After nearly three years (two years, seven months, and 14 days to be exact OOF) IT'S DONE!
I wanted to make a fic with characters that have been with me since I was young, all the way back from DS Flipnote days (ah I'm old! DX)
Since their creator, 5courgesbestbuddy, has been steadily doing their origin comic, I flexed my lil brain and did a small adventure fic for the boys! And it's a ship fic so I really hope it isn't too cheesy?

Sanctum and Steel are wonderful characters and I hope to see more of them in the future ;w;

Please look at their DA and Tumblr!
5courgesbestbuddy - Hobbyist, Filmographer | DeviantArt
Triple Threat!, baby ( )

Forgot to add!

But that's what it takes and Tell me what you really see are the two prequel stories for this special!B

Odd was saying something at the sight before the pair.

Sprawled across the living room couch in the house they found themselves staying in at some point, but unable to recall when and how, was their 'boss'.

The green hedgehog decked out in a leather flamed jacket with a pair of red shades on his forehead. His quills chopped short but finally growing out again after the brutal shaving that happened months prior.

Or was it a year?

Time was always a bit fuzzy for the dark ebony male with orange stripes. His striped arms crossed firmly over his armor clad chest. "Alright...what's his deal this time?" the sharp crimson gaze flicked over to the younger of the trio.

A 'time traveler' as he claimed but hasn't been particularly open in sharing as to why he 'actually traveled back to their time' thus far.

The inquisitive amber irises narrowed a bit at the pointed tone but remained quiet on the snark that was threatening to bubble free. "I don't know? He's been like that since yesterday!" Shaking his head a bit to let his bangs sway away from his eyes so he could see the hedgehog better, the younger albino sighed. "You're literally the oldest adult here, can't you do something about it?"

"Me? What could I do?" the supposed 'older' hedgehog narrowed his crimsons in slight venom. Not liking that the clearly massive age gap was pointed out again.

The youngest teenager put his hands on his hips and glanced at the ebony male," I mean, he actually listens to you. Maybe you can figure it out? I don't know, you're both doing weird stuff and it's really wrecking the vibe of the house."

That made the ruby orbs widen in mild shock as he tilted his head slowly to the side," What have I been doing that 'wrecked the vibe', please do enlighten me Steel."

Seeming to catch his slip, Steel fixed his stance and crossed his arms over the mound of fluff on his chest. "Ever since that Christmas kiss with the mistletoe thing, you both have been weird and colder to each other. Like, don't get me wrong, you both have sass for days with each other, but not like that!"

"Like...what?"

Steel rolled his eyes as he gestured rather aggressively to the nonresponsive emerald hedgehog on the couch," That! He ain't never shut down like that before and not move! He always needs to move!"

"Well you certainly seemed to have already figured out the issue, why need me to do anything?"

"Sanc, please!" the younger looked at the genetic creation," I don't know how to handle these sort of things! He even listened to your rule of no werehog things on the couch last night! Only to crawl back up when it was morning!"

"So he hasn't stayed there all night…"

A faint flash of red energy flickered over the youngest teen of the household as he fought the urge to scream in frustration.

With a deep breath, Steel forced himself to calm down when he noticed the sly look on the leering 'adult'. "Har har….you know what I meant."

"...Perhaps you are right...It is odd...Maybe that question of existentialism finally caved his brain in." Sanctum shrugged softly before glancing over to the couch," It was a heavy question after all…"

With a faint puff of air through his nose, Sanctum rolled his shoulders. "Fine, I'll go nudge him and see if he's still alive...But I better not hear you complaining about the few chores you're asked to do."

"Dude, you won't hear me snap once about the dishes." Steel raised a hand before seeming to float away from what could be an explosive fight.

Or not?

It was always hard to tell between the two.

With a soft click of his jet skates on the wooden floor before it became the squishy carpet he would occasionally see that dark green beast of a form roll around in before day break, Sanctum carefully made his way to the couch. The rubies calculating silently as he looked over the slightly shorter form.

When they first met, he was elated to learn that in his existence, there were beings slightly shorter than him. Perhaps it was from the foggy memories of taller people constantly looming over him, but meeting someone that he had a height advantage over?

A truly gratifying feeling.

"...Are you alive?"

His ebony ears flicked a bit at the sound of a muffled grumble," So you are alive…" His tone didn't lose the humor as he leaned over in an attempt to see his face. Though, Sanctum began to frown at the lack of any further response.

Maybe Steel was onto something? Which was saying something given how long it took for him to 'warm up' to the idea of people.

The striped hedgehog glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen space where Steel was standing, awkwardly giving a thumbs up and little hand wave.

No, he refused to entertain the idea it was over their increasing spats; it had to be something else, it had to be!

"...Alright, what's wrong?" he nudged into the hedgehog's side, which did seem to pull a reaction from him.

Even if the smack to his hand made his irritation spike and the need to venomously snap grow.

Holding back the spitfire, Sanctum instead took a steadying breath. "You're leaving a 'you' sized dent in the couch."

"So?"

Ebony nearly cracked a smirk at the victory of getting a response.

"So? Aren't you getting hungry for food?"

Steadily, the emerald quilled head slowly turned, an ice blue orb narrowing at the hedgehog," What about it?"

"Look you can either come in and eat cold pizza or get dragged there, you're giving Steel anxiety!" Sanctum snipped through his teeth, immediately regretting it however when that ice blue orb froze over and the owner snapped up with an intensity he rarely saw. "Steel thinks you're upset." he interjected quickly, making the hedgehog pause whatever tirade he was about to go into.

The emerald male sighed, his expression deadpanning," Can't I even face plant into the couch anymore?"

"You could do so in your room, you know…" Sanctum reminded, though oddly found that idea less than ideal.

Not that he was actually concerned.

"Oh hell no, not when that freak is sleeping in the room across the hall." That drew a faint scoffing laugh from Sanctum," And being out in the open on the couch during the night when he's more active is better, because?"

"...Oh god, you're right." Emerald hedgehog sighed as he shakily stood up, seemingly finding the couch rather unappealing now.

"...Come on, we can…" Sanctum gave a faintly disgruntled sigh," Talk about our feelings over pizza."

"Don't patronize me Sanc."

"I'm not, but it's precious you think I am." Ebony nudged the leather cladded arm with a smirk," Whether you like it or not, we're a weird team, so Scourge, if something is nagging at you I would prefer we all know it. I mean, we have a time traveler here already that won't tell what in the hell is wrong with his time, except it involves a massive beast. I'd like to keep that the only unknown thing here that's insanely problematic."

"Yeah, yeah, don't be mean. He's trying his best with what he's got…" Scourge gagged a bit," Okay, maybe something is wrong. I ain't never that nice."

Ebony felt a faint smile ghost his muzzle at the return of the humor he came to know very well.

"Maybe pizza will be nice…"

"Too many weird thoughts in your head?" Sanctum wasn't sure why he felt so...off once he got a good look at Scourge's face.

There were faint bags under his usually bright blue eyes, his quills messy from what he knew was called 'bed head', but it felt different. Even as he smoothed down those messy emerald quills, he noticed the faint strain and hidden grimace.

No, something definitely was wrong...but what?

"Heeeeeey! I heated up the pizza! Because it was cold before! So it's...more edible now!" Steel grimaced awkwardly, gesturing with a mild grandiose to his mad pizza spread. "...Kid, there ain't nothing wrong with cold pizza. But...you heated up the stuffed crust. So good move."

The armored hedgehog sighed softly at the look of relief on the youngest's face as the trio found their seats.

"Oh wow, this actually looks good."

"You dare doubt my pizza skills, boss?" Steel narrowed his amber orbs a bit before falling into a snicker with the emerald rogue. "Nah...Guess I shouldn't have skipped dinner last night."

Electing to sip some juice instead of what looked like some hellish combination of pepperonis and gummy bears on pizza, Sanctum merely hummed as the two dug in without a care.

"So, boss, erm..Whatcha thinking we should do today? Look around for those weird temples? See if demons are coming? Play some smash? Fight a fool?"

"Ugh, jeez kid, you really wanna hit me with that right after I got up?"

"I mean, we usually do something." Sanctum pointed out, ignoring the faint tired pout and odd silence from their supposed 'leader'.

"...Meh, fighting a fool sounds pretty nice." Scourge snipped a bit, munching on his pizza slice. Pointedly ignoring the 'look' Sanctum gave him as he rolled his blues tiredly," I dunno, you guys thinkin' about staying local or hopping over to my old stomping grounds to have a good brawl?"

Inwardly, Steel felt more relieved his suggestion was taken seriously and that some of the spark returned to those hard blues.

"Would be kinda nice to mop the floor with blue actually." Scourge cackled a bit at the sheer thought of slamming his counterpart hard into the ground with a newfound smugness.

"You really want to deal with him so soon after your 'issues' with those online matches?"

"The only reason he won was because he button spammed and he knows it," Scourge snapped at the striped hedgehog with a faint pink in his cheeks.

"Mhm."

"Hey, maybe we could get the drop on them!"

"See, Steel's supportive, why can't you be that supportive?" Scourge grumbled and scowled as he bit into his pizza slice, the offhanded gripe catching Sanctum by genuine surprise.

"How about we go and mess up their chances for an emerald? Make their day sour and that Silver gets all sad-"

Rolling the crimson orbs, Sanctum tuned out the mild rant against the other silver hedgehog. Why he was so against his counterpart he didn't understand. In his experience, they weren't that bad...just mildly irritating. Even his own counterpart seemed to reach a similar conclusion!

"So what...are we warping there or running?" Sanctum glanced over to the emerald hedgehog, his expression deadpanning at the familiar snickering.

"Oh god…"

"Nah boys, we're making an entrance!" Scourge sneered as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a familiar ring.

Though, as Sanctum glanced at it, he noticed that something was off about it.

As the emerald hedgehog settled the ring down on the table to continue his now excited rant, Sanctum narrowed his crimson gaze at the faint sparks of odd purple cubes.

Along with the fact it seemed to be getting worse," What did you do to it?"

"What?"

"What did you do? It's doing something different…" Sanctum pointed, grimacing a bit," You didn't chew on it when you were asleep last night did you?"

"What?! No!" Scourge flustered, grabbing the warp ring protectively.

"Erm, now that he mentioned it, it looks like that weird dark energy latched to it or something?" Steel pointed out with a tiny munch of his pizza, though silently deadpanned before setting the slice down back on his plate.

Maybe he shouldn't try any of Scourge's food tastes anymore.

The blues looked over the ring in a panic, noticing the weird cubes," Are you kidding me?!"

"Hey it's alright. Maybe after all this is cleared, the energy will settle? The ring is linked to chaos right-"
"No it's linked to the natural pulls of the multiverse, not true chaos energy!" Scourge rolled the ring around in his fingers.

Sanctum restrained himself from snapping at the interruption just barely and took a calming breath, wondering why the usual antics he was so accustomed to were getting under his skin so easily.

"No- no it can't be-" Scourge sighed as he waggled the ring," It's not that freaky energy! Not even close," he laughed, more relieved than anything," Then...what is it?" Steel asked carefully.

"Oh yes, do tell, what could it be, one with all the knowledge of multiversal travel?" Sanctum griped slightly, his quills bristling a bit at the hard and cold glare shot his way.

"I don't appreciate your tone right now Sanc."

"Funny, I didn't think you appreciated anything."

"Um, guys?" Steel looked between the pair," What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Oh I think you know exactly what it means."

"Guys? The ring is...um.."

Scourge stood, his eyes narrowing as his slightly shorter quills bristled in an attempt to make himself look bigger," Why don't you tell me?! Since you clearly have the answer Mister Knowitall!"

"You-"

"GUYS WHAT IS IT DOING!?" Steel shouted, catching the attention of the pair and towards the ring.

Which was now sparking and jumping slightly on the table as the cubes worsened. "Oh...that don't look good."

"Oh really? How insightful of you!" Sanctum leaned back from the shorter teen as he leered in," COULD YOU NOT RIGHT NOW?!"

With a distinct hum, the ring shot upward and flicked around, a corrupted gateway settling dangerously on the wall of the kitchen.

"OH WHAT THE-"
"I'M TAKING THAT AS THIS HASN'T HAPPENED, EVER, SINCE YOU GOT IT!?" Steel nearly wheezed in panic as Sanctum deadpanned with a narrowed gaze," Are those-"

With a powerful suction of energy, the ring pulled whatever lifeforms it sensed towards the maw, first the emerald hedgehog slipping and slamming against the edge of the ring before he fell backwards from the force of Steel slamming into his scarred chest.

Using his denser weight to his advantage, Sanctum tried to reach the edge of the kitchen as the pair clung to the ring edge with faintly terrified screams.

"SANCTUM HOLY SHIT GET OVER HERE AND PULL US OUT!"

"OH AND WHAT, GET ME SUCKED IN TOO!? I'M TRYING TO GET A DAMN ROPE-" The armored hedgehog gasped as he slipped on something in the rug and slammed his chin against the ground. Groaning faintly as he felt himself effortlessly sliding backward.

"WAIT! NONONONONONONONONO-" Scourge shouted as Steel attempted to cling to him instead as Sanctum barreled straight into the pair.

The trio panicking as they fell into the warp ring, their panicked screams getting cut off as the ring gate sealed shut with a cartoony 'twing!~'

Emerging from a darkened room, a hooded hedgehog stalked his way to the kitchen. Irritated at whatever interrupted his slumber yet felt the yearn for orange juice out of spite in what remained in his body. The glowing green orbs narrowed at the sight of the overturned kitchen table and chairs before settling on the tipped over pizza box. "...Disgusting…" he muttered as he casually stepped over the mess to the fridge.

Ignoring the scent of a twisted energy still crackling in the air, the hedgehog opened the fridge and pulled out a juice container. With a twist of the top, he threw the container back as he sipped from the tap.

With a grunt from the bite of citrus so early in the 'morning', the hooded figure flicked his wrist to let the container flop into the sink for someone else to deal with.

"Well...at least I can play some Smash in peace…" Cackling a bit, he jumped over the kitchen mess as he went over to the couch. Determined fully to enjoy a quiet house without those irritants.