A Tale of Two Brothers
Hey Peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point… Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is my story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in some ways they will appear very OC… hopefully you'll bear with me! Anyway, I've bored you to tears with this disclaimer so enjoy… and let me know what you think! X
Review Replies:
NyxSeth27: Hahaha! Sorry hun, strap yourself in, this chap's three pages longer than the last! Glad your liking it, I wanted to write something completely different from before. Its so nice starting afresh X
Slayer 666: Thank you hun, I'm flattered and though I'm a big believer in being kind and constructive to others I have read a handful of fics on here and can see where your coming from. It may surprise you to know that I don't have any planned out plot for this. I have a rough idea and a loose set up but otherwise I kind of just let it write itself. I'll be the first to admit my grammar isn't 100% but I prize creative structure over that. If a plot is good that's what keeps the readers.. And I may write one-shots or two-parters down the line while writing this, you never know. Glad your still enjoying it X
Chapter Five:High IQ's and Science To-Do's
Sunlight streamed through the thin yellow curtains of the former-dining-room-turned-science-lab of the Hedgehog home. A single streak of bright light crept over the mild-blue-furred eyelids of the nineteen year old hedgehog sleeping slumped across the table. His eyes flickered behind his lids before Charles let out an elongated and sleepy groan, his pale-blue eyes opened slowly. The moment the sun hit his newly exposed pupils Charles swivelled his head and quills around to avoid the light shining in his eyes. It was at this moment the mild-blue hedgehog became aware that he was leaning on something that was too soft to be a table surface.
'Huh…?' He murmured, still not fully awake as he lifted his head and gazed down at the pillow before him. For a split second he was confused before he realised that his little brother must have placed it there when he snuck back in last night, along with the blanket that had now slipped down and was resting on his back-quills. Suddenly remembering about his demonstration to the Mobian Council symposium that was scheduled for the afternoon the mild-blue hedgehog sat up straight and pulled the pillow away from the table, expecting to find his papers screwed up underneath. Amazingly, they weren't there. They were lying at the other side of the table, bunched together in a manner that suggested that Jules had merely swept them out of the way before slipping the pillow under his head. Charles sighed with relief, his papers were out of order rather than a crumpled mess he'd have to rewrite. His little brother had probably just done it absent-mindedly but in doing so had done him a kindness. Pulling the blanket off his back Charles refolded it and stuffed it back into the cabinet with the pillow before glancing at the clock on the wall. It read eleven-thirty. He wasn't due at the Council Hall until three so he had time to check on his brother, fix breakfast then pop into Mobotroplis University to meet up with Professor Morgan who was going with him for support when he faced the council. Charles returned to the table and reorganized his papers into numerical order before packing them into a folder. He then tucked them with his ring-restraint gun into the backpack he'd had sat under the table. He then left the bag in the hallway and ascended the stairs to go check on his little brother.
The top floor of the Hedgehog home was smaller than downstairs but it still had four decent rooms: a bathroom and three bedrooms. The mild-blue hedgehog passed his own room which had his name on the door along with a make-shift poster he'd made as a young hedgehoglet. It was slightly discoloured now but the crudely painted letters still read: Jules Stay Out! Not that that had helped at the time, his annoying little brother chose not to understand the sign… something he still did today. The door was slightly ajar revealing his room which was neat and orderly with the kind of cleanliness that only came with an organized mind. The next room was the shared bathroom before he passed the bedroom that had used to be their father's and now sat bare..
Jules' bedroom was right on the other end of the hallway. As he approached his brother's room the nineteen year old hedgehog paused to put one mild-blue ear to the door, listening intently. When he heard nothing but light snoring he pushed the door open. Unlike Charles, his cobalt brother was nowhere near as neat and tidy as he was. Posters hung squinty on the walls depicting music bands Jules liked while a notice-board held a collage of photos featuring him with his friends, Charles and their deceased parents. Some of his dirty white sport-socks littered the floor along with a few red vests. His brown combat boots were just kicked off and tossed to the side without any regard towards neatness. The mild-blue hedgehog could tell just from looking at the upturned sole of the nearest boot that Jules needed a new pair. It was so worn down by all his running around that the sole had almost disappeared with a slight hint of the shoe-itself coming through. Charles had once joked to his cobalt little brother that he would be better off with tyre-rubber on the soles of his feet. But with the amount of shoes that Jules went through he was starting to think about this seriously as he'd be saving his brother a fortune. On one wall sat a chest of drawers littered with magazines, a half-full jar of saved money, old ticket stubs and a couple of wristbands from concerts and festivals he'd been to with various friends. The last item was an old well-thumbed book entitled: The Tales of Kirby. Charles couldn't help but smile at this book. Their mother used to read these fables to him every night when he was tiny and after she died his little brother had inherited it from her so that when he learned to read Jules could carry on where she left off. The mild blue hedgehog gingerly stepped over the mess on the floor and lifted the cover of the book to see his mother's name still written in faded ink at the top-right corner: Sonia Hedgehog. Charles smiled at it before letting the cover fall back and turning his attention to the bed on the opposite side of the room. At the foot of this bed rested a deep-red acoustic guitar with black bridge, neck and headstock. The strings and tuners where white which stood out next to the rest of the instrument while the silver fingerboards left neat lines along the neck to the sound-hole. While Charles had spent his childhood studying to be smarter Jules had spent his learning to master this instrument. It had once been his dream to be in a band but as the cobalt hedgehog got older this childhood ambition seemed to disappear, most likely due to their father's disapproval towards the whole idea. Jules had bought this particular guitar with his first pay-check from Lickety-Split Pizzas when the novelty of earning his own money didn't come with the responsibilities it did now. When he wasn't running or working he could be found lounging lazily in the sun, strumming away to himself with a peaceful smile and not a care in the world.
A large mound under the bedclothes and three large, jagged, cobalt-blue head-quills were all that was visible of Jules Hedgehog as the sixteen year old was completely dead to the world. At least he was until Charles began to shake his upturned shoulder gently.
'Julius..' The older mild-blue hedgehog murmured, now bent in close to his brother's cobalt-blue pointed ear. 'Jules..' Immediately the ear he'd spoken into twitched violently and it was followed by an incoherent groan.
'Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…' Jules then fidgeted drowsily before turning over so now he was facing his brother, both eyes still shut but a slight frown was just beginning to form on his brow. 'Go away, Charlie..' He mumbled in a vague grumpy tone, clearly not impressed by this wake up call. Deciding to take a leaf out of his little brother's book Charles chose to ignore this statement.
'Look, I know your tired and today's your day off but just listen to me for a second will you.' The older hedgehog brother sounded in his normal tone of voice since he now knew his brother was awake. 'I'm going to be back late tonight, I have that important meeting with the council to discuss my ring-restraint gun. I noticed your boots are looking a little bald, you want me to pick you up a new pair while I'm in town?'
'Huh? Oh.. sure, that be great..' Was the sleepy response to this as one cobalt-blue eyelid peeled open part-way to reveal one hazel eye. 'There's money in the jar over there, just take what'cha need bro..' The eye shut itself again and soft snoring started as Jules began to doze. 'Anything else, just write it on the fridge…' His voice slurred groggily as he fell back asleep once more. Charles' smile widened tenderly as he reached over and ruffled the soft quills of his quiff.
'Thanks little brother..' He murmured softly before getting up and heading back to the chest of drawers and fishing some mobiums out of the jar before quietly leaving the room. As he shut the door he felt a tiny bit bad for having to rely on Jules for money. He was the eldest, it should be up to him to provide for them both but unfortunately his research and studies at university took up so much of his time he just didn't have time for a job. The Hedgehog family had never been particularly well off. They were a working-class family of grafters that had always had earned just enough to get by. As a result all the money the two had inherited from their deceased father Maurice had stretched just far enough to cover the funeral expenses and finish paying off Charles' final semester of tuition fees. This meant that Jules was the sole money-earner in the home and had to support both him and his older brother on his meagre wage. The younger hedgehog had never complained about this, he might've had his annoying little brother moments but Jules had always had a big heart and willingly stepped up to the mark.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs Charles picked up his backpack and slung it over one shoulder as he turned into the kitchen. Charles fixed himself a quick breakfast, eating it in silence as he contemplated the day ahead. He then scribbled a little note to his brother to do some laundry, sticking it on the fridge before leaving through the stairs to the garage. The mild-blue hedgehog then dumped his backpack into the side-car of his motorbike and gunned the engine, speeding off through the open garage door before it shut automatically behind him..
'Hey Chuck, wasn't expecting you in this morning.' Lionel greeted Charles as the nineteen year old hedgehog appeared inside the science laboratory of Mobotroplis University. Charles grinned at the blonde lion dressed in his white lab-coat, who despite his obvious tiredness seemed quite perky.
'I thought I might pop in a little early and find out if Gus set off alright.' The mild-blue hedgehog brushed his blue moustache before he set down a shoebox with his backpack on his lab-desk.
'Oh yeh.. Sherman and Cocoa were there to see him off this morning.' Lionel responded cheerfully as he picked up a cup of coffee he'd had sat by his research papers and unfinished design blue-prints.
'Cocoa?' Charles' left-side mild-blue pointed ear twitched and his pale blue eyes turning with interest. 'As in Cocoa Cat? Alicia's best friend..' He asked, his curiosity peeked at this, wondering how she had suddenly come into the picture again. Jules' and Alicia's friends had stopped hanging around together shortly after school, around the same time as the schoolyard sweethearts had broken up.
'That's the one.' The blonde lion sounded amiably to his lab-partner. 'We ran into her and her friend Ginger at the club last night and they stuck around. Both of them are studying teaching degrees here at Mobi-U. I'm meeting up with them in the cafeteria for lunch, your welcome to join us if you want.' Lionel offered kindly but Charles immediately shook his head and quills at this idea.
'No thanks, you go ahead, I've already eaten. Is Professor Morgan in yet?' The mild-blue hedgehog replied with a smile.
'Yeh, he's in a faculty meeting at the moment. Speaking of meetings, you nervous about yours with the Mobian Council this afternoon?' Lionel asked with a hint of concern forming on his brow.
'A little..' Charles sounded, his pointed ears dipping momentarily with slight anxiety. 'I've never had to get up an demonstrate one of my inventions to such a huge crowd before. Especially not when it's filled with the best scientific minds Mobius has to offer.' Lionel clicked his tongue sympathetically at this, he would be nervous too.
'I'm sure it will be fine.' The blonde lion replied. 'Think of it as practise for when you have to do it as a fully-fledged inventor. And if it goes well today they could even nominate you for the Archimedes Grant when you graduate.' Lionel then sat down in his swivel seat, placed the coffee cup down then turned back to his unfinished blue-prints. Charles stared at his lab partner in surprise at this suggestion, it had never occurred to him that they might do this. He didn't think he had the intelligence to qualify for it. The Archimedes Grant was a lump sum of mobiums that was given to those with extraordinary intelligence to spend as they saw fit. In return the genius' were to allow their vast knowledge to aid the Kingdom of Mobius whenever they were called upon. The whole scheme had been set up a century ago by one such brilliant-Mobian Archimedes Owl. He had been an inventor at the time who wanted everyone who was as smart as him to give something back to the planet which had produced them.
'You really think that?' Charles, who had been about to unzip his backpack hovered over it still looking at his lab-partner.
'Are you kidding me Chuck?' Lionel replied with a slight hint of jest mixed with shock. 'You're the smartest Mobian I know, I definitely think you'd qualify for the grant. And if you did, you'd be the youngest Mobian ever to do so!' The blonde lion then pushed a pencil to his lips and gnawed the edge contemplating his work. Behind him Charles blinked at his lab-partner before laughing lightly at his words.
'Heh, heh, that would be something wouldn't it?' The mild-blue hedgehog then plopped himself down into his swivel seat and pulled the flat white keyboard of his Holographic-Computer-System towards him. He tapped the keys to his Mobi-U network ID and password, signing into the system. He then unzipped the front pocket of his backpack and pulled out the zip-disks he'd packed last night before exhaustion took over.
'Mmm…' Was the vaguely agreeing response Lionel hummed back as he was immersed in his designs. Charles merely shrugged as he copied a few files from the computer onto his disks as back-ups before he then opened up a saved text-file and began updating his journal. There was silence as the two of them worked on their different projects before Charles broke it.
'Mind if I put the news on the radio?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked his lab-partner who was still pouring over his designs, a slight frown of annoyance twisting his brow.
'Hmm? Oh sure, go ahead Chuck. It's always good to hear what's going on in the world outside.' Lionel replied, hoping that by taking his mind off of the kink in the design before him he might figure out a solution. Immediately Charles' white-gloved hand stretched out towards the radio near the edge of his desk and clicked the button. The little red radio came to life right away and the sound of the broadcaster, though not loud, filled the room:
'Mobotroplis is gripped as our mayoral election-candidates continue to battle it out for public support.. Mayor Whinyham finds himself under fire again from opposition young Council-elected candidate Maximillion Acorn.. Acorn claims that Whinyham's 'old-fashioned' promises are not catering for Mobotroplis' youth. The younger candidate was quoted saying: 'Get with the times old horse or Mobotroplis will put you down.'.. Strong words indeed but 'Slick-Whiny' was fast to point out Acorn's inexperience compared to his marathon twenty years in office. Whinyham hit his opponent back with: 'If the old ways aren't broken, why fix them?' With animosity brewing between these two candidates this mayoral-election proves to be the most exciting one to date. Mayor Whinyham has managed to stave off challengers before but can he do it again? Acorn may be new on the scene but his promises seem to be striking a cord with younger voters and he's gathering fast support. With the election date scheduled on the two-hundred an thirty-third day of this year and the election-statistics are the closest they've been in the last decade, it could still go either way..'
'Hey, that's Juice's seventeenth birthday..' Lionel suddenly cried out, drowning out the rest of the news bulletin. 'He'll be old enough to vote!' This was true, seventeen was the voting age in Mobius but Charles chuckled with amusement as he tried to picture his brother's face if they surprised him with a trip to the voting booth on his birthday.
'Somehow, I don't think Jules will be interested in voting.' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded as he brushed his black nose casually before his fingers returned to the keyboard.
'Your right, as usual Chuck. I think he'd kill us if we tried to make him vote on his birthday.' Lionel replied cheerfully before his blue eyes returned to his design and making a dissatisfied noise.
'Something wrong?' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded concerned as he saved his place and closed the window he'd been using.
'I can't get the calibration of energy to balance right across the board..' The blonde lion answered back in a slightly frustrated tone, finally dumping his pencil on top of his design blue-prints with fed-up sigh. Charles immediately got up from his swivel chair and headed over to his lab-partner's desk.
'Do you mind if I take a look?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked gently, wondering if he could help out in any way. Lionel glanced around as Charles appeared behind him, looking down over his shoulder at the blue-prints.
'Yeh, go ahead Chuck, I'm completely stumped.' The blonde lion put a hand to rub between his brows in a soothing manner. He really had been struggling with regulating the energy outlets of his design so they would balance evenly, a crucial factor in his invention. Charles turned his pale-blue eyes down to the blue-prints of Lionel's design and blinked. Before him sat the design of something that resembled a surf-board that floated. Despite the flaw in the design that the seventeen year old lion hadn't work out yet, the rest of it was pretty impressive. It was clearly a board designed for recreational use but this didn't surprise Charles as Lionel wanted to use technology for entertainment purposes.
'Hmmm..' The mild-blue hedgehog stroked his moustache thoughtfully as he pondered over the flat propulsion system's design. '-this is going to be tricky, isn't it? You need maximum thrust with a compact design that's not going to compromise on the aerodynamics of the board itself..' Charles mused out loud, quickly realising that they'd have to find a way to compress power stone energy into two outlet channels and balance the power evenly between the front and rear thrust boosters. Even though this was for a recreational prototype now, if he pulled this off Lionel's invention could pave the way to rethinking conventional transport forever.
'I know…' Lionel sounded with a hint of despair in his voice. '-it's been driving me mad, I just can't seem to evenly distribute energy from the power stone. It always comes through the thrust boosters unevenly. I need to find a way to fix it or the board will be on a permanent tilt, ruining the accuracy of the steering-sensors.' Charles nodded his head slowly as his mind tried to think up a solution, unfortunately he seemed to be as stumped by this as Lionel.
'You tried creating a divider?' The mild-blue hedgehog asked vaguely, trying to understand how far Lionel had gotten before getting stuck.
'Yes, that failed… miserably. It disintegrated the second the energy source came in contact with it.' The blonde lion replied. 'My conclusion is that I need to find a way to force the energy to split while it's still in the stone..' Lionel pushed his chin into his pale-yellow paw-like hand, leaning his elbow on the desk.
'That will be difficult but I don't see why it can't be done..' Charles replied earnestly, although no-one had tried to use one power stone for a multi-purpose energy source before the theory could surely work or Lionel wouldn't even be considering it.
'I'll go to the library after lunch and check out some books on the genetic make-up of power stones. If I study the stone's natural structure and energy-spike patterns perhaps it will give me an indication of how best go about the separation.' Lionel sounded, picking up his coffee mug and drinking the last of his now-cold coffee.
'Sounds like a plan..' The mild-blue hedgehog replied cheerfully to this and straightened, pulling away from Lionel's desk. 'And maybe you'll run into that girl who was helping the librarian again.' Charles added with light jesting and immediately the blonde lion flushed with embarrassment. The last time he and Charles had gone to check out books Lionel had run into the librarian's student assistant. She'd been a shy, willowy, red-haired lioness with pretty brown eyes dressed in plain clothes. When Charles had spoken to her, as Lionel was too nervous at the time, she was a veritable mine of information on both the library itself and the books it held. Her incredible knowledge only deepened Lionel's infatuation with her but he had yet to work out how to speak to her.. It was only thanks to his lab-partner that he even knew her name.
'You mean Emma?' The blonde lion tried to sound casual but since the hedgehog had already seen his blushes it was pointless trying to hide it.
'Oh. Is that her name?' Charles sounded feigning forgetfulness while his smile had a slight mocking edge to it. Lionel frowned lightly in response.
'Make fun of me all you want Chuck, but it will happen to you one day.' The blonde lion shot back with a slightly smug smile. He would love to see how Charles would deal with an infatuation of his own.
'Chance would be a fine thing..' The mild-blue hedgehog actually sighed at this. Although Charles didn't regret a single hour he'd spent cooped up inside the university science-lab he sometimes did wonder if his intelligence was holding him back. He'd always been so focused on his various projects that he'd never really had the chance to notice girls, never mind got on a date with one.
'Hey, your only turning twenty next month. Your not old yet..' The lion sounded in a comforting tone. Though he wasn't quite as smart as his older lab-partner Lionel understood the drawbacks of intelligence. The mild-blue hedgehog wandered over to the coffee machine on the opposite wall and helped himself to a fresh cup of coffee. When he turned back and headed towards his desk he threw a sympathetic smile towards his frazzled lab-partner.
'Do you fancy helping me out with a little side-project for a while?' Charles asked the blonde lion and this caused Lionel to throw him curious look.
'Sure, why not? Anything to take my mind off this for the moment..' The lion pushed his swivel seat back and turned his back on his own project, having had enough of it's madding design problem for now. His blue eyes then frowned curiously as the mild-blue hedgehog pulled the shoebox, that he had brought in with his backpack, towards him. Charles opened it and pulled out the brand-new, size eleven, brown combat boots. Lionel recognised them as an exact duplicate to the worn-down set Jules usually wore. Suddenly the blonde lion understood the nature of this 'side-project'.
'Those boots are for Juice, right?' He asked, looking for confirmation his theory more than anything.
'Yes. But the tough rubber on these boots wear out far too quickly due to the road-friction against Jules' speed.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied amiably though he frowned at the boots in a slightly contemplative manner.
'So you want to find out if we can create a rubber sole that will withstand the huge friction created when he reduces speed, right?' The lion sounded keenly with a wide smile, following his lab-partner now.
'Exactly..' Charles replied with a grin to the younger Mobian opposite.
'Well, I think we have ourselves a basic hypothesis here, I'll just jot it down.' Lionel grinned back, pulling a notepad and pencil over from his desk and scribbling down the worded scientific proposal while the older Mobian supervised this..
Professor Morgan hummed to himself as he walked down the familiar hallway of Mobotroplis University, heading in the direction of his domain, the Science and Technology department. He had just returned from the latest faculty meeting and was planning to check on his charges. The good thing about being in charge of scientific student-minds was that due to their intelligence and hunger for knowledge they were slightly more mature than the average university student. Therefore they could be trusted to get on with their projects unsupervised without getting into too much mischief. Like all teachers Professor Morgan sought only to help his students better themselves and just like others he had his favourites too. The dark-skinned Overlander with short-grey frizzy hair and kind blue eyes hidden behind rectangular spectacles, glanced in through the glass window into a Physics 101 lecture. It was being taught by a short rotund Mobian-terrier named Dr Barkenstien, who looked like he was discussing the properties of a tough metal known as mobibindum. Nate Morgan smiled to himself as everybody inside looked happy and since there was no reason to interrupt the lesson the Head of the Science and Technology department pulled away, straitening his lab-coat and continued down the hall. He checked on a few more classes before he checked out a room entitled: Independent Learning. Inside there were students studying without the aid of a teacher, finishing off projects and writing out their assignments without help. Not that they really had to look far if they needed advice from a lecturer. Satisfied that everybody seemed relaxed and comfortable Professor Morgan turned down the hallway and headed towards Science Laboratory number 2A to check on one of the new students who was fast becoming a favourite of his. Lionel Lion was only weeks into his freshman year here and he'd already caught the former-Overlander's imagination with his ideas for updating entertainment. Nate Morgan had solely focused on making the practical side of living more comfortable and convenient for Mobians everywhere but this young lion wanted to take it further in an area he'd never really given much thought. The dark-skinned Overlander had patted himself on the back for pairing him up with his greatest student Charles Hedgehog. They got on well and they made a great team..
The intelligence of this unassuming blue hedgehog had astounded even Nate Morgan at the time they first met.. He knew that rare gems like Charles must be treasured and nurtured with care. So rather than assign him to one of his colleagues Nate Morgan chose to teach Charles himself, away from others so he could hone the hedgehog's mind without distraction. As his three years in Mobotroplis University continued Charles turned from a student into a friend and recently Professor Morgan had begun to notice that now it seemed his finest student was starting to teach him. This was something that was entirely new but the old lecturer and former Minister of Science revelled in it. It made him almost sad knowing that he was graduating soon but the old professor knew that his greatest student and friend would always stay in touch. Nate had wanted to give Charles a helping hand in the right direction to fulfilling his ambition to become a famous inventor which was why he had arranged this meeting with the Mobian Council. Professor Morgan knew they would accept his idea of the ring-restraint gun, it was a device that completely encapsulated what Mobius was all about. And once Charles was gone from Mobotroplis University the former-Overlander planned to turn his attentions onto young Lionel Lion and see what he could do for him. As the old professor approached the laboratory of his two prized pupils he could here two voices coming from the other side. He smiled to himself recognising both his favourite students in a heated discussion over something. It seemed that Charles just couldn't stay away after all. Curious to see what they were discussing Professor Nate Morgan opened the door and slipped inside without either of his students noticing.
'What we really need is to see Jules' old set of boots so we can determine exactly how much of the rubber is worn off in which part of the boot..' Lionel was saying as he studied the sole of the left-side boot, taking notes on how it appeared brand-new and untouched.
'That's easy enough to obtain, I'll just keep hold of his old set.' Charles waved his gloved hand casually before writing a reminder so he wouldn't forget this.
'Perfect.' Lionel sounded cheerfully. 'We'll have to get him to agree to a brake test so we can estimate the volume of rubber that comes off his boots on asphalt roads. Have you seen the skid-marks his boots have produced? I'd estimate at least a few millimetres are eroded in one week of skidding at least.' The lion sounded with a touch of experience behind him.
'Great idea, I'll be sure to ask him later. And yeh, I think you might be right these enough brown-rubber deposit to suggest at lease a two millimetre loss..' Charles replied looking as eager as his lab-partner as they made notes under their hypothesis.
'My, my this all sounds very exciting boys..' Nate Morgan suddenly spoke, making his presence known to his students. Both Charles and Lionel turned in surprise and smiled at the old professor. 'What is it we're working on today?' The dark-skinned man smiled back kindly to them as he walked over to Charles' lab-desk were his two students had been working together.
'We're trying to see if we can develop a more robust rubber for the base of these boots, one that can withstand the fleet-footed movements of Chuck's brother.' Lionel instantly replied with a bright smile, looking eager despite his obvious tiredness.
'Ah, I see..' Murmured Morgan as he stroked his grey goatee. 'Trying to see if you can prolong the life of his boots? Very interesting..' The old professor looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke, this time to the mild-blue hedgehog.
'Tell me Charles, on average how many boots would you estimate your younger brother can run through in a year?' Professor Morgan sounded seriously in a tone that reminded the hedgehog of an old straight-talking mathematics teacher. For a second Charles, like the smart hedgehog he'd always been, was about to answer this out loud. But when he opened his mouth his jaw slackened and his eyes clouded over, the sudden realisation of what his old professor was getting at hitting home hard. For a few seconds he merely stood there completely stupefied before shaking his head of mild-blue quills and grinning manically.
'Sir.. that's genius..' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog cried out instantly and dived into his swivel seat. He then snatched the notepad and pencil away from a bemused Lionel who could only watch as the zealous hedgehog scribbled out a huge series of advanced mathematical equations, muttering as his incredible mind worked out the symbols.
'What've I missed?' Lionel blinked, still a little stunned by Charles' brainwave. Professor Morgan chuckled light-heartedly at the blonde lion.
'Well Lionel, by asking Charles how many boots his brother runs through in a year I have triggered him into calculating a mathematically estimated guess at the average loss of rubber in one erosive breaking-slide.' The old professor pulled a third white swivel-chair and sat beside Lionel to explain further. Opposite them Charles continued to mutter and work out the sums. 'You see, by using a series of averages based on what Charles knows about his brother's habits, and how many days it takes young Jules to wear down his boots before he needs to replace them. Charles can work out an educated guess, giving you boys something to work with before you can execute your experiments with Jules.' The dark-skinned man smiled as Lionel looked momentarily blown away by all this information.
'And knowing Charles, we won't have to wait long for an answer..' Professor Morgan answered as his clear blue eyes returned to his greatest student. He merely folded his arms and seemed to wait for the hedgehog to finish his calculations. The two of them sat in silence for a few more seconds as Charles' scribbling slowed down until finally, the pencil dropped. For a moment he merely sat there circling his wrist to stave of the threat of carpal tunnel before his pale blue eyes turned to his fellow scientists.
'At least zero-point-zero-three millimetres lost in one average break-slide. But that's still variable to the exact speed and distance he's moving at during his run.' Charles spoke in a weary voice, even though he'd done his sums in record time the toll of it had worn him down.
'Excellent Charles.' Professor Morgan declared brightly. 'Well it seems you like you boys have found a starting point.' The dark-skinned man checked his wristwatch and smiled brightly. 'And would you look at that, right before lunch too.'
'Lunch?' Lionel sounded with a start, double checking the time on the large wall clock of the university laboratory. 'Oh gosh, I better move if I'm gonna meet Cocoa and Ginger.' The blonde lion then pushed himself away from the table and wheeled over to his own desk, still sitting in his swivel seat. 'I'll be back at one Chuck.' Lionel pulled off his white lab-coat and pulled on a brown jacket that now sat over his green coloured polo-neck.
'See you then Lionel..' Charles waved his lab-partner off casually.
'Bye Professor.' The blonde lion called back cheerfully waving goodbye to Nate Morgan before grabbing his green backpack and disappearing out of the door. As the door swung back with a muffled bang the old professor turned to the only student left in the room.
'Why didn't you go with him Charles?' Nate Morgan sounded in a warm gentle tone of concern.
'You heard him, he's meeting up with friends..' Charles replied. '-besides, I'm really not that hungry.' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog pulled the notepad of his and Lionel's mixed notes to him, as well as the white keyboard to his Holographic-Computer-System. Using the finger-pad Charles removed the sleep-mode screensaver and opened a brand new text-file.
'Charles..' Nate drawled in the same sighing tone of sadness that made the mild-blue hedgehog want to roll his eyes.
'Don't say it. I know where this is going.' Charles responded in a dismissive manner before pulling the notepad to him and rewriting up the hypothesis for his latest side-project.
'If you know where this is going Charles then you'll understand my concerns.' Nate replied seriously and immediately the hedgehog's shoulders sagged. 'It's not good to shut yourself off from your peers like this.' The mild-blue hedgehog paused in his typing before turning back to his lecturer and friend.
'So you've been telling me for the last three years professor but with all due respect I've never had anything in common with my peers.' Charles spoke with a slight scowl before returning to his typing.
'Have you made any attempt to find common ground? Your interests must surely extend beyond science.' Nate Morgan asked curiously and once again Charles paused from his typing, this time to throw his mentor a narrow-eyed look. 'Alright, alright..' The dark-skinned man raised his hands, recognising the look for what it was really saying and holding his hands up in defeat. '-I won't pry Charles.. But you can't just sit in a laboratory and watch life pass you by, it's unhealthy. Especially for one as young as yourself.'
'I understand what your saying Professor Morgan but you don't have to worry about me.' Charles went back to finishing the work he was doing on his computer. Once he'd stopped typing he turned and smiled warmly to his mentor. 'My brother Jules would never let me remain cooped up in a laboratory for longer than a day without sticking his nose into my business.'
'Ah yes.' Nate Morgan drawled with a contemplative smile. 'Your free-spirited little brother.. How is it that in the three years you've been here Charles I have not had the pleasure of meeting him? From what you've told me he sounds like an interesting young Mobian.' The mild-blue hedgehog glanced at his mentor, 'interesting' was certainly one word to describe Jules.
'He's ages with Lionel so he was still in school for the first two years I was here. And ever since dad died we've both been so busy we've barely seen each other.' Charles responded truthfully. It had never occurred to the mild-blue hedgehog to invite Jules into the university. He had no doubts that his little brother would tag along if asked, the cobalt hedgehog never missed a chance to try and understand Charles' work. Jules may not be as smart as his brother but his high-school diploma in Engineering meant that even if he didn't understand the full scientific reasoning behind it the cobalt hedgehog could easily follow the technical side of his projects.
'I do hope I get a chance to meet him before your graduation Charles.' Professor Morgan sounded lightly and immediately Charles stroked his moustache thoughtfully.
'Well, I'm sure I could convince Jules to come here to perform the speed tests required for the side-project. After all, there isn't any asphalt in Knothole..' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled, the more he thought about it the more he liked the idea of introducing his brother to his 'home away from home'. If he showed his brother around his department in the University then Jules would be able to come onto campus and find him if he needed anything, at least until Charles graduated in in a months time.
'Wonderful..' Nate Morgan replied before his expression turned business-like. 'Now your all set for this afternoon?'
'Yes, I have everything I need in my backpack..' Charles replied before rubbing the back of his quills in a tense manner. 'Although I must admit I'm getting slightly nervous now..' He confessed as he lowered his gloved-hand again.
'Don't be.' The dark-skinned professor replied warmly. 'After I showed them your designs they were excited to meet you and get to know you better.'
'Get to know me?' Charles' blue-quilled head swivelled around to his mentor in shock. 'I thought I was only giving a demonstration?' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog spoke with genuine fear in his voice now.
'You are. But they also want to find out a little bit about the hedgehog behind the design. It's nothing for you to worry about, it's just an informal chat, nothing else..'
'Well…' Charles drawled with a casual brush of his bushy eyebrows. 'If it's just an informal chat they want, I guess I can handle that.' He sounded with an amiable smile.
'That's my student..' Nate Morgan smiled back.
The afternoon in Mobius University flew by and all too soon it was time for Charles Hedgehog and his lecturer Professor Morgan to leave for their meeting with the Mobian Council. After waving goodbye to his lab-partner Lionel, who wished him luck, the mild-blue hedgehog mounted his motorcycle with the old professor sitting in the side-car beside him. It did not take long for the pair to arrive outside the grand council building. It was a huge building decorated with ornate stone-carved designs which featured infamous and historical Mobians, tall supporting pillars holding the roof up. The tall windows were arched but not imposing against the beautiful building. On a flag poll the Mobius flag fluttered proudly. It depicted a Chaos Emerald surrounded by white, illustrating it's power, which split the flag background into four sections that were filled in with red and blue. Although he wasn't quite as patriotic as his little brother Charles still felt a swell of pride when he laid eyes on the flag.
'Ready to go inside and meet the council members?' Nate Morgan's voice pulled the mild-blue hedgehog's pale-blue eyes away from Mobius' flag and back to his lecturer who was stood beside him.
'Ready as I'll ever be.' Charles replied as he slid his fingers around the straps of his backpack, which had been on his back the whole time, smiling nervously.
'Then let's go.' The dark-skinned man said gently as he placed a hand against the backpack, guiding his student inside the building. The Mobian Council building was even more sumptuous on the inside as it's floor was part-covered by a bright blue carpet which left the high-polished floorboards at the edge on show. The curtains and drapes were in bright reds and greens, matching the colours of the Mobian flag while the walls were an almost clinical-white. There were natural stone-carved figures including Archimedes Owl and the founders of the Liberty Bill that became the principles behind the modern-Mobius way of life: Thomas Hedgehog and Alexander Acorn. The nearly twenty year old mild-blue hedgehog gazed around in wonderment at the splendid attire of the huge oval entrance hall. There was so many things to look at and so much knowledge to be gleaned that Charles senses seemed to overload before the dark-skinned man beside him spoke, breaking his concentration.
'This way Charles..' Professor Morgan sounded in a soft voice and immediately began to walk towards a huge set of doors on the left hand side. After taking one last fleeting look around the incredible entrance the mild-blue hedgehog followed his lecturer to the huge double-doors. When the dark-skinned man opened the doors it revealed a long hallway, the floor and walls matching the oval-entrance they had come from. This time however the hall was lined with stone busts of infamous Mobian Council members including Nate Morgan himself, leading up to another set of doors at the other end. As the two of the arrived at the identical dark-wood doors with brass-like handles Nate turned to his brightest student.
'Here..' Professor Morgan sounded, suddenly unzipping Charles' backpack and pulling out his white lab-coat, which he'd stuffed in there so it wouldn't get dirty on the motorbike ride over. '-put this on.' The mild-blue hedgehog allowed his lecturer to take his backpack as he put on his lab-coat. 'Don't be nervous Charles. Inside this room there are only Mobians who have dedicated their lives to make ours better. They are no different from us.' The nearly twenty year old hedgehog looked up at Professor Morgan with in his pale-blue eyes. His nerves had kept him quiet ever since he entered the building and for the first time since entering the Mobian Council building Charles spoke.
'Thanks Professor, I'll try to bear that in mind.' The mild-blue hedgehog smiled grateful for these words. At this moment they'd been just what he needed to hear.
'Shall we?' Professor Nate Morgan smiled back, still holding onto Charles' backpack. At these words a steely resolve of determination swept over the young hedgehog. He was ready to face this challenge head on.
'Let's do it.' Charles declared unwaveringly as he formed momentary fists to punctuate his words. The dark-skinned man beside him then raised his hand to the nearest door and pushed it open, allowing Charles to enter the room first..
The Mobian Council of Ministers were nowhere near as stern or intimidating as Charles had pictured, in fact they were exactly as Professor Nate had said they were. A normal group of Mobians. When the nine council members first laid eyes on the young hedgehog, who entered with their esteemed former Minister of Science Nate Morgan, they smiled warmly hoping to put this young Mobian at ease. From the design specks that Professor Morgan had shown them and what he'd told them of this student's intelligence and aptitude they were keen to see him for themselves. It soon became abundantly clear to the nine council members that the former-minister Nate Morgan had been absolutely right about Charles Hedgehog. All nine sets of eyes widened as the mild-blue hedgehog whipped out his ring-restraint gun. With it's impressive technology and renewable power-cells it came across as an incredible piece of kit. They listened carefully as Charles clearly explained his reasons for inventing such a device and how the same principles behind siphoning energy from Chaos Emeralds to create Power Rings was used to create the glowing blue ring-manacles from less-volatile power stones.
'As you can see, the rings form a tough and secure barrier making it virtually impossible for the captive party to escape..' Charles was saying confidently, now that he had relaxed considerably in the company of the ministers in front of him. The hedgehog smiled at his aging mentor who'd agreed to be used as a target for the demonstration, right now he was struggling with the restraints to show they're durability. 'Then to release my captive all I do is slide this button backwards..' Charles switched the ring gun to 'recall' and pulled back the rings from around his mentor's wrists. After demonstrating that it could also be used on far away targets and to impede moving targets as well Charles Hedgehog removed the restraint-rings for the final time and assisted Professor Morgan to his feet, as he'd been sprawled out on the floor after tripping due to the rings around his ankles.
'This is most impressive young Hedgehog. What a marvellous device you have managed to conjure up.' The current Minister of Science said. He was a kindly smiling white and brown tawny-owl who happened to be a descendant of the late Archimedes Owl. 'And I'm sure my fellow ministers agree with me when I say, it is rare to see such brilliance displayed from one as young as yourself.' There was a murmur of agreement from the other eight ministers around them. For a moment the group of Mobian Council Ministers began to mutter in a moment of silent discussion before their attention turned back to the nearly twenty year old blue hedgehog in front of them.
'We would be happy to allow these devices to be used in Mobian society..' The Minister of Science spoke again, taking the lead as this was science they were discussing.
'You would?' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded, stunned but pleased that they approved of his invention. 'Thank you sir, thank you very much.' His voice was slightly breathless now as he stepped forwards and shook the Mobian tawny-owl by his feathered hand.
'Not at all, young hedgehog. You have earned this..' The Minister of Science let go of the young hedgehog's gloved-hand. 'But indulge an old bird's curiosity for a moment, when was the last time your IQ was tested?' Clearly this was the Mobian Minister of Defence talking.
'Oh..' Charles blinked confused, trying to remember this but drawing a blank. Fortunately he was saved from answering by his lecturer who was stood a little behind him.
'Charles has not received an IQ test since arriving at Mobotroplis University three years ago. The results can be found in his permanent record, but I imagine if you are asking you will want to administer a test of your own.' Nate Morgan spoke clearly to his successor and the current Minister of Science threw him a smile. The dark-skinned man had a feeling he knew where this was heading even though Charles still looked bemused.
'I would indeed. If, of course, our young friend here is willing to be tested.' The tawny-owl smiled down at the mild-blue hedgehog and Charles instantly glanced back to his lecturer and friend. Professor Morgan threw him a reassuring smile along with a gesture indicating he should answer the Minister of Science.
'I guess I don't mind taking an IQ test, but can I ask why you want me to take one?' Charles' focus returned to the brown and white tawny owl seated before him. His voice sounded more confident than he felt right now. Immediately the Minister of Science beamed widely at the mild-blue hedgehog in front of him.
'Yes. You can. That's the beauty of science my boy, you can ask as many questions as you like.' The tawny owl then continued in a slightly more serious tone. 'I wonder, have you heard of the Archimedes Grant young Hedgehog?' Immediately this caused Charles' brushy blue brows to raise slightly.
'Yes sir, I have but surely I'm too young to receive such an honour-' Charles began before the Minister of Science cut him off.
'Nonsense.' The tawny owl shook his head roughly. 'My great-grandfather's grant was created for those with high intelligence who wish to give a little something back to Mobius. Your age has nothing to do with this whatsoever, though if you did qualify you would be the youngest Mobian ever to do so.' He added the last piece matter-of-factly, still smiling at the hedgehog in front of him.
'Who will be administering the test to me?' Charles couldn't help but be curious about the IQ test now.
'I will be of course.' The tawny owl replied with a smile before he pulled a little black diary out of his own lab-coat pocket and opened it to the date. 'We'll schedule the IQ test for ten o'clock next week, how does that sound? I'll bring everything necessary with me to the university. That way we can do it somewhere where you feel comfortable and secure.' The Minister of Science's pen hovered over the time-slot as his big round yellow eyes turned to Charles.
'Ten o'clock next week?' The mild-blue hedgehog mused over this to himself, wondering why it sounded as if something else was happening that day. Then it hit him, Jules' physical try-outs for the Royal Guard were on that day, at the exact same time too!
'Is this a bad time?' The tawny owl's voice washed over Charles and he blinked, realising he must've spoke out loud.
'No. No. Ten next week is fine.' The mild-blue hedgehog sounded with a hint of awkwardness as he rubbed the back of his head-quills. He really had to stop muttering his thoughts aloud.
'Wonderful!' The tawny owl cried out pleased, pencilling in the appointment then and there. 'I will be able to determine whether or not you qualify for the Archimedes Grant once I have scored your IQ. It's been a pleasure meeting you young Hedgehog..' He them turned to Nate Morgan adding, '-and it was good seeing you again Professor Morgan.'
'Likewise Professor Owl..' The dark-skinned man shook hands with his successor smiling. 'We'll just show ourselves out..' The council members then bid them goodbye and good luck for the following week and both Charles and Nate Morgan left the Mobian Council building.
'Sir?' Charles sounded curiously as he stuffed his lab-coat back inside his backpack before slinging it around his shoulders again, causing his back-quills to bend sideways so it sat flush with his back.
'Yes Charles..' Nate Morgan replied cheerfully as he settled himself back inside the side-car of the motorcycle.
'You were once Minister of Science, right?' Charles asked as he climbed back onto his motorbike, sitting astride it with the stand still in place so it wouldn't move.
'I was indeed.' The Head of Science and Technology at Mobotroplis University sounded with an amiable smile. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
'So you know what's going to be involved with this IQ test I'll be taking.' The hedgehog asked carefully.
'Yes Charles but I cannot reveal anything to you.' Nate replied with a slight hint of sorrow in his voice. The mild-blue Hedgehog gazed at his lecturer for a moment before the old professor continued. 'It would be unethical of me to do so. This test is merely to determine how much information you have naturally managed to store away in your mind. There's no need to study for this particular test Charles, the answers are already locked away in here..' He tapped his temple to illustrate his point. '-you merely have to find them for yourself.'
'Oh.' Charles responded looking a little embarrassed for asking now.
'I will give you some advice though.' Professor Morgan said in a kind voice causing the mild-blue hedgehog to suddenly look curious once more. 'Don't worry about it. Use the days from now until your test to relax and get plenty of rest. Your going to need it.' The dark-skinned man chuckled good-naturedly as the two of them set off back towards Mobotroplis University.
The early summer sun was just beginning to set when Charles finally drove back into the Great Forest and into Knothole. The sky was now a soft orange colour the sun was sitting low on the western horizon while the huge redwoods of the forest around him created shadows as the sunlight streamed through gaps between the trees. As the Hedgehog family home came into sight Charles could see clean washing hanging out on the line outside, proving Jules had done the laundry like the note on the fridge had said. He just hadn't taken it in yet and it was going to be dark soon. Once Charles had parked his motorcycle he headed out to gather in the washing, wondering what had caused his little brother to forget about it. Without the drone of his motorbike the answer became clear as he stepped outside. He could hear the faint strings of Jules' guitar playing, coming from somewhere around the back of their log cabin. Momentarily forgetting about the washing Charles headed around the back of their home, following the gentle strumming of acoustic guitar music. It did not take long for the mild-blue hedgehog to find his cobalt little brother. Jules was lounging lazily on a wide branch around ten feet up the large nearest tree. The sixteen year old cobalt hedgehog was soaking up the waning sun with his eyes shut while his fingers languidly plucked on the white strings of his deep red acoustic guitar.
'Jules..' Charles called up the tree towards his brother and this caused one of Jules' warm hazel eyes to open a little and glance lazily down.
'Hey Charlie..' He replied airily, continuing to strum his serene tune. 'How'd it go?'
'Great. But I'll tell you about it if you help me take in the washing before it gets dark.' Charles called back up with a slight smirk, predicting how his brother would respond.
…Twang!
Jules' eyes widened as he straightened in shock, his strumming coming an abrupt halt.
'Oh yeh..' He drawled sheepishly, suddenly remembering about the washing that had just been abandoned on the clothes-line. 'Sorry bro, guess I forget about that.' Immediately the cobalt teen swiftly reattached the black arm-strap of his guitar and slung it around his shoulder so the instrument lay alongside his back-quills. He then edged to the wide trunk and slid down the tree, jumping off at the last second before touchdown and landing on the ground beside his brother.
'My bad.' The cobalt hedgehog sounded the moment he faced Charles but rather than be annoyed the older brother merely smiled wearily.
'Ah, it doesn't matter. Let's just get it in before the sun disappears.' The mild-blue hedgehog replied. It didn't take the two brothers long to pull in their clean laundry inside.
'So what did the Mobian Council say?' Jules asked, carrying the laundry basket as his older brother led him into the living room where they began folding their clothes.
'They liked it. Said they 'would be happy' for Mobius to use it.' Charles replied as he hung his clean spare lab-coat on a coat-hanger.
'What does that mean?' The cobalt hedgehog frowned in bemusement at his older brother.
'I dunno, to be honest I think they were more interested in me than my ring-restraint gun.' Charles moved onto rolling the white sport-socks into pairs and splitting the pile between them.
'Really? What makes you say that?' Jules blinked, pausing as he picked up one of his red vests.
'The Minister of Science wanted to know if I'd ever had my IQ tested which I haven't had done since the start of my freshman year.' At Charles' words the younger hedgehog's brows contracted with intrigue. 'Then he asked me if I would be prepared to under go an IQ test to determine whether or not I could qualify for the Archimedes Grant.'
'The Archimedes Grant?' If Jules had been confused before he was completely lost now. Charles chuckled lightly at his brother's confused face, he wasn't surprised that his little brother didn't know what the Archimedes Grant was.
'Its this scheme where the Mobian government give those with the highest IQ a lump sum of mobiums to spend as they wish but in return they must repay the Kingdom of Mobius with their intelligence.' The mild-blue hedgehog explained the grant-scheme to his younger sibling.
'Wow. That is pretty cool. So when do you take this test?' Jules said with a smile, impressed that there was even such a scheme but from his brother's perspective it did sound exciting.
'Funnily enough it's scheduled at the exact same time you have to go in for your try-outs with the Royal Guard.' Charles said with a smile as they finished off folding their laundry.
'Well that's great Charlie..' Jules grinned widely to his older brother causing Charles' smile to widen. 'Now I don't have to worry about being late.' The cobalt hedgehog threw his older brother a thumbs up sign before picking up his laundry pile and heading off to his room, his guitar still resting against his back comfortably. Immediately Charles sighed heavily as his eyes rolled upwards then watched his little brother leave with jaded expression.
'Urh, some things are never going to change..' The mild-blue hedgehog shook his head lightly before picking up his pile, heading to his own room. He silently wondered if Jules was actually going to put his clothes away or just dump them on his chest of drawers like usual.
Little Notes:
Ok, I'm coming to the conclusion that chapters in this story are going to have to be three times longer than any of my previous stories just so I can fit all the details I want in. I've resigned to the fact that this will probably be a long fic but I will be doing some time jumping to pass a few years as I can't write everything. I'm trying to get this story well established by chap10 so I can introduce the main arc… but we'll see.
I really want to try and explore the brotherly relationship between Jules and Charles, in the comics they seemed pretty close but there really was no real sense of sibling behaviour (like pointless arguing or slight irritation of sibling habits, or even sibling rivalry.. which doesn't die BELIEVE ME!) apart from one or two minor tiffs the two don't really interact much in a sibling manner. There's probably going to be a lot of it from the point of view of Charles, as an oldest sibling I can really identify with the irritation and slight burdens of having a younger sibling (yes, I said burdens… it's an older-sibling thing) though there are good points too which will come out.
Anyway stay tuned..
~Ditzy x