Work Text
“Doctor's log.
I'm busy cleaning up yet another mess left for me by the rodents. It's almost a shame that this one included my one-time protege, Starline. He was an impressive mind with impressive skill, but alas, he got far too big for his tiny spurs. Thought he could match me- improve on me! Waltz in and help himself to what was mine! But... well... at least that problem's been squashed- heheheh!
Mhm- for now, I need to assess all damages to my magnificent city by him and his curious 'experiments.' One of them, a blue fennec, was carried off by Prower and-
...mm- Tinker's... puppet. Fascinating control of water, not unlike Chaos. I'll keep my many eyes on that one.
The other, a green tenrec who fought Sonic, appears to have vanished deep into the recesses of the city, but none of my surveillance has seen her since, nor has she been spotted elsewhere in the world. No body recovered so far, but no further damage to my city either. I have Metal Sonic out searching for her, just in case. I can't deny one with such power as hers could be an asset, since she seems all too keen to fight the hedgehog.
Until then, I have a city to repair and conquest to plan. Same old, same old.
I almost have to thank the hedgehog for not doing most of the damage for once. I suppose we all learn eventually, don't we?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
Despite my better judgment, I've had Starline's words ringing in my ears all day. The lad was a fool, and in the end, feeble. Still...
It was a shame. Truly. I never had a protege before. Someone to learn from me. He reminded me why I ever considered that aborted teaching degree in the first place, gods give me strength. He certainly learned much.
But then he thought he became the master and tried to teach me! Look where it got him! What could you possibly have to teach me from where you are now?
Urnh... And yet.
Now that he's gone, I find myself remembering his frustrations - his belief that I refused to learn from my past failures. I say, didn't he ever learn the definition of insanity? From how easily he cracked, I doubt it.
...Still... and it pains me to say it... I wonder whether I should reconsider his words.
Hmph- clearly the intelligent choice, right? The little bastard is dead.”
“Well, I, for one, encourage it, boss!”
“Yeah! We've told you that a hundred times no-”
“Remind me to reprogram you both to understand RHETORICAL QUESTIONS! Stay out of my lab while I'm working!”
“Yessir!”
“Y'got it!”
*Sshhff* *Clang*
“Rrgh... Geometric gibberers...
Where was I-? Ah, yes.
I spent much of last night filing back through my many glorious conquests. The Metal Virus is sadly no longer an option, since the hedgehogs tossed all of my supply into the sun! And then Starline wasted any leftovers on his angry little escapees.
But two others jumped to the front of my mind. My other most successful plans, if, er... not for the usual rabble.
One: the Time Eater. A rousing success! Trapping Sonic and all of his friends outside of time - and the beast didn't even turn on me, for once! And I still have all of the data gathered by my younger self and I, if not the Eater itself.
...There was the issue of, erm... getting trapped ourselves, for a while. That certainly won't be an issue again.
And two, my greatest success yet: the Phantom Ruby.
I still dream of those halcyon days. For the first time, the entire world was mine. Infinite was unstoppable - I was unstoppable! ...So it seemed.
Only six months. But they were six glorious months. The world was in my image, at last. With Sonic in a cell, where he belonged.
The original ruby was destroyed, but I still have all of that data, as well... And if young Prower could make a convincing fake emerald at eight years old, I can easily make another ruby from scratch!
Yes... It would be so easy. Dare I chase that high again?
If only Sonic hadn't escaped.
To freeze those six months in time...
...
...Hm.
I will run some calculations and... depending on what I see...
...I will consider Starline's wisdom.
...Note to self: never admit that to anyone.”
-Two Years Later-
It's a flurry of images. Some of them are mundane - waiting in the repair bay for hours, marching down steel hallways, lying in the snow, lying in the dirt. That night deemed kicks to the leg and wrenches to the head to be preferred viewing. Then he catches glimpses of himself hanging from chains while the enemy tries to repair him; an act of kindness he never repays. Not how they wanted, at least.The images disappear. His startup routines activate as daylight crosses his sensors.Green LEDs flicker on. They spend a few seconds flashing back and forth from ovals to flat lines - an imitation of nature rather than a means for clear vision. The tan bricks above the doorway are perfectly visible.Servos silently whirr as he lifts his head away from cotton and polyester. The building is quiet, if not for the low rumble of the well outside to his right, or the rattle of dropped screws and bolts in the shop to his left.His processes catch up. He remembers where he is. He 'fell asleep' on the sofa in the common room, or sleep's closest approximation for a robot. He sometimes uses the late hours to drop down into a 'sleep mode,' allowing his banks to defragment his old, damaged data and put some of those fractured memories back together.They don't make for great dreams. Most nights he doesn't bother. That night, Belle insisted.“Even we need rest,” she said. Between the two of them, they'd never wake again.He scans the room, crossing shelves of engineering books and action figures, then back to the light from the shop. He's soon aware of a presence beside him. He looks down and sees a large, metal ladybug lying against him on the couch, eye displays off and tiny claws curled up in standby mode. The little guy hopped up to join him after he sat down to sleep. He does it every time.Belle says that Motobud can tell when he has bad dreams. His lips scrunch in his sleep; he looks sadder the next day- moves slower. His diagnostics say that his movements are consistent each day, so he's not sure he believes it.Still, he gently pats the bug on his back. Cyan eye displays flicker on and glance around, then up to him. They sharpen into little upward triangles, conveying that he's pleased.“Hm...” he grunts a little chuckle. It's involuntary, and he feels it. His laughs are real. His smiles are real. A small one rises on his silver lips. “...Morning, little guy.”He's grateful for the company, he decides.He hoists himself to his feet, turning to the open archway into the shop. He hears the thump of Motobud's wheel on the floor beside him. They stroll over to see what's happening.Across the room, he sees a green cap and orange pigtails hovering over a deactivated Caterkiller. One white, frilly glove reaches in and out of a drawer full of replacement parts while the other ratchets them into place. His internal schedule reminds him that it was the little badnik's tuneup day.He approaches, examining her workspace: a slab of treated wood with plenty of tools and parts on hand in drawers and cubbies. A folded square of paper sits in the back; she keeps it nearby these days.It's just one of multiple personalized benches in the room. The building's owner set them up for each of the tenants so they could help out around the shop - rather, the ones who have tinkering in their software. He doesn't. There's not a lot he can do around there.Still, she turns to him, and she smiles brightly- warmly and sincerely. He sees it often, and he's still surprised by it. “Good morning,” she says, her voice low for the sake of the young ones sleeping upstairs.More of the stress of his memories leave him. She gets an even bigger smirk than Motobud. He still pats her head the same way. “Morning, kiddo.”She groans quietly, her brow wrinkling underneath her ruffled tuft of orange hair. Their smiles hold.She's alright. He likes her, he decides.
“Doctor's log, addendum.
I've postponed development of the Sage AI.
Let's give due to the dead.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Damn it all!!
That damned Starline! His pathetic little power trip revealed my city to the world before it was complete! Now the rodents are crawling all over it and tearing it apart!
Metal Sonic barely did anything before they took him out! At this rate, I've half a mind to finish the job!!
And, of course, my useless 'Worker' can't divert resources to fend them off! Some rubbish about 'disrupting the separation between them and the Restoration.' It's nonsense! He just doesn't have it in him to rebuild GUN to what it was before I shredded it to pieces! And he should have the guts to say it!!
Rrgh...!! I don't have time to stress over this. Construction of the Time Phantom is well underway. It's a wondrous machine already- sure to put its predecessors to shame!
For the sake of your sorry legacy, Starline, you'd better hope it turns out better than what you did to my city!!”
“...
...*Sigh*...
Doctor's log, addendum. I'm giving serious thought to the possibility that I'm cursed.
First, my city was revealed and raided before its completion... and now the same thing happened to my Time Phantom.
...It would have been an impressive machine. My finest creation. Its Ruby abilities were almost fully functional! Already, it could successfully form a pocket of Null Space!
...I only know this, because Sonic kicked the Phantom into it... It's completely gone now.
At least it knocked him out in the process... I suppose...
...I need a damn drink.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log. What a mess.
I'm busy recovering what I can from my poor city. Regrettably, I must accept that this will not include a single trace of my Time Phantom.
I have all of the data needed to start over, but not the resources yet. And even I know not to repeat myself so soon. Not now that Sonic knows about it.
Hah! If that wasn't enough, the damned hedgehog had the nerve to cross my path again! I was only menacing a village - I needed to clear some room for a new mine! But along he comes and smashes my machines, like this is just our Tuesday!
And if that wasn't enough, the pesky little pincushion barely said a word! He just broke everything and trotted away! Who does he think he is - Shadow?!
Feh- maybe I should be thankful! At last, a fight with him that was quick and quiet! No irritating posturing like he's better than he is. Maybe he finally realized after I captured him.
...Hmm... Yes, that must be it. I don't believe I've heard that much out of him since then. Seems those six good months in prison were beneficial for him. Grounded him, so to speak- heheheh!
Ahh... No more yammering during our battles, if I'm so very lucky.
...Mm, like the good old days, now that I think about it. He was much quieter as a child.
Hmph! To think he was just a child when he became an eternal thorn in my side... Got too comfortable, I wager. Finally remembered who he was dealing with... Looks at me like it, now, too...
...Damn... has it really been that long...?
...
Mrm... Ahem! What else- oh yes. In the meantime, I've set up a little treat for my 'Worker.' Something to help rid him of a few mutual pests, and it helps me dispose of an old, defunct bunker in the process.
Speaking of eternal irritants, Shadow's infuriating little club just so happens to work for me, and they don't even know it! Unfortunately, they're diametrically opposed to obedience. I believe their disposal is long overdue.
To start, that traitorous little hulk, Omega. He was once the greatest of my darling E-100 series. But I made the mistake of putting him in charge of guarding Shadow while I revived him and cloned him for my androids. Got it in his head that I'd abandoned him, and maybe if he didn't tear through so many of my forces, I wouldn't have. But it's too late for him to grovel for my forgiveness!
No, his time has come. I know his temperature limits. It's not high enough for him or the bat girl's nosey friend to walk away from this one- heheheh...! Ah, yes, they'll be missed the least, I'm sure.
You see, Metal Sonic? Aren't you glad you let me reprogram you? Aren't things so much better when you don't defy me? What a terrible fate could befall you if you did!
Oh, but you've had more than your fill of bullet holes from him, haven't you? No, you don't feel bad for him.”
“...”
“Of course not. Not that I programmed you with that depth of feeling, I suppose.
...Hm. I still wonder how I managed it with that 'Belle.' So annoying that she didn't have the courtesy to copy that data to you when she fixed you. Then I could figure out how I did!
If only she wasn't carried off by the rodent rabble - you could go retrieve her for me. Wouldn't that be nice? A little sister around the place to pester you? Heheh! And only a little less annoying than your brothers!”
“...
[vrrr]”
“...I'd plug you in so you could respond, but... no, not today. I need silence. Go back to patrolling the base.”
*Clp* *Clp* *Clp* *Clp* *Clp*
*Zhvvrff*
*Clp* *Clp* *Clp*
*Zhvvffm*
“...Hmph. Yes. I underappreciated silence.
*Sigh* But too often, it weighs on me. And then a pair of prattling idiots comes out of it.
Mm... Think I'll just set everyone to mute for a while.”
Sunlight and plentiful greenery covers all he can see from atop the silo. His sensors predict temperatures around 18 degrees Celsius come the afternoon. More clinks and ratchets fill the shop below him now that the rest of the young ones are awake. There's nothing around that they need to worry about. They're safe. He makes sure of it.This is enough for him. Everyone insists that he can be more, but he can't fathom what. No, this is what he does: stand guard and protect, like the mobian guardians. His siblings are his island.They're equipped to build, maintain, and repair, but he is for battle. The only thing he can build is an empire.He recalls one of the restored memories from last night, despite his wiser judgment. He wishes he didn't feel that twinge of pain. He doesn't want to stop feeling. He resigns himself to it.Longing - resentment - regret; he's not sure which kind of pain it is. But he's sure he wouldn't go back.He stares off past the treeline, past the distant houses to the horizon. He can simulate closing his eyes; he does so by choice. He can detect the vibrations from his voice box through his body when he speaks. He chooses to hum.A low note, at first. It rumbles his chassis, replete with overtones that give his synthetic voice its distinct color. It's a replica of another's, like most of him is, but he only deepened it some once it was his- put some more bass into it to emphasize that rumble. He doesn't feel like changing it any further. He likes his voice.He rises to a higher note. Hidden in his databanks is the knowledge that he hits a middle C. There's not much else about music to draw from in there. He recalls a tune Belle hummed to herself while she worked around the shop last month. It started with a middle C. He starts humming it too.Because there's no one to take his voice away. No one can tell him to stop.“A very good morning, Big Brooo~!”Well, they can give him reason, at least.He 'reopens' his eyes and leans forward to see the catwalk, where a ball of red and cube of yellow float over from inside. Orbot and Cubot wave up at him, both having to crane their necks back to see him over the curve of the silo. Despite their limited range of facial movement, they look terribly pleased.“Hey, guys,” he utters down at them. He doesn't mean it as cranky as it comes out. He doesn't dislike his little brothers.
Anymore. He needs to work on that.“Guess what?!” Cubot cheers in his digital gargle. “We're not goin' to jail!”Shard's eye display simulates the confused wrinkle of an eyebrow. “...Already knew that, pal.”“What he means is-” Orbot interjects in his politely patronizing way, “-that we just received word: we've officially met the end of our clemency bargain with GUARD, and now we're off the hook!”Cubot huffs. “Just 'cuz you say it longer doesn't mean you're more right.”Shard furrows his LED forehead. “And... you're sure they don't need anymore from me?”“Not a thing!” Orbot cheers. “As far as they're 'officially' concerned, 'Shard' was a new badnik who never did anything. You're as free as Belle and Omega!”He should be happy to hear this.He's not.He hangs his head, his lips falling further.“Uh...” Cubot grunts, tilting his head confusedly, “...unless you don't wanna be?”That pain seethes through his circuits again. He knows what kind it is this time.Animals hurt. Screams of fear. Homes destroyed. Nature torn and burned.Little Planet. Angel Island. Cities and villages whose names are too corrupted to recover. All at his hands - all at a single word.He sees wicked grins and violent disappointment in most of his 'dreams.' He just as often sees hatred and terror.He was controlled his entire existence. Programmed to obey. Programmed to want it. It doesn't make it any easier to relive those 'dreams.'What wasn't he responsible for? There's the Mecha and Silver Sonic lines, all who caused their own damage - all long gone. Or the Metal Sonic during the war, now known as one of Infinite's duplicates. So there's six months and a scattered handful of fights he can't be blamed for. That leaves six years he can.He wanted to be free. He still does. Maybe he just shouldn't be.His eyes cross the red roof below them. He hears the ongoing repairs in the workshop, the clacks of tools and parts drifting off into the hills through an open window. He sees caring smiles over his shoulders reflected in a mirror.His eyes drift back to his waiting brothers. Both stare up at him, Orbot's hands clasped at his center and Cubot's clenched at his sides. They look so expectant and concerned. He matters to them.A smirk works its way up his lips. Everyone in this house can take care of themselves. He's seen them do it.They shouldn't have to. Every island needs a guardian.“...Nah,” he finally answers. “Somebody's gotta look after you boltheads.”Their faces flash with bright relief, placated. "Glad to hear!" Orbot cheers as he bounces in place. “Well, if you'll excuse us, we're in charge of feeding the organic boys today. And we need to prepare for some guests arriving tomorrow.”“Yep, ain't done any of that,” Cubot remarks flatly. He waves wildly as the two scoot along back inside. “See you 'round, Big Bro!”Shard watches them disappear behind the curve of the silo and a bundle of vine leaves. He chuckles quietly to himself and shakes his head.They're a silly pair. He's glad they're okay.Taking one last long scan of the region, he hops high over the shop roof, firing his jets to hover down to the raised foundation. His smirk slips, but he doesn't frown.He strolls into the shop and all of its clattering noise and chatter. A low hum from his voice box, rumbling his chassis, makes it just a little bit noisier. He doesn't like it too quiet.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
I haven't recorded one of these in a while. Much too busy covering some irritating tracks. The empire recently had its greatest setback since the... 'fiasco' that took my memory...
*Sigh* ...That dolt Skala was so obsessed with Infinite that he blew his cover. Yes, found out and imprisoned, by the very pests that I set up that trap to get rid of for him!! If he actually burned Omega and that Topaz girl like I'd planned, we wouldn't be here!!
But no, he had to be a Starline himself- get ideas above his station and watch it crumble around him! And now I no longer have a firm grip on GUN! My connections beneath him ran off to save their own skins, damn cowards!
He's lucky he's well guarded. I don't expect him to squeal, but who's to say he should have the chance?
...Hm... Heheheh...
Perhaps it will be enough for him to know that I'm watching... waiting for that slip in his security.
Enough to keep him scared for as long as he lives... Heheheheh...!
Ahh, only the best for that boy.
Mmm... I should have seen it coming. Should have picked my 'perfect mole' more scrupulously. Never trust anyone too eager to please, let alone one of your prisoners of war- heh...
Nor one with quite such an arsenal of masks. I suspect only the secret service who dragged him away ever saw his true face.
I preferred the one he showed me first. I like it better when my minions actually do what I say.
Oh, speaking of...”
*Beep*
“Metal Sonic. Go leave some scratch marks around my 'Worker's cell. Anywhere he can see it.”
*Beep*
“*Sigh* ...Now then. I'm left at a crossroads.
Multiple plans and resources were torn from me in rapid succession. I need to regroup. I'm loathe to suggest it, but possibly even lay low for a little while. Just long enough to rebuild and formulate a plan. Something to really bring this world to its knees, where it belongs.
Hmm...
*click click clack click clack*
...Yes... Unpopulated and unnoticed. That might have to do.”
*Beep*
“Attention all base units: regroup and prepare to ship out. We're moving house.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
I really should have recorded another of these before now, but I've been terribly busy. I've brought all necessary units and machines with me to the island, and the construction of my new permanent base is almost done. I'm looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed again. I've had to make do with my portable Egg Bases for the last month.
In the meantime, myself and a handful of scoutbots have explored more of these islands. I gave them a cursory glance during my blessed dictatorship. Turns out one of my Death Egg Robots is still here. But now I can really explore my new haunt.
It's an isolated archipelago deep in the South Pacific, littered with ruins as they so often are. But these are most peculiar - remarkably strong and resilient, uniquely ornate, and decorated with iridescent glasses and metals. Some of them float in the air on their own! Why, there are two marvelous pyramids on this island, one of them floating not a short walk away from here! It's enough to make a grown man giddy- heheh!
And such an odd disparity in these biomes! My primary island is lush and green with plentiful rain, yet the nearest neighbor to the north is a lifeless desert. And further out is a patchwork of islets surrounding a volcano, coated in ash and steam clouds. Barely any life as well, despite the ecological symphony volcanic regions tend to be. Most peculiar.
...Well, there are 'inhabitants' here, I suppose. Bizarre little rock totems of a sort littering the landscape - heads on legs, they look like. Or fossilized Chao. They were curious of my machines, at first, but now they wisely keep their distance- heheh...
Regardless, they don't seem to be the civilization that built these ruins. May be of it, if I can discern how. But these structures are far too advanced; visibly technological - nearly indestructible. Though, many were clearly destroyed by something powerful, especially on the other islands...
But, oh, so many tempting secrets locked away in this place. If only I'd finished my AI, like I'd originally planned, then maybe I could do some real digging.
Ergh... one issue at a time.
For now, it's pertinent that I restore as much of my martial might as possible. I'll leave the ruins for now- much too valuable once I can harness their secrets. But there's still plenty of metals to harvest and put towards rebuilding my armada. That must remain my primary goal. However long it takes.
Rest easy, feeble world. I want you unprepared.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
Rebuilding proceeds as normal. Slower than I'd prefer. Luckily, my scouts around the volcano found an entire quarry of those colorful metals used in the ruins. Useful for support structures and electronics alike. I daresay I got so giddy upon seeing these towers of material that I ordered production of a new Egg Carrier! A permanent base and a flagship of the rebuilt Egg Fleet - it's a win-win!
...I would have thought of it sooner... and... wouldn't have to transfer the other new base to it piecemeal... but, erm...
Ahem- for now, I've told my minions and bumblers across the sea to keep the rodents busy. Handfuls of spare badniks causing a ruckus everywhere. Just like I never left- heheh!
If it were wise, I'd bring all of my spares to the islands, but that would draw too many eyes to my plans. Especially now that GUN's successors are bandying about. What are they calling it no-? 'GUARD', I believe. Oh yes, 'Guardians of the Universal Allies, Research and Defense' - heh. Must have struggled to fit that acronym as badly as GUN did. Well, we'll see just how good you are at 'guarding' when the time comes.
... *Sigh* ... Gods help me, I almost crave the scuffle. It's too quiet around here. Especially on nights like this.
The islands are unusually common witnesses to meteor showers... I popped up here for a good view - the highest platform of the northern pyramid. But it feels like even the wind and sea don't dare make a sound during starfall.
...Oh, that reminds me- I've, um... I've actually been keeping busy investigating more of these ruins. Indulging in the archaeological side of the family. They would be so green to know what I found, eh? Heheheh...!”
*Pat pat pat*
“Mm, but it is a tantalizing mystery. Who were these ancients? Their ruins have barely degraded at all, but examining the topography and sedimentary layers around them, they clearly predate any other civilization by thousands of years. In fact, there are some ruins identical to those I've seen on Angel Island, yet these ancients lived long before the echidnas. Their predecessors, perhaps? Hmm, wouldn't it be fun to bring the Master Emerald here and see what happens? Heheheh...!
Hahhh, but... it's clear that something drastic wiped them out. There are signs of destruction everywhere, and subsequent environmental shifts across the islands. That would explain the odd disparity between the three of them. This island looks much more lush and alive than the desert and volcano, but if you look closely, you can see just how thin the foliage really is. I suspect the land only truly began to recover very recently.
It appears the ancients made some effort to rebuild, but no, they didn't last much longer. Only their buildings and their little walking stone heads are left. Not a trace of them as people.
They easily could have taken the whole planet for themselves, and this was their fate...
...I pity them... I do...
...
...
...'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair.
...Nothing beside remains'...
...
...
...I d-
...
...Mmph...”
It's evening. Daylight lasts longer each day this time of year, but the sun still sets shortly after 'dinner'. He doesn't need to eat, so he returns to his post.He stands tall atop the building's red tiled 'ear'. He's logged hundreds of sunsets into his archives by now, all a little different depending on time of year, cloud cover, passing aircraft and creatures. He saves another, clear and orange, because he chooses to.The doorknob rattles beneath him; the air pressure whooshes as the door opens; the oiled hinges hiss at a frequency few can detect, drowned out by the brush of carpet. He peers down past the overhang and the lantern post. A pyramid of teal leaves the house.The boy shuts the door and turns to the water wheel. He's not wearing his pack, but he doesn't need it. He plods over, slow and heavy like usual.The boy lifts his hand to the running, burbling water. A tendril forms from under the wheel, then another, then two more, rising up and around to the ground. They gather together to form a flat pad of water at his feet. He steps onto it. It lifts him into the air and up to the roof, directly into Shard's line of sight.The two make eye contact. The boy's eyes glow a piercing white - but they're hollow. Nothing but lights in pools of dull fuchsia hidden under thick curtains that he doesn't cut himself. His lips hang low - never a frown, just unused. He slumps forward, and his head droops like his low-hanging ears - he looks heavy, but he hasn't grown an inch or an ounce.He steps off the cradle of water. The tendrils collapse to the ground below. His eyes darken to voids.The silence is thick for how brief it is. A little smile crosses silver lips, casual as can be. “How's it goin'?”His empirical data wouldn't say it, but he can see the pall loosen its grip on the boy. Just a little. Even a little is enough. Less of a slouch, mouth twitching. “...W-... I want'd t'... c'mup here, too...”Shard's smile widens. “Glad to hear.”And he really is. Kit should be able to do what he wants.He steps higher up the building's 'ear' to give the little fennec room at the divot. The boy's dark eyes follow the movement, then he shuffles forward. He slowly lowers himself into the space, and the two turn back to the sunset.Shard overlooks the boy but doesn't say anymore. This is the best any of them can get out of him.He doesn't know any more about Kit than anyone else does, and hasn't known him as long. He's still a mystery. What happened to him isn't.Starline's journal and notes were found soon after the Restoration tore down the Eggperial City. By the time Shard was rebuilt, everyone in the shop knew. Every time he sees Kit, he thinks of Belle's face when she explained it to him - learning just what Starline did with what he took from her. She looked much like the kid does now.But no given names. No original locations. No hint as to the people he or his fellow victim were before. As far as their abuser was concerned, their existences began with him.Now only Kit remains.The boy slowly turns to him. They make eye contact again. Shard tries to smile again- keep things relaxed. Hard to do when someone knows you're staring at them.But he just looks sad. It's better than empty.The boy glances to his metal quills. Shard catches him staring up at them sometimes. Maybe it's their distinct lift. Maybe something about that matters to the kid.He opens his mouth to say something before he's fully decided what it is. “...Have you thought any more about it?” he eventually says.Kit promptly turns away. His shoulders slump their lowest again. His long, fluffy tail flops to the tiles. Wrong question.So it seems. He lifts his knees up to his chest and huddles in a ball. He takes a long, deep sigh. Shard waits.“...Still nobody...?”That pain grips him again. He knows this time that it's regret. “...No,” he answers honestly.Kit is silent for a moment- painfully static. “...Two years...?” There's a growl in his throat. Few others would hear it. “...Three...?”“...Getting there... yeah....” he concurs gently.“Th'n why do you think I wanna find them...?!”His eyes snap back to Shard. The glow returns, yet darkness seems to halo his body. His voice is pained, yet isn't his. He's possessed.Shard doesn't move. He gives the boy a second to loosen.He answers simply. “I don't.”Kit's light-and-dark glow recedes, but he looks no less furious. No less hurt.Shard's digital eyes soften. “We're giving you the option to want it.” His lips twitch upward. “You're allowed to want things for yourself. You should have that choice.”The boy shrinks more into the divot of the roof. “...I should'n...”“Why not?” Shard challenges gently. He even lowers his volume three decibels just in case.Kit looks away to the sunset, his tail curling up against his side. “...It... doesn't make sense t' wan' it...” Even he doesn't sound convinced.But Shard smirks, and his reply is just as soft. “Your wants don't, sometimes. But they're yours. Not someone else's.” He pauses. “...Even though... it's easier-...”The rest sticks in whichever circuit counts as his throat. Kit's hanging ears flick up a little.Admitting it out loud means admitting it to himself. But if there was ever a time...“...Every now and then... I find myself wanting to go back.”Kit turns his head in Shard's direction.“Yeah, I know,” he acknowledges plainly. “It doesn't make sense. I shouldn't want it. And, y'know, most of the time, I don't. I'm not under Eggman's control anymore. He can't make me want it.” He shrugs dismissively. “'Sides, he's dead anyway- not like he can take me back and wipe my drive all over again. Whether I did want it or not...
...But I remember the feeling. I remember having my entire existence decided for me. No wants or choices of my own. But I never needed them. Whatever I was programmed to want, that was what I wanted. And that was enough.”
He huffs bitterly, his smirk turning crooked- biting. “And if I grew any wants of my own... he wiped me and started over.”
The smirk falls. “...I still don't remember anyone I was... or could have been... before the last time he did.”He doesn't see studded gloves tighten into aching, shaking fists. He doesn't need to.“I only have to remember the pain, and the loss, to remember why I don't want it the rest of the time. Y'know? To remember why I choose to want for myself.”
He looks down softly at the ball of teal. “...I don't totally believe that you chose that you don't want to find them, Kit. I think someone else did.”There's no reply. There's no more movement.The two stare off at that distant sunset. He logs its details again, for the hell of it, because he wants to. By this point, despite how it may look - despite how it may feel - he knows that the sun is long past the horizon.
It's nighttime. The stars sparkle above, one streak of light briefly crossing the sky. Kit nods off in his seat. A few gentle words and a wordless nod back, and the two float back down to the ground.Shard holds the door open for the boy, who makes a sluggish beeline for the stairwell. A sweet voice breaks the silence of the house. “Good night, Kit.”He doesn't turn her way. He doesn't look up at her from under his thick bangs. He doesn't look further than Motobud's treads at her side. He only hesitates a moment, then mumbles vaguely in her direction. “...Nigh'...” He trudges up to his room.Shard looks away from the boy to his sister. The same thing happens to her that it always does. Her wooden mouth seems to scrunch. She moves a little slower. She catches him observing her and tries to smile, but he can tell. It falters as soon as she knows that he can.He walks over to Belle, looking straight in her eyes. “Hey,” he says unusually firmly.She blinks at him. She watches him lift Motobud and hold him between them, insisting. His smile is small, but she can see it.“What've I told you, huh?”She sighs and slumps. She steps closer and hugs the little guy against her chest. “...I know...” She starts, setting her chin on Motobud's head. “...If I'm responsible... th'n so are Tails, Sonic, n' Shadow...”“And are they?” he insists with a bigger smile.Her lips inch up the rest of the way into a smirk. “No...”He reaches across and ruffles her hair over her hat. She huffs and glares at him, but her smile finishes growing.The three stay there for a moment. Shard overlooks his little sister - glances past her to the workshop. The question claws its way out of him.“...You still wanna go back sometimes?”She blinks at him. He nods over towards the open doorway. In a small, private connection only for his family, he points her to her personal bench - at a folded square of paper in the back, always nearby.She sees it. She's silent. She hangs her head and weakly nods.She softly pets the little buddy between them, avoiding the two sets of sad glowing eyes watching her too closely.“...But it's a-...” It catches in her wooden throat. “-...A Windmill Village that... doesn't exist anymore...”A metal arm, nowhere as cold as one might expect, reaches across to hers and pulls her closer.The siblings hold each other in silence.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“...
...Mn-hm... Doctor's log...
...I awoke this morning from a... curious dream.
I was in front of... I believe, a rollercoaster.
A much too-small rollercoaster. Nowhere enough metal for my taste - wood, many colors. Hardly the Eggmanland of my true dreams...
Children's laughter... everywhere... I think I was singing...!
The most unbearable, intolerable noise one could imagine. For minutes on end.
...It was elating.
I awoke feeling so... disappointed...
...Hmph.
My superior logical faculties tell me not to read too much into dreams. They are a blend of many things, none of them anywhere as meaningful as the uneducated like to believe.
Still I must... also acknowledge the familiarity of it... Yes, I believe I was remembering.
The memories are hazy, but I do remember my time as that goody-two-shoes Tinker. Such a pitiful, simple man. He had no ambitions beyond that dreadful little village. Just wanted to 'help,' and bring 'joy.' As though the work of a genius- reshaping the world into the form it deserves - as if that is not 'helping!!' How could you possibly want less?!
Heh- no. Instead, he locked himself in one place... Built a tiny rollercoaster, and called it a theme park... and a puppet, and called it a daughter! Hah!
Such a ridiculous man I became.
I had nothing... and thought I had everything.
...
...
...I have a... terrible headache today.
Perhaps this morning, I will... delay my work until later, and get a few more hours of sleep.
...
...Hm. Funny, isn't it...?
I daresay I understand Sonic's ridiculous restlessness. Deep in my work, celebrating a grand victory... battling those damned rodents like always... I can go for days. I'm limitless.
And then there are moments like this, when I stop, and have nothing to do...
...and I become... keenly aware of just how tired I am...”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I never knew my cousin Maria.
Everyone spoke of her like she was very special. Of course her father would break into long, wistful tales of the brave girl he lost. His bright little star, torn away from him and snuffed out too soon. Before long, her sister took to it as well, as though they ever met to begin with. But when it's all your father cares about, I suppose.
But- then- so would my father! Her uncle, who had his own brilliant, living son to worry about! He'd barely speak to that side of the family, and yet she would slither out of his mouth!
Why, if you were a child of the Robotniks, you were better off dead! All that love for someone long gone, and I was right... there!
...Hmph...
Perhaps... I understand Shadow more than I thought. Her photo had special places on everyone's walls and mantles. I grew up with her grey visage looming over me at all times. She haunts this family...
...Heh- if I want to be so bold as to call him 'family'...
It wouldn't change much.
...
...You know... I did try to bring the Robotniks back together.
Victoria and I each took after our fathers, and our Grandfather before them. I started work on my schemes early on- not long after my doctorate. I thought a historian would be a great benefit to my plans, and I did extend that olive branch to her! But no, she wanted nothing to do with it- dared to be repulsed by it!
Heheh... She joined GUN instead. Oh, the irony when she learned what they did to her sister- heheheh! Ah, well, it's her loss. I have her to thank for my bungled plans with Chaos. And for finding Grandfather's journal, I suppose. Not that she knows it- heheehee...!
Though, her oldest, Colin... That little cur certainly wanted in. I can see a bit of Grandfather's hidden dark side in the boy, like myself. He got our balding gene, for one.
And he's a sniveling little fool. He'll do anything you say if it'll get him what he wants. Such a shame that he just doesn't have what it takes. Not very clever- not very skilled. Insufferable to listen to. I sent him back home as soon as Infinite accepted the Phantom Ruby. Poor boy looked so very angry- hmhmhm...!
But his little half-sister, though. 'Hope', I believe is her saccharine little name. It seems she takes more from my side of the family than her mother's. A bit of a technological prodigy, that one! Built a railgun on accident! Hahah- brilliant!
Ah, but damn - she still takes after her mother! Loathes me- wants nothing to do with me, or her Great-Grandfather's legacy! Last I heard from her brother, she's taken to reversing the family name to 'Kintobor,' like some ridiculous protest or something! Hah!!
And, of course, she's the spitting image of her aunt Maria. Haunts us, I say.
...We're an incomparable bunch, us Robotniks.
...Hmm.
...Now that I mention it... I believe the last I heard of, erm- Eric - yes - he's a bit of a chip off the old block himself. On his way to an engineering scholarship. Hm.
Oh. Yes, I, in fact, have a son. If I ever did mention him in my logs, I might have referred to him as my 'daughter,' but no. He's transitioned over the last few years.
'Eric Robotnik.' Heheh- it's even fun to say, isn't it? Someday, perhaps, when the time is right.
We're not in contact, of course. His mother wisely keeps him out of the public eye- always running around. They're currently sequestered into a little pocket of the Catskill mountains. I keep a mobile base nearby him at all times, whatever happens...
...
...'Belle Robotni-'
Ergh... No. She's Tinker's daughter... If one could truly think of their robots in such a way.
...Complete nonsense...
...how... angry I get when I think of those two...
...Hah! When did this become the purpose of my logs? These are documents of my brilliant plans, not one of those ancestry websites! Bah!
Note to self: tomorrow, resume development of the Sage AI. I need something else to do out here.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
Sage is progressing nicely. Should be completed well ahead of schedule. I'm... taking a break from its development for the moment.
I awoke this morning to a notification on my computer. Today is Sonic's birthday.
I completely forgot that I'd planned a proper bash for his 18th. A good swarm of bots into that pathetic 'Restoration' hole in the wall, or maybe some bombs around his little hideout in Station Square. Just something to keep him on his toes. Ideally it would have been a much more successful replay of his 16th with my completed Time Phantom, damn him! Alas, like so many things, it fell by the wayside after I moved here.
Shame. Enjoy the quiet on this special day, you irritating little urchin.
...Hm. 18 already.
This must be the longest either of us have had it so quiet. Eight long years of his spines in my side...
...Sometimes I wonder how much longer we'll have this dance. Surely I will be victorious. One day I will break him, so completely, that it fills me. I would be a failure of a genius not to.
Yet... eight years. It feels like this is our destiny. That dance. Endless. Neither of us ever wins for long. This may be a stalemate. I, too, would be a failure of a genius to disregard the possibility.
I can see that possible future. The true Eggmanland of my dreams never comes to be, and he runs until his last breath. Old and grey, no one wins.
...Heh. Imagine. Could I instill in him that same fear as Skala? I could stay here. Couldn't I?
These islands, so far from his eyes, could be Eggmanland. If there is a future where I die never seeing the world in my image, could I dare to be satisfied with this? Build my dreams in isolated silence, while he falls apart, slowly, in fear of my return! I won't have the world, but he won't have peace!
Ah. No. Terribly unfulfilling, surely. How much better is it really to see your ambitions compromised than to see them failed? As fun as it would be to leave Sonic a mess. I don't have it in me to lock myself in one little place and be satisfied.
...Ngh... But still...! How did that blasted Tinker do it?!
That was his entire life, in that tiny village, and he was happy! How could he look at a space so small and see everything he wanted?
If only I remembered more from those days. I don't quite remember when I arrived there, or when he began building that little theme park. If I did, then maybe I'd understand...
...Or that 'Belle' girl. I don't remember building her, either. Why he did it, or how he felt. He was proud of her, though. And loved her. I do remember that.
I still don't understand, though... why he didn't build her to fulfill a function. I understand the appeal of giving robots personalities and... some freedom of thought and will. But once they're built, they have jobs to do! They're soldiers! Maintenance workers! Security!
But no, he built her simply to be a... person! He built her, just... to be her father! That, too, was enough for him!
I don't understand! But I should! Clearly, it's in me somewhere to understand him!
I am him!
...
...No, that's it. I'm looking at this wrong.
I'm trying to understand an incomprehensible dead man instead of trusting my instincts.
...But... you take away my memory... but you don't take away my genius... what is left?
...
...Is that what you are...?
...Are you... my instincts... 'Mr. Tinker'...?!
...D-... Damn it all if it... doesn't make some... sense...! But...
...
...What do you tell me...? With every new step I take with Sage? Every new line of code that becomes its function- every electron that becomes its form.
Excitement. Pride.
The thrill and desire of seeing its completion!
...Of... seeing...
...her... completion.
...
...That's how you felt.
...
...
...Fine, Tinker. If I can't remember... then show me. Show me dreams fulfilled on this tiny, empty rock.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The flurry of images disappears. His startup routines activate as something hits his sensors. It's not daylight.Green LEDs flicker on. The tan bricks above the doorway are visible. The sunrise isn't far away. Servos whirr as he sits up from the couch. He checks his data for what woke him.Smoke.He snaps his head about looking for the fire. The gas lamp outside wafts as lazily as usual. There are no dark bellows or flickering lights inside. The interior is at its usual warm temperature for early spring, the heating system stable. Motobud dozes peacefully beside him, unbothered. The building itself is fine.His eyes land on the doorway to the workshop. He catches a hushed, startled whisper.“Oh... g-gears n'... starters...!”He leaps to his feet in a fright as it hits him: only one thing is flammable in there.He darts to the door and scans the entire room in an instant. Across the central worktable, a little marionette hunches over her bench, searching through the surrounding cubbies in a tizzy. Wisps of carbon float up from her front.“Belle...!” he calls low into the room.She flinches and bunches up in her seat. She looks over her shoulder and sees him, and her tense and nervous expression wrinkles in shame. She turns away, holding her hand to her chest.He approaches, studying every molecule of her space that his sensors can read. They follow the thinning plume of smoke down to the space between her hands. Leaning over, he sees a circuit board held upside down by clamps in front of her, one of her fingers opened to a soldering iron, and a black hole on the opposite thumb haloed in a flower of ash.“What happened?” he asks, trying not to sound as panicked as he was seconds ago. He sets a hand on her back and puts on a playful lilt. “You're not usually this kinda clumsy.”“...Sorry...”That's all she says. It's more a breath than a word. She doesn't look at him, staring down at the bench.His shoulders droop. He pats hers, deflating the puffy pink ball around it. “S'alright, pal.” He scans the wound and sees that it isn't too deep, nor is the surrounding wood compromised. He glances about her workspace. “Where's the wood filler?”She points to a cabinet across the room. He clomps over, taking a quick glance back to her as he opens it. He sees her pull out a brush and a tube of white acrylic from one of the drawers, then a small plastic spatula from another. Her head doesn't move an inch.He finds the tub of wood filler and grabs a nearby stool. He pops them down at her bench and carefully moves the circuit board to the middle table, out of his way. She says nothing. He opens the tub and stirs the brown goop with the spatula; a tiny enough blob gathered, he holds out his hand to her. No words.She sets hers in his. No words. He carefully paints on the first layer. He presses it in to make sure it fills in the tiniest gaps, then he levels it off. No words.He slowly applies a second layer and levels it off. The char is almost gone.“...I shouldn't 've listened to th'm...”He glances up at her eyes. They shiver and glimmer.“Every time I think I have... closure, I-” The halt in her voice chills him under his armor. “...I lost him twice...!”She clenches her jaw, her little buck teeth sticking out through her wobbling mouth. Droplets pool above her cheeks. Her voice squeaks. Unlike him, she was made with the ability to physically cry. He can only feel it, thanks to her.He'd find it cruel if he didn't know better - or envy her.“An'-! ...Now s'like I lost 'im all over 'gain...!” The tears escape and slide down her cheeks. “He was... almost him again...!”He quietly sets down the spatula. He tightens his hold on her shaking hand and sets his other across her fingertips, away from the filler but utterly present.He searches for the right words. He wasn't programmed with them.He lets that grip in his core take the lead.“...I'd have liked to know him like you did.”She finally looks at him. She doesn't make a noise, but the tears don't stop. He attempts a smile for her. With the images cycling through his mind - all of them, ultimately, fake - it looks easier than it is.“There's a perfect world in some universe... I didn't try to rebuild the empire. I just found you two. And... we're still there now. Happy. With all our siblings and... our father. And he loves us... like he always should've.”A sharp chuckle forces its way out of him. It hurts almost as much as their memories.“I mean... he never even knew Eric, and he called him his son. He never called me that.”His smile falters. Then her other hand joins the pile, cupping his from underneath. His smile returns. Stronger. Easier.“You didn't really know me either. But you welcomed me as your brother. 'N now I have a home and a family, when I didn't... matter enough to have it before.” He can feel where his eyes want to sting and weep, if they could. “...This isn't that perfect world... but it's a lot closer, thanks to you.”His little sister throws her arms around him and sobs into his spaulder. He hugs her as tight as her body can handle. It's the very least she deserves.In the living room, sitting on the couch next to a snuggling ladybug, a fuzzy ball of teal who never went to sleep buries his face in his knees. “I hope she's still out there somewhere...”“...Me too, sis. If she is, we'll bring her home.”
“Recording, Father.”
“Excellent. Doctor's log. I have a guest this time. Introduce yourself, my dear.”
“Greetings! My name is Sage Robotnik.”
“And how old are you now, Sage?”
“According to your logs, you began my development two years ago as of 11:08 this morning.”
“That's right! And I'm happy to announce that you are now complete! I thought this would be a delightful little venue to welcome you to the world. Happy birthday, my dear.”
“Oh- thank you, Father! Why- um... why the floating pyramid?”
“Because! I've only seen these from the northern pyramid! This is the highest point on this island- a much better view!”
“'These'?”
“Indeed, according to my calculations, we're due for something special tonight. And I thought, 'wouldn't it be lovely to share it with my newest and greatest creation to celebrate?'”
“Oh... what could it-
*Gasp!*”
“Mm?”
“What was that, Father...?!”
“Heheh! Caught one early, did you? That was a meteor, or a 'falling star.' Those are why these are called the 'Starfall' Islands.
Ah-! See? We get entire showers of them out here.”
“Ahh...!! There are so many! I see... Because it looks like the stars are falling...!”
“...Hm...! Well... that's one way to look at it, I suppose. In truth, it's simply space debris burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Quite an image, though, is it not?”
“It's beautiful, Father...! The entire sky is filled with falling stars...!”
“Ah, but the rest of those stars - don't you worry, my dear. Those don't go anywhere.
...Mm- well... I suppose that's not strictly true. Actually, Sage, many of those stars aren't really there anymore. They're long gone.”
“Oh... Of course, because of the distance their light must travel to reach us...”
“That's- yes! That's correct. Heheh- I forget just how much I programmed into you. It will be a shame when the time finally comes for us to say goodbye for good, won't it?”
“...
...Why did you not program me to know what these looked like, Father?”
“Ah, because I wanted you to see this with your own eyes.
I could have taken a picture and stored it in your memory. Better yet, I could have modeled an entire star system into your mind, with as much detail as you could possibly process. Wouldn't that have been fun? Chaos knows I've had the time for it.”
“I can... hardly imagine...!”
“But... no. A mere picture can't compare to being there.
This image is yours to remember, dear daughter. Just one of many.
If you look down, you'll see the island I've called home for the last seven months. It's green and rolling, for now. But one day, it will be the soil that holds, proudly, the greatest theme park this universe will ever see.”
“Eggmanland.”
“Eggmanland. Do you know what it will look like, Sage?”
“...No, Father. I don't...”
“No. Because I want you to see it with your own eyes.
The day will come when you walk on your own two feet into the park that I've built in my dreams for so many years. It's like this starfall above us, right now, Sage. The chance for you to experience it as more than just a picture or simulation... more than just a dream...
That's what my little girl deserves.”
“...
...
...Thank you, Father.”
“...
...You're welcome, my dear.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
By the time the sun reaches its peak, the shop is alive with activity. His sister and their youngest resident check every tool, part, and tub of goop in the workshop. Orbot and Cubot dart about the main building for some last-minute cleaning. He stands atop the silo, watching for their host and his guest.A jet engine roars in the distance. He waves to a red biplane as it swoops down over the treeline and hills to land in the clearing nearby. A sensor - that he routinely considers disabling - detects a similar biosignature to The Hedgehog approaching. Except he's happy to know it. He hovers to the ground to meet them.Tails hops to his feet first with a big, friendly smile. A blue hedgehog hoists up from the passenger's seat behind him, pushing through the resistance of old joints. Bushy white brows and mustache wrinkle as he does, then rise as Shard approaches the plane.“Need a hand, Gramps?” he asks with a borrowed shit-eating grin.“Oh, shut it, kid,” Chuck grumbles, climbing over the edge of the cockpit and smiling too wide to sound like he means it. “I ain't that old.” The boy and the bot snicker and hold out their hands to him anyway.“Eric called while we were on our way,” Tails interjects as his uncle slides down to the bottom wing. “He got out of class early, so he'll be here in another hour!”Red and white sneakers and faded brown boots crunch the grass. Shard feels something pleased in his core. They don't see Eric much, even with him studying on the closer coast these days.Chuck grunts and sighs as he rights himself. “Ain't heard from Sonic and her fella yet, though. So they prob'ly got longer still.”“Hope not too long,” Shard muses aloud. He glances to the house, worry lines forming on his visor display. “Belle and I have, uh... something important to talk about once everyone's here.”“Sure thing!” Tails chirps, hopping into the house. “Come on in, Uncle Chuck!”The boy's uncle chortles to himself at the lively rascal. Then he glances to the bot beside him, their eyes meeting, a gentle smile shared. He pats Shard's spaulder. “How're you doin', son?” he asks warmly.The sudden twinge in his chest is so unlike pain. It's like the look in the old man's eyes or the heat radiating off his glove. It draws out a smile so wide- a shattering in his heart. He doesn't want to stop feeling it.“Better,” he eventually chooses, a synthetic hush in his voice. “...A lot better.”
*brrrrrrrrrr*
*brrrrr-
*clk*
“This is Tory.”“...A- mgh- hello, Professor. I'm-... Confirming, you're on a secure line?”“I am. It's encrypted.”“Good. Um... this is Shadow.”“...Hello, Shadow. I've been waiting for you to call for a while now.”“...Yes, I... apologize for taking so long, Professor.”“Tory.
...You can call me 'Tory'.”“...Tory...
I'm calling regarding... Ivo.”
“...Ahem. Good morning, Father.”
“Mm, good morning, my dear. Rest well?”
“Yes, father. I had some rather lovely dreams! Though...”
“Hm?”
“I'm not sure I understand their... purpose?”
“Hm-hm - well, it's something us higher beings do. When we dream, our bodies recharge, and our minds defragment, so to speak. For you, it's just a little more literal, you see.”
“Hmm... Yes, I believe I understand that. It's more... the dreams themselves, father.”
“Oh, don't fret too much about them. They're a morass of all the information in your mind. They're not as meaningful as I'm sure you're worried they are.”
“Mm...
Still, may I ask a question, Father?”
“Mm, very well.”
“Will I ever get to meet my brothers?”
“...'Brothers'?”
“Yes, Father. Metal Sonic, Cubot, Orbo-”
“Oh- oh... Right... um... Why- what- what about them?”
“I dreamed last night that I first stepped into the completed Eggmanland holding hands with all of my brothers. We saw your dreams fulfilled together.”
“...Ahh...
...Heheh! ...Some do believe that dreams can tell the future.
But- heh- let's just call that one a good dream, shall we? The time will come, my dear.
Instead! Let's see... Speaking of, how would you like a glimpse at our progress?”
“Oh, yes please, Father!”
*Beep*
“It's just the beginning, but you can see where I've evened out the land for building the foundations, and I've smoothed the curves of the larger hills and cliffs for the biggest rollercoaster on the planet! It will cover the entire island and go up and around both of the pyramids!”
“Wow...! Then, it will be longer than 2438.4 meters!”
“Far longer, my dear! At speeds to make a hedgehog's head spin - heeheheh!”
“...
...Will the hedgehog find us before it's finished...?”
“Hm?
...Ah...
...I won't lie to you, child. I don't know. We're well hidden, but...
...I thought the same thing on South Island. And... alas.”
“I hope not, Father. This means so much to you.”
“Oh... Such a sweet girl.”
*Beep*
“I admit, I sometimes wonder if it will be me and that rodent alone at the end, one day.”
*Clck clck clack clck clck*
“But I don't fear that day. And neither should you, dear daughter. There is much to be done until then.”
“...Okay, Father... I will put it out of my mind, then.”
“Attagirl. Say, I know just the thing to brighten that smile.”
*Beep* *Zvvvt*
“Something I've worked on in secret to surprise you! Step into your docking station for me.”
“Oh- yes, Father!”
*Shhhfff*
“And now close your eyyyes!”
“Mm-hm...!”
*Clck clck clck clck*
*Clack*
*Bzvvvvt*
“Notice anything different?”
“Yes, I felt the update to my hologram, Father!”
“Open your eyes!”
“...
...Hhh-! Are those-?”
“They're called 'mary janes'! What do you think?”
“Ahh-!! Thank you, Father! They're so cute- I love them!”
“Heheh- you're very welcome, my dear!”
“Ahh...! My very own shoes...!”
“I always knew a pair of these would be perfect for my little girl.
So I spent all night on them. Crafting them. Carving them... with my own hands. So that they would be perfect.”
“They are, Father. Thank you so much...!”
“Hm. My dear daughter deserves no less, Belle. Now-
...I-...”
“'Belle,' Father?”
“...
...
...”
“Father?”
“...
...
...”
“Is... something wrong?”
“...
...”
“...You look...
...displeased-”
*Clck*
“Fath̶̜̎ r̸̭̜̬̀̅͆̑̏͐́ ẃ̷̬h̶͉͆-̶̆͊̃̓͠?̷̹̦́̋͋͌͒!̶͖̟̀
“...
...
...
...
...
...Hhh...!
*
Clang
*
Damn!!
*
Clang
*
Damn it all!!
...
...
...
...hhh...
...
...hhh...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...nnnghh...!”
*Clck clck clck clck clck*
*Beep*
“All units...!
...Halt construction!
...Get back to rebuilding my Egg Fleet!
Immediately!!”
*Clack*
*Beep*
“...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...hhmmh...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...*sigh*...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...What-
Why is-... Rrgh! Damned li-” *Clac-*
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log.
After far too long and some unseemly delays, my precious Egg Fleet is restored! These dreadful little islands served me well with their bounty of metals. It took some last-minute recycling, but at last, my work is complete!
Yes, now I have more than enough might under my fist to bring that feeble Federation to its knees! And I know just the place to start.
So sorry I missed your birthday, hedgehog. I hope I can make it up to you by making your little beachside paradise quake in fear again! I've summoned the dingbots, and once they arrive with the rest of my army, we launch for your precious Station Square! Heheheh!
Ahhh - once again, I have conquest to plan and a city to destroy. Same old, same old. Heh...!
It's good to be back in business. Be very unprepared, world- heeheeheheheh...!”
She sits at her desk, her nerves a stone in her stomach. An old black journal is open in front of her. She reads the same few lines over and over. Her mind doesn't let them through.A low rumble slips through the traffic noise outside. She glances up when she realizes it stopped right at the curb in front of her office. The stone grows three sizes. Shadow hunches over the handlebars. He locks his eyes to the cozy green door up a few concrete steps, a hole forming where loving gloved hands hold onto his belly. His passenger releases him and hops off the Dark Rider. He turns to caring green eyes - she rubs his shoulder, his laptop bag hanging off hers. A smile, a breath, and he kicks down the stand.Hand-in-hand, Shadow and Sonic climb the small porch. Before he ever reaches for the doorbell, a latch inside clicks. He squeezes his girlfriend's hand. She squeezes it back. The knob twists, and the door slides open.A tall human woman appears out of the warm interior light. Clipped magenta hair curls around her cheeks and hangs over keen, but tired blue eyes. She attempts a welcoming smile. It looks sad. “Good to see you, Shadow.”“Tory.” He says her name with a pensive weight. He turns to his lover, and seems lighter when their eyes meet. “I believe you know my girlfriend?”“Know of you, of course.” Tory smiles politely and holds a hand down. “Glad to finally meet you, too, Sonic.”They shake, and Sonic returns a sympathetic smile. “Sorry it's not under, um... nicer circumstances.”Tory tries to straighten back up but only shrugs and slumps. “I... never expected it would be, honestly.”She invites them in. The air thickens. Tory's office is as green as her door where it isn't auburn and earthy. Bookcases line the walls and reach to the ceiling; every shelf is crammed with journals, folders and tomes. Framed portraits fill the spaces between, of Tory in a group of fellow bookish types around a table- of her standing tall above a short, miserable, balding young man and a little, smiling blond girl- of her holding the little girl in her arms as a toddler. None of them include a tall, portly man with a large mustache, Shadow notes. None of them include another blond girl they know.He and Sonic sit in front of Tory's desk, fumbling with the laptop bag. She clears the space, dropping a black book out of sight into a drawer.“I know...” she begins and halts, glancing to Sonic “...I should probably save the questions until after...” Shadow sets the laptop down between the three of them.Sonic's lips pinch. “I mean... depends on what they are, I guess.”“Well...” She folds her hands on the desk. “Like the last time you saw him?”The pinch slips. “...Yeah... They'll answer that.”Shadow gently clasps her hand, pulling her thoughts away. He shares a quiet, loving look with her. Her drooping lips rise.He turns to Tory, his piercing red eyes gentle. “We can stop at any time. That goes for all of us.”Both women nod. Tory hunches over her desk, staring down at the sleek black computer and the blue shield on the back of its monitor. “It's just...” She sighs, long and deep. “...Last time for me... it was still GUN.”Shadow looks away and unlocks the computer. The hole in his chest grows.“After everything he did... was still a shock to hear what happened.” She wrings her fingers. “...He was family. And I wished I'd spoken to him in all those years.”Shadow swallows away a lump in his throat. “...I know the feeling.”Their eyes meet again - two pairs, equally sharp, in silent understanding. A soft smile forms on Tory's lips. She settles back in her chair. “I'm ready if you two are.”He turns to his girlfriend. She looks at him much the same and offers her hand. Her voice wrinkles. “...Ready.”He nods back, tightens their hold, and taps the spacebar.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor's log. I have arrived.
My Egg Fleet is primed to level this city. In mere minutes, I will descend upon Station Square with a vengeance unseen since Chaos tore through its pitiful streets!! They will long for a god so merciful once I am done with thi-!!”
*zvshfff*
“Good news, Boss!”
“BLASTED BOLTHEADS!! I told you to stay out while I'm working!!”
“Yeah, but'cha didn't tell Sonic!”
“What?!”
“Yes, I'm pleased to inform you that flying straight to a Federation city revealed us to your enemies! Both Team Sonic and Team Dark have swarmed the fleet.”
“Then swarm them back!! What good is an unstoppable armada if it can be 'swarmed' by tiny rodents?! Imbeciles!!”
“Uh, I heard Tails is pretty smart.”
“GET OUT!! Before I melt you both down into something usefu-”
*fffhwwsssh*
“W-?! What the-?!”
“B- boss?!”
*Clng* *Clng*
“Who the devil-?! Wh-?!”
*schrkk*
“HHHhhhh-!! Hh-hhh-!!”
“Boss?!!”
“Doctor, what's happ-?!”
*szhp* *schrkk*
“Hh-a-ah-hhgh-!!”
“Doctor!!”
*szhp* *schrkk*
“Hhhhh-hh-kkhhh...!!!”
*szhp*
“...Heh... hegh-hegh...!”
*Clng* *Clng*
*ssshwwfff*
“B-...!! Boss...!!”
“...S-... St-... -a-... l-line...?”
Shadow's hand rests in his lap, curled in a fist. The other holds his girlfriend's.Halfway through the recordings, she spun her chair around and faced away from the laptop. He checked on her frequently, seeing her face crinkle and legs bounce with anxiety, but she assured with wordless nods that she could handle it.Two logs ago, she reached for his hand. Ten seconds ago, her breath shook.Across the desk, Tory sits back in her chair, her hands over her mouth, her sharp blue eyes wide and distant. It's the stunned, disbelieving realization one can only experience when they hear their cousin's final words.Over the laptop, they hear beeps, then hushes of electronic doors sliding open and hatches deploying, but no more words - only wet, shallow gasps.Low bass rumbles. Groans and creaks of metal giving way. The speakers collapse into distortion, and the audio freezes for half a second on a jagged tone. The file ends.Shadow squeezes his lover's ironclad hand. He lifts it to his lips. She opens her damp eyes and shares a moment of silence with him. She takes their hands back and returns the kiss, and she tries to smile for him.He turns back to Tory. She doesn't look at him.Nobody speaks for the next five minutes. The hedgehogs step out of the office, hands tightly clasped. Tory leans against her doorjamb, arms around her middle. Sonic offers her a smile. Shadow only manages a nod.“We better get goin'.” Sonic shakes their combined hands. “We promised to check in on the bots.”Tory quirks an eyebrow. “The ones in the logs?”“Yes...” Shadow answers stiffly. “And others.”“They're safe now,” Sonic ads, her friendly smile turning sad. “We're lookin' out for 'em, and they're all lookin' out for each other.”“Good...” Tory wrings her fingers and glances down. “Let me know how they're doing?”“You bet.” Sonic discreetly tugs her boyfriend's hand towards the Dark Rider. His discomfort is palpable.But to her surprise, he tugs back. He squeezes their hands and turns a heavy gaze. “Actually... can you give us a minute, love?”Her smile wilts. But she forces it back up and leans in. “I'll be right by the bike,” she murmurs, warm with love and patience.He returns the smile, and they share a gentle kiss. She steps away, looking back to both of them over her shoulder.Shadow catches Tory's expectant stare. She towers over him, tall and lean like her grandfather. Slumped and weak like her sister.He hardens his brow and gathers himself in a breath. “...I need to apologize.”She sighs and drops her shoulders, her lips quirking up. “Shadow, you already have.”“No...” He shakes his head and clenches his fists. “I apologized for taking so long to speak to you. I never apologized for why.”His piercing smolder dulls- quivers. “...I was afraid to meet you.”Her mouth slips open. Nothing comes out. She can't quite look in his eyes. He swallows his throat clear and continues.“...I knew about you. For a long time. But...” His pulse races.“...Maria was my sister.”He almost whispers it, the words too heavy somehow- too much to say to Victoria Robotnik.The quiver in his eyes reaches his throat.“...Ivo was right about me. Her death haunted me for so long... It always will....But you're her blood. You've lived... fifty-four years without her... You never knew me- I never kn-...”His voice hitches- eyes burn. He takes a shaky breath, ruby eyes aglimmer and hot.“...I couldn't bare to face you... I'm sorry...”Her stomach is a stone, her heart a fist. Words fail her at first. A tender breath, and she releases her arms from her middle.She shifts down to face him at eye-level - her blue eyes mirror his red.“...Ivo was right about me, too,” she admits, her worn soprano heavy. “I never knew Maria either. Nothing I ever said or thought about her, I actually knew.” She holds out her hand to him. “I'd like to hear about her from someone who was there. What she was really like.”Shadow's eyes widen- body stiffens. He doesn't reach for it - he only wrings his fingers.But Tory offers a smile. “Besides... you still haven't met your niece and nephew.”A gasp escapes him. It grows into a laugh - a happy exhale, and his shaking lips stretch wide. The damp burning behind his eyes breaks free and slides down his cheek in hot and cold streams.He sniffles, and dares to take her hand. They simply hold each other and smile for a moment.“...I'd like that...” he whispers. With a rumble of the engine, and shared waves goodbye, the two hedgehogs pull away from the curb. Tory watches the black and red motorcycle disappear down the quiet street. She shuts the door.She drifts down the hall to her office, arms at her middle, eyes at nothing. She slumps down in her seat and glances to her desk's bottom drawer.She pulls it open and retrieves the little black journal, and she studies its embossed front for a moment. She flips it over and opens the back cover.Where many pages were torn out and lost to time, an old, sepia photograph sits in their place. A jolly old scientist grins beneath a dramatic mustache. His cheerful young granddaughter beams beside him.And her little brother stands in front of her, arms crossed, expression reserved. But he, too, smiles, under sharp yet gentle eyes.Tory stares at the photo. She sighs, deep and sad, alone in the silence.