Heya! Been a while, huh? Over ten years too long of one, I'll admit. I've grown a lot since then (I have a beard now!) but I won't try to bore you with life updates. Still… I've always had this nagging feeling in my mind that I haven't written enough in the time since. Most of my previous attempts were met with little fanfare, and it took a toll on me. So, I figure what better way to rekindle that energy and break the writer's block by getting back into one of my biggest inspirations?
This is my own unique take of Sonic the Hedgehog and its universe, something I've planned to start on well over a decade ago. Being that it's my own vision for the story the games and media have presented, not everything you know and love will be there. I still hope that in spite of the differences, I can resonate with people the same way Sonic has with me over the years. With that said, many thanks for picking up my story! Let's start this journey!
"… Benny? Benedict Beetlegard?"
"Present."
Tick, tock. A wind blurs through the lobby of the first floor, the doors of the building swinging open with a slam against the wall, swinging back between open and closed. Students shake as the burst of wind breaks through the halls, almost lifting them off their feet. The moment they turn to face whoever it was, it was gone in the blink of an eye, only a trail of blue left behind.
"Ina Hashimoto?"
"P-present!"
"James Houndson?"
"Present…"
Tick, tock. A bright, blue streak reaches from one flight of stairs to another, racing its way further up the building, second after second. Bouncing against the walls, it crashes through the doors leading to the third floor as quickly as it comes. It goes faster, faster and faster, speeding by other rooms. Footsteps charge through the halls with the squeaking of shoes rapidly hitting the vinyl tiles on the ground.
"Teressa Longhorn?"
"Present."
"Porker Lewis?"
"P-present, miss…"
Just outside of the class, a heavy screech sears into the ground. The blur fades, transforming into a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog, clad in the school's uniform, a pair of glasses and red boots. He sighs, his glove covered hands reaching up to fix up the strands of his fur just above his forehead.
'Yeah, just in time… nailed it!' He compliments himself in his mind as he reaches for the handle of the door.
"Nicky? Nicholas Needlemouse?"
The door to the room swings open. A face both familiar, yet not walks in, catching everyone's attention the moment they see and hear him step inside.
Nicky finally reveals himself to the class.
"Present."
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
-= PROJECT: GENESIS =-
"PILOT, PART 1"
The humble homeroom of Class 4B sat in silence, their mouths agape. They knew he responded to Nicky, but that couldn't be him, could it? The thoughts of the students rush in their heads, questions, concerns, all of the theories bursting in the minds like a volcano. Even his own homeroom teacher was particularly shaken by the look of the once spikier, browner Nicholas.
"Nicholas...?" His teacher, Ms. Longclaw, is the first to break the silence. "You look... different. Are you ill?"
"Me? Sick? No way! Matter of fact, I've never felt any better!" Nicky waves off his teacher's concern, walking towards his usual seat. "I just had my best jog yet. Shame I couldn't make it on time, but it is what it is."
"But you're... You're blue now. Something like this hasn't happened since...," Ms. Longclaw pondered to herself silently. But she shakes it off. "We'll... talk about this later. Let's get through attendance."
Regaining almost everyone's focus, the class quickly returned to normal, though all eyes remained on Nicky. Some were in complete awe, amazed by his newfound transformation. Others were confused, truly bewildered that this is the same hedgehog they once knew. There were even some of which were rather scornful of the now blue hedgehog, jealous of how much he's taking this situation in stride. They continued to talk amongst themselves until their teacher was finally finished with taking attendance.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm certain we've all had quite the surprise today," Ms. Longclaw laments. "But as your homeroom teacher I'd like to personally welcome you all to North Green Hill High. For those of you returning, welcome back to a new school year. I know many of you are eager to begin your next class, but I'd like to go over a few things before you start your day."
The owl turns to the chalkboard as she begins to speak and write about the rules of the school, policies, procedures, as well as nearby resources. To the children there, this was little more than white noise to their bored, less than excited minds.
Nicky, however, seemed far more preoccupied with looking at the outside world around the schoolgrounds.
The blue skies, watching over the humble Emerald Town, resting just under the mountains of North Green Hill. Beyond civilization rested large pastures as far as the eye could ever see, but not nearly as far as he could run through them, he began to think.
Feeling the cool, crisp breeze of the air, the freedom of the world around him. If there weren't important matters at hand, he'd rush right out there to see what he's missed, especially with this newfound power of his.
But his mind races back to reality. Important matters. He feels something against the bristles of his spines. He tries to shake it off, but it doesn't come out nearly as easily as he hoped.
"What the heck… spitballs?! Are you kidding me?! Yeeuck...," he mutely retches, almost ready to blow out his breakfast. But he stops, his ear twitches. The snickering of another student reaches his eardrums just in time for him to notice who it was.
"Ugh, of course… I should've known it'd be you," the hedgehog sighs, exasperated.
"Anton."
"Nice hair dye, freakshow," the lizard bully, Anton Veruca, whispered as he smirked at yet another successful shot. "Sorry I had to ruin it for ya… not! I didn't even think you could look any more stupid than you did before."
"Too bad this isn't a competition, lizard breath," Nicky quipped back. "I'd run circles all around you, but you got me beat already when it comes to bein' a one note moron."
Students overhearing the conversation giggle amongst themselves. It almost catches the attention of Ms. Longclaw as she hears the less than silent sounds of Anton fuming even louder than the others could be. She presses on, however, leaving Anton back to Nicholas.
"Listen here, pincushion," he snarls. Nicky feels himself being brought closer to Anton, the grip against his collar tight. The hedgehog wheezes for air.
"I don't care what stupid makeover you get, you're still that little punk that did nothing but get in my way since middle school. I'll prove that no matter what happens, I'M the top dog around here. Y'got that?!"
"We're not little kids, Veruca," Nicholas grunts against the grip. "And I'm not going to let myself get pushed around by a bully like you. Besides, you could never land a hit on me anyway, you're full of nothing but the same tricks. Always letting others do the dirty work for you, you're all bark, no bite."
"Quit the tough guy act! I'll bite ya here and now if you don't shut your trap and KNOW YOUR PLA..."
"Mr. Veruca."
The lizard gasps, releasing his hedgehog adversary. He's in trouble now. Longclaw holds her ruler in her hands as she watches the bully with a stern, cold glaze.
"Let's make this clear," she spoke, moving closer towards Anton's seat. "I don't have the patience to put up with your… usual nonsense. It is the first day of class. You should know better than to stir up trouble this early."
"But I didn't even…"
"No. I don't want to hear it today," she leans in closer towards him, her fierce stare growing more intense as she eyes her mischievous student. She watches his begin to sweat a little as the atmosphere between the two grows harsh.
"I'm going to let you off on a warning for now, solely because I don't want to stop you from learning in classes, be it for your growth in knowledge or as a person. Everyone deserves the right to be educated. Being that your father's such a renowned individual, it's only fair you should learn from his example, by setting an example for your fellow peers. Is that understood?"
"… Y-Yeah, teach." Anton crosses his arms with a shrug, the glare of his teacher shaking him to his core yet staying focused on making himself look cool. It doesn't remove the shame of having to be the odd one out for causing trouble, however.
"Thank you, Anton," the homeroom teacher moves back to her desk. "And this goes out to the rest of you. I appreciate no foolishness of any kind. As your homeroom teacher I want nothing more than what's best for all of you as my class, and I can't have that if you're all making enemies out of each other."
Despite humbler appearances, Anton returns his glare towards Nicky, who smirks. The bully can do nothing but harshen his own scowl and wish nothing but terrible things to happen to the hedgehog.
"With everything out of the way, I hope you're all prepared for a wonderful school year," still speaking, Ms. Longclaw reaches for a folder on her table, stuffed with papers for the whole classroom. "Oh, but before you're all sent off to your next class, I have an assignment for you."
Cue the audible groaning of cranky students. Nicholas himself joining in the miserable chorus of the scorned.
"Now now, everyone, please save your roaring applause for the end, I haven't even been able to explain it yet."
Students begin to hand out papers between one another as the teacher explains the assignment.
"Being that this is the first day, I want to keep the fun going by letting you all reminisce on what you've done over the summer," she sits down as she smiles, her winged hands locked together.
A hand raises, belonging to another student: Porker Lewis. "Wait, do you mean… everything we've done over the summer? A-as in… EVERYTHING everything?! B-because that… that sure sounds like a lot…"
"Not everything, Porker. Just what you feel was the most important or interesting for you over your vacation," Ms. Longclaw clarifies. "There's only enough room for you to write down whatever you feel resonated with you. It's a nice, fun little exercise that'll get your minds all geared up for the year. I'm certain the lot of you all have fun things to share with me, and I can't wait to hear back from you when the assignment is due next week!"
Nicky tenses up as he's handed the assignment papers. There was a lot that happened to him over the course of those three and a half months, he's sure of it. A lot of good, and a lot of bad.
Hardly could he call it a "vacation", though…
Before he could even start to ponder on the details of his homework, the bell rang, it was time for the real classes to begin. Other students were quick to leave and chat with each other over their own summer vacation experiences. Some still reeling over the altercation between Nicky and his old adversary.
The blue hedgehog himself would soon follow suit, leaving just moments before the class was empty, but not before he's stopped by his name getting called out.
"Nicky? If you could stay for a moment," Longclaw speaks up to grab her student's attention.
"Huh? What's up, miss?" His bookbag over his shoulder, he turns to face his teacher.
"I just wanted to thank you for standing up to Anton," she grimaces. "In you doing so gave me the courage to put a stop to his ways. I just wasn't sure if it was right of me to do the same, at first. His father truly is a renowned fellow. I wouldn't dare to get on his bad side, but Anton… He's something else, I'm certain you're aware."
"More than just that, teach," he shrugs with a sigh. "Dude's been on me just for existing! Not once did he expect me to stand up for myself, so I decided enough was enough. I'm never gonna let anyone get in the way of someone else's dreams just to be a bully."
Longclaw opens her mouth to say something, seemingly surprised. But she laughs instead as she closes her eyes with a sigh.
"Always standing against bigger odds. It's no wonder your uncle speaks so highly of you."
"Hey, if I don't stand up for myself, who else is gonna do it for me?"
"All too true… You are an inspiration, Nicholas. I can't thank you enough. I hope your paper is as exciting to hear from as you are."
Longclaw watches Nicky leave the room… but not before she sees him stop as he faces her one last time.
"Hey, no spoilers, teach. I'm sure it'll all be a real hoot for ya. No pun intended," he muses as he pulls up his glasses. "But, between you and me, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How good are you at keeping a secret?"
Noon turns to the evening, and the bells toll as the school day ends. Nicky decides to wait a bit longer to catch in the sights of the setting blue to orange sky. But it was more than just sightseeing he was accomplishing, as he turns to face the opening doors, sounding the appearance of another student.
"Took ya long enough, Porker," Nicky says, not moving an inch from where he sat.
"S-sorry, Nicky," Porker sighs, meeting his friend just down the stairs of the entrance. "I really tried to get here as fast as I could, but…"
"Ah, save the excuses, buddy. I'm just glad you made it outta there in one piece."
As Porker treads down the stairs, Nicky hops up to lead a path out of the schoolyard.
"So, first day, huh? Not much happens, I'll admit. It's a bit boring," the hedgehog shrugs as he walks backwards to face his pal.
"O-of course you'd think that. You know it'll get harder the longer it goes on, r-right…?"'
"Yeah, but I like a challenge. Keeps me on my feet," he answered back, reaching for his bookbag. He pulls out his homework assignment as the two exit the yard, just a mere block past it. "Speaking of challenges… it'll be real hard explaining anything I've been through over the summer."
"Right… I-I almost wanted to forget that all happened…," Porker stammered. "It was horrible… Well, what happened to you, at least… I just couldn't take the pressure. All those machines… It… It was too scary, and I couldn't even fight back…"
"Hey." Porker feels a hand rest on his shoulder. Before he could begin to reach a triad of self-doubt, his best friend gives him a thumbs up.
"You did the best you could. No one I know was left to tell me anything about what happened over in the Zones. I couldn't thank you enough for the help you've given me. Besides…," Nicky turns back around, his mind starting to wander into darker places itself. "… That whole situation kind of was my fault."
"No, it wasn't, don't say that! Y-you didn't know," Porker tried to encourage his friend. "You might be the fastest on your feet, but you're still a person, Nicky. No one person has that much awareness!"
"… Shoot, you're right," Nicky smiled, mostly reassured from the self-doubt still haunting him over that event. The thought still lingered, but ignoring it seemed to be the best course of action. "Thanks, pal. I dunno what's gotten into me. But the next time I find that bully, I'll give 'im what- OWCH!"
POW! An unexpected uppercut knocks Nicky back, landing right on the ground. His bookbag falls to his side, as well as the contents of it.
"NICKY!" Porker yells, but even he's struck with fear as he realized who threw that punch…
Anton.
"How's that for awareness?!" The bully laughs, mocking the stumbling hedgehog. Nicky's glasses also fell, making it harder for him to see. Papers float down to the sidewalk, and the dingle-lingle-ling of a fallen ring were all to be heard beyond Anton's laughter.
"Ugh…," groans Nicky. "You… were waiting for that one, weren't ya…?"
"W-what's your problem, Anton!? We were just trying to get home!" Porker quickly helps Nicholas grab his belongings. "Jumping us in the middle of a walk is just… just…"
"Just what, nerd? Rude? Mean? Whatever it is you're gonna squeal out of your mouth, I don't wanna hear it, bacon lips!" Anton slowly approaches Nicky, cracking his fists, then his neck.
"For once, though, you're right. I've been waitin' a loooong time for this, blue boy," the bully's got his hold on Nicky again, raising him up from the ground, once again by the collar. Nicky tries to break free but struggles against how tight the grip was. "How dare you try and make a fool outta me in front of everyone?!"
"L-L... Leave him alone, you jerk!"
"How about you put a sock in it, swine?!" Anton yelled, snapping his fingers. Two more lizards grab him by the ankles, snickering as they watch him struggle. "Looks like you're already the bonus beatdown for my li'l bros. Meet Hud, Tod and… wait, where's…"
"Mad's out getting' sis, bro. We went over this," Hud yelled at his older brother.
"I thought I was getting Migu!"
"You were supposed to, but whose bright idea was it to get you into detention?! You dunderhead!" Tod also joined in with yelling, it was starting to get to Porker, helpless as he might be.
"Y-you guys sure do… talk a lot…," he tried to quip at the bullies… but that only seemed to make them angrier at the pig instead.
"SHUT UP!" All three of the Veruca brothers shouted at the less than fortunate Porker. However, Anton's attention returns to Nicky.
"It's about time I get to finally pummel you in the ground like the animal you were meant to be!" His tail began to whip and lash against the air, Anton grins as he was finally ready to show the hedgehog his place…
…but he wasn't there.
"What the… where'd he go?!" Anton panicked… suddenly hearing something that sounded like… a buzzsaw?
But that wasn't quite it. The sound seemed to get louder from afar…
VREEEEEEEEE…!
"Hey, this isn't the forest… who's chopping wood around here?!" The bully lizard looked to his left, then his right… he wasn't sure where the sound was coming from, until…
"The only one gettin' chopped here… is YOU, Veruca!"
A ball PUNTS right into Anton's chest, sending him straight into the ground. His body hits the concrete pavement, sliding as he groans. The ball headed straight for Porker and Anton's little brothers.
The ball cruises around the ground, circling the three, around and around and around. It was moving so fast, the three in the circle almost couldn't tell it who it was.
As the ball moved around and around, Porker could feel himself being lifted off the ground, with the others. A small tornado began to form with the speed the ball was moving, using the wind to raise everyone into the air. Both Hud and Tod were having a hard time trying to keep holding on… Inevitably, they let go, screaming as they head off to the air. They land on top of their brother, still in a daze. Porker also fell down, but lands on the nearby patch of grass on the sidewalk.
And with the fight over as quickly as it started, the blue ball screeches to a halt and jumps into the air, uncurling itself to reveal it was Nicky all along.
"C'mon, Porker, the longer we stay here, the more likely they're gonna come to. Grab your stuff and hold on real tight to me! We're up, over and gone!"
With little more than a slightly hesitant nod, Nicky is at once joined by a very weirded out Porker, who made sure to grab his belongings… not before he immediately starts praying for dear life at the speeds Nicholas was running.
"W-WAIT! NICKY! SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOOOOWN…!"
In a supersonic second, the pair of friends would dash off into town, the blue speedster hightailing it somewhere safe, cheering all the while. The screams of his pig friend would slowly bring the Veruca family back up in a moment's time.
"Whuh?! Huh?! Where'd that brat go…?!" Anton looked around for any sight of Nicky and Porker, but to his dismay, they were gone, with only a speeding trail of blue in the distance to show for it.
"NGAAAH! This ain't over, Needlemouse! THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU, YOU'RE DEAD, YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!"
"Sheesh, what a sore loser…," Hud chimes to his other brother. Tod nods.
"Grr...," Anton growls, his face growing a fuming red in anger. "I'LL GIVE YA SOMETHIN' TO GET SORE OVER! C'MERE YOU LOUSY PUNKS!"
"Uh oh! Run for it, he's angry…!" The brothers were quick to realize the error of their ways.
Turning heel on his brothers proved their point, as he gave chase to his screaming siblings on yet another failed attack.
Miles and miles away from the school, Nicky finally screeches to a halt. He pants, the adrenaline wearing off after a long run. Porker, very shaken, lets go of his friend.
"Phew! What a rush! That'll show him not to mess with us, right Porker, ol' buddy?" Nicky stretches his arms and legs, looking at his friend.
Porker was less than enthusiastic about the experience.
"W-w-w-w-w-WHAT WAS THAT?!" He yelled, still in shock. "Y-you… fast! So fast! I mean, you were fast before but… holy heck, that was… that was INSANE!"
"I know! Pretty cool, right?"
"I mean, yeah? No?! I don't know how to feel, I almost threw up my lunch! I feel like my life just flashed before my eyes!" Porker grips his head with his two hands, panting as he tried coming to terms with just how FAST Nicky went from point A to B. "And that ball move, that was you?! How'd you do that?!"
"I gotta be honest with you, Lewis. I don't know," Nicky shrugs, sheepishly. "I was just really in the moment. Anton's just so busy trying to GET to me, dude, it… it ticked me off, so I had to do something. I couldn't just take his crap like I have every other time, like WE have."
"I…"
"… Okay, maybe not the point. All of what I did, it's just what came naturally to me. That big bully couldn't stop themselves from causing a scene with his folks, so I did what I thought I could do best, and somehow, the idea… came to me."
The two friends remained silent for a moment.
"… Are you gonna give those moves names?" Porker asked.
"Oh, dude I thought you'd never ask," Nicky jokes. "But I'm in a 'throw darts on the board and see what sticks' process right now. I was thinking, 'super spin… thingy?' Or 'ball charge' or something."
"How about, uh... dash… spin... attack?" Porker suggests. "It's… r-really simple, kinda stupid…"
"No, no... This… this works. This totally works! Porker, you're a genius!" Nicky gives his friend a hi-five, who abashedly takes it open in return. "That'll be my Super Spin Dash Attack from here on out! I can even call it the 'spin dash' for short! You're a lifesaver, bro!"
"But you just saved my life, I should be saying that to you…"
"Learn to just say 'thank you', Porker. It'll save you the trouble."
Porker watches his friend approach a door in front of the house: his home. Before he could say anything, Nicky turns around as he pulls out his house keys.
"Yo, P," Nicky calls to Porker. "Think you can get home from here? I could getcha over there in a sec."
"N-no! No, it's… it's fine. I can walk…," Porker sighed. "I think I've had enough excitement for today. Anton's the kind of guy that knows how to keep folk like us on our toes, for sure. But I swear I'll be fine! I promise."
"Suit yourself," Nicky shrugs.
"… But before I go… how do you feel?"
"Me? I'm fine, most of the exhaustion's on the mental, really. Nothin' a quick fixin' and a nap can't solve."
"N-no, I mean… how do you feel? Like… your body. All that energy… is it good for you?"
Nicky perks up as Porker clarified what he meant. He thinks about it for a moment.
"… So far, I'm not dead, so who knows. If all else fails, I got folks I can rely on to keep me in check," he responded. His face seemed to rest on the thought of the energy Porker spoke of. He knew what it was, yet he had little to no idea how capable of controlling it he was. The burst of speeds he's been feeling felt amazing, but he was in possession of a power he knew nothing about, using it all willy nilly ever since the incident.
It'd be a miracle if anyone truly knew what happened to him. But he couldn't keep the past hidden forever.
Coming back to his senses, Nicky notices a particularly shy looking Porker.
"O-oh, that's... good. I hope they're able to help you out," the hog laments, thinking to himself as he sees he's no better than Nicky's other dependents. But Nicky shoots down the wrong idea.
"That means you too, Porker. If ever this power takes hold of me, I want you to be there to bring me back to Earth, y'know? You're a real one."
"R-really? You trust me that much?"
"Tsk tsk," Nicky leans on the door, wagging a finger. "Wouldn't be lettin' you stand here on my porch if I didn't, would I?"
"Thanks, Nicky," said a remotivated Porker. "But I can't keep this conversation going any longer. Mom and Dad are gonna get upset if they see me out too late again."
"Don't let me keep you waiting, pal. I'll see ya soon."
The two share their signature handshake. Back-to-back, palm to palm, a lock on one of each hand, and a unified fist bump on the others. With that, they give their goodbyes.
"B-bye Nicky, tell your uncle I said hi!"
Porker leaves the Needlemouse household for Nicky to suddenly realize that his uncle was still inside of the house, waiting for him to arrive.
"… Shoot. Uncle Chuck…!"
Nicky quickly unlocks the door to his home. He tends to spend far more time outside than in, but always makes sure to reach home before his uncle's imposed curfew of 8 PM sharp. With his bag and school coat set to a hanger against the wall, he closes the door behind him and sighs.
'The only one getting chopped here, is you?!', Nicky thought to himself. 'Ugh… Sweet Mother of Gaia I need better material. What kind of one-liner was that?! But I guess now's probably not the time. I bet Uncle Chuck's worried sick about me.'
As soon as he makes a turn to the kitchen nearby, he's met with a stern-faced elder hedgehog, his complexion far more faded in comparison to his nephew, and a greying mustache to boot, Uncle Chuck greets the now returning Nicky.
"I was VERY worried sick about you!" He shouts. The sound of his voice was enough to startle Nicky enough to get bristles in his fur. "Sonny, what were you off doing out there?!"
"I-I'm sorry, Uncle Chuck, I swear, I didn't mean to…"
Nicky explaining himself was cut short by his uncle giving him a warm hug. Nicky sighs, just happy to be home.
"I missed you too, unc."
With explanations out of the way, Uncle Chuck warms up to his nephew again after having such a long first day. He works the pot, making dinner for the two of them: carrot stew with garbanzo beans and rice. It wasn't Nicky's favorite, but he was in a pretty good mood for something hearty to help ease the conversation.
"Pretty exciting first day you had there, nephew," Chuck says as he fixes a bowl for him and his nephew each. "Those Veruca folk sure know how to wring their way into making anything a problem for anyone."
"I'll say," Nicky agreed, taking a bite out of his food. Forgetting to blow on it, he's met with hot food right to the tongue. "Ow!"
"I know you're excited, but don't eat so quick, Nicky."
"He just couldn't stop trying to get on my nerves, and for what?! I'm doing my best to try to get through the day and here comes Anton Veruca, the so-called 'number one punk of South Island' just raining on parades like anyone's business!"
Chuck watches his nephew huff and puff as he spoke of his bully. He closes his eyes as he takes a bite out of his meal, blowing it first.
"That family there is a cursed one, Nicholas. I wouldn't trust anybody there for a second. Not even the boy's father is immune to being downright awful," Uncle Chuck warns. "Unfortunately for Green Hill's society, he's the chief cop around these parts."
"Huh? Aren't cops supposed to be good?"
"There sure is a lot you don't know about the world yet, sonny," he chuckles to himself. "But you're learning, and I'm glad you want to give yourself that freedom. Means you're becoming an adult."
"You kidding? The world's so beautiful! I get to see it all in no time flat, I don't even have to pay for tickets!" Nicky eagerly boasts about his new power, giving his uncle a thumbs up for his approval.
"'Fraid things don't quite work out like that, Nicholas. Especially with all this energy you've got at your fingertips now, and I don't mean your youth."
"Huh?" Nicky looks up at his uncle, both confused and curious. Whatever it is he was implying, the blue teenager didn't quite understand it.
"I mean I finally figured out what happened to you, kiddo. Why you have the speed and strength you do now, to move so fast. And especially why you're about as blue as I was." Uncle Chuck's face gets strangely serious. It almost puts Nicky to a stop just from seeing it.
"… What do you mean, Uncle Chuck?"
"I'll lay it to you straight, Nicky. You've been imbued with high amounts of Chaos Energy."
Nicky drops his utensils in shock. "What…?!"
He almost couldn't believe it. He knew the man that did this to him was awful, but the way his uncle was putting it, it makes it seem like this is a far bigger issue than it first appeared.
"Chaos Energy... you mean, like... 'Chaos Emerald' energy? I thought that stuff was all fairy tales!"
"I'm afraid not, m'boy. The Legend of the Chaos Emeralds is far more real than even you realize," Chuck shakes his head in remorse. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you all those years ago, I just never thought it would have to come to this. The time was never right, and I was certain something like this would never be a problem for you to endure."
Nicky could only stare at his uncle in awe, no longer even capable to finish his dinner. But before he could speak, his uncle speaks up again.
"But there's no way this could've been a mistake. Someone out there's looking for the Emeralds and might've already exposed you to even just a fraction of their power," Chuck's face grew discomforted. "It's the only way you could've turned out the way you have. Do you know who did this to you?"
Nicholas nods, slowly.
"Yeah, I know who," Nicky responded, looking at his uncle. Chuck waits for an answer.
"Ivo Robotnik."
TO BE CONTINUED
With the name of the culprit revealed, what does Nicky have in store to tell his uncle? What does Uncle Chuck know about Ivo and the fabled Chaos Emeralds? Two fates connected to one man, in search of legendary power... Dr. Robotnik is revealed in the next chapter: "Pilot, Part 2"!
Thank you so much for reading! Be sure to follow the fic for when the next chapter drops!
[~TGP~]