-Chapter 75-
Two Week Notice
Station Square
The next day found Chris and Keith arriving at school as usual. They met up with Hope, all three of them heading inside. Several of their classmates were staring, whispering to each other.
"Chris! Keith! Hope!" came Helen's voice. "Over here!"
They looked up to see her with Danny and Frances, immediately making a beeline for them. The group walked a good distance away before Helen whirled on Chris, nearly falling out of her chair to hug him in relief. Chris returned the hug in kind.
"I've been so worried!" Helen let out. "I'm so glad you're alright!"
"So am I." Chris pulled back before his eyes widened. "Crap… we had that date to the movies last week, didn't we?"
"I'm not surprised you forgot," Helen admitted.
"Maybe we can make up for it tonight?" Chris suggested.
"Will your parents even let you out of the house?" Helen asked.
Chris was silent for a moment. "Maybe you could come over?"
Helen smiled. "Sounds perfect."
It was at that moment Hope nudged the boys. She pointed, and the two saw Mr. Stewart approaching.
"Mr. Teacher-Spy at 12 o'clock," she informed them.
Mr. Stewart walked up, smiling at the three.
"Hope. Keith. Chris," he greeted. "Good to have you back."
"Good to be back," Keith replied.
"Why don't we go to one of the staff meeting rooms?" Stewart suggested. "I'd like to talk to the three of you in private."
Chris nodded, and they followed him to said room. Once they were inside, the four of them all sat down and Stewart dropped the teacher façade.
"I've been asked to debrief you on what happened with Robotnik," he explained.
"There's not much to say," Hope replied. "We were locked up on his new Death Egg and put to work on his Badnik assembly line."
"He never hurt you?" Stewart asked.
"Nothing worse than a taser," Keith answered.
"We were on there for about nine days, give or take," Chris added. "Sonic was chasing the ship the whole time."
"Then five days hiking back to Knothole," Hope included. "After which we raided Robotropolis to save Princess Sally from Eggman."
"After that, we went straight home," Chris went on.
"Only to find later that the Sally we saved was some robo double," Keith concluded.
"I see," Stewart mused. "And the real princess?"
"Sonic eventually caught on to the switch and got her back," said Hope.
"That's good to hear," Stewart said.
"Anything else you need to know?" Keith questioned.
"Actually, yes," Stewart replied. "Where is Miss Winters?"
"She's fine," Chris assured him. "Staying home for a while to recuperate. Being trapped on the new Death Egg was... really stressful for her."
"Understandable," Stewart remarked. "I'll make sure to note that on the attendance sheet. Now, is there anything else I should know about?"
For a moment, the boys considered telling him about what they heard about Sonic, but soon decided against it.
"No, that's about it," Chris replied.
"Alright then," Stewart decided. "You three run on to class. And if there's anything you need, just ask."
The trio stood up, departing the room. Once they were out of earshot, Hope turned to them.
"We're not telling him about-" she began.
"Sonic's personal issues are on a need-to-know basis, Hope," Keith told her. "Meaning we don't breathe a word of it to anybody outside of the Freedom Fighters."
"Honestly, we shouldn't have told you, but we did," Chris admitted. "But Mr. Stewart doesn't need to know."
Hope nodded solemnly. "You're right. Sonic needs time to help himself, to heal. He'll never be able to do that if GUN starts viewing him as a potential threat."
"Exactly," said Keith.
They began heading for class, taking their seats in the back row. Chris glanced out the window, giving a small sigh.
Hope you're doing better today, Sonic.
Meanwhile, in town, Sonic was walking around, killing time before his first therapy appointment. After a minute, he looked down at his hoodie, wincing before deciding it was time for an update.
"Hope Honey's got something for me," he mused. "And who knows, maybe a change of clothes will do me some good."
With that, he ran over to Honey Clothing. There, he saw Honey measuring outfits with Undina's help. The two looked up as Sonic entered.
"Sonic, darling!" Undina greeted. "Good to see- Oh my! Honey, look at this!"
Honey looked at him, seeing the worn hoodie, its front pocket in tatters.
"Wow," she let out. "Your latest fight with Robotnik got pretty hectic, eh?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Sonic confirmed. "I could really use some new threads."
"Say no more," Honey said with a smile. "I'll be right back, Deena."
Honey pulled Sonic into a dressing room, showing him a few outfits she had for him. Sonic looked them over, then saw an outfit that consisted of a black pair of pants, a dark blue undershirt, and a black jacket with red undertones and the "Sonic Boom" label on the lapel. He picked it up, putting it on before coming out to show Honey.
"Huh," Honey managed. "I will admit, I didn't expect you to go with that one. It's… well, how do I put it…"
"A bit grim and gritty for me?" Sonic offered.
"To put it bluntly," Honey confessed. "Honestly, I was going to say dark and gothic, but that works too."
"Let's just say I've had to face my own darkness and it... didn't end well," Sonic admitted. "I'm not in a good place right now, Honey. I came here partially to kill time before a therapy session."
Honey's face became sympathetic as she sat down next to him.
"Don't feel bad," she told him. "Everyone needs help sometimes, even heroes. I know I'm no therapist, but if you want to talk to me, you can."
After a moment, Sonic sighed.
"Sometimes it's... all too much," he admitted. "I kept my problems to myself, didn't want to admit I needed help. So many people look up to me, count on me. But I'm just one hedgehog. Heck, I'm only sixteen." He let out a mirthless chuckle. " I always thought that a hero may be just as weak or scared or doubtful as anyone else, but he isn't allowed to show it. People say they want heroes to be just like them, but I don't think so. People want heroes to act the way people wish they could act themselves. My friends don't want me to give them permission to be scared. They want me to help them to be brave."
"Sonic, you know I adore you, but that's a load of Picky (1) crap," Honey said bluntly.
Sonic blinked in surprise.
"Being a hero doesn't mean you bottle up your emotions and act like a machine 24/7," Honey went on. "You're allowed to be afraid, you're allowed to be angry, and you're allowed to be sad. You're only Mobian. And to be honest, after what happened to your uncle Chuck, it's amazing you've held out as long as you have."
"So I've been told," Sonic remarked.
"Sonic, darling," Undina cut in, "stop trying to carry all of Mobius on your shoulders. You'll just break your back."
"Deena's right," Honey agreed. "If you ask me, a big part of the problem is that you spend so much time trying to save everyone else, to be the hero that everyone expects you to be, that you don't get a chance to relax. You've got plenty of friends who are more than capable of fighting the good fight, so let them take over and help you for a change."
"Right," Sonic glanced at the clock, his eyes going wide. "Uh-oh, it's almost time. I gotta run. Thanks for everything."
"Hey, no big deal," Honey said with a smile. "We're friends, aren't we?"
Sonic smirked in response before running out.
Angel Island
Up on Angel Island, Knuckles was on guard duty, sitting before the Master Emerald. Kat was laying down on her bed, having fallen asleep while bathing in the rays of the Master Emerald to heal. Lara was tending to her wounds as Locke spoke with his son.
"You can't be serious about this, Knuckles," the older Echidna insisted. "It's unheard of."
"Dead serious," Knuckles confirmed. "Is there really a rule that says a Guardian strictly has to be an Echidna? No."
"I have been rather lenient with Kathryn's presence on the island," Locke said, "as well as your trips to the surface, despite your extended absences. But on this, I put my foot down."
"This is not your choice, Dad," Knuckles said firmly. "It's mine."
"She cannot be a Guardian!" Locke insisted. "She has no connection to the Master Emerald!"
"Oh, yes she does," Knuckles shot back. "She can sense Chaos Emeralds like me, and she's been granted enhanced physical abilities like me."
Locke scoffed. "Ludicrous."
"She's spent months on the island near the Emerald," Knuckles pointed out. "The Chaos energy has affected her. I have no reason to lie to you about this."
"A few months can't forge a connection," Locke insisted.
As this is going on, Kat began stirring on her cot, seemingly caught in the throngs of a nightmare. She groaned and shuddered, the Emerald beginning to glow and letting out a low hum. Not noticing yet, Knuckles scowled.
"You know what, Dad? All this time, everything you've seen, and you still haven't changed. You're still a bitter, selfish old man set in your old ways who only cares about himself! No wonder Mom ended things with you years ago."
Locke was left in shock, but before they could continue the argument, the Emerald's glow finally caught their attention. They looked to see Lara attempting to rouse the sleeping Kat, who was shivering violently as she curled into a ball.
"No… please…" she let out, "no more…"
Knuckles went over, placing a hand on her. "Kat, wake up! It's just a dream!"
Green light seemed to swirl off of the Emerald, slowly washing over Kat. Her shivering slowly stopped and her body relaxed. She calmed down and the Emerald ceased glowing. Locke looked between Kat and the Master Emerald multiple times, as if not believing what he was seeing.
"Been awhile since that happened," Knuckles gently brushed some hair from her face, then turned to his father. "Believe me now?"
"This… shouldn't be possible," Locke insisted, dumbstruck. "It reacted to her... It reached out to her… How... why...?"
"I don't know, but it accepts her," Knuckles replied. "If you won't take my word, trust the Master Emerald. It clearly has better judgement than you."
Though he clearly had some reservations, Locke sighed.
"It seems the Emerald has spoken," he said. "Very well, you can begin her training. But, she will be your responsibility. And she will respect all of our traditions and laws."
Lara let out a cough.
"Within reason, of course," Locke amended, getting a nod.
"I think we can work with that," Knuckles conceded.
Station Square
Meanwhile, Sonic was seated in the waiting room of the local psychiatric center. Nearby, a glass door read "Dr. S. Sorders, Psychiatrist". After a few minutes, the door opened, revealing the head of a female Mobian stork.
"Sonic the Hedgehog?" she called.
Sonic perked. "That's me."
"Welcome, I'm Dr. Sorders," she greeted. "Come on in."
Sonic entered, kicking back on the couch as Dr. Sorders took her seat.
"I imagine this is your first time in therapy," she mused.
"You'd be right," Sonic confirmed.
"Well, why don't we start out with something simple?" Dr. Sorders offered. "Why did you come here today?"
Sonic sighed. "I... haven't been in the best place for months now."
"And why is that?"
"Well, it all started when Dr. Robotnik made his first play on South Island…"
Robotropolis
Robotnik was in the lab, putting the finishing touches on Metal.
"Almost done, and…" He made one final adjustment and Metal turned back on.
"Yes!" Eggatha cheered. "He's finally back!"
"His systems needed to be readjusted for the smaller power supply," Robotnik explained.
Metal sat up, looking at Robotnik as the doctor crossed his arms.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Metal," he told him bluntly.
Metal looked surprised, having never been scolded before.
"You failed to stop Sonic yet again, you lost the Fregosi Sapphire, and you completely destroyed the Sky Fortress," Robotnik went on. "Any lesser robot would have been scrapped for less."
"I didn't do that!" Metal objected. "Sonic stole the Chaos Emerald powering the fortress!"
"After you crashed into it," Robotnik pointed out.
"Well, what'd you expect?" Metal defended. "I've never flown a plane before."
"No, you were so focused on trying to shoot down Sonic's plane that you weren't paying attention," Robotnik retorted. "As punishment, you'll be on maintenance duty for the next two weeks."
"What?!" Metal demanded. "But I can kill him! Just give me another chance!"
"Metal…"
Robotnik's eyebrows furrowed, growing angry. Metal lowered his head in resignation.
"Yes… sir."
"Good boy," Robotnik replied. "Report to Agatha's lab. You'll be in charge of keeping it in pristine condition."
"Just her lab?" Metal asked.
"Yes, I have another maintenance drone for the rest of the citadel," Robotnik told him. "SNIVELY!"
Snively came in at that. He was in chains and was wearing a janitors uniform, the word "GROUNDED" across his back.
"The lab is a mess," Robotnik informed him. "Deep clean it top to bottom."
"I shouldn't have to lower myself to such manual labor," Snively griped. "What could be more humiliating?"
Robotnik grinned. "Wearing this hat while you do it."
He pulled out a fashionable-looking woman's bonnet decorated with flowers, tossing it to him. Snively signed in resignation before putting it on.
"...Well, I did ask."
Eggatha took a picture of Snively on her phone, laughing. Snively just grumbled indignantly before getting to work.
Station Square
At Dr. Sorders' office, Sonic was finishing his story.
"...And I just… lost myself. Longclaw had to stop me, and even then, I still took his hand. And since then... I've just felt this... darkness inside me. I tried to push it down, ignore it, but recent events have taught me that's not an option."
"Absolutely not," Dr. Sorders agreed. "Repressing your feelings is never good. You do that, and they'll just build up."
She picked up a can of soda she had offered him, holding it out. "Imagine this contains all of your negative feelings. If you let them out slowly…" She popped it open. "Then everything's okay. No fuss, no mess. But…" She picked up another can, shaking it. "If you allow the pressure to build up and compress, eventually it will become too much."
She held it over a napkin and opened it, the contents spilling out and making a big mess.
"I get what you're saying," Sonic said, "But what happens when those negative feelings cause people to get hurt? People I care about?"
"Hurt as in physically? Or emotionally?"
Sonic shrugged. "Pick one."
"Then you must trust your friends to forgive you," Dr. Sorders told him. "To help you. To understand."
"Right…" Sonic nodded, Honey's words about letting his friends help him echoing in his mind. "Right."
Knothole
After the session, Sonic returned home. He walked in, seeing Tails in his workshop, working on his latest creation: the Tornado 2.
"Looking good, Tails," he greeted.
"Thanks," Tails replied, smiling. "Love the new duds, by the way."
"Thanks," Sonic answered.
"So, how'd it go?"
"Not sure yet," Sonic admitted. "She gave me a lot to think about. And some things to help."
He pulled a blue fidget spinner out of one pocket and a stress ball with Robotnik's face drawn on it in Sharpie from the other.
"Stress relief toys, eh?" Tails pondered.
"Yep," Sonic replied. "The fidget spinner's for every day. Stress ball's for when I'm out heroing."
"Well, I say they work," Tails remarked.
"I just hope they'll be enough," Sonic said.
"Hey, they will be," Tails promised. "Plus, you have us, remember? Everyone here has your back."
"That's what Honey told me," Sonic recalled, stretching. "Well, my next session's scheduled for next Friday. For now, it's time to kick back."
"Agreed," Tails said. "Just rest and take it easy. It's long overdue."
Sonic nodded before heading for his shack, peacefully kicking back on the hammock and twirling the fidget spinner in his hand with a smile.
Isolated Island
Elsewhere, in a distant part of the Acorn Archipelago was an old, abandoned island simply referred to as the Isolated Island. A rather unassuming place, were it not for the Lake of Rings in the center of the island which had been under extensive study by a local scientist who had taken residence. The scientist was out, doing his usual study of the lake as he glanced at his watch.
"And three… two… one…" he counted down.
The lake spat out a ring. Surprisingly, the ring was a deep red, and seemed to have a small star pattern in the center of it. The scientist gaped.
"Astounding…" he let out before pulling a recorder from his coat, turning it on. "Log 687: the Red Star Rings have shown no signs of slowed production. I believe that the Chaos Force has permanently influenced the power of the Lake, creating an all new Power Ring. With this, my research will be taken to the next level."
At that moment, he heard a bizarre whirring, buzzing sound. He looked around in confusion as black and red pixels began to slowly appear. Then, with a noise that sounded like feedback on a speaker, a black and red tear opened in the sky. Bizarre cloaked figures, each with a cybernetic body part, slowly appeared. The scientist's eyes widened before he decided to retreat back to his lab. They took in their surroundings, confused before realizing they were back on Mobius and cheering.
"Finally!" one of them cheered, their voice feminine. "We're free of that accursed Twilight Cage!"
"Seven years we rotted in that forsaken hellhole," another, the leader of the group, grumbled. "But now, we will rise up and reclaim what is rightfully ours! Once again, we of the Dark Legion are free to smite the world as we did in days long past! Angel Island's days are numbered!"
More cheers sounded before they got to work evaluating their situation and surroundings…
Author's Note:
(1): One of the Animal friends Sonic rescues. The little pig.
Yep, that's right! The Dark Legion from Archie has arrived! Which means the next arc will be Knuckles-centric, giving Sonic time to unwind and relax.
Dr. Sorders is from Sonic the Comic, just FYI. She was originally a hypnotherapist. I tweaked that here, since that's not what Sonic needs.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Dr. Sorders - Susan Sarandon
Please R&R. Until next time!
