I LIIIIVE! Yeah, sorry for not using this account in so long. For those wondering if Sly Cooper or Tobin's will be returning at some point, the answer is maybe, if I ever have the time and desire to do so. Here's a short story I whipped up out of a spur of the moment idea, mixed with ideas I've had for a while. I adore Sonic the Hedgehog, it's my favorite game series ever, but my favorite aspect are the comics. Like many others, I absolutely love Tangle and Whisper, they're the best part of the IDW comic by far. Something I felt the comic could've done better though was a fully explored confrontation between Whisper and Zombot Tangle. So, as a little Pride Month treat, I'm bringing that concept to its fullest. Enjoy!

This was it. A highly dangerous substance known as the Metal Virus had spread across the world in a matter of days, turning countless innocents, heroes, and villains into metallic zombies. Zombots. The Zombots turned other living things into Zombots, quickly growing out of control and causing chaos across the entire planet. The last of the heroes were hiding out on Angel Island, desperately fighting to stop the plague. But the Restoration's ultimate enemy, Zavok, was now the size of a kaiju and was beating away at the island whilst Zombots swarmed people at every turn. Whisper the Wolf stood alone at the edge of the crowd, her trusted Wispon in hand. Almost all her friends were corrupted at this point; the only hope was for Sonic to use the Chaos Emeralds and set everything right. Until then, Whisper had to hold her own against the horde. This was nothing new to her. She was used to flying solo. She could do this. She whacked one Zombot into another with her hammer and shot lasers at several more. She backed up as the crowd approached her. She'd battled Zombots several times already, but this felt different. This time, she knew she was only delaying the inevitable.

This was it. Whisper steeled her resolve and shot an explosive drill at another crowd of Zombots, blowing them aside. She was about to run into the distant treeline for cover when she was confronted by the last thing she'd want to see: her best friend, Tangle the Lemur, who was currently a Zombot herself. The rambunctious lemur had helped Whisper so much; the wolf spiraled after losing her to the Metal Virus. Tangle slowly walked towards Whisper, glaring at her intensely. Whisper knew the Zombots likely couldn't think much, but she still felt guilt upon meeting Tangle's gaze. Tangle leapt at Whisper, who rolled back and aimed her Wispon at the metallic lemur. Whisper had a clear shot, but she couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger. "Please, Tangle… don't make me hurt you…" Whisper said quietly, her eyes beginning to tear up. Tangle swiped at Whisper several times, and Whisper barely dodged out of the way before clubbing Tangle with her hammer. Tangle fell to the ground, and again Whisper put her gun to Tangle's head, charging up a drill attack. Whisper knew Zombots couldn't be killed, and she needed to deal with Tangle in order to retreat or regroup with her remaining allies safely. But even with that knowledge in her mind, the wolf hesitated just long enough for Tangle to grab her Wispon and yank it from her hands. Whisper panicked and ran to grab it, only for Tangle to cut her off and slash her across the face. Whisper could feel the liquid metal start seeping across her face. She frowned and shut her eyes tight. Tangle then used her tail to club Whisper in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

This was it. Whisper knew it was over for her. She couldn't protect Tangle. She couldn't protect her friends. She couldn't even protect herself. As she looked up to see Tangle standing over her, however, she smiled. "Sonic can do this. He'll save us all. I know it." Whisper slowly got up. She'd been through so much in her life, and now this could've been the end of it. If there was one thing the wolf consistently felt in her life, it was fear. Fear of being hunted. Fear of losing people. Fear of failure. She knew her fate was in someone else's hands now. It was time to stop being scared and face whatever happened next head on, like Tangle would. And it was also time to put another fear to rest. "Tangle… I owe you so much. You brought me out of my shell. You helped me face my demons. You sacrificed yourself to make sure I'd escape. You've been exactly what I've been missing for years…" Whisper lamented. Tangle remained as grumpy looking as ever. "You're more than a friend to me. I know you're not yourself right now, but… whatever happens next, we're in this. Together." Whisper smiled and grabbed her friend in a firm hug before kissing her on the lips. Tangle paused. Her Zombot brain couldn't quite process what this meant, but somewhere, deep in her core… it felt right. Whisper was feeling totally at peace with herself, but that tranquility gave way to surprise when Tangle hugged her back. Whisper was startled for a moment, but she wasn't going to question it. The world may have been falling apart around them. Whisper may have felt the metallic slime spreading across her body. But her best friend was here. Everything would be okay as long as they stayed together. Whisper held her friend closer than ever as the metal covered her body almost completely. Tangle instinctively and gently rested her head on Whisper's chest. Tears of joy streamed down the wolf's face as she nuzzled against her friend, and her consciousness began to fade.

This was it. But she could think of worse ways to die.

… Whisper slowly opened her eyes to see a sunny sky, and everyone around her looked completely normal. She felt normal. She looked at her own body. Clear of infection. She was cured. Everyone was. Everyone around her was celebrating. Whisper had only one thing on her mind. She saw Tangle a short distance away, and tackle hugged her to the ground without saying a word. Tangle laughed. "Hey, Whisper! Miss me?" The lemur asked blissfully. Whisper smiled, wiping away the tears. "Yes, Tangle. More than I could ever convey…" She said happily. "You know, I have vague memories of being a Zombot. Everything's kinda blurry though. I think I hurt you at some point…" Tangle sighed, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry." Whisper grabbed Tangle's shoulders, staring thoughtfully into her eyes. "You don't need to apologize for anything," Whisper said, "I'm just glad I get to see you again…" That statement made Tangle pause before remembering something. "Ah. Now I remember something I've been… wanting to do for a while," She said, tugging at her shirt nervously, "Something I put off too long, until it was too late…" She sighed, sparking Whisper's curiosity. "And what was that?" Whisper asked. Tangle smiled, gently held Whisper's face, and kissed her. Whisper hugged her in return, both of them smiling peacefully. Sure, things were far from being normal, but this was all the duo needed. After that long moment had passed, Tangle chuckled. "I-I guess that makes things official. Say, I'm planning on hosting a party in my town to celebrate the world being saved! You wanna come?" She asked. "Yes, Tangle. I'm sure it'll be incredible," Whisper said with a smile, "I love you, Tangle." Tangle rested her head on Whisper's shoulder, closing her eyes and smiling in relaxation. "I love you too, Whisper."

This was quite fun to make, and I might do more little one off stories of this nature for Sonic characters in the future. Again, it's my favorite game series, so there's a ton I can do with it…