-Chapter 287-
Guilt and Recompense
Flashback
The Icehole, Just after the Egg-drasil exploded
Sherman clung to Rotor for a good minute, unwilling to let him go. As he did, the events of the past several months ran over and over in his head. Every attack, every kill, every Einherjar molded into a monster... every harsh word directed at his own flesh and blood. It made him feel sick to his stomach.
"Dad?"
His head was spinning.
"Dad…"
He felt like his ribs were crushing his lungs.
"Dad, you're crushing my lungs!"
Sherman's eyes snapped open as he dropped Rotor like a hot coal, the younger walrus gasping for air.
"Gods…" Sherman whispered. "Oh Aesir, what have I done?"
"Dad, it's okay, it was an accident. I…"
Rotor stopped as he looked at his father. Sherman's eyes were wide open, his pupils so tiny, they were practically invisible.
"All those people…I…they…we…"
He stumbled back, his hands shaking as sweat poured down his face. It didn't go unnoticed that everyone gave him a wide berth.
"All those people…all those villages…I…I…"
Sherman fell to his knees, his breathing growing more frantic until he was practically gasping for breath.
"Shit!" Rotor cursed as he ran over to his father. "Dad, calm down!"
"Killed…I killed thousands …!"
"Dad, listen!" Rotor grabbed his father's arms. "Focus on me and try to breathe!"
Sherman's trembling slowed. The older walrus slowly looked up at his son, his gaze coming into focus again.
"Boo…Boomer…" he stammered. "I…They…He…"
Rotor shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now. Just breathe, slow and steady."
Sherman did as he was told, taking slow, deep, even breaths. He could feel his heartbeat quieting and his thoughts settling down.
"Feel better?" Rotor asked.
He nodded. "Yes…I…"
"Dad?"
Rotor and Sherman turned to see Skeeter slowly peeking out from where the Freedom Fighters were.
"Skeeter?" Sherman whispered, having not seen the boy since he was five.
"Dad…" Skeeter looked over his father cautiously, unable to believe what he was seeing was real. "Is…Is that you? Like, really you?"
"My boy…"A smile came over Sherman's face as his eyes began to mist. "Look at how big you got."
Skeeter froze. It was real.
"Dad!" Skeeter dashed forward, arms open and tears streaming down his face as he prepared to hug his father for the first time in three years…
"Don't!"
Only for Erma to grab him by the arm and pull him back.
"Skeeter, get the hell away from him!" the ermine shouted.
"Erma?"
"What the hey!?" Flip exclaimed.
"Have you forgotten who he is!?" Erma countered. "What he's done!? Forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant to let an eight-year-old within grabbing distance!"
"Wh-What?" Rotor stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing.
At that, Guntiver stepped forward, trying his best not to make a scene as pulled Erma toward him.
"Erma," he whispered harshly. "What the flying fugg do you think you're doing!?"
"What's it look like, Gunt?" she countered. "We have an entire base full of people who will be traumatized for LIFE because of him! Entire graveyards of those whose blood is on his hands!"
"That was Tundra and the Dark Ring! The battle is over!"
"Can you guarantee that?" Erma met his gaze dead on. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that there isn't even a 1% chance of Tundra coming back?"
That gave Guntiver pause, even Sealia and Gust hesitated.
"H-Hey now, take it easy, E!" Flip said in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. "I get you're freaking out, but Aggie said–"
Erma just spun around and shot Flip a burning, yet frigid glare, eliciting a startled 'Wark!' from the icebird.
"You expect me to take the word of Robotnik's niece? The same girl who admits to changing sides like most people change underwear?"
Flip swallowed. "W-Well…she almost tore him a new one when she found out about it, right?"
Erma simply narrowed her eyes.
Flip swallowed nervously before turning to Rotor and Sonic. "Boomer, Zippy, help me out here!"
Before either one could say anything, Sherman stood up.
"There's no need… I won't try to deny what I did."
"Dad?" Skeeter said fearfully.
"You, young lady," Sherman said, turning his gaze to where Kat was sitting.
"Me?" Kat asked, pointing to herself.
"You're strong, I remember that. Find something even you couldn't break and use it to bind me."
Kat blinked. "Wha?"
"What!?" Rotor shouted. "Dad, what are you–!?"
"I'm sorry, Rotor…" Sherman turned to his son, looking at him sadly. "You have no idea how sorry I am."
Rotor watched as Sherman walked off, only to stand up. "If you're locking him up, then you gotta lock me up too!"
That caught everyone off guard
"Boomer-" Sherman began.
"I touched the Dark Ring. I ripped it out with my bare hands and got corrupted just like you. I'm just as much a danger as you, Dad." Rotor looked right at Erma as he said that.
"Ugh, fine. Better grab an extra whatever, kid," Erma walked off, shaking her head. "Good grief."
Station Square Shelter, Now
Rotor looked at his father worriedly. The older walrus hadn't moved from the spot they'd left him in since they brought him to the shelter a week ago. Despite looking just as hale and hearty as ever, he'd barely eaten. He barely slept either, as seen by the dark circles around his eyes. He'd just been sitting there, staring out the window and looking over the damage he had done.
"Dad…please, you can't keep doing this." Rotor held out the food Flip had brought up for him. "At least eat something, for me if not for you."
"...you need it more than me…" Sherman said. "The nano-robos in my blood will sustain me."
"Not for long, they won't…"
Rotor sat down next to his dad. He tried to hug him, but the I-Beam Kat had wrapped around his body made it impossible.
"Can we at least get rid of this thing? It's been long enough. If you were gonna relapse from the Dark Ring, you would have. Tundra's gone, you're not a threat."
"It doesn't matter..." Sherman closed his eyes. "Even if that bastard's gone, he was still me. My thoughts. My darkness. My fault."
"Dad…"
Just then, the door opened.
"Yo, genius," Erma greeted dryly. "Just got word from the others, you're good. Get outta here."
Rotor perked, his mood immediately brightening. "Really? Dad, you hear that!? We..."
"Not him," Erma interrupted, causing Rotor to nearly fall over.
"Wh-What?"
"I said you're good, not him." Erma gestured to Sherman. "We need you out here helping us fix the city. He's staying here until we say otherwise."
"What!?" Rotor exclaimed. "Erma, for the love of Odin, you can't be–!"
"We're not taking chances!" the ermine snapped. "You got a problem with it, take it up with the others or shut your tusk hole, Boomer."
Rotor scowled at that. "I–!"
"It's okay, son," Sherman cut in.
"Dad…"
"Your friends need you." Sherman gave his son a small, tired smile. "Go do what you do best."
Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere, Rotor sighed in resignation and headed for the door.
As he stepped through, Erma glared at Sherman with all the hatred and venom she could muster, not seeing Rotor doing the same to her.
"For what it's worth, Erma, I'm truly sorry about what happened to your father," Sherman said. "Ernest was a good man."
Erma bit her lower lip, looking like she wanted to say something. But, in the end, she just shook her head, letting out a bitter sigh before closing the door.
Dr. Sorders' Office
Dr. Sorders looked at Tangle with worry and disbelief as the lemur ate all the candy from the bowl in her office.
"So," she began. "You want me to believe that after everything you've been through, including being starved, beaten, sleep deprived, drugged, and tortured for an entire week in sub-zero conditions...you're peachy?"
"I'm uh...fairly certain I'd never use the word peachy," Tangle replied. "But I think you got the jist."
Sorders sighed. "Tangle… you know it's okay not to be okay, especially after everything you've gone through."
"Really Doc, I'm great!" the lemur happily popped another mini-chocolate with almonds in her mouth. "I was exhausted, yeah, but nothing a good night's sleep and some of Kat's authentic Chunese cooking couldn't fix. Really, I'm just here because Sal insisted." She swallowed. "No offense."
Sorders gave the lemur a flat look as she got to work unwrapping another candy. Despite being described as someone who wears her heart on her sleeve by the other Freedom Fighters, she was proving extremely resistant to treatment. She needed something to get her to open up, and soon.
"So... you have no lingering feelings toward the trauma you endured?"
"What can I say? I'm tough as nails," Tangle replied through a mouthful of peanut brittle. "Get it from my daddy."
Sorders perked. She could work with that. "And how does your 'daddy' feel about all this?"
She smirked in satisfaction as Tangle flinched, causing the candy to go down the wrong tube and her to start coughing.
"Well…ummm…" she stammered. "I'm not really sure how he feels."
"I take it he hasn't heard yet?" Sorders asked.
"W-Well, he's in the middle of a mission and can't really talk right now."
"I see…" Sorders tapped her beak with her pen for a moment. "Speaking of… when was the last time you and he talked?"
Tangle flinched again, her tail unconsciously wrapping around her ankles. "Ohhhh about…the night before I left for Knothole…"
…then her knees.
"After I promised not to do anything reckless or stupid..."
Waist.
"Repeatedly..."
Her head.
"For three hours..."
Sorders watched as Tangle took a deep breath, her tail's grip on her tightening as she inhaled, only to unravel completely as she exhaled.
"Okay...I haven't talked to him at all about what's been going on," she confessed. "Can you blame me? I put my friends in danger and almost got them killed, twice…in a row!"
Sorders smiled. Finally, progress.
"Tangle, what happened was not your fault."
Tangle shook her head. "Doc, I've gone on two missions since I joined the Freedom Fighters, and both times I charged off on my own to try and be a hero. And both times , the others had to bail me out before I got iced or worse."
"Then, perhaps that's something you should work on," Sorders began. "You're impulsive, which is common for someone your age. But, you can control yourself, with practice."
"Yeah..." Tangle smiled, only for it to die shortly after. "Doubt it'll do much good now, though. Soon as Dad finds out about this, he'll drag my stripey tail back to Spiral Hill and chain me to it."
"Is that what you want?" Sorders asked as she took notes.
"No!" Tangle suddenly shouted. "I wanna stay in Knothole with the others!"
"Then tell him that. You're of age. You can be your own person. You are your own person."
Tangle sighed. "I know, Doc. I know. I just hope it'll be enough."
Station Square Stadium Shelter
Back at the shelter, Elise was taking a moment to catch up with Sonic and Sally.
"I apologize for not keeping in contact," she said. "Between the city's recovery and my own, I…"
"Hey, it's no big deal," Sonic replied, waving her down. "You'd been housing a primordial flame god ever since you were a kid. You got your first chance to actually be a normal girl in ten years, we totally get it."
Elise smiled.
"Princess Elise."
Elise turned to see one of her guards approaching, carrying a portable brazier. "What is it, Fabio?"
"One of the space heaters shorted out," Fabio explained. "We were wondering if you would..."
"Of course."
Fabio held out the brazier and bowed his head. Elise closed her eyes, forming a circle with her hands as she took a deep breath.
"We give thanks to these sacred flames."
As soon as Elise recited those words, her hands began to glow. With a flash, she produced a small, golden ember, leaving Sonic and Sally stunned.
"What the…!?"
"My word…"
The two Mobians watched as she carefully set the ember in the brazier. As soon as it entered, it quickly grew into a big, but gently glowing flame that warmed the whole area.
"There, that should do it."
"Thank you, Princess." Fabio bowed, then departed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sonic let out, shaking his hands and head. "Since when are you pyrokinetic?"
"Iblis was sealed in my body and soul for a decade," Elise explained.
"But, I thought Iblis was released after I got…" The hedgehog held out his hand and performed a finger gun motion, complete with bang noises.
"Yes, but because he had been a part of me for so long, a fragment of his power remained in my soul." Elise conjured another ember. "And with it, I gained the ability to invoke his Flames."
Sonic whistled in awe. "Wow, that's something."
"Hold on," Sally cut in. "That doesn't look like the Flames of Disaster. They look more like..."
Elise nodded. "The Flames of Hope. The true Solaris, before my father's experiments created Iblis and Mephiles."
Sonic blinked, remembering what happened at Soleanna. "Wait, does that mean you can warp time or…?"
Elise shook her head. "No, I cannot. Solaris' dominion over time remains his and always will be. But, even if I can't undo mankind's past mistakes, with this, I can finally fulfill my father's dream of using the Flames to make the world a better place."
Sonic and Sally smiled at that.
"Well, I can't see it being handled by anyone better," Sonic replied.
"I'm sure if he were here, he'd be proud, Elise," Sally concurred.
Elise smiled, then perked when she heard footsteps approaching.
"Oh, look, It's Rotor!"
Sonic and Sally turned around and, sure enough, Rotor was there heading their way.
"Yo, Rote! Welcome back!" Sonic greeted as he sped over to the walrus, pulling him into a one-armed hug.
"Hey," Rotor greeted with…marginal enthusiasm.
"You okay, man?" Sonic asked, worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm…" It was then that he noticed their guest. "Princess Elise?"
"Good day, Rotor," she replied with a bow.
"When and how did you…?"
"I came to offer my assistance in the relief efforts," she explained, before taking on a more serious tone. "I…heard about your father. You have my deepest condolences."
"It's alright," Rotor sighed. "Sorry, could you please give me a moment with me and my friends?"
"Of course." Elise stood up, giving a quick bow as she excused herself, allowing Rotor to take a seat among his friends.
"Rotor, are you alright?" Sally asked, more out of courtesy than anything.
Rotor let out another sigh, this one louder and deeper.
"No," he replied. "No, Sally, I'm not alright."
"Is this about your father?"
Rotor nodded.
"Look, if this is about us keeping him locked up, it's honestly for his safety," Sonic explained. "Everyone here is still pretty raw, and if we let him out…"
"People would freak, I get it," Rotor finished. "That doesn't mean I'm not happy about it."
"Let go of me!"
"Not a chance, kiddo."
Everyone turned to see Gust and Sealia walking by, the former holding a struggling Skeeter.
"Dammit, Gust, put me down!" Skeeter demanded.
"Not until you cool it, Lil' Tusker," Gust said.
"Mon dieu ..." Sealia sighed.
Rotor stepped out. "Hey, what's going on here?"
Skeeter perked.
"Boomer!" He managed to free himself and rushed at his brother, hugging him. "You're out! Does that mean Dad-?"
"Dad's... not out, Skeets."
Skeeter paused. "Wh-What? What do you mean he's not out?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, little bro. They didn't let him out."
"B-But why? It's been a week now! He hasn't hurt anybody! Right?"
"Well...no, he hasn't."
"So, why is he still locked up in that room!?"
Rotor sighed. "Because... he doesn't want to come out."
"But, why not?"
"Skeeter…" Sealia cut in. "Your papa did a lot of horrible things. He hurt a lot of people and he feels vraiment horrible about it."
Skeeter turned to her. "But Sealia, that wasn't him! Eggman's evil ring made him like that!"
"We know that Skeets, but it's... more complicated than that," Rotor told him.
"No, it's not! Eggman captured him and made him evil with his machines! Dad didn't do anything wrong! So, why's everyone acting like he did!?" Skeeter turned to Sonic and Sally. "Princess Sally, Sonic! You gotta do something! My dad's not a bad guy! You gotta let him out! Please!"
He looked at them desperately. Sonic sighed, pinching the white strip of fur between his eyes.
"Let me ask you something. Do you hate Eggman?"
Skeeter nodded. "Yeah! He's a big, nasty bully!"
"You think he needs to be punished?"
"Of course!"
"You think he's the worst villain alive and that he's irredeemable?"
"Well…yeah! He's the reason Dad got turned into Tundra."
"And what if I told you that Eggman had his own Dark Ring? What if I told you that like your dad, Eggman has someone good trapped inside him"
Skeeter paused. "He...He does?"
Sonic nodded. "Knowing that...could you forgive him for what he's done? Just... let him go?"
"Uhhh..." Skeeter looked conflicted and confused. "I..."
"You can't, and as much as I would like to say I could...I don't know if that's true," Sonic rubbed his side. "Tundra may have been something brought on by the Dark Ring, but...that darkness... had to come from somewhere"
"B-But..." Skeeter shook his head. "No! Dad's not a bad guy! He doesn't have this...darkness! Y-You guys are just being jerks!"
He ran off, trying not to cry.
"Skeeter, wait!" Rotor cried.
"Sorry about that, Blue." Gust sighed.
"It's alright," Sonic turned to Rotor. "Rotor, you should…"
"Yeah, I'll be right back." Rotor ran after Skeeter.
Dr. Sorders' Office
Sorders watched as Johnny fiddled around with his ears, watching curiously as they did things like an extra pair of hands. Eventually, she cleared her throat to get his attention.
"Johnny..."
Johnny perked up.
"Oh! Sorry..." He let go of his ear.
"Well, at least this gives us somewhere to start. According to your file, until recently, you had no registered Mo-Bility."
"That's right. Everyone on Flickee only knew me as 'that rabbit guy with the stick'. Nothing really special or noteworthy about me. Now… Well, I'm still not famous or anything… But I can do this now." Johnny lifted some stuff with his ears. "A Mobian kid discovering their Mo-Bility. It's supposed to be this big moment. This special...memorable occasion. The best day of your life…and I don't even remember it. And what's worse, I only got it because I was tortured and brainwashed into an Egghead. Because I got turned into one of Tundra's mooks, I awakened my special power, and the first thing I did with it was hurt innocent people." He gripped his ears tight. "All my life I wanted to be special...and now that I am, all I can think about is what I did..."
Johnny shook his head. "I'm sorry, this probably sounds stupid."
"No, it doesn't," Sorders replied. "Johnny, you were manipulated and abused. You were drugged, kidnapped... You were just as much a victim as the others."
"Yeah…" Johnny thought for a moment. "Plus, getting turned into an Einherjar may have given me this power... but it's mine now."
"And knowing the great Johnny Lightfoot, you're going to do great things with it."
Johnny smiled, running a hand through his now shortened hair. "Honestly, I think the worst part was that stupid haircut Glacia gave me. Seriously, take away the braid and she basically gave me a mullet. Uuuuuugh..."
They shared a laugh at that.
Station Square, out in the city
Elsewhere, Chris was in the middle of reinforcing the rubber on the power lines.
"And done!" Chris said, wiping his brow as he finished reinforcing the rubber on a power line. "I think that's the last of them for this section."
"Thank Aurora!" Keith exclaimed. "My hands feel numb."
Keith breathed into his hands, trying to warm them, only for Kat to come over and take them in her own. She breathed on them, rainbow flames surrounding them; like she had been doing throughout the week. Unfortunately, this time, the flames were noticeably smaller and dimmer than normal.
"Uh oh…" Kat said, grimacing. "I think I'm starting to run out of steam."
"Not surprising," Keith replied. "You've been using your powers all day. And you are looking a bit rundown and pale."
"Let's take a break for a bit," Chris suggested. "We thawed out a park bench down the block. Let's sit down."
"Actually…" Hope pointed to the bench, which had been occupied by a very familiar and dejected-looking bird.
"Flip?" Kat asked, causing the penguin to jump and let out a surprised 'Wark!'
Once he'd settled down, Flip noticed the kids.
"Oh, heya humans!" he greeted in his usual jokey, cool guy demeanor. "Stayin' frosty?" He paused as he realized what he'd just said. "Uhhh…well…"
"Huh," Hope nodded in understanding. "You're right, Kat. Jokes are his coping mechanism."
"Toldja," Kat replied, causing Flip's mood to deflate (he even blew a raspberry for emphasis).
"Yeah, shoulda known better than to try with you around, Winters," he muttered, the kids joining him on the bench.
"Wanna talk about it?" Chris offered.
Flip sighed. "Not really. But, knowing you guys, you'll keep pressing until I do, so..." he took a deep breath. "This is all wrong. We beat the Einherjar. We saved Artika. We saved Rotor's dad! Tundra's gone! We saved the day! This is supposed to be the part where everyone's celebrating and happy and stuff!"
"But…?" Hope urged him to continue.
"But now... everyone's fugged up to hell and back and poor Tank has to take the heat for the shit Eggman's damned ring made him do! Not to mention, Erma's back to being her usual bitchy self again, so it's only a matter of time before her and Guntiver start fighting, and then..."
Flip massaged his temples.
"This is supposed to be when everything goes back to normal… or as normal as possible."
Kat scoffed slightly, shaking her head at the thought. "The real world is hardly ever so cut and dry. This isn't some cartoon where everything's peachy by the next episode or some video game where everything is magically fixed at the end."
"Bluntly worded, but Kat's right," Hope said. "In the real world, people get hurt... and die. Healing in all forms takes time."
"And even then…scars are left behind," Kat finished, revealing part of her injury for emphasis.
"Yeah...I get that much..." Flip shook his head. "I'm just scared that it's never gonna heal at all. At this rate, with the way things are going, it's gonna be the end of BLIZZARD too. Seriously, it feels like we're gonna need a muggfuthering miracle!"
Chris winced in sympathy as the penguin threw his arms up in frustration. He prepared to say something, only for something to grab his attention.
"Hey, who's that?" He pointed into the distance, where some figures could be seen through the brightness of the snow.
"Hmmm…Four figures completely covered from head to toe in the middle of a frozen city?" Flip said, his eyes narrowing. "Suspiiiiiciiiiiiiiious..."
Hope glanced at Kat, who was glaring at the figures like a true cat.
"Guys, Kat's sus meter is going off," she altered. "Be ready."
"I just said...!" Flip cut himself off, then sighed. "Never mind."
The penguin hopped off the bench, sliding on his belly while keeping to the snow banks. Hope's hand slowly went to her gun, Chris and Keith slipped their mittens off their Nitro Gloves, and Kat slowly reached for her bat. Once they were ready, they turned to Flip, who had taken refuge behind a post box for a closer look.
"Group of four," he informed them all. "We've got a shorty roughly the same height as you guys, a munchkin, a giant, and a...permanently seated person. Like the blonde girl, but much bigger."
"Quite the eclectic group," Chris mused. "Any distinguishing features?"
"Let me see…" Flip squinted, noticing that the giant had a tail barely visible beneath his thick coat. "Hold the halibut..."
Suddenly, the shortest of the group stopped, smelling something.
"Hey, that smells like..." The figure suddenly flew off. "Cookies!
"What the...Hey!"
"Dammit! Get back here!"
The kids all exchange looks, recognizing those voices.
"Well, good news is we know who they are," Hope chimed in.
"Bad news," Kat drew her bat. "We know who they are."
The puny one flew out, laughing. "Cookies, cookies, cook-!"
Kat pulled her bat back and swung. There was a loud clang and the puny one fell hard.
"Owww!"
She walked over to where he fell, picking him out. "Hey Bokkun."
Indeed, it was Bokkun, poorly disguised in an electrician's helmet and coveralls.
"Eh!?" he looked up. "Winters!? Ehhh...wh-who's Bokkun? I-I'm just a...harmless electrician!"
Kat just raised an eyebrow. Bokkun began sweating. "Miss Eggathaaaaa!"
Hope turned to the figure her height, a girl in a heavy duffel coat and hat, crossing her arms.
"Didn't expect to see you here, cuz."
"Yeah..." Eggatha lowered her scarf, revealing her face. "Hey guys!"
"Hi." Hope aimed her gun at the giant. "Hands where I can see 'em, Akhlut."
Akhlut pulled down his collar, revealing his face. "You know I'm bulletproof, right?"
"Not your eyes. Or your gem."
"I'm also psychic."
"Akhlut…" Eggatha sighed.
Akhlut sighed before raising his hands. With that, Eggatha cleared her throat.
"Alright, everyone just calm down. We're not looking for any trouble. Especially with the city still iced over."
"WACHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Flip dove-kicked at Akhlut, only for Keith and Chris to intercept him.
"Might wanna tell him that," Keith deadpanned.
"What are you all doing here," Chris asked, pointing to the figure in the wheelchair, who was breathing slowly. "And who's your friend?
Kat tilted her head in confusion.
"Hold on, is he...?" a soft snore reached her ears in response. "He's asleep?"
"Shhhh…" Eggatha put a finger to her mouth. "She just got out of surgery a few days ago and she's had a long trip."
Kat handed Bokkun to Keith, slowly approaching. "Who is it?"
She pulled the scarf away slowly. There was a collective gasp, Keith dropping Bokkun and Chris doing the same for Flip.
"Owie!" Bokkun yelped.
"WARK da fugg!?" Flip exclaimed.
Hope's gun tumbled from her fingers. "Call Sally. Now! "
Chris nodded before making the call.
Dr. Sorders' Office
"I just don't get it..." Shorty pondered.
"What don't you get, Shorty?" asked Dr. Sorders.
"How I broke. I resisted getting turned into a Cybernik and powered through just about everything the Empire's thrown at me. But a few days at that ice-bitch's boot camp and…" he made a scary, evil face.
"Everyone has their breaking point, Shorty. Perhaps all of the trauma and abuse you've endured for the past two years simply... boiled over. It's nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, you should be commended for staying strong for so long." the stork grimaced. "Especially given what that boot camp...entailed."
"It still ticks me off..." Shorty said with a scowl. "I always figured I was tougher than that. Guess it's true...without my suit, I'm just another red squirrel."
"You are tough, Shorty. Please, don't belittle yourself like that. If you do, you'll only make it worse."
"I just…" Shorty sighed. "I feel like I failed."
"You're alive," Sorders countered. "I see that as proof you didn't. And you know what they say, what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger."
Station Square Shelter
Over where BLIZZARD's tents had been set up, Guntiver was on the phone with someone.
"Madame, please, be reasonable… Think about everything that's happened. Yes, you've made that clear numerous times before, but-" He winced. "Yeah, okay, I'll...bring this up with the others. But I still say… Yes, I understand. Goodbye, Madame."
He hung up, massaging his temples. "Sleipnir's seventh leg...why did I want this job again?"
"Gunt?" came Rotor's voice. "That you?"
Gunt turned to face him, smiling. "Rotor! Welcome back."
"Thanks. You seen Skeeter?"
"He's in the tent. I saw him run by looking halfway ready to bawl his eyes out. I tried talking to him, but he just buried himself in the blankets. Hasn't said a word since."
Rotor nodded. "Right. Which one's his?"
Guntiver pointed to a yellow one.
"Thanks."
"If you're going to try and talk to him, don't get your hopes up. When Skeeter gets like this, he can clam up for hours."
"He's my brother, I have to try."
Gunt nodded, stepping aside. Rotor stuck his head in the tent.
"Skeets? Skeeter, you there?" Rotor noticed a lump under a pile of blankets. "Skeets?"
When he got nothing, he sighed "Skeets... look, I'm sorry. I know how much you miss Dad, believe me, I do…and I wish things were different, but… things… are a bit more complicated than we'd like them to be. I'd love more than anything for Dad to go free, but what you... and I need to understand is… Everyone back home… everyone he hurt…they're gonna look at him, and see Tundra. Not just them... but Dad too. I know this is probably a lot to take in..." He reached for the blanket. "But I know we can get through this-" The blanket fell away, revealing a coat, some pillows, and a stuffed seal plush. "-together?! Oh shit… Gunt!"
"Rotor? What's...?" Guntiver ran in, seeing the decoy. "Oh no… Where could he have gone?!"
"I think I know.
-X-
Meanwhile, Erma was standing guard over Sherman's door when she heard a noise.
"Hm?" She saw a shadow, narrowing her eyes. "Okay you, come out. No funny business."
Skeeter stepped out nervously. "Uhhh...Erma?"
Erma's expression softened. "Skeeter… don't do that. I thought you were a spy."
"Yeah, sorry."
Erma sighed. "It's alright, kid. Did you need something?"
"Gust told me to tell you that it's time to change guards. Him and Sealia are on their way over."
"Right. So what are you here?"
"I-I..." Skeeter fidgeted nervously.
"Come on kid. Go on and head back with the-"
Before she could react, Skeeter whipped out a wooden baseball bat he had been hiding behind his back, cracking Erma over the head with it. The ermine screamed in pain, clutching her head as the young walrus dropped the bat and made a run for the door.
"Dammit...Skeeter!"
-X-
Back inside. Sherman was looking out the window when he heard the commotion. He turned to see Skeeter open the door and slam it shut. The little walrus grabbed a nearby chair and propped it against the door, blocking it.
"There, that oughta do it."
"Skeeter?"
Skeeter turned to Sherman. "Dad!"
Skeeter ran at his dad, but the older walrus stepped aside.
"You shouldn't be here," Sherman insisted.
"Neither should you!" Skeeter started pulling at the I-Beam. "C'mon!"
Skeeter pulled out his bat and started bashing the I-Beam, trying to break it. "C'mon! Break already! Let my Dad go, you stupid piece of-!"
"Skeeter!" the door started shaking. "Skeeter Walrus, you open this door right now!"
The door began to shake as Erma started banging on it violently. "That's it! I'm gonna count to three–!"
"Lick an ice pole, Erma!" Skeeter shot back.
"Skeets…" With a sigh, Sherman reached up and untwisted the I-Beam like it was a piece of pipe cleaner. Once he did, it dropped to the ground and Sherman picked up his son. "That's enough."
"But Dad...!"
"I said, that's enough," Sherman used his foot to move the chair, just in time for Erma to come running in at full speed to ram it. Unable to stop in time, she stumbled and fell over.
"Oof!"
"Here," Sherman handed Skeeter over. "Take Skeeter."
"Dad, no!" Skeeter cried.
Erma stared at Sherman, who continued to hold out Skeeter. Then her eyes fell on the I-Beam.
"You just... shrugged it off," she began to sweat. "A-are you telling me you could've gotten loose any time you wanted?!"
Sherman nodded. "That little girl is strong… but I'm stronger."
Erma was left speechless.
"Skeeter!"
The others turned to see the Rotor and the rest of BLIZZARD heading over.
"Boomer," Sherman sighed. "Everyone…"
"Skeeter, what the heck are you doing!?" Rotor demanded.
"What's it look like?" Skeeter retorted. "I'm saving Dad!"
"I don't need saving, Skeets," Sherman handed Skeeter to Rotor, then went back over to the I-Beam. "I need to face justice. To pay for everything I did."
"But...But you didn't do anything!" Skeeter objected.
Sherman slid the I-Beam over his upper arms, twisting it back in place. "Yes, I did."
"But..."
"C'mon, Skeet, let's go." Rotor tried to take Skeeter out, but the younger walrus slapped Rotor's hand away.
"No!" Skeeter tried to make a break for Sherman again.
"Skeeter, enough," Sherman said sternly.
"This isn't fair!" Skeeter wept. "First you died, then you got turned into a monster! Now you're back and Erma and everyone's saying you need to be locked up forever! It's been awful without you! I don't want to go back to living with Aunt Chiffon on Bygone Island! I wanna stay with you! I want things to go back to how they were before!"
"Son..." Sherman sighed.
"Ummmm..." Everyone turned to see Chris in the hallway. "So… there's a situation and we need everyone in the south meeting room. Including Sherman."
Sherman blinked. "Me?"
Chris nodded. "Yeah. And if you could take off the I-Beam again, that would be great. It'll just get in the way.
Sherman blinked before shrugging it off. "O...kay..."
"Chris, what's going on?" Rotor asked. "Did something happen?"
"It's... easier just to show you."
South Meeting Room
Kat stood guard outside of the meeting room, leaning on her bat like a knight would their sword. When she saw the others approaching, she sighed in relief.
"There you are. Do you know how hard it is to get such high-profile people into a crowded shelter undetected? Pretty damn hard."
"Thanks, Kat," Chris said, patting her arm. "Seriously."
"Kat, is everything okay?" Rotor questioned.
"Just head inside." She gestured with her thumb toward the door.
The group headed in, where they found Eggatha, Akhlut, Flip, Chris, and Keith sitting in the room.
"Guys!" Flip exclaimed. "Finally! We've been waiting forever for you to show up!"
"We've only been sitting here for fifteen minutes," Akhlut pointed out.
"Akhlut!?" Rotor and Skeeter exclaimed in shock.
"Akhlut..." Sherman remarked quietly.
Akhlut looked up at Sherman, a strange look coming over the orca before he shook it up.
"Sherman… Welcome back to Mobius. I'd ask how you're enjoying your second chance at life, but..."
"What the fugg are you doing here, you bastard!?"
"Erma!" Gunt admonished, getting him a glare from the ermine.
"Can it, Guntiver! He's the one responsible for all this in the first place!"
"Yes, and I'm not denying that," Akhlut replied. "But this isn't about me. It's about them," he pointed to the walruses. "Agatha?"
Eggatha stepped over to the corner of the room, speaking quietly with the figure in the wheelchair. As she did that, Skeeter's gaze drifted from her to Akhlut. He swallowed nervously, shaking ever so slightly.
"Boomer..." he whispered.
"I know, Skeet," Rotor whispered back. "I know..."
"He's right there… So why aren't we...?"
"It's alright, son." Sherman put a hand on both of his boys' shoulders. "He won't hurt us."
Eggatha returned, pushing the figure in the wheelchair over to the table. Bokkun was in the figure's lap, munching on a small bag of cookies.
"Bokkun, the message," Eggatha prompted.
"Oh yeah!'' The gluttonous bot horfed down the rest of the sweets and pulled one of his mini TVs from his satchel bag.
"That better not be an exploding one!" Kat called out from the doorway.
"It's not," Eggatha assured her. "Not this time."
The monitor flickered to life, and the snow parted, revealing the image of Dr. Robotnik. The villainous madman looked particularly morose, idly toying with a small piece of machinery just so he would have something to keep his hands busy. As his gaze turned toward the screen, Sherman's demeanor hardened.
"Julian…" he hissed, instinctively tightening his grip on his boys.
"Hello, Sherman. It's...been a while." Robotnik took a deep breath. "I'm sure you have a lot you want to say to me."
"If there weren't children in the room, I'd be giving you a piece of my mind…and if you were here…"
Everyone took a step back, Rotor and Skeeter both reaching up to grab their dad by the arm holding them. Feeling their grip and seeing everyone's unease, Sherman took a deep breath to compose himself.
"What the hell do you want?"
Eggman swallowed nervously. "A lot of things… But for now, I just want to tell you...I'm sorry."
Silence filled the room.
"Sorry…" Sherman repeated, his voice almost a whisper. He wheezed out a laugh, releasing Rotor so he could put a hand to his face. He tilted his head back, that wheezing turning into a manic cackle. "SORRY?!"
His head snapped back and he lashed out, grabbing the TV and yanking it from Bokkun's hands. He pulled it close to his face, the action making the little robot and Robotnik jump. Everyone was on edge as Sherman began shouting.
"Do you have ANY idea what you did to me?! What I did because of your machinations?! The blood on my hands because of your Dark Ring?! I ALMOST KILLED MY OWN SON , JULIAN! Over half my people are dead, and the other half will never be able to look at me without seeing the monster that destroyed their lives again! And you think a measly SORRY will make things right?!"
Even though he was several zones away, Robotnik was shaking with fear, swallowing hard as his breathing came out in terrified gasps. Everyone else was staring at the scene before them, both Rotor and Skeeter praying that their father's eyes didn't turn black again.
"No," Robotnik replied after a good minute, slowly regaining his composure. "No, I don't think a measly sorry can fix anything. There are no words in any language on Mobius that will ever make what I did right. I have done many horrible things in the name of world conquest, but what I did to you… is easily my greatest mistake and failure as a scientist and a human being."
"Honestly, I think I have to agree on that one," Kat said bluntly.
"Not now, Kathryn," Robotnik said quietly. "Just… not now."
Kat backed down.
"As I was saying… There isn't anything I can say or do that will ever truly mend the damage I did or restore what you lost. But...I have something that can make it up to you. For starters, I'm releasing you from service. You are no longer part of the Egg Army and no further attempts will be made to conscript you into our ranks. Effective immediately. The same applies for the rest of your kin, barring voluntary enlisting."
"As if any of us would ever willingly-!" Gunt covered Skeeter's mouth before he could say any more.
"Second, I'm letting you keep your cybernetic weaponry." Robotnik took a sharp breath. "I imagine your son and his friends will be putting that to good use. Especially after you ripped out your Crack Circuit."
Hope smiled at that.
"And, finally… I've taken the liberty of making a sizable donation to the relief fund for Station Square and the displaced citizens of Iceborough. Anonymously, of course."
That surprised everyone.
"For real?" Gunt remarked.
Hope nodded. "Yeah, I confirmed with Sally. Guntiver, you should receive a similar message."
Guntiver's phone pinged. He pulled it out, checked it, and his eyes went wide.
"Holy...!"
Gunt showed the others and their eyes practically popped out of their heads too.
"That… is a lot of zeroes," Erma remarked.
"Hopefully that at least can alleviate the damages."
Guntiver nodded. "It should. Is that everything?"
"Not quite. This last one... it's for the entire Walrus family." Eggman turned to the youngest member present. "Skeeter, do you remember when your aunt came for you the day Squad Saturn came to help with relief efforts after the attack on Iceborough?"
"Y-Yeah..." the young walrus replied.
"Do you remember all those times that Jul... that I came to your house, trying to talk to you?"
Rotor perked. "Wait, you what!?"
"Chiffon never liked us. She liked us even less after Iceborough. She took Skeeter and left. And when I tried to contact them she told me in rather... colorful terminology to get lost, and after... consulting my team I did."
"Get to the point, Julian," Sherman coldly demanded.
"What I had been attempting to contact your family about was... well…"
"Was me, Sherman," the handicapped figure finally said in a low, feminine voice.
Sherman and his sons froze, their eyes wide and jaws dropped in shock as they turned toward the figure.
"No…that's impossible," Sherman whispered. He slowly stepped forward until he was right in front of the figure, his shaky arms gently pulling away the scarf and hat, revealing an older, female walrus with short tusks and tired eyes.
"Ge…Georgette?" he breathed, still shaking.
"...Mom?" Skeeter said.
"It can't be…" Rotor added.
Georgette Walrus gave her sons a soft smile.
"Rotor, Skeeter…you've both gotten so big." She then turned to her husband, slowly raising a hand to touch his cheek. "Oh, Sherman…what has the world done to you?"
Author's Note:
Rotor's mom lives?! Didn't see that coming, did ya? Yeah, she did come out of nowhere a little, but we have a lot of cool ideas for her and we want to make them work. For now, you'll have to wait until the next chapter to hear her story.
And yes, Elise being pyrokinetic is an idea we came up with due to all the time she spent as Iblis' vessel. As for her words, in a nutshell, Mephiles and Iblis were, together, an imitation created by the failure of the Solaris Project. By destroying them, Sonic, Shadow, and Silver restored the true Solaris.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Georgette- Kate Flannery (Carol from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Barb Miller from Steven Universe, Meredith Palmer from The Office)
Please R&R. Until next time!