Chapter 7 Finding a Weakness

Sonic had wished the whole night he would wake up from this never ending nightmare, alas, it was all too true. The hedgehog dreaded what his next treatment might be. Who knows what sort of cruel torture Eggman would have in store next! Sonic just wanted the day to end! But it was still night and not anywhere near dawn. With all escape plans failing there seemed to be no way out.

Even though he didn't mean it the words slipped from his lips, "Maybe I should just give up."

"You're pathetic," commented a voice.

The hedgehog jumped to his feet fully alert.

"Who's there?"

Aurora peeked around the side of his cell.

"One little set-back and you give up," here she crossed her arms, "you're pathetic."

Even though Eggman could control Aurora and give her orderes, that didn't mean the chip didn't alow her to have a mind of her own. She spoke freely whenever Dr. Eggman wasn't controling her mind and yet, some of her words were not her own for the chip would not alow her to betray her master.

"What do you care!" Sonic snapped.

"I don't!" she snapped back.

Sonic thought this was a good time to confuse her, so, hoping she was like all his other brain dead robots he tried to out wit her.

"Then let me out."

It was too bad for Sonic that Aurora was teribly cunning.

"Don't be silly."

"Then why are you telling me not to give up?"

"I didn't say that, I just said you were "pathetic" for giving up."

"Oh, so you're saying you don't want me to give up."

"I didn't say that!"

"Then why did you say that?"

"I didn't!"

"Yes you did."

The winged hedgehog was now getting tired of Sonic's game.

"Hmmph, foolish hedgehog." she reflected.

The blue hedgehog rolled his eyes, "You sound like Shadow."

The winged hedgehog blinked rapidly as if rececnizing the name.

"Shadow? Is he a black hedgehog?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I've seen him. He has such a dreamy face." she said in admiration.

Now Sonic usualy didn't care for girls especialy when they flirted with him, but he had a bad habit of leading them on. And the fact of Shadow taking his place has the new "hedgehog hunk" made him a bit jealious.

"He does not!" the hedgehog protested.

The winged hedgehog liked the jealiousy in his voice. She thought it would be fun to tease him and play around with his heart.

She fluttered her eyes at him but kept an inocent smile on her face.

"I think he is." she insisted clasping both hands together and resting her cheek on them, "and he's so fast too."

"I'm faster than him!"

Aurora put a hand threw the gap in the bars grabbing him by the scruff, making his body slam against the bars.

"Really?"

She fluttered her eye lashes over her dark purple eyes forsing a fake faded blush.

The winged hedgehog pulled him toward her as if she was going to kiss him, but didn't. Sonic gulped rapidly, it may have been because of her beauty, but it was most likely because she was almost holding the scruff on his neck making it hard for him to swollow. At that moment the door flung open cetching the two at a rather ocward moment.

"Hiiiii!" smiled little Bokkun, "Dr. Eggman wants you to-"

Bokun stared at the two and they stared back. Bokkun found this rather funny, but asked as if he didn't know,

"What are you two doing?"

The two looked at eachother then steped back from eachother then they replied at the same time,

"Nothing!"

Bokun laughed his funny little laugh then finished his message.

"Dr. Eggman wants you Aurora."

Aurora left the room clearing her throat.

When she entered the Control room her first words were, "You called?"

Since Eggmans' back was faceing her he turned on his heal to make the chair he was on turn around slowly.

"Yes"

For a moment neither of them spoke, but he soon broke the silence.

"Have you found any weaknesses?"

Aurora scoffed.

"How can I find any "weaknesses" if you wont give me five minutes alone with the guy?"

"I'm not a patient man Aurora." he said putting his hands in a praying position.

"Well maybe you should try, as hard as it may be!"

Dr. Eggman didn't like the attitude in her voice. It made him wish that she was a robot so she couldn't speak so freely and talk back to him. But since he was a gentleman he tried not to loose his temper with her. Besides, to him she was just another mindless creatation.

"It's your job to get that hedgehog to crack wide open."

"Exactly! It's "my job" your job is to leave it to me."

Aurora turned to leave but was stopped by the sudden jolt threw her body that made her cry out and fall to her knees. She looked over her shoulder at him and saw a button in his hand.

He stood up and towerd over her.

"You just remember your place hedgehog!" he said sternly grabbing her chin, "I created you and I can take you a apart!"

She turned her head out of his grip then looked up at him.

"I am not your robot!" she reminded him trying to gain some respect.

It was too bad she didn't know that the only person he respected was himself..

Dr. Eggman pressed the button again, she screamed and fell on her side.

"Maybe not," he said sinisterly, "but I can still destroy you anytime I please."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him.

"Now get out there and break that hedgehog!"

After giveing his last comand he wirled her across the room. The winged hedgehog hit the wall and slid down it.

Now if Aurora was in her right mind she would have fought back, but sadly his wish was her command. She hurried out of the room putting her hands over her face trying not to cry for, although Dr. Eggman had tried to make her emotionless they still seeped in anyway.

When she arrived back in the room where Sonic, was she found Bokkun waving his butt in front of Sonic's cell laughing and saying "Na na na na na!" then Sonic grabbing for him growling deeply.

When they realized she was there they both noticed the tears on her face.

"Whats sa' matter?" Bokkun asked.

She turned from them wipeing her face, then turned back trying look tough.

With one finger pointing to the door she ordered Bokkun, "Go!"

He left bitterly, still upset that he hadn't finished toruring Sonic.

Aurora made her way over to Sonic. To her surprize he didn't say anything until she spoke.

"Why won't you accept Dr. Eggman's offer?"

Sonic was used to this question and he loved to answere it

"Because he's freakin' weirdo bent on taking over the world."

Aurora couldn't argue with that. Those were her sentaments exactly.

"Don't you realize he could kill you anytime he wants?"
A confident grin spread out on Sonic's face, "He won't"

"He could."

"He won't."

"And what makes you think that?"

"I just know it."

How Sonic knew Dr. Eggman wouldn't kill him was beyond her. He might be jokeing or he might have come to the same conclusion Eggman had come to. But it didn't matter. Aurora had to make Sonic think negative and fast!

"Sonic," she began, "what makes you think he wouldn't."

Sonic was first of all very surprized she had finally used his first name. The whole time he had been there she had never just called him"Sonic."

The hedgehog pushed that from his mind and thought more toward her question. But he wasn't about to admit he had absolutally no idea, and that he just wanted to think positive about it, like he does everything. But he needed to answere so she wouldn't know that.
"He's never killed me yet."

"But he's probably never captured you yet eather."

Sonic smiled and took a seat. He was glad to confirm that that wasn't true.

"Not true."

"He has?"

"A few times."

"But aren't you even a little afraid?"

Sonic was afraid, just a little, but he most sertainly would not admit it! Especialy to some weirdo he hardly knew!

At first his words stumbled out letting you know he was lieing, but that soon change to a confident and convincing answere. He held his head high as he replied, "No!"

"I see." she said looking him over.

Though his answere was remarkably convincing Aurora didn't believe him.

"Sonic," Aurora started giving the hedgehog a completely different look of sympathy, "have you ever wondered what it would be like to die?"

Her words caught Sonic's complete attention. A small fear could be seen in his eyes and this time he didn't hide it.

"Die?"

Sonic had never really taken the matter serously. Once, he did remember, that Tails had brought up the subject, but Sonic just laughed it off and said, "That'll be a whole new adventure for me!" Aurora had finally striken the fate and realality upon him, that death comes to every one, even him.

The hedgehog hestitated. He didn't really have an answere and couldn't think of any eather. After a few minutes he thought of something, it was a rather plain answere.

"I don't worry about that stuff!"
Of course you shouldn't worry about it, especialy when you're at a young stage in your life. But you must consider the subject at least once. Death comes to all things.

"Besides, I'm too young." Sonic added.

Aurora's eyes lifted from the floor from which they had been stairing.

"Nothing," Aurora began,"is too young to die."

Sonic looked over his shoulder at her (he had turned away from her while they were talking) and was silent. His head started to shake a little in the sort of way it does when you get a chill, only it was slower.

She'd done it! She struck something! Even still, talking about "death" wasn't the sort of weakness Eggman was looking for and Aurora knew this all too well.

"Why do you help people?" the winged hedgehog questioned.

Sonic was relieved to change the subject.

"Because it's fun!"
"Is that all?"
"Well, no, I guess I do it because I just...care."
"Even if it was Dr. Eggman?"

Sonic thought for a moment. Would he actualy save Eggman if he was in trouble? Probably not, then again, if Dr. Eggman was gone he'd have nothing to give him kicks. But he did hate injustice, and if Dr. Eggman was gone he wouldn't have to save anybody anymore. He couldn't decide. Sonic just shrugged and made a "I don't know" sound affect.

"What if it was a different enemy?"

"A robot?"

Just by the annoyence in Sonic's voice you could tell that he wouldn't help any robots!

"No."
"Then what?"

"What about," Aurora wasn't sure if this was the right thing to be used as an example, "me."

Sonic blinked then tilted his head, "You?"

"Me."

For a second it seemed they had some chemestry. Sonic's eyes fixed on hers as he thought about it.

Would I? he questioned himself. He did hestitate to finish her off in their battle against each other. Was that a sign? Or was that just out of pitty.

"I," Sonic didn't finish for he wasn't sure what to say.

That was good enough for Aurora. At least now she knew some sort of miner weakness. But she knew of course, that Sonic wasn't stupid and she would have to be extra crafty around him.

"Why do you work for Eggman?" Sonic questioned.

Aurora gave a look of surprise but she didn't want to tell him why, "Because I do."

"Why?"

"I just do."

"He's only going to use you then get rid of you like he does to everyone else."
That registerd in Aurora's mind, but even if she didn't want to work for Dr. Eggman she had no choice!

Sonic extended his hand through the bars.

"Join me." he said with a lust filling his eyes.

Aurora felt like she wanted to but she just couldn't. She looked at his hand then him. His light green eyes tried to lure her in as they tottured back and forth. Alas it didn't work.

"I-I can't." as she said this her voice sounded more normal.

It seemed they were both making some progress and now Sonic knew something was wrong. No real bad guy just says, "I can't" it was more like, "me? join you? HA!" Something was breaking up inside of her, but not for long.

The tiny red micro chip on Aurora's forhead was acting up again and when it stopped blinking Aurora hardened.

"Listen you fool!" Aurora roared grabbing the bars, "you had better join Dr. Eggman because you're never NEVER going to get out of here!"

The winged hedgehog kicked the bars then left.

And now Sonic knew Something was wrong.

Dr. Eggman, (who had been listening in) heard their whole conversation and from came a brilliant idea.

Besides water as one as Sonic's worst weaknesses he realized Sonic would never ignore someone in need. This, Eggman decided, was Sonic's worst weakness of all!

After Sonic had fallen asleep Dr. Eggman entered. The evil genuis unlocked the hedgehog's cell then left, trying to be as quiet as possible. After the door was shut Sonic woke up.