"Come in." The command was followed by the sound of gears activating as the steel door slid open with a puff of steam. The grey furred robo-hedge, Mock, stepped into the small mechanical room. Sat in front of hundreds of glowing screens was the scientist Eggman, who was Mocks creator. The android leaned against a wall, arms crossed.
"You're here for a report?" The egg questioned, not looking away from his screens.
"Sonic has fallen ill, now may be a good time to launch an attack." Mock said gently, his eyes landing on the floor.
"Good robot." His master complimented.
"Can I leave now?" Mock's voice quivered, his ear twitched when something clanked to his right. He turned his head, squinting when something ducked behind a wall.
"Of course, don't let the bookworm bite you on the way out."
"Bookworm?" Mock questioned. He walked over to the wall, peeking around it. "Hello?" He asked, not expecting what he saw next- Hiding in a corner was a small black hedgehog with red eyes. He reminded Mock of Shadow, but without normal spines and with a tuft of black hair covering one side of his face. "Hello?" He asked again, more tentative.
"Don't bother with him, he's crazy." Eggman stated with an edge to his voice. Finally he looked over his shoulder at the android. "I already told you; he bites."
"What's your name?" Mock asked, ignoring the dictator. The other hedgehog took a step back, his arms held up with balled fists. "I-I'm not going to hurt you..." Mock's voice trailed off, he was realizing this person might not be used to socializing.
"Are you deaf?" Eggman asked, turning back to his screens. "You're excused, Mock. Wouldn't want the others noticing you missing, eh?"
"Hey..." Mock took one step forward, then flinched when the other hedgehog hissed like a cat and bolted away into the darkness. "Hey!" A bit frustrated the robo-hog turned back to his creator. "Who is that?" He asked, concern seeping into his voice.
"That's Kevin, he's new. I already told you he's crazy! Just go back to Sonic and his friends, I'd like a new report by next week."
Mock stayed quiet, then turned and followed the hedgehog.
"Or you could get bitten, I don't care." Eggman's voice trailed off as Mock moved further into the base, he found himself into a hallway of sorts with metallic tubes hanging from the ceiling. Gears whirred as occasional puffs of steam vented from cracks in the walls. He'd never really explored Eggman's base before, having been dropped into the wilderness before consciousness and only finding out he was an android a few months ago. One thing he did know was that this place was massive.
"Hello?" Mock called out, looking all around. "Kevin?" He suddenly yelped when the mentioned hedgehogs face appeared in front of him- upside-down!
"Go away." Kevin hissed, before slinking back up to the ceiling like a spider. Mock's eyes followed him as the small back hedgehog slipped into a vent.
"Hey! I just wanna talk!" What's with this guy? Mock thought to himself as he tried t follow where the vent led; a feat that was very hard considering there were many vents that interloped... Finally Mock found himself running into someone. "Kevin?" He asked, backing up. The black hedgehog turned, glaring. "Oh... Hi, Shadow."
"What do you want?" Shadow asked, crossing his arms as he glared down at the shorter android.
"Have you seen Kevin?" Mock asked, assuming Shadow knew who he was asking for.
Shadow blinked. "Why do you want him?" He asked, raising one brow.
"I wanna talk to him, he's interesting."
Shadow turned and hmphed. "Interesting? More like INsane, but if you really want to find him, get a bottle of ketchup." Shadow then walked away, leaving Mock calling after him in confusion.
Ketchup? Mock placed a hand to his chin. He turned to a vent, walking over to it the grey mobian pried it open. He stuck his head inside, taking a deep breath. "KEEEVIIIN! I HAVE KEEETCHUUUP~!" He called out in a sing-song voice, cringing when his voice reverberated around him. A second passed, then Mock became aware of a shaking in the vent that was rapidly coming closer. He whipped his head back just in time to witness Kevin explode out of the vent with the sound of a gunshot.
"KETCHUP?" Kevin screeched, he'd been boosted into the air do to the force of him spider-crawling down the metal shaft, and now he was falling toward the robot.
"EEp!" Mock eeped, then he caught Kevin which sent his body to the floor- Kevin safely held bridal style in his arms.
"WHERE IS IT?" Kevin's voice ripped through the damp air as he grabbed Mock savagely by the throat. "GIVE ME THE KETCHUP!" He shook the larger hedgehog's head back and forth, Mock gasped then shoved Kevin off of him.
"FRGsH C-CALM DOWN-" He choked. "I- I don't have it on me, we'll have to g-get it from the kitchen!" He held his arms up to defend himself as he grinned nervously, for a short dude Kevin sure was strong!
Kevin squinted, his red eyes glowing brighter. Mock gulped. "Okay!" Kevin perked up, then glared again, standing as he dusted himself off. "But do not touch me, you are mere filth that I allow to behold my glory."
At least he's modest... Mock watched the small black hedgehog, he wore a hoodie the same color as his fur, and strange looking boots... And his body was a book? Mock blinked once, then twice. Kevin's glare intensified.
"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!? He shrieked, causing Mock to shake himself out of his stupor. The android stood, taking a moment to also dust himself off- When he looked up Kevin was already walking away.
He's a book... Bookworm... He quickly scurried after the shorter man. "So, erm, how long have you been here?" He asked in his most polite voice. And where did you come from?
"Two weeks." Kevin replied shortly.
"Ah. I have not visited for three, did the 'good' doctor create you?"
"Eggman and Sonic are my fathers."
Mock paled. "What-" He squeaked.
"Eggman found a death note, he and Sonic fought, I was created from that death note."
Mock's vision zeroed in on his smaller companion as they entered a hall lit by an unknown green light. "What's a 'death note'?" He asked.
"Something that does not belong in this world." Kevin explained, he inched away from the android as he felt his green eyes on him. "Certainly not something Eggman should have, but here we are." He reached his arm foward to gesture nothing in particuler. "I am a superior being. I only chose to stay here."
Mock looked up at the ceiling, the spark from a stray wire illuminating his iris'. "Then why stay?" He asked absent-mindedly.
"Because I like it here, the ventilation is so beyond fucked and there are random halls leading to no-where. It's a metal jungle, not to mention..." He shoved Mock away as a rusty spike erected out of the ground and impaled the sealing. "It's ripe with death traps that even the scientist doesn't know about."
Mock screeched in fear from what happened, his heart thumping he then decided to be way more aware of his surroundings. "O-Oh." They arrived at the kitchen, Mock became aware of a large glowing lock on the fridge. "What's that for?" He asked.
"The Egg of Man put it there, to stop me from acquiring the guts of the holy fruit. It will electrocute any fleshy-being to death upon contact, only Eggy's gloves can resist it."
Mock bit his lip, he approached the fridge, then tentatively lifted his arm. What if it fries my circuits? Am I really willing to risk momentary death for this shortstack? He poked the lock once- Nothing happened, though a tingle ran through his prosthetic guts. "I... I may have just remembered I'm not actually a bot, Eggman is just an idiot." He grabbed the lock and ripped it off of the fridge, stumbling back since the thing was heavy. He gently set it on the ground, looking back up to watch as Kevin tore open the fridge and immediatly located his prize.
"KEEEEETCHUUUUUPP!" He raved, literally ripping the lid off and holding the thing up- The ceiling light made it glow uncomfortably. Then with the passion of a thousand suns, the small bookhog slam-dunked the thing onto the floor and stomped on it with all of his fury. Red gushed out of the poor bottle like toothpaste and spattered on the walls, he did this over and over causing Mock to back away from the fruity crime scene.
That is not what I expected him to do... He held his hands together behind his back, looking over his shoulder as if worried Eggman himself would enter to witness the carnage. "Um... Kev?"
"FUCKYOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU- ASS AND TITS, FUCKING MONKEY DICK SUCK MY ASS YOU UGLY PEICE OF ROTTEN-" His screaming went from barely legible to complete nonsense as he danced around the decimated bottle with glowing eyes and a foaming mouth. He WAS smiling, however, so Mock felt okay assuming his new friend was satisfied. A few more moments passed before Kevin finally calmed down, the whole kitchen and he himself was covered in an unpleasantly sticky layer of red gunk. It literally looked like someone had been murdered, the fact that the ketchup was a bit chunky did NOT help.
"Feel better?" Mock poked the small hedgie, careful not to get ketchupped.
Kevin's head snapped to the android with a wicked sharp-toothed grin, craze in the boys eyes. "Yeeeessss..." He hissed. "Don't. Touch. Me." He growled softly, Mock backed away and raised his hands in defeat.
"Cool..." The robo grinned, shyly.
The sun was setting on Eggman's base as two hedgehogs sat atop a grassy hill that overlooked the woods surrounding the hidden valley. A shadow from the egg-shaped base overcast their figures, the thing being a stark contrast to the healthy nature as it was entirely made up of metal and bolts. Mock and Kevin watched the clouds drift lazily across the cyan sky, they'd already cleaned themselves up and had headed outside to let Kevin's hoodie dry in the open air. Their reclining bodies slightly illuminated by the golden light, Mock turned his head to watch his companion, who had his eyes shut.
"I don't get to come out here much." Kevin stated, to Mock's surprise his tone was melancholy. "Eggman says I'm a hazard."
"Well that's stupid, Sonic's also a hazard and he get's a whole house and village to himself."
Kevin opened his sharp crimson eyes. "I hate Sonic." He said.
Mock tilted his head in confusion. "Why? I thought you said he was your father...?" He still felt weird hearing those words out loud.
"He is, technically. But that doesn't mean I have to like him." Kevin gritted his teeth. "He screamed and ran away when he first saw me, while Eggman picked me up and gave me a name... A wrong name, since my name is Note, but all the same." He swallowed. "Eggy might be a doof, but he treats me like a living person. Sonic can rot."
Mock looked back at the clouds. "Sonic's my friend." He stated softly, he was looking for an argument.
"Then we can't be friends." Kevin said. The two sat in silence after that, heat creeping into Mocks cheeks and he placed his hand on Kevin's.
"That's okay..." Mock said. Kevin looked down at their hands, and for once, he didn't mind the contact. Mock stood up and stretched. "I should get going, it's late and I don't want my friends to worry."
Kevin looked offended. "Why? Just stay here, don't go back to them, they probably don't accept you."
Mock ignored the sting that comment caused him- He doesn't know any better. "They aren't aware I'm an android sent by Eggman to spy, and luckily with Shadow's help it will stay that way.
"You know Shadow?" Kevin's voice lifted like a balloon.
"Yes, he's not too fond of me but he's even less fond of the freedom fighters, heh." Their eyes met. "Do you like Shadow? You kind've remind me of him."
Kevin stuck his tongue out, standing as well. "He's my big brother, I wish to hug him lovingly."
Mock blushed. "You can hug me? I don't think Shadow would appreciate the attention..."
Kevin eyed him suspiciously. "How do I hug?"
"You know what a hug is, but you don't... know.. what it is?" Mocks brain did a backflip.
"I know that it involves physical contact and is a warm gesture shared between family members, Rouge has hugged me, but I don't know how to initiate a hug myself."
Mock tried not to giggle. He stepped closer, lifting his arms he motioned for Kevin to come forward. Kevin did such, and immediatly regretted it as Mock pressed himself against the smaller hedge-book and wrapped his arms around him. The embrace lasted a few moments, before Mock pulled away, his cheeks were rosy pink. "Uh well, I really should be going." A sweat drop slid down his forehead as Kevin regarded him with an intense glare. Mock placed his hand on the smaller mans book-shoulder, which felt very strange. "I'll see you in a week or so..." He then backed away slowly and turned, walking down the hill and towards the woods as stars began twinkling in the pink sky above. "Make sure to smash more ketchup bottles for me!" He called out, before disappearing into the trees.
Kevin simply stared for a while, not really sure what he was supposed to do. Eventually he became hungry, and decided to head back to the base to bug Eggman for food. What a fucking weirdo.