31 Days of Sonic Prompt 4: Superpower. takes place right after issue 186.

Feels Like Drowning

While Ash had comforted her, Mina knew he'd never fully be able to understand her distress. Mammoth Mogul took advantage of her sorrow, and he nearly killed her to make Sonic suffer. She might have attained super speed through his influence, but the negatives outweighed the positives, and she needed to confide in someone else who faced the same terror.

Knowing it was still the middle of the night, Mina rapped three times on his cottage. She waited, rubbing her arms despite the lack of a breeze. A light turned on in the window, and her ears twitched forward, hearing faint footsteps creaking from within.

The door opened. Ray poked his head out. His eyes widened upon realizing it was her. He quickly opened the door, saying, "Oh, M-Mina, sorry to keep you, um, waiting."

She shook her head. "No. It's okay. I know it's late, but is Mighty home?"

Ray nodded and stepped aside. "Y-yeah, he came home n-not too long ago. Um, he we-went to bed, but I'm pr-pretty sure he's still a-awake."

Mina entered their humble abode and peered at the living room. It smelled of citrus with freshly potted plants on every windowsill. The walls were a sturdy oak, matching the coffee table in front of the leather loveseat. She made herself comfortable on it, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap, her weary reflection leering back at her on their television.

Perturbed, Mina looked at her boots. Persistent dampness remained in her soles. She had scrubbed them with a towel and blasted hot air on them from a hairdryer. Nothing worked. Racing across the sea, her breathing becoming ragged while her legs shot ahead, Mina had tried ignoring the memory. Again, nothing worked, and the wetness seeping through her socks tormented her.

The flooring suddenly banged above her. She jumped, her hand shooting to her mouth, her nerves frayed. Heaving a sigh, she lowered her hand and willed it to stop shaking. It refused.

Turning her attention to the staircase, she found Mighty stumbling down the steps. Mina noticed his legs wobbling with every step when he approached her. Mogul had ordered him to walk straight into Robotnik's territory, unable to throw a single punch when Mogul ordered him to surrender before them. His demise, like hers, had nearly been assured.

"Hi, Mina. How are you feeling?" Mighty asked, sitting next to her. He swallowed down a yawn.

Mina raked her fingers through her unbrushed hair. "Not good."

His grin fell. "Sorry. That was a stupid question."

Ray joined them at the armrest. His tail stiffened behind him. "Um, c-can I get you a-anything? Some water?" he asked, pointing at the adjacent kitchen.

She shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I, um..."

Ray took the hint and bashfully tucked his chin into his chest. He mumbled his apology, which Mina quickly forgave. He hadn't meant to cause her offense, but she wished he hadn't offered.

Mighty steered the conversation back on course. "You want to talk about what happened, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I, well, I felt you were the only one who'd be able to understand."

"Don't forget Tails. We're three peas in a pod," he joked with a weak smile.

Mina tried to chuckle, but she couldn't muster the strength. She supposed her cheeks looked odd when they puffed out. "Well, that's true, but-" She swallowed. "-how could he do that? I know he's cruel, but we could've - I mean, we almost-!" Her breath hitched, and she cupped her mouth, shoulders tensing as they hit her jaw, a meek, mewling moan pressing against her fingers.

Mighty's humor dropped like an anchor in the sea. He pulled his head away, Ray fidgeting in place. He glanced at his hands and curled his fingers into fists, trembling, and his quivers extended up through his arms.

"He took advantage of us," he said solemnly. "I don't know how else to put it. When I met Mogul, I was a wreck. My mom and dad had been taken in for crimes against Mercia. I didn't know what to do." He squeezed his eyes shut, digging his knuckles into his knees. "He found me when I needed someone. I couldn't help my family, but he granted me the power to try only to fail."

Mina quietly gasped. His story brought her to that grimy alleyway. She had kneeled before Mogul with no family to protect her or a single tear to shed. She had blindly trusted him when he promised her power. In the end, it was a calculated ruse, a whim of his to bring Sonic despair.

Drying her eyes, Mina murmured, "That's what happened with me. I was at my lowest. My mother was roboticized, and my father was dead. I didn't have anyone else to help me, but Mogul-" She clenched her molars. "-he used me. He used the three of us as a backup plan to get another Chaos Emerald and hurt Sonic. That monster just-!"

"Um!"

Mina and Mighty jumped. Ray's voice cracked, pitching his interjecting far higher than expected. The squirrel grimaced, tail twitching as it uncurled. He glanced between them, his face flushed, but Ray collected himself with a breath that filled his chest.

"I kn-know it's been r-really hard for you guys. I can't, um, fathom it, but I kind of can at the same ti-time," he said, and he smiled at his best friend. "Mighty, when I - when I was trapped in another dimension, I thought I was a g-goner, but you n-never gave up on me. You helped me when n-no one else remembered me." He gripped Mighty's shoulder and smiled over at Mina. "A-and Mina, I th-think you've come a long way from all of the bad things that h-happened to you. I mean, you're - you're a superstar now."

Mighty broke into a grin. Mina observed how Ray's words elicited pure joy from the armadillo and her. She had overcome numerous immovable obstacles in her life, leading to the world knowing her name, and she felt the corners of her mouth lift to match Mighty's happiness.

Ray gazed at them with confidence burning in his irises, something Mina rarely saw from him. "What Mogul did was horrible, but we'll get through it together. Everyone is ready to help both of you," he vowed, not a single stutter slipping out of him. "And I know that we're all here together for a reason, so please, don't let what Mogul did to you define you."

Mina's eyes widened. He said the words she needed to hear. She thought it would have been Mighty, who shared her strife, but Ray proved her wrong brilliantly. She had several friends and allies that she lacked during the Great Robotnik War. Mina was loved worldwide and adored by those who truly knew her, compelling her to acknowledge the truth.

Mighty ruffled the fur between Ray's ears. Laughing, Mighty pulled Ray over the armrest and sat him down on the couch. "That's right! Mogul might have done something rotten to us, but we're still here. We're still fighting the good fight," he proclaimed, and he flashed another smile at Mina. "No matter what happens, we'll always have each other, and that's something Mogul can't steal from us."

Mina didn't wait to thank them. She threw out her arms and hugged them. She no longer felt the dampness in her soles, and instead, she smothered herself in their warm embrace. Mina wasn't the girl crying alone; she had Mighty, Ray, and more friends than ever before.

Mogul couldn't take that from her. He tried, but he failed, and Mina wanted to see tomorrow with them.