Chapter Four – Family
A decade after the death of the Blue Blur and Mobius was thriving, and the children born of the baby boom were now all ten year old kids, all ready to take on the world. Violet, Scarlet and Pearl were among them, now all fast friends, almost sisters even, having grown up together. The partnership between Shadow, Knuckles and Rouge, in the end, had proved to be absolutely vital, as the Mobian Authorities and G.U.N. had indeed come looking. But thanks to some clever trickery by Rouge and smart diversions by Knuckles, who knew Angel Island better then anyone, neither Shadow or Violet were found. Soon, they were gone. The Ultimate Lifeform was eternally grateful, but Knuckles just giggled. Shadow frowned.
"What?" He hissed. But the Echidna just smiled.
"I genuinely never thought of you as a father." He admitted. Shadow just smirked, and then proceeded to tell both Knuckles and Rouge the full truth of Violet's creation. The deep yearning of wanting to be a father, and having no idea how or why it was even there. But in the end, he just shrugged, as his daughter just ran in and hugged him deeply. It didn't matter. Scarlet the Echidna and Pearl the Bat both looked like normal ten year old girls. Bouncy, happy, keen to explore. But Violet the Hedgehog, Shadow's daughter, was different. She had slightly accelerated growth had left her looking closer to a fifteen year old girl, and had been caught several times, occasionally bulling the other two, which her father quickly stamped out.
There was a time and a place for bullying but never on her 'sisters'. Shadow owed their parents too much, and expected Violet to a least show some respect. The Ultimate Lifeform was quite brutal with his daughter but as he pointed out with the others, she was capable of far more then the other girls, and needed to be shown discipline as well as being taught the mental restraints and strengths, that made Shadow who he was. If she wanted to be trusted as an adult, she was going to have to prove that she had perfect control of everything, just like her father. Shadow taught her everything he knew, including how to professional wield a firearm to how to be a G.U.N. agent, even though she'd never actually work for them.
Violet had grown into a stunning girl. She wore black, as did all the girls. It made them easier to hide. A black t-shirt and jeans, as well as black socks and shoes, but white gloves, with golden Inhibitor Rings and black cuffs. Her waist curved in the middle, giving her a stunning figure and she was beginning to develop quite a large chest, which she was keen to show off, which Shadow didn't approve of. Her large quills on her head, turned upwards, just like her father, a bright red headband across them, and rather unusually for a female, she had back quills. Plain black, just like her father. Her purple stripes were beautiful, them deepening in colour as she grew, and her deep violet eyes, showed not a drop of true malice behind them. Any rule breaking she did, was a direct reflection on Shadow, which, as he sniggered, he was more then happy to admit too. He was intently proud of her, and hoped any future partner could live up to the extremely high expectations he had of him.
In fact, all of them were proud of their daughters, especially Rouge who got on extremely well with her daughter. Pearl was a very sassy pure white furred Bat, who wore a black t-shirt and trousers, over which she wore white boots, with dark grey soles, and a pink trim. She also wore long length white gloves, also with pink trims and bore a very large single chestnut brown stripe that started at the top of forehead, and went over her head and covered most of the back of it. She had the tuffs of fur at the back of her head, just like her mother. She had large emerald green eyes, which constantly reminded her mother of the Blue Blur, with brown eyelids and large black eyelashes. She had large ears with chestnut tan inners, which twitched everywhere she went. Her wings were strong, light grey in colour and she flew beautifully on them.
Her best friend was Scarlet, an Echidna readying herself to, one day, take over as the Guardianship of the Master Emerald. She was certainly strong enough, easily beating Violet on pure strength, despite what the Hedgehog thought. She was a bright red Echidna who wore a completely black all-in-one sleeveless dress, with straps, her long, crooked tail, easily seen out the back. Her long dreadlocks came right down to her waist but she always tied them back into a ponytail. She wore black shoes with a black fastening at the top with green socks, and white gloves, also with green trim. She wore a black headband across the top of her head and her deep purple eyes never missing a thing. She spent a lot of time with Pearl as her father was always sat by the Master Emerald. She understood, he had to be seen doing his job, and Scarlet was allowed to join him, but ultimately, she found it rather boring.
So while she was allowed to explore, she did, as Rouge regularly took both her and Pearl off Angel Island to explore the towns and cities below. Violet didn't go with them, much to her objection. But Shadow was very much in charge of Violet, and neither Rouge or Knuckles crossed him on that. She was different and because of it, in far more danger. But Violet complained, saying it just wasn't fair. So in the end, Shadow relented. He didn't want his daughter to be held back, simply because she had been created, rather then born, so he personally took her to visit the towns and cities on the surface, but at night, where they were less likely to be spotted. But Violet huffed.
"Well, that's not fair. Why can Pearl and Scarlet visit here during the day, but I have to come at slinky nighttime, when no one's about?" She heaved. But Shadow growled, rubbing his face. It had been a long day.
"Violet, we have been over this. The Mobian Authorities and G.U.N. will capture you and kill you, if they find you, just because you my daughter." He snapped. But Violet folded her arms. She growled.
"I thought you said that was all over now." She wondered. But Shadow sighed, deeply.
"Potentially, yes, but I don't want to risk it." He admitted. But Violet huffed again.
"But Papa, I can look after myself." She growled. But Shadow wasn't budging. His temper flared.
"Violet." He hissed, but his daughter complained again, until he finally roared at her.
"VIOLET!" He snapped, and got instant silence, the girl whimpering at him. She seen her father's violent temper, first hand and even though he'd never actually physically hurt her, she badly feared it regardless. Feeling the fear on his daughter, instantly broke Shadow's temper, as it always did, and he just pulled her in for a cuddle, which she accepted. She was almost the same height as him now. Shadow heaved, feeling guilty, which again, always happened. He heaved.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm just protecting you. You mean the world to me." He admitted. Finally, Violet nodded. She understood, even if she didn't agree. She was getting better with her father's temper. She wasn't as frightened as she used to be. She knew that no matter how angry her father got, he never hurt her, and now, she was beginning to believe that. They walked together through the town, exploring what they could, before the sun rose. A sun rise that would change their lives forever.
Suddenly, they heard it. A sound in the distance, so distinctive, so loud, it was utterly unmistakable. A sound not heard in over ten years. The sound barrier breaking.
A Sonic Boom.
Now finally independent, Max had been travelling across Mobius for several months. Truthfully, Sukko put a telepathic lock on his son, so with a simple call, he'd be there instantly with ab Orb teleport. But Max had to find his own way in the world. His sister Sapphire had already left home, but Sukko still had twelve year old twin daughters to care for, as well as still working at the hospital as a Doctor.
Sukko liked to be kept busy. The last ten years had been pure hell. Having the Psychic Link, he shared with Sonic, get brutally severed with his twin brother's death, was extremely hard, and if it wasn't for Sukko's own incredible power in Chaos Sorcery, and an incredible gift from Sonic, he too would have died. But the powerful Sorcerer pulled through, just. The thought of his children keeping him going. He was all they had left. Leaving wasn't an option. His pride and honour in his brother's sacrifice constantly reminded him, that there was always something worth fighting for. Even if you don't always know it.
Max huffed, not really finding much of anything. He went to all of his Uncle's old favourite known haunts but there was nothing there anymore. Tails' House was boarded up and sold. No idea where he'd gone, and all of his favourite restaurant and eateries were all now something else, the world moving on. Max stopped and thought, his deep purple coat almost invisible in the darkness. Suddenly, he remembered, another one of his Uncle's favourite haunts. The last one.
Speed Alley.
The largest, longest, flattest terrain anywhere, and absolutely perfect for breaking the sound barrier in. It was where all the Speedsters used hang out, and where his Uncle, as the King of Speed, would be permanently be found. Max had never been there, but knew exactly where it was, and as the sun just rose, he finally stopped on the very edge of the vast epicness.
The open landscape went on for as far as the eye could see. It looked barren, lifeless, but to Max, perfect. But he gulped. If he did this, the world would immediately know, and he was going to get run down. He heaved. Yes, he was finally ready for this, then he smirked.
"Bring it on." He giggled, genuinely having no idea what would happened. The thought of a potential adventure excited him. Life had been somewhat boring recently.
He took a deep breath. Time to move. He slowing placed one foot in front of the other, concentrating on the ground ahead of him. Soon, he was picking up speed. Suddenly, Max felt it. His free-spirit. The wind in quills, the road beneath his feet. It felt incredible, and caused Max's confidence to explode. Finally, he to put his foot down on the accelerator.
One hundred miles and hour.
He looked around. He didn't know Speed Alley, but he began to relax here. Finally, he felt at home. He smiled. Yes, he could do this. He gritted his teeth. More speed.
Two hundred miles and hour, three hundred.
Max looked around as he ran, desperately trying to get his bearings, but he was struggling. He had to dodge several placed to avoid tripping. It has been years since someone had broke the sound barrier here.
Four hundred miles and hour. Five hundred.
Suddenly, he screamed. His E.S.P. just kicked in, as the world exploded all around him. They had been there before, but not to his extent. He had get his bearings and quickly. Thankfully, with the landscape being bare, Max could easily do that.
Six hundred miles and hour. Seven Hundred.
Further screaming, as his super-fast instincts also kicked in with a bang, taking the poor Max by storm. He was getting completely bombarded by far to much information, he dangerously swaying from side to side. He gulped and gritted his teeth. Time to take charge. He was only one of a handful of people left in the whole of Mobius who could break the sound barrier on foot. The only ones who knew exactly how it felt on the ground. There were other methods of breaking it. Several trains and planes could do it, but only he and Shadow had ever felt it's pure roar power, with no protection. Max heaved, and bend forwards slightly, pushing further. He blocked out all of the world around him.
Seven hundred and fifty miles a hour.
Max suddenly felt the intense resistance of the sound barrier, and for the first time in his life, he feared it. He had done this before, but here at Speed Alley and the timing, it felt much more intense. He knew he had to do this. Once he'd done it, subsequent barrier breakages will be significantly easier. It just had to get through this first one. He bent forwards even further, hands over both ears and screwed up his eyes, his high-speed instincts keeping him straight. He gritted his teeth and gave one enormous final push.
BOOM!
Now Max really screamed. The Sonic Boom was much louder then he was expecting, and his hands on his ears were nowhere near enough protection to the incredible sound. Thankfully, it didn't make them bleed, but they where left ringing slightly. But weirdly, as soon as the sound barrier exploded, the wall of sound dulled almost instantly, immediately becoming bearable, causing Max to open his eyes and look up, in utter confusion. But his jaw suddenly dropped.
"Whoa!" He squealed, dropping his hands, looking around, absolutely stunned. The whole of Speed Alley all around him was reverberating with the shockwave of the Sonic Boom and it looked absolutely stunning. Now he knew what he meant to be the King of Speed. Finally, now he understood his Uncle's stories. But Max found that he could push stronger and harder then his Uncle, but suddenly, he stopped. Did he want do? Was he the King of Speed, or was that Sonic? Max was someone different. Did he want to take that title off his Uncle? Max smirked. He knew his Uncle wouldn't care, he was intensely proud of him either way. It was entirely Max's choice but for now, he decided, no.
Sonic The Hedgehog was the King of Speed, and it should stay that way, even if, as Max giggled, he could go faster. Now traveling at Mach One, the adrenaline rush finally kicked it, and wow, Max fell in love. He went super hyper and intensely giggling. Suddenly he came to end of Speed Alley and skidded to a halt. Panting hard and immediately turned around. That was far too much fun, and yes, he was going do it again, and took off in the opposite direction.
Both Shadow and Violet whirled round, her squealing in fright, at the enormous explosion. She stammered in fright.
"Papa, what was that?" She cried. But Shadow just went absolutely white, staring immediately in the direction from where it came.
Speed Alley.
Every sound barrier breakage creates a distinctive tone to the explosion. Each of the Hedgehogs sounding completely different, and yet this explosion sounded like a total blast from the past. Shadow gulped.
"No. It can't be." He stammered. But Violet just stared at him. She blinked.
"Papa?" She questioned, but suddenly she was interrupted by Rouge who came flying down to them, very fast. She too was panting. She almost landed on top of them.
"Shadow, did you hear it?" She gulped. He nodded, but with him still somewhat stunned, so she took charge, rounding on him. "Look, I'll take the girls on Angel Island. Knuckles will met you there." She hissed, taking a somewhat frightened Violet by the hand, her not objecting. Rouge nodded. "Go after him." She spat, glaring at him. Shadow gulped again, as both he and Rouge both thought the same thing. That sound barrier breaking. Only one person ever sounded like that.
Sonic.
With a nod to Rouge, he immediately vanished, straight for Speed Alley. He didn't need to be told twice. Suddenly, he heard the barrier breaking again. That sound. It was so distinctive, and yet impossible. Sonic The Hedgehog was dead. Shadow watched him die. That was why he took the death so badly. So if this wasn't the Blue Blur.
Then who?
Shadow heaved, panting hard. It had been years since he'd activated his own Super-Speed this hard, and struggled to get to the top speeds. But as his E.S.P. and super-fast instincts kicked back in, he relaxed. Yes, he remembered this. Age had not dulled any of his strength and power at all, and he was still as strong and as powerful as ever as he was when he stood side-by-side with the Blue Blur against Eggman. He smirked hard, as this meant one thing.
He still could out speed and out manurer whomever it was pulling this stunt at Speed Alley. Shadow heaved. He desperately hoped it was a stunt and not...! He took a deep breath, not wanting to go there. Seeing the Blue Blur potentially alive again was more then he could mentally bare, no matter how impossible it seemed.
Suddenly, he heard a very familiar plane fly above him, and as he looked up, and very familiar face aboard, someone Shadow had not seen in years. Tails. He'd heard the Fox had sold up and moved house, to massively expand his workshop, and was now living in Mystic Ruins, just the other side of Westropolis. Knuckles had kept in regular contact, and with Shadow permission, as he trusted Tails, had told the Fox about their daughters. He even came to visit. Now eighteen, he too was moving on, finally finding himself a girlfriend, then wife, and soon, he too was a father.
To another girl. His daughter was now two years old. Tails, at sixteen, fell for a dark brown female Fox, called Zooey. Zooey was a Vixen of average height and slender built. She had yellow fur with a white muzzle and inner ears, a small black nose, medium-large triangular ears, and blue eyes with one eyelash each. She also had a long fluffy tail with a white tip, long hair which she both wears in a red hairband and as a lock on each side of her head, a tuft of hair on her forehead, and white-tipped feet. She wore a crimson sheath dress with a white button near her left shoulder, crimson shorts, crimson bracelets, and crimson slippers. Their daughter Amber, the youngest of them all the children of her generation, was a beautiful little Fox cub with the two tails of her father, and large bright blue eyes. Shadow had met her, she was very cute, but right now, he had a different thing entirely on his mind as the sound barrier broke again, and he was flagged down at the very edge of Speed Alley with Tails landing not far away, just as Knuckles himself arrived. The three of them met up, gulping, all of them staring out along the vast plain.
Tails immediately got out his handheld and began scanning the area, looking for the tell tale Chaos signature. Knuckles heaved.
"It is him?" He stammered, but Shadow growled, his temper flared. The Blue Blur was dead. He leered, and hard.
"You know it can't be." He hissed. But suddenly Tails squealed.
"Got it." He beamed. Knuckles and Shadow blinked.
"What?" they said together. But Tails gasped, swearing hard.
"Oh my Chaos." He stammered. He was immediately stared at, so finally he explained. "The Chaos signature, it's not Sonic, but it's uncannily similar, so much so that it's definitely a relative, but the chaos readings are off the charts." He stuttered. Shadow stared but Knuckles bounced.
"Hey, didn't we find out that Sonic had any relatives until just after he died." He grinned. Tails nodded.
"Yes, but years of extensive further research, after that, also found nothing. So I even went looking for them, but never found them. But there were tiny hints here and there in the paperwork, I did find, that the Blue Blur did indeed have family and the survivors of the war were still definitely out there, somewhere." He explained. Then suddenly, he beamed in absolute joy, bouncing up and down. "I can't believe it. We've finally found them. Sonic's family." He giggled in pure delight. "It only took a decade." He gigged. But Knuckles looked out across the plain. He frowned.
"More like, they've found us." He shrugged. Tails nodded. But the Echidna heaved. "So who exactly have we got here, and why show up now?" He wondered. Tails just shrugged.
"I have no idea." He admitted, but then, looking at his handheld, he rounded on the other two. "But we need to be careful. It looks like whomever this is, is alone, and male. But we don't want to frightened him. He'll bolt and according to these readings." He added, indicating his handheld. "Whoever this is, he can run much harder and significantly faster then Sonic ever could. If he flees, we'll never physically catch him." He heaved. They all stared at each other, blinking hard. Realising the truth of what they were witnessing here. Only one potentially person could ever match the Blue Blur like that.
A son.
Knuckles just exploded. He panicked.
"How? When?" He stammered, but Tails just rounded on him. He couldn't believe it either. Sonic having a son, and absolutely none of them knowing. Who was the mother? It definitely wasn't Amy. She never got pregnant by him and Sonic never showed any interest in anyone else. But Tails heaved.
"I don't know, but as far as I know, Sonic died without issue." He stammered, not believing the potential treachery. "That's what the paperwork said. But only one person knows the truth and that is the new speedster down there." He heaved, indicating the Hedgehog now speeding towards them incredibly quickly. Shadow stared at him, and then suddenly, his blur streak behind him finally became apparent, causing all three of them to cock their heads to the side. Knuckles frowned.
"Purple?" He gulped. Tails just shrugged. He had no idea, but Shadow was downright fascinated. Finally, he could see this Hedgehog's Chaos Aura, and to say a relative of the Blue Blur, what was definitely undeniable. His Chaos Aura was bright white, just like the Blue Blur's, but his had a slight purple tint to it, but the exact pure heart of gold was there, but as he ran all over Speed Alley, Shadow saw something he just couldn't understand. He deeply frowned.
"He's untrained." He hissed, causing the others to stare. "He running around out there on pure instinct. I am seeing some of the Blue Blur's moves, but they are not mastered, perfected." He leered, looking at the Fox. But Tails just frowned.
"And we all know that Sonic was an absolute obsessive perfectionist. He drove us all mad with it. That was how he got as good as he did." He shrugged. But Knuckles just growled, who seemed to have convinced himself of that fact.
"Then how could his son 'not' be." He wondered. But Shadow just rounded on him. He growled.
"Assuming that he 'is' his son." He spat, agreeing with Tails. The whole idea grated heavily against Shadow. He didn't believe it, despite the evidence. But who else could he be? Regardless, Tails rounded on them. He panted.
"Look, we need to get his attention so we can talk to him." He heaved. Suddenly, Shadow smirked. He knew how, rounding on Tails.
"I'll get him. Go and get your plane and follow us. I'll flag you down." He ordered. Immediately, everyone vanished, as the plane took and and the Ultimate Lifeform was alone. His smirk broadened, as he activated his own Super-Speed. It had been years since he'd broken the sound barrier but the old-hog still had his tricks, and soon, his distinctive shockwave ricocheted out across the plain.
Max had gotten completely carried away, running all over the large, endless plain, just enjoying the pure freedom. He was giggling, loving being out here on his own, but the sudden sound of a Sonic Boom, that clearly wasn't his own, immediately grounded Max to a immediate halt. He wasn't alone anymore. Now he outright panicked, as he remembered there was only one person, he knew of, other then himself, who could break the sound barrier like that.
Shadow The Hedgehog.
Max knew exactly who he was but never met him, and quite frankly, he was terrified. He heard the stories, mainly from his Uncle himself, before he died, and now, despite his fear, he was actually quite fascinated to actually meet the mighty Ultimate Lifeform. Max had been expecting to draw someone's attention here, with his Sonic Booms, but Shadow was the last person he expected. So he ran to very edge of Speed Alley, hid and looked on.
Shadow's Sonic Boom sounded out across Speed Alley, and suddenly there was...nothing. He immediately stopped, and looked around. He was alone, and now really confused. He'd been immediately expecting to get pounced on, jumped on, challenged to a race, just like the Blue Blur used to do but got nothing. He heard the plane fly over his head, and looking up at both Tails and Knuckles, they just shrugged. They too were confused, the both of them expecting the exact same reaction. Suddenly, Tails turned the plane the other way, and immediately spotted something deep purple, a Hedgehog, clearly hiding in the bushes, in the distance. He squealed in pure delight, throw out his hand to point.
"Hey, he's over there." He grinned, as Shadow looked in the direction, and finally clocked him, very quickly running over.
Max heard the plane coming towards him first. He looked up at it, in awe. He absolutely loved planes, even since he was a small child, and had always wanted to become a professional pilot. He could fly a plane, and very well. He was self-taught, just like Tails, but to fly large commercial aircraft, needed extensive training. Now aged fifteen, he was old enough to go to flight school. He hadn't started yet but Sukko was more then happy for him to go, if he wanted. It was a good path for him, away from the Super-Speed. Max got fascinated in flying, simply because he could fly, but Sukko cleverly steered it towards a possible career choice. Max saw the plane, and heart exploded in pure joy, a large smile of his face. It was an old red bi-plane, one of his absolute favourites. He didn't hear Shadow sneak up behind him at all. He smirked.
"Hello." He hissed, as Max just whirled around and squealed in panic.
"Whoa." He stammered, the Ultimate Lifeform himself, now stood before him. Shadow immediately gulped, throwing up both his hands. He heaved.
"Kid? Please don't flee, I mean you no harm." He nodded, genuinely. Max nodded, still very nervous but then he growled, right at Shadow.
"Hey, I'm not a kid." He spat. Shadow just blinked at him. No, he wasn't. He'd been expecting a smallish child, not the teenage, almost adult Hedgehog, he was greeted with. He was incredible. His deep purple fur coat was stunning, his triangular ears pointed straight at him. His long purple quills flowing down his head and back. His white socks and gloves shimmering in the sunlight, his black nose twitching. His peach muzzle and belly slightly matted from the intense running. His plain black lase shoes were cover in dirt he'd kicked up while running. His large, emerald green eyes, glistened, full of sparkles, and his scent almost knocked Shadow almost off his feet. Hints of the Blue Blur was definitely on him.
Suddenly, the plane landed nearby, and immediately Max ran for it, leaving Shadow far behind. He was bouncing in pure excitement. He immediately caught Tails attention, and the plane came to a halt. He gasped is utter astonishment.
"Hey, is that a red Nieuport twenty-three Double-Bay Sesqui Bi-Plane?" He asked. Tails just blinked in pure astonishment. He just nodded. Max jumped in pure joy. "Do you have any idea how unbelievably rare they are?" He beamed, and immediately he was all over the plane, throwing questions, in rapid succession straight at him. He giggled.
"What's the range? What's the top speed? What's it's turning circle? Whoa. Have you upgraded this thing? Is that a clean air converter?" He giggled. Tails, Knuckles and Shadow just all looked at each other, but then Tails just beamed, giggling hard.
"Er, yes." He nodded, getting out of the plane. "I have upgraded it. The range is about three hundred miles. Top speed is one hundred and fifty miles per hour, and the turning circle is about thirty yards. Nice to meet another plane enthusiast. What's your name?" He added. The Purple Hedgehog just looked up, from intensely examinating the plane. He smiled.
"Max. What's yours?" He giggled, obviously not recognising the Fox. The Tails just smiled.
"Tails." He grinned. Max immediately bolted upright and stared at the Fox. Tails giggled. "Ah, you heard of me." He grinned, spread out his two tails so they clearly be seen. Max then immediately looked from Tails, to Shadow, to Knuckles and back to Tails again, having finally realised whom he was looking at. His Uncle's old friends. The exact people he spoke of in the stories, Max clearly remembered in from his childhood. Now he was now totally starstruck, and knew exactly what they was wanting from him. The truth, but he just wasn't ready for that. He backed away from them, gulping hard.
"Er, no." He lied, rather rudely, and then utterly terrified, he just bolted, smashing straight through the sound barrier and then outright shattering the Hyperblast, at Mach four point six. The rainbow shockwave rose up from the ground, a huge semicircle, which shock violently the whole of Speed Alley in his wake. Tails screamed, and Shadow just gasped. Never in all his years of fighting, had Sonic The Hedgehog ever pulled that move, unaided. It was incredible. Shadow didn't bother to chase him. Tails was right, they were never going to catch him.
But the Fox just giggled. He'd caught his attention, and his bi-plane was the key to getting Max to come back to them.
He was right.