A/N: Lookit! I DIDN'T fall off the face of the planet!
Sorry for the delay, folks. I took the holidays off, but then fell into a funk at the beginning of the year and took me a while to find my way out of it. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into a more regular update schedule soon.
Hopefully this reads okay. I haven't really written in a while.
Anyway, enjoy!
Dr. Starline watched the video from the drone stationed on the other world. The fact that his subject had disappeared to a different planet at first irked him—this was a complication he hadn't planned for. Which was unusual. Normally Starline could plan for most contingencies.
But this child was constantly proving to be quite the frustration.
A frustration he would have long ago gotten rid of, if not for the boy's most unique and interesting power.
The platypus twisted a dial, rewinding the video to watch certain sections again and again. It would seem the boy had not only escaped to a different world, but had found someone to take him in. This woman was an interesting, if not slightly annoying, complication in the situation.
"What is your motivation, madam?" he muttered to himself. "Why would you care for this alien boy?"
Starline had been at this for hours. Scrutinizing every inch of each video the drone had recorded and sent back. He'd watched as the boy held the woman and another man captive in his power inside the house. As he'd sat on the couch while the woman groomed him. As the woman had pulled him into her arms in the kitchen, giving the boy a surprising amount of affection, considering how little time he'd been there.
Curious.
Another twist of the dial and now the boy moved around in the yard, laughing and playing in the grass. Used his power to pull some weeds. (Poorly, at that.) Another display of affection between the two.
Very curious.
"Rough, Tumble," he called, flicking through the next bits of video.
Movement behind him. "Yeah, Boss?" Rough asked.
"When you were there on your failed retrieval mission, you saw the woman?"
The shorter skunk huffed through his nose. "Yeah, we did. She carried the brat upstairs like he was a baby or something."
"I said we coulda broke in and just took him from her," Tumble added, a slight pout in his voice. "But Rough said you'da been mad if we did."
"This may be one of the only times I will say this, but he was right," Starline said, tapping the console to bring up a new video. "We know nothing of these creatures, or their defensive capabilities, and I am not about to start a conflict with them over the life of a child." He twisted the dial to fast forward. "I am certain we can retrieve the boy with minimal issues. We simply need to find the right . . . perspective."
The playtpus narrowed his eyes as he watched the video, now with three new Mobians. "This is an interesting development," he said, flicking the audio to life. They spoke of Chaos Emeralds and a Master Emerald, and it seemed as though the latter was still in their possession. His beak curled on one side in a small smile. "An interesting development, indeed."
He tapped some notes into a keyboard before returning to the video. The man from the previous day came out with the boy, and they spoke with the other three children. Starline only half-listened, until the blue hedgehog told of his defeat of someone named Robotnik. A giant robot? The Master Emerald gave the man the power to reshape reality?
My, my. This was an interesting development.
Starline added more notes to his file, and returned to the video. The Mobians and other creatures had left, and now only the woman and boy remained. He zoomed in on them, interested in what they discussed.
Talk of those other Mobians, and he jotted down the names. Ah, so these creatures were called 'humans'. Duly noted. Talk of families, oh now he's crying, of course he is. He wants to stay with her, how charming.
The video continued for another minute, when the boy threw himself into the woman's arms again. She had agreed to let him stay, but there was something not right. Something about the look on her face.
Starline watched and rewatched that bit of footage over and over again. The phrasing she used also seemed odd. Her word choices seemed very . . . deliberate.
Psychology was a personal passion of Starline's. He found it very satisfying to see straight through someone and get a glimpse of their psyche. If you understood how someone really thought, you could use that to your advantage. It often helped him get what he wanted, if he was able to convince others it was what they wanted too. That it would benefit them in some way.
Right now, as he watched the footage again, an understanding dawned. The look on the woman's face was not the look of someone happy to have invited a child to live with her. It was the look of uncertainty. Of fear.
A smile curled the platypus' beak. He'd found his angle to retrieving the boy. All he needed to do was give a little nudge in the right direction.
~X~X~X~
Silver sat in the metal basket and tried to keep his eyes down. There were so many humans here, and just about every one of them stopped and stared at him. It made his forehead fan bristle, and he concentrated hard to keep his power from flaring.
He'd put his hoodie back on after he and Callie had that little talk on the deck, and now pulled the hood part up to cover his face. If he sat just right, you couldn't see any part of him from beneath the fabric. He tried to make himself as small and invisible as possible.
Callie's hand was on his now, as he held tightly to the cart's handle. "Just ignore them, Bug. They won't hurt you." Her voice was soft, and she reached up to push the hood back down. "Just breathe, kiddo. You're alright." She cast him a side-eye as she looked at shoes, and gave his toe a little pinch. "I won't let anything happen to you, remember?"
Silver gave her a little smile, relaxing his body, when a thought occurred. "Bug?" He looked up at her with a cocked eyebrow. "What's that mean?"
She smiled, pulling a box down from the rack. "It's a nickname. Short for snuggle-bug, because you, dear boy, are quite the snuggler." She set the box down and reached into the back of their cart. "Let's see if these shoes fit."
Callie pulled a pack of socks out and tore it open, pulling a pair free from the plastic. She handed them to Silver, who pulled them on with a smile. It'd been a long time since he had new socks, and these were so thick and warm.
"C'mon, Bug," she said, lifting him from the front of the cart. "Try 'em on."
Silver pulled the shoes on—a white pair with red stripes up the side—and wrinkled his brow. "They're too big."
"Hmm, yes they are. Do you like the style and color? Let's narrow that down first, I guess."
"Uh, they're fine," he said, his muzzle burning. It seemed rude to be picky over something that was essentially a gift.
Callie gave him a cocked eyebrow. "Tell me the truth."
He lowered his head, blush burning hotter, and voice barely more than a whisper. "No. Not really."
"Okay, take a look down the aisle and let me know what you like," she said, putting the shoes back in the box and returning them to the shelf. Silver stood where he was for a moment, and she gave him a confused look when she turned back to him. "What?"
"I can pick the ones I like?" he asked, his voice soft. "Really?"
Her confused look intensified. "Uh, yeah? It's not really that big a deal, kiddo. Find what you like and we'll get your feet measured to get the right size. I'm gonna track down a sales clerk. Stay in this section, okay?"
He nodded as she walked away. When she turned a corner, his heartrate sped up. He was alone, in a strange place, with nothing but a lot of strange humans around.
Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.
Callie said no one would hurt him. She wouldn't lie. He was just being a baby. Stop being a baby. Just look at the shoes.
With a deep breath, Silver turned and walked down the aisle, his eyes flicking back and forth among all the different options. There were so many! He hadn't seen this many shoes in his entire life. Some had laces, some had strange tabs on them, and some were really tall. He liked the taller ones, and looked at a pair that had green stripes up the sides. Those were neat.
"Mom, look!"
A voice sounded to his left and he turned to find a young boy standing in the main aisle pointing at him. A woman came up behind him, the boy's mother obviously, and she gasped, a hand going to her mouth.
"Oh my gosh, another one!"
"That's not Sonic," the boy said, yanking on his mother's hand. "Who is that?"
"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe he's new." The woman bent forward, a kind smile on her lips. "Hi there, little one! Are you lost? Do you need help?"
Silver's ears flicked back, his forehead fan bristling. She didn't sound mean, but he wasn't comfortable interacting with other humans quite yet. And he couldn't find his voice to respond.
He wished Callie would come back.
"Are you scared?" the woman asked, reaching for him. "Come with me, sweetie, and I'll take you to the sheriff. He'll know what to do with you."
Her phrasing sent his heart hammering even faster in his chest, and his hands glowed with power. He shook his head violently, backing away and bumping his tail against the shoe shelves.
"It's okay, honey," she said, and reached for him again. Her hand closed over his and she started pulling him toward her. "We'll find where you belong."
Sheer terror gripped Silver then, and his power flared. It shot out, knocking all the shoes off the shelves, and pushing the woman and boy back. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart a jackhammer.
The other boy was crying, rubbing the elbow he'd bumped when he fell back. The woman now wore a scowl, and looked at Silver with almost a snarl as she helped her child.
"You're all so dangerous," she said, her voice dripping with disgust. "I was just trying to help, and you attack me. Like an animal."
Silver pulled his hands to his mouth, as his stomach clenched. He was in so much trouble. He hadn't meant to cause trouble, to hurt anyone, but he'd done it anyway. Would he be kicked out? Captured? What would Callie say-
"Silver!"
He turned and found the redhead at the end of the aisle, looking at him in shock. The knot in his stomach tightened.
"I left you alone for like, thirty seconds, kid!" she said, her voice full of . . . shock? Fear? He couldn't tell. "What the heck?"
Tears sprang to the hedgehog's eyes. "I . . . I'm sorry . . ." He turned to point at the woman, who had picked up her son and now rocked him to soothe his cries. "She was gonna take me away . . ."
Callie looked up at the woman, her eyebrows raised. "Cheryl? Are you and Tyler okay?"
The woman—Cheryl—looked back at Callie, her brows pinched in annoyance. "It this boy yours?"
Callie pulled her lips tight. "I'm looking after him, yes."
"You might want to do a better job of it," Cheryl said, pulling Tyler to rest against her shoulder. "He could really hurt someone."
And with that, the woman turned and walked away.
Silver looked back to Callie, his ears pinned flat against his head, and left hand stroking his muzzle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just scared . . ."
"I know, Silver." Her voice was harder than normal, and she pulled her braid around to give a tug. "I know." Another tug, a longer one this time, and she tossed the braid back behind her. She took a deep breath and turned to the teenager in a red smock behind her. "I'm so sorry about the mess. I'll help clean it up."
The teen smiled and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. You should see when the Wachowski kids come in. Mayhem. This isn't a big deal."
"You're sure?"
He nodded. "It's all good."
She offered him a smile. "Thank you." She turned back to Silver, a tired look on her face. "Bug, c'mere."
Silver ducked his head, and picked his way through the mess of shoes and boxes on the floor. When he reached her, she hunkered down and brushed his forehead fan flat.
"You have to get a handle on this power of yours," she said, her voice quiet, and softer than it had been a minute ago. "Cheryl can be a bit . . . dramatic, but she's right. You could really hurt someone with it."
"I thought she was gonna take me away," he said, his voice thick. Tears slipped down his cheeks. "I was scared. I didn't . . . I'm sorry . . ." He lost his voice as the first sob hitched his chest. He'd messed up so bad.
"No, hey," Callie said, wiping his tears with her thumbs. "I probably shouldn't have left you alone. This was my bad. Again. Sorry." She paused, her mouth twisting slightly. "Want a hug?"
Silver hiccuped a sob, nodding, and held his arms out. Callie pulled him into hers, and lifted him off the ground, holding him close to her.
Tucking his face into the crook of her neck, Silver let out a shaky breath. Why did everything always go so wrong around him? He was such a coward, afraid of everything, it seemed. All he had to do was tell that other lady that he was with Callie, and she would have likely left him alone. But he froze. He got so scared he couldn't speak. Couldn't move. And look what had happened. Another mess, caused by this power he couldn't control.
He hated it. Wished for the billionth time he didn't have it.
"I'm sorry," he whispered against her, and she rubbed a gentle hand over his back.
"Shhh," she soothed, and rocked her body side to side to calm him. "It's okay. You're okay. No harm done. Just breathe. Deep breaths. Nice and slow."
He did as she suggested and his heart slowed. The tears stopped. And he felt better.
Finally he pulled away, and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Thanks."
"You okay now?" He nodded. "Good. Let's find you some kicks."
~X~X~X~
In the end, Silver had chosen a pair of high-top sneakers, green with white stripes. He couldn't stop looking at them, even after they'd returned to Callie's house and headed into the backyard. They were a little stiff and felt weird on his feet, but Callie said it was probably because he wasn't used to having shoes that actually fit.
"You'll break them in soon, and they'll feel perfect in a few weeks," she'd said as she showed him how to tie them. "Until then, take 'em off if your feet need a break."
He'd nodded, right before heading outside to play in the grass some more. It was a nice day, and he loved being on a world that wasn't burnt.
As he watched a bee hover around one of the little yellow dandelions, a blue blur caught his attention. Sonic suddenly appeared next to him, and Silver jerked in surprise.
"Hi!" the blue hedgehog said, a smile curling his lips. "Hey, nice shoes!"
Silver blinked, and looked back toward the street. There was no sign of the vehicle from this morning. "Uh . . . thanks. How did you get here?"
Sonic shrugged. "I ran. I'm like, the fastest thing alive, and it only took about a second to get here from my house."
"Oh."
Silence settled over the two, and Sonic rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "So . . . are you fast too?"
Silver shook his head. "Not really. I get tired easy."
"Oh. I thought maybe it was a hedgehog thing. But you have that cool power! You froze us, like, WHAM!" He stepped back and mimicked Silver's stance from this morning, when the gray hedgehog had frozen him and his brothers with telekinesis. "That was so cool!"
Heat rose to Silver's muzzle, and he furrowed his brow. This power wasn't 'cool'. It was dangerous. "I . . . I can't control it very well."
A look of surprise crossed the blue hedgehog's face then, and he dropped his pose to step closer. "Hey, it's okay. We're not mad. Well, I mean, Knuckles was pretty ticked, but honestly, that's his default setting. But you seem cool and definitely not evil, so we can maybe help you learn to use it better."
Silver's expression softened. "Really?"
Sonic gave a little smile and nodded. "Absolutely. We non-humans gotta stick together, don't we? 'Sides, we gotta be ready if any other bad guys try to cause trouble, am I right? Gotta take 'em down with our incredible super powers!"
He struck a heroic pose as Silver gave a soft laugh. Sonic's optimism was infectious, and for a minute Silver thought that maybe, just maybe he could control his powers. Maybe he could use them for good.
And maybe . . . maybe he could be a hero.
His thoughts were cut off when a voice called out.
"Sonic Wachowski!" Callie said, coming through the kitchen door and onto the deck. "What, pray tell, are you doing here?"
Sonic ducked his head, and gave her a sheepish look. "I was just gonna swing by for a few minutes! Gah, another hedgehog comes to town and I'm supposed to just sit at home?"
"Does Maddie know you're here?"
"Yes!"
As if on some comedic cue, Callie's cell rang. She pulled it from her pocket and gave a quick glance at the screen before turning back to Sonic with a smirk. "Oh lookit. Maddie's calling. Wonder why?"
Sonic's ears flicked back as he ducked his head lower.
Callie answered, keeping an eye on the blue boy the whole time. "Hey Mads! Why, yes, he is here! However did you guess?"
"Alright! Maybe I kinda sorta snuck out while they were de-skunking Knuckles. But I had a good reason!"
"Oh, he had a good reason, Mads," the redhead repeated, walking closer to the boys. She tapped the screen to put the call on speaker. "Would you like to ask or should I?"
"Talk fast, hog, or I'm sending Red to bring you home by any means necessary," Maddie said, her voice tinged with annoyance.
"Jeez, calm down, ladies!" Sonic said, reaching into his quills to pull out a pair of gloves. "I just wanted to bring Silver some gloves since he didn't have any. Is that okay with everyone?"
Silver had watched this whole exchange with a little smile, it was pretty funny, but now the smile faded. A gift? Sonic, someone he'd only met once for about fifteen minutes, had brought him a gift?
His voice had vanished as Sonic offered the gloves to him. They were bright white, and as soft as the new socks he now wore. His old gloves had been scrounged from the ruins of the city, and had been paper thin and torn from the beginning. He'd never actually had a pair of new gloves in his life.
Silver pulled them on slowly, and flexed his hands into fists to test their fit.
They were the most comfortable gloves he'd ever worn.
"Well," Callie said, and the jovial, teasing lilt to her voice was replaced with a softer tone. "That was very nice, Sonic. Thank you."
Sonic turned, a little smirk on his lips. "You don't have to sound to surprised. I'm a great guy! A hero, some would say. This kinda stuff is just what heroes do."
Callie rolled her eyes as Maddie gave a little sigh over the phone.
"Okay 'hero', I'll give you half an hour, then you get your tail back here. Clear?"
"Crystal!"
"Good. Sorry, Cal. I tried to keep him contained, I swear."
The redhead gave a little laugh. "Ah, don't worry about it. I think Silver might like someone to play with." She looked at the gray hedgehog. "Right?"
A blush rose to Silver's muzzle again, and he nodded slightly, only because it felt like that's the answer Callie was expecting. In truth he wasn't exactly . . . comfortable around other people like himself. His every interaction with them on his world was negative. They either tried to hurt him, were afraid of him, or used him. He was used to being by himself back on his world. He hadn't even seen any other kids close to his age, let alone played with them.
He wasn't sure how to play.
Now he dropped his gaze, and bit his lip. Would Sonic not like him anymore if he found Silver too boring?
~X~X~X~
Callie hung up the phone and tucked it into her back pocket, as she watched the two hedgehogs before her. Sonic was talking a mile-a-minute, asking questions, suggesting things to do, and relaying fun things he and his brothers had done recently.
And Silver was . . . looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here.
At first it confused her. Sonic was close to his age, and even the same species, wouldn't Silver want to play? Just have fun like a normal kid? Now that he wasn't on his world, where survival stood above all else, he could . . .
Oh.
Silver's entire life had been about survival. When had he had the chance to be a normal kid? To play? To interact with others on an even, friendly level?
Never.
This kid had never had a chance to be a kid.
That thought gave her heart a squeeze.
"Hey, Sonic," she called, halting the blue boy's jabber in mid sentence. "C'mere a minute."
The blue hedgehog gave Silver a little glance before moving over to her. "Yeah?"
Callie pulled him closer to the deck, and hunkered down to speak softly to him. "I think Silver's feeling a little, well, anxious right now. His world was kinda . . . rough, and he may not really know how to have fun. Think you could help with that?"
A look of confusion crossed over Sonic's face then, followed quickly by understanding. A smile brightened his muzzle. "No problemo, Cal. I getcha. Leave it to me."
She smiled back. "Good boy."
Sonic walked back toward Silver, and adopted a more laid back, easy-going approach.
"Tell ya what, Silv. I'm gonna introduce you to the best stuff Earth has to offer." He pulled his phone from his quills. "Sit back and prepare to be amazed, my friend."
The two sat in the grass, and huddled over the phone as Sonic explained about baseball, Keanu Reeves, the Flash, Minecraft, video games, and anything else that flittered through his mind. He pulled up videos and the two laughed together, Silver's sounding like music to Callie's ears.
~X~X~X~
After half an hour, Sonic got a text from Maddie reminding him of his deadline, and the boy uttered an annoyed grunt at the interruption. His pleas for an extension were denied, and he reluctantly tucked his phone back into his quills.
"Moms," Sonic said with a shrug. "Whatcha gonna do?"
Silver furrowed his brow at that, and tilted his head slightly as he considered this. "Is she . . . really your mom? I mean, does she . . . love you like one?"
Sonic paused for a second, his own brow furrowing. "Well . . . yeah. She and Dad took me in when I was in trouble. They took care of me. Well, I mean, I can take care of myself, but . . . it was nice to not have to. Nice to have someone care about me."
"Oh."
That did sound nice. It had been a long time since Silver had anyone who cared about him. Who took care of him. Ever since his mama died, he'd been all alone. And he hated it.
Silver didn't know all the details about Sonic's history, but Callie had said he'd been alone for a long time before his parents took him in. They'd helped him. Cared about him. Loved him.
Had they taken care of Sonic the way Callie was taking care of him?
Silver swallowed hard, his voice shaky. "D-do you think . . . that Callie could be my . . ."
Sonic's phone buzzed again, and he cringed. "I better go." He turned and zipped away, before zipping back just as fast. "I think you found a great home. And Cal would be a really good mom." He gave Silver an encouraging smile, before zipping off once again.
A smile curled Silver's lips.
~X~X~X~
Dr. Starline rewound the latest video footage from the other planet. The blue hedgehog had returned, and he and the boy had sat staring at a small device for nearly thirty minutes. Nothing they talked about seemed important, and he was about to cut the feed when a short conversation caught his attention.
"Moms. Whatcha gonna do?"
The platypus studied this exchange very, very carefully.
And a smile curled the edges of his beak.
This was going to prove very useful.
~X~X~X~
An hour later, and Silver sat in the grass, looking through a book that Callie said contained pictures of all the animals and plants that called Montana home. The writing meant nothing to him—he had only needed to know a few simple words back on his world, such as 'exit', 'danger', 'warning', 'poison', and 'stop'—but he liked looking at the pictures. Callie said she'd teach him to read and write starting tomorrow, and he was excited for that.
As he flipped another page, a soft beeping sound twitched his ears. He turned, brow furrowed. A small flying object came closer to him, and he wondered if it was a new type of insect he hadn't seen yet.
Then it came closer, and he froze.
It wasn't an insect. It was a drone. One of the doctor's little drones that always chased him down when he escaped.
What was it doing here?
As he sat frozen, a small portal opened behind it, and the tinny speaker flared to life.
"Hello, Silver."
Eyes wide, Silver's heard skipped a beat. The doctor could see him. Could talk to him. Knew where he was.
"You gave me quite a bit of trouble to track down. But I'm not angry. Come back now, and I won't punish you."
A lie. The doctor liked to say things like that all the time, and then hurt him worse.
Slowly, Silver shook his head. A soft laugh came through the speaker.
"Oh, my boy. What is it you think will happen? Do you think you can stay there indefinitely? Do you actually believe you are welcome there?"
Silver swallowed hard, and forced himself to answer. "I . . . I like it here. It's nice and no one wants to hurt me. Just . . . just leave me alone."
Another laugh, this one meaner.
"No one wants to hurt you? Oh, child. I think the threat here is not them, but you. Is your power not dangerous? Could you not hurt so many, cause such damage and destruction, with merely a thought? Especially since you are unable to control it properly."
His hands began to glow as his anxiety rose, and he dropped the book to clench his fists. He took deep breaths as Callie had shown him, and turned to the drone again, teeth gritted.
"I'm not going to hurt anyone. They're nice to me. Callie said . . . she said she wants me to stay."
A thoughtful hum came from the speaker.
"Did she? Tell me . . . does she know what happened to your mother?"
Silver's blood ran cold as his forehead fan bristled, standing straight upright.
"Does she know you killed her?"
Silence then, as Silver's breathing quickened, his power flaring.
Callie couldn't know what happened to his mother. She couldn't find out. If she found out, she'd hate him, she'd be afraid of him, she'd want him to leave. Why wouldn't she? He's dangerous, and she wouldn't want someone who . . . k-killed his own mother in her house. She'd tell Wade, and Sonic's family, and they wouldn't want him around either. Then what? He'd be all alone on this planet, and everyone would hate him and chase him away. He'd be back to spending his life running and hiding. But this time on a strange planet he didn't understand.
He panted as his anxiety spiked, and his power flashed, sending the drone flying back through the portal it had opened. The portal closed, and at least that little worry was done, but Silver didn't have the opportunity to register that fact. His power was building once again.
Deep breaths. He had to keep it back. He couldn't let it out. Deep. Breaths.
The first few breaths he took weren't as deep or as long as he would have liked, but he kept trying. Eventually he managed to wrestle his power under some semblance of control, and the light finally faded from his hands.
His heart still raced. Too fast.
A solid lump sat in his belly. The doctor knew where he was. He knew about Callie. Was he right about Silver being a danger to them? To her? Was it only a matter of time before he slipped and his power hurt someone?
The panic was rising again. He felt like crying.
"Bug!"
Callie's call shocked him, and he gave a little yelp when he jumped. He looked back toward the house, where she had poked her head out the door.
"C'mon in, kiddo. Let's get some supper going. You can help tonight if you want."
Dumbly, as in a dream, Silver nodded. He picked up the book and slowly walked back to the house.
His heart pounded a manic pace in his chest.
~X~X~X~
Callie didn't turn when the kitchen door opened and closed behind her. She stood before the fridge, trying to figure out tonight's meal.
"Hmm . . . we could do burgers . . . or ravioli. Chicken sandwiches, maybe." She glanced over to the living room. "What do you . . . Silver?"
The little gray hedgehog stood in the middle of the room, eyes wide and unfocused. He pulled one of his longer head spikes around to the front and squeezed it. Breathing in almost a pant, his lips pulled back, revealing teeth in a grimace of panic.
Callie watched him for a few seconds, total confusion clouding her mind. What had set him off? He was fine when she'd checked on him just a few minutes ago. But now, he was more panicked than she'd ever seen him.
But more than that, he looked scared. Terrified.
She slowly approached him, hands held in front of her in a calming gesture.
"Silver, you need to take deep breaths, like I taught you, remember?" She tried for a soothing tone but his obvious fear was starting to scare her. There was an edge to her voice she hadn't intended. "Silver, look at me." The boy continued squeezing his spike, chest rising and falling as his breath wheezed in and out. "Silver." Still nothing. "Silver!"
The boy jumped, finally looking toward her. There was recognition in his eyes, but the fear remained.
"Look at me," she said, scooting closer. Her voice was steady, but harder than what was probably called for. "You need to calm down. I need you to take some deep breaths."
The boy shook his head, and that familiar cyan light appeared, seemingly seeping out of every pore. His eyes glowed with the same color, as did the quills running along the five spikes fanning from his forehead.
Callie knew that sign.
Maddie had told her of how Sonic and Knuckles 'powered-up', complete with glowing eyes, quills, and sparks. Callie didn't see any sparks, but guessed the aura of light surrounding the boy was his version.
Things were about to get very bad if he didn't calm down.
Bloom and Suki caught wind of the changed atmosphere in the living room, and raced up the stairs with a loud clatter, their claws clacking off the wooden floors in their panic.
"Silver, you need to tell me what's wrong so I can help you," she said, going to her knees. "Talk to me, kiddo. What's wrong?"
The boy didn't speak, couldn't speak, it seemed. Too caught up in whatever had spurred this panic attack.
It was at this point that Callie, ashamedly, lost her cool. Regular ol' panic attacks she could deal with, but she had exactly zero experience dealing with a super-powered kid who was about to go nuclear in her living room. The worry, panic, and fear of what he could do snapped the hold she had on her temper.
"Damnit Silver!" she hissed, causing his already wide eyes to go even wider. "Snap out if it and just tell me what's wrong!"
That, not surprisingly, was not a wise move.
The little hedgehog uttered a scared yelp, his body going rigid as the telekinetic power that had been radiating out of him exploded in a bright burst in all directions. He was essentially ground zero in a concussive blast.
Every downstairs window, the glass kitchen door, and all the light bulbs shattered, spraying glass shards everywhere. The oven door, protected somewhat by the kitchen island, cracked. The microwave door burst. The TV all but exploded. The furniture nearest the hedgehog was thrown back with the force of the blast, and the coffee table left a large dent in the drywall.
The blast extended outside the house, where it rocked her Subaru, cracking every window and setting off the car alarm. Silver clapped his hands over his ears at the loud, braying sound.
And Callie was thrown back, slamming into the kitchen island before smacking her head against the hard floor. She blacked out immediately.
~X~X~X~
Familiar.
This blast of power felt so familiar.
Silver felt it leave him, extending out like a shockwave. Violence surrounded him, as glass shattered, furniture flew, and a loud noise erupted from outside. He covered his ears, wincing at the piercing sound.
Then he looked to his left and found Callie.
Unmoving. A small trickle of blood seeping out of a cut on her forehead from where she'd struck when she hit the floor.
No. Oh no.
He ran to her, shaking her shoulder and calling her name. This was a nightmare, everything he feared would happen. Everything the doctor said would happen.
His power was dangerous. He was dangerous. He'd been a fool to think otherwise. To think he could have a life and family and home and be just a regular kid. He'd caused so much destruction, and hurt the one person he trusted most on this planet. In this universe.
With a whimper, Silver stood and backed away from the unconscious redhead. He pulled a head spike forward, twisting and squeezing it in a tight fist.
A sob pushed through his throat, his chest tight. Ruined. Everything was ruined. All because of him. Just like that day so long ago, with his mama.
He stripped off the hoodie she had given him, and dropped it to the floor. Then he turned and ran through the shattered kitchen door, sprinting into the trees as the sun sank lower in the sky.