Recursion Error

Episode 102- Ouch oof my bones

"Aw man it all hurts."

It wasn't an exaggeration - Sorun's body ached. Deeply. The painful result of having most of his bones removed, having all those muscles and tendons be sliced and re-connected to the new ones, and all those nerve endings that had received much the same treatment. The result was a deep ache permeating every inch of his body from the neck down. And this was while he was on the painkillers. He didn't wanna imagine what it would be like without those.

The only bright side to this was that Dimitri assured him this was temporary and eventually the pain would disappear after his body healed and adjusted, but still... it hurt. A lot.

Otherwise... he wasn't really noticing a difference. Felt a bit heavier, maybe, but that was about it. Everything moved right and nothing felt out of place. There was barely even a cosmetic difference. He was looking at his arm now, with the sleeves on his coat and shirt rolled up. The stitching running up his whole arm, the back of his hand, and all his fingers was noticeable, but the hairline surgical scars weren't nearly as bad. He didn't know what the hell kind of surgical wizardry Dimitri pulled off to make it possible, but he did it. All that age was good for something after all apparently. Sure, naked he looked like some kind of patchwork monster with all the stitching covering his whole body but once those were out all the scars would hardly be noticeable.

The artificial blood was... certainly another thing, but they'd hooked a dialysis machine up in his house and sitting in place for a few hours a week wasn't looking like it'd be the worst. He already did that with Nicole whenever they played video games. The fact his blood was white now and it was making his already-pale skin even whiter than it already had been was gonna take a bit longer to get used to than the scars. But he'd deal. Somehow.

"I gotta be the only guy on the planet who has to go through these lengths for a normal-ass life..." Sorun sighed out loud and dropped his arm, and then looked on up ahead. They were in the same desert wasteland Dimitri'd asked to meet up in the first time. In fact the rock Sorun was sitting on right now was the same rock Shadow had sat on. Even the afternoon sun and sky looked the exact same. The only difference was the gathering of six echidna up ahead.

When he'd first saw them Sorun couldn't help it. He'd laughed. How could he not? Calling themselves the Dark Legion was one thing, but when he saw they literally wore black cloaks and hoods to hide their faces he couldn't. He'd laughed and pointed and didn't regret a single second of it despite the sour looks they'd all sent him. Shit was too hilarious.

The sound of scraping sand drew Sorun's attention. Dimitri had floated on up, metal tentacles softly drifting through the sand as he looked towards him. "The cybernetics are holding up okay?" Dimitri asked. "I realize this is quite sudden since you just got out of surgery today, but... well, urgency demanded-"

"It's part of the plan, Dimitri, no need to stress about it," Sorun said. He blinked a bit blearily; he was still fighting off the lingering effects of the anesthetics they'd given him. He remembered there'd been a lot of yelling and protesting from Dr. Quack about him moving about so quickly, but he hadn't heard the argument. It'd been in another room. Didn't stop him from getting dressed and grabbing his Emerald. Was probably gonna get yelled at when he got back. Didn't matter. "And other than the fact it feels like I just hit the ground at terminal velocity I'm just swell. You're a genius with this cyborg stuff."

"Hmf. Well... I'm no Robotnik, but I do what I can." The corners of his mechanical lips turned up and his bubble bobbed upwards a bit in a show of pride.

"Yeah... quick question, though." Sorun's eyes were cast downwards, towards the blue Chaos Emerald resting by his feet. "One of my powers, uh... the one with a regeneration factor. I can't just...?"

"Sorun, we discussed this. Unless you want to regrow your skeleton overtop the artificial one and find out what it's like to have two skeletons inside your body I advise you never use that ability again, do you understand me?" Dimitri asked in a serious tone. That small prideful grin from earlier had vanished. "Even in the best case it would result in massive bodily trauma. Regeneration or no it could kill you."

It probably wouldn't. Devil's Body was made of sterner stuff, but yeah, Sorun wasn't too keen on finding out what it felt like to have a skeleton exploded out of him. "It just messes up some plans I had is all," Sorun mumbled out.

"Plans?"

"Personal matter. Forget it." Sorun glanced over at the six robed echidna. "Gonna go save those goobers now."

Dimitri frowned. "I'd prefer you not refer to them in such a derogatory way."

"I will start thinking about it when they stop looking so ridiculous." Sorun bent down and picked up the Emerald. His eyebrows knitted a bit. Before when he finally got control over this power, Yamato came instantly. Automatically, without him having to think about it. Ever since he'd gotten his bones and blood swapped out, though, he had to put effort into manifesting the weapon. Any of his powers, really, and had to maintain a constant focus whereas previously they were just... there. Feeling the Emerald now, though, it all felt more distant. Harder to maintain.

He'd still managed it. The Emerald still dissolved in a cloud of blue particles and electric sparks before reforming into the katana, but it took longer than it used to. It was fine, as far as Sorun cared. Long as it still worked.

Wincing a bit he pressed the tip of the sheathed sword on the ground and used it like a cane to stand up. The pain from the surgery and the brain fog from the drugs were still present and made his footsteps unsteady, but with the aid of the makeshift cane he'd managed to approach the six echidna, albeit with unsteady steps. They'd turned to him, all with hoods that shadowed their faces so that nothing but pairs of yellow eyes were staring at him. Sorun wasn't sure how they were doing that since none of them actually had yellow eyes. He'd seen their faces when he first saw them before they'd hastily rose those hoods up. If it was some kind of technology built into the hoods to make them look intimidating it really wasn't working.

"Okay, ladies, step right up. Doc Sorun's got the cure to all your woes right here," Sorun rattled out, raising Yamato up and lightly shaking it to get the attention of the six echidna. "Come on. Don't be shy. Pain is temporary but being turned into a greasy stain on the ground from a bomb ain't."

One of the echidna broke off from the main group and stepped up. Bit bigger than the rest - wider shoulders and a barreled chest. He spoke out with a deep and baritone voice. "You're the one we're to entrust out lives to-?"

"Sh-sh-sh-sh, just, just lemme... I can't take you serious with this on..." Sorun whispered out, leaning forwards to grab at the echidna's hood. He stiffened up in surprise but otherwise didn't move when Sorun pulled the hood back, only to then whistle when he saw the sight underneath.

With how many echidna faces Sorun had seen, which admittedly were few and far, this one's face didn't stand out all that much. Grizzled, maybe, from that hard expression he was giving Sorun, but otherwise normal. Except for the fact he had a metal jaw. With spiky teeth of all things. It was the teeth in particular that had Sorun grinning.

"Oh, wow." He tapped the echidna's cyborg jaw with the buttcap of Yamato's handle. It made a sharp tink! tink! sound and made the echidna grimace. "Ya got that Auto-Chomp 9000, huh?"

"Stop invading my personal space," the echidna demanded, gruffly. Sorun pulled the sword back but didn't step back from him. "And I don't appreciate your mocking tone."

"I mean between the robe and teeth, man, it's really hard-"

"Cease. Now." Sorun did so, pulling his head back a bit and blinking. "Your deal with Dimitri was to remove these bombs from us, so hurry and do so. And I expect an apology."

The grin Sorun was wearing dropped. "Was just jokin' around, man. Can't take a joke?"

"I'm not interested in jokes. I'm interested in not having a bomb inside of me," the echidna rumbled out. He had a few inches in height over Sorun and loomed over him, eyes that were green and not at all yellow bearing down on him. The other five echidna shuffled back and Dimitri was staring off at them with a worried expression. "You have a task set about before you, human. I expect you to get on with it and then get back to whatever worthless life you were living."

A calm breeze passed between the pair of them. Sorun at first didn't say anything. What he did do was look back at Dimitri with a raised eyebrow, who only shrugged a few of his tentacles in response. It made Sorun roll his eyes. "This is who I have to go out of my way to save, huh?" he thought, crouching down next to the echidna's feet. He shouldn't have expected much from terrorists, but fuck, he just wanted to share a few laughs. Why'd he have to go and put Sorun in a bad mood over such a little thing?

The voice in Sorun's head was telling him what he was planning on doing in the next few seconds was a bad idea but he ignored him. He didn't feel like letting it slide.

"Well as far as first impressions go you fumbled it pretty hard," Sorun mumbled out, staring down at the ground. He unsheathed his sword and began idly poking at the ground with the tip of his sword. "Can't be a little nice to the guy that's saving your life? You really had to be such a dick over this?"

The echidna scoffed. "You're doing this out of obligation, not out of some moral decree. Not that I'd expect anything less from one of your kind- AAAUGH!"

Most people would scream if somebody stabbed a sword through their foot, so when Sorun plunged Yamato right through the middle of the echidna's foot he couldn't be too surprised he screamed. Pretty high voice, too, higher than the one he'd been using previously. It was a bit funny to Sorun's ears. The other him he was seeing out of the corner of his eye, the other Sorun standing off to the side, didn't look as amused as he felt.

"Are you fucking serious!? Why!?" Sorun screamed, gesturing out towards Sorun.

"Sh-sh-sh, hey, relax. Just relax man. It's fine," Sorun thought to him. It didn't do much to reassure Sorun, who just threw his arms and stomped out of view, grumbling angrily under his breath. Sorun watched him go and shrugged, glancing over at the other five echidna. They'd all stepped back, yellow eyes under their hoods dramatically wide. The one he was stabbing was still screaming.

"Sorun, what are you doing!?" Dimitri yelled, gliding over to their position with a panicked face. "This wasn't the deal, you said-!"

"Can only separate things I stab with the sword, Dimitri. Mere contact or even shallow cuts won't work." It was a total lie. He'd done such a thing in the past and was prepared to do that exact same thing here but then ol' Iron Jaw here had to talk shit and get hit. "I don't know echidna anatomy that well and didn't wanna stab anything important, so I went with his foot."

"That...!" Dimitri stopped himself, sighing in resignation. He turned towards the echidna Sorun was stabbing who was bent over now, holding the leg with the wounded foot while making ragged breaths and letting out pained whimpers. A pained look crossed Dimitri's face and he looked back at Sorun. "You might have said so previously... please just make this quick."

"Sure." Blue energy, like a fine vapor, began to coalesce down the length of the blade. It was a harder process than it had been previously in the past, back when it almost came naturally to Sorun and took him a few seconds longer as a result, but he'd managed it all the same. Fueled by his desire it'd only taken a few more seconds for the sword to find what he was seeking. "Theeere it is..."

With a sharp yank Sorun pulled the sword out of the echidna's foot. With it came a spurt of blood, a pained shout from the echidna, and a small flash of light emanating from the wound followed by a small object flying out from the light. It was a metal, spherical device with various wires sticking out of it and Eggman's atrocious, grinning logo plastered onto the front.

The logo alone was enough for Sorun's mouth to form a hard frown and for him to swipe out with the sword. When the bomb hit the ground it had been split into two pieces. Some of the nearby echidna jolted in panic and one had even gone as far as to duck for cover and shield their head with their hands, but it didn't result in anything. The bomb didn't go off. It was destroyed.

"Ah. Prudent of you," Dimitri commended. "I wouldn't put it past Robotnik to have put pressure and temperature gauges in the device to react to sudden shifts in the environment. It might have gone off just from being exposed to outside air alone. Smart thinking."

"My thoughts exactly," Sorun lied. He hadn't thought about any of that at all. He'd only cut the bomb because he saw the logo and grew angry it its mere sight, but if Dimitri approved, he'd milk it. Might get him to forget about the foot thing. Speaking of which... "Hey, no hard feelings, big guy," he said, standing up and mockingly patting the echidna on the back, though from an outside appearance the gesture appeared genuine. All he'd gotten from the echidna in response was a shaky nod and a pained exhale, which convinced Sorun to move on to the next hooded echidna. They stood stock still, rigid as a statue as Sorun stopped in front of them. "So..." he began, brandishing his sword.

"Urm... uh, yeah..." A loud gulp was heard from the hooded echidna, and Sorun found himself blinking in surprise. The nasally voice he heard was a stark contrast to the voice of the guy he'd just stabbed. He sounded as old as Sorun. "Do... do you really have to stab me with that?" he asked. "You can't... just stab this...?"

The echidna held out his hand; the sleeve on his robe had been rolled up to give Sorun a good view of the arm. It was a cybernetic prosthetic, all the way up to the shoulder. Sorun couldn't help but grimace at how... rough it looked. He'd expected a cybernetic arm like the one Bunnie had: an arm that was shaped to mirror the real arm she had and was all neat and smooth. This wasn't that. This was a skeletal frame of metal with a square palm and sharpened claws for fingers. All function and no care to its form. Utilitarian. It was ugly.

"It'd probably work... but metal doesn't heal. Will you be able to get it fixed at Albion?" Sorun asked, because he genuinely didn't know what things were like there. The foot was one thing, that'd heal, but with how this arm looked it honestly looked like one stab even to the palm would just outright destroy it.

"Pr... probably not," the echidna stammered out. "It's fine. I-I don't care, just-"

Sorun stabbed at the hand's palm, making the echidna shout and jump a bit from fright. There was a metallic screech as the sword pierced through the cybernetic hand, and much like the first time after a small application of the sword's power another bomb was lying on the ground, split in half. The echidna he'd just cut it out of had backed up a bit, holding the wrist of his cybernetic hand and making a sad sigh. A few electrical sparks flew out from the slit in his palm and two of the hand's fingers weren't flexing with the rest.

"..." Well, he had warned him. Sorun turned to the third echidna, just as visually indistinct as the rest because of the robes they wore. "Alright, you're next," he said. "You got a robo-leg or something you want me to-?"

"Shoulder's fine," she grunted out, turning her head to the side. "I don't need any of my parts getting crippled. Just give me a wound that'll get better on its own."

"Suit yourself." Sorun obliged and jabbed her in the shoulder. The echidna hissed out in pain but otherwise stood still the entire process, and soon enough there were three halved bombs on the ground. "Next."

The rest of the "procedures", for lack of a more polite way to phrase Sorun stabbing people with a sword to cut bombs out of them, went about the same. Half the echidna wanted him to stab them in organic parts to heal later and the other half weren't partial enough to their cybernetics to mind him just stabbing those instead. Small talk had been scarce. If they cared about Sorun at all beyond the fact he was saving their lives they didn't show it, but seeing as they'd aligned themselves with a evil techno fetishist cult Sorun wasn't all that sure any of them would have much interesting things to say anyways. It was fine with him at the end of the day. He just wanted this day to be over already.

"This is the place?" Sorun asked, looking down at the slip of paper that'd been handed to him by Dimitri. The supposed coordinates for Albion. "The final last bastion of the echidna race no for real this time?"

A withering sigh left Dimitri, coming out as an electronic rattle. "Sorun..."

"Just let me have my fun." He pocket the slip of paper, intent on burning it later as he turned to the six echidna. Those who could still move nominally were offering a shoulder to those who were a bit too wounded at the moment to move as well. Most notably the one whose foot Sorun stabbed. "Alright, so, uh," Sorun began, calling out to the six, "gonna open the portal to Albion now. Follow me and don't deviate from the path. I mean it."

One of the echidna, the one whose robot hand he'd stabbed, rose his flesh hand. "Wh-what happens if we do?"

Nothing. There was just the path and nothing else. There wasn't any way to deviate except to backtrack. "Lost between the seams of reality. Doomed to wander the endless ether forever with no hope of rescue," Sorun lied in an ominous tone, letting the following silence set the tone. They all shifted uncomfortably at that, the warning likely stirring memories from the Dark Legion's time trapped in a pocket dimension. That was the reason to lie. Watch 'em squirm a bit to get an amused rise out of Sorun.

Didn't last long, though, and when the mood settled Sorun had cut a blue cross into the air which folded outwards into the portal. Some of the echidna flinched back at the sight, Dimitri stared on in interest like he always did, and Sorun meanwhile was tapping his shoulder with the blunt end of Yamato in impatience as he waited for the shock to settle. "Clock's tickin', let's go," he announced, turning towards the portal. The seven echidna, Dimitri included, all fell in line behind him to follow the Voidborn through the portal. Unusually close, he'd noted, likely because of the bogus warning he'd given them. It brough another bout of amusement in Sorun and made him snort out his nose the slightest bit.

If nothing else he'd at least be coming out of this trip with a few laughs.

"Is it really that important to you?" As the group traipsed through this space of rushing blues and blacks, a tunnel lined in a torrent of rushing energy that provided a window into the infinite expanse of nothing, Sorun glanced to his side to see himself walking besides him. "Dicking around with these echidna for a few chuckles?"

"We're owed solace," Sorun thought to him. After wringer this world had put him through he felt a few laughs was the least he was owed. For crying out loud he was a cyborg now because of it all.

"I'm not denying that, I'm just worried about what this is building up to," Sorun snapped out. "You're still thinking about killing these guys."

"What of it? No one will miss them. And they shot at my friends." He was just supposed to ignore that? After a lifetime of fucking around they just get a second chance for new, clean lives? Everyone was just gonna drop everything they'd done?

Sorun sighed. He pocket his hands, looking ahead towards the end of the tunnel with a forlorn expression. "What do you even get out of it?"

"I don't know. Satisfaction?"

"Followed by problems later on if this comes up again? Gah... you're not even completely sure," Sorun muttered out. "Look, I... just want everything to work out. And this isn't gonna help. These guys are never gonna bother us again. We're never gonna see them again unless you ever plan on coming back to Albion."

"Fat chance."

"Then let bygones be bygones and leave them the fuck alone. They were too incompetent to even land a scar on anyone," Sorun said to Sorun. "We never even fought them. It's not our business. All of this is nothing but a transaction and you wanna renege on it and murder them all for what? So you feel slightly better about yourself?"

"You can stop it with the rigorous self-critique." Sorun looked back over his shoulder and at the group of echidna following him. "Why do I have to keep fighting for another chance at life and they get one handed to them after all the mistakes they made? Why do I have to be the one to give it to them? It's insulting. It's..." It was fucking infuriating, that's what it was. His own life kept being ripped away from him over and over and these terrorists got to have a clean slate just like that? Where was the justice in that?

None. Not really. Sorun was thoroughly convinced justice was a made-up word. Worlds full of people wouldn't die off if it actually did. Mad gods couldn't wipe out whole civilizations with a thought if it did. It wasn't truth. Only truth that did exist were truths people clawed into reality with their own power. The tangible. For as much as "might makes right" sucked as a concept it was a hard reality and countless examples from Earth proved it. Here on this planet Robotnik proved it a hundred times over. The damn aliens that bombed the planet thousands of years ago proved it.

Maybe that was why he wanted to kill them. Out of selfishness more than anything else. If he couldn't get his life straight then they shouldn't, either, and if he killed him the world made the smallest bit more sense.

"You moron, we did get a new chance," Sorun said, staring wide-eyed like he was looking at an idiot. "That chrome skeleton you got rattling around in your meat suit's our second chance." He looked back ahead. "But yeah, shit ain't fair. They got it way easier than we did. I'd say leave it to karma but with how things have shook up in our fucked-up life I'm not convinced karma exists. But it's over, you know? They got a way out. We got a way out. We never gotta think about 'em again." A beat passed and Sorun let a breath out. "Just think about it? Forget about pragmatical repercussions, forget about moral ramifications, forget all that. Just think about what you want."

"... What I want?" When he'd blinked Sorun vanished, leaving Sorun alone with all these echidna he didn't want to be around. It was just in time, too, as the other end of the portal was upon them and nobody had so much as slowed their stride as they all stepped through.

Criminy, but did Albion look awful. From what he knew this place was an island, and looking behind where they'd just come out of there was indeed a rocky shore leading to ocean behind them. And in front of them was a small settlement that didn't have so much as one intact building. Results of a bombing from what Sorun heard, but at the very least if there'd ever been any debris it'd been swept away. He even spotted some local echidna off in the distance milling about, staring off at them. And as Sorun stood rooted to the spot, staring back, the six echidna he'd just saved walked past him, muttering amongst themselves and looking around in wonder.

Yamato's weight was very noticeable in his hand. He knew it wouldn't be hard. He'd lost his green eyes with this new skeleton but the power this sword had alone was enough that he could kill them all before they'd have a chance to do anything about it. He rose the sword up a bit, glancing down at in in contemplation. He could. He could really do it.

"What do I want?" He wanted people to leave him the hell alone so he could just live his life. He wanted a life, period. And... he had that now. Despite it all, despite how hard this entire multiverse worked to make Sorun's life hell, he'd clawed out a life. What did he want above all? He wanted his friends to be safe and these echidna weren't a danger to them anymore. He wanted more dates with Nicole and he didn't want that relationship jeopardized if news of him murdering these people over selfish reasons ever got back. He wanted to live his life normally without having to worry about a stupid thing like that hanging over his head, wondering when it'd come to bite him.

He didn't want to ruin people's lives just to make himself feel a bit better.

... He didn't wanna break his word with Dimitri because Sorun had kind of grown to like him and he'd feel like shit if he did that.

"I... don't have to do this." Sorun lowered the sword. Fine. Fuck it. Everybody got a happy ending. He swiftly turned around to Dimitri, who was hovering near the entrance to the portal they'd just walked through. Sorun stepped right next to him and said in a low murmur, "The deal was only for me to get them here, so they'll have to hash things out with the locals. I don't wanna stay any longer than necessary. I hope that suffices."

"It does," Dimitri confirmed. He sounded relieved, like a weight had just been lifted off his nonexistent shoulders, and- agh, he was smiling at Sorun, he couldn't bear to see that. "Sorun, thank you. Truly."

"Yeah yeah yeah fine whatever let's go," Sorun quickly said, speedwalking his way through the portal. Though he couldn't see it Dimitri's smile had turned into an amused smirk, and he'd followed behind Sorun. The cybernetic head had exited the other side of the portal to once again see the sight of the desert wasteland around them, with Sorun sealing the portal shut with a swipe of his sword.

Huffing, Sorun slammed the sword back into its scabbard. Damn Dimitri. Damn smile. He was wrong, he shoulda just killed them after all. This embarrassment was too much to bear. He debated ripping the sword back out to cut another portal so he could abruptly leave Dimitri in the dust, and had even made the motion to do so, but before he could draw the sword free the echidna had to open his mouth again.

"Sorun, before you go. There's something I wanted to ask of you."

"What, more? We barely survived this deal and you want-?" Sorun stopped himself when he looked back at Dimitri. The smile was gone, serious expression in place. "What is this?" he asked, fingers tightening around the sword's handle.

"Not what you might be thinking. A request, a selfish one, admittedly, and yet I..." Dimitri trailed off, sighing. His mechanical tentacles were limply sweeping at the ground. "You kept your word, and after seeing that you can save my people from the bombs, I-"

"Dimitri-"

"I don't want my people going with Snively to Yurashia to that woman," he said. There was a pleading edge to his voice Sorun was dreading to hear. "The technomancer woman I told you about, Regina, she... she may not be as insane or maniacal as Robotnik is, Sorun, but mark my words her thirst for control and power is just as insatiable. I worry for what plans she has for my people, if she'll even be able to help with the bombs the way you can help, and I..."

"Want me to save 'em instead," Sorun finished in a hollow voice. Because he was the more reliable alternative. Because he wasn't a mad tyrant or whatever the hell this Regina woman was. Because they'd built a modicum of trust between them. The solemn look Dimitri held only confirmed it. "You're askin' a lot."

"I know I am, but between you and her I would rather leave the fate of my people in your hands," Dimitri said. "I-it isn't too late. I can tell them your solution works, they may choose not to-"

"May? They 'may' choose not to go to Yurashia?" Sorun repeated. "What, some of them want to go overseas to the conquering magic tech lady?"

Dimitri grit his teeth, shame flashing across his features. "Some would consider it an opportunity to strengthen to Legion. For a large majority the bombs aren't even a matter of consideration."

Oh, for fuck's sake. "Okay, look," Sorun said, already making his mind up right then and there, "don't get me wrong, I think you're okay, Dimitri, but I'm not going to bat for a bunch of terrorists. 'Specially not for free."

Dimitri's head floated back a bit, tentacles flailing a bit in panic. His voice took on a desperate tone. "But-!"

"You're not even making it sound like they would want my help," Sorun said, and any argument Dimitri was prepared to say died right there as he started to look more and more resigned. "I get they're your people and all but only six outta the whole bunch actually tried getting out. You yourself made them look like fanatics, and where I'm standing, well..." Sorun shrugged. "I don't want to go out of my way for people like that. Made an exception this time 'cause they asked and I needed the help but not again. I'm done."

"..." The desperation left as understanding settled in Dimitri, making him rattle off a breath. The tentacles jutting out of his bubble went limp as he hollowly mumbled out, "So that's it, then? They're to be left in her hands?"

"Dimitri, I'm gonna be real with you. This Regina lady? She doesn't even live on the same continent I do. I don't really care about what she's doing in her spare time. And since we're being real I'll flat-out say it, I'm not interested in saving your psycho echidna pals. And above all that I'm a package courier. None of this has anything to do with me. Frankly I want this conversation to end so I can get back to that."

"... I understand," Dimitri hesitantly said after a long moment, though his voice was more quiet, now. "That lot hasn't done all that much to garner sympathy. I don't think that puts them out of reach of redemption, but... you're right. I don't have a right to ask so much of you. I just hoped..."

It wouldn't really surprise Sorun is this was some sort of last-ditch effort by Dimitri to try and guilt trip Sorun, but he'd been down this road before and it wouldn't work, even if seeing him in such a pathetic state was wrenching Sorun's heart a bit. But his mind was made up. "It's not happening, Dimitri," he told him.

"Then... I suppose we're done here." A sad sort of look had settled on Dimitri's face. Resigned and sad, though at least he wasn't glaring at Sorun. In fact it barely looked like he was looking at Sorun at all. He had a far away, defeated look in his gaze, for as much could be seen in those mechanical peepers. "I'd like it if you would open a portal to our usual rendezvous spot. I have preparations to make for Robotnik's downfall and our move with Snively."

Sorun did, so, wordlessly unsheathing his sword once more and cutting another portal through the air. Dimitri hadn't wasted a single moment moving towards it, though he'd stopped at the portal's threshold when Sorun cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh... just wanted to say thanks. You know, for the skeleton," Sorun said, voice a bit awkward. He found himself having mixed feelings for how this meeting was ending.

Dimitri didn't so much as turn to address him. "... Take care of yourself, Sorun." And then he'd left, floating through the portal. Sorun waited on the other side for a full minute to make sure he'd made it to the other side before closing it, and he felt so drained afterwards he couldn't even bother to sheath the sword again. Not physically, though the new bones and blood were making the process of using Yamato more intensive. Mentally speaking he just wanted to crawl in bed and sleep the rest of the day and night away. Maybe tomorrow, too. The whole week if he could spin it.

He sighed. As if Honey would give him a week off after intensive surgery.

"Sorry, Dimitri, but at the end of the day this just doesn't have anything to do with me," Sorun thought after the head left. He'd be lying if he told himself he hoped things worked out for the best regarding those echidna, because honestly he just didn't care about them, but he did actually sort of care if things worked out for Dimitri. Hard to not have a little gratitude for the guy that extended his life and his heart was in an... admittedly weird spot regarding the Dark Legion, but Sorun got it. Sort of. Couldn't blame him for trying get Sorun to help more. He hoped he wouldn't hold it against him.

Still... despite it all, despite the absurd lengths he'd gone through... he was done and it was finally in reach. A normal life. In a better world he wouldn't have had to go so far for something he should have had to start with, but hey, it was here now. Not just in reach. He had it. Normal life. He should have felt ecstatic about it but more than anything else he just felt tired. The happiness could come later when it finally sunk in that he'd done it.

"Let's... let's just go home," Sorun muttered out, staring down at the cold blade he was holding. Staring down at his own reflection in the blade. "No more fighting, no more nonsense, no more... no more." He shook his head and cut a cross through the air. "Done with all that. It's over... it's all finally over. I can go back home now."

A/N- Ahhh... you smell that? It's the smell of democracy. The thin veil of democracy draped over the absolute dictatorship that is this profile. It smells like a poll with overly favorable results. Not that it mattered 'cause I was gonna do it anyway, made it blatantly clear I wasn't actually gonna listen to the poll, but it's still nice to see.

Wanna reiterate I'm not evenly splitting attention between the two stories. It's more a 90% and 10% split of attention with 90% focus going to this story. I'm only planning on working on the other one once a week just to shake things up once in a while. Won't affect upload speed here at all. May even drop the story if it ain't working out.

Look what I'm saying is don't worry about it. And with how fast I go first chapter should be up in like five months or something,
I dunno.