A/N: Welcome readers! I have returned with yet another story for the Sonic world. How many years has it been? Anyhow, just getting back into the writing routine and thought of this idea for the Babylon Rogues. Their history has always intrigued me and a 'what if' idea resulted in this short story. This looks into their relationship together as teammates and friends, and even why Jet is the grumpy little brat we know him as. This story is also a bit on the sadder side, so lots of hurt and comfort in this one. As always, reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading!
Wave woke up to the sound of her radio losing signal and static buzzing through the box. Blinking in slight confusion, the swallow sat up and looked around at her surroundings.
Did I really just fall asleep? What time is it?
Wave spun in her chair and spotted her digital, neon clock on the wall, reading almost a quarter past one in the morning. Rubbing her eyes of groggy sleep, she tried to remember what she doing prior to dozing off. One glance at the extreme gear on her workstation table made her narrow her eyes and scoff.
Oh yeah…that piece of junk…
Wave stood up and walked over to the table, checking the statuses of the gear's air gauge and gravitational properties. The readings were low, but the mechanic expected such. The gear was in extremely bad shape. She doubted she could restore it and came to conclusion that she would have to build another from scratch.
The swallow's ears picked up the grandfather clock in the hall chiming 1:15 am. She didn't think twice to close up her workshop and retire for the evening.
It's been such a long, stressful day. I can't believe I managed to stay up as late as I did before I dozed off…
As Wave began shutting machines down and turning lights out, she noticed a stillness beneath her feet and looked out the window. The airship had landed in an open field, surrounded by woods. It was raining lightly; little pitter-patters could be heard on the roof and against the windows as the wind would occasionally carry the waterdrops.
She was thankful they weren't in the sky. Bad weather was predicted for the next couple days. At least Jet took her advice and decided to stay grounded until the storms had passed.
Shutting off the last light, the swallow closed the door of the workshop behind her and she headed down the dimly lit hall to her bedroom. The airship was quiet and she assumed that the boys had already gone to sleep hours ago.
A single, dim light on in the kitchen defied her assumption. Bracing herself to see Storm in his pajama hat raiding the cookies stashed in the cabinet, she blinked in surprise when she was proved wrong once again.
A dark silhouette of Jet sitting at the bar table against the window was barely seen. The hawk had his elbows rested on the table, his head cradled in his hands. His eyes were closed.
Sighing, Wave abandoned her door as she walked to the nearby kitchen and to the bar table against the overly large window. She placed a hand on Jet's shoulder gently, hoping to not startle him.
The hawk's tired blue eyes opened as he glanced to his right to see Wave standing there looking just as exhausted.
"Jet, go to bed. Do you know what time it is?" Wave asked softly.
"Why are you still up?" Jet asked instead.
"I fell asleep in the workshop. I was on my way to my room when I saw you out here. Are you doing okay?"
"I'm fine," Jet said confidently. "Just a bit shook up, is all."
"You have a right to be. How's your ankle and your head?" The swallow reached out and placed a gentle hand near the hawk's forehead.
Jet swatted her hand away. "I said I was fine."
"Why are you still up?" It was Wave's turn to ask.
"Just couldn't sleep," Jet answered. He stood from the chair and pushed past his mechanic. "Leave me be."
Wave sighed heavily as she found no words to stop her boss from walking away. The swallow noticed his heavy limp and how he barely placed any weight on his left leg, relying on nearby objects and the wall to guide him down the hall to his room. The swallow shook her head, still an anxious mess from the incident earlier that day.
But mainly, she was concerned for Jet. Much to Wave's disappointment, it was a concern that would have to wait for the next morning to be discussed.
Just a few more hours and it will be daylight anyway…
The next morning hit Wave like a ton of bricks. The swallow struggled to wake up and stay motivated to take on the day. For nearly a half hour, she had just laid in bed, snuggled under warm blankets as she watched the rainstorm from last night continue to howl outside. The winds had developed into a thunderstorm, and Wave could hear booms and crackles miles away. The darkness of the clouds made 9 o'clock in the morning appear 9 o'clock at night.
She nearly surrendered the day to snoozing and catching up on rest. But sadly, she knew she couldn't.
Once she had freshened up, the swallow stepped out of her room expecting Storm to making breakfast. But she did not smell toast or hear bacon popping with grease on a pan. In fact, the kitchen sat dark and untouched.
That's strange…Looks like Storm slept in too.
Wave started to head for her workshop to try and restore the Type-J again. Normally, the mechanic was eager for challenges, always ready with ideas to tune or construct extreme gear. But today, she struggled to find motivation. She had spent hours last evening trying to piece together the totaled extreme gear, but to no prevail.
It will have to be scrapped. Perhaps I can at least start on blueprints for a new gear…
Tying on her bandana, she stopped outside the door of her workshop. However, she when she glanced down the hall, she stopped. Jet's office light was on.
Well one of them was awake…
Sighing, Wave decided to abandon the workshop idea and go to her boss's office. There were too many concerning things to be discussed, and the swallow wasn't about to let another day pass without them being addressed. She braced herself, for she knew Jet was not going to comply and keep a calm conversation without yelling.
She mentally shrugged. When did they ever have a calm conversation?
Rasping her knuckles gently on the old wooden door, the swallow's ear picked up Jet's voice allowing entry. Inside the office, the hawk was seated at his desk as was expected. But Wave was surprised to see Storm there too. The two looked as if they were talking about a matter before the mechanic showed up.
"I'm actually surprised to see you guys up this early," Wave greeted.
"I don't know about you two, but I was asleep last night by 8 o'clock," Storm stated. "And I slept until 8 this morning. I've never slept that long."
"Wish I could say the same," Wave said. "I'm still tired from yesterday."
Jet remained silent as he mindlessly listened to the other two talk. When he heard his name being called, he blinked from his thoughts and turned his attention to Wave.
"I asked you a question. Did you hear me?" the swallow asked irritably. "How do you feel this morning? You look terrible."
Jet shrugged, keeping his cheek rested in his hand as his head lulled lazily. "I'm pretty positive my ankle is broken," He spoke quietly.
"No doubt it is," Wave answered. "I will be very surprised if that's the only thing wrong. I don't think you realize how serious that crash was yesterday."
"Uh, I think he does," Storm objected. "You've never crashed that bad before, Boss."
"I realize it was bad," Jet snapped. "I am no doubt sore and hurting. I won't be racing anytime soon."
"Not with the Type-J you aren't," Wave muttered.
Jet looked up, a slight tinge of worry in his expression. "You can't save it?" he asked.
The mechanic sighed and shook her head. "Not looking like it, Jet. I'll have to make a new one from scratch."
The hawk closed his eyes and accepted the answer, though he was bothered. Wave arched an eyebrow in curiosity.
It was the first time ever that Jet didn't snap at her for not being able to fix an extreme gear board.
"Jet, we need to talk," Wave spoke, sitting on the edge of his desk and folding her hands on her lap.
Jet narrowed his eyes at her, shocked she dared to sit on his desk. His eyes trailed up to meet hers displeasingly. "About?" he asked.
"Why you crashed."
"What's there to talk about? We tried to improvise a route to escape from the museum and it failed. We've all crashed our gear before, Wave," Jet challenged.
"Jet, you weren't focused on the mission to begin with. It was supposed to be a simple smash and grab, but you were distracted and could barely shake off the cops that chased you. Then, when you started taking side streets, you made the wrong turn and crashed right into a car!"
Jet folded his arms. "It was coming right at me! I couldn't dodge it!" The hawk argued.
"Boss, the car was parked," Storm spoke up quietly in Wave's defense.
With a huff, the younger rogue turned away in the chair to face the window. The thunderstorm had caught up to them now and lightning flashed viciously outside. Silence lingered in the room as Wave waited for their leader to start explaining.
The swallow wasn't going to let any petty excuses convince her that Jet was alright. She began to wonder how much pain her boss was really in. He was covered in black and blue bruises; his left leg was the worst. His eyes were sunken and she could tell he was struggling to stay awake even as they spoke.
An irritable growl distracted Wave from her thoughts. "I haven't been feeling well all week. It's not a big deal," Jet finally spoke.
"It is a big deal. Why didn't you tell us? We could have put a hold on missions for the week," Wave asked.
"Do I look like a wimp to you?!" Jet challenged. "That is not an excuse to be behind on missions! So I was distracted and I wrecked! Make fun of me all you want, I don't care!"
Wave looked hurt for a split second. "Jet, you lost consciousness for over a half hour after you crashed. You really worried us,"
The hawk was full of retorts but the sincere comment made him hold his tongue. The evening was still fuzzy to him, but all he could remember was hitting a car and what felt like the same minute, woke up back on the airship with two worried faces staring at him.
"We were going to send you to the hospital. But you woke up and refused help," Storm spoke after a moment. "The least you could do is thank us. Getting you back here wasn't easy."
Jet arched an eyebrow, surprised at Storm's unusually strict tone, and said nothing.
"We dodged cops left and right, me towing your gear and Storm towing you. Your crash nearly got us all caught," Wave concluded. "We deserve an explanation of why you haven't felt well. It's the least you can do."
Jet's eyes darted back and forth between his teammates as both older birds waited for his response. The hawk's head pounded from a headache that plagued him all morning, and all the questions and arguments were making it worse. The last thing he wanted was his teammates to think he wasn't worthy as a leader.
"You said you weren't feeling well," Wave reminded again, seeing he wasn't going to answer. "Have you been sick?"
Jet shook his head. "No…it's just I've had a lot on my mind. I haven't been able to sleep at night, and the lack of rest has taken its toll on me," He explained.
Wave nodded in understanding. That explained all the times that Jet had fallen asleep during their meetings and the ship staying airborne nearly all night long.
"No sleep for a week? What's got you so bugged, boss?" Storm scratched his head.
The hawk let his eyes trail down to his desk, shaking his head. But he didn't look angry or impatient at the question.
In fact, Wave noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes. When he looked up, he couldn't meet their eyes.
"I came across a book of notes when I was clearing out storage here in the office," the hawk said, "They were written by my father years ago."
Wave and Storm cocked their heads to side in pure interest. "Really? What did they say?" the mechanic was quick to ask. She wasn't willing to admit that Jet's father was extremely gifted in extreme gear mechanics, even more so than her own father. Her studies growing up consisted more of his notes than any other book she read.
Jet paused for a moment before reaching over his shoulder and opening a desk drawer. In his hand was a diary-like notebook. He handed it to Wave. "Babylon Garden," He said simply.
Wave narrowed her eyes as she opened the dusty book and let her blue eyes scan the pages carefully. Written in hieroglyphics, it had graphs, charts, and readings beyond even Wave's knowledge.
It was just shy of explaining every tiny aspect of Babylon Gaden.
"I didn't know your father was so interested in the studies and legends of Babylon Garden. This book could have saved us so many questions when we discovered it a couple years ago," Wave explained.
"He was a good artist too," Storm pointed out, looking over Wave's shoulder. "Look at how well the Garden is sketched out."
When the swallow looked up, Jet still looked somberly at the book. "You act so upset. This is a wonderful find. This is almost as valuable as the key he gave you," She spoke.
"Father was obsessed with discovering Babylon Garden. I've read all the entries. All of his theories were correct," Jet agreed. "If he wasn't killed, he would have found the Garden before we did."
Wave and Storm listened respectfully to their leader. Jet still didn't look at them, but instead at the floor to his left, letting his chin sit in his hand. A smirk later and he chuckled. "I suppose finding the book just reminded me of him. What little I remember of him, anyway. He would be proud to know we not only found Babylon Garden but restored it with the cosmos."
Wave smiled sadly at the comment, knowing now why Jet had been so bothered. The history of the three of them was complicated. Wave remembered Jet's father, Sovereign, since her own father was the previous mechanic of the Babylon Rogues. She was the first of the rogue's children to be involved in their heists and studies. Her father, Steel, would let her attend meetings between him, Sovereign, and Boulder, who was Storm's father. She would sit in the corner pretending to read her books, when in reality, she was learning how the Babylon Rogues worked as a team. Her father was her biggest idol, Sovereign was a close second. The former leader of the Rogues was incredibly intelligent and could easily play the role of leader and mechanic if he wanted to.
Though the former Babylon Rogues were close as a family, Wave didn't meet Jet and Storm until later on.
Wave brushed her thumb on the book in thought, a small smile appearing. "You remember when I first met you, Storm?" she asked with an amused chuckle.
Jet didn't react but Storm began to laugh. "You had snuck into your father's workshop and tried to tune a gear," Storm recalled. "I thought you were stealing it and I tried to stop you."
"What, did you tell on her?" Jet questioned.
"No! I sprayed her with the fire extinguisher! Then she tattled on me!" Storm exclaimed.
Wave laughed heartily. "And you were the one that got in trouble! Not me!" she reminded.
Jet rolled his eyes at the silly conversation. Wave noticed and lightly punched his shoulder, careful of the bruises on his arm. "We were 11 and 12 years old! Lighten up, will ya?" she said.
The hawk smirked, but Wave could tell he was still lost in thought. Both the brawn and the mechanic then began to wonder what truly had him so bothered. With a discovery of detailed notes of Babylon Garden, Wave assumed Jet would be engulfed with interest, since he had the same interest in the ancient spaceship as his late father.
"Something still isn't settling with you..." Wave spoke, getting her leader's attention.
The hawk kept his gaze on the wall behind the swallow, completely lost in his thoughts. He blinked after a couple minutes, letting his eyesight focus on Wave. "Wave…I realize now how my father was killed," His voice was unusually quiet.
Storm and Wave's eyes simultaneously narrowed. "What do you mean? Our fathers were in the middle of a heist that had gone wrong. There was an accident. You know this," Wave explained.
"Yeah, and you know what they were after?" Jet arched an eyebrow.
When Wave shook her head, Jet grabbed a shining object from the other corner of his desk. Placing it next to Wave's sitting form, he stared at the object before looking up at Wave, waiting for her response.
The swallow fell silent as realization hit her. Babylon Garden's key sat shining brightly, flickering with a soft, bluish glow. "This was the object that was stolen. I remember it now…" She said softly.
"Me too…" Storm added. "Our fathers worked for weeks to recover everything that was stolen by that nasty group of bandits. The key was the only thing Sovereign was concerned about."
"They got it back," Jet spoke, almost mindlessly, "But it costed his life. He never escaped the explosion from the bandits' safehouse. It explains why Steel always had possession of the key, and my father wasn't with them when they returned."
Wave and Storm sat uncomfortably, realizing Jet's story was correct. The older birds remembered the day like it was yesterday, that their fathers had returned home from a heist, but Sovereign had fallen.
It was also the same day that Jet was adopted by both Wave and Storm's families.
"I can see why this bothers you…" Wave said softly. She picked up the key, trying to let the calming blues soothe her growing anxiety.
"I don't remember much about the day he died, other than I was lost," Jet said. "Nobody would tell me anything."
"But our families weren't about to abandon you," Wave assured. "Just as I'm sure your father wouldn't let anything happen to either Storm or myself. We grew up together, Jet. We were kind of like one big family."
"A very dysfunctional family…." Storm muttered.
That day, even after many years, still stuck with Wave and Storm. For months, all they could remember was their parents trying to get Jet to cooperate with them. The hawk was only 7 years old but was officially orphaned and refused to listen to anyone. Jet's mother had passed away shortly after he was born, but Sovereign had been a great single father.
It crushed everyone when he had fallen. Steel didn't think twice of fostering Jet, but Boulder and his wife also agreed to be close by if help was needed. They expected the young hawk to be distraught, but everyone was surprised of how he went from a cheerful child to being isolated and bitter.
The more Wave thought about it, Jet and his father were complete opposites. Jet was quick-tempered, arrogant, and very selfish. Sovereign, however, was the kindest soul ever to walk the earth. He was soft-spoken, patient, and always put others before himself. He was responsible and levelheaded, and very intelligent.
Perhaps if Jet still had his father in his life, he wouldn't be so mean and sharp-tongued, and would've took more after Sovereign.
"It took weeks for you to calm down. You fought against us constantly," Wave said in a heartfelt tone. "You were so heartbroken. I didn't think you would ever trust us."
"How could I? I've only met your parents a handful of times; I barely knew you two. My father was all I had," Jet replied. "I didn't know what to think."
"You were still so young, too," Storm mentioned. "We understood."
Jet leaned back more comfortably in his chair, noticing he had been stiff with anxiety. Being raised by his teammates' parents wasn't all bad. They were understanding and still displayed great leadership skills. But now, the memories of the first couple months of adoption flooded his mind, bringing back unwanted feelings of despair and loss.
It was the first time in seven years that he thought back on the loss of his father. With all of their research and discoveries paying off, the key of Babylon Garden only stood as a reminder of his traumatized past.
But now with the discovery of his father's notes and more unwanted memories flooding his mind, he now knew why his father perished in the first place. He died for the key of Babylon Garden, to unlock the secrets he knew were true and would solve the mystery that plagued all generations of the Babylon Rogues.
Worst of all, he wasn't there to see it was his son and his team that had unlocked the secrets and myths. This realization tore Jet to pieces.
"Jet?" Wave's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
The hawk looked up, heaviness clutching his chest as his eyes started to burn. His cheeks began to heat up in embarrassment, knowing that his emotions were trying to take over.
Wave and Storm noticed how silent their friend had become, somehow knowing that Jet wasn't going to win the battle over the bad memories troubling him. Before Jet could say anything, he suddenly spun his chair away from the other two, looking away and hiding his face in between the chair and his hand.
Wave stood up, knowing Jet's walls were quickly falling. The swallow took a couple steps to stand beside his chair, his back still facing her, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She rested her head against his. As she suspected, he was shaking like a leaf and she could hear him sniffling and trying not to cry.
"We know you're upset. It's okay…" She spoke softly. "We miss your father, too."
A broken sob escaped the fourteen-year-old, bringing a hand up to pinch his eyes and continue hiding his face. Wave snuggled closer to him, crossing her arms over his chest. She stayed silent, knowing Jet was already hating all the attention. But there was no way she was leaving him now.
Storm had walked over to the opposite side of Jet's chair and crouched next to it, placing a gentle hand on top of the hawk's head. "It's okay, Boss. Sometimes these things hit like a ton of bricks," The albatross said quietly.
But the hawk kept his face covered, shoulders shuddering with every sob that shook them. Seeing their friend so upset made tears form in both Storm and Wave's eyes. For a moment, they were sent back in time when Sovereign's death was still new, and Jet was nearly inconsolable for a week. No matter how much Wave and Storm tried to calm him down, the seven-year-old hawk had pushed them away.
Eventually, with time, Jet grew more emotionally stable with the tragedy, and began to associate more with his new teammates and accepted Steel as his foster father. The remainder of the Babylon Rogues worked together to educate and guide their children of the ways of their operations and tasks, eventually passing their titles down to Jet, Wave, and Storm. The keys to the airship were handed over and Steel and Boulder had retired.
As the years passed, the more Jet embraced his new role as a leader. Losing his father had transformed him from a sweet, timid child into someone with a sharp tongue and nearly unforgiving nature. He took advantage of his title to address his stubborn and bitter attitude towards their rivals and enemies. He refused to appear weak.
Wave blinked when she also realized it was the first time in seven years that Jet had shed a single tear. She now understood why he was losing sleep and refused to talk to anyone, knowing the haunting memories of his childhood had hit him full force.
Walking around, Wave grabbed another chair and sat it in front of the hawk's chair. Without a word, she slid her hands under his arms, pulled his upper body towards her, and brought him into a warm hug. Jet resisted for a moment then immediately embraced the comfort as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her shoulder.
"Stop trying to act tough. It's alright to cry," Wave said, her own tears trying to constrict her voice. "Do you see us judging you?"
Jet shook his head but didn't say anything. Wave rested her head against his and noticed Storm had looked away, wiping away a few tears of his own.
"I just wish he was here to see what we accomplished…" Jet cried softly. "What he accomplished…"
"He knows, Boss. He hasn't gone anywhere," Storm spoke. He stayed crouched near the side of Jet's chair.
"I miss him. I had nobody when he died…"
A single tear snuck out of Wave's eye as she narrowed her blue irises. "We miss him too. But you had us, Jet," She softly. "We're a team, but we're family. Don't ever deny that."
Storm sniffled and nodded. "Yeah, Boss. You're like our little brother. Annoying, but a brother anyway! We've always looked out for ya, still do!" he smiled.
"Storm is right. I can't count how many times I've wanted to smack you upside the head over the years, but we care about you," Wave smirked.
The lighthearted jokes got Storm and Wave the response they wanted when Jet smiled slightly and couldn't help but chuckle through his tears.
Wave hugged him tighter. "I mean it. We've all been more than just the Babylon Rogues, we truly are a family. We may not act like it a lot of times, but we are. We love you, Jet. Don't ever say you have no one again…"
Jet nodded silently, keeping his face hidden in the crook of Wave's neck and shoulder. The older rogues waited patiently as Jet finally started to calm down. The hawk sat up in his chair again, wiping harshly at his tired eyes.
"You okay?" Wave asked with a just as tired smile.
When Jet nodded, he looked at both his teammates and rubbed once more at his eyes. "Don't ever speak of this to anyone…" he grumbled, still sniffling.
"Like you're the only one who's ever cried," Wave rolled her eyes. "We've all had moments that broke us. You're no different, and that's okay."
When Jet nodded, she grasped his hand. "Good. Now, your injuries…" she muttered. "You said your ankle might be broken. Will you please go to the hospital and let them-…"
"No," Jet's response was quick and sharp. In a split second, he had turned back into the stubborn Jet the two rogues knew him as. "We've got crutches here from when you broke yours. I'll be fine."
Wave looked unamused, sitting with her jaw locked. "…Then will you at least let me call Tails? He can at least cast it and run other tests to see if anything else is broken," she muttered.
When Jet's eyes sat unmoving, Wave arched an eyebrow. "Jet…" she warned.
"Fine!" the hawk sighed loudly, pushing himself up from his chair awkwardly. "Call in the rivals so they can make fun of me!"
Wave took the answer as a victory. "You know Tails wouldn't do that," she grabbed her cellphone from her pocket and scrolled through to look for the other mechanic's contact. "I'm calling him now."
As Jet growled and tried to stomp away as best as his broken ankle would allow him, Wave looked over to Storm and the two couldn't help but roll their eyes quietly, but lightheartedly.
Annoying little brother indeed.