The Realization of Hector Hedgehog
A Story of the Secret Life
Ch. 6
Huh?
iThe cold, damp cellar had no windows. All there was in it were two chairs, with two sleeping figures in them, and a jug of water, nothing more. It was the perfect prison inside the elaborate mansion.
The sun was still high when the echidna's eyes fluttered open. Muttering, he went to rub his eyes but found himself unable to do it very easily. His hands were tied to the chair he was sat in.
"Dammit." He turned to the figure next to him, a hedgehog. "Hector!!"
"Nnn..."
The other figure's eyes slowly opened. The emerald green irises were the brightest things in the room. The echidna stared at he waking figure in shock.
"Is this possible..you've...?."
"Ugh..." The hedgehog muttered. "I feel like a sledgehammer just had a talk with my skull. Knux, where are we?"
"I don't know..." Knuckles was shocked that he was seeing what he was seeing. "We were gassed by that dog, remember?"
"Parker Kane." The thought made him a bit preturbed. "Yeah, sort of."
"I guess you know what happened, then, don't you?" Knuckles quietly grasped the knot in his bindings. Is it a right tilting double-knot? Hm...I wish I had fingernails sometimes...
"Sort of." The hedgehog quietly bent in his seat. "Look, I don't have much time. It's a miracle I even was able to take control of the shell. We've got to get out of here before the effect of that gas wears off of Hector. If he wakes up before then, we're sitting ducks."
"No problem." Almost got it. "But what about the princess?"
"We'll have to assume Sal's in the same building we are." The hedgehog suddenly went into a triple spin, cutting his own ropes. "Just have to remember the name and number, and we'll be on our way."
"No problem for me." Knuckles silently finished untying the double knot (Thank God). He spotted the suit he had disguised himself in, and he took it with him. "Let's do it."
With that, the two bounded up the stairs, and opened the door.
"What the-"
The guards on duty were mowed down by Knuckles' right hook. Grabbing Knuckles' hand, the hedgehog suddenly ran down the hall at speeds only thought to be achievable by car. After several turns, and several more guards, the hedgehog bounded down a large hall. At the end of the hallway was a large window.
"Sonic!!" Knuckles grabbed onto the back of the hedgehog's shoulder. "You're not...!!!"
"Sorry, Knux!!" The hedgehog went faster. "And you can't fly. The city'll see."
"SONIC!!!"
With a resounding leap, the two crashed through a window if the luxurious mansion, landing in a large field of tulips. Trampling through, the two quickly ran into the gardens and jumped over the main gate. As the hedgehog landed, he gave a yell and grabbed his head.
"Dammit..."
"Sonic?!? Wait!! Don't go yet!!!"
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"Ms. Irme!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The corn was starting to boil over on the stove. "What should I do with this now?"
"Just take it out, dear, I'll handle it in a minute." With a sigh, Hector's mother took out a phonebook. "Now where is that man, I wonder? He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. I guess it doesn't matter, though..."
"Oh, but I just love it when he comes over for dinner!!" Mina merrily burnt her hands as she tossed the corn into a bowl. "Dinner is no fun without him!!"
As the two chattered on about the inevitable Wednesday night dinner: roast beef and corn. As Hector's Mother took the roast out of the oven, some juice splattered onto the floor.
"Oh, gosh darn it!!" She gave a sigh. "Well, I guess the beef is overcooked once again."
"Oh, Ms. Irme," Mina chirped. "It doesn't matter! After all, burnt or no your meals are absolutely on par with a world class chef's!"
"Do you really think so?" Hector's mother brightened up.
"Of course I do!!"
"Mina Mongoose, you will make a wonderful housewife to that son of mine!!" Hector's mother marveled. "But speaking of him, I think I need to rouse him up somehow. Dooh!!" She took off her apron. "Three hours straight he's slept since he got home, and Kintobar called me up in a fury for his missing work!! I'll just have to talk about that to him!!"
As Hector's mother bounded upstairs, the phone rag. Mina absent-mindedly picked it up.
"Hello?"
--------------
"So, little princess." The ferret slowly paced around the room. "You thought that you could outwit me and the gang. Unfortunately, you have been seriously underestimating us."
Sally's struggle with the ropes weren't working too well. Even with all of the wriggling, her attempts were futile. Damn. At least I have a chance with the mouth gag...
"Of course, this lovely country has some...advantages to it." The ferret continued. "After all, their technology cannot possibly stand up to ours, given that this whole world is essentially outdated compared to you and I. Oh yes, but once I have repossessed the chip from your friends I will have no need for you. The Dark King will have no need for you. Do you understand?"
When Sally didn't reply, the ferret simply huffed and turned back towards the window.
"So," he turned back to Porter and Ingo. "I must also deal with incompetence in Group B as well as with the princess. Somehow the others managed to escape me...from my own house. Tell me how they happened to do it."
"Boss, if I may speak-"
"No, you may not speak." The ferret sharply cut Porter's plea. "Especially since the one that we deemed unviable as an ally to the Freedom Fighters escaped with the echidna...through my tulip garden. Pray tell, how did they get through my tulip garden in the first place?"
"Sir..." Ingo felt compelled to defend Porter. "So..." It's hard to think that that kid isn't Sonic, but I'd better change it for Porter's sake. "The hedgehog used a pick to escape. Then Knuckles managed to subdue that guards while...the hedgehog opened a passage out into your gardens and into the street."
"I see." The ferret frowned. "I want you to find them both and kill them."
"You'll never get them, Simon."
The three turned to Sally, who successfully wriggled her mouth and got the gag off. All right. I got their attention. Got to look cool and aloof, even though I am flat-out scared at this particular moment. She gave a laugh, so that she (hopefully) passed herself off as cocky. Take the bait. Come on....
"Knuckles is Angel Island's greatest defender. You could never find and defeat a fighter like him. And Sonic is the fastest creature in the universe." And if I'm going to be tortured, at least I want my say. "When the end comes, all you've done will be nothing but dust."
The expected slap came to the left side of her face. Sally didn't make a sound as the ferret's hand slashed across her face. Come on, I've been hit by pillows that were harder...
"Lock her up." Simon turned to Parker. "Lock the door tight. And as for the echidna and that...hedgehog," The ferret gave Parker a gun. "I want them brought to me, dead or alive. Go, and don't fail me this time!"
--------------
"And I don't want you to be outside of your workplace until after five, understand?"
"Yes, mother."
Hector's mother trooped Hector back down the stairs into the kitchen, where Mina was talking on the phone. However, Hector's mind was elsewhere. He was still unsure of whether or not he was going insane.
I thought...that I was in this big house...with Knuckles... Hector's thoughts went back to the fuzzy memories that he had of the past several hours. It couldn't be possible, that I helped Knuckles escape...could it? No, that's not possible. I'm not that strong. I can't even open the top of a jelly jar!
He had suddenly found himself awake, inside his room. He didn't know how, for he thought he had been in that theater….
"Oh! Guess what!" Mina squealed as she hung up. "That was Geoffrey, Heck! He's coming over after all!!"
"That's nice, Mina." Oh, great. Geoffrey. As if I need another lecture.
"We have to go pick him up at his bank. I'll drive!"
"And I'll come with you, Mina darling." Hector's mother gave Hector a warning look. "Now I don't want you to touch my roast beef. That's for when Geoffrey and Ms. Gertrude come. Understand?"
"Yes, mother." I wouldn't want to eat it anyways.
"Bye now! And shut the door after us!!"
As they left, Hector went to close the door. However, as his hand reached for the knob, the door suddenly shut, seemingly on it's own. Hector stared at the door for a split second before making a dive for the phone.
"NnnnNNNNNNMMMMMMMM!!!!!!"
Hector's body was suddenly pulled violently away from the phone. A hand flew over his mouth. The hedgehog thrashed to get free, but to no avail.
"Mmmmphmphmmmp-"
"Shut up," Knuckles hissed. "They'll hear you!"
"Mmmph?!"
Knuckles' other hand went around Hector's neck as he quietly listened to the outside sounds. First came a slam, then an engine was turned on, and the engine itself rolled out of the driveway and into the distance. Good.
After about a minute, Knuckles released his hold on Hector, and the poor boy tumbled away, gasping for air. Knuckles then walked over to the corner where he had silently hidden and picked up his suit disguise, dropping it on the couch as he walked.
"Sorry." Knuckles brushed his knees off. "It's necessary that I do that."
"Right," Hector gasped.
"Look, I'm not sure how much time we have. Can we talk?"
"Look, I-"
"It's important. I don't think that you want to just brush off what I have to say so easily." Knuckles looked over to the kitchen. "What's that smell?"
"Smell?"
"Is that barbecued ribs?" Knuckles abruptly walked over to the kitchen, sniffing. "You know, your mom seems to make ribs all the time. It's unhealthy."
"Uh, actually," Hector jumped up. "That's roast beef."
"Roast beef?!" Knuckles looked over the pan with the blackened meat and frowned. "This is sacrileged nuclear waste. If my mother fed me this, I'd be messed up too."
"Ha. Don't make fun of my mom."
"But you don't like the way she treats you. Admit that much to me."
Hector's eyes cast down. There was no mistaking that. He gave a shrug.
"Yeah, I don't like it. I had-"
"-an older brother?" Knuckles opened the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. "He died, though, before you were born. So your mom kind of takes it out on you to be the mama's boy."
"Uh..." Hector's eyes grew wide at Knuckles' sudden spout of wisdom. "How did you know that?"
"Sonic told me." Knuckles took a glass and poured the milk in it. He looked up from it and shot an amused look. "What? You look shocked. You don't mind that I have something to drink, do you?"
"N-n-no." Hector's mind reeled. Sonic told you...about me!?!? But Sonic is make-believe!!
"You'd be surprised what's real and what isn't, hedgehog." Knuckles drank a good amount of the milk he had before setting it down on the table. "Don't be so surprised, you should know that I can read your thoughts. Remember, I've been around since Pachacamac ruled the world?"
With that, Knuckles sat down at the table. Hector just kept staring, unable to completely comprehend what was happening. With as much pretense as he could muster, he gave a half-hearted laugh.
"I...don't understand." Hector looked at Knuckles as he adjusted his glasses. "I really don't. I've been in this crazy dream for almost two weeks now, and I just can't seem to wake up."
"I hate to bust your bubble, hedgehog," Knuckles voice lowered. "But this is no dream. Everything you have seen is real. Just as everything that Sonic has seen is real."
"Sonic? Real? Now I know you're crazy."
"Am I?"
The question came out so calmly, in such a rational manner, that Hector not only found it hard to answer, but found it scary that he was realizing that maybe Knuckles was right.
"Um, look, I..." Hector found himself unable to say anything.
"Sit." Knuckles offered a chair. "Your friends won't be home, so I think this would be a good time to talk."
"I..."
"Sit." Hector suddenly found himself sitting in the chair, mainly because part of him begged for the preservation of his life. "We're going to have a talk about you."
"Uh...ok..." Oh, swell, I'm going to get grilled by a made-up character now. What a day.
"What a day indeed." Knuckles' reply completely took Hector aback, even after what had been said before. The echidna got up and walked towards a cabinet, taking out a jelly jar as he did. Putting the jar on the table, he stood. "And, despite what you believe, Sonic is very much alive. He is in you."
"Of course he is." Hector couldn't help but chuckle again. "I created him."
"Hm..." Knuckles frowned. "Maybe I didn't clarify enough. He's...in you. Right now. In you. Understand?
"I don't."
"Figures." Knuckles shook his head. "You'll never save Sally like this, if you end up as this loser."
"I am not a loser!!!!!"
With a strange clarity unbecoming of himself, Hector found himself standing, face to face, eye to eye, with Knuckles, fists clenched. Reproach, if not complete surprise, sprang into Knuckles' eyes before he gave a cough.
"Ok, I get your point. Just sit down and let me finish before you bash my brains."
"Fine."
Hector almost completely scared himself to the point of wetting his pants as he sprung up. But it was inexplicable to him that he could even have done it in the first place. Wow. I think I scared him. That felt really good!
"How did you feel just now?"
"Huh?" Hector looked back at Knuckles.
"How you felt. When you just jumped up."
"Well..." Hector decided to use the best term for it. "Different."
"Different? I thought so. Like Sonic?"
"I..." The grasp of his feelings began to dawn on him. "...Yeah."
"There's a very simple answer to this. Certainly, you can't feel something unless you're real, right?"
"Right-no." Hector quickly gasped. "You can't tell me...!!!"
"Yes I can. I will. Your comic is real, Hector. Everyone in your comic is real. Acorn Kingdom, the Dark King, Group B is real. Sonic's real, just like Sally and I are real. And would you like to know how you know so much about us, Hector?"
"Ummm..." Hector was flabbergasted. "I...I...I..."
"Of course you do." Knuckles nodded. "Because Sonic let you find out. Just as you let Sonic know about you, which is why I know so much about you. Both of you have become almost like two halves of a whole. Soon, you will truly be one."
"Huh?" The clarity of a moment ago was beginning to leave Hector. "Howzat?"
"You and Sonic. Somehow, in some way, you and Sonic the Hedgehog slowly acknowledged one another's existence. Then, as the years began to pass, both of your bodies began to...well, there's no better term than that they began to meld together."
"So, what you're saying is that I'm turning into Sonic?" This is getting more weird all of the time. Way past cool...wait, why I am thinking that?
"In a matter of speaking. Something like this really doesn't happen everyday, so it's pretty much almost impossible to explain in terms other than layman's." Knuckles Unfortunately, the toll on both of your bodies has started to become apparent."
"Toll?"
"It's gotten to where you both are so in tune with each other physically, spiritually, mentally, even chronologically, that your bodies have started to act as if there was only one of you. Haven't you noticed?" Knuckles turned towards the window. "Maybe, at first, it was only mentally in your thoughts that Sonic began to emerge in you, and you maybe attributed it to just growing older, like with your opinion of your mom's cooking. Recently, though, with our exodus to your city you've started to change drastically. You can't deny that you've started to eat chili dogs, for one thing. No, don't say anything, because you know you used to never be able to stand near chili without throwing up. And...not to make you feel uncomfortable...when have you been able to lose almost twenty pounds within the time span of a week? Answer me that."
As Hector started to protest, he stopped to consider what Knuckles has just said. It just sounds too crazy. Yet...he's right. Like today, I didn't turn green around the chili. And I did lose a lot of weight ever since my meeting with Sal...er, Sally....
"Here's the main clincher, though. When you daydream of Sonic, you stop to think of him. You are unable to do anything else but watch as his life unfolds. The same goes for him now as well. When you are not daydreaming, he must watch your life as it unfolds, only able to become his own person when you are thinking of him."
"How, though?" It was still somewhat vague to him. "How do I know that what you're saying is true? That when I daydream, Sonic can exist, and when Sonic exists I am incapacitated?".
"What about when Sally slapped you? Is that of any meaning?"
"Sal." The more Hector thought about both what Knuckles was saying, the more it seemed real. "That's right. She yelled at me for chaining Sonic. I...guess I didn't understand it two hours ago, but I do now."
"You didn't know what you know two hours ago." Knuckles couldn't help chuckling for a moment. After that moment, his face became serious. "But here is something else you ought to know as well, and I don't know how you'll take it, so just listen until I finish."
Hector nodded as Knuckles said this. This is all so strange. What's even stranger is that I'm willing to believe him. Yet what he's saying seems so right. Ever since that day in calculus...
"You and Sonic will probably become one mind, one body soon." Knuckles turned back to Hector. "When that happens, when Sonic no longer comes when you daydream, then you both'll have a decision. You'll have to Realize."
"Realize?"
"A term for us echidnas. It means that one of you must relinquish the freedom of self completely and surrender to the other. It was an old term for what you would call slavery. But in your case," Knuckles drew a breath, "it means that one of you must surrender your life, yourself, in order for the both of you to live. It's like mental nirvana. One of the two of you must die."
"What...?!" Hector couldn't believe his ears. As what he said sunk in, he sprung up. "Ok!!! I believed you up until now. Now I'm sure you're crazy!! How can we be in the same body with one of us dead, if there is such a thing as two living things sharing a body?!? And why would either of us, if what you're saying is true, want to even consider killing off another person is beyond me!!!"
"But you have to," Knuckles objected. "It's the only way to save yourself, or Sonic, and Sally!!"
"No, no, no!!!! No." Hector walked towards the front door and opened it. "I want you out."
"What?!?" Knuckles couldn't believe his ears.
"Now I see what you really are. You are nothing more than a crazy person pretending to be someone from an imaginary - yes, imaginary - world!! And I have no need to go insane over things that aren't real. So leave!!"
"I see it now." Knuckles' eyes flashed with anger. "I thought you would understand. You, of all people, Hector! You've been the object of ridicule all of your life. You swore that you would make a difference, that you would be someone. But how can you be someone if you aren't willing to see past your nose!!"
"Out!!!!!!!"
"Fine. Suit yourself. Have a nice life." Knuckles grabbed his hat and suit. "I hope you're happy with your decision."
Without another word, Knuckles angrily exited the house, slamming the door behind him. With just as much anger, Hector picked up the jar of jelly and wrang it in his hands.
That crazy...He's so crazy....I can't believe that I even believed him for a moment!!
POP!!!!!!!!!!
A new sound came from Hector's left hand without warning. He looked down to see what it had been, and to his horror the top of the jelly jar was in his hand.
I...opened the jelly jar...
Two voices suddenly arose outside, one being Knuckles', the other's being a surprised Reese's. Hector blankly stared at the jelly top in his hand as he heard the invisible Spyder screech away from his house.
Oh my God... After a moment, the realization of what he did hit him like a ton of bricks. He was right. He's still right.
With an angry growl, Hector grabbed his head and slouched into the kitchen chair, not caring that he just threw the open jar of jelly all over the kitchen floor. Outside, he could hear Mina's squealing as she got out of her car.
"Heck!!!!" Mina bounced in. "We're hoooome!!!!!"
As Geoffrey walked into the dining room, he brought out a wrapped parcel.
"Hey there, Hector." Geoffrey looked a little amused as he spotted the opened jelly jar. "You mum helped you with that?"
"Sure." I am stupid. I am stupid. I am stupid.
"Hector!" Hector's mother gasped as she spotted the half drunken milk glass. "You know not to waste things!!! Put the jelly and the milk back where they belong this instant!!!"
"Yes, mother." My forehead says 'Dunce'. My forehead says 'Dunce'.
As he put them away, and as the table was set for dinner, Geoffrey approached Hector with the parcel in his hand.
"I say, why don't you open this?"
"Why should I?"
"Heh. It's a wedding present, just for you."
"For me?" I'm not to sure I should be opening this...
"Of course." Geoffrey nodded. "Go on, take it."
Without a second thought, Hector took the present and opened it. All at once, white powder sprayed all over him, getting all over the place. Hector rolled his eyes (because his glasses were completely sprayed over with the powder and no one could see his eyes) as he quietly threw the box aside and marched upstairs.
"Hahahahaha!!!!!" He could hear Mina laugh. "That was sooo funny!!!!!"
-------------
The invisible Spyder screeched to a halt in front of a large mansion, making tire tracks as it did. With a grim look, Reese stripped his disguise off inside the car. In the back, Knuckles silently looked out of the window.
"Knuckles." Reese threw his suit into the back. He wore nothing more than a belt and large black boots. "You sure you're not going to try to talk to him again?"
"I have no need to talk to him again." Knuckles' reply was blunt. "If that's the way he sees it, then let him see it that way."
"Still..."
"I've said my goodbyes, and that's it." Knuckles opened the passenger door. "He holds Sonic's life under lock and key, if he so wishes to do that. It's out of our hands."
"Ok, then..."
With that, the two left the car, Reese holding a small gas bomb. Knuckles slowly scanned the gate. Several lights spontaneously went on inside the mansion.
"No need for us to hide anymore..."
The two quickly threw the gates open, and they were met by several smocked men. Knuckles quickly dispatched most of them, though three were still around.
"You're pretty annoying," Knuckles commented as he smacked two of the remaining men. "Don't you know you're dealing with an immortal?"
"Hey!" Another one started to rush Knuckles. "I wouldn't do that to Knuckles if I was you."
With that, Reese quickly lashed his tongue out, tripping the remaining guard. Knuckles gave a thumbs up as they proceeded to dismantle the cameras on the gates.
We could use your help, Hector, Knukcles thought as Reese finished bugging the cameras. I hope you're still happy with your decision...
With that, the two remaining Freedom Fighters broke into the house.
