As the plant came to a screeching halt, Swatbots, Troopers, and Bandiks alike all started scrambling as they tried to escape. Only for many of them to be trapped with the plant's walls before they could. Those lucky enough to break free would be too concerned with thoughts of Eggman's all but certain wrath to notice a blue blur racing out of the plant, mixed with a tinge of green and pink. They dashed past the conveyors and the vats of chemicals, past the scrambling bots and the hills. Until, right at the tallest one, they came to a skidding halt.
"Oh man!" Sonic stretched his lower back as he took several deep breaths. "That was a close one! So not cool!"
Both Amy and Tekno were catching their breaths. Apparently speeding throughout an industrial plant via human chain link was somewhat exhausting. Amy bent over with her hands on her knees, though it wasn't for long. "Whew! Well, that was something, huh?
Tekno didn't appear too phased, though her veneer of calm was betrayed by her faltering speech. "I… okay." She pulled Nicole out of her satchel, evidentially making sure to retrieve her before they hoofed it. "You also…" She cleared her throat, managing to get herself together before she really started acting up. "I trust you are fine, Nicole?" Though judging from that, Sonic guessed she really did have something. Gaea, how in blazes had he not noticed this sooner? Maybe he was moving too fast to care. Some friend he was.
Nicole's holographic projection emerged from the computer that housed her, though it was still contained to a small space above it. "I'm alright, Tekno. Though thanks for asking. What's important is that I was able to lock down the Chemical Plant for the foreseeable future. It may be possible for Eggman or someone else to restore it, but with the defences I've put in place, it would take nothing short of ten geniuses worth to break through. Either that or a monkey with a wrench." There was a long beat before she tended to the damning void of silence. "Uh, that was a joke. Though not a very good one, I'm afraid. Still, if no-one is the worse for wear, then I suggest we try and find Johnny and the others. Hopefully they managed to make it out in one piece."
Sonic was stretching his legs, trying his to keep his mind off mister tall, green, and spiky. Still, he didn't want anyone else to worry. Between Uncle Chuck and everything else, he had enough on his plate, and he was sure they did too. He certainly wasn't going to worry any more than he needed, and he wasn't going to let them either. "Hey, I'm sure they're okay! It's Johnny we're talkin' about! Dude's been taking care of himself since he was a kid! And I'm sure the rest of 'em are fine too. No need to worry!"
Amy had been briefly looking over her hammer to check for scratches, but she was nonetheless amused at Sonic's show of compassion and consideration. "You know, back when all this started, I couldn't imagine something like that ever coming out of your mouth."
That was true, wasn't it? Then again, it was the same with her. "Hey, I could say the same about you. Back when we first met, it was all 'Oh Sonic!' and 'Hey, wanna hang out, Sonic?!" "Ravish me, Sonic!' Okay, maybe that one didn't happen, but you were still stalking me for days. Even at my speed, it was like there was nowhere to hide."
Amy couldn't help but blush. It was actually kind of cute— no no NO. He was with Sally now. He and Amy were just friends. Besides, he didn't want to get her hopes up after she finally settled down a bit, did he? "Uh, yeah, well. We've all changed for the better, yeah? Even Tekno's started growing out of her shell!"
Suddenly Tekno shuffled slightly away from the group, turning her head so as not to face the others. It was hard to see through her feathers, but… was she blushing? This would've been the first time she'd seen her display any major emotions since he'd known her. But maybe it wasn't a bad thing.
Amy noticed too, though she seemed a bit sorry for it, shaking her head as she planted her palm in her face. "Ugh. Sorry, Tekno. I shouldn't have just come out and said that in front of everyone."
"No, it's okay. I think. It's just, before all of this, I never spent much time outside of the lab. Or with other people."
Just then, Nicole's hologram enlarged itself a bit, though it still wasn't much larger than her laptop's screen. "It's the same with me. Before this, Sally was the only one I spent any time with. For some reason, it's only after meeting all of you here that I was able to become something more. In fact, perhaps it's presumptuous of me to say, but I think all of us have."
Now Sonic was the one blushing. But hey, maybe she had a point. Hard as it was to admit, he wasn't the same hedgehog as when he'd started. Perhaps that was why his newfound twin rubbed him the same way. Because he reminded him of how he used to be. Before all this started up
He didn't much like his old self now.
Still, he wished he could've settled things with him before he took off. He wondered just what he was getting up to.
It couldn't be that bad, could it?
Sonic— no, that wasn't his name, was it? The green hedgehog had been racing down Emerald Hill almost nonstop. Not that he cared.
"Some even said he was cloned from his very DNA."
That couldn't have been true.
"A hedgehog that is the exact duplicate of Sonic in every way."
Could it?
"The fact is, you are nothing more than an overgrown experiment born in a test-tube. One who believes he's so much more than what he is."
He stopped just short of a small village, half surrounded by a group of pine trees. He needed to think. Ironic coming from him, or at least who he thought he was. But if what everyone was saying was true, he was never him at all, was he? Just some punk grown in a test tube. A copy of the real thing.
He punched the nearest tree he could, slamming his knuckles into the bark in a fit of rage. He winced as he pulled his injured hand away in pain, but it still felt cathartic. The questions now where, who was he really? And what was he going to do from here? He wasn't Sonic. As much as he wanted to believe it, he wasn't. He'd seen the real deal, the true blue, and he wasn't him. Just some lab-rat meant to…
Hell, he wasn't even sure what he was meant for. He guessed he could go ask Buttnik in person, but he didn't feel like going back there anytime soon. Not until he got things sorted out. So what would someone like Eggman make someone like him for?
Killing Sonic maybe?
…
No. He couldn't. Besides, that's what he would want. He'd be playing right into Buttnik's hands.
But what if. What if he did it anyway? Not for Eggman's sake, but for his own? Because right now, there was only one Sonic. And he wasn't it. But if the real Sonic was no more…
No! No. He couldn't do that. Not even to him! That's not what his parents would want! What Uncle Chuck would want!
Except those weren't his parents, were they? And Chuck wasn't his uncle. At least not yet. But there if wasn't any more Sonic, then what could stop him from taking his place? Sure, the green was a bit distracting. But with Eggman's help, he could probably work around it. He was supposed to be super-smart and stuff, right? Course, he'd get rid of him too after the fact. After all, he was the one responsible for this! For making him like this instead of anything else! He was the one to blame! It was all his fault! His and Sonic's! He'd make them both pay, and prove he was just as good as Sonic! Maybe even better! But for now, he'd need something else to call himself. Least until he took Sonic out of the picture. But what else could it?
Suddenly his quills started to bristle. He spun around, ready to tear into anyone who so much as looked like a threat. But all he saw was some punk squirrel with red sunglasses and a leather jacket. Must have been coming back home after a walk. Not a bad look though.
"Hey! You're that hedgehog, aren't ya? The one who's been going around with Princess Sally and helping everyone! Sonic, right? Could've sworn you were blue though."
Well.
"Uh, sir?"
After all that thoughtful soul searching, all that time and effort finally getting himself together. And some punk dared to call him that name.
"You okay, buddy?"
Anything. Anything but. That. NAME. "You shouldn't have done that."
Just scant minutes later, the squirrel found himself beaten to a bloody pulp on the ground, his fur shredded as he moaned in agony. He was still breathing, but only just. Not that the green hedgehog cared. Not anymore. Slipping on his new jacket and sunglasses, all that mattered now was proving he was Sonic's equal. Perhaps his better. And making anyone else responsible pay. He wouldn't rest until he delivered swift justice, a scourge to his enemies that would stop at nothing short of retribution.
'Scourge'. Huh.
He liked the sound of that.
