The cold air kissed Silver's body as he flew between the metal spires of Halyceon. Neon lights refracted off his body. White melded into the cityscape. Green. Pink. Purple. Red. But cyan most of all. It swarmed him, spun and twisted around his body as he defied gravity. The beautiful metal, the steel streets, the blinding lights; all swarmed him as he gracefully cut through the blazing steel. Golden eyes searched the dizzying city for the origin of the explosion. The expanse of the city growing with every second.
His gaze took him heavenward as the smoke revealed a gaping hole that allowed the beacon of sun to cast its light down onto the perpetually darkened city. The people's screams and hurried footsteps growing louder with each second. For a moment, Silver's eyes caught the blue blur running across platforms and metal outcrops. Gliding past the people on the streets, jumping from platform to platform, as he sped through the city without a care in the world. Millions of colors sped through him, the same as Silver. The neon sticking to the blur he left behind. Eyes searching for their nemesis.
The buzz of police sirens filled the air. No one had noticed the two hedgehogs, too preoccupied with the assault on their city and the mounting injuries left in Eggman's wake.
Carefully, Silver neared Sonic as he coursed through the city. He kept the speed as he floated beside Sonic, feeling the wind course through him. A finger twirled to pull the hedgehog gently with his powers. Sonic's eyes widened, passing a glance towards Silver. A smirk was replaced as Silver's hand beckoned him forward into the unknown. With Sonic's full force, he took a leap off the building. Breathless, he caught himself as Silver's powers provided a safety net for him to run to another building. The motion was fluid, neither of them broke a sweat.
Sonic's eyes caught the sight of Eggman's robot. With a hand, he blew a whistle to catch Silver's attention. "Yo, Silver!" Sonic waved his hand as he came to an abrupt stop a top a building. Silver blinked as he searched for Sonic, taking a moment to spot the blue blur in the chaos. When eyes laid on his companion, Sonic tossed a finger backwards towards the gleam of machine that looked foreign to the city around them.
The two of them wasted no time as they rushed towards Eggman. Gliding and skidding across the beautiful metal. The colors soaking into them.
Sonic was the first to reach Eggman. He landed gracefully on the same large rooftop as the machine. It was the same one that Eggman had used to control Silver's powers. But instead of the gleaming 'ultimate weapon' that Eggman had coined before, it was now a crumpled mass of what used to be a machine. Whatever power's Silver had used to transport them to the future must have overloaded the machine's mechanism, providing a now useless robot.
Useless for its intended purpose, at least.
"What's up, Egghead?" he gave a smirk as he stretched his arms out. It seemed forever since he had run like that.
The doctor looked more than preoccupied, perhaps even confused, at the landscape surrounding him. Mouth was agape as he kept staring at the wonderous city that laid before him, completely foreign to his eyes. When eyes caught the hedgehog, he drew back in shock, then fury overtook him. "Sonic!" he exclaimed in an almost accusatory manner. "You meddling hedgehog. What have you done to my laboratory!?"
Sonic looked at Eggman confused. "Laboratory?" he repeated. Eyes swept the city he had just ran through. Spot lights twirling around them. "What are you even talking about?"
"My laboratory!" Eggman fumed. "There used to be one, right here." To make a point, Eggman motioned towards the city that surrounded them. "What sort of trick are you trying to play on me?"
Sonic stood speechless for a moment. Before he could reply, Silver's voice beat him to the punch. "It's gone," he spoke bluntly.
Everyone's gaze took towards Silver whom slowly hovered closer to Eggman's machine. His feet landed atop its shoulder, completely disregarding the danger that its previous powers had over Silver. The very reason that they had been sent on this massive detour through space and time.
Eggman balked at Silver. "What do you mean it's gone!? How could it have been replaced so quickly by a massive city like this?"
Silver was quiet for a moment, carefully considering the situation at hand. There was a gamble to be made. He did not like Eggman as much as anyone else did, but allowing the doctor to wander aimlessly through this new world could cause bigger problems. Even if Eggman was dangerous, he wasn't stupid, far from it.
The words itched on his tongue as he crossed his arms over his chest. A hardened gaze was set upon the doctor. His words chosen very carefully. "You're no longer in your present."
Eggman gawked at Silver for a moment. But he fell silent as he stared deep into the hedgehog searching for an answer. It was obvious to Silver that, although Eggman held nothing but spite for Sonic and his companions, Silver had just an ounce of more respect from Eggman than anyone else. Lucky, perhaps, that the doctor would consider those words that had been uttered carefully.
Eggman pressed his hand to his chin in deep thought, staring at Silver with narrowed eyes. "No longer in our present…?" Eggman repeated those words. "Then… You mean!?" He gasped looking up at Silver. The hedgehog's expression went unchanged.
"200 years." Silver motioned to the city around them. "And I plan on bringing you all back. So, to make it easier for all of us, we should cooperate—" Before Silver could finish speaking, he felt a wave of pain over his mind. Eyes blinked for a moment as he swayed. A gasp of pain as his hands grasped at his head in confusion, cyan erupting from his body as pain swept through him. Vision suddenly became blurry as he tried to keep his gaze towards Eggman who stared back at Silver perplexed.
What? Did I already overexert myself? That's impossible-
Before Silver could recover, the machine that Eggman was piloting backhanded the hedgehog across the city. The momentum sent Silver flying into a nearby building.
"Silver!" Sonic exclaimed as he watched his companion hit the side of the metal. Though the other was able to recover with his powers, it was not the lush cyan that Sonic had been accustomed to. With gritted teeth, Sonic refocused his attention back towards Eggman. "What did you do to him?" He leapt to dash into Eggman's machine. It stumbled backwards, hardly catching itself. Though Eggman wished to continue their previous unfinished business, there were bigger problems at hand now.
The sirens became louder, and the party would have to end as soon as it began.
Eggman gave a shrug, "I have no idea what the problem is with your friend, but I'll gladly take any opportunity to squash a few bugs as I can." Eggman swept his gaze across the city in contemplation. "Now that I know we are 200 years in the future, that changes plans. I don't have time for either of you. At least, not yet anyway." Slowly he maneuvered his machine to turn to face away from Sonic. It was slow to turn, and barely held on. "Oh, and tell your friend that I wouldn't even dream of working with either of you."
"Don't turn your back on me!" Silver exclaimed. Cyan enveloped him as he reached his hands out to stop Eggman from leaving. Before the hedgehog could retaliate another deafening noise shattered through his mind, breaking his concentration again. Hardly able to hold himself up any longer, he managed to slump on metal outcrop as he writhed in the pain that swept over his body. Breath was heavy as he tried to control his thoughts, but could only feel the oppressive sensation swarm his mind. "Augh…" he gave a huff as he held his head tighter. A migraine beginning to swell in his head, thoughts becoming a maze as his eyes searched over the city.
It felt as though something was targeting him.
What is wrong with me?
He gasped as he tried to look upward. The natural sunlight was blinding and he had to shield his eyes away as Eggman escaped. Sonic, instead, rushed to his side, no longer concerned with the doctor.
"Silver!" he brought a hand on Silver's shoulder. Carefully hefting Silver up. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Silver attempted to push sonic away, frustrated by the results, but ended up leaning heavily on his friend. "I don't know," he grasped his head harder, closing his eyes once more. The buzzing noise was fading from his mind, and soon disappeared alongside Eggman's departure. The residual pain remained, but was much less painful than before. Slowly, Silver looked up at Sonic, carefully standing to his full height.
"Woah, don't push yourself!" Sonic pressed his hand to Silver's waist as the white hedgehog stumbled.
"I'm fine," Silver ran a hand through his quills, brushing off the pain. "I don't think we really have the luxury to wait around anyway." Golden eyes trailed towards police vehicles that begun to swarm the area. A searchlight beaming across them.
Sonic scrunched his face as he turned towards the police. "Does your future usually greet heroes this way, Silv?" Silver replied with a shrug. "Some celebration." Sonic rolled his eyes as Silver stepped away uneasily. He tested his abilities for a moment, taking a careful step onto the air. The tinge of pain was annoying at worst, but not intense enough to disrupt his concentration.
Silver sighed as he allowed himself to become weightless. Cyan enveloped him once more as he turned in the air, offering a hand to Sonic. The blinding search lights searing across their bodies. "Let's go to the lower levels, we should be able to hide easily there."
Sonic gave Silver a careful look over. Still not convinced that he was completely fine. But as the sirens became louder, Sonic couldn't help but relent. "Alright," he gave a sigh as he took Silver's hand. "Let's get out of here."
Beneath the shadows, Sonic and Silver wafted through the maze of streets.
The lower layers of the city provided a safety net around the two hedgehogs as they planned their next course of action. The city's police force had been too preoccupied with their search above and the massive hole in the cavern walls, unknown of their speed. Their powers a blessing as none would be able to guess that they could sweep from one height of the city to the next with a toss of the coin.
They swerved within the twisting maze of stairs and pathways. Footsteps careful as they regarded everyone below with a careful gaze as they searched for an exit out of the city. Hushed whispers of plans to make an escape through the hole that Eggman had burst through. Other whispers of a more hidden route. They bickered as they hid through alleys and streets. Voices quiet and steps careful. One wished for a careful approach, whilst the other wished for results.
Unlike the layers above, the lowest of layers was a place opposite of the beauty of the upper layers of Halyceon. Light hardly reached the bottom, as it had already filtered through the city above. Neon lights filled every space and street lamps offering a small reprieve from the gloomy darkness. Buildings were run down and rusted. The streets carving the path littered with filth and groups of people gambling the night away. Water reached to their knees in some places. Trash piled in corners of the street that had been discarded from the heaven above.
A place forgotten by everyone above. A place that the two could easily disappear into as they gathered their thoughts together in order to find the best way forward.
But time was running out.
They turned down another twisted corridor. Only to scramble themselves into a corner of a wall. The darkness enveloped them as they stared in horror of the figure on the other end of the alleyway. Teeth clenched hard together as eyes stared wide at the heavily armed guard. Even through the darkness, the insignia on the jacket was unmistakable. Though centuries, it went unchanged, and still carried a weight of contempt.
G.U.N.
They held their breath as the guard stared down the alley. Its eyes piercing through the dark. Watching as if it knew they were already there. Moments later, the armored guard slowly passed over them. Its armor heavy. Echoing through the lower layer. An ominous noise, enough to leave nightmares.
Sonic let out a deep exhale. He glanced towards Silver who carefully crept through the alley. "What's G.U.N. doing here?" he whispered to Silver.
Slowly, the white hedgehog knelt, watching the G.U.N. soldier carefully make his rounds through the spiraling streets. Eyes narrowed. "I think they're looking for us."
"Us?" Sonic furrowed his brows. "What do they want with us? Don't they remember I saved the world?" His hushed whispers became louder and more frustrated. "Several times?"
Silver brought his head back, turning towards Sonic with a shake of the head. The stare was even. A stare that insinuated that Silver knew more than what he was letting on. But the explanation never came. "Maybe it has to do with the Chaos Emeralds." He turned back down the alley from where they came, suddenly stopping halfway to the end with a turn. His gaze took upward.
"The Chaos Emeralds?" Sonic gave a hushed laugh. "Come on, Silver. Be real! It feels like we're being hunted."
Silver was silent for a moment, eyes betraying a glance towards Sonic. "We might still have some residual Chaos Energy from the jump." Without missing a beat, Silver began to walk up the wall with help from his powers. Sonic followed closely behind, gravity defying cyan glistening in his step. The cyan glow was merely a faint dim. The exertion of force was minimal as the two reached the top of another equally dark street.
As much as Sonic wanted to press the issue, it was best left for when the sea was calmer.
"Can't you just freeze time?" Sonic carefully pressed his body against another wall, turning the corner to check if the coast was clear. "Or teleport us out of here?"
Silver couldn't help but faintly laugh at the absurdity. "I can only do that to myself. Besides, my powers are… limited." It was the best explanation for now, and an honest one. The exact capabilities of his powers were, to put simply, unknown. There were fleeting moments of the potential to unlock more. But that was all it was: Fleeting. If he knew more, surely, he could command more.
But he knew nothing.
Nothing.
Well, he had an idea… But those memories, those feelings, were better left unsaid.
With thoughts much too preoccupied, Silver turned the corner without taking a second glance. A gasp escaped his lips as he smushed his body into another figure. He took a step back, cyan glowing around himself as he snatched the other person without a second thought. Though he may have over reacted, even Sonic could forgive his sudden assault with his kinetic abilities.
"W-Wait!" called the familiar voice.
"Alder!?" Sonic gasped staring at the floating polar bear.
Silver was quick to snap to his senses. He stared at Alder who flipped and turned within the glow of cyan. Confusion and panic were plastered on the polar bear's face as he stared at Silver with wide eyes. The powers that held him were completely alien to him, and the stoic polar bear could only stare in horror to the powers that held him in place. Dumb struck, Silver allowed Alder to the floor, planting him firmly on his feet before releasing the grip of his powers.
"What are you doing here!? I thought you went back home?" Sonic tugged the polar bear into the darkness of the city, completely ignoring shock that overcame the bear. Silver stepped behind the corner, a watchful eye kept to pathway as he stared at a G.U.N. soldier wandering down the street.
"I-I did…" Alder spoke flustered. He stared at Silver cautiously, his body shivering at the raw power that touched him moments ago. His fur stood on end. "I came back for you."
"Why?" Silver tore his gaze from the soldier that turned down another path. The warmth that Silver felt for Alder turned to suspicion. Brows furrowed towards the bear.
"Because of those soldiers." He motioned his large paws towards the street. "I was returning home. But as I returned, I saw a platoon come down the entrance. They spoke of tracking down someone. I did not ask, but I feared for you both." Alder shifted his gaze from Silver to Sonic.
Silver was quiet as he listened. The bristle of his quills slowly calming. The powers that stirred within him settling into simple unease. Sonic took a moment to regard Alder, a concern spreading across his face.
"Why are you so scared of G.U.N.?" Sonic looked up at Alder. If Silver wouldn't give a straight answer, then at least a local who hardly cared for their complex situation would give it to him straight. G.U.N. had never on Sonic's personal nice list, so the association wasn't quite as negative. Terrible people? Most the time. Genuinely helpful? Sometimes. Ask anyone on the street during his time, and most people would shrug and say they protected them. But Alder's reaction was perplexing to him the most.
Alder frowned. It was the same face that he had given Sonic before when he had inquired about G.U.N. during their dinner. Only this one produced a sneer of disgust. Rage burnt in his eyes. "They are wicked people!" Alder seethed. "Wicked! They crush anyone who opposes them. They take and take. Never satisfied with what they have." Alder gave a hushed hiss. His lips upturned in a snarl. "They hunt you. Do they not?" Sonic and Silver shared a glance. "Then you must be trusted friends."
The revelation unsettled Sonic.
Slowly, Silver approached Alder. "Alder," Silver began slowly. He tried to find the words. "We are not who you think we are…" his eyes glanced towards the street. "I promise I'll explain everything to you. But first, we need to escape from the city."
Alder listened carefully. Nodding his head at Silver's words. The polar bear paused, thinking for a moment as he regarded both Sonic and Silver. A silence emanating from the two, only broken by the hum of the city and the wetness that slowly dripped into the floor.
"The only way out of the city is the hole in the sky. All the exits are closed." Alder's gaze took upward. Through the twisting pathways. Through the chaos in the sky. To the sliver of light that managed to sparkle through it all. Glistening their fur. The taste of freedom. "There is no other way out."
Silver's face turned to a deep frown as he looked at Sonic. His friend shot him a look. He spoke nothing, but those eyes already said enough.
'I told you so'.
Ears flattened and Silver narrowed his eyes at Sonic. Slowly, he glowed in cyan, feet lifting from the ground to move towards the sky. The unspoken plan already in motion.
"Well, good news Alder." Sonic motioned Alder to follow him with a chuckle. The bear was starstruck by Silver's powers. A gasp in awe as his gaze followed the hedgehog. "You're gonna learn how to fly."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alder stared up towards Silver.
The polar bear was still not accustomed to the powers that Silver possessed. Eyes were wide as he stared at the hedgehog whom simply stood against the side of the building wall. Cyan swarmed Silver as he stood at a perfect 90-degree angle, defying gravity itself. The hedgehog was completely unbothered as he stared out into the distance, eyes calculated and lips silent. The cold wind brushing against him as he merely stared. Waiting.
Sonic could only stare at him with a grin on his face. "With a scowl like that, Amy could mistake you for Shadow." He regarded the other for a moment, a hand rubbing his chin. "Just missing the—"
Silver turned away with a scoff. His arms crossing his chest.
"Yup, there it is!" He snapped his fingers. "Just like him—Woah!" Sonic was suddenly lifted from his feet and made to spin in the air. "Oh, come on Silver! I was just joking!"
With a sigh, Silver stepped closer towards Alder. Feet slowly lifted from the metallic wall to float in front of the giant polar bear. Hand outstretched towards the other. The cold exterior was replaced with a warmth akin to a fireplace. His hand gentle and friendly. The hedgehog provided the other with a warm smile, much different than the cold glare he had thrown Sonic moments earlier.
Slowly, Alder reached his paw out. Firmly he took Silver's hand, the blue aura slowly enveloping him. Though the grasp was confident, Alder shook in fear.
"I have you." Slowly, Silver drew away from the edge of the building, bringing Alder with him.
Alder panicked for several moments. Every instinct cried for his body to remain planted on the outcrop of the building. Panic struck next as his arms waved every which way to find any type of solid ground to support his weight. Stomach lurched forward as every piece of him felt the weightlessness as he floated upon in the air, held only by the strange glowing aura that emanated from the strange white hedgehog. But Silver's hand remained firm on the other. A guiding beacon in the unknown.
"Just relax," Silver smiled. His powers willed him further out into the air but the hand guided the weight.
Although fear remained coursing through Alder's body, he forced himself to shake away those thoughts. Tightening his grip on Silver, he stared back at him, breath heavy and body shaking, but still in complete trust towards the hedgehog. With several deep breaths, Alder relaxed himself as much as he could, allowing Silver's powers to course through him, carrying him in the net of safety. No longer struggling against Silver's powers, Alder found the experience much less constrained. What felt like a tightening hug now felt a gentle caress. The natural feeling of fear remained, but he stared wide eyed at the new experience.
Silver turned towards Sonic, the blue hedgehog seemingly lazing upon the air at Silver with a bored but amused expression. Slowly, Silver floated towards him, Alder in tow. He pointed a finger towards the hole in the cavern a distance away. "We're just going to brute force our way out the hole. I'll try to find a place to hide you amidst the cliffs we walked through to get here then lose them." He shifted his gaze towards Alder, "The plan is to meet at your cabin."
"You can do that?" Alder drew back in shock. "Just use your powers like that?"
"Silver here can do a lot more than float," Sonic snickered. "Bet this is a walk in the park for him."
"I'll need my full concentration," Silver nodded his head. He drifted forward, holding Alder's hand. Carefully, he kept to the buildings. Beneath pathways and amidst the neon signs that seared the perpetual night. "I've never done something like this before," he admitted sheepishly avoiding Alder's stare. "But I'm confident that you will be safe."
Even if Alder wanted to, it was much too late to turn back now to find an alternate route. The three of them had already begun to fly at speeds that the polar bear had never dreamed of achieving. Spinning through metal spires, swooping beneath the lights and teetering the edge of darkness. Colors of all kinds swarmed through his very body as he glided across the city like a bird. The rush of wind on his fur a new experience as he drifted his eyes closed and allowed the power to course through him. The grip on Silver slacked, his paws no longer engulfing the hedgehog in fear. Now, he held it as a guide through a familiar pathway.
The feeling of freedom.
It was freedom.
But that feeling was fleeting.
As they neared the gaping hole, Silver carefully gathered both Alder and Sonic together near him. Their bodies pressed against the dark side of the building as they watched a patrol helicopter glide above them. It was no G.U.N., but the military of Haloska was still to be feared.
The once gentle pull that had wrapped both Sonic and Alder became constrained. Beautiful blue that enveloped their bodies turned a sharp cyan as powers molded deeper into their flesh. A gentle hug it once was before, now a suffocating wrap around their bodies. Sonic was accustomed to it, having felt the discomfort of it before. But Alder gasped, the panic setting in his body once more, calmed only by Silver's gentle squeeze of the hand. Though Silver said nothing, the squeeze said all.
'You'll be safe.'
Alder released the tension once more, allowing his body to become overcome by the powers that held him. He released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Gaze kept to the hole in the sky. The light glistening off the beautiful cage of the city. Local police were swarming the area now with helicopters and machinery, their search unending for whomever, or whatever, had assaulted the peaceful city.
In an instant the three of them bounded forward. Speed never thought achievable forced them forward towards the light of day. Alder gasped and steeled himself at the speed. Whilst Sonic and Silver were all too accustomed to the near impossible speeds for any normal person, the force was more than nauseating for the polar bear. A flash of blue struck through the chaos, leaving behind a trail of cyan for the police to follow.
Had Alder not been in tow, Silver would have streaked through the air with Sonic at speeds faster than sound. But he was unsure of the strength and endurance of their friend in tow. Even the speed in he kept as they coursed through the hole was more than Silver would have been comfortable with someone completely new to the experience of his powers. They tarried, annoyingly. Slow enough for the cops to notice them streak through the air, exiting the hole, bursting through into the daylight.
The white was blinding as they erupted from the darkness of the city. Gasps and groans of pain as the blinding white seared their vision. Arms shielded their gaze for a second too long. The cops hot on their trail.
"Damnit!" Silver gave a hiss. He turned back, staring downward at the machines that flew towards them. They were much faster than the types created in centuries past, and completely new to Silver's great expanse of experience of futures before. It surprised Silver, but he did not have the time to float and gawk at the military prowess of this time.
A passing glance was made towards Sonic and Alder. Sonic looked unaffected by the speeds, having become so accustomed to speeds faster than fast. However, Alder floated in the air. Sickly and pale. A shiver coursing through his body that was not from the cold. Sonic had noticed the ill looking Alder, gently floating towards the polar bear to check him. Concern swept over both hedgehogs as Sonic glanced towards Silver.
There was no time for breaks. They knew this well as the sirens became louder, echoing through the hole.
Carefully, Silver willed the group forward into the expanse of the tundra. Speeding towards the rocky outcrop of the cliffs that they had previously past before. The speeds were slower than from when they cut through the city, enough for Alder to begin to recover from the powers that coursed through his body.
In a snap, Silver dipped into the crags with Sonic and Alder. The motion was quick as he released his hold onto the two of them. A hand waved over them as Silver floated above, snow piling over the two of them. Sonic gasped in confusion as he was buried within the cold white. Turning, Silver faced the crags of rocks, powers tearing away at the cliffside. Two rocks in the approximate size of Alder and Sonic broke away from the cliff and floated towards Silver. With another glance at the bodies that laid struggling against the snow, Silver sped off into the sky and into the distance of the unknown. Wordless as to plan he conjured.
Sonic had, surprisingly, little time to react as Silver sped forward into the distance. Machinery whizzed past them in the sky giving chase to the hedgehog. He gaped towards the endless blue, fearing for Silver. But he knew he had to remain confident that the other could hold himself in the midst of battle.
A chilly exhale, and Sonic stood from the pile of snow, rushing towards Alder. Awkwardly, Sonic hefted up the much too large polar bear with a grunt. "You doing alright?"
Alder groaned. "Dizzy, but fine." He shifted upward slightly, shaking himself from the adrenaline that was coursing through his body. "Let us get back soon." A pause as he searched for his furry white friend. Eyes widened at the absence of Silver as he turned to look towards Sonic. "Where is Silver? Will he be fine?"
Sonic gave a smile. His gaze returned towards the sky for a moment. Searching the endless blue. "No doubt about it." A chill raced through his body, teeth beginning to clatter. "L-Let's get back to your pad. I'm sure he'll meet us there soon."
"A huge explosion shook the city of Halyceon today at 1:45PM local time. This afternoon, the streets were filled with chaos as a mysterious robot blasted through the upper cavern in quadrant C16." The camera panned to the now gaping hole in Halyceon. A grainy picture of Eggman's machine sat at the upper left of the screen. "A man claiming to be Ivo Robotnick attacked Halyceon. Before police were able to respond to the attack, two vigilante hedgehogs confronted the terrorist and attacked him." A grainy video recording played on the television recounting the boring display of heroics. An almost embarrassment for the two heroes of the day. "The man claiming to be Ivo Robotnick fled the city. Before the police could confront the two heroes, the hedgehogs escaped through the hole as well."
Silver laid basking on the couch exhausted. The white hedgehog had arrived back at the cabin hours later gasping and freezing. Though he had no wounds over his body, it looked as though he had pushed himself to the brink in order to lose the uninvited company. A hot rag was pressed to his forehead as he lazed upon the couch, eyes trying to keep track of the news. Sonic took the other half with a bored expression sharing the much too large blanket for the two of them. Alder basked on the floor near the fireplace, head craning to stare at the television.
"Anyone involved in the destruction of Halyceon will be brought to justice," stated an important looking well-dressed human. Most likely their commander. "We are kindly requesting that the man who attacked our city turn himself in and the two hedgehogs step forward."
Sonic rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right. I already got fooled with that before."
"Shhh!" Alder hushed.
"G.U.N. has made their own official announcement concerning the attack on Halyceon."
"We have reason to believe that the identification of the blue hedgehog is Sonic the Hedgehog and the man is correctly identifying himself as Ivo Robotnick." Another well-dressed human spoke in a much too nice room. "We are asking that they both turn themselves in alongside the white hedgehog that had been seen with them."
Sonic couldn't help but chuckle again, finding the demands much too hilarious. Alder gave Sonic a glare as Silver began to sit up. Staring at the television screen with a frown.
"Even stranger news today. Bablyon has given a written statement to the world stating that the two hedgehogs are free to seek asylum in their city. They had given no further clarification concerning this statement but this raises questions as to what they know concerning this attack. This has been a rather interesting development. Don't you think, Mike?"
The interest was quick to wane as the news report veered off-topic. Discussions and debates overtook the conversation between another news reporter. Some were hilarious, others ridiculous, but none of them quite understood the predicament at play. Yet.
A disturbed look crossed Silver's face as he watched the news, not quiet paying attention to the conversation but lost in his own set of thoughts. Eventually moving on to other news related to Halyceon. Sonic sat relaxed but intrigued by the information promited from the news report. Excitement coursing through his body at the thought of a brand new adventure. "Babylon, huh?" Sonic turned his head towards Alder. "Like The Babylon? Extreme Gear and all that?"
Alder craned his head to stare up at Sonic. "Yes. They hold tournaments every four years. Only few are allowed in Babylon Garden—"
"Babylon Garden!?" Sonic rose from his seat, staring at Alder with excitement. "Say it ain't so!"
Though excitement coursed through Sonic, Silver still sat on the couch lost in thought. Concern wracked Silver's body as he kept his gaze on the television with a frown. The energy that emanated from the room was quick to fade away as he shook his head, turning to look at Sonic. "We don't know if they have good intentions. This could be a trap."
"Oh, come on, Silver!" Sonic rolled his eyes as he turned towards Silver. "Where else can we go? Right now, we really don't have any leads in finding Tails and Knuckles. We can't just sit here and think about our next move!"
"But we just can't blindly trust them!"
"What do you think is going to happen?" Sonic sighed. "Worst is they'll just capture us and we need to escape again. I much rather get in trouble following some random lead than just sit here waiting for something to happen."
"There are worse things than getting captured," Silver stood now, approaching Sonic.
"What, like getting killed? Turning into a werehog? Lost in cyberspace? Stuck in a story book? Tortured for months?" he shook his head, now frowning. "I think I'll take my chances with them."
Silver and Sonic stood in the room in silence. Neither of the two willing to back down from their opinions. It was obvious that, even if Silver wanted to take a more conservative approach to returning home, Sonic would, no doubt, do things his own way. Always the free spirit, and though Silver admired that about Sonic, it was now becoming a more annoying personality trait to him.
There was an awkward cough, Alder raising from the spot in front of the fireplace. "If I may speak." The two hedgehogs looked from each other to the polar bear. The tension slowly fading. "I do not understand the circumstances you are both in. If it is true that you are Sonic the Hedgehog, I can only imagine the stress of the unknown." Alder kept an even gaze on Sonic. "I have never been outside of Haloska, but I know Babylon are a staunch nemesis against G.U.N. I would trust them."
There was another silence as Sonic turned back to Silver. The frown remained as he crossed his arms over his chest as Silver looked away from the two of them. He carefully regarded Alder's words, and finally he let out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine…" he finally murmured. "We'll go to Babylon." He met Sonic's stare, the other's frown now replaced with a smile. Silver kept a serious expression, still not entirely convinced of the decision to blindly travel to Shamar and waltz into Babylon. "I hope you're making the right decision."
"Don't worry, Silver." Sonic's smile grew wider as he patted Silver's shoulder. "If anything, the journey will be worth it!"