Chapter 22: One Hedgehog, One Titan, A Race Around Mobius!
Angel Island, 7:45 am.
Shadow stood by with Silver at Valkyr's cabin as they both watched the giant redhead carefully.
As it turns out, Solda was indeed Valkyr's wife, as the redhead was being all lovey dovey (in a cute way) to Solda whilst the blue haired giantess just reciprocated via smooches and headpats. Eventually Valkyr just straight up tackled Solda into a big hug, letting out her happy low growls.
Silver: I think I died from the cuteness 15 minutes ago.
Shadow: I died from it an hour ago.
Shadow turns to Silver, a serious look on his face.
Shadow: Onto important matters. You're telling me Solda nearly knocked the ARK out of stable orbit just from making an impact with it?
Silver: Ahem! Yes sir. I watched it happen and felt it a bit.
Shadow glances over at the two giants before he sighs, then resumes keeping an eye on them both whilst Valkyr engaged in cuddle time with her wife. (Non-lewd cuddle time, get your heads out of the gutter you degenerates.)
Valkyr eventually fell asleep with Solda in her arms, Solda eventually fell asleep herself. Both looked happy to be with each other.
Shadow: We can't have been the only ones to notice it.
Silver: Sadly, we weren't. Surge's crime syndicate got wind of it but from the looks of things, they haven't shown a big interest.
Shadow: Let's keep it that way. Our mutual friend said that Valkyr tore her way out, in spite of being almost starved and dehydrated.
Silver: Speaking of, if Solda managed to make a journey through space, isn't she dehydrated? Or hungry even?
Shadow: From what Valkyr told me a while ago, Solda is a tank born Voldarian that can ignore most necessities until the last possible minute. She doesn't need to eat, drink, or sleep, as she was born and bred for combat. For war.
Silver: That… Huh. Sounds like a rough life.
Shadow: It is. Valkyr marrying her was probably the biggest ray of sunshine she could get…
Just as the two started walking away, the Tornado flew overhead carrying Sonic on board. The blue hedgehog jumped down and landed before the plane did and walked over with a smile.
Sonic: Silver, my psychic main man!
Silver smirks as the two hedgehogs proceed to exchange a epic secret handshake that ends in a fist bump explosion.
Silver: Hey Sonic, long time no see!
Sonic: How you been buddy?
Silver: I'm great! But I had a bit of a… rough patch earlier today.
Silver pointed behind him to the two slumbering giants. Sonic's jaw drops.
Sonic: ANOTHER ONE?!
Solda snapped awake at this and she sprung into action, snarling like a Dragon at Sonic!
Solda: Who is this?!
Shadow: Easy, he's a friend!
Solda: I thought you said this island was safe from outsiders?!
Silver: It is, but Sonic here is a good friend, so he knows where the Island is too!
Sonic: Easy there, big lady…
Solda rotated one of her wings to try and blast Sonic but Valkyr snapped awake to stop her, grabbing the wing in question!
Valkyr: Solda, calm down! The blue floofer is a friend.
Solda hesitated for a moment before relenting, but slowly. While she may have ceased hostility for now, she didn't stop glaring at Sonic…
Sonic: Sorry for waking you miss…?
Solda: Solda. And that is all you will get from me.
Valkyr: Solda, you can trust him. He's a good friend.
Solda: And why is that? And if you say it's because he's a "floofer"...
Valkyr: … I mean… He IS a floofer. A small, blue, fuzzy huggable floofer who I wanna cuddle!
Sonic sweatdrops at this, nervous as all hell as Solda continues to glare at him.
Solda: … Your lucky my wife finds you trustworthy, rat. If she didn't, I wouldn't be so lenient.
Sonic starts glaring at Solda, then he spoke clearly.
Sonic: Okay, first, I don't appreciate being considered an enemy for what amounts to no reason. Secondly, I'm NOT A RAT! I'm a HEDGEHOG! HEDGE. HOG. Got it?
Solda just smirks at Sonic.
Solda: … I like you. You have spirit. What's your name, hedgehog?
Sonic: Sonic.
Solda: Sonic. Hm. Sounds misleading.
Sonic's ear twitches. Not because he was in danger though.
Shadow: Sonic…
Sonic: Well trust me lady, there's a reason I'm called the fastest thing alive!
Solda: Yet I haven't heard of you until just now.
Valkyr: Solda, be nice!
Solda: I am.
Sonic: Listen lady, I bet you I could win against you in a race around the world! One full lap!
Valkyr: Solda, don't–
Solda: A challenge? I accept.
Valkyr: Solda, don't! He isn't boasting, he really is the fastest, I've seen him run!
Solda walks away from Valkyr towards Sonic just as the Tornado landed. Tails stays in the plane.
Tails: So what's going on, and who's the new big lady?
Sonic: I'll explain later.
Sonic hops onto the Tornado.
Sonic: Drop me off at Green Hill. Me and the new big lady are gonna race around the planet.
Tails looks at Solda, raising an eyebrow.
Tails: … Ma'am are you sure you wanna do this?
Solda: There is no feasible way a hedgehog can move THAT fast on foot.
Shadow: He may not be able to fly, but he doesn't need to. But if you insist on doing this… Silver? Wanna spectate?
Silver: Can't, I gotta get back to the ARK. I gotta… see a old friend for advice.
Shadow: Fine by me. Tails?
Tails: I'll spectate.
Sonic: You sure you wanna do this, Solda?
Solda: No backing down now for either of us.
Valkyr stops Solda by grabbing her arm.
Valkyr: Love, you REALLY don't want to do this. For once, please just listen to me?
Solda: I do listen, Valkyr. But I NEED to see this.
Sonic sighs and shook his head.
Sonic: Alright. Just remember, I gave you an out.
Tails starts the Tornado up and took off with Sonic on board. Solda got clear of everyone else before the vent in her abdominal region opens up to intake air in extreme amounts, then blasted it out of her wings, enabling her to take off at incredible speeds.
Sonic was a bit surprised that that's how Solda flew, but didn't pay it much mind as they rapidly approached Green Hill. Sonic jumped down and landed in the all too familiar spot that his journey began at… He squats down and touched a patch of grass, smiling just as Solda landed with a loud metallic crash just behind him.
Solda: What are you doing?
Sonic: Sorry. Place holds sentimental value to me.
Solda: Why would a green pasture like this be sentimental?
Sonic: This is where my life started.
Solda: … This is where you were born?
Sonic: No, I… I never knew my parents. And I still don't. But this is where I made my first memories.
Solda: … I see. Enough sentiments.
Solda's wings ignite behind her as she got ready to race. Sonic shook his head and knelt down. He wasn't gonna bother using his max output. Realistically, he couldn't even if he wanted to, otherwise he'd break reality itself. And lord knows he wasn't gonna pull THAT stunt again. (Foreshadowing intensifies.)
When Tails lit the flare, Sonic took off at Mach 1, Solda followed behind him closely, impressed that a small life form like him was able to hit that speed in a instant.
Sonic retraced his footsteps from decades ago, navigating Green Hill since he knew it like the back of his hand, but Solda had a unfair advantage of flight, enabling her to avoid obstacles altogether. However, Sonic just smirks due to him having the home field advantage, so he knew where every shortcut was.
Not that he needed them, of course. After all, he was the fastest thing alive, so hitting above Mach 1, especially at his current age was a cakewalk for him.
Once clear of Green Hill, about 5 minutes later, Sonic and Solda were now neck and neck, but Solda was steadily gaining more speed.
Sonic: Told you I was the fastest thing alive!
Solda: Unless you can fly across a galaxy in two weeks, you have much to prove.
Sonic laughs, trips over a rock, but recovers and was running backwards with a smirk.
Sonic: Lady, if I had all 7 Chaos Emeralds, I could clear a galaxy in an INSTANT!
Solda: Impossible!
Sonic: Don't believe me huh? Then how bout we skip the warm up?
Solda's wings glowed brighter as her speed started to ramp up, and she started to sound like a fighter jet. A mach cone even started to form around her!
Solda: I agree.
BOOM! Solda took off, hitting mach 3 right away, but Sonic just smirks and let her get her distance just as they reach the oceans. Sonic was able to run across the water with ease, but had to avoid tidal waves. Other than that, he was fine…
Until Solda decided to make things interesting by diving under the water and attempting to throw Sonic off balance by attacking him from below!! He narrowly avoided her and managed to keep his speed, so he didn't have to worry about taking a early swim for now as Solda took off, getting ahead of him again!
Sonic: So it's like THAT huh. Okay…
Sonic's body started to emit blue electricity, his eyes flashing blue before he ramped his speed from mach 1 straight to mach 5! He caught up with Solda, jumping over her, and whilst he did, he decided to taunt her.
By flipping her the middle finger. And yes. That is a reference.
Sonic landed on his feet and continued to run across the seas before he made it to dry land, smirking confidently. Solda catches up, and she looked pissed!
Solda: Why are you still holding back?!
Sonic: Cuz what fun would there be if I instantly won?
Solda: You think this is a game?!
Sonic: Come on, this is meant for good fun! Can't a guy enjoy himself? Besides, your holding back too!
Solda snarls, then, mid flight, her vent opens and begins to take in air…
Solda: Fine. Eat my Stasis dust!!!
BOOM!!! Solda didn't go to Mach 4, she went straight to Mach 10! Sonic was impressed. They had reached the halfway point of their race, and under normal circumstances, Sonic would want to savor the time left in it.
However, Solda made it clear that "fun" was not in her vocabulary.
Sonic started to pick up speed, making sure it was a steady increase at first. He wasn't going to go Mach 10, 11 or 12.
No. He was going to go MACH 40.
With several sound barriers shattering at once, Sonic took off at Mach 40, zipping past Solda and leaving her well behind. Sonic cranked his speed to Mach 45, 50, 55, 60, eventually hitting mach 70 before he realized he was about to reach Green Hill again where the finish line had been set by Tails, Shadow and Valkyr. He slowed down and when he crossed the finish line, he skids to a stop, smiling. Solda came around moments later, and her face planted into a wall, driving through it for about 6 feet before she crawled out. She looked out of breath…
Solda: … You really are fast…
Sonic: Told you, lady. I'm THE fastest thing alive.
Tails: And the winner is Sonic!
Solda was angry initially, but she smiled, finally having grasped the idea of "fun".
Solda: … I want to do that again some day.
Sonic: Any time, Solda.
Solda: Not to prove you wrong though. But because it… It is fun.
Valkyr: Yay! Solda learned a new term!
Valkyr leaps onto Solda, and the two cuddle. Sonic walks away to let them have their moment as he approaches Shadow and Tails.
Shadow: Mach 70, huh?
Sonic: Had to be done.
Tails: You probably shouldn't have taken what Solda said personally, Sonic. She has social issues.
Sonic: Yeah… I know. But I did what I set out to do.
Sonic walks away, putting his hands in his coat pockets.
Shadow: And what did you set out to do? Give Solda a vibe check?
Sonic stops then looks over his shoulder at them.
Sonic: I taught her how to have fun.
Sonic keeps walking away, leaving Shadow baffled.