The Realization of Hector Hedgehog

A Story of the Secret Life

Chapter 2

The Favor

                Morning came like it always did for Hector. Birds singing, cars driving, bees buzzing, mother fussing.

            "Oh, now I really think that you should wear this today!" She took out a grey three piece. "It's a nice Tuesday morning, and Gertrude told me that an engaged boy wearing grey on Tuesdays is sure to give him good luck."

            "Yes, mother."

            He put on the suit and adjusted his tie, like always. Ho hum. He put on his beloved 'gangster' cap (as his mother always called it) and adjusted it as he looked in the mirror. He always thought he looked like a swell guy with that hat, cause it made him look a little more debonair, or like Rick when he looked over at his girl and said goodbye to her as she left Morocco on that foggy night. He liked that movie, when Rick was almost like Sonic. With a sigh, and knowing what was going to happen next, he went downstairs to the kitchen.

            "I am sooo ashamed of you!!" she gushed as she made him a jam sandwich for lunch. "After all, Geoffrey tells me you missed another one of those important meetings. You really should prioritize, Heck darling."

            "Yes, mother." He hated the name 'Heck'. Geoffrey had started to call him that a while ago, and it stuck, unfortunately.

            "And I think that you should stop wearing that hat of yours to work," she scolded, as she always did as she took it off of his head. "Why, it makes you look like one of those mafioso hoodlums or some shady degenerate, and that is certainly not how I raised you!"

            "Of course, mother."

            As he walked out of the house, he put it back on his head. It was the one thing he could do to rebel. He was a loser. But he would make it on time today, and show his boss. He adjusted his glasses and went to the subway station.

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            "Station 4, Station 4, closed down."

            "May I have a ticket, please?" Hector looked at the ticketeer. "It's very urgent. I have to get to work on time today."

            "Didn't you hear, boy?" The ticketeer looked at him. "This station is closed today. You'll have to route it in another way."

            "What?" Another day, another day to be late.

            "I'm sorry, sir."

            Hector walked out of the station, his hands in his pockets. His head went down as he looked back. Hmmm...

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            "One ticket to Sagamoreskopf." Sonic quickly jumped down into the train station. "Please, it's very urgent."

            "Of course," the ticketeer looked alarmed. "Here."

            "Way past!"

            Sonic dashed by him and jumped onto the train. The three minute ride was agonizing, especially when he knew what was at stake if he didn't make it on time.

            Come on, come on, come on! He thought. If I'm too late to stop the boat...if Sal has already left...I've got to warn her...

            He dashed to the boatyard after boarding the train, putting all of his speed into it. He had to hurry. Time was, for once, against him.

            There was nothing there when he got to the boatyard. The boat had left. Sonic gave a scream...

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            "...cuseme..."

            "Nnnrgh..." Hector's hands were clenched tightly.

            "Excuse me."

            Hector jerked out of Sagamoreskopf to find himself being tapped on the shoulder by a discerning hand.

            "Sorry to interrupt you," a very deep, Italianesque voice rang. "But could you come with me?"

            "Huh?" Hector turned around, confused.

            "Just would like you to follow me, please." The man Hector faced was a trench-coated iguana, who wore a hat similar to Hector's. "Come on, now."

            "What..." Hector looked at his clothing, then up at him. A mafioso. "Uh, I think you have the wrong-"

            "Are you Hector Hedgehog?"

            "Eh?"

            "I'll take it as a yes."

            "Uh..." Hector started to sweat. He started digging up excuses. "Look, I've got to go to work, and...see, I'm engaged, and...my mother's dying...and..."

            "Uh huh." The mafioso was unimpressed. "Don't worry, kid. The less time we take on this, the better."

            "Leave me alone!!"

            Without warning, Hector bolted from the mafioso's grasp and started running back towards the subway. He started to scream.

            "Help!!! Mob!!! Help me!!!!!!!"

            Without so much as breaking a sweat, the iguana took a small pen out of his pocket and flicked it over to an old woman near the hedgehog, who gave a screech as the pen whapped her hand and caused her to fling her purse into the air. It landed in front of Hector, who tripped over it.

            "Duaah!!!!" Hector lost his balance and slammed his head into the stair railing of the entrance to the subway. The last thing he saw was grey, then slate, then black.

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            The figure in the Racer X crossed his legs as he looked over at the driver. Outside, the buildings passed by.

            "How much longer do we have?"

            "Not much longer," the driver replied. "We're just about nearing our destination."

            "Good." the figure looked over to the back seat. "Good."

            A moan came from the passenger who lay there. A compress was on Hector's forehead, which had a large bump on it.

            "He's waking?"

            "Yes." The figure nodded. "And about time too. Stop the car."

            The car stopped, and when it did, the figure got out of the front seat. He transferred himself to the back of the car, and situated himself onto the left side. He crossed his legs again, and watched as Hector regained consciousness.

            Giving another slight moan, Hector opened his eyes and saw him sitting there. He was obviously dressed in a three piece, similar to his, because he could see a vest and coat outlined in the shadowed, tinted windows of the highly expensive car. Whoever this guy was, whatever family he came from, he was filthy rich. And he could bust a fly like him off without blinking an eye. He already inflicted a lot of pain.

            "I see you're waking up," the figure suddenly said. "You had a nasty fall."

            "I'm gonna die" was all Hector could mutter.

            "Well, of course you're going to die," The figure gave a chuckle. "We all have to die some day. By the way, it is a lovely day outside."

            Suddenly filled with fear, Hector forgot his pain and quickly grabbed for the door handle. He pulled as hard as he could, but was unable to budge the door.

            "Cripes...!!"

            "The doors are child safety locked." The figure yawned. "It wouldn't do you much good."

            "Nnnnngh..." Hector was shaking with fear. "H-h-how are you going to do it?"

            "Do what?"

            "D-d-d-on't play with me!!" Hector's voice was shaking very badly. "I know w-w-why you're d-doing this."

            "Do you?"

            "Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-" By this time, Hector was too afraid to talk and all that could come out was a bunch of stuttering.

            "Then I suppose you could answer a question." The figure looked over at him. "Whatever happened to Sally? Did she make it to the boat?"

            "HUH?!?!?" Hector's mouth dropped. He's going to kill me, and he asks me about my comic?!

            "I'll take it as a yes."

            "T-t-t-t-then..." That was why he had been called here. Kintobar. "Kintobar sent you to kill me?"

            "Kill you?!"

            The driver and the figure started to laugh. Hector's eyes grew wide as he heard the laughing.

            "That was ihardly/i what I had in mind. I just wanted to meet you, that's all." The figure looked at Hector. "You are, after all, the writer of Sonic the Hedgehog, right?"

            "Uh....yeah." Hector was numb. How did he know, and why did his voice sound familiar? "Why? Do you read it?"

            "Naaaaah. My kid brother."

            "Oh." A blatant lie. He read it. "So you wanted to congratulate me? But...you knocked me in the head."

            "No I didn't." The driver turned around, revealing himself to be the iguana. "You tripped over the purse. You are quite clumsy."

            "B-but you threw something at that woman and made her trip me with the purse." He remembered turning around and seeing that.

            "Very observant too." the figure in the back commented. "Actually, I simply want you to do me a favor, not just for me but one that could be beneficial to you as well."

            "What?"

            "In here," Hector felt him slip something into his pocket, "is the name of the boat that a friend of mine will be coming off of at 4:30. You being a native of this city, maybe you know where this boat docks?"

            "Well, I don't-"

            "The person you are to meet," the figure continued, completely ignoring him, "has been told who to look for when being picked up from the dock, which is you. This person will be docking at 4:30, and will need to be transported by cab to the address that is on the card I just gave you."

            "B-but...I'm a comic book writer, and I don't do services for the mob!"

            "My good friend," The figure gave him a dead-on look. "If I were the mob, you would be dead for saying that. But, either way, I don't take no, and it's not a request."

            Hector stared at the figure for a moment. He could swear that, somewhere, somehow, he had heard this person's voice before. But he wasn't sure where. His eyes strayed back down, defeated. No spine at all.

            "I see that we have an understanding." the driver nodded, and unlocked the child safety locks. "With that, have a nice day. You are free to leave."

            Hector opened the car and got out to the biggest surprise of his life. It was noon, and he was in front of his office building. This whole time, and he couldn't get out. His day, and his pride, were shot.

            "Aren't you going to open the envelope?" He heard the figure say.

            Hector reluctantly did so, and found himself looking at a note, stating that the person was docking at Grandel, and that he/she/it was to be brought to...the Plaza Hotel!

            "Saaay..." Hector turned around to confront the figure. Who am I-"

            Hector was in for another treat. The car had completely disappeared. After a moment of shock, Hector cursed himself, preparing for another round of abuse as he walked into the building.

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            In the car, the two watched as Hector went into the building. The figure sighed as he took off his hat.

            "I don't know," the iguana shook his head. "Do you think he'll do it?"

            "He'll do it." The figure nodded. "I know him too well. He'd do anything to help an old friend, even if he doesn't know it..."

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            At 4:25. Hector nervously watched as the large boat came in. It was obvious to him that it would take several minutes to dock, then five hours to find the person he was looking for...

            He gave a sigh as he stared at the ship, and onto the dock of people waiting for the passengers. It took about twenty minutes to look for the stairs to be lowered, and the people filled themselves onto them, walking painfully onto land.

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            "What a strange place."

            Sally had never seen anything like it. It looked old. It smelled old. A throwback city, in a throwback country, complete with the steel-railed buildings and greasy, coiffed hairstyles.

            "All ashore!!" The sailor next to her gave a smile. "You're sure you don't want to go out on a date?"

            "Yes."

            "You're a swell-looking girl." The sailor looked down. "At least, if you wore a nice skirt."

            Sally gave a sigh as she headed towards the stairs. Another gripe about her pants, this time from a guy that had been hitting on her. Nice bow, nice vest, nice hair, nice eyes, nice shirt - oooh, you're wearing pants. Never mind.

            Reactionary pig.

            She got off the boat after a few minutes, resting a hand on her suitcase. Her eyes scanned the crowd.

            He said to look. He said I'd know. How would I-

            Then she saw him.

            No...no, that's not right.

            Her eyes widened as she saw her own Sonic, standing there, looking downright confused.

            He came to me? How? How is it possible? He's...standing there...

            Her brain ordered her feet to walk, and she did do without hesitation. She weaved her way through the crowd, passing every person, until she was standing face to face with him, and, not being sure what to expect, she opened her mouth...

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            "Hello?"

            The two voices smashed into one another in Hector's mind. It was almost as if Sally's voice had punctured into reality.

            "Excuse me? Sir??"

            His mind jerked out after the second salutation. He looked over to the origin of the sound. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened under his glasses.

            "Uhh...uuuuh..."

            "Are you..." Sally looked at him closely. "Are you the one who was told to pick me up...?"

            "Oh my god..." He couldn't believe it. S-she looks like...

            "I was told that I...I would know..." Unable to scream with joy, but just too numb to cry, Sally's eyes cast down. "I'm supposed to go to the Plaza Hotel."

            "Yeah...I mean...yes." Hector gave a nervous chuckle as he stared. "Yes, then I'm the one you're looking for..."

            "I guess you are." Sally knew it was going to be big. He had said so himself, she would know. But she didn't know...God, how could he look like him? And yet...

            The two looked at each other as they walked off of the pier, and down to the street. For twenty minutes, they looked at one another. As they went down the stairs to the cab parking lot, however, Hector tripped over his feet and fell down an entire flight of stairs.

            "Oh!!! So...sir!" Sally almost let herself slip, but she ran down to grab him. "A-are you all right?!"

            "Uuuugh...yeah..." Hector mumbled. "This isn't the first time this has happened today..."

            "I'll hail a cab."

            She tried to flag one down to no avail for five minutes. Finally, she was able to get one, but it had another passenger in it.

            "Oh." Sally gave a chuckle. "I...I guess this is taken."

            "Not really." The cab driver shook his head. It's Tuesday. We fill up with as many peoples as possible. Where to, pretty lady?"

            "Plaza Hotel." Sally took her bag. "Come on, err..."

            "Hector. Hector Hedgehog."

            "Right." It would take some getting use to. "Come on...Hector."

            The two climbed into the back with an old man in his sixties. Hector rubbed his head as he got scrunched in the middle, and Sally took the left side.

            "Two for two..."

            "Hello there, sir and ma'am." The old man cocked his head. "I hope you two enjoy your stay in this cab."

            So the cab went out of the dock, and drove into the city in silence. There wasn't much chatty talk, though Hector and Sally kept staring at each other, unable to take their eyes off.

            This is so wierd, Hector thought. She's like Princess Sally, the girl of my dreams...the girl in my comic...Oh God!!!...

            This guy... Sally stared intensely. I could swear that without the glasses and the suit, he was Sonic...but he doesn't sound like him at all. It's incomprehendable. Her thoughts suddenly became indignant. What kind of balls does he have, sending this guy to fetch me?!? He'd better have a good explanation...

            "So, you guys on your honeymoon?"

            "Huh?!?" The two looked at the old man, who gave them a smile.

            "You guys do look like a perfect couple."

            "Umm...I'm just an escort." Hector started to sweat. "Just an escort..." For this freaky lady who looks like the girl in my comic...

            "Right." The old man laughed. "I've seen your type before."

            On the left side of the car, a black auto drove up, the window open.

            "I'm going to Broadway, of course." The old man commented. "Nice place they have down there. Ever been there?"

            "No." Hector could say it as a fact. His mother hated watching live performances.

            "You and your friend should go. It's a lifetime experience," the man winked at Sally.

            A dark figure in the black van quietly screwed a needle onto a staple gun. Up ahead, the light turned red, and both cars slowed down.

            "Lifeti-" Sally's brain clicked. "Oh no!!!"

            "What's wrong?"

            "I forgot where I put my visa!" Sally checked all of her pockets. "Damn, where did I put it?"

            "Maybe it's in your purse," Hector suggested.

            "Maybe." Sally quickly went through her purse.

            The two cars came to a complete stop. The figure quietly put his hand up and aimed.

            "It's not here," Sally's voice became frantic. "Oh, God!! I can't leave the country without it!!"

            "Calm down, miss," The old man scratched his head. "I'm sure you have it somewhere."

            "Maybe it's in the bag under your feet," Hector suggested as he leaned over to pick it up.

            "Maybe it is." Sally also leaned down to get it.

            At that moment, the figure fired the staple gun, shattering the glass on the cab door.

            "Well, I say tha-Durrrrrgh!!!"

            The old man's eyes widened as the needle shot into his neck. He made several gurgling noises before slumping down on the seat.

            "What was that?" Hector looked up to see the old man convulsing. "What the..."

            "Aaaaaagh!!!!" Sally screamed as she saw the blood trickle down from his neck.

            "HEY!!!!" The cab driver turned around. "What in...Oh, my GOD!!!!"

            At that moment, Hector's eye caught the black truck. He saw a figure swearing as he took out a gun.

            "DUCK!!!!!!"

            Without thinking, Hector threw both Sally and the old man down on the floor as bullets riddled the car. The cab driver ducked as well, but he was hit in the arm.

            "Mother of pearl!! Bastards!!!"

            The black car screeched as the light turned green, then drove away, weaving through the traffic as it disappeared.

            "Of all the..." The cab driver looked to the back. "Hey, is everyone all right in here?!?"

            "No!!" Sally gasped as she angrily forced back tears. "This poor old man..."

            "Sonofabitch!!" The cab driver looked over to Hector. "Kid, you know where Mercy is?!"

            "I would know if I could drive." Hector tumbled over the seat as the cab driver moved over to the passenger seat in the front. "Doh!!"

            "Listen, kid, I'll let this ride be free if you can get us to Mercy before the old man croaks!!"

            "Ok!!!!"

            Hector shifted gears and jammed on the gas. The car jumped backwards for about five seconds before stopping and revving forward into the traffic.