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THE DAY AFTER
28. Goodbye.
[TAILS, David Macintyre]
Some kind of wave of energy sweeps through my body.
I don't know if it's Amy channeling it through me, if I'm sucking the life force out of everyone here right now, or what, but suddenly I just can.
I grit my teeth, grunt hard and lift the bike. It comes off the ground.
Almost…
There.
It heave it forward. It rolls over onto the other side of my legs. I feel the weight release, the pain now fills my foot with the pressure gone. But I can move again.
"It's gonna be fine, Amy."
I get up.
That… that THING, Knuckles, is about to attack Rouge.
Uhhnn….
I look around for… perfect.
I limp heavily forward.
"Ana's going to grow up and be beautiful, Amy, you wait."
I lurch as quickly as I can toward the fire hose mounted near the elevator room. Knuckles is going to make a move-I can see it coming.
I grab the hose and aim forward at Knuckles. I slide to the ground and turn the little knob.
"Say ah."
The hose engulfs Brass in water. I aim at every part of his body, getting into the cracks and reaching into the deeper parts of his workings. Hundreds of sparks start to fly from his dented, opened frame.
He starts trying to talk. I spray his mouth.
The pressure is pushing him, further, scraping his feet towards the barrier at the end of the parking lot.
I walk forward and pin him against the wall.
He flails, then stops struggling altogether.
Rouge drops her gun. I turn off the hose.
I've seen way too many movies to think this is over now. He'll still work, or wake up, or have superpowers now or something just as stupid.
I walk over to the bot and hoist one of his legs. His dead eyes stare back at me with an ominous feel.
Rouge appears to help and lifts his other half. We manage to turn him over backwards and kind of roll him off of the barrier, sending him falling to the ground below.
He hits the pavement with a very satisfying crunch.
Suddenly this new air comes over Rouge. I look at her. I can't tell what it is. I don't care.
Okay, fine, I do… what is it…?
She unfolds her long unused wings and jumps down after him.
Ah. I see what it is.
Old love.
_________________________
[AMY, Sean Catlett]
The hose drips itself empty and drops to the floor, the metal ring around the tip clanging throughout the confines of the parking garage. Metal parts everywhere, impossible to tell what it belonged to. Water drips everywhere. Blood drips everywhere. Tears and shit and piss and vomit and human emotion, anything you can think of, it drips everywhere.
Me and Tails, beaten and bruised, broken and dead, we don't move. There's nothing left to notice so we just don't do anything. We're the only ones left. The van is gone, hightailing it. Rouge, she left awhile ago, and I couldn't tell whether or not I should go with her. I don't know if everything is okay again.
And Sonic . . . I don't really care. I'm just glad he left. I'm glad that I don't have to know how or when or why. It's comforting. One less thing to worry about.
Knuckles . . .
Knuckles . . .
"Amy?"
"What?"
"Let's go."
"Good idea."
And we carry each other down flights of floors, past lines of cars. We support each other, arms intertwined. I can feel his hot breath on my neck. He can probably feel my heart beat through my broken arm. These, these are reassurances that we're both alive. And kicking.
Should we be grateful?
"Well. That was fun."
"Yeah . . . is this how you get most girls to fall for you?"
"Your mom seems to like it." I hug him tighter, causing him to wince, but he keeps quiet.
It's sunset when we exit the building, the sky a deep amber. It's still slightly overcast but the horizon is clear, the last rays of sunlight cutting through the clouds. I can see the docks straight ahead and there's no one on the water.
"Hey. Look." Tails points down the street.
Rouge holds a giant metal infant in her arms, curled up in a fetal position. They both look like they're crying. Another part of him falls off, next to Rouge's gun. Under her caressing fingers is a giant patch of red flesh.
And then she's pulling the metal parts off of him, searching for more flesh, more humanity, searching . . .
I imagine Rouge looking at me and smiling, holding Knuckles' hand. They're waving at us. They're wishing us the best of luck. They're wishing us a happy ending, like the one that they have.
"Come on."
We have to go.
Goodbye, Rouge.
Goodbye, Knuckles.
We'll be seeing you.
"Should we get to a hospital, maybe?"
"Maybe. It usually works itself out, though. Stranger things have happened."
"Hey Amy?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think that this is, I dunno, too cliché?"
"Yes . . . but I like it."
"Hmm. I guess nothing is ever perfect."
"I'd settle for almost."
"Mmm."
"How about you? What do you think about all of this?"
"Me? I think that it's a cop-out. But, we're still alive."
"Yes. Yes we are."
"How trite."
"Hey, you're putting a damper on the festivities. Just shut up and enjoy the moment, will ya?"
"Sorry. You're probably right. I'm being stupid."
"Aw hey. Poor Tails. We all feel SO bad for him. Well, look, if it'll cheer you up, I can always start calling you Dad."
"Really? Does this mean I get nookie too?"
"Oh, sure, of course. Just not from me."
"Tease."
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To be concluded. That's right, one more chapter. ONE MORE!!! Reviews are appreciated. Oh, and visit our site: http://tdaproject.tripod.com.
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