Chapter Twelve: Unveiling
His aggravation was discernible. Distinguishable in his long and weighted breaths. Encumbered and tiresome, irksome and livid. A continual strain, irreversible by time and discipline. Another unwrapping of the same monstrous truth that had torn their family apart so long ago. Only this time, she believed he had reached his peak. His breaking point.
Fingers lightly tapped on the steering wheel, a rapid rhythm, gradually building momentum with every involuntary stop taken. His own form of restraint to hold him back was ripping as the balance between poise and mercy wrangled with his animosity. A simplistic beat, yet to his wife, a daunting inevitably.
This anger, this hatred. How she remembered it too well. That night. That hellacious night she had witnessed their past coming back to terrorise them. Awakening the spirit of his father's doctrine and repeating the abominable cruelty he had once sworn to protect his family from.
Wary eyes drifted towards her husband. The man she loved, the father to their children. Titles enriched by experience, nurturing and devotion. But the man beside her; heavily wrinkled featured from his aggression, his breathing increasing it's vigor, showed little remnants of the man who had earned those titles.
"Come on!" Yelled the blue hedgehog, slamming his hands against the steering wheel to unleash his frustration. Another forcible stop behind a red light leaving him more worked up.
Such powerful wrath in his voice alone had resulted in her heart stepping out of tune. "Honey..." She slowly turned her head towards him, lowering her eyes to avoid meeting any foreign characteristics of the boy she fell in love with.
Jules growled, low and strongly irritable. He leaned back in his seat, keeping both hands on the steering wheel. At the sound of his wife's voice, he gradually turned towards her.
Downward, her eyes would remain. "Whatever we discover at home... We'll handle it together... Won't we?"
It was more of an insecure enquiry rather than an assertive advisory between parents. To see her lover's descent into malevolence was a situation of unease. Fearful of his temper and the path he was heading, and yet invested too deep into her love for him and their life together to turn away from it all.
His response was delayed, allowing her to question his motives. No matter what their children had possibly done, he couldn't think violence would solve anything.
Heavily, he breathed through his nose and move his left hand over to his wife, placing it against her knee. His eyes softened as they laid their sight on her uncertain features. "Yeah. Together. Always." He said, bearing a smile towards her.
The smile provided the reassurance she needed to reinstate her faith in her husband. It was just as he had promised her during his time in Mercia; his days of deceit and violence were behind him. His drinking at a minimal. Whatever it took to ensure his family stayed a family.
A perfect family was always his aspiration. His lies and pain had nearly cost him just that. Plentiful tears, removal of rings, packed suitcases with his name on it had been his reality. It took months of calls from him to her to build what he had destroyed.
He gave her all that he was, all that he had to keep her. With distance providing an even greater challenge, he had to work even harder to mend her broken heart: Daily interface, in-depth talk of their issues, hear and endure his wife's struggles and pain he had caused and keeping many promises they had agreed on over the years.
He finally succeeded in restoring their marriage after two years of hardship. The dedication he had shown and carried to this day made her believe his sentiment was genuine.
Smiling back at her spouse, she placed her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."
Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it before turning his attention back to the traffic. More relaxed in his way of driving, the blue hedgehog kept his poise. With his exceeding temper now hidden from his wife, he channelled his thoughts and emotions internally.
Bottling the rage until he found his target.
Rapturous. Deep in a state of bliss he never believed was reachable. A delirious condition of paradisaical reality. His heart chimed rather than beated. A soothing, whispered ringing, issuing a melodic cleansing over his emotional agony sitting on his chest.
Turning his head slightly, he was met with the ambrosial scent of her pink fur as his nose brushed against her bangs. He smiled, sighing contently and nuzzling his nose against her hair. The sensation triggered a light giggle from his lover, making her slowly lift her head to face him.
Instinctively, his eyes softened on contact. His passion filling his eyes and leaving him smitten. She reflected his loving gaze, leaning lightly against his chest, head tilting to the side. She smiled back at him, expressing equal devotion.
It was surreal. Unfathomable, though greatly factual. He had believed their love had reached it's zenith, held no more room for development or transition. He had been wrongly. Naive and an example of emotional immaturity. There was no limit to their connection. It grew alongside them; strengthened and tightened with every little moment. Strong enough to deny their parents and subsequently, the world.
Growing shy of his intent staring, Amy's smile broadened. "What?" She laughed. His own smile widened as a response. "What is it?"
His hand clasped her cheek, moving her towards him and placing a delicate kiss against her lips. She swooned upon his exit. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Only all the time." She chuckled, blushing nevertheless to his words. "But it never gets old."
"That's good to hear. It'll probably get old after a few more years."
"Au contraire. I think it'll be even more powerful once we're free to say those words to the whole world. No more hiding, no more lies. Just us, being what we've always been."
He agreed through a small smile, rubbing her bare back tenderly in the midst of his daydreaming. "We'll declare it loud and proud. Hire out a whole parade for the occasion. A band, some streamers, fireworks; the lot."
"Don't forget the floats."
"Oh, but of course. A giant platform with a big rose and we'll be standing in the middle, showing the world how we feel."
Amy bit her deviously smiling lips. "And just how are we gonna show them?"
Her suggestive tone caused her boyfriend to grin back at her. Hands grasping her hips, he pulled the squealing girl on top of him. "This way's pretty convincing."
She laughed with him. "So we're gonna be one of those couples? The kinda ones that film themselves or do it in public?"
"Sure. Why not?" He said sarcastically.
"Sounds a little risque to me."
"I dunno... From what I remember, you seem quite familiar with risque photography."
Embarrassment darkened her cheeks. Jaw dropping and loudly gasping, she playfully swatted his chest. He abruptly winced, reminding her of his injuries.
"Nnphm--"
"Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She gasped.
"It's okay, it's okay. You can hardly leave a bruise on a bruise." He jested, attempting to reassure her with a confident grin.
He had failed. She looked down at his bruises; some fading to yellowish brown, others still sporting darker hues. The injuries were heartbreaking enough. To know these bruises were caused by their father and Sonic kept that fact hidden to save his father's reputation was even more tragic.
"Sonic..." She sighed, moving her doe eyes to meet his own. "You need to get those checked out."
"I'm fine..." He quickly answered.
"It's been over a week and they're hurting like they're fresh. You need to get checked, Sonic. For all you know, you could have internal bruising."
He dismissed her concerns. Though acknowledging her fear, he knew she was in too deep into the gruelling business between himself and his dad. If she treaded too far, he knew she would be the next target. He'd sooner die than have her be a victim to the general.
Gently moving her back onto his bed, he sat up and move to the edge of the bed, looking away from her. "You worry way too much."
"Because I love you. Far too much to see you die at the hands of that man." She blurted out, her emotions beginning to sprout in her voice. He kept his distance, refusing to look back at her. "He needs to be stopped, Sonic. What he's doing to you, it's wrong. This isn't discipline or militant kinda parenting. He's abusive. Severely abusive. If you keep covering for him, he's gonna end up killing you."
A scoff escaped him. "It's not something that's brought up over the dinner table..." He muttered.
"I know it's hard to talk about it. I know how much it hurts you to relive what he's done to you... But you have to say something before it's too late."
His head fell to the floor, eyes focusing on nothing in particular. He kept his gaze, wanting to focus on anything other than his dark reality. It was too risky. To lift the veil that covered the even more malicious truth within the family would have far reaching consequences. His siblings' view shattered. His mother to become broken with anguish, guilt and heartache. And what of her; his lover, and himself. He would take away the family unit she had established, and he was more or less dead, just as if he would be if he remained silent.
There was too much riding on his lies.
Looking back at her over his shoulder, he could see her glazed eyes from her tears preparing to descend. A heart rending sight. "The day I say it all, is the day I'm done talking."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She leaned towards him, desperate for his answer. "Sonic?"
Brushing his emotions aside, he turned back to her and forced a smile. "It means slam on your worry brakes. If it makes you happy, I'll see a doctor. And I mean an actual doctor, not mum."
"Thank you." His lover smiled back at him. Her tears gradually subsiding.
He turned back to face her and wiped away the remaining eye water. Her eyes however still held their reservations. "Still worried?"
"Maybe..." She mumbled, looking down bashfully.
"I know how to make you relaxed." He smirked back at her, earning a suggestive grin from her in return.
Consented through smiles, he towered over her, moving her back down onto his pillows. Sharing an amorous kiss, the couple soon found themselves lost in a haze, recommencing their adulated passion.
The car pulled up onto the driveway unhurriedly, allowing a moment for the father to look towards the house and monitor from the exterior. He stared into his living room, acknowledging the light that came from within. The light lead into the hallway, potentially following onto the second floor. Little substantial evidence that made him impatient to discover the truth.
Scorned and fired, his eyes rose to the upper floor of the house. Blood ablaze in his veins, rippling a searing course of fury throughout. He couldn't hold back, he wouldn't--
"Jule. Remember to stay calm. No matter what we find." His wife reminded him. Her hand reached out to his shoulder, her gentle touch was like a chain to his belligerence. The only saving grace keeping her son unharmed.
He confirmed his acknowledgement with a dutiful nod, momentarily looking to her to show genuine intention. She lapped it up, blissfully unaware of his thoughts and current hatred.
Another minute was not wasted. Though rash, he was diligent to keep his presence undetectable. Discreetly, he closed the car door on his exit and made haste towards the house. Key in the keyhole, he twisted it with extra care; steady the brass turned in the hole, the soft sounds of working springs just barely hitting his ears. A faint click confirmed it's opening, imperceptible to distant ears.
However with deceit came enhanced wariness and vigilance. The slightest sound out of sync to their surroundings had alerted the blue teen. Breaking the amoral kiss, he slowly backed away from his lover, his face filled with dread.
"What's wrong?" Amy questioned him, his perturbed features now reflecting on her face. She listened along with him, both silent and attentive.
The front door opened. Given just as much attention to the lock, the father opened it just enough for he and his wife to sneak through without making noticeable sound. They looked around the hall, their eyes peering up the stairs and into the living room.
"Look." Jules whispered, leaning towards Aleena. He pointed towards the living room table, spotting two boxes on the surface. He made his way over to the table and examined the desserts left by his children. One was no doubt Sonic's, the other he could only wish for otherwise. "He's clearly not alone..."
"Oh..." Aleena gasped lightly, looking to her husband, realisation on her face. He turned back to her, witnessing her disturbance.
"What is it?"
Her eyes fell back on the box of half eaten food, identifying the dessert and it's consumer. "Strawberry shortcake. It's ... Amy's favourite."
Sunken brows wrinkled heavily over his flaring eyes, lips arching into his deepest scowl. Enough evidence was gathered, enough tolerance was given. The truth was to be unveiled and he had waited too long for it's reveal.
He took off. Brazing speed, enough power within each step to tear through the floorboards beneath him. Anger stormed his footsteps against the stairs, devastating, thunderous stomps vibrating heavily up the stairs.
Nostrils flaring, breath uncontrolled and erratic, the father held little mercy.
Upon hearing the first step heading their way, Sonic leapt off the pink hedgehog and threw her dress towards her. "Get dressed. Quick." He demanded, throwing his own attire back on within seconds.
Her dress was immediately thrown over her head and hastily pulled down over her nudity. In her rush, her undergarments were given second thought. "Sonic." She alarmed the blue boy of the clothing still on the floor.
The tumultuous footsteps grew increasingly close, the reverberating vibrations getting more and more calamitous. No time to think, he grabbed the clothing and discarded them under his bed.
SLAM!
Into the wall went his bedroom door. It's force breaking through the plaster in one mighty swing. It's destructor stood within the door frame, eyes fixated on the scene before him. In the bed lay his youngest daughter, face drained of colour, her terror significant in her eyes. Her hands gripped the covers tightly, shielding the little dignity she held from her father.
Sonic slowly rose up from his crouched position beside the bed, his gaze never leaving his dad. Disordered breathing released from his quacking lips, a reflection of his heart beating wildly. Every beat boomed fear. Their truth revealed, there was no telling how their father would react.
Rushing in pursuit of her husband, Aleena came running behind the father. She paused behind him, shock leaving her mortified at the door. She was sickened, a heavy pit in her stomach bringing on the intense feeling of nausea. Gasping loudly, the tears gathered and fell. Her hands covered her mouth to hold back her sobs and her queasiness.
"Wh-- What?" Aleena muttered, her voice quivering. "You... How could you?"
His attention moved to his mother, though he had wished he hadn't looked. She was distraught, shaking in her distress. It was just like they had always feared. Her revulsion to their relationship, to what they really were. Unable to hold his gaze, Sonic hung his head, humbled into silence.
"Get up, Amy..." Jules ordered, his tone subdued, as was his anger. Disappointment he wore on his face, yet sated he found himself. The truth had been found and it had been what he had always theorised.
Following his request, Amy slowly got up from the bed, being delicate to avoid any indecency in front of her parents. As she stood a distance from her lover, she shamefully pulled down her dress, holding the fabric tightly to her thighs in her embarrassment.
Their mother stepped out of her husband's shadow and beared her tears before her children. Controlled by her devastation and horror, she fell delirious to her grief, her mind spinning, shrouded in fog. Her knowledge of past information regarding their relationship was quickly forgotten, her previous mental preparation faltering.
"How long have you two been... ?" She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Her emotions choked her vocals, preventing further questioning.
Her son sorrowfully raised his head, his pained eyes meeting her own momentarily before he brought his gaze back to the ground. "Always..."
"Always?" She repeated, slowly processing every detail, piece by piece. "I don't understand. W-we sent you away... You had a girlfriend. Sally. What happened to Sally? Aren't you dating her?"
Grimacing at the confusion and heartache he had caused her, Sonic shook his head. His eyes clamped shut at her agonised gasp. "Mum, I--"
"So the both of you just... carried on? Behind our backs? And you got your sister to cover for you? Who else knows about this?!"
"Only Manic and Sonia." Amy muttered.
Flabbergasted, the mother breathed out a shuddered breath, expelling her anguish. Her whole family wrapped up in this deceitful, intricate lie. This deeply despicable quandary in which had gotten more complicated with time. Distance had done nothing but make their children become professional falsifiers, overall pushing them further away from them as parent and into the arms of one another.
But then she only had to think why. Why they had lied. Why their time apart had done nothing to stop them from continuing their relationship.
She had viewed their relationship as no more than a phase. One in which would fade over time. Before her confirmed just how dark and rich this situation truly was. It was as her son had told her all those years ago. He was in love with her, the same way his father loved his mother.
And what was to become of this relationship? Of her own relationship with her daughter? To grant her blessings for their love to be, she would declare her daughter as no longer her own. She resented that fact, her heart throbbing at the thought.
But did this make her selfish? Putting morals and overall, her own emotions over her children's happiness? It was too premature to say. However, to see her children look down in their shame, she empathised greatly. They had forced them to be this way; mendacious and cunning. Ultimately withdrawn.
The mother moved towards her son, bringing her hands to his face and giving him the power to hold up his heavy head. His emerald jewels glistened with their tearful glaze, his expression remorseful and anxious. "My boy. My sweet, baby blue... What have we done to you?" She sobbed.
He was taken back by her self-blame. The least expected reaction from either parent. Astonished, he gathered the courage to look deep into her mirroring emerald eyes. In the midst of her consternation and pain, he saw the softness she had always shown him. Despite her own disturbance, her love for him conquered all.
"Mum..." He murmured, his relief expressed in a single tear rolling down his face.
Smiling meekly back at her son, the mother turned her head towards her daughter. She held out her hand to her, squeezing her hand tightly as the girl desperately gripped onto her. "We can sort all of this out together, okay? Right our wrongs, keep moving forward."
Her solution was not appreciated by her husband. How dare she dictate the situation without consulting him, her own request to him she did not follow. Just like she had always shown, she was the weaker parent; willing to conform so quickly to their depravity. This relationship could not be tolerated. Not in his family.
But before he could deal with his children's degeneracy, he needed to first deal with any potential consequences of their actions.
He approached his family, his focus aimed at his son. His face remained emotionless in spite of his indignation. "Did you use protection?" He asked indifferently.
Ah...
The blue teen's lip jittered. For in the heated love they shared, he had forgotten all about the contraception he had hidden in his bedside table. "Uhm..." Humiliated once more by the personal question and in fear of his father's reaction, the boy looked to his lover, signalling uncertainty. She too appeared fearful, knowing whatever their father's reaction, he would be receiving the brunt of his emotions.
"Sonic." Jules said sternly.
He promptly turned his head back to his dad, his eyes failing to make eye contact. "No."
The heavily flaring breath protruding from his nose diffused enough tension to stiffen the nerves of his son. Flashing a look of disgust to the blue boy, he took his wife's hand and gently tugged it. "Come."
Bemused by Jules's sombre behaviour, Aleena submissively obliged, giving another meek smile to her children before following her husband.
Perplexed into motionless silence, the couple watched their parents walked out of the room and down the stairs. They listened to the front door open and close, then solitude.
"What... ?" Sonic gawped towards the hallway.
"They left... ?" Amy said, utterly befuddled. "They left us... on our own? Knowing what we've done?"
"Don't lower your guard just yet. You saw dad's face. He's been wanting to catch us ever since I got back here. Now he knows he was right and that we've been sneaking around this whole time... well, I don't know what he's gonna do." Sonic said, lowering his head, contemplating all possibilities.
"Then what are we gonna do? We're not safe here anymore!"
"We're not safe out there either."
"We'll be a lot safer out there than in the same house as that man."
"I may be his favourite punching bag, but I'm also the leader of his beloved project."
"Sonic--"
"Just--" He said abruptly, his frustration getting the better of him. Sighing, he expressed his apology in his features. "Just hear me out." He insisted, taking a seat on his bed. "Dad signed us up to the military as kids, right?"
"Yeah..."
"So by law, we can't run and hide from him without committing treason by desertion. He's the general, the commander of the heroes, the authority over you and I. Until our commitments are through, we're obligated to stay."
"There's no way of ending our contracts?"
He shook his head.
"Not even speaking to McGrath?"
"And tell him what? That Dad's a jerk and we quit?"
"No. We come clean about what's going on."
"Nah. No way, nuh-uh." He immediately shut her down.
Irritated by his adamant ways, Amy groaned loudly and rolled her eyes in despair. "Why do you keep protecting him?!"
"I'm not! I'm protecting us! You're on my team, that makes me your commander, your officer. We're breaking the rules as it is. If McGrath found out, we'd be in even more trouble."
His girlfriend became quiet, suddenly realising their predicament. Her new position on the team caused a greater strain on their relationship. They were now fighting morals and law.
She tutted, another question puzzling her. "Didn't Dad try to set you up with Sally?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that breaking the rules?"
"Yeah. So is keeping a soldier behind for extra training and then torturing them in the underground chambers." He chuckled sadistically. "He's not exactly been playing by the rules. The only advantage Sally and I would'a had was protection of privacy. We're not that lucky."
Exasperated, Amy sat beside him, defeated. "Then, what happens now?"
"I dunno. At this point it's game over... Checkmate." He replied, lowering his head once more. He closed his eyes grievously, holding back his tears.
Confounded by their situation, her eyes expelled her turmoil. Freely her emotions flowed. Her lover however expressing internally, his body shaking with intolerance to his emotional pain. Seeing her mournful lover struggle to remain composed, she rested her head against his shoulder and squeezed his hand tightly, hoping to give him the comfort he needed.
Though despondent her touch had become. For it was to be the last time he could hold her again.
"They left you on your own?!" Sonia asked, dumbfounded by what her siblings had told her.
The four teenagers gathered in the boys' bedroom. Initial hysteria from their sister's frantic entrance was soon subsided. Their brother had returned through the bedroom window, more dour than his sister had been. With all hedgehogs settled, Sonic relayed what had happened.
Her mind still processing the tale, Sonia ran her fingers through her quills, her head still in a frenzy. "He was so mad when I saw him at the restaurant, I genuinely thought he was gonna kill you! Like he just flipped out!"
"That's quite a typical reaction given the circumstance." Manic pointed out. "I mean, when we found out, we were both amped up about it. You even got angry about it."
"Not to that extent... I'm not saying Dad's capable of that, I'm just saying his reaction scared me. If he can be that mad about it in front of me, who knows what he could've done with that anger to those who provoked him?" She said, quickly turning to the couple to apologise for her remark. "No offense, guys."
Too forlorn to speak, Sonic and Amy nodded dejectedly back at their sister, looking torpid and benumbed.
Manic gazed at their faces; apathetic, heavy trauma plagued in their sunken eyes and what he believed was fear. How their breaths would shake into the air, their quills risen at peculiar, bowed angles. A mix between nerved and apprehensive. They were fearful, understandably, but there was something undeniable about their expressions. A deep disturbance present.
Amy, now dressed in her training attire, clinged to her necklace, holding onto the ring of her mother. She twisted it between her fingers, no doubt praying the strength of her mother would channel through the sentimental jewellery. By the look of her sorrowful expression, the green hedgehog was certain it was ineffective.
"They definitely didn't say where they were going?" Manic asked softly, taking pity on his siblings.
Sonic shook his head.
"He asked if we used protection." Amy added.
Manic blinked back at her, a sudden concern nagging him. "And you did, right?"
Once again humiliated by the personal question, Sonic hid his reddened face behind his knees, bringing them to his abdomen.
Answering on behalf of her lover, Amy shook her head back at the green hedgehog.
"Ugh, Fuck sake, Sonic!" Manic groaned. "You had one job!"
"I forgot!" Sonic exclaimed. "You're telling me you've never got caught up in what was going on and forgotten about it?!"
"No, I haven't. Because unlike you, I don't want responsibility coming back from my actions." He rubbed his temples in annoyance. "How could you forget?!"
"You didn't forget about the candles too, did you?" Sonia asked her sister.
Perplexed by the irrelevant question, the genius squinted his eyes at the fuchsia hedgehog. "Forget candles. We could be dealing with a hoglet soon enough." His features instantly relaxed at the thought that came to mind. "Ah, so maybe that's where they've gone..."
"What's your theory, Brains?" Sonia questioned.
The green hedgehog crossed his arms, looking out the bedroom window to reflect on his hypothesis. "If you fail to protect yourself from a pregnancy, there's still a chance to prevent it."
His hypothetical talk was cut short as the teens heard the commotion coming through the front door. From above, they heard the door swing open, their mother's tearful pleas to the father. A violent slam shortly following before they were all startled by the call.
"AMY! KITCHEN, NOW!"
Vigorous was the resonant rumbling from the man. It's vibrations penetrating through the floorboards and into the spines of the girl in question and her lover.
Their spines raised and spiked, the tips quaking furiously. Breathless, the blue hedgehog looked to the terrified girl in front of him, his own heart beating frantically at her dread.
Panting irrationally, Amy gripped onto Sonic's hands, her nails tearing at the fabric of his gloves. "Don't make me go down there. Please, Sonic. Please don't let me go on my own."
Her strong emotions broke his him. How her tears brought her makeup running down her face, her chest heaving rapidly. Hushing the girl soothingly, he brought her into his arms and held her lovingly. "It'll be okay, I promise. Just do everything he says and remain calm."
"AMY!" Their father yelled, rattling their spines with his louder, more threatening cry. "Don't make me call you again!"
Another rash breath came from the blue boy. "I'll be close. If anything happens, I'll come running. You know that."
She nodded rapidly, smiling humbly at his reassurance. This display of intense anxiety and pure fright was unsettling, concerning. The situation was complicated and had a lot of emotions along with it, but from their parents track record, they were hardly tyrannical oppressors.
Though judging by their reactions, the green hedgehog, as well as his triplet sister could only watch and speculate.
"I love you." She cried, sobbing distressingly. Her head fell onto his jacket front, her tears staining the red material.
Placing a comforting kiss on her forehead, Sonic moved his lover at arms length. He gingerly rubbed her shoulders to soothe her. "Go, quick. Before he gets real mad."
"Okay..." She breathed out, turning her head towards the landing. Another shuddering breath, she took sluggish steps towards the door. Lost in trepidation, the tearful teenager looked back over her shoulder, the trio expressing determined faces to encourage her through the unforeseeable ordeal. She breathed in the courage they emitted, her heart enforced with spirited remedy.
Mirroring the strength of the triplets, Amy composed her breathing and hurried down the stairs. Looking into the living room, she witnessed her father waiting for her. The imposing and authoritative figure stood with his arms crossed, his rage sucking in his lips. He raised his head towards her, golden orbs dancing fiercely. Regrettably, their eyes met. The might of his own blaze burnt away the strength she had gathered, leaving her exposed and vulnerable before him.
"Come and sit down." He demanded, not waiting for her to join him. Walking into the kitchen, the father awaited for her to follow.
Amy heeded the advice from her boyfriend, quickly submitting to his command. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw her parents standing either side of the table, a seat stationed between them. Before them was a small plate on the table, along with a glass of water. In the centre of the plate sat a single, small pill. An off shade of white, just barely visible from where she stood.
"What is that?" She dared to ask, her voice timid and hushed.
"Plan B." Jules answered her, pulling out the chair on her behalf. "Sit down."
Apprehensive, Amy slowly made her way to the chair and took her seat. Unable to look back at her father's piercing stare, she kept her eyes on the tablet in front of her.
"This is more of a... back up kind of contraception." Aleena explained. "It delays ovulation, so you're less likely to end up, uh... with child."
"You're gonna take it right now. We want to see you swallow it." Jules spoke threatening toned and malicious.
His voice churned her stomach violently, nausea abruptly setting in. He was close to exploding, his rash breath hitting the back of her neck singeing her short hairs, how she could feel the fury steaming from his being.
Her blood ran cold, her bones stiffening to the chill. The sensation of his heat bounced off the surface of her spines, though the tension he bore ran through, deteriorating her blistering defence and bringing her to tremble.
Leering over her shoulder, his head protruded forward, slowly turning towards her until his nose brushed against her cheek. "Take. The. Pill, Amy." He growled.
His daughter inhaled sharply, her back pressed hard against the upholstered furniture. Panicked breathing ensued, hyperventilating at a gradual procession. Never had she experienced his hostility at first hand. It was as frightening as Sonic had described it. The man who raised them, who showered them in love and praise throughout their early childhood. He was beyond that man now. A monstrous, abusive counterpart.
Just how hostile was he willing to become? Was he going to crack? Was she to be his target? The questions only brought on more dubiety. She kept her caution. If this man was willing to abuse his own flesh and blood, she was hardly safe from his aggression.
"Amy." Jules snarled.
"Jules, please. Give her a moment." Her mother pleaded, stepping forward hesitantly. She too was uncertain of her husband's intentions. From his temperament in the car, she was apprehensive towards his approach.
Eavesdropping from the stairs, the triplets listened intently to their father's encroachment on their younger sister and their mother's diffident nature. To the blue hero's siblings, this behaviour was baffling from both of them. Their mother's typical assertion had been reduced to submission and by the dynamic of the conversation, Amy was in a state of paralysis, unable to respond for whatever reason.
She couldn't possibly be afraid of their father. As angry as he appeared, it could hardly be detrimental.
"What's taking her so long?" Manic thought aloud, vocalising his voice to a minimum.
"No idea. The sooner she takes that pill, the sooner he'd let her go." Sonia whispered.
Sonic kept his opinion to himself. That threatening tone all too familiar. He could feel his father's peak reaching it's summit and his beloved was to be the unfortunate victim. That he could not bear. He would sooner take all of the man's fury before he allowed that man to traumatise her.
Remaining fixed to her solid stature, her hands became dead weight on either side of her shaking body. Mind trapped in a whirlpool of anxiety. No matter how she consciously screamed at herself to do what her father commanded, her body was stuck, motionless. Her eyes drifted down to her right hand, terrified she became in her inability to move it. She willed it to move; to clench, to twitch, anything. To no avail.
"Don't make me tell you again. Just take the damn thing!"
Her time was waring thin, as was his patience. He was merciless to her condition, too far gone with his temper. He towered over her like a shadow, his darkness imminent.
"Jule." Aleena took another step towards her husband, reaching out her hand toward his shoulder. Her call only seemed to bother him further. Patience continue to etch away, his breathing became rash.
Her instincts awakened; flight dominating over fight. All the will she had lost was channelled back into her arms as she pushed herself up from the table and into her legs to escape. "I need some air."
She was unsuccessful in her escapade. Feeling a hand gripped to the back of her neck, she was forced back into her seat. His strength powered over her, slamming her head down against the wooden table and bringing the tablet to her lips.
"TAKE IT!" He roared into her ear.
"Stop it!" His wife screamed, yanking on his shoulder in her attempt to pry the brawny man off of her petrified, wailing daughter. "Get off of her!"
A flash of blue shot into the kitchen, heading directly for the father. Before his golden eyes could turn towards the vibrant streak, the man was pummeled by the brutally sharp quills of his son hitting him at compelling speed. He was hoisted off his feet, hurling into the air and slamming his back into the kitchen counters. The wooden doors fractured on impact.
Stood back from the commotion, wide eyed and aghast, his mother and siblings gawped at the affliction descended onto the father. Deep gashes ran down the right side of his face; the main receiver to his son's daggering spines. He was slouched over against the broken doors, shock and pain keeping him stationed.
"Oh my--" Aleena gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. Anguished tears trickled down her face, a complex turmoil leaving her fearful for his condition all the while wishing he wouldn't rise up with vengeance.
Helping his lover to her feet, Sonic brought his hands against the shaken girl's face, gently caressing her cheek in hopes to console her. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said faintly.
He checked her over nonetheless. "Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"
"No. Just a little shaken up."
Sighing grievously, Sonic wrapped his arms around her, her arms instantly copying his actions around his neck. She buried her face into his chest, whimpering lightly into his hoodie. "I've got you... I've got you." He hushed her, resting his head against her own.
Dull vision wandered to the affectionate couple. His daughter, his youngest daughter, taken in by the loving arms of his eldest son. It appalled him, disgusted him. To see them embraced, locked into a endearing hold brought all the anger back to him. They were incestuous degenerates, hellbent on tarnishing the family and its unit.
Thunder sparked in his eyes, activating every nerve ending with coursing rage. Gritting his teeth, Jules shot up from the ground and confronted the couple, his nostrils blaring from the steam he emitted.
"Why?! Why do you do this?! Why are you so insistent on tearing this family apart?! This obsession with one another, this-- this filth! You continue to practice this disgusting abomination in my home, knowing it is wrong!" He huffed, glowering at the affrighted couple. "You are sick! The pair of you!"
Furrowing his eyebrows at the enraged man before them, Sonic moved Amy to stand behind him, his arm stretched out as a barrier between her and their dad. He kept his sight on him, attentive to every little movement.
Seeing the false bravery in his son, Jules chuckled sadistically. "And you? You are the biggest disappointment of all. All this time, you were lying to me. To us."
"What choice did I have?" Sonic scowled.
"I don't know. How about being normal?! You could've picked any girl in the world, and you pick your little sister?" He chuckled mockingly once more. "You even turned down Sally. Sally! For her."
"And I'd do it again!" He yelled back at him in an hot blooded outburst. Surprised by his own declaration, the blue hero releasing a tense breath. "You know I would. You've always known. Even when I lied, you knew what was going on. That's why you were so paranoid, always trying to catch onto something. Truth is, you never believed the lies. You just wanted to so you didn't have to face the reality."
Clenching his fists, Jules glared at his son. Both fists rattled with vigor.
Emerald eyes shifted to the balled fists momentarily right before redirecting them back to the apoplectic man. He swallowed harshly, forsaking the terror he held for his father and mustering all the courage he had to uncloak the ineffible truth that had torn them apart.
"I'm in love with Amy."
"Ha..." Jules laughed. "No you're not." He shook his head profusely in denial. "You don't know what love is, you're sixteen for Chaos sake! Both of you are just kids, you have no idea what love is!"
"Yes we do!" Amy cried.
Looking back over his shoulder, Sonic watched in awe as his girlfriend stepped forward to confront their father.
Taking her lover's hand, she squeezed it lightly, reassuring him of her decision. "Ever since we were kids, you have tried to keep us apart and it did nothing but make us stronger. Doesn't that show you anything?"
"Petal..." Jules breathed out, holding out his hand to his youngest. "If there's something you wanna tell me, you know you can, right?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Did he set you up to this? Forced you into doing anything you didn't want to do?"
"What?" She gasped, bewildered by his accusation.
"Wait..." Sonic stood beside the pink hedgehog. "You think I forced her?"
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." He leered at his son. "You've proven to me, time and time again just how corrupted you can be."
Sonia stared in horror at her father, mortified by the words that had come from his mouth. Her image of him shattering before her eyes and unmasking a whole different version of him. Had this been why her siblings were so fearful? Had this been the side they had seen all along?
She turned to her mother, being mindful of her hesitance. It was as though she too was withdrawn. Much like her once cocky brother had always been. Both shells of what they used to be.
Was it all correlating to him?
"Hold up a sec..." Sonia interjected. "How can you stand there and say such things to your own son?"
Astonished by her question, Jules faltered, taking a moment to word his justification. "His depravity has torn this family for years!"
"No it hasn't. Manic and I didn't even know anything about their relationship until a few weeks ago. Can't say it's changed anything between us..."
"But they--"
"I get it. Their relationship is weird. We don't tend to brush over words between us, but after seeing what Sonic did to his hand--"
Ears darting towards her daughter, Aleena span her head to face her. "What?" She exhaled, her eyes then looking to her eldest son. "What happened to your hand?"
"Nothing." He replied instinctively, ignoring the blatant protest from the pink hedgehog.
Shaking her head at Sonic's deceit, Sonia answered on his behalf. "He was self-harming in Mercia." She told her mother. Turning back to her father, she tried to persuade him through the knowledge Sonic had told them in confidence. "He was so heartbroken during his deployment, he was burning himself."
The temperament of the blue male began to subside and allow some nerve to step in. Alarmed like a deer in headlights, he stared absentmindedly towards Sonia. Nausea quickly settling in result to the uncovering truth. Hitched breaths, one after another, expelled from him. The loss of control ran havoc on his mind.
Aleena approached her son, acknowledging his reluctancy to look her way. Her eyes moved towards his gloved hands, mentally preparing herself for his scarring beneath the material. "Let me see, Sonic." She said firmly.
"Mum..."
"Sonic." She scolded him.
Their eyes met only for a moment, allowing him to see the stern facial expression she held before he looked away. Notifying his lack of protest, his mother gingerly removed the gloves from his hands; first the left, perfectly intact. She shot out a sigh of relief before moving onto the right. Taking more care than previously, she slowly moved off the right glove until she saw the devastation beneath.
She gasped loudly, stepping back from the boy. Her heart desolating on first glance. She wept aloud, her heart breaking even further the more she would stare.
Poor treatment of his burns had caused a wet shine over his healing skin. Previous blisters, now burst and mending had left bright red layers of skin in the open. The remaining skin still rich in oxidised blood; burgundy brown. The blackening of the upper layers of skin were gradually fading with time, though by the markings of his burns, it appeared severely deep; second degree at most. A wound which required medical attention had gone amiss due to his fear of exposure.
Exposure of whom? She could only speculate.
She turned to her husband, watching him gazing at their son's hand. He seemed on edge. No longer enraged, but rather panicked.
And that reaction was enough for her to know what had happened.
Subconsciously, the mother shook her head in disbelief towards her husband, fresh tears covering the stains already streaked on her face. Her body language, her anguish, it confirmed her knowledge, confirmed his exposure.
"Alley--" Jules said, humbled by his own anxiety.
"No." She cried, condemning her husband by denying his hand stretching out to her. "You-- You promised. You swore on our marriage that you'd never lay a finger on him again!"
"I didn't! I-I--I swear!" He lied through his panic. "Sonic! Tell your mother." He demanded his eldest son, his eyes dancing wildly.
"Sonic?" Manic leaned forward to view his brother's response. The genius found himself in denial, ill-equipped for such information. He refused to believe it. He couldn't possibly have idolised this man for years, did all he could to get his approval and even going as far as to envy the relationship Sonic had with him, when all the while, his brother was getting abused. How could he have not seen it? How could he have not seen the signs?
His body stiffened. Oh, but of course he had. The withdrawn, more stern nature his brother possessed was far from the assertive, domineering child he had grown up with. He had naturally taken this development as maturity, but with his brother's timid behaviour throughout the night, he was beginning to piece it all together.
And Sonic had been the one to place the last piece to that puzzle. His intimidated glance towards their father's own minatory expression. A silent order to comply or face the consequences.
"I..." Sonic muted voice spoke. Discomposed by the man's features, the hero slowly turned to his mother and submitted to the conditioning he was sworn to. "I did this."
"Sonic." Amy protested.
Jules however stepped forward, preventing her from speaking any further. "See? Do you really think I'd risk losing you and destroying our family? I already came so close to losing you before. I wouldn't risk it again."
The youngest girl looked to her mother, devastation ensuing. The anger in her diminishing from her gullibility. Her compliance aggravated her. How could she be so naive? So oblivious to her son's agony? She was convinced it was ignorance. Hearing what she wanted rather than dive into factuality.
She couldn't let this go on. Not when she knew her father was to repeat his punishment on her lover once the situation was diffused.
Shaking her head, the pink hedgehog balled her fists and confronted her parents. "Do you seriously believe him?!" She stood firmly before her mother. "You know what he's like, what he's capable of. How can you be so quick to turn your eyes away from the obvious?!"
"Amy." Jules admonished his child, hoping to silence her. "Don't speak to your mother like that!"
She disobeyed him. "He's lying to you! He has been lying to you for years! The whole time he had Sonic in Mercia, he was abusing him!"
"Amy--!"
"No!" She screamed at her father. "You won't get away with this!" She turned to her siblings, revealing more to the story. "That day he left, the black eye. That was him! He took Sonic into his office and attacked him for exposing our relationship!" She then moved back to her mother. "The reason why Sonic's hand is damaged is from electrical burns. After being strapped to a lie detector that shocked him whenever he lied! Why do you think he was gone for an extra three months, after everyone was brought back to Central City? It was because of him! All of this is because of him!"
A strong hand pulled on her shoulder, forcing her to turn back to its owner. Her father stared down at her, expressing deep pain. "Do you hate your father so much that you would believe the words of everyone else before hearing his side?" He looked to his wife and two quizzical children. "You've seen him lie to all of us. He had us all convinced that his infatuation with his sister was over. Turns out that was just apart of an act."
"And who do you think taught him how to lie? Who taught him to conceal who he truly is, just so he would fit to an ideal?" She glared at the man.
Growing progressively angry, the father approached his daughter, towering over her with burning aureate orbs reigning down. "If he is as conditioned as you claim he is, why would he break away from his ideal mold and continue to lie and disobey to be with you?"
Refusing to give in to his intimidation, Amy swallowed hard and returned the aggression. "Because he loves me." Her dad growled in disgust, turning away from her in rejection to her claim. "He loves me so much that he tolerated your abuse until he was back here with me."
Jules lowered his head, refusing to hear anymore about their profession. Their desire to destroy his ideal was their motivation. Nothing more.
"Amy..." Her lover muttered. His solemn voice beckoned her to look his way. His hand closing over hers, he smiled bittersweet. "It's okay." He said, defeated by the confrontation. There was no going back from what had been done, what was said. The only way was to go forward and take the consequences; both his own and hers.
Witnessing the obligation he had to the discipline, the pink female whimpered, her tears resurfacing in her glazing eyes. He had given up. But she hadn't given up on him.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered through her whimpering.
"Huh--?"
Zip!
A gathering of gasps and cries ejected into the kitchen. Alerted by their outcry, Jules turned back to his family. Horror possessed his features. An anvil of terror dropping into the chasm of his stomach.
The bruises. The atrocious, excruciating discolouration of his chest and abdomen. Patches more brutal than others, all still visible evidence of his animosity.
"He did this to you?!" Aleena exclaimed to her son, pointing towards her husband.
"Sonic--" Jules began. He was immediately cut off by his wife.
"I'm asking him, not you." She told him before looking back to her eldest. "Darling, please. I need you to be completely honest. Did he do this to you?"
Hesitant to what was to come, the blue hedgehog kept reserved. Unknowing what was to become of him and his lover prevented him from affirming what they wanted to hear. The strings of indoctrination were firmly binding him to the puppet master. Unable to see the future, unable to break free from the pain he had become familiar with.
A gentle, warm hand found its way to his face. In his vulnerability, he flinched, instantly turning to his mother.
Awestruck.
There it was again. The nurturing love of a mother portrayed in her doting yet earnest expression. His missing imperative. The distant warmth he recalled from his childhood. How she would take him in her arms and smother him in her love, make him feel secure in knowing that he was accepted no matter his choices. It was all she had ever done for him; empower him.
And with her empowerment, he found the strength to face the lies he had told.
Emerald hues connecting, he allowed his mother to see his pain, his suffering. All spilling out through his agonising grimace. "Yeah..." He spoke through his breaking voice, the weight of his woe weighing down his heavy head once more.
"Oh. Oh my poor baby." She cried, pulling her child into her arms. They wrapped around his neck, bringing his weighty head against her shoulder as she stroked his drooping quills. She cradled him lovingly, soothing him through his unveiling. A tear, many more, trembling body and a legion of sorrowful sobs.
Her head turned back to her husband, her maternal instinct dominating the former disquieted nature she bore. The tables had turned; for she was incensed while her husband displayed his mortification.
"How could you? Your son? Your perfect little boy? All those years you had him under your wing and all that time, you were showing him nothing but cruelty!"
Hawked eyes all falling on the father, all filled with hatred, repulse, bewilderment. Such strong, negative emotion he never believed he would receive from his idyllic family. The cover unfolded, an end to his vision. What only remained was the blemished, unsound structure of broken unity. A warzone; he against his own.
How wretched they had formed.
His identity on view, he defended his tarnished persona. "I did what I had to do to keep this family in tact! Everything I've done was for us!"
"You're a liar!" She screamed. "You did this for yourself! To break him!"
"I was doing him a favour! Without my supervision, he would've become a complete execrable lecher!"
"Supervision? You call beating your son, supervision?! You made him terrified of you! Constantly looking over his shoulder, living a lie. You-- you turned our self-assured, positive son into a withdrawn, anguished child. How can you live with yourself knowing what you did to him?"
"He drinks..." Sonic mumbled, slowly lifting himself off his mother's shoulder. "Brodvoxin. He's addicted to brodvoxin."
Appalled, his family condemned him with their disgraced glares and glowering faces.
His wife's being the most disturbing. "I can't believe I was so foolish to let you stay in our lives after the pain you have caused."
"Aleena. I can change. I swear to you that I can!" Her husband pleaded.
"You had the opportunity! For seven years, you made me believe our decision to separate Sonic and Amy was for the best and that we'd be a loving family like we once were... But that was just more lies wasn't it?"
"No."
"Then how did you expect to recover from this?! Did you think we'd be a happy family after everything you've caused? If you want to blame anyone for the family failings, you'd better be taking a hard look at yourself!"
"None of this would've happened if he wasn't a incestuous freak!" Jules yelled.
"Don't talk about him like that!" Aleena stomped across the tiled floor and stood before her husband.
He raised his head, looking down at his wife, baffled by her confrontation. "Are you really gonna try and challenge me?"
Grabbing her mother's shoulder, Sonia pulled the woman back, allowing herself and her siblings to step forward and create a defence in front of her. "No, she won't. But we'll take you on." She said with determination.
The man gasped, heartbroken by his daughter's opposition. "Sonia. Princess. You really want to do this?"
"No, I really don't. But I won't let you hurt anyone else." She told him, getting in battle stance.
Disappointed by his daughter, he turned to his second born. "Manic. I supposed you wish to turn on your father as well?"
Manic scoffed. "Can I really call you that? You've done nothing for me except make me feel inferior. Funny how you suddenly remember you have more than one son when your world's falling apart, huh?"
Tutting in defiance to his son's statement, Jules took a step back, shaking his head at his children. "Disappointment. Every one of you." He sighed, pulling his phone from his pocket. "I never wanted to do this... But if a fight is what you're wanting, so be it." He brought the device to his lips, staring at his family as he spoke the secretive words. "Blue Devil."
"Blue Devil... ?" Sonia thought aloud.
"Only someone with a pure heart holds the potential to control chaos energy. Without it, they have the power to destroy the entire world. As you demonstrated in front of thousands of your peers at the Heroes' Cut, your heart is filled with darkness." He said to the blue teen. "We can't allow a rogue in our regiment... So we'll dispose of it."
Sonic eyes widened, horror-struck. His uncontrollable frenzy at the ceremony had resulted in a military operation for his arrest should he fall out of line once more. Orchestrated by his father.
He had been sentenced by his own dad.
A beaming light came through the living room windows, the reverberant sounds of a helicopter close in range caught their ears. Military surveillance.
Buying his brother some time, Manic charged forward and brought a lethal punch to Jules's jaw, knocking him to the floor, allowing Sonia to pin the general down. "Sonic, get out of here!" Manic demanded.
Nodding back at his brother, Sonic prepared himself to break down the kitchen door and make his escape.
Until a smaller hand grasped his own. "Take me with you." Amy pleaded.
He denied her with the withdrawal of his hand. "Are you serious?! I'm an enemy of the State! If you come along, you'll become a fugitive too!"
"I'll become the world's enemy if that means I'll be with you."
An exchange of besotted gazes was short lived. Nodding back at his girlfriend, Sonic turned to his mother. "Mum..."
Without protest, she planted a brisk kiss to her childrens' foreheads, bringing both of her children into a tight hug, fearful for their safety. "I love you both. So much." She said, pulling away from the pair and expressing a warming smile. "Go. Go, quickly!"
Lifting the pink hedgehog into his arms, Sonic spin dashed through the kitchen door, shattering the glass from his forceful impact. Propelling at staggering speeds, the renegade couple were lost to their enemy, darting into the distance.
Knowing their escape would only be a small victory. Still under the eyes of corrupted general, their every move would be held against them.