" He's already checked out of the hospital, " Fiona was told by the clerk at the hospital about the Sonic Underground Tails. This caused a relieved Scourge to ask, " So where is he now? Where's he live? " There was a brief silence from the clerk hesitating at the idea of giving that address to an obvious criminal, but after Scourge menacingly reminded him with his arm on the counter, " I took down Robotnik, remember, " the outlaw couple was given the address and some directions, and ran out of the hospital and through the rest of the city. On the way there, Scourge bumped into the very edge of a kid in a coat harmlessly causing him to spin around in a circle comically, and complain while dizzy, " Watch where you're going, jerkass! "
Naturally, this caused the two criminals to stop, and Scourge glared at the quickly regretful kid yelling, " Hey, loudmouth! " before noticing the DS in his hand. " Give it to me, " he growled at him quietly in tranquil fury, only not trying harder to take it by force out of the fear that he'd just break it. The kid gave it to him shaking in fear, and Scourge felt the urge to verbally justify his action, when normally he thought he was always justified in taking what he wanted from people.
" There's a hurt kid just outta the hospital who deserves this more than you, " he grumbled in resentment, as Fiona and the kid stared at him wide-eyed for his less-than-evil response, which for a reason annoying to Fiona, still wasn't 100% enough to keep her from looking back to that whole moment with irritation. Justification or not, he still robbed an innocent kid on the street just for insulting him.
Soon, they reached the house that SU Tails was staying at, and Scourge rang the doorbell, causing the door to be answered by Sonia, who looked surprised and a little apprehensive at seeing him. " What are you doing here? " she asked. " I wanted to see if Miles was okay, " Scourge answered. " F-Fine, I know how worried you were last time. Come in. Down the left hall, it's the third door on the left, " Sonia said reluctantly, still not trusting someone who killed someone in front of her. She thought, " I wouldn't be able to stop him anyways. Better to just avoid getting hurt. "
Scourge and Fiona ran up to the entrance to the kid's room in a blur, only not going into it right away to avoid startling him, and after a brief two seconds of them standing there, Scourge silently urged Fiona to be the one who would go announce their presence to him because she was the most harmless-seeming one of them. She said with a worried smile, " Hey, Miles? " causing the fox with the bandaged head to look up at her from watching the TV across from his bed, and say in confusion, " Huh? F-Fiona? " She smiled walking up to him saying, " We just wanted to check to see if you were okay. My boyfriend here was really worried about you, " before sitting next to him on his bed.
Scourge, feeling a little embarrassed by that last sentence but thankful that he at least didn't have to say it, went into the room with her and said, " Yeah. And I wouldn't be able to stop worryin' until I'd see you recovered. You alright, no permanent damage? " He went up to the worried kid who nodded at his question, and sat next to him, and gave him the DS he was holding, saying, " I got you a gift. It's fun! It'll make staying in bed with a headache a lot easier on ya. My brother told me there's nothing worse than being hurt for weeks with nothing to do. "
He put the DS on the nightstand as the kid looked at it in curiosity, and said with his arm around him, " I-I'm sorry this whole thing happened. I should've been able to prevent it, but when that robot was about to hit you, I wasn't looking at ya. I just wanted you to know that. For some reason. "
SU Tails was nervous around him, but he soon appreciated the amount of compassion he was being shown and the affection he was just given, especially from someone who normally no one would expect it from. Fiona said to reassure Scourge, " Well, it's not healthy to keep something all bottled up inside, so it makes sense you'd feel better telling him about it. " SU Tails then chimed in with a cute smile, " Thanks for all the help, Scourge. I mean it, escorting me and my friends out of there, getting me to the hospital so fast, none of us would be alive if it weren't for you. And while you might not be sure about it, you did the right thing. You should be proud. "
The second to last sentence clearly made an impact on Scourge, who had almost the same look on his face as when Sonic told him he acted like him whenever he showed compassion and did something nice, that distraught look full of worry, self-doubt, confusion and crisis over who he was and wanted to be. Fortunately, after Fiona caught that expression, she interrupted it to try to keep him from freaking out and doing anything stupid. " You know, we met an alternate version of you? " she said to SU Tails, getting Scourge's attention immediately because he wasn't sure if telling him that was a good idea. He'd just want to meet him. She continued, " And he can summon ice and control it whenever he wants! Yeah, he was throwing ice and freezing people left right and center, trying to defend himself from a bunch of bullies. "
" Really? What'd you do? " he replied all wide-eyed and fascinated. " Got him to meet his own version of Sonic. The two really hit it off! " Fiona told him cheerfully, and found herself pretty proud of herself by the final sentence. " S-So are ya mad at me? " Scourge asked unhappily to get the attention back on him, since he was the one who wanted to go check on him in the first place. " I shouldn't be feeling like this when it was that robot that hit you. But it's just so frustrating, I should've been able to prevent all this. I mean, I am the fastest thing alive after all! " he continued, trying to ignore how irritated he was with himself.
" No, of course I'm not mad. It wasn't your fault I moved from where I last was, and you made up for everything right after. In fact, uh, I know we're not friends, but, may I give you a hug? " the injured Tails said with a smile at first and timidly at the end.
Scourge jumped at the chance and hugged him, and enjoyed the warm soft embrace, relishing in being so appreciated and respected. But when the hug ended, he only got the worry back again as he remembered what Sonic had said to him, and the fact that he had been doing the right thing, a lot actually. He thought, " What would Sonic say if he saw me do that? ' Aw, you're not so bad after all! There's still hope for you yet! Maybe you'll be a lot more like me someday! ' " with Sonic's voice echoing in his mind at the end.
The kid asked nervously, " What's wrong? You were just smiling a second ago, " noticing the look of distress on his face, and in an effort to try to get some comforting answer, Scourge asked, " Fiona, can I talk to you about somethin' outta the room? Just for a little bit? You're not in trouble. " Fiona looked worried, and reluctantly got out of the bed patting the kid's shoulder in reassurance that she'd be back, and the two walked into the bathroom nearby and closed the door behind them.
" I'm not sure how to put it, so I'm just gonna start talkin'. I'm supposed to be like the total opposite of HIM. Is it fine that I'm not completely different from him? That I'd do things that Sonic might do without even freaking THINKING about it?! I-I'm not that worried, I'm glad I did those things, but the constant comparison is so annoying. Would he think we're doing the right things? I don't care what that idiot thinks, but I can just see his smug face if he ever witnessed me doing them, telling me that we're not so different after all, " Scourge said to Fiona nervously, slightly worried by the end that she would judge him as pathetic and find the whole thing irritating.
She comforted him encouragingly, " It's fine! If you were completely different from him, and didn't have ANYTHING in common, you wouldn't have super speed because he has it, and wouldn't like rock music because he does, or chili dogs, and you wouldn't have so many of the other things you have in common with him that make you, YOU. His complete opposite would be like a turtle who breathed water on the opposite side of the universe and like hid in his shell instead of fighting and taking risks. You don't wanna be that just to be more of an individual! You have plenty of advantages that you have every right to be proud of and enjoy, no matter who you share them with! It doesn't matter if you two have similarities, because everyone has things in common with a whole bunch of other people out there, and if you didn't have anything in common with him, you wouldn't be YOU. And I love you in the first place because of those things, not just because of what makes you different. If I wanted someone nothing like him, I'd have gone with somebody else. Someone who WASN'T the best boyfriend I've ever had, " putting her hand affectionately on his face at the final sentence for a second. " I love ya too, babe, " Scourge said out of habit with a smile.
She continued to her still worried boyfriend, " Who cares what he thinks is the right thing? Do what YOUR idea of the right thing is, whether it'd happen to coincide with his or not, because it's still YOURS. He'd probably still be calling you evil regardless because you kill Robotniks, not to mention the kid you stole a DS from! Don't let him get in your head, sweetie, just do what you want to do, like you always have! Remember your motto, ' Do what feels good, and don't let anybody stop you! ' Including Sonic. That's just what he'd want. Don't feel bad about doing what makes you happy and not doing stuff you'd regret, because that's common sense for anybody out there, and YOU'RE choosing to do them. Because you want to. All that matters, if that, is that I support you. I support everything you're doing the best I can. " She ended it off by kissing him, which reassured him almost completely as he returned the favor.
A couple seconds later, the kiss ended, and still with that inkling of doubt in him in an identity crisis, Scourge walked out of the room with her gesturing at first for him to follow her, and he told quietly Fiona in tranquil fury just outside his room, " I'm not letting those islanders get away with it. It's time for me to show 'em what an evil twin can do, and stand up to those bullies like Sonic never would. I'll raze the place to the ground, I'll make a wasteland outta that damn island just like with the one that hurt Miles, kicking ass and spindashing through all the buildings I see, because this time, I'm gonna go there and do it myself. "
Fiona then looked scared with her pupils shrunken at the image, and he said calmly to reassure her with his hands on her shoulders, " But you don't have to come with me. I understand, I mean, you don't have the same history with Miles that I do. Why would you want revenge? I'd love for you to join in on the fun, but I can tell your heart wouldn't be into it. And that'd be no fun. "
As they walked into the room with SU Tails starting to play the DS, with Fiona trying to convince herself and get into the spirit of wanting to do what Scourge did and enact well-deserved revenge, she sighed at last, and apologized in a whisper, " I want it to be. For you. I wanna go there and have fun, take everything out on 'em and destroy everything, and they do deserve it, they're bullies, but… there's no good reason. It's st, I-I'm sorry. " Scourge was annoyed at her irrationality, but couldn't stop himself from feeling sorry for her, and kissed her cheek before saying, " Stay here with him, and I'll be back in a few hours! I promise, Fi, 'cause I'll miss ya. "
" With hi- " Fiona said all wide-eyed in a panic, but before she could say anything else, Scourge had already ran out of the house, out of the room before she could finish her first word. She then turned around to look at the Tails in the bed cutely playing a DS, couldn't ignore who that kid reminded her of, and found herself sitting beside him putting her arm around him fondly holding him closer to her. Knowing she made the right decision because she enjoyed it instantly, she decided to relax with a content smile and watch him play the RPG in front of her. She could've tried to talk to him, making their quality time less silent, but she wasn't sure what to say.
Once Scourge got back from wreaking havoc on that island, he used his interdimensional teleporter, which to Fiona's surprise, brought her to a giant lab where a crowd of people were waiting in fear to be roboticized, with some Swatbots keeping them from fleeing the dark lab. One of them, a hedgehog, was roboticized right in front of their eyes, panicking and banging on the roboticizer's walls until it'd be over. Scourge holding her to his side with one hand the whole time was her only comfort at the moment.
" W-Why did you take me here? " Fiona asked looking terrified, both of what was in front of her and of the paranoia that Scourge might inexplicably take her to the roboticizer himself. Scourge, who didn't look like he was enjoying seeing what just happened, especially since he had come close to it happening to him, hid his inner turmoil from her and said in a dead serious manner, " I wanna remind you why you hate Robotniks so much. So if you ever hesitate about continuing with my goal, you can remember this, and remember the guy who imprisoned you. " The last thing he wanted was for her to tell him to stop in the middle of him attacking a Robotnik.
Before she could remain scared for any longer, Scourge let her go and spindashed through all of the robots in the room in a green and black blur, slicing through every single one of them at the speed of sound without stopping until he had finished, and then made sure that every roboticizer would be destroyed as viciously and thoroughly as possible. When he stopped, the entire crowd of people in the room cheered at the top of their lungs and celebrated, which came as a pleasant surprise to someone used to being feared and mistrusted by everyone he met. But the leather jacket, fangs and chest scars didn't seem to matter to them because all they saw was their savior. It was intoxicating, being praised and treated like that. Fiona asked the proudly smiling Scourge trying to hide the sheer amount of relief and approval, " Why'd you do that, hun? "
" 'Cause I'd never miss an opportunity to smash some stuff, especially robots! Those are the best to destroy of all! And besides, look at the result. These people practically worship me! I bet they'd offer me an ice cream sundae if I wanted one, " Scourge said happily with a proud smirk and his arms crossed. Having overheard, the large squirrel Mobian behind him said, " Sure we'll get you one! You saved us! We just need you to escort us out. There's plenty more robots to destroy on the way. And then we'll all go to Knothole and pitch in for a celebratory party giving you all the ice cream and thank yous you want! "
Scourge felt a little annoyed at the idea that he was being told what to do, in fact the sheer thought of it would enrage him if he dwelled on him " having the gall to " do that, but the idea of causing some more destruction still sounded enticing to him, and the ice cream party even more. So he said, " Alright, but I'm doin' it 'cause I WANT to, not because you say so. I go by my own rules! I'm doin' this all because I happen to have some fun with it. Alright, now I'll run ahead destroying every robot in the building. My girlfriend here will escort you out in the meantime until I come back, " looking irritated at first and smiling later.
He then went up to the exit to the room calling out to the crowd, " This way! " before running out of sight in a blur, and although Fiona was always nervous when he left her behind, she then looked back at the crowd of people behind her as she started to get the biggest lovestruck smile on her face, overwhelmed with how much she admired and respected Scourge. " He's everything I ever wanted Sonic to be, " she thought, and started walking with the crowd of innocent civilians gladly following behind her down the dark hallway, feeling a bit of familiarity and pride at the experience.
However, the familiarity didn't go unnoticed by her, and her face fell as she was unable to ignore where that familiarity came from; her past as a Freedom Fighter. She thought feeling conflicted, " I used to do this kind of thing all the time... Well, in a way, even if I never end up doing this again, getting rid of Robotniks with Scourge is basically achieving the same thing, right? Only better because there's no boring, ' walk down a hallway with a bunch of people I don't know, ' part. Although killing Robotniks still leaves most of their robots around to do what they're programmed, which would include, turning people into robots, and not to mention all the Robians that are still stuck that way. But I'm sure the Freedom Fighters of those planets will take care of that themselves. If they couldn't handle that, what would they be GOOD for?... "
She sighed unhappily thinking, " Oh, Fiona, you can't say that's the case for every zone. What if I find a zone with no Freedom Fighters left? What if a Robotnik'll turn out to have made a posthumous doomsday plan like the real Robotnik did, and with nobody to do anything to stop it? What if Scourge and I will have left the zone before we could see that plan get activated? Damn it, Fi, stop worrying like this! We always tend to stick around a zone spending the day there after we take down its Robotnik, if only so Scourge can enjoy the praise and rub it in the other Sonic's face. As he logically should. Plus we have some lunch and dinner and then sleep at a hotel together, robbing criminals on the street to get the money for it. That's what happens every day, so if that's gonna keep happening, why wouldn't he find out about such a plan? It'll be fine. And there's NOTHING for me to MISS. I'm getting to do everything I want in life with him around, no stupid restrictions where I'm not allowed to use guns against robots or anything like that. While I still have to do what he says normally, I'm still freer than I've ever been when I had dozens of people ordering me around. Like SALLY. With that judgemental glare with her arms crossed, looking down on me. I'll never miss someone like that after what she did. She let me down when I thought she'd be understanding. To her, everyone who breaks a law is a scumbag, even if they'd die if they didn't... But most of them were pretty nice to me. Just not Sally, or Sonic who did the same thing she did later when I thought he'd be better than that. But Tails didn't… "
Looking all worried, she found herself absent-mindedly taking a plastic bag with a sandwich in it offered to her as a reward by a kid with a lunchbox, and eating the peanut butter and jelly sandwich for brunch as she thought, " A-And, well, even when I do miss any of them, which I shouldn't after they treated me like a criminal, but for the sake of argument just in case. Even if I do miss someone, like Tails, me and Scourge have plans to go visit the zone with Manik in it and the zone with the ice magic Tails in it every month, so it's not like I'll never see anyone like my old ' friends ' again. Because any time Scourge really misses Miles, he'll be taking me with him. He's already made plans to go to the arcade with Manik, and go stealing if he can get him to go along with it. I bet he wants to take him under his wing! How sweet is that?… Of course, if we start getting hunted down by the police, even after we got rid of the zone's Robotnik, that'll kind of put a hamper on those little visits. Ugh… Scourge is right, I need to relax. There's nothing to worry about. "
Soon enough, Scourge had come back, having smashed all of the robots in the base leaving puddles of oil and piles of metal where they once stood, and was ready to walk down the rest of the hall with her holding his hand, having memorized the way out of the base from there by looking at a map. Normally he'd be too lazy to do that, but he figured in that case that the amount of time it'd take to memorize a map would be significantly less than the time he'd waste leading a crowd of strangers he doesn't care about down a maze hitting all sorts of dead ends. The only reason he wasn't leaving the crowd to find their way out on their own was to get that ice cream sundae party; that, and he had an excuse to have Fiona hold his hand the entire time. Fiona, finding the experience almost bliss, genuinely smiled and thought, " What am I worrying about? I'm happier in my life than I've ever been. I've got everything I need. "