Chapter 4: Back In the Lab
Back in Silver's house, Chuck was busy gathering some materials outside from the villagers as Silver turned on her computer. The atmosphere was as thick as jelly as she tried to figure out how to locate them. Eggman's machine was plugged into her computer, but she just couldn't use anything from it now.
"This is useless! All the files are broken! It'll take days to restore them."
She heard a knock at the door. "Silver? I got everything I could."
Silver leapt off of her chair and opened the door. "Thanks, Chuck."
He sped in, and looked around. Silver had all the lights dimmed which meant she was stressed. "You need to take a break. Maybe then you'll be able to–"
"Chuck, no thanks. I need to fix this… But how? I can't locate them… need to think harder… must be a way…"
Chuck also tried to think of a way. He may not have been perfect, and not the smartest, but he had a genius idea. SO genius, that it just might work. "How about yo–"
"No, Chuck, it's ok, you just go outside and do something." Silver was back inside her computer, furiously typing away.
"But, I have an idea," he said, quieter than usual.
"It's ok, Chuck. I'll figure it out."
"Come on, give me a chance! I might just have the solution!" He looked at her hopefully. She didn't return the look, or even hear him.
"Ok, that's it." Chuck whizzed behind her and put her computer to sleep. He turned her chair around so it faced him.
"Hey, I was busy!" she shouted, but he was having none of it.
"Look, I understand you're the genius here. That's perfectly fine. But you're treating me like a spare tyre. I am your brother, Silver. I may not be as intelligent as you are, but that doesn't mean I don't have ideas. I want to help."
"I 100% understand, but I know what I'm trying to do." She turned back to her desk, but Chuck stopped her.
"You're doing it again!" Chuck sighed. "Look, right now, you're stressed. I understand. But you keep leaving me on the side. Lately, you've just been ignoring me a bit. The Silver I know would have listened to anyone's ideas."
"SO what if I've changed? SO what if I'm stressed? I decided to skip grades just to get to where I am now, and they start bombarding me with work, then presentations, and if that isn't enough, people ask me to help them when I never get any help! EVER! And now my own brother wants to try to help. Well, it's too late!" Silver took a few breaths. Her throat ached after her ranting, and only too late did she realise the words she had released on Chuck.
"Oh. Ok. I-I'll go now. Sorry for not helping." Chuck gave her a small smile of hope, but internally, he was broken into a thousand pieces.
"Oh, Chuck, I didn't mean it. I was just… angry." She looked down and started stroking her pigtails. "I'm sorry if I haven't been giving you much time lately. I suppose I got too caught up with my school life."
"No, no, it's ok, I'll just go now…"
"Wait!" She stopped her brother at the door. "I understand if you're mad at me and want to leave, but please. Tell me your idea, at least?"
He looked up at her and said, "Your inventions will save the day again. You will. I know it, sis. But for now, I'm gonna go for a break. I'll be back later, ok?"
"Wait–" It was too late. Chuck was already out of the door, zooming across the island. Silver closed the door, and sat back at her desk. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She started sobbing on her desk. It went on for a countless amount of time, before she finished. Sniffing, she made a promise to balance her life more, and spend more time with her family.
She turned her computer on and stared at the screen. Chuck's words came back to her head.
"Your inventions will save the day again. You will. I know it, sis."
"Your inventions will save the day again."
She had an idea.
A/N: This chapter was a bit of a try-and-miss, but who knows? Maybe it's a gold moment that's never been considered. If not, I'm thinking about a remake of this, but it hasn't been here long enough. Comment if you think I should anyways!