Disclaimer: All Sonic Characters © to Sega/Sonic Team/DIC/Archie Comics.
Fan characters belong to the writer of this fiction, which is me: Lynxia aka Patty Hendriks.

Life before and after Death

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Chapter Eight:

Lonely Comfort

There they are…
Bronx remains behind the tree, his back pressed against the rough bark as he holds a small box against his chest. Listening to the footsteps which come closer, closer and then seem to disappear again. He leans to the side to have a peek, seeing a female chipmunk with a blue boots, followed by a two-tailed fox and a half robotized bunny running down the forest path to where the explosion took place.
As soon as these three Mobians are out of his sight, he takes a deep breath and looks down at what he is clutching in his arms. He made that cave collapse, the one which made that cloud of dust and smoke rise above the trees of the forest.
"This better be worth it," he mutters as he leaps through the bushes to get upon the forest path and starts to run to get back to his transport to get back to Robotnik as soon as possible. He had to get what he is carrying in this box as an option to revive Jenna. As soon as Snively gave him this task, he went away head over heels to for fill it. Anything to have Jenna back and to leave Robotnik's side; he is growing tired of everything that is happening inside the base.

After a short while of running, he leaves the forest path to get further into the forest and already sees the spot where he left his transport and Pepper behind with a few SWAT-bots. He pushes a few branches aside which were placed against the sides of the small ship for cover and finds the entrance, hearing one SWAT-bot come out of it's hiding place to check if Bronx is friend or foe. Bronx shrugs as he steps into the ship, not sure if he is either one of those options; the SWAT-bot has notified him as friend.
"Pepper…?"
The husky looks up from a data pad she took along for the trip and sits up in the pilot seat of the ship to look at Bronx.
The discovery Bronx made a few days ago about Jenna's current condition, made Pepper unsure about how to act towards this hedgehog. She was scared he would be angry at her, that he would ignore her or that he would do something awful and stupid. But he didn't do anything… He locked himself up for maybe two days in a row without giving any sign about how he was doing and when he came out, he acted like nothing happened. Yes, he was more closed than normally, but he didn't show any grudge towards her or anybody else.
"Did ya get it?" she asks as she holds out her hands to him, awaiting for him to hand the box over," was it difficult?"
"The cave collapsed," Bronx simply says as he gives her the box," I fear it wasn't as strong as it was. All the weight rested upon it as I pulled it loose. As soon as I got it free, the walls started to crack and the ceiling to crumble. I had to get out as fast as I could… that is about it."
"No resistance in any sort?"
"No, they came a little bit too late. Three Mobians who came to see what the fuss was all about," Bronx says as he sits down in another seat and shrugs," no problem at all."
"Good good," Pepper smiles and sets the box down upon her lap to open it. As she lifts the cover up, just slightly a green glow escapes from the crack. Pepper's smile grows wider and asks," isn't it a wonderful thin'? And just from nature… no hands were involved into makin' it. Such a wonderful piece… and it glows so brightly. I'm sure doctor Robotnik will be pleased with this."
Bronx watches Pepper as she glances at the green glow coming out of the box and he tilts his head to the side, wondering… she looks so proud and peaceful right now. It is just odd…
"Pepper… May I ask you something?"
The blue furred husky with the visor which hides her eyes looks up from the box and closes it again, nodding," sure, go ahead."
Bronx shifts a little bit in the seat and looks away from Pepper to let his gaze rest upon the trees around the ship. Behind him the SWAT-bots which were outside to guard them come inside to prepare for the return to the base.
"How come you work for Robotnik? Why are you so loyal to him?"
Pepper's smile weakens a bit, but remains faintly upon her white lips. She slowly stands up from the pilot seat and leans over the control panel, flicking over a few switches and typing in the coordinates so she can set the control on automatic. She sets the box safe upon the control panel to keep it there. Nobody is able to take it anyway.
"Lets talk about this in private," Pepper says as she turns to look down at Bronx and gives a light nod towards the SWAT-bots to give him the hint on why she wants to tell him this somewhere else. She skates away from him towards the back of the ship, passing the SWAT-bots which do their tasks within the ship, not showing any reaction of noticing her like they did with Bronx earlier.
Bronx stands up from the seat and follows Pepper to the back of the ship, a large space where crates are stocked; crates with weapons and other gadgets to survive in a minor battle. Here they will be the only two.
As Bronx enters the dark room, he can hear the humming of the ship's motor and of all the computer equipment build into this fly craft. As soon as he left the cockpit, the ship hovered up and started to fly off into the sky to head back to base, leaving the cloud of dust far behind.
Walking over to a pile of crates, he finds Pepper sitting upon the floor. He looks about for a short moment and then walks over to open crate, looking into it. Finding what he was looking for, he pulls an old large piece of cloth out off the crate, creating some rattling noises within it.
"It will take a few hours before we are back at base… and sitting upon this cool floor for a long while might become chilly," he says with a soft voice and drops the blanket over Pepper's legs before he sits down beside her with his back against the crate.
"Thanks," she smiles and lifts the blanket a little bit up to also lay a part of it over his legs, not asking if he wants this or not. It seemed he took the blanket only for her," it will become chilly for ya too. Now… My story."
She tries to sit a little bit more comfortable, pulling the blanket higher up over her chest and leans a bit to the side to rest against Bronx's shoulder. This makes him blush just faintly, almost unnoticeable, but he doesn't push her away. This is how Pepper is…
"My story is very simple, so don't expect a long one. I was captured by Robotnik's troops a few years ago with other Mobians to get robotized. As we were in our cell, awaiting our doom, I decided that I couldn't just sit there and wait; I had to do something. So, I used my skills to open the cell and we all attacked the SWAT-bot which was guarding us. I reprogrammed it and while the others fled for their escape, I rushed with the reprogrammed SWAT-bot out to save the others which were close to being robotized. I was very close… The SWAT-bot managed to take out several other bots, but it broke down after all the damage it got. I lost my protection even before I could stop any bad deeds going on inside the base, I got hurt."
Pepper raises a gloved hand to touch the visor across her face as she continues to speak," the attack of the SWAT-bots made me blind and for them it was an easy way to capture me. But I managed to impress someone with the skills I used to help the others. Doctor Robotnik saw me as a useful 'thing' in his so many plans to take over Mobius. But I couldn't function as long as I was blind, so… He gave me new eyes, artificial ones which only work in combination with this visor. And for that, I was grateful… He gave me back my sight, not as good as before, but surely better when it comes to scientific options. He allowed me to work on his machines, to create things from scrap and I felt useful, no matter how he saw me. I felt like someone finally accepted me the way I was. I found my destiny."
Carefully, the husky takes the visor from her face and turns her face to Bronx to show him what she has been hiding behind the piece of high tech software. Her eyes, which should be large and green, are fully grey and filled with circuits and metal; it appears so cyborg-like that it is a weird sight; just not normal.
Bronx doesn't want to stare at her, but can't help it. He clears his throat as he turns his face away and asks with a whispering voice," can you see me now…?"
"No," she chuckles and she puts the visor back across her face. Soft clicking sounds can be heard as the device connects to her artificial eyes," I can only see with the visor, so… Did I scare ya?"
Bronx quickly shakes his head and looks back at her, saying as he crooks up a smile," no, you didn't. It is just weird to look at it… You expect eyes, but there is nothing like that there."
Pepper nods and cuddles up against Bronx underneath the blanket," I know what ya mean…"
She just keeps on smiling. Bronx looks down at her face as she lies against him; she always remained smiling or cheery even in bad times. How can she do such a thing after all that happened to her? Does she keep faith in everything?... Like Jenna?
"I admire you…"
His soft voice makes her feel surprised and she slightly tilts her head up to look at him, frowning slightly.
"Why's that?"
"I just do…"
"Oh come on, tell me."
"There is nothing more to tell…"
"That's a lie and ya know it."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is. Liar," she laughs and wraps her arms around him, rocking him a little bit as her hands slip to his sides.
"I just do, okay?" he asks with a fake stern expression across his furry face and then flinches as Pepper starts to tickle him by his sides," hey… hey! Don't! Stop!"
Pepper continues to laugh and doesn't stop her tickle attack as he demands it of her. In fact, she only makes it worse. It is just an attempt to lighten the mood and to cheer him up. He has been so gloomy lately…
It works, though. For the first time in a long while, she hears him laugh. It may be forced out of him, but he is laughing none the less. And he is smiling… This makes her happy.
"I said stop! Please, have mercy!" Bronx laughs and wraps his arms around Pepper to stop her from tickling him, holding her arms in a way she can't move them anymore," before you know it I will choke into my own laughing."
"Okay okay," she snickers and stops, looking at him. How she missed giving someone attention when she was alone in the base. He was truly her savoir as she found him in the storm… As he stayed in the base, she really thought she could become friends with him, just so she won't be lonely anymore. But she never expected… this.
Bronx continues to hold her, feeling the warmth that comes from her body in his embrace. He has felt lonely as well there in the base. And even though Pepper was around, all he could do was long for Jenna… His beloved Jenna… How he misses her warmth and her heartbeat.
The embrace becomes tighter as they both think and wonder about the past and the future and without trying to stop one and another they seek comfort. Even before they both would think further about the current choice they made, they kissed and went deeper there in the dark cargo room of the ship which was on its way to the base and the one who awaits their return.
Just seeking for comfort in their lonely lives.

-To Be Continued-