(AN: Still trying to get into the groove of writing more again after my break (look, Eiyuden Chronicle Rising kept calling my name. it was for good reason), but here we are, back for a new chapter, and back for a chapter I have been waiting... AGES to write. This was a chapter I had planned since the second half of last year, often thinking about it in my head working late at night at work when I was bored out of my mind because third shift is a plague that destroys your mind and happiness. But now, the time has finally come for it to be written, and for us to inch closer to the climax of this current arc. I would say, from where we are, we have another 3 or 4 chapters, and we are COMPLETELY done with this arc! Which I'm sure many of you are happy about, because let's be honest... Vector and Espio need a break. Hard lol.
Before we begin, I want to give a VERY special thanks to one of my friends who lives in the UK (they know who they are) for proofing this chapter prior to me sending it to my main proofreader. If you remember the last chapter, you'll know why this was the case, and finally, you'll get to see what happens next! I'm glad that you guys are still reading so much this month and I hope to... MAYBE TRY and get another chapter out on the final day of May, if not the very VERY start of June.
But first, we got some major drama, and NOT between Vector and Espio! But how will this couple try and go about their relationship when their world falls apart? Only one way to know!)
cw: major lgbtphobia (homo and transphobia, including a moment of misgendering), ableism, mentions of blood, stalking
The ER department of the campus hospital felt like a wasteland, no sign of life as the event from earlier today had scared off all visiting patients alongside what happened on campus earlier. Only the sound of ringing phones and the televisions playing whatever was on the local station could be heard as only one group sat in the lobby of the ER.
Vector, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, and Jewel all sat with Bow, Thorn, Alan, and Munch, being there for them while the four were still in complete shock over what happened to their deer friend. Throughout the entire time waiting for news on Buck's condition, the lop rabbit put her right hand to her mouth, her eyes displaying intense fear as she rocked herself back and forth in her seat. Next to her, Bow sat close by, holding Thorn's other hand for comfort as he too looked conflicted, staring at the floor with no emotion in his face. Alan sat at one of the farthest seats, blankly strumming strings on his lute with no emotion or care, and Munch continued to keep his bycoket down, refusing to show his face.
Vector begged, pleaded, and asked time and time again throughout the clock for answers on what happened. But… the four refused to give any answers. They continued to be silent, solemn, and completely shaken up. Eventually, it had to take both Knuckles and Mighty to convince Vector to stop asking.
Minutes turned to hours, and outside, the sun slowly began to set on the day as Espio was worried he would have to leave for community service soon. Thankfully, around five, he received a call from Valdez saying that due to what happened, Officer Wachowski wouldn't be able to take him to the Soup Kitchen until eight, and that the court was already aware and let him have a reduced day just for today.
Still, while he was glad for this development, it still didn't change the fundamental issue at hand: he still had no clue about his friend's condition. Even as everyone skipped meals and their classes, there was still no end in sight as very few people entered and exited the ER lobby.
Finally, it was around 6:12 P.M. when the doors leading to the main ER area opened up, and a yellow duck woman in a blue coat walked out of the double doors with a clipboard in hand. Espio quickly noticed that the woman was making their way towards him and his friends.
"Excuse me, you all. Are you all the friends of Mr. Buck Deer?"
Immediately, Bow, Thorn, Alan, and Munch's heads all shot up as they ran up to the nurse. Thorn held her hands to her chest, looking up at the woman with pleading eyes.
"Please… oh PLEASE tell me Buck is okay!" she said.
"We 'aven't 'eard anythin' in hours!" Bow added. "He… he ain't… dea… dead?"
Alan and Munch didn't even say anything, just looked away from it all.
"Pardon the interruption. I'm Nurse Elizabeth Quack, the nurse assigned to Mr. Buck. As for your question, well… no. your friend isn't dead. We've just discharged him from the ER and we now have him in his own room. We can talk more about his condition then, but in the meantime, I assume you all would like to see him?" the duck nurse asked.
"P-Please…" Alan replied.
"Wait a minute…" Vector said, walking up to the woman. He squinted his eyes before they widened. "N-Nurse Quack?! Is that yeh?!"
The nurse bounced up before putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh! Why, if it isn't you, Mr. Vector. What a pleasure it is to see you again after you broke your collarbone months ago. And you seem to be much healthier too. I'm hoping you've been taking precautions since then, no?"
"Hey, who is this, Vec?" Knuckles asked.
"Ah, this was the nurse who looked after me after mah collarbone injury back in October. Real nice she is. Are ya takin' care of Buck?"
"I was set in charge of his room for tonight, so yes, I am. I assume you're with his friends?"
"Mah boyfriend here," Vector put his hand on Espio's shoulders. "Is friends with Buck. We were there when he collapsed earlier today in the campus hospital's lobby."
"Is… he going to be okay?" Jewel asked.
"Well, I assume neither of you want to worry further than you already have. Come with me, I'll take you to his room," Nurse Quack said, turning around.
AT ROOM 323…
As soon as the doors to the room were open, the sounds of a heart monitor were heard, alongside the sound of a breathing machine. With Nurse Quack being the first to enter inside, the Mercian Transfer students quickly followed. When they saw their friend, however, they quickly rushed to their side as Thorn's face grew into one of despair.
"Oh… oh Solaris, Buck…!" she said as the four all surrounded the deer, Thorn immediately grabbing his left hand as she went around the bed he lay on. He was completely motionless, an oxygen mask over his face as wires were surrounding the bed he lay on. Now out of his dress shirt and in a hospital gown, an IV needle was connected through his arm as multiple bruises and even a black eye were visible on his body. Bow sniffled as he walked next to Buck, grabbing the deer's motionless right hand as Alan put his hand over his beak and Munch continued to lower his bycoket, Thorn burying her face into Buck's sheets.
"Dear Gaia…" Vector said when he, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, and Jewel finally were let inside and were allowed to see Buck. "Who… did this to him?"
"That's what we've been wanting to know. The condition he was brought in was absolutely awful," Nurse Quack began. "When he was brought into the ER, his oxygen levels were below average, and we were worried that he suffered internal bleeding. Judging from what happened earlier today… was Buck involved in the riot outside North Hall?"
Thorn looked up from where she was, her eyes puffy and wet.
"N-Not directly b-but…" she said. "He got caught…"
"Caught in between the crossfires, huh…" the duck looked at her clipboard.
"Nurse, is… is Buck goin' to be okay?" Bow asked.
Nurse Quack sighed as she looked over at the transfer students, then back at the five behind her.
"Well… in terms of your friend's condition, I have good news, and I have bad news."
"What's the bad news?" asked Mighty.
"As I mentioned, when Mr. Buck was brought into the emergency room, we were very concerned about his condition. Not only did he have an open wound on the head, his oxygen levels were lower than normal for a mobian and all the bruising in his body looked quite severe," Nurse Quack began as she stood over the deer's limp body. "Those within the ER department assumed the worst for him, and we ran tests to make sure he wasn't suffering anything serious. Concussions, broken bones, or… possibly even internal bleeding."
"Buck… 'ad all that?" Bow asked, fear in his voice.
"Can you tell me more about what happened earlier today? You mentioned Buck got caught in between the rioting that happened. That means he wasn't involved?"
Thorn looked up from where she buried her face, trying her best to bite her lip.
"Y-Yes... he got ca-caught in the-the… the way… after falling," she sobbed quietly.
"Caught in the way?... Ya mean…" Vector asked.
"Judging from the extent of his injuries, we concluded that was the case."
The duck nurse grew silent as she stared at the group.
"Do you kids know anything about how stampedes kill people?" she asked.
"Stampedes…?" Jewel asked.
"Ain't it all those people on yeh? They crush yeh and all that?" Bow added. Nurse Quack looked over at the brown sparrow.
"Well… partially. You see, when someone falls in the middle of a stampede, it's more than the weight of all those people crushing a victim to death. On the ground in a stampede, with all those people trampling over you, you begin to experience a lack of oxygen and begin to overheat as well. As a result, you become dehydrated and lose a lot of your energy. Adding to that, your body's natural adrenaline kicks off as more people are piled on top of you, and soon, your body is unable to move despite your brain knowing that you have to get up. Very soon, with people constantly constricting the chest cavity around you, with overheating and immobility, eventually… you lose oxygen like I said from your lungs pressing against your body."
Everyone was silent as Nurse Quack stepped forward, looking down at the deer.
"When he was brought in, Buck's oxygen level was at dangerous levels. Was he breathing irregularly when he arrived and prior to him passing out?"
"Y-Yes…" Alan quietly said.
"Then it's a miracle he's alive right now. Had he been trampled any longer… Mr. Buck surely would have died from compressive asphyxia from how badly he was trampled."
Espio could hear Bow, Thorn, and Jewel react in horror as Alan and Munch simply grit their teeth and closed their eyes as tight as they could.
"Please… please tell me, nurse… Buck's… Buck's not going to die, is he?!" Thorn questioned.
"Well, this is where the good news comes in," Nurse Quack replied. "After running tests to make sure Buck wasn't suffering from anything major, we concluded that he was in much better condition than we realized. Thanks to whoever helped him up, Mr. Buck was able to regain some of his oxygen level on the way to the campus hospital and only passed out due to his injuries, but we were able to give him supplemental oxygen and he's now breathing at a normal rate, as well as his blood oxygen level returning to above ninety five percent. Who was the one that helped him?"
"Us," Munch quietly said, pointing at himself and Alan.
"You help… Buck?" Espio asked.
"You two are quite brave to try and go into such a riot. But you're also very loyal friends if so. Buck should be thankful for you two that because of your quick thinking, his injuries weren't as severe either. We verified that he wasn't suffering from anything major, no internal bleeding, no broken bones, we even found that his head injury, what we feared was a concussion… was just a bruise and cut to the head. As such, the doctors went ahead and stitched his wound up. Heart rate seems to be normal, pulse is healthy, consciousness is clearly visible…"
"Then… yer sayin'?..." Bow asked. The female duck nodded.
"He still has quite a bit of healing to go through. His body is covered in bruises and we have to make sure he isn't suffering from any cognitive issues that might have been missed initially. Plus, there's the… very obvious black eye he has. As such, we'll need to keep him here to make sure he can walk without pain and react to anyone and anything. And we'll need to prescribe some heavy painkillers too and wait for his bruising to finish swelling. But aside from bruising and a black eye…" Nurse Quack turned towards the Mercian Transfer students and smiled. "...your friend is going to be just fine. We're giving him the best care we can."
Thorn softly smiled as Jewel gasped, both girls putting their hands to their chests.
"Oh… oh, thank goodness!" the jewel beetle said. "I… no… Buck's friends here couldn't be more thankful for what you and the rest of the hospital staff have done!"
Nurse Quack smiled. "Why, thank you, Jewel. I understand you would all like some time together with your friend, so I'll leave the room temporarily but I'll be back in the hour or so to make sure that he's okay. If anything happens, please use the emergency button on the side of the bed and someone will be here to attend to you quickly."
"Yer a real help, Nurse Quack," Vector said. "Buck oughta be lucky."
"I always care for all my patients, Vector. You were no exception when you got injured. I want what's best for them all, no matter what. What I will tell you is… be patient. Soon, Buck will be back to his usual self, but he needs time to rest and heal. I'll also let Headmaster Robotnik know about the issue so that his professors know the situation as well. In the meantime, I'll leave you to yourselves for the time being. If you excuse me."
With that, the others watched as Nurse Quack turned around and opened the door, the sound of her heels clicking the tiled floor bouncing on the walls as she closed the door behind her. The only sounds being heard were that of the heart monitor and the breathing machine, everyone continuing to be silent as the late afternoon sun spilled into the room.
"W-Well…" Jewel began, trying to break the ice. "The important thing is that you all heard what Nurse Quack said! Buck just needs some tests, but I bet he'll be discharged soon enough! She even said he wasn't as hurt as it seemed like at first!"
Espio could tell Jewel was trying her best to comfort Bow and the others, especially since she wasn't formally acquainted with them. However, the four Mercian Transfer students weren't convinced. Bow and Thorn were still looking at Buck's limp body, both of them on the left and right side of it respectively. Alan stood at the foot of the bed, tightly holding onto his lute as Munch stared out of the window, back turned against everyone else.
"I want to believe he'll be okay…" Thorn said, finally speaking up. "But… but why? Why Buck? What did Buck ever do wrong?! All he… no, WE wanted to do was to stop what was goin' on…"
"Stop what was going on?" Mighty asked. "What do you mean?"
"Thorn. I know yer hurtin', but yeh can't hide it anymore. Somethin' happened between yeh all that got Buck involved in whatever that riot was on campus earlier today and I need answers. What happened?!" Vector pried, still trying to get some semblance of an answer. Once again, the Mercian students were silent, refusing to give an answer.
"Thorn, answer me!"
"It's 'olright, Vector," Bow softly said, standing up and turning around to face him, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, and Jewel. "We can't hide it anymore. We'll tell ya."
"Bow-" Thorn said, quickly looking up.
"It ain't our fault for what 'appened. If it wasn't fer that bloody, mad gammon…"
"I think it's time you speak," Knuckles replied, arms crossed. The brown sparrow sighed, looking into Espio's eyes.
"Bow. Please…" Espio said, wanting an answer so he could get revenge against whoever could hurt his dear friend.
"...it 'appened some time before we arrived to the hospital. Probably around… two-ish?"
"Then we were either in the G building or on the campus hospital," Knuckles said before both Vector and Mighty hushed him.
"We were just sittin' and enjoyin' our break, as we always did…"
SEVERAL HOURS AGO
It was around the end of the lunchtime for many of the Mobius U students, and alongside people walking on campus to their next class, or talking amongst one another or sitting on benches with their laptops finishing assignments, one group sat together by a brick foundation surrounding a large flower garden enjoying their break.
Thorn, Buck, and Munch were busy finishing up their lunch as Bow sat to the side, notebook out and writing intensely as Alan sat just by the lop rabbit, strumming happily on his lute. Thorn had just finished wiping her mouth with a napkin when she turned over to Bow.
"Oi, Bow. Did yeh finish talkin' with that Director of Sport?" she asked. "Any news about the arching league?"
"'aven't I ! We're almost done settin' everything up! I've even been busy designin' uniforms too! 'ave a gander at this!" Bow replied happily as he flipped the pages of the notebook he held. Turning it to the page he needed, he showed off a page with different sketches for uniforms all over it. Thorn, Buck, Munch, and Alan (who stopped playing to pay attention) all reached over to look at it, smiling as they did.
"They look amazin', Bow!" Alan said. "Sure hope they're more comfortable than the uniforms we had last year. Damn things kept itchin'!"
"Maybe it was yer feathers goin' bad," Munch joked. "Sure worked like a charm fer me, it did!"
"Maybe it don't itch on pure dunderheads like yeh!"
"Oi, shut yer gob!"
"Now now, let's not fight," Buck said, holding up his hands. "I am very happy that yeh were able to set up this new league. How long will the season be?"
"Only until May. Not that long!" Bow replied. "But think of it more as a test run! That way, when we go back to Mercia, we can leave a real archin' league here!"
"I don't understand quite why they have equipment fer such a thing yet not a real league," Thorn wondered aloud.
"That's why we're changin' it! To show these Feds what they're missin' out on!"
"I surely can't wait fer next month then!" Alan replied. "Archin' is fun in that gymnasium, but nothin' beats the outside."
"And wrestlin' should be done too! That means I got more time to be in that new league! Speaking of which, yeh still comin' our semifinals?"
"Of course! Who'd we be if we missed out on it!" Thorn replied.
"I'll surely be praying for your success, Munch," Buck replied. "You know Solaris blesses you as much as He does all of us."
The copper rat scratched the back of his head, looking humble. "Gee, makin' me feel chuffed now, no?"
"I'd say we got quite the future to look forward to!" Bow smiled. "Although, I suppose we gotta get through these classes first-"
"Stop! How many more times do I have to tell you to leave me ALONE!"
The five transfer students stopped as they looked around, wondering where this sudden voice with fear and anger in their voice was coming from.
"What was that?" Thorn asked.
"Sounds like someone in trouble!" Alan replied.
"Wait. Wait wait wait," Munch held up his right hand. "Listen. There's another voice… can yeh hear it?"
The other four looked at each other as they listened closer, hearing another voice, only much fainter.
"...had with you groomers running around… don't you fucking ignore me!"
"There it is!" Thorn replied. "What a nasty voice…"
"Is that person attackin' another?!" Buck asked, horrified.
"Then we gotta stop whatever's goin' on! Come on, Merry Five! Time to pay this person a visit!" Bow said, putting his notebook back in his back as he stood up from the brick structure.
"Oi, I 'aven't finished eatin' yet!" Munch replied, looking annoying. "Yeh know I was the last one to get here!"
"I'll buy yeh a pack o' crisps or biscuits when we're done here," Alan replied, patting Munch's shoulder. "But don't yeh think this is important?"
"I do! But… alroight! I'm comin'!"
With that, the others all got off the structure, leaving their bags, food, and belongings (not Alan and his lute though) behind as they walked around only to hear the sound of the voices getting louder.
"What do you think is goin' on?" Thorn asked Bow.
"I don't know. But sounds like someone is real unhinged," the sparrow replied. "Why would they be on a beautiful day loike this?"
The five finally got their answer as from afar, just right by the big tree in front of North Hall, a lone light blue hedgehog student wearing glasses was covering their eyes and ears. With a bag slinged over their shoulders, it seems like they were trying to get away from a large group trailing behind them. All of them seemed to hold signs or held looks of anger on their faces, the leader of which, judging from Alan pointing it out, seemed to be a purple gorilla wearing a black shirt and jeans that they had never seen before.
"Please!" Nicky cried, turning around as their glasses almost fell off their face. "Haven't you had enough of this already?! Our group is only doing virtual meetings, we can't meet anymore because of you all, and every week I'm confronted by you or someone else! What MORE do you want?!"
"For you to stop trying to hide the truth from us you fucking degenerate!" Monk yelled back, getting red in the face. "We know that you're still trying to force your mentally ill LGBT BULLSHIT on the rest of us, and the fact that you STILL won't own up to all the grooming your little group is up to is sickening! If you won't give us an answer, we'll MAKE you do it here and now!"
The crowd behind Monk began to cheer as Nicky looked afraid for their life, taking a few steps back.
"If-If wanting to support people like me or Razor is bullshit, then by all means, try and continue slandering us if it makes you feel better! But we know who we are! Now just f-fuck off! I'm DONE!"
Monk ran forward, grabbing the back of Nicky's shirt as he was being encouraged by the crowd. Nicky yelled and screamed, struggling against the grip of the strong gorilla.
"Stop right fucking there…" he growled. "I've given you plenty of opportunities to prove that you aren't groomers and predators, and when you don't answer, what am I supposed to take of that when you won't debate me?! That you like grooming kids into cutting off their genitals or forcing them to sodomize one another, huh?! You like corrupting kids and forcing everyone else to believe your mentally deranged delusions?! Why don't you tell me the truth like a man, something you clearly will never be!"
"GET OFF OF ME!" Nicky screamed. "LET… ME GO! HELP! SOMEONE!"
"We've done our work exposing you woke sexual propagandists, wanting to indoctrinate all of us into your disgusting 'beliefs' and destroying the fabric of society. Well, not anymore. Because we'll get you all shut down, stop encouraging all this degeneracy, and remind people that your feelings doesn't give shit about how there's only two genders! And don't even think about giving me that pronoun bullshit either! Because I don't believe in that crap, because mine are NOR, and MAL! Reality is what I identify with, not your little mentally ill fantasy! Now right here, right now, you're going to tell me EVERYTHING-"
"Excuse me! Stop right there!"
Monk stopped what he was yelling as Orbot and Cubot came floating towards the crowd of people, both robots with angered looks on their faces.
"Under new rules from Headmaster Robotnik, we've been assigned to qwell angry confrontations and to prevent all forms of physical harm!" Orbot said. "Please, let the student go or there will be consequences!"
"Exactly! You don't wanna see what we can do!" Cubot added.
"Who in the fuck are you?..." Monk asked, shaking his head.
"I repeat, let the student go, or we will have no choice but to take a picture of you and report you to the Headmaster directly-"
"Oh FUCK off!" Monk yelled as he walked forward with Nicky still in his hands, kicking the red orb shaped robot like a soccer ball. The crowd behind Monk cheered as Orbot yelled while in the air.
"Orbot, not like this!" Cubot yelled, putting his hands up to his face as he quickly went to chase after his fellow robot. In the midst of the crowd, Nicky ripped their shirt off from Monk's grasp as more tears fell from their eyes. They dropped to the floor as the crowd and Monk soon turned their attention away from the robots and to the computer science major. They all surrounded them, yelling expletives and slurs at the hedgehog until-
"Oi! Stop right there!"
Everyone surrounding Nicky stopped as they turned around, staring right at Bow, Thorn, Alan, Munch, and Buck, all five of them with angered looks on their faces.
"Oh for FUCK'S sake, AGAIN?! Who the hell is this now?!" one person in the crowd asked.
"Hey, get the fuck out of here!"
"What's goin' on here?!" Bow yelled. "Yeh loike pickin' on people, eh?!"
"It's a fucking Mercian?..."
"Stay here. I'll deal with this…" Monk said as the crowd followed him. However, with the opportunity to escape, Nicky quickly got up from the floor and ran off, the crowd of protestors turning around and realizing what happened.
"T-The groomer's getting away, Monk!" someone yelled. Monk's face flew into a fury as he turned back to the crowd.
"Fucking get her… it, WHATEVER!" he yelled back as he turned back to the Mercian Transfer students. "Don't even try and tell me you're with the degenerate too?! You heard everything! Is that what you like, huh?!"
"What's yer problem?!" Thorn yelled back. "Didn't you see how the poor person looked?!"
"I don't give a fuck about their feelings! Am I supposed to feel bad about a degenerate finally getting what's coming to them?! They're the ones who've ran this place into a whorehouse for degenerates and activists, solely intentioned on pushing this sick shit and wanting to label anyone they don't like as a bigot!"
The crowd behind Monk all clamored at once as the Mercian students didn't back down.
"Now why don't you join the sodomite conference if you can't handle the truth?! You wanna be like every other activist calling me whatever comes to mind?!"
"Enough with the yellin', mate!" Alan replied, covering his ear with one hand. "We can hear yeh loud and clear! We just want yeh to stop with whoever was gettin' hurt! Yeh wouldn't loike someone doin' that to yeh, eh?"
"Just let them the fuck go, Monk. We got better things to do!" another one of the protestors yelled. Monk looked back at the crowd then stared down at the five.
"I'll keep that in mind! Now why don't you fuck off, THIS is more important than dealing with-"
"What the fuck?!"
Suddenly, from behind Bow and the others, a large group of counterprotesters came up towards them, surrounding the sparrow, lop rabbit, deer, quail, and rat as both sides now started to squabble among one another.
"You brought these fucking leftists with you?!" Monk yelled, red in the face.
"Maybe they're tellin' yeh somethin' yeh oughta hear," Munch replied, arms crossed. "No one treats someone loike that."
"Is this what you came to do? To lecture me?! I'm not hearing that shit from anyone, let alone a bunch of effeminate forest freaks like you lot!"
The Mercian student's faces all twisted into ones of shock and horror. Thorn quickly stepped forward as she grit her teeth.
"You damn wanker! How DARE YOU-!" she yelled only for Alan to walk by the rabbit, raising up his hand at her as his brows lowered. He walked in front of the gorilla, ignoring the large crowd all arguing and throwing yells at one another.
"Yeh've been actin' like a real arsehole, mate," Alan said, more serious than he ever had been in his life as he stared up at Monk. "The fact that yeh can't even learn simple manners makes me sick. All yeh like to do is scream and yell like a spoilt child, lettin' yer face get red. Seems to me yer nothin' more than a gammon, mate…"
"Let's get one thing clear…" Monk growled as he pushed his face towards Alan's, the quail unmoving. "I'm not your fucking mate. You think I want to listen to whatever garbage spills out of your mouth? You think I want to listen to a bunch of whining freaks like you and your friends try and lecture me like they know me? I don't. Especially not from some weak looking beta like you. Now turn around, and FUCK. OFF."
Ignoring the spit flying from Monk's mouth, the quail continued. "If it means treatin' someone roight, then yes. Real nasty, yeh are? Can't even act civil, eh?"
"EH!" Monk replied, mocking Alan's accent. "You Mercians are just as degenerate as that hedgehog, and it's clear to me that you and your friends want to intimidate me into silence. But I'm a fucking man. You and your little fellow fairy freaks don't fucking scare me. So if I were you, I'd go back to whatever little degenerate forest you came from and get the fuck out of my sight."
"Yeh little-!" Alan was seconds from swinging his arm at the purple gorilla before…
"Alan, please!" Buck said, running up to the two and putting his arms up between the two. "I shan't allow yeh to get physical! Yeh know that isn't right!"
"And who the fuck are you, finally speaking up?!" Monk yelled.
"Both of yeh, calm down! Is this REALLY want yeh two want?"
Suddenly, Monk's eyes moved down as Buck noticed he was staring at his clothing.
"What's THIS?!"
Suddenly, Monk grabbed the rosary of Solaris Buck had around his neck and pulled it, causing the deer to yelp out in pain.
"This is… Solaris?!" the gorilla questioned. "Don't tell me you're actually a believer of Solaris!"
"And what of it?!" Bow yelled.
"That… ha! You want to defend those degenerates knowing full well you worship Solaris?! How can you even call yourself a Solaran if you don't shun them like any reasonable person should! Even I know that, and I don't even follow that shit!"
"H-How I worship Solaris is of none of your concern!" Buck yelled back, face becoming red from embarrassment.
"Let him GO!" Alan yelled as he grabbed Monk's hand. But as he did, the gorilla turned towards him, and a look of murder appeared in his eyes. Then, he pushed both Alan down onto the floor, with Buck getting caught in the fire. Both the quail and deer yelled out in pain as Alan's lute fell to the side, getting scuffed.
"Buck! Alan!" Bow, Thorn, and Munch all yelled as they ran to their friends, Alan slowly getting up as he grabbed his lute as Buck followed. Munch quickly turned towards the gorilla.
"What yeh playin' at, yeh wanker?!" he yelled. "Bloody gammon, I'll get yeh for this!"
"Then come on then, fight me like a man! I've had it up to HERE with you five-"
"No you DON'T!" a new voice spoke up, coming from the counterprotester side as they interfered with Monk marching towards the rat. Suddenly, there was a fierce yell as both sides began to clash among one another. Punches, kicks, the pure definition of violence itself exploded as suddenly, something was thrown at Buck's head. Upon impact, it shattered, throwing the deer back as the four yelled his name. But before they could help Buck…
"GET THEM! GET THE FUCKING DEGENERATES!" Monk yelled with pure hatred in his voice. From within the crowd, Bow looked around and realized that he and his friends were in danger. He saw as Thorn barely avoided someone throwing their bag at her, Alan throwing it back.
"Thorn! Thorn, are yeh alroight?!" he asked, running up to his friend.
"I'm fine… but what do we do?! We gotta run, Bow! We can't take 'oll these people on! We'll only risk hurtin' ourselves!"
"Damn… okay, we gotta find help at least! Someone who can stop this! Come on everyone!"
Due to the large crowd, it was difficult to navigate without someone getting hurt and without someone getting stuck in the crossfire, but the Mercian students were able to escape the crowd just as people, including the campus officers, arrived to stop the ongoing riot.
They all ran off to the distance, their boots and shoes sounding loudly against the concrete as their tails or ears waved wildly. Alan coughed hard as they stopped around reaching close to the parking lot near the stadium. Taking a minute to catch their breaths, Bow looked at the lop rabbit.
"Yeh… alroight, mates?" he asked.
"...never better…" Munch replied, hand on his chest. Just then however, Thorn began to look around wildly, her ears flopping as she did.
"Wait… where's… WHERE'S BUCK?!" she exclaimed. The others then looked around, realizing that there were only four people to count, and that their deer friend was missing.
"I thought he was with us! I know he got hit but I thought he got back up!" Alan yelled back. Suddenly, Munch's face became fearful.
"I… I hear him!" he said, as suddenly, a frantic voice began to yell out.
"PLEASE! A-ARGGGG… HELP ME!"
"Buck!" the four said.
"We can't get through all those people!" Thorn exclaimed. "And the coppers arrived too! What do we do?!"
"To 'ell with the coppers, we gotta save Buck!" Munch exclaimed. "Yeh two," he pointed at Bow and Thorn. "Get help for Buck, now!"
"How?!"
"Ain't there a hospital here?! The one we got yer physical at, Munch?" Bow replied. "We gotta take him there!"
"But it's too far! We got to call for an ambulance!"
"We don't have time! We have to go tell them what happened!" Bow grabbed Thorn's hand tightly.
"Alan, come with me!" Munch said as he ran forwards. The quail, on the other hand, looked completely still as he stared blankly at the riot in front of him. No emotion was on his face as something was clearly bugging him, something that Munch snapped him out of quick.
"ALAN, MOVE YER ARSE AND GO!" he yelled as he shook the quail. Alan shook his head as his plume followed, following after Munch as the two ran back towards the crowd as Bow and Thorn went towards MU University Health Services. Lute in hand, Alan caught up with Munch as they entered back into the crowd, coughing as devices with smoke began to fill the crowd. Pushing people aside, at one point, Alan having to block with his lute, they looked around for wherever Buck might be.
"I can't see him anywhere!" Munch said. "Where in the bloody 'ell are yeh, mate?!"
"Look! Roight there! He's… he's on the ground?!"
The two quickly rushed forward as they saw their friend laying face down on the floor, continuously being trampled by feet and bodies as Buck was doing everything he could to escape. Pushing people out of the way and throwing one person to the side, Alan and Munch worked together to grab Buck's hands and with all their strength, brought him up from the ground. However, when they looked at their friend…
"Dear Solaris…" Munch said, seeing how bloodied Buck had become. The deer was bleeding from his head, mouth, he suddenly had a black eye, and he could almost barely stand.
"Buck! Buck, tell me; yeh can hear me, mate?!" Alan said, waving his hand as the two worked together to get out of the crowd, which was starting to disperse from all the smoke from the police. Buck could only weakly groan and nod his head as the quail and rat looked at each other.
"We gotta hurry!" Munch said. "Mate, hang on! We'll get yeh help! I promise!"
"I-It hu… hurts…" Buck finally said, speaking up as he groaned.
"Dun talk now! We'll get yeh to the hospital, mate! Bow and Thorn are on the way! Just hang on…!"
With that, Bow's story ended with him saying, "And then we arrived here, and… the rest is history."
Everyone looked shocked except for Vector, who turned to the side and grit his teeth.
"Of course… of fuckin' COURSE it was Monk!" he yelled, fist shaking. "Of all the cowardly things that asshole has ever done… That fucker hit a new low…"
"Yeh know him?"
"He was on our football team," Knuckles replied. "Until he retired due to the relationship between Vector and Espio. Much of what you heard from his mouth is how he's always been. But… this… could he be more childish?"
"He's been doin' this fer so long?"
"Not until he joined CCOCC, that's fer sure," Vector growled. "Fuckin' Connery… Sure are proud of yerself that this is the person yeh created…"
"I couldn't believe such a person could ever exist," Thorn said, shaking her head. "Even now, I can't get how nasty he was. Damn gammon…"
Jewel, Espio, Knuckles, and Mighty all looked at each other as the jewel beetle put her hands up.
"Um… not to interrupt but," she said. "I couldn't help but notice you used that word a bit in your story, Bow. What is it?"
"What? A gammon?" Bow replied, turning towards Jewel with a look of bewilderment. "Yeh don't know what that is?!"
"Not… really?"
"Yeh know! When someone is so angry about something so small and inconsequential that their face flushes red? Like ham! Yeh know, a gammon!"
Jewel still continued to look confused. "I… guess I get what you're trying to say? Sorry, we don't really use that word here…"
"Hey, let's not get distracted," Mighty said. "The important thing is that Monk was indirectly causing a riot and leading to someone getting injured. He needs to be reported over it!"
"And all over his hateboner fer gay people!" Vector grumbled. "The hell he thinks this is gonna accomplish?!"
"Nothing but satisfying his insecurity," Knuckles replied. Meanwhile, Espio felt rage boiling in his blood. Monk… hurt Buck. Just like he did Vector…
He told himself he would never forgive Connery for the actions he'd committed against his boyfriend, and now the gorilla was the same. He would never forgive either one of them…!
"We've got to make him pay!" Jewel yelled. "If he thinks that he can get someone hospitalized and get away with it, he's got another thing coming! I told Harvey to stop letting CCOCC go free and this is what happened! Don't worry, I'll make sure Harvey DEFINITELY knows about this! And I'll make sure some of my fellow Democracy Party members knows about this too! They'll know what to do!"
"Thank yeh, mate…" Bow said, face falling. "I'm sure Buck will appreciate it a lot. But… we don't know where to go from here. I don't know where to go from here! How are we going to explain this to anyone? Our folks back home, the officials… if his mum and dad know... I know they'll want him back in Avalon posthaste."
"Yeh did the right thing to protect someone who was bein' harassed. Unfortunately, Monk and his cronies only know violence. They dun care who they hurt as long as they get their way," Vector replied. "I know yeh four are hurtin'... but give yerself credit. Nicky would have been in more danger than ya realize, and yeh still managed to save Buck too. Be proud of the victories ya did manage to achieve."
Thorn looked at Vector, starting to slightly tear up. "Ve… Vector…" she said softly as Espio walked towards his friend, allowing her to rest on his shoulder for comfort.
"It will be okay," Espio said.
"I can't… I can't thank yeh enough fer bein' here…" Bow said. "The fact yeh care so much… Espio, yer boyfriend, yer mates… I'm blessed to know ya, y'know?"
"Yer Espio's friends. Ya matter just as much as anythin'" Vector replied. From afar, Espio could see Munch still didn't move from the spot he stood at as Alan stood up from the AC unit he sat upon, holding his lute.
"We-Well hey, mates!" he said, finally speaking up. "In spite of 'oll this, yeh heard what that Nurse said! Buck's gonna be alroight and back standin'! Besides, he wouldn't want us to be this sad and miserable, would he? He would want us to always love and care, and what better way do we do that then with a song? Who gives a damn about a minger like that gorilla anyway? Yeh know we always calm down with a good shanty!"
Bow softly smiled. "Yeah… yeah, that does sound like him… I could use one of yer songs roight now, Alan.."
"Alan's right. Buck wouldn't want us to be sad," Thorn added. "He knows we did the roight thing…"
But Espio could tell something wasn't fully right. Alan sounded… uncertain, almost seemingly lying to himself. Still, he knew that the quail loved nothing more than to sing and play his heart out, so he let the quail grasp his lute, walk up to the foot of the bed again, and began to strum. foot of the bed, and began to strum as he did the one thing he loved the most.
"The Merry Five doth see a sight,
of a quarrel, causing such a fright!
For the army of the angry gorilla,
who ought to be calm and play marimba!
From Bow, and Thorn, and Munch and I,
we showed that gammon why we don't cry!"
Espio wasn't going to lie, seeing Alan in high spirits in spite of what happened… it gave him hope. Though things had reached the lowest of low points for him, the quail reminded him why it was important to smile. And the message wasn't lost on him either. Bow and Thorn started to softly smile as they softly clapped, Mighty and Jewel seemingly getting into the song as the beetle rocked her head to the rhythm.
"How good of a singer he is!" Jewel remarked as Alan continued.
"But the fight came to a new front,
when the gorilla and his army wanted to hunt!
For first they came for m'self and Buck,
and then the others, for which we duck!
And though we left the battle on sight,
our friend Buck, was not of might!
But now he has the help he needs,
and we all stand by his godly deeds!"
"What a singer!" Vector commented as Alan had began to walk around the room while playing, getting the others involved as they clapped to the song. Even Knuckles' face and demeanor had calmed down slightly as he now started to be mesmerized by the song. Espio smiled as the quail came up to him as he continued.
"So now we wait for him to heal,
for us, we shan't let him keel!
For we'll show that spindly johnny,
and our favorite phrase, 'And a-hey nonny non-"
But as everyone fully cheered up from Alan's song, one person in the room didn't. One person started growling softly and covered their ears only for their growls to grow higher in volume. And then…
"RrrrrrRRRRRRRRAGGH! SHUT YER GOB, ALAN!" Munch screamed, suddenly turning around as pure anger was in his eyes. The entire room grew silent as everyone turned towards the rat, the only sound now heard being the heart monitor and the breathing machine. Alan looked completely shocked as to what occurred, eyes wide as he looked around, not sure of what to do. He then plucked one string.
"...ny?" he said, untimely finishing his song as a look of confusion was clear on his face. Munch angrily marched towards where Alan stood, teeth strongly grit and seeming like he was seconds from throwing punches.
"Yeh… yeh absolute ARSEHOLE!" Munch continued yelling. "Yer friend almost just died, he's stuck in a hospital… and… and all yeh can think about are yer damn songs?!"
"I… I just wanted to… to cheer us up…" Alan said, seemingly knocked off his feet at how Munch reacted.
"Yeh can't even wait one minute fer yeh to open that gob of yers, eh?! Look at 'im yeh wanker! D'ya think now is the time to be all smiles and laughin'?!"
"Munch, stop it! Alan just wanted to help!" Thorn replied, standing up where she stood.
"Don't even defend him, Thorn!" the rat pointed at the lob rabbit. "This insensitive arsehole can't even save his friend until he's told so, and now he wants to pretend everythin' is fine 'n merry!"
"That's enough, Munch!" Bow yelled back only for Munch to turn towards him.
"How can yeh even defend 'im at this point?! Here Buck is, almost dead, and all Alan thinks about is how he can ruin the moment! It's ALWAYS been like this with 'im! Always singin' no matter what happened, it's insultin'!"
"Hey, HEY!" Vector yelled. "Yer gettin' carried away, Munch! He knows yer all just as much hurtin' as he is-"
"Dun even get INVOLVED, mate! Look at 'im! You think everythin' 'bout him says he's hurtin'?! Of course not! A bugger like 'im never cares about how others feels!"
Alan, who had looked at the floor, turned towards the rat as his face scrunched up. "Yer… yer wrong, mate."
"Tryin' to defend yerself now, eh?! NOW yeh think it was wrong to do that?!"
"Yeh know Buck would want this! We know he's gonna be fine, and we know that he was never one for letting us be sad-"
"Just 'cause that's what Buck wants doesn't mean we HAVE to follow it! Besides, yeh ain't even upset 'bout any of this 'cause all you selfishly care about are those songs! Always always ALWAYS those damn songs! I've gotten so sick of them!"
Alan's face started to show anger. "Yer… yer lyin', mate. I know that."
"Then why do you think that NOW is the time to play them?!"
"Cause I'm just tryin'... tryin' to make yeh feel better! Make 'oll of us feel better!"
"Well maybe those annoyin' songs of yers don't HELP!"
"Alan, Munch, stop!" Espio said as he got in between the quail and rat. But Alan shot a look at the chameleon.
"Espio, don't. This is between me and this dimwitted gammon here!" he said as Espio took a step back. This was… he had never seen Alan act in such a manner before, and his eyes widened as it properly sinked in. Munch, in response, growled as his face became more violent.
"Take that back… Take that BACK, YEH WANKER! I may not be smart, but at least I care 'bout mah friends more than an arsehole loike yeh!"
"Me? The arsehole?! I ain't the one yellin' at his friend, actin' loike he doesn't care 'bout his friends!"
"Cause yeh don't! Those annoyin' songs have always mattered more to yeh!"
"And who was the one that got yeh into them, eh?! Who was the one that helped yeh when yeh were a dimwit 'bout them, like yeh always are!"
"AT LEAST I CARE 'BOUT BUCK! AT LEAST… AT LEAST I DON'T STOOP TO INSULTS LIKE YEH!"
By now, the others had tried everything they could to stop Alan and Munch, but it was to no avail. Alan, who's face had gone red, dropped his lute as he marched towards Munch.
"Yeh think I don't care…?" He breathed heavily. "Yeh think… that I'm just an insensitive wanker? That I don't care 'bout mah friend at 'oll?!"
"Cause yeh don't! And here yeh are now, lookin' loike yer off to blubba' to mummy!"
"At least I ain't some dunce who just loikes to yell yell yell, like the dullard yeh always been! Yeh think that I don't care?! Yeh think that I just do this cause I wanna pretend everythin's alroight?! That what 'appened keeps playin' in mah mind?! That… that… that I-I'm the reason Buck's in the hospital?!"
Alan began to shake, beads of small tears now starting to appear in the sides of his eyes as his look became even angrier.
"That I d-don't hate m-m'self fer almo-almost killin' mah friend…? Well? Do yeh?! DO YEH, YEH FOOKIN' WANKER?!"
This was all it took for Alan to start trying to suppress tears, which had begun to drip down his eyes before he blinked rapidly to wash them away. Espio could hear Jewel gasp behind her as everyone lay unmoved. Even Munch's face… softened, as what happened properly sank in.
"DO YEH?! DO YEH THINK I DON'T CARE NOW?!" Alan continued to yell. "WELL?! AIN'T SO TO-TOUGH NOW, FOOKIN' GAMMON?! JUST LOIKE TH-THAT GORILLA… YER JUST AS M-MUCH A GAMMON AS H-HE IS!"
Munch huffed as he walked past the quail, pushing his chest as he walked past everyone. Knuckles raised his fists up.
"How dare you?!" he questioned. "Where do you think you're going, running away after making your friend cry!"
"Deal with the gammon yeself. I'm done," he said as he opened the door and slammed it behind him. Thorn quickly stood from where she was.
"Munch! Munch!" she called out as she tried to chase after her friend. However, she was suddenly held back as someone grabbed her hand. Thorn turned to see Bow pulling her back, the sparrow shaking his head as he let the rat go.
Meanwhile, from where he stood, Alan grit his teeth as his blood boiled, trying his best not to sob out. His beak quivered as he turned around and hid his face from the others. Espio's face fell as everything that occurred properly sunk in. Because of what happened, Buck was hurt, and now… Alan and Munch fought. His friends… fighting amongst each other… friends who seemed close to one another…
"I'm… sorry yeh had to see that," Bow replied, turning his head towards Vector, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, and Jewel. "I never thought… they'd fight as bad as that…"
"As bad as that? You mean… Alan and Munch used to fight often?" Mighty asked. "That isn't like Munch!"
"It was years back…" Thorn softly said, wiping her eye. "Nowadays, they're on a lot better terms. But… when they first started to get to know one another, Alan and Munch used to fight a lot. It would be over anythin' really, but they would get heated quick. We thought that they weren't a good match as friends but… they learned to live with one another. Nowadays, they squabble a bit here and there, but then five minutes later, they're laughin' into each others arms, completely forgettin' what they were fightin' 'bout. This was the first fight they've had that was this heated in years."
"It's almost like the fight was less 'bout them and more 'bout their own issues and insecurities," Vector said. Bow and Thorn looked at one another.
"Yeh heard what Alan said, roight?" Bow asked. "Callin' 'im a dunce or a dimwit, and how offended Munch looked?"
"Now that you mention it… he did seem like that," Jewel said. "Why is that?"
"If yeh want to understand… yeh need to learn a bit more 'bout Munch as a person. And why… I think he's takin' this super hard."
And so, Bow and Thorn explained, much to the surprise of the others, especially Espio, who had only briefly heard from the rat himself. Munch, like he mentioned, was from a large family of millers, who would work day in and out on their field and in the mills. At first, Munch went to school in the mornings, and then would come home to immediately help his parents in the afternoon. This went on until, things would get so busy as Munch's other siblings were born and as production of the mill skyrocketed, that after turning eleven, the copper rat had no choice but to drop out of school and work on the mill and in the fields fulltime to help his family. As such, the rat suffered somewhat intelligently, not being as astute as his fellow Avalonians.
"Yeh ever notice that Munch seems a bit more messy than us?" Thorn asked the group. "That's partially why."
Espio suddenly remembered the Christmas card he received from his Mercian friends months ago. While the other four had much neater and legible handwriting, Munch's was far sloppier, his word usage being more brief than his friends. Was that why? Because he didn't go to school for that long?
"Did he ever go back to school?" Vector asked.
"Not until he met Buck when he was older," Bow said. "Buck was really the first friend he ever made after all the years of bein' stuck to the family business. I was acquainted with 'im too so, we all got to know each other that way. We were a few years off from finishin' school ourselves, but because Munch was so far behind, he couldn't 'ave joined us if he wanted to. But… we tried our best."
"Fer months, 'oll of us, m'self, Bow, Alan, and Buck, we would help Munch catch up with his studies as best as we could. It was frustratin' fer him, I could tell. Many times, he gave up completely until we told 'im not to, even leadin' to a few arguments from time to time from 'ow frustrated he was. But… he persevered. And when we took our A-level exams fer Uni, he wanted to do it too. Of course, it was hard on 'oll of us, but with Munch… we knew it would be 'arder."
"So we studied. 'Oll of us, as 'ard as we could," the sparrow continued. "And then, we got the news back. We 'OLL passed. It was a shock to us 'oll. To our fellow neighbors, to our families, but Munch… Munch was beyond ecstatic. He almost passed out when he got his results."
"It meant a lot to him?" Knuckles replied.
"That, and the fact that… very few people ever get to go to uni in Avalon. Many of us just don't 'ave the money needed, at least, until a few years back, when Mercia started allowin' people like us who live in the small towns to go to uni at a very reduced cost, and even then, it wasn't enough fer most people. But… our families saved up. And m'self, Bow, Alan, Munch, and Buck… 'oll five of us were the first in our families to go to uni. And really, that was just fer tuition. The University of Snottingham paid for everything else we had and used. Our phones, us being able to come to the United Federation as an exchange student, 'oll of that came from our old uni. But… that's why what was said hurts so much fer Munch, 'cause he… really feels like he ain't smart compared to others. He feels like he has nothing to his name."
"Wait, but he should be getting paid by the university because he's on the wrestling team. What do you mean?" Mighty asked.
"That? He doesn't keep a lot of that money," Bow replied. "Almost 'oll of it goes to his mum and dad to help out the family mill."
There was silence from the other five as it properly sank in just how much responsibility the rat took on, only settling in just how much this incident shook his entire world to the core and how his deepest insecurities were stroked.
"Plus," Bow continued. "Alan had a bit more of a carefree life compared to Munch, who took on responsibility after responsibility. Because of that, most of their arguments came from how Munch felt Alan didn't take things seriously. But… that's been in his nature. To find joy even in the darkest of times."
"But, Alan hurt tu-too…" Espio said, turning towards his quail friend, who hadn't moved from where he stood. It was completely shocking to the chameleon, watching the happy-go-lucky quail's mask shatter in real time, the pieces falling to the floor as it revealed how he felt: how he blamed himself for what happened between them and Monk, how he blamed himself for Buck almost dying…
"He hid it from us 'oll…" Thorn said as she turned to the quail. "I knew he wanted to cheer us up, but he really… hid how he felt…"
"I can't even imagine what it would be loike…" Bow softly added. "What Munch did to 'im ain't roight… Alan really did care fer Buck. Alan was the first friend Buck ever made anyway."
"Just like that whole thing with Munch. I suppose that makes sense, but both of them are in the wrong if ya ask me," Vector replied, arms crossed. "They need to apologize to each other."
"If they want to…"
"They should!" Jewel said. "They're friends, naturally!"
"That doesn't mean they have to forgive each other immediately," Knuckles replied. "They may be friends, but they both hurt each other. They have every right to be angry."
"But-!"
"Knuckles is right. Take it from him, he was in a similar boat with Vector a few years back," Mighty replied. Jewel's face fell as her antennae fell to the floor, unsure of what to say next. Espio turned towards the quail and walked up behind him, his face upset as he looked up.
"Dun ev-even bother, Espio…" Alan softly said. Just then, a soft hand grabbed his shoulder. The chameleon looked up to see Vector behind him.
"He wants to be alone, Es. Let him," he replied. Espio's face fell further as Thorn grabbed her ear as a form of comfort.
"I… I'm sorry fer keepin' yeh all so long 'ere," she replied. "We'll be fine, it's just… we need some time… to think."
"Yeh really are true mates," Bow added. "I promise we'll be fine."
"Bow…" Espio replied.
"Espio… don't worry about me. Don't worry about Buck either. He'll be fine. We'll be 'ere for him."
But Espio looked over at Alan once again, who still hadn't moved.
"I suppose we should be giving you the proper time you need, no?" Knuckles replied. Bow and Thorn hadn't responded, just looked at the ground before turning around and looking down at their cervid friend. The sound of the heart monitor and breathing machine was still heard as Vector started to walk out of the room.
"Let's let them be. They wanna be with their friend," he said. "We can come back later. Besides, Es has to head out to community service soon."
The chameleon almost bounced when he heard this. How could he have almost forgotten?! Right now, he MIGHT have time for dinner and wouldn't have to eat at the soup kitchen, but that's if they hurried quickly to the K building… Still, food was the last thing on his mind, as his friends, especially Alan and Munch, were on his mind.
With that, Espio, Knuckles, Mighty, and Jewel all left the room as they left Bow, Thorn, and Alan alone, shutting the door softly behind them. Everyone was in a state of shock, panic, and silence as they stood in the hallway of the hospital.
"Poor Munch and Alan…" Jewel said. "They all must be hurting so much… Each of them in their own way… Fighting in such a personal matter… not knowing they were hurting each other… it's awful!"
"This is what CCOCC wants. Fer us to fight amongst each other, and fer what? To make a point?" Vector asked. "Naw, there's no point to be made. Connery loves all this discord if it means that he gets his way with Espio."
"Me?" Espio asked.
"You heard Monk in that story Bow told. What he told you in the locker room a few months back, he's extending to others," Knuckles replied.
"Kit mentioned somethin' to me like that. Said how Monk and a bunch of others have been harassin' the LGBTQ League," Vector continued. "And he only started doin' it 'cause of… me 'n Es…"
"Then what does this mean?" Mighty asked.
"That both Connery, Monk, everyone from CCOCC and their cronies, they would let this campus burn if it means everyone they dun like gets hurt."
"Well we can't let that happen!" Jewel said, becoming angry. "I already told you what I'm going to do, but you all should do something as well! We can't back down from this!"
"Jewel… I appreciate it," Vector continued. "But yeh know just as much as I do that they'll double down. I haven't given Connery a response because I see no reason to, because it'll only give him what he wants. A reaction. And an asshole like that doesn't deserve one."
"There's nothing political about this either," Knuckles replied. "He claims all this protesting is to send a message, but there's only cruelty involved. Revealing how much others get hurt…"
"Then, do we sit idly then?!" Jewel asked.
"I like to think that they'll get their just desserts. But I'm done bein' some target fer a political agenda. I got better things to do," Vector added. "C'mon, we gotta head out fer dinner. Ya heard what Bow and Thorn said. They got things from here…"
With that, the crocodile patted Espio's shoulders as the five parted ways from the room Buck was staying in, silently walking through the halls as the feeling of melancholy spread throughout the environment.
Espio started blankly at the cup of gelatin he held, pushing it back and forth with his spoon as he heard the sound of it jiggling against itself. Though he only had an hour until he left for community service, everything about him felt hollow. He felt emotionally drained from what just occurred, not just seeing Buck pass out, not just from having to witness Alan and Munch's fight.
But remembering that awful day… the day he saw his father die.
The blood red gelatin he played with kept reminding Espio of both that day and today, making his stomach grow queasy as he thought about it more. He thought he had done his grieving for his father, done in the silent darkness so as to not express his emotions to anyone and anything. But… he hadn't truly gotten over it. Even to this day, he still missed his father and wishes he could have been alive to see him enter the Outside World, to be a voice to talk to when it came to his upcoming arranged marriage…
And now, more of his friends had gotten hurt, and he felt just the same as he did when he lost his father.
"Es… ya know ya gotta eat, right?" Vector asked softly, looking down at his chameleon boyfriend next to him as the two sat alone. Espio looked up at his boyfriend, then back at his food.
"I know… but…" he replied, sighing as he put his spoon down. He wasn't even sure he could eat at this point.
"...yer thinkin' 'bout Buck aintcha?"
Espio's eyes widened, a flash of Buck passed out appearing in his mind as his breath hitched. His hands tightened as Vector looked down at his boyfriend.
"Look, ya heard what the doctors said. He'll still be in the hospital fer a couple of days but once they run tests to see that he's okay, he should be discharged. It'll be okay, Es. I promise."
While Espio was assured about that, it wasn't… ENTIRELY it. Vector noticed this as the chameleon's manner hadn't changed.
"...it ain't Buck, is it? Yer thinkin' 'bout Alan and Munch instead, right?"
Espio looked back at his boyfriend, a frown on his face.
"Why do they fa-fight?" he asked. Vector sighed, putting his hand on his boyfriend's shoulder for comfort.
"I… alright, lemme… try to explain this as best as I can, Es…" he said, turned around in his seat. "I know that Alan kinda always has been the type of guy who cares more 'bout makin' others happy over himself. The type of guy who loves to be the center of attention, not fer his own ego, but because he wants others to feel as joyful and happy as he does. But… even the happiest people have days where they get angry. Even the happiest people have days where they cry. And today was that day fer Alan, alongside Munch. As their friend, the healthiest thing yeh can do fer them is to give 'em space. They know they gotta apologize to each other, but… the important thing is that they gotta cool down first before they apologize, and they can only do it on their own. They've always been close, but… let them be fer now. It's only healthy fer them."
Espio looked sorrowfully back at his cup of gelatin.
"It hurts… Vector. I see Alan and Ma-Munch fight. And I see… see… fatha-father…" he replied.
"Yer dad?! Whaddya mean?"
"When Buck fall… I do not see him. I saw my father…"
"Is… is that why ya didn't help when I called him? I thought it was weird but… that was why?"
Espio nodded as Vector brought him in for a side hug, not resisting as he did so.
"I'm… sorry, Es… All this time I almost got mad at yeh fer not gettin' up but… I didn't… I didn't realize that was why…"
Espio put his hands on Vector's large forearm, stroking it softly.
"I really wish yeh got the day off today… I think yer in need of a good comfort… But dun worry… no matter what, ya know I'm always here fer ya, right, Es?"
The transfer student nodded. "Yes…"
"I mean when I say I'm so sorry… this… this hurts ya more than I realize, and… and I even feel like I'm at a standstill too. But… I ain't gonna give up… I can't… not especially after whatcha told me…"
"Thank you… Vector…"
As Vector let go of the hug, he put his hand on Espio's smaller hand and squeezed it. "I know ya gotta head out to Community Service soon… ya don't have long… but when ya get back… I'll be waitin' fer ya. No matter how lonely ya feel, how sad yeh feel… yeh can take as long as yeh need to feel better before we head to bed."
Vector was right. Checking his phone's clock, he only had about twenty-five minutes before he had to leave. Sighing and wishing he could be with his boyfriend for comfort, Espio got up and grabbed his trash, thinking that he could just have something at the soup kitchen despite not being that hungry. Not helped was how he still felt about seeing his father, something that he wasn't sure even Vector could properly mend. Still… the fact that he wanted to help out in spite of this…
"I must go soon…" Espio thought to himself, brooding as he went back to the table to grab his bag. As he did, Knuckles and Mighty had just walked to the table and sat down with their plates in hand.
"You okay dude?" Knuckles asked, a rare look of concern on his face. Espio silently grabbed his bag, not wanting to think about it anymore.
"Es, before ya go…"
Espio turned around as he looked at his boyfriend.
"D'ya… wanna talk 'bout it when ya get back? When yer more clear minded? Y'know… about… that?" Vector asked. Espio's frown only fell a little more as he shut his eyes.
"Me-may… bi," he replied, not caring if he said that word wrong. With that, the chameleon's geta softly clacked against the tiled floor as he made his way back to the dorm, getting ready for community service.
"Maybe Smithy will help me…" he thought to himself as he walked out of the dining hall. "He would know what to do… Perhaps I need another voice to help me be strong, one that can understand me at a time like this…"
The transfer student once again thought about his dead father, mind flashing back to the scene from so long ago as he gasped, shaking his head just as he was grabbing the handle to leave the K building. Maybe he did need to talk to Vector about this. His father wouldn't leave his mind, and it was all he thought about when he thought back to today's events.
"Father… you would know what to do. What should I do… in this conflict that I cannot fight? I'm not sure if even Mother or my sensei would know of an answer…"
Leaving the K building and walking down the steps to the main concrete path, Espio had been walking for a couple of seconds when a loud voice shouted behind him.
"YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH TO THIS COUNTRY! GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM!"
Espio felt a jerk in his hand as he turned around, seeing a red faced tiger woman walking up towards him. She had just thrown a sign she had been holding to the ground as she marched to the chameleon.
"Do you not know how long I've traveled to protest the injustice going on here, knowing full well that you're the person who's been ruining everything?! Fuck off, Yurashian scum!" she yelled. This was notably getting the attention of the other students, who all started to surround the two.
"Leave him alone! You fascists have done enough harm to him!" someone in the crowd yelled.
"We don't want YOU people here! Why don't YOU fuck off!" another person yelled.
"Is this what you commies want?!" the tiger mobian woman yelled, frantically pointing at Espio. "For crime to happen caused by illegals like this?! Shame on you! SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!"
As she continued to yell 'Shame on you!', this was all it took for Espio to snap. The stress from today's events, seeing Buck collapse and hurt, seeing Alan and Munch fight, knowing full well that none of this was going to stop…
He finally put his foot down.
"STOP!" Espio yelled, his blood boiling. Remembering how in Setsu, certain women would tell him off with a certain phrase, the crowd quieted down as Espio breathed heavily. "G-Go awa-away!"
The tiger women seemed almost gobsmacked that the chameleon talked back to her. But quickly, her face of anger returned as she marched towards the chameleon.
"You Northern Mobian RAT!" she yelled. "Don't you DARE think we're on equal footing-"
"Go away!" Espio yelled again, making his message clear. He didn't have time for this woman, nor did he want to hear whatever garbage spewed from her mouth. He had enough of these protestors and what they'd done to him and his friends. He turned around and pushed the people of the crowd to the side, trying to get back to the dorm as quickly as possible. He continued to walk ahead, hearing more boos and cheers from the crowd as they did… Well, he wasn't quite sure. At this point, he didn't care what happened to them anymore.
Opening the door leading to the back of the A building, Espio sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face. His back hurt, his mind felt overfilled, and he felt… exhausted. Not physically like he would be after training, but… in a way that made him feel like all he wanted to do was to go to bed and sleep. It was an odd feeling, one he never felt before.
"But I cannot sleep…" Espio thought to himself. "I must get ready to leave…"
Noting how empty the A building was, Espio started to make his way forward when he heard the door he passed through open. Thinking that it was another student, the chameleon started to walk towards the giant brass statue of the Mobius University mascot that lay in front of the steps when he stopped. In front of him, there was a giant glass display case with things Espio couldn't make out inside of it. However, there was one thing he noticed about the case. It gave off a reflection. And from behind the chameleon, several feet away…
The same brown mobian tiger woman from earlier, who had just yelled at him, stood by herself, standing still.
Espio stared at the reflection of the woman. What was she doing here?! Wasn't she just being yelled at by that crowd? He thought she would have taken a different way to leave after being heckled… so… why was…
The fuschia reptile tried his best not to think about it as he continued to walk forward, hearing the sound of his geta hitting the clean, tiled floor loud and clear.
…alongside the sound of another pair of footsteps behind him getting closer.
Espio stopped right in front of the statue, and when he did, so did the footsteps behind him. It was then that the situation was starting to become clear to him quickly, one that was starting to sink in heavier and heavier.
He was being followed.
If he remembered his ninja training, one of the things that was taught about being a master of espionage is that you must learn how to keep your trail on your enemy without being caught. But, when you were the subject of such a thing, you must find a way to escape without letting whoever is following you be aware that you spotted them. But, in this case, he knew the tiger woman was aware that the chameleon knew she was behind him.
In this case, there was only one thing he could do.
Espio started to walk forward, picking up his pace a little faster as he began to climb up the steps to the second floor. As he did, he began to hear the woman's footsteps get quicker and following right behind him. Espio dared not to look back, focusing on trying to escape and lose her track on him. As such, he started to pace faster up to the third floor steps, and just before he climbed the first steps, he could already hear the woman starting to walk towards him.
It was too late. She was getting far quicker and there was no way for him to escape into one of the classrooms or hallways to escape her without making noise. He had to get back to the dorm, the one place he knew she couldn't get him.
With that, Espio's pace quickened as he climbed up the final set of stairs, and soon, he was starting to run, grabbing the straps of his bag as he started to panic.
"GET BACK HERE!" the tiger woman yelled from behind him. Espio dared not to look back, focusing on his task at hand. The transfer student quickly turned to the left to head to the hallway leading to West Hall, bursting through the door and quickly to the next one as he heard the door behind him open. He knew there were little options he had. If he ran down the hall, he would have to continue going straight to reach the dorm, and the woman was sure to know where he was. That's when he quickly spotted the intersection that led to the other side of the third floor of West Hall and to the staircase to the second floor that he and Vector would take whenever they showered in the morning or brushed their teeth at night.
With little thought, Espio quickly ran towards the intersection and turned to the right, hiding behind the wall as he heard the doors leading out to the A building open. Espio tried his best to suppress his breathing, an art taught to him by his senseis.
Now how was he supposed to get back to the dorm? He knew there was only a matter of time before the woman checked the intersection, and there wasn't enough time to head to the stairs, plus with all the noise… It felt futile. If he remembered what his senseis and what mother taught, once you were caught and cornered by an enemy, you had to find a way to hide and also escape, using whatever methods came to you. No matter how unconventional.
That's when Espio realized there was only one way out of his predicament.
With the footsteps of the woman getting closer, Espio closed his eyes and put his hands together, reciting the incantation for Chroma Camo. His soft voice recited the incantation faster and faster as he begged not to be seen, never thinking he would be in such a situation before but having to put his fourteen years of ninja training to the actual test.
A cloud of smoke burst over his body as Espio turned to the right, seeing the woman peek her head out over the hallway. It was then that he noticed that she wasn't saying anything, realizing that the incantation worked and that he was invisible. He wanted to sigh out of relief, but he knew this was just the beginning. The woman had started to walk down the hall, trying to find him. Her head moved back and forth as Espio realized he had to move quickly. But any sudden movements, and even being invisible wouldn't work. Just then, Espio looked at the wall behind him and moved his head upwards.
And so, without thinking, Espio put his hands onto the wall as he began to climb up the wall, curling his tail closer to the back of his haori as he grabbed the front of it and bit into it, trying not to get the flowing legwear to touch the woman and make her realize where he was. As she passed by Espio, the chameleon slowly crawled on the wall, letting his hakama down as he looked behind him. He thought of the woman like a rival nation during times of war, looking for anyone to kill who had escaped, at least, from the history he was told by his mother. Was this what it was like for the commoners whenever they had to run from rival nations? He could only imagine just how much more stressful things would be if the woman held a weapon, the only thing Espio was glad about.
Trying his best to make no noise and still trying to head back to the dorm, Espio crawled all along the wall in the hallway until turning around to the other hallway, fully crawling his entire body over it as he slowly began to descend downwards, still as silent as ever thanks to his years of training. As his hands hit the carpet, he realized something at that moment. He could either wait for the woman to leave, which he couldn't do because he had to leave for community service in less than thirty minutes, or… he could try and get into the dorm and prepare to leave, then outrun the woman again with Chroma Camo still active. It felt risky, but… it seemed that the latter was what he had to do. Besides, as long as he could find Officer Wachowski, he should be safe… right?
And so, as he got up on his feet, Espio made sure Chroma Camo was still active as he slowly tiptoed past the intersection, reaching down to his inrou and opening it up to grab his ID, grasping it in between his hands as he quickly shut it, passing by the intersection and slowly picking up his pace as he stood in front of the dorm after a minute. Standing in front of the door, Espio knew that he had to quickly get inside so the woman wouldn't know where he was, and he cursed the door for making the loud beep that it did whenever it was unlocked.
Breathing heavily and with the ID in his hand, Espio quickly pressed the ID over the lock as it beeped loudly, quickly rushing inside and slamming the door behind him as he put his back against it. However, as he did, he heard a loud rush of running footsteps coming towards his direction just as Espio locked the door.
"I FOUND YOU!" the woman screamed, pounding on the door. "Open this door! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
The woman's pounding became frantic as Espio continued to press his back against the door. He now fully started to become panicked, not even sure what to do in this situation. He looked around the room for a way to escape, too stressed to be able to perform Chroma Camo perfectly. Perhaps there was the window? No… he didn't know how Vector opened it, and if he broke it, he knew the crocodile would be mad…
He started to hear the doorknob start to jiggle as Espio's eyes widened.
"D-Damn it!" he exclaimed in his native language.
"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! GET OUT OF THERE NOW AND FACE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YURASHIAN SNAKE! I'LL DRAG YOU OUT OF THERE IF I HAVE TO!" the woman continued to yell. There was a bit of silence until the chameleon heard the sound of a camera shutter.
"Now they'll know! Now everyone will know where your dorm is, and I'll make sure that you don't get a single calm moment EVER!" she continued to yell. The jiggling of the doorknob got more frantic, and Espio only became more concerned about what to do. Was the woman about to burst the door down? He was taught that's what the enemy would do during his training, so the only way he could hide would be… under the desk? No, it was too obvious. On the top bunk? No, even if he lay as flat as he could, she would still see him. In the fridge? He'd never fit in there. Plus, he would have to throw out all of Vector's snacks and drinks-
As he heard the woman continue pounding on the door, Espio froze.
He couldn't believe it. That's right… Vector! All this time, he was going about this through what he was taught living in Gojo! But his senseis and mother never told him what to do when he had new resources to help him escape an enemy! If his boyfriend knew what was going on…
There was little time. Espio quickly opened up his inrou and grabbed his phone, almost dropping it as he held onto it tightly. Opening up his messaging application, Espio frantically began to type, not caring that he was misspelling.
Espio
"Vector help"
"Somone is at the dorm. They coming after me."
"Please come. I do not know what to do"
Espio continued to press his back against the door, but seconds into sending the last message, he heard a nearby door open.
"What are you doing?! Why are you screaming, crazy lady?!"
It was another girl's voice, one that Espio recognized to be Knuckles and Mighty's strange neighbor, Belle, who he only seldom saw here and there coming out of her dorm. He heard the woman chastise the strange girl, telling her off for her appearance only for Belle to yell back. Just then, there was another set of voices.
"HEY! HEY!"
It was Vector! He finally arrived! Espio gave a sigh of relief as there was suddenly a huge burst of speed coming from outside.
"Oh no you don't! Get back here, you can't outrun me!"
It was another voice Espio hadn't heard in a week or so. It was… Sonic! Had Vector come with him? He wanted to go check, but he heard another pair of loud, quick footsteps down the hall as more came rushing towards his direction. There was a loud knock on the door.
"Es! Es, yeh there? What happened?! Open up! It's me! I promise, whoever that was is gone now!" Vector pleaded. Espio turned around and unlocked the door, opening it up.
"Vec-"
It was all Espio could say before Vector quickly crouched down, hugging the chameleon tightly as Espio put his hands on the crocodile's broad shoulders.
"Es, what happened?! Are yeh okay? Are yeh hurt?!" the crocodile asked, pulling back from the hug as he held his smaller boyfriend's hands tightly. Espio nodded quickly, glad to just see Vector at a time like this. Just then, Espio could see Belle, Knuckles, Mighty, Sonia, and Manic outside of the dorm.
"What happened, Espio?!" Mighty questioned. "We were just eating dinner when Vector got a text from you saying someone was trying to come after you in the dorm!"
"Did it have to do with that lady Sonic went after?" Sonia asked, putting her hand up to her mouth. "Oh… I hope he's okay…"
"Sonic'll be fine. What's important is that you tell us what happened! Who was that?" Knuckles added.
"Es, yeh gotta tell me NOW!" Vector yelled, looking more and more frantic and concerned by the moment. Espio grasped his boyfriend's cheeks as he looked back at the crowd of people surrounding the dorm.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
"I wouldn't know… dang… she got away quick. Musta found a place to hide, I bet… And I thought no one outran me… almost caught up to her too…"
There was another voice walking towards their direction. Vector turned around as Sally appeared in the doorframe, Sonic in tow. "I've just been told by blue here that someone's been outside your dorm and that you don't know who it is. Is THAT what all the noise has been? What happened?!"
"That's what I wanna know!" Belle replied. "I was just in my dorm studying when some lady started yelling outside and pounding his door. I tried to ignore it, but she kept it, and I had to step in to get her to stop!"
"What?!"
Sally turned towards Espio.
"You. Start speaking, NOW."
Espio looked around nervously as Vector turned back to his boyfriend.
"It's okay, Es. Yer not in trouble. Just tell us what happened. I'm here, I'm here."
Rubbing his back, Espio retold the entire story from start to finish. How he was about to return to the dorm to leave for community service when he was accosted by the woman, who after being yelled at by other students, followed Espio back to the dorm after he used Chroma Camo ( "I'm not even going to bother asking what that is," Sally said after he mentioned it), and then proceeded to pound on the dorm door where he texted Vector about the situation. Throughout the entire story, though he was panicked and stammering and stuttering on his words due to his English, the severity of the situation was clear on everyone's faces as it grew with horror.
"You were FOLLOWED?!" Sonic questioned. "And they have your dorm number?! I don't think that's safe, Espio…"
"You don't THINK?!" Sally exclaimed. "It's a complete breach of privacy! Especially from someone off campus! It's in the code of conduct; unless specified on file their relation to a student or not from some kind of business or service, anyone from outside the campus is NOT allowed to your dorm after 7 PM and is in violation of trespassing. Espio, did she enter your dorm?"
"No…"
"Is it still considered trespassing then?"
"Likely not, but this person did not only stalk you, but had clear intentions to harass and confront you. And you said they were a CCOCC protestor, right?"
"Yes."
Sally shook her head. "I've been telling the headmaster for years to start installing cameras in the hallways of each hall, and this is what happens… Even though she didn't get into your dorm, this is still a violation of the rules and because of that, I'm going to need you to come with me, Espio. I have to file a report that I'll have to send to the administrators for harassment and attempted entry of a dorm, and I'm going to need your EVERY word-"
"Hang on, Sally," Mighty said. "Espio has to go to community service at eight! It's almost seven forty! He doesn't have time!"
"I have contact with Officer Wachowski in my dorm, I'll let him know about this. In the meantime, we'll get this written up and hopefully, this means that something can be done about these protestors. The fact that they're now being allowed into spaces like this and harassing the students in the dorms proves that this entire thing has gone out of control. If ANY of you see anything else, let me, or any of the other RA's of your retrospective halls know, okay? Sonia, the same applies for you and the other girls in the sorority house too."
"We've been spared thankfully… but I'll let you know. I don't want this happening to anyone else, let alone Espio!" she said.
"Alright, come on. We gotta fill out that report."
With that, Espio turned around and watched his boyfriend, Belle, and his friends grow smaller and smaller as he followed Sally back to her dorm.
But unbeknownst to Espio…
"What the heck is goin' on, dude?" Manic asked, shaking his head. "I thought what happened to my band was bad but this is… who follows someone just to yell at them?"
"People who have expressed pure hatred for Espio, that's who," Knuckles replied. "This has gone on long enough. Not only has one of Espio's friends been hurt today, but now he has to deal with this. I've frankly had enough of this now! I just want to go see Connery and punch his face in!"
"Connery? Who's that?" Belle asked.
"Be thankful you don't know," Mighty asked. However, everyone seemingly ignored one person who was seething, one person who was breathing heavily, one person who started to walk forward and away from the group. From behind him, he could hear the group call out.
"Vector, where are you going?!" Sonic called out from afar. But he was ignored, as the door to the A building was opened up wide, and a tail followed behind a very angry crocodile that went through it.
That. Mother. Fucker.
It was the thing that Vector had feared the most. Now, someone knew where he and his boyfriend were staying. Now, as if he hadn't already seen one of his friends pass out and another get into a very heated argument, he was once again the target of more harassment on a bigger scale than before.
And all of this was thanks to one person, one person who egged this one, one person… who didn't want this to stop.
He told himself he wasn't going to give him a reaction, because that would only give him what he wanted. But with this action, he could no longer just pretend to go about life like everything was okay.
He was going to get this to stop, no matter what.
Vector burst through the doors leading to East Hall, brows lowered and face angrier than he ever had been. Any more, and he likely could have turned into the Unenviable Clunk right then and there.
He stomped down the hall, into the staircase, down the stairs, and passed through the individual dorms. He still remembered the number, 135, and after passing by a few doors, the quarterback finally stood in front of where he needed to be. Vector balled his hand into a fist and pounded on the door.
"CONNERY! CONNERY, GET OUTTA THERE RIGHT NOW!" he yelled, letting his anger boil out. He continued to keep his fists balled up as the doorknob to Connery's dorm jiggled, then turned as the door opened. The horse revealed himself, a look of annoyance on his face as he was dressed rather professionally, a tight long-sleeved dress shirt and tie on him complete with black pants.
"What do you want, Vector? Can't you see I'm busy getting ready?" he asked.
"Is this just some sorta game to yeh now?!" Vector yelled. "D'ya just like makin' everyone's lives miserable? Well?! Are ya proud of yerself?!"
"Goodness, you're still all bark as you've always been. If you've come here to yell at me, I have better things to do than to entertain you."
Connery was about to shut the door before Vector grabbed the door handle, swinging it open.
"Dun even try HIDIN' this time! It's bad enough that yer the reason everyone thinks they can treat me however they want, now yeh got yer little cronies sendin' people to the hospital?!"
Connery fixed his posture, staring at Vector with an annoyed look. "Cronies? What are you talking about? If you mean my fellow protestors, as if I told them to do whatever you're talking about?"
"Not only that, yeh even got one of them followin' after Espio and takin' pictures of our dorm! None of this would be happenin' if yeh hadn't started those dumbass protests! And fer what? To get Es out of Mobius U?!"
"Hold on, are... are you trying to blame ME for this?! As if this is all MY fault?! As if I'm the reason all the issues going on this campus happen?! That our supporters are an issue?!"
"Then what the fuck is it, huh?! If yer tryin' to deflect, yer doin' a shit job! Sally's already filing a report against the person who followed after Es, and by Gaia, I've had enough. ENOUGH! I swear to Gaia, I'm gonna get the cops on yer ass fer this... yeh think that Monk or whoever else hurt Buck ain't gonna get arrested and that they're untouchable?! Yeh think yer untouchable?!"
Connery's face lowered to a scowl, clearly not bemused by the situation. "So I guess I wasn't wrong. You've officially joined the side of the totalitarian left, wanting to censor and suppress anyone and anything you don't like."
"Oh stop with that bullshit! I'm gettin' sick of it! When Monk is sendin' people to the hospital because he wants to attack anyone he doesn't like, because YER the one enablin' his behavior, when yer lettin' people roam around campus, disruptin' everythin' and thinkin' they can just harass anyone who's not like them 'cause they're just as much a racist piece of shit like yeh, when yeh got someone threatening to STALK mah boyfriend-"
Vector froze, realizing what he said. In his moment of anger, where he was speaking without thinking much about what was coming out of his mouth, he realized what he just told Connery.
The horse, on the other hand, took note of the word said. "What was that?..." he asked.
"N-None of yer business, THIS is more important-"
"No no no. I heard you VERY clear, Vector. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though, especially since I can take a very wild guess WHO said boyfriend of yours is. It was only a matter of time before such a thing occurred. No wonder someone like you would defend him like you do. Wouldn't want dear Monk to find out about that, do you?"
"I swear to Gaia, yeh try and blackmail me-"
"Besides, I don't know why you've come to my room of all places and acting like it's all my fault. You read my interview with The Daily Mean Bean. I disavow any and all violence people commit in my name. They don't represent me. I never told Monk or his fellow protestors to do that to your little friend, nor did I tell anyone else who's protesting. We just want what's best for our campus, even if that means I have to be labeled as a racist, which couldn't be far from the truth."
Vector rolled his eyes. "Tch! I bet yeh do. Wantin' to turn it into yer own castle where yer god and yeh make the rules, all while anyone who doesn't kiss yer feet gets torn apart. Yeh dun even have to tell anyone to mistreat me, or Espio, or Kit, or Jewel, or the team, or ANYONE CCOCC and yer cronies don't like! Hell, ANYONE who even just wants yeh to pipe down! They hear yeh, what yeh say, and act accordingly, THAT'S why they're hurtin' people. Because yeh enable them to act like a buncha Dark Chao."
He inched closer to the horse's face, his expression darkening. "And yeh know what else too? It just occured to me now too. Ain't it funny that every single person who's gotten majorily hurt now is someone related to Espio? Jewel, Mark, Buck, Manic, they've all been majorily affected by yer little group one way or another. It's like yeh wanna make Espio feel powerless by targetin' the people he's most closest to. Almost like yer tryin' to send him a message that if he doesn't leave, more of his friends will just keep gettin' hurt. Yer a lot of things, Connery. But I didn't realize a rotten coward was one of them."
Connery's face seemed to show no emotion for a brief moment before his scowl softened. And then, there was a smile. Not a sly, mocking smile, but… a genuine smile.
And then, the horse laughed.
He guffawed, holding his lower chest as he laughed loudly. Vector's expression changed to one of confusion and anger. Was… was he not taking this seriously?! Did he really think of this as just a joke?!
"What's so funny?!" the quarterback questioned.
"No-Nothing! It's… ah ha ha ha ha…! Oh, Vector…" Connery walked closer, putting his hand on Vector's shoulder, the crocodile's expression lowering to a scowl. "Let me explain the difference between you and I."
"Get yer slimy hands offa me, yeh bastard…" Vector thought to himself, unmoving as he looked begrudgingly at the well dressed equine. Connery pointed at himself, a look of self-importance appearing on his face.
"I, a patriot concerned with the lack of freedom of speech and with a goal for wanting what's best for my country, do believe that everyone is entitled to their free speech. Even if everyone doesn't like it, like with what Monk says for example, he's entitled to it. Similarly, your far left, liberal views, for as absolutely inane and out of touch with reality as they are, I believe they should still be protected by free speech," he explained. "And you, on the side of the left, want nothing more than to censor the masses and believe that anyone not on your side isn't just wrong, they spill full on raw sewage from their mouths. You hate anyone not like you and you want to keep anyone who's not like you from freely expressing their opinion. That's why you just reiterate buzzwords and complete falsehoods."
Connery inched closer, his joyful face becoming more darker. "That's why you continue to defend that boy, isn't it? That's why, despite knowing how disruptive he is, how much he can never become a functioning member of society, you want to convince everyone that he's like you and me. But unfortunately, not everyone is as soft and as left as you. They see the truth for who that chameleon really is, and it's not lost on them at all, not... racism or whatever you want to claim. That's why, even though I believe in freedom, I also believe in the freedom to shame someone for what they believe in as well as the right not to associate with them," the horse proceeded to turn back around to his dorm. "Which is what I plan to do with you. Now, if you don't mind, I have a very important dinner I should be heading off to at Restaurant Swa with various other conservative leaders and journalists in regards to our next event, and I really don't need someone like you poisoning my appetite beforehand."
With that, Connery slammed the door in Vector's face as the crocodile was left, blood boiling in anger as he felt once again Connery ignoring the truth in front of him, that what he said confirmed what the crocodile thought: he was going to continue this until he got his way. Every single thing he wanted…
Vector turned around, wanting to leave, too sick to even think about looking at the door in front of him. But his anger got the best of him. Incensed by everything he heard, upset that he couldn't defend his boyfriend no matter how hard he tried, Vector turned back around and kicked Connery's door as hard as he could.
"CONNERY, YEH PIECE OF SHIT!" he yelled as the sound of him kicking the door echoed through the empty hallway of East Hall. He put his right leg down as he stood in the hall, lowering his head as he sighed.
"Piece of shit…" the crocodile muttered to himself. He felt his tail slink from behind him, feeling futile, powerless, unable to truly stop whatever Connery had planned for him, Espio, and anyone else who got in their way.
What was he going to do now?... Nothing felt like it would work…
That's when Vector suddenly remembered something. Something Connery had mentioned before he shut the door.
"...I have a very important dinner I should be heading off to at Restaurant Swa with various other conservative leaders and journalists in regards to our next event…" he said at the time. He looked at the door in front of him, his eyes lowering as an idea popped in his head.
"Restaurant Swa, huh…"
MEANWHILE
Within Buck's room at the hospital, the deer continue to lay in bed motionless. The sound of the heart monitor and breathing machine working normally was heard as the room was only illuminated by the light from the medical equipment. Not a single thing moved in the room.
All, except for one person.
Though visiting hours were already over, one person managed to stay after hours and avoid detection from all the nurses and night staff, sitting atop the same AC unit they sat on earlier.
Holding his lute as tightly as possibly, beak quivering as the light from the moon shined upon him, Alan sat facing the window, sobbing to himself softly as a lone tear streaked down his black beak.
END OF CHAPTER 36
