Torn Apart
The Asian scientist smirked brightly as her eyes lit up like fireflies in the dark, shadowy clouds of the night. Rose couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sonic and his furry friends stayed close to Matt, their angry eyes already glaring at this new human stranger. Suspicion and anxiety pumped vividly in Sonic's heart, his blood vessels pounding with tension.
Rose smiled "Marvelous, absolutely marvelous. All my life I've dreamed of discovering new life forms from other worlds, hoping that I could prove to mankind that life does exist past our own dimension".
Sonic frowned "Say what? Lady, you sound like you got a few screws missing".
The woman laughed "Remarkable, so simple and yet so intelligent".
Rose blinked as she spotted Bunnie and Tails, her brown eyes shined with reflections of the furry creatures deep within her chocolate colored irises. The scientist approached them with eager interest.
"Incredible, you've got two tails and you, your part machine, I didn't think it was" Rose said.
Sonic immediately speed dashed in front of Tails and Bunnie, his arms spread out defensively. The hedgehog's face was twisted up into a bitter snarl.
Sonic growled "Paws off lady".
Rose chuckled once more "Oh please, don't be so silly, you have nothing to fear from me. If anything you should be thanking me for finding you before things got worse".
Tails blinked in confusion "Worse?".
Rose smirked "Why yes, leaving such remarkable creatures in the hands of some grease stain off the streets is practically inhuman. I wouldn't dream of letting you beautiful majestic beings in the hands of such filth".
The words stung fiercely into Matt's worn and weary broken heart, the lonely man had already felt bad enough about ruining his own life, he didn't want to do the same to his new friends. Matt was already thinking that this woman might be for the best for Sonic and his friends. After all, what could a burnt out, drunken old fool like me give to such great friends like them Matt thought. Rose extended her hand to Tails who pulled back with fear.
CLANK!
Bunnie angrily grabbed the doctor's hand and lightly crushed her metallic digits across Rose's wrist, the woman gasped in pain.
"OW, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Rose demanded.
Bunnie snorted "That grease stain is our friend potty mouth, and I reckon you think twice before bad mouthing him again".
The cyborg rabbit shoved Rose back and released her wrist, the dark haired scientist was completely baffled. Rose's young face reeked of complete confusion. Matt smiled and almost cried at such touching words, he mouthed a silent "thank you" to Bunnie before returning his attention back to Rose.
Rose blinked "You can't be serious? Don't you realize what I can offer?".
Sonic smirked "I think I speak for all of us when I say, we don't know and we don't care".
Rose frowned "Don't be a fool. Look at him, he's a mess, he can barely keep himself alive and sober, let alone take care of 4 creatures such as yourselves. I have resources, I have the technology and the money to give you everything you ever wanted. Proper food, the finest education, luxuries and trinkets beyond your wildest imaginations, I could give it all to you.
But instead you're choosing him, him of all people? I don't believe it".
Sally crossed her arms and frowned "I may be from out of town, but I'm still a princess ma'am and I'm ordering you to leave us alone now".
"What?" Rose screamed.
Sally continued "Matt is our friend, he has helped us, fed us, and cared for us when he could have easily sold us to a circus or taken advantage of us. He's been kind to us since day one. And whether you see him as a saint or a sinner, we know the goodness in his heart and we'd rather take our chances with a grease stain like him then a witch like yourself".
Frank stared at the bewildered professor, Rose's eyes and lips couldn't blink or speak without stuttering in shock. Everything she had dreamed of was simply walking out the door. Sonic, Sally and Matt started to turn their backs to the stunned professor, Tails and Bunnie soon followed.
Rose growled "If you're not going to fight clean then I'm going to have to play dirty".
The loud click of Frank's pistol hammer locked into place, Matt immediately stood still as his mouth quivered with fear. Sonic and Bunnie angrily turned around to face the vengeful woman and the large officer.
Rose spoke "If you creatures are too stupid to see the chance of a lifetime, then you leave me no other choice. I've come too far to be stopped by the likes of a drunken old man. Either you come to my lab with me, or I'll shoot him dead on the spot".
Frank blinked at Rose's words, Matt turned around and growled, searching for a weapon on the ground. The cop raised his gun and aimed at Matt.
"Hold it right there speedy, you still got a lot of black marks on your record" Frank said.
Sonic snarled "Yeah, just try it fat man, we'll mess you up faster then you can chunk your pants".
Tails nodded "Sonic's right, I say we show these guys what we can do".
Rose laughed "As much as I would like to see that, you'd be making a grave error in doing so".
Bunnie snarled "Oh yeah and why's that honey?".
The woman removed something from the back of her flowing, white lab coat. Rose flashed the item before Sonic and the other's eyes. Matt gasped as the golden glow of the round object flashed brightly into his eyes.
It was a power ring.
No doubt the same power ring Sonic and the others were holding when they were zapped into this world, Matt growled bitterly.
Rose explained "I found this on the night of you're little party on the highway. My assistant, Trevor picked it up and I was fortunate enough to be able to sneak it out before Frank's men discovered it. I'm not exactly sure what it does, but judging by the looks on your faces, it's of great importance to you".
Sally gasped "Sonic, that power ring must have been what brought us into the world".
Sonic sighed "Yeah I know, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think this babe's on the level. Without that thing I doubt we'll be able to get back home".
Silence chilled the dark, cramped walls of the alleyway as a standstill had been reached between Sonic and Professor Rose. Matt silently cursed.
Rose spoke again "So, here's the deal. If you fur balls agree to leave Matt and return to my lab with me, I promise he won't be harmed. Otherwise, I'll destroy this ring right here right now and Officer Frank here will shoot Barson dead on the spot for resisting arrest".
Sonic's anger skyrocketed into a vicious snarl, the hedgehog almost leapt right out of his red sneakers to attack the heartless woman. But Matt placed his weary hand on Sonic's shoulder and shook his head.
"No Sonic, I'll do what she says, you win lady" Matt said.
Sonic protested "But Matt, you've gotta be kidding me. We can't just leave you like this".
Sally nodded "Sonic's right, you're our friend and were not going to let you throw your life away just for us".
Matt shook his head "I'm sorry guys but my mind's made up, end of story. That ring of yours might be the only way you can go back home and I can't take that away from you. At least this way you guys got a fighting chance".
Rose coldly smiled as Matt raised his hands in the air and walked towards Frank. The overweight officer sighed as he reluctantly slapped the cuffs on Matt's wrists, a deep swallow of regret lay deep inside the back of his throat. Sonic tried to rescue Matt but Sally put her arm against him and held him back, Bunnie and Tails sniffled a few tears as they watched Matt walk away. Frank shoved Matt into the back of his cop car and locked the doors tight.
Frank sighed "All right doc, you win, you got your police protection. There on their way with a wagon, you can use it to take these critters back to your laboratory".
Rose smiled "A pleasure doing business with you Frank, be sure to keep an eye for out my name in the newspapers".
Flashing red and blue lights shined across the black brick walls of the alleyway as the other officers arrived. Five black suited, heavily armored SWAT like officers arrived with night sticks and tazors. Tails nervously held onto Sonic as the SWAT members surrounded them.
"The world will soon chant the name: Professor Selene Rose" the woman cackled.
30 minutes later……
Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Bunnie sat in the back of a massive, cold, hard steel covered police wagon with high tech shackles attached to their arms and legs. Sonic grunted and groaned as he tried to move his red sneakers into a sonic dash. Bunnie also struggled with her collar, trying to use her metallic arm to yank off the steel collar wrapped tightly around her orange neck.
BZZT!
Bunnie squeaked in pain as her frizzled, orange fur started to smoke. The southern belle had some sort of super electronic protection system installed into her shackles, no doubt to restrain her mechanical limbs. Sally sighed and stared her luminous blue orbs onto the ice cold floor with sorrow.
Tails whimpered a bit "Sonic?".
Sonic turned to his fox friend as he replied "Yeah little buddy?".
Tails gulped "What's going to happen to us?".
The blue hedgehog bit his lip, fearing the answer he should give. A deep, dark feeling of dread started to brew in Sonic's nervous beating heart.
Sonic sighed "I don't know little buddy……I just don't know".
A tight squeeze suddenly grappled Sonic's white gloved hand, he looked next to him to see Sally's warm, dove like fingers wrapped around his palm.
Sally whispered "I hate to admit it Sonic but……I'm scared".
Sonic nodded "I know, I know, but we'll think of something Sally, I promise".
The rest of the furry Mobian's remained silent, their tear filled eyes staring at the small, square sized window at the back of the police wagon. The window was a locked door, a door to a world they'd never see again, a world without Matt. Their heartbroken tears providing little warmth as it trickled down their bodies onto the cold, steel floor.
Speaking of Matt……
"Just sit tit, we'll be at the station before you know it. God only knows what the doc's got mind for you're furry little playmates" Frank half chuckled.
Matt sulked his hollow eyes against the iron bars cornering off the windows of the police car. The young man sighed and shivered as his cold tears dribbled down his, silent, soft, whispering lips.
"Yeah, god only knows" Matt said……
I must give the impression
that I have the answers for everything.
You were so disappointed
to see me unravel so easily.
It's only change
only everything I know
even the things
that seem still are still changing.
La da
la da la da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
La da la da la
da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
mother
misses her baby
but I only wanted to be me
she changed
address and haircuts
and boyfriends and light bulbs it's easy
but it's only change
only everything I know
even the
things
that seem still are still changing
La da
la da la da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
La da la da la
da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
I stay
focused on details
it keeps me from feeling the big things
but
watch the microscope long enough
things that seem still are still
changing
La da
la da la da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
La da la da la
da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
even
the things that seem still are still changing
even the things
that seem still are still
even the things that seem still are
still changing
even the things that seem still are still changing
La da
la da la da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
La da la da la
da da da da da la da la da da la da da da
("Still" lyrics provided by Ben Folds)
To be continued……