9. More About Sonic and Blossom

There were many ways Blossom could have responded. She could have apologised for abandoning Sonic. She could have tried to be as cool about the situation as Sonic was. She could have skipped the petty chat and immediately get on to trying to escape. But instead she said this:

"YOU TOLD THEM!"

Sonic blinked. "Told them what?"

"You told them that I'd killed Superman, you bastard! You've destroyed my life!"

"Ditto, you left me to die," Sonic said bluntly.

"That was completely different!" Blossom flustered, "I was under pressure…"

"Oh yes, and I suppose you think that I walked in here, they gave me a cup of tea and I sat down in a deep comfy chair and idly chatted to them about how you brutally killed someone over a crumpet!" Sonic spat slightly as he swung from the chains. "And then they put me in here for my convenience!"

Blossom said nothing for a moment. "So how did they get you to talk," she eventually asked.

"They tortured me of course," said Sonic bitterly. "They burnt me, cut me, sliced me and electrocuted me. And I didn't say a word."

"What? Then how come…"

"I didn't say a word UNTIL they threatened to hurt Sonia. Then I found my self spilling the lot." Sonic's shoulders slumped. Blossom looked at him in pity.

"Okay," she calmed down, "I would have done the same thing."

"Of course you would have," said Sonic, "that doesn't make me feel better."

"Is that an insult?"

"If you want it to be one."

Blossom decided to let it go. "So they've captured everyone?" she asked.

"Yep," said Sonic. "Me, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow and Sonia. They're also in cells around here. They're doing better then me… I hope."

"How? You've been gone of months!"

"Space is huge Blossom," said Sonic bluntly. "We were caught out in space two weeks ago, and we were still a week from home. They just ambushed us and forced us to dock. And here we are."

"How do you get ambushed in space? There's nothing to hide behind!"

"Don't ask me, Shadow was in charge, I was just cargo. Anyway they wanted us because they thought that I'd killed Superman."

"Why didn't you say that you had?" asked Blossom, "you had nothing to loose."

"Glad to see you can keep your sense of humour at a time like this."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Oh come on Blossom, why would I want two governments trying to execute me! Then I'd be even more like you!"

Blossom sighed, and slumped for a moment. "So you think I'm doomed."

"Maybe," said Sonic, "but public opinion and the media are fickle. Before you know it you're going to be championed as a hero of earth again, once you've won the fight of course."

Blossom laughed. "I never thought you'd go for the mindless optimism route," she said sarcastically. "That's not going to happen."

"Oh really?" Sonic said. "If Robotnik took over Mobius again tomorrow, who do you think would be the first person they would go for help?"

"You of course."

"Why? They hate me!"

"But you're the one they all remember, leading them to freedom."

"Then the same applies here," Sonic said. Blossom shook her head.

"Not a chance. They have far too many heroes here for one to stand out. Anyway, have you seen the newspapers?"

"Have you seen the Mobian ones? There are a lot of people who have good memories of you, who owe you their life to you. If you could even semi- redeem yourself, they'd all come crawling out of the wood work, and the floaters will swap sides. Only a couple of hardliners would still stand against you and most of them would keep it too themselves."

"Until I slipped up again," Blossom said, "Then they'd all be waiting to stick the knife in."

"That's the price you pay for a public life," Sonic said. Blossom had to agree with that.

"But even then, I need to win the fight, or do something to be a hero. What chance do I have of that? This Kryptonite Prince is far stronger than me." She sighed. "I'm going to die this evening. On live television. Perhaps I should just accept it. It would mean I could be with Brick again. But then I'd be away from the children. And then they'd either grow up thinking I was nothing more than a murderer, or that I was unfairly killed and that it was the government's fault. And then they'd become super villains or something. What a legacy to leave behind." She bashed her own head against the wall. "Ahhh! It's hopeless!"

Sonic hung there for a moment, as Blossom mumbled under her breath desperately. Then he spoke. "You haven't always been this pathetic, have you?"

"No," she responded sadly.

"In fact, it started about… I don't know, fifteen years ago? Right?"

"Yes. I don't suppose YOUR'RE going to try and lecture me on Brick now?"

Sonic ignored this comment. Instead he spoke authroiatively and comfortably:

"Superman was the greatest hero the world has ever known. He was loved by all for his honest pure heroism. He always knew what was right and what was wrong. He let nothing in his life stand in the way of his duty. He inspired generation after generation of mutants and aliens to cope with there differences and to use their abilities to fight for truth and justice. He was always there when needed, but still found time to hold down a respectable day job, and to live a perfect American life style. All who stood against him fell; no one could even scratch mighty man of steel. Until you killed him."

Blossom's head had sunk lower and lower during that speech. Now she was in pain. "I didn't!" she screamed in a pointless denial.

"Why are you denying it?" asked Sonic, "did you listen to what I just said?"

"Yes! I don't want to be responsible for that!"

Sonic laughed. "You're looking at this form the wrong angle! Anybody else would be proud if they smashed someone like Superman! No one else has ever even got close. But you took him on – in the spirit of revenge – and you kicked his sorry arse into the next century!"

"I…"

"When I found you in that alley way, surrounded by those three bodies, I could barely believe your story. I mean, you hardly had a scratch to your skin. Don't tell me Superman didn't defend himself! You beat him easily. You should be proud of it!"

"But I'm not!"

"If you want to win this fight, you're going to have to be! Say it! I killed Superman!"

"I… killed… Superman."

"Say it like you mean it!"

"I killed Superman!"

"With pride Blossom, with pride!"

"I killed Superman!"

"One more time!"

"I KILLED SUPERMAN!" Blossom screamed and she stretched her self out in a glowing realise of energy. She relaxed. "That felt good," she admitted.

"Perfect!" said Sonic, "if you just keep thinking like that, you'll have no problems defeating that arrogant Prince."

"Okay!" Blossom was still buzzing. Then she felt stupid. "We're still chained up you know."

"Yep. Why does that bother you?"

"Nothing, it just seems a bit anticlimactic."

"Oh, you'll get used to that," Sonic said. He looked her up and down, slightly concerned. "Were going to need to get a change of clothes to you, we don't need you being handy capped by heels and a long dress, do we?"

"Umm, how are we going to do that?"

"I don't know," Sonic admitted. Blossom considered things for a moment. Then she laser zapped Sonic's chains away. The hedgehog fell to the floor, of balance and in a heap.

"You could have warned me!" he said surprisingly angrily, before smiling. "Good shot."

"Really, I was aiming for your head."

"Sure you were." Sonic scratched behind his ear. "Okay, I don't think I'm strong enough to break you out…"

"I'd only slow you down," Blossom said, "you get back to earth somehow, and take charge again. I'll be waiting."

"Good, I'll come up with a plan. See yah!" He spun through the door, knocking it open and streaked into the corridor. Blossom waited. He really hoped Sonic didn't run into any guards. He wouldn't stand a chance.

The door was opened again, and Sonic reappeared. He dumped some knocked out Kryptonites inside.

"Wrong turning," he said, "but I'll store them in here if you don't mind.

Blossom found her tongue. "How…"

"What?"

"You were always so hopeless at fighting back on earth. Didn't you lose to Mojo once?"

"Lucky shot," Sonic said calmly, "anyway, I had to keep you lot on your toes. If I'd done it all myself, you would have got lax."

"Wasn't one of the criticisms the government made about the war that you insisted on doing everything your self?"

Sonic didn't answer that. "If you see Tails or Sonia, tell them I'll be back. If you see Shadow tell him he's a dick, and if you see Knuckles tell him his long stay car parking ticket at the spaceport will have expired by now!"

"Okay," Blossom agreed. "Umm, look Sonic, I'm sorry about the leaving you to be dragged to your death thing."

Sonic shrugged. "We all make mistakes. For once were even, okay?"

Some shouting came down the corridor; "Where's patrol 128?" Sonic looked up.

"Gone!" he said, and the blue flash disappeared.


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