Reversion
by Asher Tye
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sonic, I own nothing of Tails, I own nothing typically recognized as belonging to Sega. I wish I did, but I don't… ::Sad Face::
Author's Note: Merlin's Disease is not a real disease, but I do feel I should give credit to my source anyway, Dan Simmons who wrote the Hyperion Cantos series. I've changed the characteristics of the sickness somewhat, but as Hyperion is where I first encountered it, I don't want to step on any toes. I should also point out that this story jumps back and forth between the past and the present. I'll provide break-ups for it, but I hope it isn't too confusing.
Yeah, it took me less time to upload this one. Now I'm going to tell you this gets awfully emotional near the end, so be prepared to cry. Enjoy.
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Present
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Meanwhile, back at the street, Tails now sat in the back of an ambulance a good Samaritan had summoned upon witnessing the kit being struck by the rock, one of the EMTs checking him for signs of concussion while a bandage was wrapped around his head. The cut the rock had made had been bleeding a lot, but it was more or less superficial, more a tearing of the scalp over breaking any actual muscle. Nearby Amy looked on worriedly. The EMT said the injury wasn't that bad, the fox didn't even look like he needed stitches, but they had to check him over anyway to make sure he didn't need any further attention. But Amy still held a look of worry on her face as she wondered what was taking Sonic so long.
"Okay sweetie now I need you to look into the flashlight so I can check your eyes, all right?" the female EMT said. Tails nodded slightly as he obeyed the adult's command.
"How does he look?" Amy asked, wringing her hands as she did so.
"It doesn't look like he has anything more than a mild concussion," woman answered. "He seems okay for someone hit by a rock. Is there any pain Tails?"
"The cut stings," the fox responded before he continued helpfully. "I'm seeing things all right now though."
"What happened here?" A new voice asked as a police officer got out of his patrol car, no doubt also summoned by the same good Samaritan.
"I saw the whole thing officer," one of the on-lookers said, walking up to the policeman. "This guy threw a rock at that poor kid, hit him right in the head. Assault if ever I did see it."
"Did anyone get a good look at the perpetrator?" the uniformed human asked as he pulled out a notepad and pen, licking the writing implement before putting its tip to the paper.
"I think he was a tall person, but he ran off before I could get a good look," someone offered. Through the crowd similar murmurings were made. Apparently for such a well witnessed event, few people had actually had a clear view of the instigator. Sensing that this was going to go nowhere fast, Amy decided it was time to intervene.
"My boyfriend and another friend are chasing after the guy who did this already officer. If you could stick around for a while, I'm sure they'll both be back soon." It was at this point that the officer took a good look at not only Amy, but the fox kit sitting complacently in the back of the ambulance.
"Wait a minute… You wouldn't happened to be Amy Rose and Tails would you?"
"Oh, you recognize me," Amy said happily, more than a little flattered at being so famous.
"Then that would make the boyfriend…"
"Sonic Hedgehog," the rose colored Mobian confirmed, the smile on her face only growing broader. After years of relentless pursuit, it was simply wonderful to hear people connect herself and Sonic as a couple, even if Sonic still got somewhat embarrassed by the terminology. That was when she remembered another important bit of information the policeman would probably want to know about. "Oh, and the friend is Shadow Robotnik." At this point the officer's own smile vanished and a look of concern came to his face.
"Uh… should I be calling for a containment unit or something?"
"No no no no no," Amy was very quick to assure the officer. Though Shadow had calmed down over the years, it was very likely suddenly being confronted by a small army of police would probably cause him to become less so, and the last thing Amy wanted was to see parts of Station Square reduced to smoldering rubble. "Trust me, he's only here by coincidence, and he's helping us."
"Well… he doesn't have any outstanding warrants on him, and standard procedure is not to antagonize him so…"
"I think that's a very good idea," Shadow suddenly said as he, Sonic, and a third individual, a Mobian crane, appeared out of the alley, Shadow giving the crane a rough shove forward to keep him moving. "If you boys in blue had had that policy a few years ago, we wouldn't have had as many problems as we did."
"If memory serves, you were an amnesiac working for the Eggman," Amy pointed out with a sly smile. "I somehow doubt we would have been any better off." That was when the she-hog noticed the hateful look on her blue beau's face, a look that was directed at the two hedgehogs' prisoner. "Sonic, what's wrong with you?" she asked. She'd expected the cobalt quickster to be angry with the one who'd attacked his friend, but this was a whole new level than what she'd expected.
"What's the matter is the baby hedgehog doesn't know how to separate personal from business matters," the crane quipped, causing Sonic to take an angry step towards him. It was only Shadow's presence between the two that kept Sonic from attacking.
"If you don't want me to let Sonic off his leash, crane, I suggest you shut your beak up," Shadow threatened. The crane let out an annoyed grunt.
"The name is Scranton, you over-charged science project, DOCTOR Scranton and... AHH!!" The crane's litany was cut off as the promised attack came, not from Sonic, but from Tails. The orange fox had leapt from the ambulance, his tails twirling madly to allow him to cover the distance in a single bound in order to punch the derelict doctor in the face.
"GRAH!!" Tails yelled as he knocked the Mobian to the ground, punching and biting at him while Scranton tried to use his own arms to deflect the kit's assault.
"Get him off of me! Get him OFF of ME!" he screamed as he tried to strike the fox and knock him off his chest. The officer moved forward to restrain the boy, but was beaten to the punch by Sonic who quickly grabbed his charge about the middle before the cop could. His original goal already taken care of, the officer instead grabbed the crane. "I wanna press charges! I demand you arrest that little menace."
"Just try it you double crossin' creep!" Sonic yelled back as he held Tails. "I'd love to split you like a badnik."
"Sonic calm down," Shadow said in a no nonsense voice. It was unfamiliar territory for the black hedgehog to be playing the role of peacemaker, but he wasn't about to let Sonic and Tails be split up just because the blue blur couldn't keep his temper around this crane. "You're not helping anyone here. Maybe you and Tails should leave before you accidentally given him more ammunition to use against you. He's still gotta answer for throwing that rock at Tails."
"That's right Olgilvie, run away and cry back on Emerald Hill," Scranton called.
"Will you just shut up!" Amy and the cop said in unison, much to both of their surprise.
"Look Mr…"
"DOCTOR!"
"Fine, Dr. Scranton," the cop said as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs and began to wrap them around the crane's wrists. "Like Shadow over there said, you're still in it deep for throwing a rock at a kid's head, much less one with the reputation Mr. Prower here has, so I'm gonna take you downtown to the station. You're just lucky Tails is all right. Don't know what could've possessed you to throw rocks at someone like him, you had to know Sonic would catch you."
"That freakshow fox ruined my life!" Scranton yelled. It was only Shadow's quick reflexes that prevented Sonic from attacking the crane again.
"You ruined your own life you loser traitor!" Sonic screamed back as he fought hopelessly against Sonic's grip. Though the blue hedgehog had frequently proven himself Shadow's superior in the field of high-speed combat, the ebony hedgehog was easily the physically stronger of the two and could hold Sonic in place all day if he so chose. "Let me go Shadow, I'm gonna snap that beanpole's neck!"
"And what, wind up in jail for murder?" Shadow pointed out. "You've got more important things to do than rot behind bars Sonic, and one of them is standing over there." So saying Shadow managed to position Sonic enough to get him to look at Tails.
"I'm not gonna let him get away with this Shads…"
"So press charges against him faker. He's the one who broke the law. Calm down and use your head for once." For a few minutes, it really didn't look like Sonic was going to listen to him, and Shadow wondered what exactly was the history between this crane named Scranton and Sonic to cause the blue hedgehog to go off so badly. Finally though, the Hero of Earth stopped his struggles, becoming still as he considered Shadow's words. A good thing too, given that the Ultimate Lifeform was running on the end of his patience with this whole affair. Finally convinced Sonic was no longer going to do anything stupid, Shadow released him.
"Fine then," Sonic said, staring at his dark doppelganger as though HE'D been the one who'd struck Tails. Determinedly, the blue hedgehog marched up to the police officer and his captive. The copper could feel beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Though he was the authority here, and backed by the full weight of Station Square's law, this was Sonic the Hedgehog he was dealing with, and he was obviously angry. If he decided to make trouble, there was very little, if anything, the officer could do to stop him.
"Sir? I… I must ask you to step away… step away from the prisoner," the cop said as Sonic approached, his voice breaking a bit. He didn't really feel like protecting this crane, especially given how he'd behaved earlier, but his duty was still very clear. Sonic stopped barely a foot away from the restrained prisoner, a hard look on his face. When he next spoke, the hedgehog's voice was clipped and neutral.
"Officer, this man's name is Dr. Lyle Scranton. His citizenship in Station Square was revoked a little more than thirteen years ago and, given that I haven't been told about any change in this status, I think it's obvious he's illegally snuck back into the country. In addition, he's also not supposed to come within a hundred feet of my little buddy, by order of G.U.N. command itself. I want him arrested, and I want him jailed, and I want to press charges for aggravated assault against Tails and myself." The officer's eyes widened at that. He didn't know Sonic had been struck too, but he wasn't about to argue. That was something for the lawyers to determine.
"See Sonic, doesn't that feel better," Amy said as she came up and grabbed Sonic's arm. She winced a little at the angry stare Sonic passed to her, even as she understood none of the anger it held had anything to do with her.
"Not really, but I'll take it for now," Sonic said as he and Amy moved back over to Tails. The scowl vanished as he noticed the bandage over the kit's head. "Hey big guy, you feeling any better?" Sad faced Tails shook his head.
"Nuh uh," the fox responded. "That rock hurt."
"I know big guy, I know," Sonic said as he hugged his ward to his chest, a painful memory playing across his mind's eye. Amy smiled at him.
"Don't worry Tails, the EMT said it wasn't serious, so it should feel better soon," she said. "Why don't we go see that movie we wanted to, get your mind off that nasty old crane."
"I guess so," Tails said, now feigning a miserable attitude since he was receiving so much attention from it. Amy and Sonic both recognized this tactic, having used it more than once in their own childhood. That in Sonic's case their positions had been reversed only seemed to add a sense of irony to the situation. Grabbing the boy around the waist, Sonic hefted the light fox kit up on his shoulders, careful to keep his head spines from jabbing into Tails's soft tummy.
"Yeah, that sounds good, a movie," Sonic agreed, his fingers sneaking up to tickle Tails's ribs, causing him to giggle a bit. Without looking back, the blue and pink hedgehogs began to leave, their passenger happily riding shotgun. As they did, Shadow released a sigh of relief. He really hadn't been looking forward to possibly having to battle Sonic over this, particularly since he couldn't see any way such a conflict could have a good outcome. Casting his own baleful look at Scranton as the crane was shoved into the patrol car, the ebony hedgehog began to take his own leave. It was by barest whim that he looked back at his three retreating friends before doing so. That was why he noticed that, while Sonic and Amy were still looked forward, Tails was looking back at the squad car, or more accurately at the prisoner in its back. As he caught a glimpse of those cerulean eyes, Shadow's heart nearly stopped at what he saw.
Sonic had been angry enough to kill Scranton, of that Shadow was quite sure. Had the black and red hedgehog not moved to stop him, there was little doubt in Shadow's mind that Sonic would have committed what would no doubt have been his first cold-blooded murder. Something he no doubt would have felt horrible about later on. The fire in his eyes had said it all; Sonic just wasn't the kind of person who could take a life, even of one who'd wronged him, and not let it devastate him. But, as Shadow saw the look in Tails's gaze, a look that had once been on his own face as he'd finally confronted those responsible for Maria's death.
If Sonic might have felt remorse had he taken the actions he'd wanted, Tails wouldn't even have given it a second thought.
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Thirteen Years Ago
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The fox was angry, angrier than he could ever remember being in all his life. As he sat in the wheel chair he'd been confined to for the past three weeks, all he could do was stew in his rage. Oh he wasn't upset over the loss of the Gravity Drive, at least not anymore. In light of the attack on his company, the Guardian Units of the Nation had graciously pushed back the date of the presentation by two months; more than enough time for Prower Aerodynamic to reconstruct the device based both on Miles's memory and the hidden memory cache the building held in its ultra-secure area.
Nor was Miles particularly upset over the injuries he'd incurred in his battle with Kukku and the War Tengu, at least not anymore. The doctors had all informed him that the bullet that had torn open his side had failed to strike anything vital, so he would heal quickly there and hopefully be out of the wheelchair soon. The shoulder had had the worst damage, the knife blade having actually jammed into a muscle, but it was slowly making its way to recovery.
He didn't even hold any grudges over having his pilot's license being suspended by the courts and his personal aircraft impounded. While the judge had berated him and the G.U.N. Commander had yelled himself hoarse, the two-tailed fox had understood the reasoning behind their anger. Miles would have done the same thing all over again given the chance, but he understood.
No, what had caused the normally complacent fox's blood to begin to boil were the contents of the file that currently sat on his desk, the end result of an internal investigation run by his company on the break-in it had suffered. Miles was not a naïve Mobian. He understood all too well how dangerous competition could be, especially with rogue nations seeking some of his more valuable toys, so in truth the Battle Bird's attack on his building was, if not expected per say, at least something they'd prepared for.
And yet Kukku's men had been able to waltz right into Miles's system, disarming every single firewall that had been present to stop them as if they had keys. The Battle Birds were good raiders, and they definitely had some talented hackers, but no one, not even the CEO of Prower Aerodynamic, was THAT good. That meant Kukku had had to get help from somewhere within the company.
Someone in Miles's employ had sold him out, knowing full well the kind of person they'd been selling him out to. Thus had the fox ordered an investigation, opening his company to G.U.N.'s perusal as they searched out the traitor. And now, as he read through the investigations findings in the file, Miles had pieced together just how he'd come to be in the predicament he'd found himself in a few weeks earlier.
"Mr. Prower. I have returned, and I have brought Dr. Scranton to see you," came the voice of his assistant, Michael Cervid. Miles looked up from his desk, smoothing his features as he prepared to receive the crane.
"Show him in please," the fox commanded, his voice neutral as he did so. Mr. Cervid entered the office, Scranton in front of him, his head bowed low again as it had during his last meeting.
"You… you wanted to see me, Mr. Prower?" the crane asked as the giant deer that had retrieved him moved back behind Miles, standing with his arms behind his back and an unreadable look on his face. For his part, Miles simply steepled his hands before his face.
"I thought you should know before we start, that G.U.N. officers are on their way here now to arrest you."
"A-a-a-arrest me?" Scranton replied; a startled look on his beaky face as he started to try to get up.
"I would suggest you remain seated, DR. Scranton," Michael Cervid advised, though his left hand rested firmly on Miles's shoulder. Were the crane a more perceptive Mobian, he might have noticed the somewhat strained state of the fox's muscles as he was held in place.
"Do you know what I hate, doctor? What I positively loathe?" Miles said as he moved his wheelchair out from behind the desk, his eyes never leaving Scranton as he began to move in a circular pattern. Even though the fox kept his distance from him, the crane couldn't help but feel like some hapless beast caught in the sights of a predator. "I despise double-dealing, backstabbing traitors. People who abuse their positions of trust with someone in order to better themselves at that person's expense."
"I… I'm afraid I fail to take your meaning, sir," Scranton said, very much wishing he was anywhere else but here.
"It is inadvisable to continue with this charade," Mr. Cervid stated. "We know everything Dr. Scranton."
"I wasn't aware…"
"It took time, but with G.U.N.'s help, the investigation was still fairly easy," the deer simply continued as though Scranton had said not a word. A nervous laugh escaped the crane's beak as he tried to deflect where this was going.
"I'm… I'm not sure what it is you think you've… you've found, but I assure you…"
"You're the one who sold my computer codes to the Battle Birds!" Miles yelled, an accusatory finger pointing directly at his treacherous employee.
"No!" Scranton yelped, jumping back a bit. "It… It wasn't me, I'd never…" Rather than placate the vulpine, this statement only seemed to enrage him, causing Miles to suddenly move forward in his chair, the fur on his body standing straight on end as the claws of his hands extended from his fingertips and his sharp canines became very visible from the growl that escaped his lips. Mobians had long since left behind much of their more primitive instincts behind, but that did not mean that there was nothing left of their formerly feral ancestors in them. Though the logical part of Scranton's mind told him he was simply facing a very angry employer, a more ancient, primal part of him could only see a hungry predator coming towards him.
"Liar!!" Miles managed to yell as he surged forward, his progress stopped only by his trusted assistant catching him before the full weight of his body could fall on his damaged hip. The last thing the CEO needed was to exacerbate his injuries through pointless posturing.
"AH!" Scranton yelled, drawing himself up in a ball as he tumbled backwards out of his chair.
"Mr. Prower, I would like you to please calm down," Mr. Cervid said quietly, causing the fox to cease his struggles as he allowed himself to be placed back in the wheelchair by the deer. His task done, Michael then turned back to Scranton. "As you may have surmised Dr. Scranton, we are not going to be fooled by your protestations of innocence. Our investigation into your affairs revealed a rather large sum of money being placed in your account by a company known to be used by the Imperial War Tengu for the purposes of laundering money to others." Scranton's eyes widened at this. Kukku had assured him that the source of the money he'd been given was completely untraceable.
"It… It was never my intention to hurt you or that hedgehog," Scranton tried to explain. "You must understand that this was simply business, nothing more. I had no way of knowing that that overgrown battle bird would try to kill you at all."
"I doubt there's anyone on this planet that could be that naïve, Doctor," Mr. Cervid said, his voice like steel. "Very few do not know about the antagonistic relationship between Mr. Prower and Cmdr. Kukku."
"No, I swear, I had no idea. All he said he wanted was the Gravity Drive. I had no idea he would attack you. It was never anything personal."
"Not personal?" Miles asked angrily. "Not personal? Because of you, that maniac had a way to attack my company and kidnap my son. How in the world is that NOT personal?" Again Scranton began to back up, this time running into Miles's desk.
"You must understand…"
"I understand perfectly. You were given an opportunity to make some easy money, and you took it. You didn't care what happened to anyone else involved so long as you got your money. You make me sick." At this last part, Miles Prower actually spit at the bird. "And because of your lack of loyalty, because of your selfish acts, my son was very nearly killed. I very nearly lost my life. If I wasn't in this chair, I'd throw you out that win…"
"Miles," Michael Cervid said sternly, already sensing the fox's temper rising again. Though a bitter look crossed the young CEO's face, he did calm down, though his hateful gaze never once shifted from the crane's form. It was at this point the door to the office opened, and several officers in G.U.N. uniforms entered, a pair of handcuffs already at the ready. "Needless to say, Mr. Scranton, your services here are no longer required." As the deer spoke, one of the officers grabbed hold of the doctor's arms, pulling them behind his back as he applied the handcuffs. "I should also inform you that Prower Aerodynamic intends not only to press charges against you for your criminal activities, but we will also be suing you for violating your employee contract by divulging company secrets."
"What? You can't!" Scranton yelled, struggling a bit as the G.U.N. officers began to pull him out of the room.
"That isn't all," Miles interposed. "I guarantee you that whatever part of your spineless reputation manages to survive this entire affair I will personally shred to pieces. By the time I'm done, there won't be a person in this country that won't hate your guts."
"You stupid fox, you'll… you'll ruin me!" the crane yowled, turning to Mr. Cervid. "You, you can talk some sense into him. Well talk some sense into him, make him see reason!"
"If you honestly believe that I would do anything at this point to protect you; then you are a far greater fool than Cmdr. Kukku took you for," the deer said stoically as the crane was removed from the office by the officers to be formally arrested downstairs. As the doors closed behind them, the sound of an exhausted exhalation came to personal assistant's fuzzy ears, causing him to turn about. Miles had wheeled himself back behind his desk and was now sitting with his elbows on the top, his face now resting in the palms of his hands, and his eyes closed.
"Thanks for keeping me from ripping that guy's limbs off earlier," the fox muttered as he sat still for a moment.
"I did not believe you would best be served by being sent to jail over maiming that miscreant," Mr. Cervid stated as he calmly approached his employer.
"Well at least now that's taken care of and we can move on to other concerns," Miles stated matter-of-factly.
"If I may be so bold sir, there is one concern that I believe requires your immediate attention," the deer assistant responded as he placed an envelope firmly on the desk before him.
"What's this?" Miles asked as he took the envelope and opened it, revealing what appeared to be an airplane ticket of all things. Miles cast a confused glance at his assistant, wondering what the deer was getting at.
"In the face of your pilot's license being placed under suspension and the Tornado currently resting at the bottom of the ocean awaiting salvage, I took the liberty of purchasing a ticket for you to Emerald Hill on South Island." Like hot iron, the ticket was dropped as Miles began to shake his head.
"No, there's too much that needs to be done, I can't leave now," the fox responded.
"If you don't mind my saying sir, and even if you do, that is a full crock of balderdash," Mr. Cervid replied, not fooled by Miles's statement. "There is nothing here that is so pressing as to require your immediate presence."
"Building a new Gravity Drive, repairing the tower from the attack by the Battle Birds, repairing the mainframe…" Miles began to recite, ticking off reason after reason he needed to remain in Station Square.
"I might point out that I am more than capable of overseeing the repairs to the building AND the mainframe," Michael countered. "And as to the Gravity Drive; thanks to that remarkable memory of yours, we have recovered the full plans for the device. Building a new one is something that can be easily handled by your technicians." The deer stood, back straight and hands clasped behind his back as he said this, an impenetrable wall before Miles Prower's sight. "In point of fact, the only 'business' that actively requires your attention is currently waiting at your parents' house in Emerald Hill."
"You're treading dangerous water MR. Cervid," Miles responded in as authoritative a voice as he could. "My personal life is just that; personal. How I handle it is not really your concern."
"I might remind you that I am employed as your PERSONAL assistant, and it is my duty to make sure your LIFE is kept in such a state as to allow you to deal with the most important aspects of it with minimum difficulty. It is a task I take most seriously and one I will execute to the fullest of my abilities."
"A job you execute at my discretion I might remind you," Miles hissed at the deer, tired of this conversation. Mr. Cervid's eyes narrowed at this thinly veiled threat.
"I see," he said as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling forth another envelope he then laid down on the desk directly in front of the fox. Miles looked at the paper with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. He was in no mood to play games, but at the same time, Michael Cervid didn't play games at all.
"What is this?" Miles asked as he reached for the envelope.
"My letter of resignation," Mr. Cervid responded. Had the deer said the envelope contained plutonium and was covered in anthrax dust, Miles's hands would not have stopped faster. "If you truly feel I am overstepping my bounds here, you have only to lift that paper and I shall consider that my dismissal."
"You're playing a dangerous game here Cervid," the injured vulpine intoned, though his hands stayed far away from the object. "Dangerous and stupid. Not at all qualities I've come to associate with you."
"I simply do what must be done, sir," the deer intoned. "As I said though, if you have truly decided I am no longer worth employing, you have only to touch that paper." When gloved hands did not reach out to grab the envelope, Mr. Cervid took this as a sign to continue. "As I was saying, you have a far more important concern than the gravity drive's reconstruction, one that is covered in blue spines."
"You don't know anything about this…"
"I know that in the past three weeks, you have called your old home each and every day and seem to always be too 'busy' to speak to anyone other than your parents. And yet, if my sources are correct, much of your conversation tends to resolve around Sonic."
"Sources?" Miles asked. "You've been talking to my parents haven't you?"
"They contacted me, which should give you some idea as to how serious this situation has become." It was quite true. Neither Bartholomew nor Evelyn Prower was predisposed to go behind their son's back to talk about him. In fact, aside from a few conversations that had occurred on those instances Miles was simply too busy to speak with his progenitors, the longest conversations they tended to hold with the deer consisted Mr. Cervid saying "Mr. Prower has just come in." Thus it was something of a shock to hear how frankly the personal assistant admitted to such a conspiracy. The fox hadn't even realized his parents considered his friend a confidant.
"Look, I appreciate that you're all so concerned, but I'm the one who makes the decisions concerning Sonic."
"And if you were so sure your decisions were the right ones, you would not be so irate and intolerant towards those who speak differently," the deer pointed out, before calmly continuing. "It is not in your nature to reject opinions differing from your own out of hand, sir."
"And what makes you think you know me so completely?" Miles asked, his ire rising. "What makes you believe you can understand the way my mind works so effectively?!" As he asked this question, Miles's hands slammed down on his desk hard, causing a loud bang. Mr. Cervid was quick to note that, despite the seemingly irrational behavior his employer was displaying, neither hand was so carelessly slammed downwards that they came within even an inch of the letter of resignation the antler bearing Mobian had given him. The fox was mad, but he wasn't as mad as he seemed, at least not enough to let himself go completely.
"I have been in your service since you founded this company sir, and in all that time, yes, I do believe I have come to know you well enough to understand the way your mind works." The deer's arms were once more crossed behind his completely rigid back as he stared calmly at Miles disheveled form. "It is fairly obvious you are concerned about Olgilvie, about Sonic, otherwise you would not be so desperate for daily updates as to his condition, especially after having taken measures to remove him from Station Square so quietly."
"After what he went through, why wouldn't I?" Miles countered. "You'd have to be some kind of heartless Mobian not to be concerned about him."
"We both know simple altruism goes only so far, Mr. Prower. I imagine Sonic does not lack for well-wishers and such in this city, especially considering how quickly his kidnapping was reported on, despite your efforts to suppress the story." As Cervid spoke, Miles's eyes widened a bit. He'd been quiet about that particular action; how his personal assistant had found out he'd been the one to force the news stations to be quiet about it…
'But then, if not me then who?' the two tailed inventor thought to himself sullenly.
"My question, however, is that if you show such concern for the boy, why are you so resistant towards the idea of going to him to offer support and comfort? Surely it has crossed so exceptional a mind as yours that, offering no offense to your parents' ability to care for him, it is your responsibility to help Sonic through this. You were the one who took the responsibility of being, not merely his guardian, but his parent and his well-being rests squarely in your hands."
"Don't you think I know that?"
"Then what possible reason do you have not to go to him and help him? If you care for him, you should go to him."
"Maybe it's more complicated than that Michael," Miles growled.
"I sincerely hope it is Mr. Prower, because the alternative does not cast you in a favorable light."
"Favorable light? Favorable Light!" the fox yelled. "Do you think I care one whit about being 'cast in a favorable light?!'"
"Not under the present circumstances, no sir, I do not," Mr. Cervid answered truthfully. "Which is why this whole situation seems so perplexing to me?"
"Look, like you said, it's up to me to do what's best for him."
"And you think staying away from him is what's best for him?" As the deer asked this question, there was no hint of accusation, no sliver of disgust in his voice, merely an honest curiosity. It was perhaps because of this fact that, rather than continue to lash out at his old friend, Miles Prower instead answered in a calm, almost subdued voice.
"Why not? Being near me very nearly ended his life," the fox whispered. Velvety ears twitched a bit under those great antlers, a fleeting look of surprise coming over the ruminant's long face as he heard these words before he once more adopted his normal stoic expression.
"I'm afraid I do not understand, sir."
"If Sonic wasn't my kid, if I'd never adopted him, that stupid bird Kukku would never have had reason to kidnap him," Miles said, spelling out the situation as bluntly as he could, a small tear appearing in one of his blue eyes.
"Well, that might be true but I hardly think…"
"You warned me before, remember. So did Mom and Dad, and even Robert said I should take measures to protect him, but I didn't listen. I… I wanted him to have as normal a life as I could provide; so much so that I turned a blind eye to the obvious perils he could face."
"Is that was all this unwillingness over going to Emerald Hill is about? Some misplaced desire to protect young Sonic from a perceived danger in associating with you?" From the way he spoke, it was fairly clear the antlered Mobian thought the whole idea to be ludicrous. From the way he looked, however, it was equally clear Miles did not.
"He would not have been in danger if he hadn't been connected to me," Miles stated again. "Seeing that, I have to wonder… Would he be better off if I gave him up again?"
"What?" Cervid very nearly shouted, only catching his voice's volume just before the word left his mouth. "You can't be serious sir."
"And why not?" Miles asked. "If he were not my son, my competitors, the enemies I've made, they would have no reason to harm him. I think he'll be safe then."
"What you mean to say, I think, is that you think your conscience will then be cleared," the smartly dressed ruminant countered. "If he is not directly your responsibility, you will not feel guilty for what happens to him in life."
"No," the vulpine CEO said, sounding very insulted by his assistant's allegation. "How can you think such a thing? It's… unconscionable."
"Yes it is," the disappointed deer said. "It is horrifying to consider that you would ever be so low as to cast off a mere child who thinks the world of you simply to assuage your feelings of guilt. But as I listen to what you tell me, that is all I can think you are doing. That you might equate abandoning that boy as an act of love and protection in regards to him fills me with revulsion I am quite unaccustomed to feeling for you Mr. Prower."
"Don't you think I want to keep Sonic around?! It tears me up inside to think about giving him up, but if that's what he needs in order to be safe, maybe its for the best."
"Balderdash!" Michael Cervid said, as close as he ever came to actually swearing. "If this is the course of action you have chosen, then so be it, but I will not permit you to disguise the motive behind this as anything less than what is in my opinion a selfish desire to abdicate your responsibilities."
"That's not fair."
"That is the truth," Miles's assistant pointed out. "As I said, if this is the course of action you have decided on, then I am, as always, at your service. But I think you at least owe it to your son, while he still remains your son, to see him and make sure he understands why." So saying, Cervid's hand reached out to reclaim the letter of resignation he'd placed on Miles's desk, tucking the envelope back into the breast pocket of his suit's coat before he turned to leave. The envelope containing the aforementioned plane tickets, however, remained. "It is, as always, your decision Mr. Prower. I only pray you make the right one."
And with that, the deer was gone, leaving the fox alone with his thoughts.
& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &
Sonic was unhappy. And that was putting it mildly. In point of fact, Sonic was very unhappy.
It wasn't anything presently that was making him unhappy. Both Evelyn and Bartholomew Prower had done an excellent job looking after their adoptive grandson in their own son's stead. When they'd heard what happened, they'd rushed to Station Square to be of use, arriving just after Miles awoke from surgery. It had been something of a shock to see their son lying in a hospital bed, bandaged up over his shoulder and hip, but they'd been relieved to find out the damage done was not as bad as it could have been. Still, they'd been fully prepared to begin fussing and caring for their injured offspring for as long as necessary. Their plans had been derailed by three simple words from the ailing fox.
"Get Sonic away."
With those three words, Sonic, more than a little in shock after the whole ordeal he'd been in, had found himself being bundled up into a privately chartered plane and taken back to Emerald Hill. As he'd realized he was being taken somewhere, the hedgehog had asked why, not wanting to leave his foxy father's comforting side when he was so obviously hurt and more than a little confused as to why Miles's own parents seemed willing, even if reluctantly, to do so. An answer was given and, from what Sonic gathered of it, the reason had to do with all the reporters who had been flocking about the hospital, snapping errant photos of either of them at the most annoying moments. Such annoyances had not been seen since the blue hedgehog had made it to the Prower's somewhat isolated home, and for that Sonic was grateful. It had been a harrowing few weeks for the young hedgehog, and he quite preferred not to have any photographic evidence of this humiliating time showing up in the papers.
It had started right after the Navy had successfully pulled both Sonic and Miles up onto their carrier. The exhilaration of survival had begun to fade, replaced by the terrifying realization of what he'd gone through, of how closely he'd come to dying. Even worse had been the realization that the fox he idolized and looked up to was lying unmoving, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. It had been enough to start Sonic himself hyperventilating, grabbing hold of the prone fox and desperately trying to shake him back to consciousness. Of course the seamen who'd helped them were quick to try and stop him, lest he aggravate the injuries the vulpine had incurred. Sonic vaguely remembered stabbing someone in the shoulders with his quills as he struggled to remain next Miles while the field medic worked on him. Needless to say that had not made him popular with the sailors, who'd been forced to sedate him as well. Supposedly there was a picture of his unconscious body being carried off the ship as well as one of a sailor with a blue quill stuck in his arm that Sonic had yet to see.
In hindsight, it seemed he needn't have worried. Miles had survived his brush with death and the doctors had told the Prowers, who in turn had told the hedgehog, that he wouldn't be dying anytime soon. Sonic had been relieved.
And then he'd been packed up and taken back to Emerald Hill, far away from Station Square, and the prying cameras of the reporters. Miles's parents had called up a friend who'd entered their home to prepare Miles's old room for Sonic and they'd helped set him up for what was to be a nice, relaxing rest after his horrible ordeal. He'd unpacked his things, set up the room the way he wanted, had a hot meal, and then gotten ready for bed. Almost…
It had happened in the bathroom, as he'd been drawing his bath, a mandatory condition before turning in for the night. He'd watched as the warm water had fallen down from the spigot, adding just a bit of bubble bath to make the water all foamy.
Foamy like the sea.
Foamy like the ocean itself.
The ocean, where Kukku had sent him to die. A deep, dark merciless body of water. A slight shiver worked its way up Sonic's spine. He remembered hitting that water, bound and helpless, the air driven from his lungs by the force of his impact and unable to be replenished. He remembered the horrible feeling of sinking as the ropes that bound his hands and feet became heavy, causing his struggling, thrashing body to fall deeper into the murky depths. Depths as murky as the bath water was becoming as it rose to fill the tub, thanks in no small part to the soap Sonic had previously poured into it. The water looked so deep. Hadn't he read an article about a boy who'd drowned in under an inch of water? And this was definitely more than an inch. Just like all that water from… before…
He hadn't even noticed his slight shiver had become a full on trembling, hadn't noticed his breathing becoming shallow, causing him to feel like he couldn't breathe. But he did notice the screaming. The loud, shrill screaming of a creature held in the grips of a terror absolute. A scream that had been unable to be made as he plummeted through the air, and been suffocated into silence as he plunged into the ocean.
The sound of yelling, inquiries as to whether he was okay, and hard strikes against the bathroom's door heralded the arrival of his grandparents. Bartholomew, even past his prime, managed to break through the locked door as Evelyn entered to find her grandson sitting on the floor, his back pressed against the wall as far as he could be from the soon to overflow bathtub, screaming and crying as though someone had threatened to slice him in half. Sensing the problem, the matronly vulpine had grabbed hold of the frightened boy, ignoring the sharp points of his quills as she held him tightly against her chest and carried him out of the bathroom. Her husband dealt with the still running faucet and unplugged the bathtub's drain.
It had taken them hours to get the terrified Sonic to calm down, hours of the hedgehog alternating between bawling and silently quivering in his grandmother's arms as she rocked him back and forth. At some point he'd been wrapped in a thick blanket, an act that had done much to counter-act the odd cold and clammy feeling his exposed skin.
And thus had he passed his first night in Emerald him, a quivering lump of spines and fear acting like a little baby. Sonic had been supremely thankful no pictures had been taken of that night, just as he'd been thankful no pictures had come from the events that happened afterwards.
Sonic couldn't go near water, not without breaking down. Bathtubs, sinks, pails, even bowls filled with water caused him to freeze up in fear. Even the shower was out of the question, the hard falling of water giving him the sensation that he was back in the ocean. Thus it was that Evelyn had been forced to resort to keeping her grandson clean with a wet towel. In all honesty the young boy didn't know which was worse, the break-downs or being bathed like a little baby. He'd begun to dread the coming of night.
Recognizing a problem when they saw it, the Prowers had made arrangements for Sonic to see a psychologist specializing in traumatized children. The doctor had been understanding, as most such adults tended to be, and had listened rather intently as the hedgehog had talked about every reason he wouldn't go near water, though for some reason he'd forgotten to say anything about his impromptu dip in the ocean. After their first session, the doctor had suggested Sonic be eased back into contact with water, slowly but steadily, while he continued to work on getting Sonic to deal with what had happened to him. Of course Sonic had asked the obvious question; how long before he no longer bawled like a baby in the presence of water? When the psychologist had begun to talk about variables and everyone healing at their own rates, the blue Mobian had been less than reassured.
Thus had they spent the past few weeks. Everyday Sonic had gone into town to spend two whole hours with the Doc undergoing treatment. The rest of his time had been spent trying to take it easy, playing with toys in the safety of his room or going out onto the grounds under the watchful eyes of his grandparents.
And all this while, he hadn't heard a single word from Miles Prower, the fox who had rescued him. Not even a peep.
It wasn't as though the vulpine was still in the hospital. Sonic had watched on the news as the oddly-dour looking CEO had been released from the hospital, Mr. Cervid gently pushing his wheelchair towards the limo waiting for him. And it wasn't as though he hadn't called. Sonic had managed to walk into the kitchen for as snack just in time to hear his grandmother talking to her son. No. Miles was up and about and very much keeping in touch with everyone. Everyone except Sonic.
He was used to being ignored. He actually preferred it sometimes. There was no doubt the boy loved attention, it was the reason he liked to perform all those stunts during recess, but years of being the blue freak of Green Hill Orphanage had taught the speedster the value of being out of the limelight. But Miles had never ignored him, at least not in all the time Sonic had known the fox. It hurt.
Again and again Sonic tried to make sense of it, tried to understand why he was being so treated. It all came back to one thing; the incident with the Battle Birds and the Gravity Drive. Miles had had those walking feather dusters on the run when they'd attacked his building, and they'd only attacked because they'd wanted the GD device. And then the fox had been forced to surrender, all because Sonic had allowed himself to be captured. Then Miles had been forced to give chase to the Battle Birds, and as a result been stabbed several times by Kukku. He'd lost his plane, he'd had to undergo surgery, and, if the news was any indicator, gotten in trouble with the law right after.
All of these bad things kept coming back to one cause; Sonic. As he thought back over the past half year, and indeed over the entire time he'd known the fox, he began to realize how much trouble he tended to cause for his ever busy adoptive father. Was that why Miles was avoiding him? Had he decided that Sonic was simply more trouble than he was worth?
Such a thought tied the hedgehog's stomach in knots, adding to the frustration he'd been feeling as he'd made his slow progress back towards some form of normalcy.
'What if Tails decides he doesn't want me anymore? What if he sends me back to Green Hill? What if he hates me for costing him his machine?' These were the questions that began to dance through his mind as he went through the motions of playing with his toys and trying to behave as normal as possible. He refused to give voice to them however. As painful as they were, the idea that maybe his fears were not unfounded was even more so. So he kept his fears to himself as best he could, trying to hide the insecurities he was feeling.
If the elder Prowers knew of any plans to get rid of him, they hid it well. Evelyn was always kind and sweet to him, going out of her way to make him cookies and cuddling him, doing whatever it took to make him feel loved. It was difficult to maintain any sort of skepticism with her around. Bartholomew was equally kind, albeit in his own way. He was always available to take his spiky grandson wherever he needed to go, always willing to tell an entertaining story from his youth, tales of some of the hair-raising adventures he himself had gone through and survived.
And yet there were always tells. Eavesdropping allowed the hedgehog to overhear conversations he wasn't meant to. He'd even overheard a phone conversation wherein his Grandmother had very nearly lost her temper with Miles, demanding to know how long he thought he could simply "dump you responsibilities off on your father and I?"
And yet, was Miles in the wrong for wanting to be free of Olgilvie? Hadn't the cobalt creature cost him a valuable piece of equipment? Hadn't he nearly cost the fox his life?
Thus, as he lay in his, scratch that in Miles's, bed, Sonic was unhappy in the extreme. He hadn't been sleeping well, images of an angry Miles coming and telling him to leave the house to go back to Green Hill running through his mind's eye as he slept. Often his favorite toys suffered the brunt of attacks from the bad guys, getting smashed and bashed about by the bad guys more so than normal. Even the super cosmic Star-Racer, Sonic's favorite action hero, was suffering a string of horrific defeats, with the hedgehog even accidentally cracking the toy's plastic armor.
'Maybe I should just go away…' the boy thought as he burrowed under his blankets. He didn't want to leave. He liked it here, he liked it in Station Square. He honestly liked Miles and had hoped the fox liked him. But if it came down to it, Sonic wanted to leave on his own terms, not on anyone else's.
Maybe he'd be a wanderer, traveling from city to city, place to place. If he died his quills brown like a normal hedgehog, nobody would think him a freak. He could even do stunts; show off how fast he was. And if he left without telling anyone that meant Miles would never have the chance to take back the wonderful sneakers he'd given Sonic.
But he still didn't want to leave Station Square. He'd miss his friends, he'd miss his toys… He'd miss Miles.
'Wonder how long I'll have to make a decision before someone makes it for me,' thought the hedgehog as he wiggled a little, trying to get comfortable in the bed that still bore the fox's comforting scent as he tried to get to sleep.
As his mind began to drift off into a fitful slumber, the sound of the bedroom's door being opened came to his ears. Sonic gave it little thought; it was most likely either his grandmother or grandfather coming to check on him. They'd been doing that from time to time, ever since Sonic had come to stay with them. Once they were satisfied he wasn't crying in his sleep or showing other evidence of suffering night terrors, they'd leave.
But they didn't. What's more, someone was entering the room.
The first thing Sonic noticed was the odd gait. It didn't sound like a normal walk, it sounded… off. It was also a slow walk, as though the person performing it was having trouble moving. Like someone on crutches.
A faint musky scent wafted into the hedgehog's nostrils. A familiar scent. One that filled the boy with a sense of security as well as dread.
It was Miles.
Carefully Sonic opened his eyes, just a slit. He'd learned to do this in Green Hill. Others thought him asleep but really, in the darkness, his eyelashes easily covered his eyes and allowed him to see out at someone who was approaching him. Maybe if he feigned sleep, the fox would give him this last night before telling him he had to leave.
Whatever Miles had planned, it was undeterred by Sonic being asleep as the fox struggled to get himself into a kneeling position. With his eyes barely open, Sonic watched as Miles just knelt at the side of the bed, the light from the open door casting his face in shadow. As he waited for the fox's hand to reach out and shake him awake, to deliver the dreaded news that he was no longer welcome in this house, a faint sound came to his ears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," came the voice of the vulpine as a soft sniffling accompanied the litany. For a moment, the hedgehog wondered what was going on. What did Miles have to be sorry for, he hadn't done anything wrong? The blue one's pondering came to an end as furry orange arms suddenly began to encircle his neck and chest, the injured millionaire struggling to embrace the apparently sleeping hedgehog. All the while he kept repeating how sorry he was.
A wetness appeared on Sonic's chest as Miles laid his head down on it, and the hedgehog realized his adoptive guardian was actually… crying? The notion that there was something going on that could upset the fox this much was unsettling enough to make Sonic's own emerald eyes begin to tear up involuntarily and, without him even realizing it, his own arms began to return the hug. This act actually started Miles who looked down at Sonic with sad eyes as he lifted his head again.
"I… I didn't mean to wake you," he said apologetically.
"I wasn't asleep," the hedgehog responded. No sense adding any more grief to the already troubled fox's psyche. Achingly Miles released Sonic, though he remained kneeling at the side of the bed. Already sensing where this was going, Sonic sat up, propping his back against the headboard as he sadly gazed at the fox, prepared for the worst. But, maybe he could convince Miles to give him a second chance. "Look, Miles, I'm… I'm sorry I let Kukku catch me. And I'm sorry you lost your machine… And I'm sorry you got hurt for…"
"Sonic please, stop," Miles seemed to beg as he looked at the boy, and a sinking feeling came to the hedgehog's stomach as he considered his words to have fallen on deaf ears. That was when the fox surprised him. "You have nothing, nothing to apologize for Sonic, nothing at all."
"But your machine… and your shoulder… and plane, and…"
"It doesn't matter."
"But you lost it because of me!" the hedgehog sprinter protested. "If I hadn't gotten myself captured, you'd be all right and you wouldn't be mad at me."
"Mad at you?" the perplexed fox said, clearly upset by his son's words. "I'm not mad, I'm proud of you. When that garbage ball Kukku threatened to kill your friends, you saved them. That's more than any kid your age has any reason to be expected to do."
"But your stuff…?"
"Can always be rebuilt, can always be replaced. Nothing I have is more valuable to me than you," Miles responded in quite a firm voice, much different from the sad one he'd had earlier. Then his voice again became quiet as he continued. "That was why I didn't want to come here."
"Huh?"
"You're the most important person in the world to me kid, the best thing to happen to me. But when I think about what could have happened with Kukku, what could still happen… I wonder if maybe you wouldn't be better off somewhere else."
"NO!" Sonic yelled, showing just how upset the very notion of this had made him as he'd dwelled on it for the past few weeks. "I don't want to go, I don't want to."
"But if you stay, how long before someone else tries to…"
"I don't care! I don't want to leave you," Sonic wailed, grabbing hold of his father as though to make sure he could just evaporate into nothingness. "You… you can handle anybody, anything."
"Not always…"
"Then I will! I'll be more careful, I'll be stronger, I'll be faster, whatever it takes," Sonic promised, tears now flowing down his eyes and drenching Miles's white chest fur. "I just don't want to leave you. You're the first person who ever saw me as something other than a freak of nature. I don't wanna go back to before that, I don't wanna be alone again. I want ta stay with you!" The hedgehog's grip became tighter as he fought to stay close to the fox, Miles wincing a bit at the sharp increase in pressure on his ribs. Still his own arms made their way around the prickly boy to return the hug as he began to rock the hedgehog back and forth lightly. Sonic was openly crying now, the fear and unhappiness he'd felt for the past few weeks being let out as he tried to hold on to what he wanted most of all.
For his part, Miles's own tears were slower and less easily seen, but they were still there. He was no less against this than Sonic was, but all his agile mind could do was run each and every horrible scenario it could involving the young hedgehog and whatever nutjob saw him as a viable way to get to Miles and his company.
And yet, he could not deny how much having the hedgehog around meant to him. It would be an exercise in futility to pretend otherwise.
Miles had spent his life coming up with solutions to impossible problems, he'd made his fortune at it. To be denied something like this, something he really wanted, simply because his overactive imagination kept clinging to the worst case scenario was not just ludicrous, it was beneath him.
"All right," he said quietly after the duo spent several minutes, almost an hour, holding each other. Again he spoke, this time with much more resolve. "All right. We'll make this work." Sonic looked up at Miles with questioning eyes.
"What?" Miles pulled Sonic off of him and stared him straight in the eye, or at least as straight as he could given his injured form.
"We'll make this work. We have to. It's what we both want," he answered. "I've never backed down from a challenge in my life, especially not for something I really want. And you don't deserve to be shunted aside for as lame an excuse as 'It's for your own good.' You're my son, and I'm your father, we're not going to be separated by someone like Kukku, I promise you. We're going to be a family, no matter what happens."
"You mean it?"
"With all my heart," the fox stated firmly before his gaze softened. "Now, let's see a smile, huh?" Feeling somewhat reassured by the words spoken to him, Sonic did manage to smile, a weak one, but still a smile. "There's my super-cool speedster." Sonic chuckled a bit at that. Then Miles got a look at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand that read the numbers three colon four six and his eyes went wide. "Oh my, it's certainly late." As if to emphasize this point, Sonic's jaws opened and he released a tired yawn. "I think the rest of this conversation can wait until morning."
"But it is yawn morning, isn't it," Sonic pointed out.
"Not until you've gone to sleep and woken up it isn't," Miles countered as he gently lay the blue hedgehog back down on the bed before struggling to get to his feet with the help of the crutch he used to walk. As he made it to his feet, a yawn escaped his lips as well. "Looks like I need to hit the hay too. Sleep well, kiddo, and we'll talk tomorrow." So saying, the fox turned to leave, his two bushy tails raised and held higher than they had been at any point in the past few weeks.
"Wait!" Sonic called, stopping his egress. Painfully Miles's head turned to look back at Sonic. "Please, just for tonight… could you… stay with me?"
"Hmm?"
"Please," Sonic begged, putting on the most adorable face he could muster. If Miles stayed here, there was less chance this would all end up having been a dream or something else equally as unfair. Miles looked at the hedgehog for a minute before nodding his head in decision.
"Fair enough," the fox said as he gingerly crawled into the large bed alongside his son, careful of his injuries and Sonic's quills. Happy now, Sonic scooted closer to the vulpine, a relieved sigh escaping him as he settled and finally went to sleep.
The next morning, as the sun rose over the Prower house, Evelyn Prower quietly opened the door that belonged to the former bedroom of her son Miles and now housed her adopted grandson. It had become her custom to check on the traumatized hedgehog each morning, her maternal instincts causing her to worry each time she entered the room and saw how fitfully the boy seemed to sleep. As she looked into the room, her eyes widened at what she saw.
Miles lay on the bed, fast asleep, his bandages covering both his shoulder and his hip as the blue form of Sonic nuzzled complacently into the fox's chest, a look of serenity on his face as he too slept. From the sight of her son's two twitching tails, it was clear to the elder fox that her offspring too was relaxed and content.'
And just like that a great weight was lifted from the former archaeologist's shoulders. As she'd watched this horrible little drama play out, she'd been so afraid it would end badly, both for her son and Sonic as well. Now though, as she quietly backed out of the room, taking with her the alarm clock so as to allow them both some much needed peaceful sleep, she held out hope that maybe, just maybe, the future would still see them together and happy…
To be Continued….
And so we come to the end of this particular story arc, though not the end of Reversion (sorry to those of you whose hearts skipped a beat). We're going to go back to skipping around in the past and present for the next chapter, as I gear up for a few revelations concerning both the characters in the presents, and the events in the past. Hopefully I can update with some semblance of regularity now but just in cast, I do hope you all will be patient with me. See you all next time.