She leaned back and turned towards Rouge. "Wouldn't you agree, Blusher?"

The reflection of the bat scowled at the nickname. "Listen pipsqueak. I'm not jealous of anyone. Especially not you. You're nothing more than a child, picking up my leftovers."

"I forgot to thank you for that by the way. I turned your 'leftovers' in a feast. You have to agree, he's quite the dish." Sonia smirked, her reflection mimicking.

The ivory woman stood up from her seat, placing her hands on her hips. "You're really starting to get on my last nerve." She said aggressively, slowly walking towards her enemy.

Hearing the aggression in her voice, Sonia stood up from her seat and confronted the bat. The two stood face to face, one searing in her anger, the other holding her smirk.

"Seriously guys? Can't you both just drop this?" Amy rolled her eyes and sighed, exasperated by the same reoccurring argument. Since the physical reunion of Sonia and Knuckles, the bitter rivalry between Sonia and Rouge was established. Throughout training and the rehearsals for the Heroes' Cut, their bickering was an ongoing, taxing regularity.

Glossing over the comments from her enemy's younger sister, Rouge leered at the girl in front of her. "The only reason he ever looked your way was because he couldn't have me. You're nothing but a second choice and even that's a generous position for you."

Sonia laughed, throwing her head back audaciously. "Nah, that's not how it is and you know it. The truth is, you had him, and then you discarded him for Shadow. But look how that turned out?" She snickered. "Even he knew not to get too close to you."

The attack from the bat came out of surprise. In swift motion, she hovered off the ground and delivered a crushing kick to her foe's abdomen. The fuchsia hedgehog was knocked back to the ground, her back scraping hardly against the carpet.

"Sonia!" Amy gasped, leaping up from her chair. Her attempt to rush to her sister's aid was halted by her sister raising her hand towards her, gesturing to stay out of the fight.

Leaping back onto her feet, Sonia rushed forward and jumped into the air. She ran across the wall, heavy heels carelessly smashing through the lightbulbs decorating the mirrors. Reaching the left corner behind the bat, she forced herself off the wall and grabbed onto the bat's wing, wrapping it tightly around the woman's bodice.

Both girls plummeted to the ground, Sonia dominating on top. Her balled fists delve down onto the woman beneath her. They missed, slamming into the ground beside her head. The power of each fist rippled devastating tremors into the ground, causing the room to quake.

"Go on! Get out of here!" Sally demanded the make-up artists out of the room. She opened the door for them, allowing them to run. On their exit, Sally and Amy rushed over to the wrestling females and attempted to pull them apart.

"Stop fighting, you two!" The chipmunk scolded the pair. She used all her strength to pull Sonia away from Rouge, but the tremendous strength the girl possessed was beyond her own capabilities.

"Sonia! You're better than this!" Amy reminded her sister, her arms wrapping around her sister's torso. She too was struggling to rip the girl away.

"She started this so I'm finishing it!" Sonia yelled. "Knuckles doesn't want you so leave him alone!"

"Is that what he told you?" Rouge sneered, her arms shaking violently as she held back Sonia's attacks. "Is that why he was in my room last night?"

Her words triggered a glimmer of insecurity in the girl above her, resulting in her vulnerability. Kicking the girl off of her, Rouge flew up and slowly lowered herself back onto the floor.

"I mean, I can't say I can blame him. While you live outside the city, I was only a few doors down from him. And believe me, the distance to my room might have been quick, but the service was anything but that. You know how he is; attentive yet... rough."

Every nerve was blitzed, blood pumping in their exhilarated temper. Rage in motion, the hair above her head began to levitate in the rapid breeze that consumed her.

"Sonia... Sonia, don't do this!" Amy cried. But her pleas were drowned out from the sister's building vigor. The winds around her sibling violently billowed, ripping the miscellaneous objects from the tables. Defeated, the pink girl turned to the chipmunk and grabbed her arm. "We need to get outta here!"

Sally nodded back at her, yanking on Rouge's shoulder and leading the girls out of the room and into the hallway. Their escape left mere seconds to get out of the way. As they ran down the hall, the door the female's dressing room shot off it's hinges and into the wall opposite.

A tornado, pink and brisk, whirled out of the room and into the hallway. The inconceivable force of the vortex began to tear the plaster from the walls and the carpet from the floor.

"Sonia!" Amy cried out to her sister, covering her eyes from the violent winds.

"She's gonna destroy the whole arena if we don't stop her!" Sally said.

Amy shook her head at the girl beside her. "Don't go near her! If you get too close, you'll be sucked right in and shot straight back out. This is her greatest ability. To break it, we'd have to match or surpass her speed."

"This sounds like a job for my Screw Kick." Rouge said confidently, stepping forwards towards the approaching tornado.

Sally's arm prevented her from moving any further. "You've done enough, Rouge." She firmly. "The only person who can stop her is Sonic--"

A dash of blue spiralled over their heads and darted directly into the tornado. The whirlwind flashed in shades of pink and blue before a sonic boom dispersed the winds. They fell to the ground, all quickly rising onto their elbows to see the blue hero protectively covering his sister on the ground.

Slowly rising off of the mighty female, Sonic towering over her momentarily to ensure she was okay. "Sonia? Sonia, you alright?"

His sister groaned, her eyes taking a minute to focus. "Sonic?" She blinked, becoming aware of her senses. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

Pushing her brother off, Sonia sat up and looked towards the bat. A deep scowl soured her features. She jumped back onto her feet and stormed towards her target. "I'm gonna rip you apart, you fucking bitch!"

Sonic rushed in front of her and held her back. "Sonia. Whatever you two are fighting about this time, it's not worth the damage! You know you're not supposed to use that attack in confined spaces! Just look at the mess!"

Though sulking, Sonia looked around at the damage she had caused. Chunks of plaster and rubble gathered on the torn carpet, the floorboards cracked and fragile.

Nevertheless, she justified her actions with the reason behind her anger. "She slept with my boyfriend! He went to her last night!"

"Wha--? Knuckles wouldn't do that, Sonia. He cares about you too much to do such'a thing." Sonic attempted to make her see sense. "Throughout the entirety of your long distance relationship, he never went anywhere near her, why do you think he'd suddenly go to her now? He's proven where his loyalty lies. You just gotta trust him a little more."

Her brother's honesty settled her pulsating blood, leaving her to her guilt and self doubt. "I need to go see him... Explain what happened and all..." She said solemnly.

"Good. And stay away from Rouge. Avoid the drama if you can."

"Thanks, Sonic." She smiled humbly, giving her brother a fist bump before looking back at the bat. "Consider this a warning, Blusher!"

"Please. I've seen bugs more threatening than you." Rouge rolled her eyes.

Smoothing down her attire, Sonia flicked her quills towards her foe and walked off in the opposite direction. Pleased, Sonic turned and walked back to the girls.

"Thanks for stepping in, Sonic." Sally expressed her gratitude.

"No problem. Dunno how I'm gonna explain the damage to the general though..." He scratched his ear as he turned to the mess.

"Simple. Blame it on Sonia's inability to control herself." Rouge shrugged, looking away from the glaring siblings of the girl in question.

"If you hadn't provoked her, she wouldn't have exploded in the way she did!" Amy stepped in front of Rouge, arms crossed in her disgruntlement.

Rouge copied her gesture. "Don't get on the wrong side of me, Pinkie. My problem with your sister has nothing to do with you."

"But it does." Sonic interjected. "She's not just our sister, she's also our teammate. Your teammate. If you can't put your differences aside, your issues affect the rest of the team. This disagreement over Knuckles has gone on long enough. Just drop it."

Not appreciating the lecture, Rouge frowned at the leader. "I'm starting to question the use of being a team..."

Her friend wrapped her arm around her shoulders, smiling empathetically towards the bat. She then turned her attention back to Sonic, informing him of her intentions. "I'm gonna take Rouge outside. Give her some time to think."

"Thanks, Sal." He nodded back at the chipmunk. Watching as they passed him, he empathised with the emotionally distraught woman. "Rest up til the event, Rouge."

"Yeah... Whatever." She said sullenly, holding herself as she walked away.

"That girl has some nerve." Amy pouted. "She deliberately got Sonia angry, then she acts like she's done no wrong. Ugh, she is something else."

"Ames. Take it easy on her, will ya?" He turned to her, seeing her disband her crossed arms and looked at him, confounded to hear his empathy towards their sister's bully. "I know she's got a bit of an attitude, but she's hurting."

"She tried to cheat on Knuckles when they were together. She doesn't deserve any empathy."

"She didn't exactly cheat."

"Huh?"

"Sure, there was a moment of stupidity where she did get the notion to cheat. She flirted with 'em. Got caught by Knuckles and instantly regretted it. Before she could find Knuckles to apologise, he already moved on."

His girlfriend gawped at him, too astonished to believe him. "You mean, Sonia was just a rebound?"

He shrugged back at her. The whole story was complex from the beginning. "I guess she started off that way? It's clear that he saw more in her on their first encounter..." He blushed, uncomfortable by the thought. "If you look at it from Rouge's perspective, she sees the girl that stole her boyfriend. Of course Rouge is partially to blame, but Rouge never liked admitting when she's wrong."

"I still think she deserved it. Instant karma."

The blue hedgehog smiled hopelessly back at the girl next to him before deterring the conversation onto more important topics. "Moving on... I want you to meet somebody."

Amy blinked quizzically. "Who?"

Taking her hand, he guided her down the hall to one of the empty dressing rooms. He stood her outside the door, deciding to mentally prepare her before the grand reveal.

"Back when I was in Mercia, I met one of the heroes already stationed there. He's pretty cool. Taught me to play the guitar, gave me sound advice, and he's a master at archery. But the most important thing about him, is his family."

The girl remained silent, listening intently to her lover.

"Turns out he was one of the survivors in the Mercian attack. His family lost to the war... But one survived. A little girl, given another chance of life... With another family of hedgehogs."

"Sonic..." She breathed out, covering her mouth in shock. He couldn't help but grin as joyous tears sprang to her eyes. "You don't mean... ?"

Taking hold of the handle, Sonic slowly pressed down on it and opened the door. Inside sat the hedgehog, his head raising to see the door opening.

Sonic smiled at the man before turning back to his girlfriend. "Amy... This is Rob. Your cousin."

Rob staggered up from his seat, his insides wrangling a vortex of nerves. He couldn't help his gaze. Wide with amazement and awe. That newborn that was gleefully presented to him by his uncle; so small and delicate, stood in front of him, carrying the strength and responsibility of a soldier.

His kin.

"Rose..." He gasped, overwhelmed with joy. "I can't believe it's you."

"... You're my cousin... ?" Her shock spoke on her behalf. Her legs sluggishly brought her before him, her eyes mimicking his awe.

"Yeah, yeah, you're dad was my dad's younger brother! ... Geez, I can't believe you're real!" He cluttered in disbelief. Steadily, he inched closer, hesitant in his approach. Hands gingerly stretching out towards her. She obliged to his intent, her hands falling on top of his forearms, his holding onto the posterior area of her own arms. "You're really real, and all grown up."

She lightly giggled, looking down bashfully.

He smiled, humbled by the experience. This girl was all he had for family. His search cut dramatically short all due to the young hero. "I don't know how to thank you, Sonic. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have ever found Rose so quickly."

"Please." Amy intervened, smiling brightly in hopes to not offended. "Call me Amy. My adoptive parents called me Amy Rose."

Rob nodded back at her. "Of course. Sorry, I've just forever known you by your birth name. Amy suits you though." He grinned timorously. "About your adoptive parents... Do they treat you well?"

"I'd say mum definitely does." Sonic commented.

Rob looked to the hedgehog, uncertain of his words. Referring to her adoptive parents as his own?

He gasped. "Wait. You live with Sonic and his family?" He asked his cousin.

Amy smiled back at him, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes. Sonic's lo-- b-bl-br..."

Recognising the combined words of 'lover' and 'brother', Sonic's eyes directed to the girl, bowing his head towards her in a silent plea to correct herself.

"Bluh-bru-- brother." She stammered. She giggled at her own falter to shake off any suspicion. "That was on the tip of my tongue for a bit..."

The males laughed along with her, Sonic's laughter containing more nerves than Rob's. "Must be pretty sweet to have a speedy big brother looking out for ya." His smile soon faded at the realisation. "If your Sonic's sister, then that means... Oh boy." Rob looked to the girl with empathy. "Your dad is the general?"

"Yeah. But he's not that bad. He can be a little strict at times, but he means well." Amy said, acknowledging Sonic's resentment to the description of their father.

"Still, better me than you." Rob trailed off. "There's so much we gotta catch up on! You probably wanna know more about Uncle Toby and Aunt Cel. Oh, and little Sammy! Then there's my family; your Uncle Gideon." He stopped, remembering a long forgotten memory. "Heh, your brother used to call him Uncle Giddy..." He smiled, bittersweet. "Funny. I never thought I'd miss such little details about 'em."

His head sunk, crestfallen. The pain of their demise still great, even more than he had considered

The pain of their loss was absorbed into the atmosphere, raining down on the younger hedgehogs. A sombre atmosphere akin with the merriment of their reunion.

Bittersweet. Humbly bittersweet.

Tears fell from her eyes, carrying the particles of her make-up down her cheeks. A shuddering whimper escaped her lips as she pulled her cousin into a hug. "Their memories will live on in the both of us. That's the thing about memories. They're imprints in the heart. Even if the pain fades, you still carry the scar."

Sonic looked to the girl, then back to the ground. Her words spoke to him, through different context. His trauma. An unwanted memory imprinted on his heart, bearing an insatiable ache that only worsened with almost every interaction with his father.

Even he questioned just how many imprints a heart could take before it imploded.

Pulling away from his young cousin, Rob smiled at her. "You should come to Mercia in future. I can show you where you spent the first year of your life. Better yet, you could come and stay with me, at my house. Both of you can."

"Both of us?" Sonic livened up. He walked forward, hope bringing glee to his voice. "We can stay with you?"

His eagerness conveyed concern. Like a child, eager for escape. From what, he couldn't imagine. "Uh, well. I mean sure. I don't see why not."

Euphoric, the blue hedgehog forgot himself. His hands rested against the cheeks of the pink girl, his forehead against hers. "We can be free." He muttered, smiling exuberantly.

The man watched the interaction from the sidelines. Awestruck he appeared by the slight brush of his glove against her fair skin. How the hero's smile widened from the intake of her sweet scent. He couldn't help but analyse the lack of tension from the affectionate gesture. Complete trust and comfort for one another. No sign of falter.

And he couldn't help but think; Just how comfortable were they by such an innocent, yet intimate embrace. How close were they to accept this kind of touch?

Amy spoke his name, hushed and alerting, awakening him from his euphoric daydreaming. His eyes opened and focused, instantaneously widening. He stepped back, retracting his hands away from her. No more words were said between the three. The humiliation and makeshift cover-up was displayed from the couple, while a meekly smile was given by the Mercian man.

An unannounced guest broke the awkwardness. Opening the door, the general provided his own thick layer of tension. His son took another step away from the pink heroine, becoming stoic in the presence of his parent.

"There you are, you two... Do either of you know what happened down the hall? The place looks an absolute mess." He said. Looking over to the third hedgehog, he momentarily blinked at him before displaying a fake smile. "Rob." He acknowledged the man. He stuttered, taken back by his appearance. "What are you doing so far from strategics?"

Rob willfully kept his eye contact despite his uncertainty. "I apologise, Sir. I was getting reacquainted with a family member of mine."

"Oh?" He asked, intrigued. "Your records state that you do not have any family... Has that changed? Married, perhaps?"

"No, Dad." Amy took hold of her father's arm, grasping his attention. "Rob is my cousin. He's the last blood relative I have back in Mercia. He's our family." She said with pride, smiling at her cousin.

The information stunted the man's response. His eyes crawled their way up the archer, his fiercely golden eyes penetrating through him. His gaze nerved him. Imtimidating him. "Heh..." He softened his gaze, a warming smile painting on his lips. "Wow. I don't know what to say... Welcome to the family, Rob." He slapped Rob's back fondly.

"Um... thank you, Sir." Rob said nervously.

"Please. Call me Jules."

"Okay, Jules... Sir?"

Bearing another smile, he wrapped his arm around Rob's shoulder and escorted him to the door. "I wish we had more time to get acquainted. Today is just so hectic... You should really come over for dinner real soon. The whole family would love to get to know you on a more personal level."

"Thanks, Sir. That sounds great!" Rob said, amazed by the general's generosity.

"Oh, Rob." Jules shook his head, chuckling lightly at the younger man. " I told you, call me Jules! We're family now." He said, opening the door for the man. "It's almost time for the presentation. You should go freshen up for the show." He told the man, turning to his daughter to offer the same advice. "You should finish getting ready too, Little Petal."

Amy was reluctant to leave. Looking to the blue teen, her lip jittered. "It won't take me too long to get ready..." she stated, gazing back at her father.

He raised an eyebrow towards her, tilting his head questioning her motives. "You want to look your best for the Heroes' Cut, don't you?"

"Go..." Sonic mumbled, keeping his eyes on his father.

Her instincts told her not to go. That the tension was too thick to ignore. But as she turned to see Sonic's eyes fiercely insisting she leave, she obliged, walking towards the door and stepping out of the room with her cousin.

"I'll catch up with you later, Petal." Jules smiled at her before closing the door.

At the click of the door, Sonic witnessed the veil slip from his father's demeanour. His smile faded to a brutish scowl, his features developing a dark malice. Chest slowly rised and fell, the vexation appearing in the quakes of his breath.

"Are you trying to fuck with me?" His dad spoke with aggression.

Sonic shifted uncomfortably. "I don't... I don't know what you're talking abou--"

"DON'T. Don't act dumb." Jules growled, pacing around his son. "You know exactly what you were doing. Exactly what you've done."

"I didn't do anything."

"You interfered in business you know nothing about!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"Rob!" He stepped in front of his son, gold eyes getting dangerously close to emerald. "You two have always been close. Always talking... You lead him to her. You lead him to my baby."

"What?" Sonic furrowed his brows. "You didn't want Amy to meet..." He paused, blinking in bewilderment at his father. He scoffed, not believing the theory in his mind. The unsuitable job offer, three cities away from his relative... A deliberate plan to keep them from one another. "You--" Sonic glowered at the man before him. "You knew Rob was related to Amy all this time?"

"Of course I knew!" The man shrieked in an enraged outburst. "From the moment I read up on his record, I knew who he was. I couldn't risk him getting involved with my child. Filling her mind with possibilities of staying with her only blood relative. The last thing I want is to lose her."

"But you wouldn't have lost her. Even if she knew about Rob, it's not like he's gonna start court proceedings to adopt her. She deserves to know where she came from, who her real family is."

"She doesn't need anymore illusion to convince her that she's not our blood."

His anger had unintentionally spilt his true reasoning for isolating his daughter from her cousin. Rob was living proof of her heritage. With her cousin being a constant reminder that she was not blood related, it held the potential to encourage their forbidden relationship.

All his plans had been to prevent their relationship.

"Geez... Nothing stops you, does it?" He shook his head in disgust. "You'd throw away your daughter's chance of happiness, just because of your own paranoia?" Sonic glared his disappointment.

His expression of shame infuriated the general moreso, resulting in the elder hedgehog springing forward and assaulting his son with a harsh slap to his face. "Don't you dare look at me like that. I'll do anything in my power to keep your disgusting behaviour be a thing of the past!"

Sonic held his cheek, his disgust never leaving his features. "Even if that means destroying her dream of getting into the Heroes' Cut?" Jules stepped back, horrified by his son's wit. His face relaxed, his lips however wrinkled, sunken with his temper. "I saw your guilt when she spoke to you this morning." Sonic told him, balling his fists tightly. "You kept her out of the team just to keep her away from me. You disregarded her abilities, her aspirations, all because you can't shake this obsession with us!"

"It's not an obsession if it's still going on!" He yelled. "Don't try and deny it! I see you together, talking in the corners. And that hickey on her neck... Are you going to deny that was you?" He leered at the teen, eyes dancing belligerently.

The mastered skills in deception at play, Sonic held his poise well. "She's my sister! I'm allowed to talk to my sibling, aren't I?" His question threw the elder man off his argument. "Yeah, I get it. I should'a let go of that stupid phase ages ago. But I'm over it now and I proved it by tellin' you the truth. Strap me down to your test again, throw me in a chamber, I don't care. You'll get the same answer everytime, because I'm not in love with her."

Jules backed off, still irked by the unanswered questions. "But you know something. I know you know something about that marking on Amy's neck. You're hiding something, just like you hid Manic's problems."

"It's not my responsibility to keep your son in check."

His attitude sparked another attack. The man's hand reached out to his quills and grasped them tightly. Another hand gripped his arm and twisted it backwards as he forced the teen against the wall. "You really do have some nerve, don't you? You're getting an attitude with me now?!" His hand moved from the boy's quill and into his pocket, pulling out a needle. "We'll see how far your lies get you." He said, injecting the needle between his son's back quills.

"Ah!" Sonic grunted, wincing at the sudden sharp scratch. "What the--"

"Just a chip implant. Now you can't hide anything from me for long."

Sonic stiffened, his eyes stopped in time, unable to blink. The remains of his freedom had been stripped, becoming a permanent prisoner to his father. His relationship at high risk, their plans ruined.

Breathing heavily, the boy was engulfed by his wrath. His trapped arm shook violently in his dad's grasp, tearing it away from the general and granting himself freedom. He span around, his balled fist gathering velocity. The fist was swung at the man, landing a shattering blow to his jaw.

The speed of his attack had been an unexpected move. His imperceptible nature and the vigor of his punch knocked Jules off his feet. He flew back, falling against the dressing table. A bottle rolled out from his trench coat, onto the floor.

With a grunt, he staggered to his feet, staring at his son in horror and anger. His son was distracted by the bottle on the ground. His eyes expressing his shock. Following his son's gaze, he too was left mortified by the discovery.

Brodvoxin. The strongest known alcohol, illegally distributed. Untraceable by smell, intoxicating by fumes alone. It was considered a poison, a few sips contained the power to kill. For anyone to withstand it's toxins, they would require the adapted kidneys of a professional drunkard. Even then, the risks of death was high.

A half empty bottle. Undoubtedly one of many.

"Dad..." Sonic gasped.

Knock, knock, knock.

His character switched. The maliciousness fading miraculously, a gentle nature taking over. Rising to his feet, Jules snatched the bottle off the floor and placed it back in his military trench coat.

"Breathe not a word of this." He warned his son, before turning towards the door and smiling. "Come in!" He said merrily.

The young genius stepped into the room. A wave of hostile air startling him. He stopped, looking to his idol, then to his idol's father, quickly catching onto the negative energy.

"Tails. Good to see you geared up for the show." Jules attempted light talk. The fox looked down at his work belt around his waist with a shoulder strap. He swished his tails in appreciation.

"Thank you, Sir."

"... Was there anything you needed?"

The boy nodded rapidly. "The, um, production team wants everyone to meet in the under-stage to go over the procedure."

"Ah, yes. Is everybody ready?"

"I've been given confirmation from the men's department. The women are three minutes behind."

"Right... Well then, we'd better get going." Jules faked his smile. "Why don't you go ahead with Sonic? I got a few things to sort out first."

"Yes, Sir." Tails nodded, saluting the man as he stepped aside for the general to exit.

Looking back to his son, Jules held a glint of detestation. "I'll see you, Sonic." He spoke gently, contradicting his gaze. It was an unexposed threat. He'd be watching his every move elsewhere. A fleeting sneer was given to the teen before he walked out of the room, turning right down the hall.

Tails momentarily watched the general leave and then looked back to the man's son. Sonic expressed a weak smile, too distraught to carry such an act. "What happened, Sonic?"

"Nothing much." Sonic shrugged. "We were just talking."

"Ah. Must've been quite the conversation, huh?" Tails nodded. "My cheek also swells when I talk too much."

Astonished by the kid's keen eyes, Sonic turned to the mirror and checked out the swelling. The inflammation was mild, undetectable from afar. He broke his front. "Not much ever got passed you, did it?" He grinned into the mirror, his eyes directing to the child.

"I'm not called a genius for nothing." He crossed his arms, demonstrating his stern demeanour. "Did you have a fight with the General? Couldn't help but notice his lip starting to swell."

Sonic shook his head. Nothing really got past the fox. "Don't worry yourself, Tails. Seriously, it's best if you stay out of it."

"Sonic." Tails presented a stony face. "How long have you been covering for him?"

The teen blinked. "What?"

"How long have you been keeping quiet? Judging by your lack of emotional response to whatever happened with your dad, I'd say you've had years to get used to this treatment."

"Heh..." Sonic chuckled, now turning to face the boy. "Miles Prower; child prodigy, inventor, engineer and psychiatrist." He smiled proudly at his friend. "You're really are something special."

Lowering his head bashfully, Tails looked away to avoid displaying his blush. "Just tell me how I can help."

"Tails." Sonic groaned. "I need you to stay out of this. This is my problem, not yours."

"But you're my friend!" The child declared, his outburst causing him to blush even more. "I don't wanna regret not helping you if things got too outta hand..."

Humbled by the child's loyalty, Sonic reluctantly obliged. "Alright. First, you tell nobody about this."

"But--"

"Promise me?"

"... I promise..." Tails bowed his head.

"Good. Secondly, I need your communicator."

"Uh, sure." He responded, taking the device off his wrist and handing it to the hedgehog. "What for?"

"Just gotta message someone." Sonic told him, punching in the message onto the screen. Upon hitting send, he chucked the device back to the fox. "Thanks, Buddy. I appreciate it."

"No problem. You can count on me, Sonic. For anything."

The hero showed his gratitude through a high five. As their hands collided, Tails' communicator sounded.

"Run it back to me." Sonic requested, referring to the message he had sent through the communicator.

"It says 'room one-zero-eight'."

"Cool. Gotta go!" He said, zipping out the room and taking a left.

The meek smile on the boy's face drooped into a frown. On his word, he would keep his findings a secret. He could only hope his discretion didn't aid his friend's demise.

---

Appearing in front of room one-zero-eight, Sonic looked left and right before quickly making his way into the room. Leaning against the dressing table was his sister, Sonia. Geared in her military uniform of black, fitted jumpsuit. Her protective padding on her shoulders and knees coloured a dark, regal purple, matching her purple, heavy boots.

She turned to him, calm and yet stern. "I wish you didn't have to be so cryptic in your messages."

"Where's Amy?" He spoke over her, sounding panicked.

"She just getting her makeup sorted... Why are you so worked up? What's happened?" As she stepped forward, she became aware of his swollen cheek. "What happened to your cheek?"

"That doesn't matter. Point is, I accidentally got carried away this morning and ended up leaving a bruise on Amy's neck. Dad's saw it and now he's suspicious. If he gets to Amy and forces her to talk, it's all over!"

"Wha--" Sonia gasped. "Shit, Sonic! You were supposed to more careful than the rest of us!"

"I know..." He said, ashamed of his actions.

"Wait..." Sonia held her hand out and lightly brushed his bruised cheek. "Did... Did Dad do this to you?"

"No." Sonic responded quickly. "I wasn't watching where I was going." He groaned out his frustration. He had no time for explanations. "I need your help."

"How you do you expect me to help?" Her brother suddenly became hesitant, leaving her wary of his intentions. "Sonic?"

"I'm gonna need Knuckles..." He bit his lip nervously.

"Knuckles? Why do you nee--" Realising what he was planning, Sonia glared at her older brother. "Uck, please. Puh-lease tell me you're joking." The girl scoffed. "I just had a conversation with him about a girl coming between us, now you want me to ask my boyfriend to pretend he's dating my younger sister. Do you know how fucked up that is?!"

"I can't exactly ask Tails to pretend that he's dating a fifteen year old, can I?" He sighed after his irked remark. "I don't have a lot of time or options, Son. Please, I need your help."

She was dwindling on the request. Her own discomfort being a huge sacrifice to the help. The topic of conversation was hard enough. Just how was she supposed to explain to her boyfriend that she needed him to flirt with her sister?

But to see the severity of the situation in Sonic's eyes helped her make her decision.

"Okay. Give me the objective." She said.

"Thanks, Sonia."

---

Device in hand, Jules marched with his head down towards his destination. His son's location blinked on the screen, leading him to where he needed to be.

He walked with determination. Determined to finally catch his children and gain some confirmation that he wasn't imagining things. That he had seen the signs. He was going to end this abomination condemning his family and bring them back to the ideal they once were.

Walking further down the hall, his screen flickered, showing his son had moved to another location, the opposite side of the arena. He grunted in surprise, then growled with annoyance.

The screen flickered again. His location shown to be back in the room he had been walking to. Bothered, Jules paused, slapping the device against it's edge.

Again, it flickered, moving to another location, and back to the room.

Groaning, he continued towards the room, opting to check it out regardless of his device's malfunction. As he approached room one-zero-three, he was quick to open the door. What he had seen had left him motionless, dumbfounded.

"Amy Rose?!" He bellowed, capturing his daughter and her companions attention. Breaking the kiss with the red male, she turned to her dad in shock.

"Dad." She gasped, stepping away from the echidna. She shifted uncomfortably, wiping her lip shamefully.

The father stood, perplexed by the birth of more questions. His daughter, in the arms of Knuckles the Echidna... He was certain he had a relationship with that bat on the team. Had he been in a relationship with his daughter the whole time? The bruise on her neck had been by him?

He had been wrong the whole time?

Performing the walk of shame, Knuckles bowed his head as he attempted to walk past the general. "My apologies, Sir."

Jules grabbed the boy by his shoulder, gripping the area with force. "You think you can fool with my daughter and get away with it?"

"Dad, please..."

"You know she's only fifteen, right?" The man leered at the teen.

"This doesn't affect my position on the Heroes'Cut, does it?"

"Dad." Amy pulled gently on her father's arm, grabbing his attention. "Please, just let him go." She begged.

Afraid of causing a scene in front of his child, Jules looked back at Knuckles and gave him a threatening glance. "Leave now. Before I change my mind." He released the boy from his grasp.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Knuckles said, rushing out the room and slamming the door behind him.

The disappointed man looked to his daughter, dishonoured by her behaviour. "Sonic, Shadow... Now Knuckles?"

"I--"

He stepped in front of her, grabbing onto the zip of her black and pink military jumpsuit. He yanked the zip from her exposed cleavage, to her neck, harshly. The quick motion causing his daughter to gasp. "It's about time you start acting like a lady." His eyes glared back at her. "Stop acting like a whore!"

Amy stepped away from the man, appalled by his comment. Nevertheless, she lowered her head, shamefaced. His glare tearing at her self-esteem.

With a huff, Jules turned towards the door and walked away from her. He opened the door and looked back at his child, disappointment sporing from his eyes. "Make your way to the under-stage, now!"

"Yes, Father..." She complied, refusing to meet his eyes.

The slamming of the door confirmed his exit. Within moments, she heard the door open once more. As she looked up, she saw Sonic standing in front of her.

"Sonic." She cried, throwing herself onto him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders tightly in her need for comfort, her face hiding against his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She weeped.

"Hey, it's alright. You were great." He soothed her, running his hand over her quills.

She could hear the pain in his voice. His quick hatched plan came at the cost of knowing what she and his friend would be doing. The pain of her unintentional betrayal and the torment of their father was weakening his features, leaving him with little energy to force his pretence.

"We can't stay here long. He'll be watching us." Sonic informed her.

She nodded back at him, her head hanging in shame. "I love you."

"I love you too." He lifted her chin by his index finger and smiled, installing enough reassurance for her to smile back. Planting a light kiss against her forehead, he lead her towards the door. "Come on... We gotta show to put on." He said, mustering all his energy to sound enthusiastic.

Knowing her dreams were to come crashing down on her on centre stage.

---

The extensive arena held thousands of citizens in forum seating, encircling the grand enclosure. Embellished were the cascading rings of blue and white spotlights raining over their heads. An abstract chandelier settling a tranquil atmosphere in the midst of the thrilling event ahead.

Amongst the crowd were Jules, Aleena, and Chuck. Sat in the honorary seats at the front of the stage along with the other military families. The mother of four sat between the bothers, proudly lavished in her finest beaded jewelry adorning her neck and wrists. The glistening jewels reflected in the sparkling, blush pink mermaid gown she picked for the special occasion.

"Can you believe this is happening? All of this for our children?" Aleena pridefully cheered.

Her formally dressed husband looked up at the lights above. The makeup covering his bruised lip shimmering slightly in the light. He slowly turned to his wife, raising his eyebrow at her. "I mean, it's more than just for our kids. It's more or less a fundraiser for the heroes project. A lot of ambassadors are here. Also the chancellor."

Chuck yawned deliberately loud, silencing his brother. "Way to take the air out of the excitement, Jule. Just look at this place! There's no way we'd ever end up in such a snazzy place if it weren't for the kids. Throw a bit of praise their way. They deserve it."

"I don't know if Manic deserves it after his behaviour lately..." The wife crossed her arms, frowning with disapproval.

"Aah, he's just a kid going through that defiant phase. Don't you two remember what you two were like at fifteen, because I do." Chuck laughed at their blushing faces. "The kid's a genius, building war machines and weapons from the age of fourteen? I'm sure you can cut him some slack. Kid's trying to relax and relate to his friends."

Jules turned his questioning, raised eyebrow to his brother. "You're justifying him taking drug, underage drinking and disrespecting our home by bringing his plaything back in the early morning? She's not even his girlfriend!"

Chuck shrugged back at him. "Guess I can't see it from a dad's perspective, but as a guy who was once a teen, he's got lots of time to grow and change. I'm not saying he should get away with it, no punishment included, just try and understand why he acts like that?"

The parents looked to one another, both uncertain of their son's behaviour. Was it a mere phase, or an underlying issue?

"Hey, hey!" Chuck nudged the stranger beside him. The man smiled back at him awkwardly. "You heard of Sonic? Sonic The Hedgehog? He's my nephew. Yep, we're related." He bragged. "Have you heard of the strongest girl? Heh, my niece. The genius? The girl holding the strength of fifty soldiers? All related to me."

Shaking his head at his older brother, Jules turned back to his wife and smiled at her, taking her hand in his.

The ambient music faded to a stop, being replaced by orchestral strain. Lights off, ensuing darkness if not for a moment. The translucent screens situated upstage conveyed the opening sequence. Displaying the detriments of war against the evil doctor.

"For too long we have fought."

Images of the soldiers in action appeared on the screen, conveying the hardships they had faced.

"Too much we have lost."

Mercia and Spagonia and Westopolis were a few of the countries mentioned in the loss to the battle. Silence settled. All deeply affected by the tragedy.

"Too many we have lost."

The screen was filled with countless faces. Millions of lives lost to Robotnik and his army. Many lowered their heads, other covering their mouths to hold back their sobs as their loved ones came onto the screens. At the sight of Roger, Aleena bowed her head.

"We are done with losing."

Screens faded to dark once more, showing the silhouette of the blue leader. Cheers came from the crowd, chanting the heroes name.

"Haha! You see him?! That's my nephew right there!" Chuck rejoiced.

"Today, we take a stand."

Footage of the hero's might feats were live, earning the praise of the audience. His mother and uncle jumped up from their seats and applauded, leaving the father to sit back in his seat.

"C'mon, Honey!" Aleena encouraged him.

Jules looked up to his wife, forcing a smile to his face. He could not hold it for long knowing what he had done to the boy earlier that day. Pulling a flask of brodvoxin from his tuxedo jacket, he downed the liquid in second, grimacing at its effects.

"Today. We bring back the fight."

Various footage of the heroes played on the screens. The chants and cheers echoed loudly, their applause deafening.

"The future is now. The future is heroic."

The blue lights came back on, announcing the end to the opening. Another round of cheers filled the arena, settling gradually as a McGrath took to the stage. He stood in front of a podium to the right hand side of the stage, ready to address the crowd.

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen." He spoke into the microphone. "I would like to thank you all for coming tonight, for participating in the makings of our future... Everyone in this arena shares the pain of lose, the pain that continues to spread across the nation as we speak. From the lose of the innocent, to the lose of those who dedicated their hearts to bring Robotnik's tyranny to an end. We cannot accept anymore lose. We refuse to accept it any longer...

"Why's he say that like the fight's just begun. You've been fighting that mad man for decades." Chuck whispered to his brother.

"Of course we have always fought back." McGrath began after pausing mid speech.

"Ah..." Chuck muttered, satisfied.

"For years, our weapons have been obsolete. Doctor Robotnik's army got more and more powerful and our loss grew with them... Now, we have switched our tactics. We won't send out an entire army to him. We'll bring out... Heroes! Unique and gifted individuals from across the world with the ability to tap into ancient power. I'm talking Chaos Energy."

The platform in the centre of the stage opened and rised before them. On seven pedestals rested the seven chaos emeralds. Their radiant glow awed the audience.

"With the power of Chaos, we stand a chance against the Doctor. But not only will we stand a chance, we can defeat him once and for all... We will win!"

The audience screamed and cheered their praise, rising from their seats. McGrath nodded his head back at the crowds, waiting patiently for them to settle.

"Before we procede to the introduction of the heroes, may we express gratitude to the man behind the heroes project? Jules The Hedgehog!" McGrath held out his hand, point towards the hedgehog.

The camera panned over to the man, displaying his image on the screens. As the audience cheered, Jules waved to the camera and smiled bashfully. Chuck jumped beside his brother and waved enthusiastically, pointing to himself and his brother to signal their relationship.

"And now, without further ado, we welcome, our heroes."

The platforms rised from beneath the stage, bringing the heroes in front of the audience. One the left stood Sally, Rouge, Amy and Sonia. Upstage, in front of the screens came Knuckles, Tails, Manic and Rob. The right; Shadow stood amongst a silver hedgehog and lavender pelt cat. Many more rised on platforms behind, all hearing the praise from the people.

In the centre, in the middle of the chaos emeralds, emerged the blue hedgehog from beneath. False smile and elated demeanour was upheld to charm the crowd. As the cameras and light turned to him, he grinned and waved.

"Haha! Look, Alley! There they are!" Chuck cheered. "Hey kids! Heeeeey. It's Uncle Chuck! Heeeeey!"

Peering over to their uncle, the children smiled sheepishly, waving back at him.

Pleased, Chuck fell back into his seat and nudged the man next to him. "Told ya! That's my family up there!"

The heroes took to the stage individually, demonstrating their abilities for the crowd. Every now and then, Jules would take his eyes away from the show and turn back to see the ambassadors sitting in the VIP section behind him, on the floor above. Seeing the mild smiles on their faces reassured him with their funding. Their reactions were all that was required from the event.

Their performances coming to an end, the heroes stood in line, Sonic standing before them. McGrath proudly approached the young hedgehog, placing his hand on his shoulder. The crocodile then stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"That was a spectacular performance by our heroes. A lot of time and preparation went into their training; not just for today, but for their battles against Robotnik's robots. Incredible, guys. Incredible." The people clapped for the heroes. "Now, we will declare the top ten heroes who will be placed in Sonic's team. I wish you all the best of luck, heroes."

Standing to the side, Sonic stood next to McGrath and listened to the announcements. His smile began to crumble at the edges, knowing his lover was going to be heartbroken by the results.

"Tenth place, we have Knuckles the Echidna!"

Sonic turned back to his friend and smirked, pleased with the choice.

"Ninth; Miles Prower!

The fox rolled his eyes to his full name being announced. After spotting the blue leader grinning back at him, he smiled back and stood appropriately.

"Eighth; Rouge the Bat!"

Rouge smirked towards the echidna, making him look away, disgruntled. While hurt by his repulse, the women held her charming smile, waving to the crowd as they applauded her.

Seventh; Sonia the Hedgehog!"

Her smile vanished. Looking to the girl beside Amy, she saw her snickering back at her.

"Sixth; Sally Acorn!"

Sally bowed her head towards the crowd. Smiling appreciatively at their glee.

Fifth; Shadow the Hedgehog!"

Hearing the name deter away from the females, Amy's eyes darted towards the dark hedgehog then back at McGrath. Anxiety stiffened her shoulders. She told herself to listen to the remaining four, praying her name would be called out.

"Fourth; Silver the Hedgehog!

Baffled, the team looked to the unfamiliar hedgehog. The silver pelted hedgehog based from Soleanna bowed his head back at his team members.

"Third; Blaze the Cat!"

The girl nodded at the announcement of her name.

"Second; Tangle the Lemur!"

Amy looked to her boyfriend, her fears glistening in her eyes. Her intense staring made him look back at her. His features portraying his sympathy. He knew of the decision. The decision to not keep her on the team.

She shook her head, quick and frantic. She didn't want to believe it. All her hard work couldn't have been in vain.

Yet he stared back, remorseful and sympathetic.

Unable to hold her gaze, she looked down at the ground, holding back her pain of heartbreak.

Sonic turned back to face the audience, sharing the pain of his lover. A look of resentment was given to his father. This pain was caused by him. All the pain Amy and himself held was all because of him.

"And finally; We have Whisper the Wolf!"

The absence of her name brought the tears trickling down her face. She held back her sobs as her heart rumbled and shattered within. Her dream; gone. In moments. Her friends and sister carrying her dream on her behalf.

All that time. Gone.

"These heroes are entrusted to take on Robotnik. But it will take all of our hope, all our determination to rid our future from the mad Doctor. Today, we all come as one to bring a future, free from the threat of Doctor Robotnik, and his robotic army!"

A standing ovation was given to the heroes on stage. Jules too joining the crowd. Looking back briefly, he saw the ambassadors and chancellor standing up and clapping. He smiled. A successful evening it had turned out to be.

BOOM!

Bricks and rubble fell from the ceiling, crashing down towards the stage. Alarmed, Sonic dashed forward and grabbed McGrath, pulling him away from potential death. The arena broke out into frantic screams, the people cowering in their seats.

"Anyone call for pest control?" Robotnik sneered, his egg mobile appearing through the gaping hole in the ceiling. He was thrilled to hear the cries of terror from the people.

"Eggman!" Sonic glared at the man.

"Tsk! Why?! Wh--Wh--Why must you call me by that name in front of new people?! Now they'll just know me as the round guy or Egghead or something. Not cool, Sonic!"

"Now's really not the time!" Sonic growled.

"Oh, but of course. I wouldn't want to ruin your grand evening. Let me come back later..." He mocked his nemesis. "You really think I run on your schedule?! With all these people in one place, I can exterminate you all at once! Thank you for your cooperation."

He clicked a button on his wrist controller, summoning his robots into the room. Egg Hunters flew through the hole, making their way throughout the arena. They fired lasers into the crowd, resulting in chaos. The people ran for their lives, disorderly and rushed, towards the exits. Many being trampled in the stampede. Screams and cries howled amidst the explosions from the lasers destroying everything in sight.

Controlling the evacuation, Jules commanded the people to remain as calm as possible and exit in threes down the rows leading to the exits. He felt someone grip his arm, forcing him to look towards them.

His wife was looking back at him, petrified for the safety of her family. "Jules!"

"Sweetness. You have to get out of here!" Her husband demanded.

"Not without you or the kids!"

"We'll fight them off, just go!"

"I'd rather die than lose any of you!"

"Don't talk like that. They have trained for this. We all have."

"But you're my family! You're more than just the saviours! You're my everything!"

Another explosion came from above. They clinged to one another as the building shook violently. "You really need to get out of here!" Jules yelled over the screams.

"Jule--"

"I will not lose you! I'd sooner die than lose you! Get to safety and I'll protect the kids. Please, Aleena, please!" He begged.

At the sound of another explosion, Aleena agreed. Giving her husband a sentimental kiss, she ran up the isle, finding her brother in law looking around frantically for her. Jules sighed with relief and turned back to see the heroes fighting off the robots.

Spin dashing an egg hunter to the ground, Sonic looked up to the doctor, the smile the mad man beared left him suspicious. He wasn't watching the destruction his robots were causing, nor the fight between his creations and the heroes. He was watching the evacuation, partially the exits.

As if he was watching them fall into a trap.

He jolted at the alarming thought. With the heroes distracted, the evacuees were defenceless within the skyscraper city.

"Knuckles, Tails. Assist me in evacuation." He turned to his lover, summoning her to the team. "Amy." He smirked. "You're gonna get your chance to crack that egg."

She gawped back at him. "But the cut--"

"We're kinda in the middle of an emergency here. Take it or leave it."

Amy giggled softly and nodded back at him. "By your command, Sir."

He chuckled to the authoritative title before turning to the other fighters. "Shadow, you're in control here. Destroy the Egg Hunters then meet back outside!"

Shadow nodded back at him and continued to fight off the flying robots.

"Sonic! Take the chaos emeralds! We can't risk losing them." Tails informed the leader.

The leader agreed. Stretching out his hands to the emeralds, he began to absorb them. The mystical gems vibrated on the pedestals and slowly levitated towards him. As all seven emeralds became one with the channeler, the hedgehog felt the overbearing sensation of darkness settling in.

He grunted, his body shaking violently. The sensation was aberrant, far beyond anything he had experienced in his past experiments with chaos. The blackened memories of his grief flashed before him, choking him with overwhelming affliction.

His fur darkened, his former cobalt shade visibly fading. Dropping to his knees, he grunted and growled as the darkness consumed him.

"Sonic?" Amy stepped forward. Calling his name made his head shoot up and look back at her. To her horror, she witnessed his emerald eyes fade to glowing white sclera. "Sonic!"

Hearing his daughter scream his son's name, Jules turned to see the leader succumbing to the negative energy of chaos. His eyes widened, mesmerised and stunned. His negative thoughts outweighed the positive.

They were all in danger of his uncontrollable, wrathful power.

"Sonic!" Jules yelled, rushing over to the hero.

The leader leapt to his feet, turning to the voice of his father. His head twitched, a crooked sneer coming to his face. Flying towards the man like a bullet, he grabbed his father by his neck and forced him down onto the stage floor. His chest heaved as he crushed his father's neck in his hand.

"Sonic!" His family rushed over, grabbing the torso of their brother and attempting to pull him away.

"Oh, my..." Robotnik watched from his egg mobile. "This is just awful... watching a father and son neck 'nd neck. I love it!" He laughed raucously. "Finish him, Sonic!"

Stepping in front of the diabolic scene, Shadow threw a chaos sphere at the doctor's egg mobile, malfunctioning it.

"Curse you, Shadow!" Cried the doctor, forcing the machine to fly out of the arena with immense struggle.

Spinning on his heel, Shadow held out his hands and channelled the chaos energy from the blue hedgehog. The fur of the hero gradually faded to its original colour, his eyes returning to their emerald state.

Sonic blinked, disorientated. "Huh?" He focused his eyes to find his father falling into a state of unconsciousness beneath him. Realising his hand was the culprit to his father's condition, Sonic leapt back, forcing his siblings down with him. "Dad!"

"What the fuck happened?!" Manic yelled at him.

"I don't know. I--I absorbed the emeralds. That's never happened before."

"You're filled with negative energy." Shadow told him. "Chaos emeralds feed off your emotions. Whatever you're feeling, save it for after the battle. This is not the time to get emotional."

He stuttered, not believing his own actions. Had he let his emotions get the better of him? It had all happened so abruptly, he couldn't remember how he came to strangle his father.

"Go, now!" Shadow demanded. "Assist the evacuation!"

"Y-yeah... I'm on it." He breathed out. Spinning into a spin dash, he shot through the hole in the ceiling, heading towards the doctor and his robots.

"C'mon! We don't have time to waste!" Knuckles lead Tails and Amy out of the arena and outside to the battle. Preparing themselves in battle stances, the three readied themselves to take on the hoard of Egg Fighters ahead.

---

Frequent explosions lit the streets outside the arena as the egg fighters bursted into scraps and bolts. Together, the four smashed through the armour plating of the robotic foes and reduce them to smoke.

From afar, their audience watched in awe and fear, cheering for their safety and victory. Amongst the crowd were Aleena and Chuck. With crippling anxiety, they watched the battle, powerless to help.

"Get me in close, Tails." Sonic instructed. Holding onto his teammate's hand, he was carried above the gathering of egg fighters, preparing to bowl them to pieces.

"On it." The fox said, lowering them closer to the robots. At perfect range, the child span around with the hedgehog in tow. He hurled the teen into the collection and covered his eyes from the flash of blue that triggered the ignition, a ball of smoke wafted into the air, blackening the nightfall blue. Erupting from the smoke, Sonic spin dashed into the sky, looking down at the standing foes remaining. He counted sixteen. An even divide.

"Sonic! Tag team with me!" Knuckles called out.

Seeing the echidna running towards him, Sonic grinned and held out his hand, ready to catch him on his take off. The echidna leapt into the air, grabbing the leader's hand and together, they span vigorously, forming a sphere of purple. The spinning attack bounced between four egg fighters, each one exploding into flames on impact.

Landing on their feet, the pair skidded against the concrete, looking to the destroyed scraps of metal dropping to the floor.

"Nice." Sonic praised his friend, giving him a high five before rushing back into the fight.

"I will not lose this fight so easily! Egg fighters, head for the crowd and show 'em what you can do!" Eggman ordered from his egg mobile.

His shoes screeched against the ground as the blue blur came to a harsh halt. Turning back to the crowd, he gasped to see the robots heading for the innocent bystanders.

"Amy, with me!" He said, running towards the girl and grabbing her arm. In the rush towards the citizens, Sonic's ear pricked at the sound of a bending metal. Peering back over his shoulder, he saw an egg fighter picking up a car from its hood. The car was launched into the air and into the crowd. Transfixed in horror, the citizens were unable to move.

"Ames, how hard can you throw that hammer?" Sonic asked quickly.

"Pretty hard. Harder if I'm launched with it." He looked back at her, shocked and disapproving of her idea. "We don't have time to negotiate, throw me!"

Bringing his strength into his arm, he threw the girl into the gathering. Copying her lover's signature move, she span into a ball, surpassing the speed of the flying car and expelled herself from her confinement. Summoning a large hammer, she swung it back and batted the vehicle out of the sky.

They landed in the centre of the crowd, in front of the petrified men and women who had been moments away from getting crushed. "Are you okay?" She asked them. They nodded back at her, anxious and traumatised. "All of you need to get out of here! Head south towards Sky Cutter Hotel!"

"Amy!" Her mother shoved her way through the people.

"Mum, lead these people to the hotel on Albane Street. Quickly!"

"Y-yes. Of course!" Aleena nodded back at the heroine. "You heard her, this way!" She called out to the citizens, pointing south.

"We're rooting for you guys." Chuck told her as he rushed passed. "Come on, everyone! Move, move, move!"

Spin dashing into the mass of people, Sonic grabbed Amy's arm. "Come on!" He said, jumping away from their mother and back into the fight. "Nice swing by the way. How about you use that power on me?"

"What?" She raised her eyebrow at him.

"I'll be the ball, you be the hitter." He smirked, spinning into a ball, ready for her swing.

While not fully approving of the plan, Amy took aim for the egg fighters and batted her boyfriend into them. His body penetrated through each robot, blasting them into scraps.

"Fire!" Eggman screamed, pointing towards his arch nemesis.

Guns cocked and fired towards him at blistering exhilaration. Grinning, Sonic teased the doctor by avoiding each bullet while dancing. The man's angered growls encouraged him further. Flipping back, he dodged the ammunition, yawning as they passed.

"You pest! Can't you just stand still and take it?!" The man slammed his fist onto his control panel.

"You want me to stand here and get shot? Are you trying to cheat, Doctor?" Sonic snickered. "That's just playing dirty!"

"What do you expect from a supervillain?! Do you know nothing about supervillainry 101?!"

Looking over his shoulder, Sonic smirked to see his friends destroying the rest of Robotnik's robots. His distraction with conversation kept the doctor away from battle.

"I didn't even know supervillainry 101 was even a thing! Is it a course? An informative book?"

Pleased by the boy's fascination, Robotnik searched through his storage compartment for the information on supervillainry. "I like to carry this around just incase any little rambunctious scallions want to know the 411 on the 101." He said, proudly holding up the book. As he looked down, he realised his deconstructed robots laying across the road. Sonic and his friends stood in a row, smirking back at him.

"It's over, Egg-breath!" Sonic declared.

"What? But the supervillainry--"

"Sorry but I already picked a side. Villainy ain't for me."

The doctor growled. "Grr! You little blue pineapple! You tricked me! Now whose playing dirty?"

Ignoring Eggman's complaints, Sonic turned to the pink hedgehog. "Care to do the honours? You wanted to bring Eggman to justice, now's your chance."

Amy looked down at her hammer before looking back at the leader with a confident grin. Placing her foot in the male hedgehogs hands, she held her hammer tightly as she became airborne. Higher she rised until she was face to face with the man that had taken so much from her.

Swinging her hammer back, Amy glowered at the doctor. "This is for my family." She proclaimed. Her hammer smashed into the side of the egg mobile, knocking the man out of the sky.

"Aaaaah!" Robotnik wailed. His flying device spinning around violently in the air. His figure minimised with his distance until he was out of sight.

"Tails?" Sonic called upon the fox to catch the girl. He watched him grab the girl by her hand and gently lower her back onto the ground. The blue hedgehog rushed over to her, giving the girl a high five to congratulate their victory. "Way to go, Ames."

"That was amazing!" She cheered. "Right in the centre of the action, taking on the that Egghead's goons and to actually knock him out of the sky? Ugh, it was all so exhilarating!" She giggled ecstatically.

He smiled meekly back at her, knowing this would be her only chance of being on the front lines. Her dream lived only for a minute. Her desires for her dreams to live on growing evermore stronger.

"You!" A man's voice hollered from behind the heroes.

The four turned around to see the citizens approaching them, clapping and cheering to their victory. An ash grey chimp in formal tuxedo lead a group of men and women behind him, all stepping in front of the people.

"You there, heroine." He summoned Amy. Intimidated, Amy timidly stepped forward. "You saved us from our peril. We are in your debt."

"Oh it was nothing, honestly." She assured him, blushing lightly.

"It was all we needed to convince us that Project Heroes is worth the funding! You have the support of Eurish." He bowed.

The ambassadors stepped forward, bowing and curtsying before her.

"Northamer stands with you."

"Soumerca stands."

"Please, accept the offering of Yurashia."

"May you accept the fundings from Efrika."

"Midesta is honoured to stand with the heroes."

Overwhelmed, Amy stepped back, astonished. Sonic took to her side and assisted her through the conversation. "The honour is all ours."

"B-but I'm not in the Heroes' Cut!" Amy exclaimed out of nervousness. She covered her mouth instantly.

The chancellor frowned, displeased. "The heroes have our investment, only if this heroine is apart of it. It is all well throwing a pompous ceremony, but to see you all in action against that wretched Doctor Robotnik is truly what we needed to see. And we have seen enough. This young woman is who we wish to see defending the people from Robotnik."

The breath was stolen from her lips. She stuttered, astounded and shaky. The reality hit hard, smacking her in the chest and stitching her broken heart back together. She gasped loudly, sobbing equally high-spirited in her delight. "Yes." She nodded. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"Then it's settled!" The chancellor clasped his hands together. "We'll arrange a meeting with you authorities and get the proceedings underway." He bowed once more before the heroine. "Until next time... uh..."

"Amy." Sonic stated on her behalf. "Amy Rose... um, Sir."

"Amy Rose. Ah yes, 'The Beloved Flower'... May your story continue."

"Thank you, Sir."

Nodding his head, the chancellor and the ambassadors walked away, blending into the incoming crowd. Standing to the side were Aleena and Chuck. Having heard the conversation, the hedgehogs rushed over and expressed their joy and relief to the children.

"Oh my babies. My beautiful, brilliant babies." Aleena cried, pulling Sonic and Amy into a smothering hug. The pair grunted in her embrace, smiling nevertheless. "I'm so proud of you both." She cheered, pulling away from them and pinching their cheeks fondly.

"Alley. Not in front of their friends." Chuck laughed. He stood proudly in front of the pair. "Give a show of a lifetime, save the day, earn enough money to buy the entire city and show those dolts in that HQ who really deserves to be the heroes. Not bad, you two. Not bad at all."

"Eh, we try." Sonic smirked.

The symptom of wooziness caused the pink hedgehog to stumble back. Sonic grabbed her waist before she could hit the ground. "I made it... I made it to the Heroes' Cut."

"Rightfully so, dear girl. After that collision, you've convinced the entire world!" Chuck praised her.

"Thanks, Uncle Chuck." She smiled, climbing back onto her feet.

A round of cheering made the heroes turned towards the arena. From the entrance, the other heroes walked out and stood before the people. Amongst the heroes stood Jules, clinging to his son and daughter for support.

"Jule?" Aleena gasped, power walking towards her husband. Pushing through the crowd, she rushed over to her spouse and children. "Jules, Jules, honey. What happened?"

"Why don't you ask Sonic?" Manic questioned bitterly.

Jules raised his head, frowning at his son. "That's enough from you." He ordered. He removed himself from his children's support and wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "You two go ahead and celebrate." He insisted.

Without another word, Manic walked along with his sister towards the others. His youngest son looked back at him, concerned for his well-being and baffled by his insistence to protect his older brother. After he had nearly killed him, he did not deserve the recognition of the hero he was currently receiving. Keeping his emotions hidden, Manic turned back to the others, joining in the celebration.

"Are you alright, honey?" Aleena asked, running her hand down his cheek.

"I'm fine. Just some... technical difficulties with the chaos emeralds. I'll sort it out." He turned to face her. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head, smiling pridefully back at him. "Amy saved us all from a collision. The chancellor and ambassadors included. Thanks to her heroic act, they've all agreed to fund your project."

Shock consumed his features. "What?"

"I know!" Aleena rejoiced. "She's recognised as a hero, Jules. They want her in on the Heroes' Cut. They know her as 'The Beloved Flower'. I'm so proud of her. Well, all of them really."

"Oh, yeah... Very proud." He lied. Directing his attention to his eldest son, he held a contempt, threatening glance. The blame of his foiled plans being served to his eldest child.

Looking over to his father, the boy's smile slowly faded. The ferocity beyond anything he had seen. His eyes shifted, anxiety settling in. it took all his strength to force his exuberant nature for the rest of the evening. Knowing his punishment would become severely more merciless in the coming hours.

---

Author Notes: I apologise for the delay.