Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. Shame but truth. Enjoy.
Chapter Four: Charming Spectre
Spectre turned away from the females, hoping against all odds that they would lose interest in him and go away. No such luck: they soon walked towards him, and he fought a groan as well as a blush.
"Hello," he heard one of the girls say, and he cringed. But he took a deep breath, and told himself they haven't done anything to him so far, so there was no reason to be rude to them.
He turned to them. "Good morning," he greeted, still nervous though. He prayed to Edmund that his voice wasn't shaking, and that his dark fur covered the blush he felt was beginning to show up. He pressed his bare hands together. Why didn't I put my gloves on?
"Can we sit here for a while?" another girl asked, this one a cream-coloured echidna that didn't look a day past twenty. "It's shadier here, and cooler too."
"Oh, o-of course," Spectre stammered. "Do as you wish."
The girls took seat on either side of him, and he felt his cheeks slowly warming up. Edmund, was I a bad Guardian? Did I do anything that could explain why I have to put up with this?
"So," the girl on his right, a dark pink echidna, said, "what's your name?"
He was taken aback by the sudden question; he hadn't expected them to engage a casual conversation, but oh well, they offered him someone to talk to. "Uh, Spectre," he said.
"That's a lovely name. It suits you well." Her words startled Spectre. As far as he remembered, no one has ever said his name was lovely, beautiful or anything. Then again he wasn't telling his name to everyone, so…
"Thanks, I guess," he said. He pulled irritably at his black shirt, cursing inwardly the dark clothe. But he felt like he should say something, in order to be polite. "And, what are your names?"
"Mine is Fara," the dark pink echidna girl said. She then motioned to the others two. "Here are Crystal and Sunrise, my best friends." Spectre turned to them and nodded, smiling politely.
"Glad to meet you." This got the two girls giggling, and Spectre reddened. Did he say something wrong? He wondered what he was supposed to do, but before he could choose, the cream-furred echidna now known as Crystal spoke up.
"Are you here alone?"
"No, I'm actually here with my sons," Spectre answered. "The youngest one dragged us all here." He most like growled the last part, still furious against Knuckles.
"Aww, how cute!" Sunrise, a light brown echidna, exclaimed in awe. "So you're a father?" When Spectre nodded uncomfortably, she smiled. "Where are your sons? I'm sure they're little angels, seeing how cute their father is."
Spectre couldn't help a snort, chuckling inwardly. Little angels, sure… you don't know how wrong you are… But then he paused and replayed the words in his head. Did she just say I was cute? "I don't think-"
At that moment, Athair came up from behind the bench and, wrapping his arms around Spectre's neck, hugged the startled echidna close. "Athair! What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed.
"I'm scared!" the flying one cried. "Sojourner and Thunderhawk are trying to catch me because I can skate much better than them and they're jealous! Help me Fourth father!"
Spectre sighed. His grandson just HAD to make a fool out of himself in front of everyone. He turned to Thunderhawk and Sojourner, who were sitting on a nearby bench, whistling innocently. How his son had managed to get there without colliding into anything or anyone was beyond Spectre. "Sons, leave Athair alone, will you? I'd like to get out of here alive," he said, pointing at Athair's arms that were still wrapped tightly around his neck.
"But he's doing nothing more than pretend he can skate in mid-air!" Thunderhawk bellowed. "We'd like to see how the big show-off manages on the ground!"
"See? They're jealous!" Athair squeaked, hugging Spectre even tighter. The dark one began gasping for air, trying to pry his fourth son's arms away from his neck. "They can't skate properly, so they're bugging me! Make them stop Fourth father!"
"Athair… can't breathe…" Spectre rasped, as the three girls giggled. He frowned; he didn't find this one bit amusing. He sighed in relief when he felt Athair's arms let go of his neck, and immediately brought his hands up to massage it. "Both of you," he growled, glaring at Thunderhawk and Sojourner. "May Chaos have pity of the one I see within ten feet of Athair. Is it understood?"
The two echidnas gulped as Athair's face brightened. This was probably the first time Spectre sided up with Athair and allowed him to have what he wanted. But then again, he didn't want to be strangled to death by his crazy fourth son, so… you could say Athair had gotten him good.
"But-," Thunderhawk tried.
"No buts. Leave him alone, and that's an order."
They growled, but eventually dropped it and got up. Thunderhawk immediately fell forwards, landing face-first against the concrete. His fall was followed by a flood of curses, and Spectre had to clasp his hands over Athair's ears to prevent him from hearing them. He glared at the lavender echidna. "Son, where did you learn such obscenities?"
"You should know, you're my father," Thunderhawk mumbled, his voice muffled by the ground.
"Did you watch those R rated action movies again?" Spectre asked, frowning. "I thought I forbad you to watch them."
"Can't help it, I'm addicted to them. As Athair is addicted to morning cartoons." Thunderhawk groaned, remembering a time when he had stepped on a hyper Athair watching Sponge Bob and imitating the little sponge's antics. He would never, ever forget those two minutes of his life.
"Sure you are." Spectre risked a glace at the females, who were giggling and smiling at him. Sunrise, the light brown one, even winked at him, and he swallowed hard. "Well," he said, "I think we have to keep moving. Sojourner, get Thunderhawk up. Athair, go fetch Sabre in that tree, and tell him I won't bump into him again so he can stop worrying. Locke, Lara-Le, stop making out and get up. As for you, Knuckles… help me up, will you?"
Knuckles calmly skated over to his seventh father, holding a hand out. He grinned when he caught sight of the girls, and sent the black echidna a mental message. My, Grandfather, aren't you quite the charmer?
Shut your trap and help me up. I wouldn't like falling once again, Spectre replied silently, gritting his teeth as he remembered his previous collision with his fifth son. His ego wouldn't take another close encounter with the concrete.
As you wish, Mr. Love. Knuckles chuckled as he helped his ancestor up. "Sorry, ladies, but your friend Spectre here won't be able to stay longer. Important matters to take care of." He winked. "But I'm in no hurry, though…"
"Knuckles," Spectre growled. "Should I remind you that you're married and have a son? You know how annoying it is to have a stepfather…"
"Just kidding. Boy, can't you take a joke?"
"Can I ever? Now be a good boy and just help me up." Sighing, Knuckles took Spectre's outstretched hand and tugged on it. The eldest of the Brotherhood got to his feet shakily, but stood upright and tried to seem casual. "Well, it was a pleasure talking to you. I hope we'll meet again."
"Just so you know, pretty boy here lives at Haven," Knuckles grinned, knowing it would infuriate his seventh father, and he was always willing to do that. "All you have to do is getting out of Echidnaopolis and head straight for that big forest below the mountains. Once you're there, you-" Knuckles shut up as Spectre whacked him upside the head. "Ow! What was that for!" he yelled, rubbing at the back of his skull.
"Excuse him, my son is a real little prankster," Spectre said, shooting daggers at his grandson. "Isn't he?" Knuckles stayed silent, hoping his grandfather would calm down and reconsider strangling him. But he couldn't help a grin. Gotcha…
"Well, anyway, good-bye ladies." Spectre turned to take his leave, but somehow forgot all about the roller blades attached to his feet. He slipped backwards, flailing helplessly as he fell. Knuckles tried to catch him, but too late: Spectre landed square… on his rear. The smacking sound he made rang trough his ears for a long time, and it seemed like time stopped at that moment. He felt little pain, but that was nothing next to his shame and embarrassment. Which went through the roof when he heard the three girls and Knuckles burst out laughing. Great… now I don't need anybody to make a fool out of myself, I can manage alone…
He bared his teeth in fury, glaring at his seventh son with all the anger he had. If looks could kill, Knuckles would be dead a thousand times over. Anyone who knew Spectre well enough to tell when he was about to explode would have ran away, but Knuckles just stood here laughing his head off, holding his sides.
Still laughing, the girls departed together. Spectre sighed in relief, and his sharp sight immediately went back to his seventh son. Knuckles was wiping away tears of laughter, chuckling lightly. "Anything broken?" he asked, sounding on the verge of bursting out laughing again.
"Besides my pride?" Spectre growled warningly. "I think not."
"I would have thought so… you're stuffed down here!" Knuckles broke down laughing again, this time collapsing on the floor and splitting his sides. The young Guardian practically howled with laughter, attracting some people's attention.
Spectre, however, roared with fury and threw himself on the younger one, grasping his spines. "Come here, you little-" He closer his hands around Knuckles' neck, which only made him laugh harder. "You know I've dreamt of this moment for years!"
"Grandfather?" came Locke's dumbfounded voice. "What are you doing to my son?"
Spectre raised his head up from where he was, straddling Knuckles' waist. "I'm teaching him how to wrestle, what does it looks like I'm doing? And we've moved to the strangling part, with him as my victim!" Knuckles choked a laugh, and tilted his head to look at his father pleadingly.
"Don't listen to him, Dad. He's trying to kill me and-" His sentence ended brutally when Spectre clamped a hand over his mouth, and what he was going to say ended up muffled.
"Young minds these days… so paranoid about nothing," Spectre grinned darkly, sending shivers down Locke's spine. He wouldn't have wanted to find himself in Knuckles' roller blades right now; who knew what Spectre could do to him.
Knuckles struggled, and managed to get Spectre off him. He brushed himself off, humping indignantly. "Boy, I thought I was going to die from lack of oxygen," he said. "Good timing, Dad." Before any of them could react, Knuckles looked at the sun and spoke again: "Ten thirty… That leaves us two hours before lunch. You want to stay here?"
"Anything but here!" Spectre groaned, ready to anything if it meant getting rid of those forsaken roller blades.
"Hmm… There might be a place," Knuckles reflected. "And we could have lunch around twelve… what do you say? I know you'll have fun!"
"The choice is yours," spat Spectre as if the words burned his tongue. He was so desperate to get out of here he was willing to kiss Enerjak if needed. Well, maybe not that desperate…
"All right. Come on everyone!" Knuckles called. "We're going to the swimming-pool!"
When he heard that, Spectre banged his head against the bench. Why did I say that?
