All in a Day's Work

The long summer afternoon spread out before Sonic like the best parts of adventure novel. Last summer had been stolen from him and he would not take a single second of this one for granted. His birthday was even coming up! He licked his lips just thinking of the delicious cake Amy always baked him. It was the best thing in the world to follow an epic amount of chili dogs!

Aw, crap, now his stomach was growling again. That was important, but he needed to stretch his legs something fierce. He’d ran so much around Tails’ place that he knew all the greatest straightaways. Flat and clear paths where he could really let loose. However, getting up to speed today was proving more difficult than normal.

Once he bolted from the sound of Tails’ worried voice, his lower abdomen erupted into a symphony of pain. Like someone had taken a red-hot fireplace poker and tried to rearrange his organs through his ass. Well, not someone. He knew exactly who.

Sonic bit his cheek. The pills he’d take were kicking in and once he got up to speed, he’d start generating excess chaos energy and that would patch him right up. However, he found himself slowing down to a stop to really appreciate the elaborate bouquet of rips and tears and tender parts in him. Yeah, that was totally it. He leaned an arm against and tree and bent over. The pain knifed through him and radiated up his torso and through his limbs. Was something wet leaking out of him? Sweet Gaia, Shadow, what the hell?

He closed his eyes and leaned into the pain. This wasn’t any different than getting smacked by Metal or pounded by some large robot with chainsaws for hands or something. He consumed all that pain and turned it into determination. This wasn’t any different. Well, yeah it was a little different but no it wasn’t it was the same stop trying to think about it so hard.

Sonic lowered into a runner’s starting stance. He was the fasting thing alive. He could outrun pain.

His eyes flashed open, and he shot forward. The trees, bushes, and rocks of the forest blurred into a single collage of color kaleidoscoping around him. The bird song combined with the rush of air, transforming it into a new melody of complex layers. No music he’d ever heard while stationery could ever compare.

Faster, faster faster, fasterfasterfaster!

His body released the pain like a held breath. In its place rushed in a pulsating power that radiated through him in bright azure crackles. The world was cheering him on, crying out his name*. Go, Sonic,* go! The forest gave way to a wide plain patchworked by agriculture and cut through by a worn gray road. His shoes hit asphalt and then he really opened up.

BOOM!

The silence encompassed him in a tight hug honing the world into the blurred colors before him, the pumping of his heart, and the hungry desire to just keep going faster!

The sun slowly moved east above him. He’d have to slow down, or he’d catch up with the dawn. The road turned, but he kept going, leaping over fields of soybeans and entering a rocky foothills. Peaks, dappled with pines and evergreens, quickly rose in the distance. What was past the silence? There had to be something. Tails had warning about it. Right, darkness was past the silence.

“If everything goes dark, you have to stop, Sonic.” There was some complicated explanation, but Tails could tell he wasn’t getting it. “Just promise me, you won’t keep going after it goes dark.” Of course, lil’bro, I’d promise you anything.

Sonic smiled. Tails was always looking out for him now. He’d grown up so fast into the amazing, intelligent fox Sonic always knew he’d be. Things sure had changed. His friends were all finding their own way to help the world, refining and growing. But what about him? What would he do if Eggy every gave up?

What a stupid thing to think about on a beautiful day like today.

He slowed down into the noise to run alongside a passenger train. The windows became crowded with smiling faces and waving hands. The engine car blew it long horn for him. Sonic did a few flips and ran backwards, waving back and giving everyone a chance to take a picture. The train went into a tunnel, and he dashed up the mountain, catching some sick air launching over the crest of the rise.

Smoke!

Down in the next valley a big black column rose into the air as ravenous flames ate the trees. He sprinted the parameter of the blaze, spin dashing down alight trees before they could spread the blaze further. The forest fire was hemmed in on one side by a wide river but it was spreading uninhibited in every other direction. Sonic dug in his heels and went fast, carving a trench around the blaze. These shoes were toast, but that was a small price to pay.

Along the banks of the river, a mass of people were panicking to cross and flee the fire. Behind them, a settlement burned. They screamed in relief when he appeared. He’d carry them all across, just hop on! No, tearing running down charred cheeks, there were people still trapped in town. Save my mother, Sonic! Save my baby, Sonic! Save, save, save save!

Didn’t have to tell him twice. The blaze was rising high, threatening to singe his fur. He jumped back, curled into a ball, and charged up a spin with a high-pitched vreeeee! Blasting through the fire line, he plowed through burning hot embers and suffocating smoke towards further danger.

The air was thick and the ground was burning hot. Terrible conditions to get up to speed, but Sonic rushed forward anyway, diving into each building and methodically searching each room. His eyes watered but he refused to stop, to miss anyone.

He found people, huddled, crying out for help, collapsed, burned and buried, trapped under debris. His lungs burned, but grab them all. One, two, three, four at once. As many as he could carry, he took them across the river and deposited them before turning back. Children clung around his neck, old folks bent in two over his shoulder.

His heart beat a sharp staccato nearly in time with his footfalls. His throat seared with every breath, sweat expressing from every inch of him against the oppressive, tyrannical heat. Dear Chaos, he felt alive. Would his legs give out? Would a building collapse around him? Could today be the end?

Back and forth, back and forth. They coughed, they sputtered, they cried his name, they screamed with the ecstasy of escaping death. Their hands clung to him in fear, in praise, in relief. Hero! Hero!

On he ran, through every building, up and down every road, until not a heatbeat remained except for his own and that of the blaze. Then he returned to the river and carted everyone left on the dangerous side to safety. This wasn’t over. He wiped his brow and ran back into the fire, going deeper, looking for the center. Smoke and ash choked him, but he persisted. Then, through the darkness, he beheld the demon that did this.

A badnik, large and spouting great gouts of flame indiscriminately.

One of the terraforming models that roams ahead of the horde to clear the way. Now lost and masterless it caused trouble at random. Oh course, it’s always Eggman. Feeling lightheaded now for lack of clean air, Sonic circled it and tore into its segmented legs. It fell, but the tanks of diesel fuel burst and the whole thing exploded. Sticky wades of napalm flew everywhere.

Sonic nearly caught a globule in the face and a wave of prickles rolled over his scalp, causing his spines to tense. Then the chaos drive inside blew, spewing colorful torrents of energy in wide swaths, making the area utterly intolerable for life. Sonic retreated back to the river.

He waded to his waist into the river, as deep as he dared, and took a moment to catch his breath. Crap, crap, what would work here? Water? Put out the fire with water? He was desperately try to think how could he carry enough water to matter (run fast and make a water spout? find a hallowed out log and use it like a barrel?) when something Tails said bubbled up through the adrenaline in his brain.

You can’t put out sticky fire with water. Something about jelly? You Just have to let it burn. But the napalm wasn’t everywhere, right? He douse the rest of the fire, right? His chest heaving, he looked back at the blaze. The trees by the river were charred now and only smoldering. Past them, the buildings of the settlement were collapsed and done for. He turned and looked at the villagers across the river.

They huddled together, clutching one another, and stared blank faced at the utter destruction of their lives. Sonic licked his lips. Above, the thurm of approaching helicopters sounded. A trio of Resistance helicopters appeared. The sides of one opened and help poured out. The villagers cheered as paramedics descended. Another of the helicopters dropped a large plastic tarp into the river that swelled. The tarp was raised, plump with water, and then lifted over the blaze.

Sonic ran around the parameter once more, stomping out any sparks that had crossed his ditch. He heard the tarp releasing its payload of water onto the blaze. He stopped at the river again as the helicopter returned for another load. His breath hitched. Walls of flames, sure no problem, hundred of gallons of water, yeah no thanks.

The calvary was here. The situation was coming under control. He waved goodbye to the villagers and gave them a big smile. Today was rough, but soon it would be tomorrow with that possibility that entailed. They screamed their thanks to the blue blur and he gave a thumbs up. He crouched and was gone again.

At speed, his scorched lungs and singed flesh healed. Normal day for Sonic the Hedgehog. The moment of danger, that’s where he belonged, where he thrived. The aftermath, the clean up….not so much. He couldn’t stay still enough to help properly like Amy or Tails could.

Higher in the mountains, he slowed. He spiraled up the trunk of a massive pine tree, leaping from branch to branch like they were stepping stones. At the top, he finally stopped, hooking one foot around the slender trunk and pushing against it with the other. Leaning, he beheld the grandeur of nature.

Lazy white clouds drifted slowly, dappling the expanse of forest. A hawk floated on thermals, looking for prey. In the distance, the trees gave way to a serene lake that shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight. Sonic smiled. The chaos energy settled inside him and he felt like new.

This was perfect. All he had needed was a run. Everything was great now. What was he thinking? Everything had already been great! Tails was worried over nothing. There wasn’t anything to worry about.

Except how absolutely pissed Shadow was going to be with Sonic when he found out he couldn’t remember their night together. Shit. Shadow was right, Sonic was an idiot.

The guilt bubbling inside was already giving his legs the twitching feeling again. But could he really run from a problem like this? Sonic frowned. He didn’t want to run from Shadow. He wanted to run to him, run around him, run all over him. Sonic bit his lip. Run through him. Over and over again. Sometimes slowly, sometimes super-fast.

Should he just tell Shadow? ‘Hey dude, crazy thing, you’re gonna laugh, but I have literally no memory of what we got up to last night. Can you give me the play by play?’ That would just go over soooo well. Shadow could get really worked up over some things. Normally Sonic loved that because it made it so fun to mess with the guy…but this time…He didn’t want to hurt Shadow.

Sonic needed some help. He dug his phone out of his quills and palmed past the lock screen. The screen brightened. Oh, thank Gaia, he hadn’t bricked another one with his heroics. He waved it in the air, trying to get a signal. After a moment, it lit up with alerts.

He had several text messages, but, disappointingly, none from Shadow.

[Lil’Bro]: Could you please call me or come back? I really need to make sure you’re okay. Please?

[Danger Lady]: if u hurt shadow, i’ll kill ya, blue 😘

[DANGER Robot]: DIRECT THE MECHANIC TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MISSILES

[Knux] this u? <picture attached>

Sonic tapped do the image but it didn’t load immediately, so he thumbed it away.

[Lil’Bro]: It’s driving me crazy. You weren’t in your right mind at all last night, Sonic. I know you’re you and can take care of yourself but that still doesn’t make it right.

[Danger Lady]: i mean it blue. The eclipse cannon aint the only death lazer in space. i can get you anywhere on the planet 💙🖤

[Lil’Bro]: Sonic, there is a lot of blood on my sheets and I know its all yours. Please please tell me you’re okay. Please come back Sonic. I’m begging you! If you won’t talk to me, at least talk to Amy. I feel like I’m losing my mind.

[Ames]: I got a text from Tails. He seems upset. Are you okay?

Tails buddy…Ugh, why were there problems that couldn’t be solved by smashing robots?

TO [Lil’Bro]: I’m all good buddy. Theres nothing to worry about. Please try to take a breath. I’m super sorry about your sheets. I’ll get you some new ones.

Tails always seemed wary around Shadow and this was probably going to make it worse. It didn’t make any sense, they had so much in common. They were the two smartest people he knew and both of them could be so serious. And they both were trying to make the world a better place! Wasn’t that enough to be friends? They’d even done missions together during the war according to Amy.

Amy!

Sonic snapped his fingers. Amy would know what to do. She was great with relationships and feelings and stuff like that. He released his grip on the tree and plummeted down. Curling into a ball, he hit the ground spinning and blasted off, back the way he had come.

---

Know ye who tread here, in the year XXXX of the reign of chief XXXX thereby the land fell shrouded a great and deathly darkness. Knuckles squinted and ran his glove along the text carved into the stone walls of the chamber. Angered sun descended…by miracle split…but for the grace of….golden…past, present, future sealed at once.

“I’m an adult, Knuckles. You do not have to spare my feelings. I just want a clear answer.”

His hand fell away from the carvings, and he closed his eyes. “Rouge, I’m trying to concentrate. Can we talk about this later.” He growled. Shit, no, not the right tone. He could hear her grip her phone tighter and her wings stretch aggressively. “Please.” He added, softer.

“I can’t believe this. What is with you choosing rocks over me?”

He turned. “Rouge! This isn’t a good time!” He gesticulated to the ancient chamber full of his people’s warnings.

“Not a good time?” She spat. “It’s never a good time for you! When you’re on top of me, you need to concentrate. When you’re beside me, you’re too tired. In the morning? I can’t fucking find you until I’m already late to leave.”

The analysts in the corner of the room shuffled awkwardly, trying to be very, very engrossed in their work.

Knuckles balled his fists, and his muzzle pulled back in an angry scowl. Why couldn’t she just give him a break. He hasn’t had a moment to rest in months. Sure, she’d been flitting around doing her spy bullshit, but he had been running a war!

Fuck, no, breath. He could feel the chaos energy swirling inside him, responding to his anger. That was shameful. There was no threat here. Just…just Rouge. Rouge and her impossible expectations, her impossible questions. Rouge, who made him feel things he couldn’t describe. How could he answer her with words when he had none?

“And don’t give me some shit about how the world is in danger. The world is always in danger. Non-fucking stop. There is no ‘later’, no ‘better time’. That’s just an excuse. Just answer me. I deserve at least that. If the answer is ‘no’ then just say it like a man!”

“You have got to be kidding me right now!” Knuckles motioned at the pedestal. “Can you not hear yourself? Look where we are right now!”

Rouge’s phone began to ring. She looked at it and grimaced. Her eyes returned to him and she pointed at him fiercely. “Fuck you, I have to take this.” She turned and walked towards the entrance of the chamber. “Topaz, darling? How have you been?” She answered her phone cheerily.

Knuckles drug his hands down his face. Nothing in all his training, all his studies, all his life prepared him for Rouge. He was absolutely defenseless and alone. But he wasn’t alone when he was with her. He closed his eyes, refocusing, and turned his attention back to the carvings.

He had to figure out what had been here and why it was so dangerous. The Doctor would be using it against them soon, no doubt. The sooner he figured out what it was, the sooner they might have some defense against it.

This chief, these symbols. His educated guess was that this chamber was only about a thousand years old. Nearly modern by his tribe’s standards. Angel Island would have already been in the sky. Many modern Mobian societies would already be forming.

Rogue’s voice raised. “Any update you get needs to only go to me. Shadow cannot find out. He’s extremely sensitive about this.” A pause. “Yeah, well, he’s my little thermal nuclear warhead, so just keep me in the loop. Love you as always. Bye.” She sighed.

Knuckles hand fell off the carvings once more and he turned. Rouge still faced away from him, but her shoulders were slumped, and she was messaging her temples. “Are you alright.” Knuckles approached her.

“No, I don’t think so.” She said quietly.

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders and messaged the crooked of her neck and down to where her shoulder blades gave into her wings. “What was that about?”

“Another stupid thing to keep an eye on. It never ends.” She drew in a deep breath and sighed heavily. “I could use a vacation.” She leaned into him.

“Where do you want to go?” He asked, his voice low. Rouge was normally a raging bonfire. He hated to see her down to coals.

“Somewhere far away where I can throw my phone into the ocean. And lie in the sun and just get so wasted.”

“Sounds nice.” He stopped the message and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her cheek against his shoulder. “Can I come?”

“Sure, if you keep your mouth shut.”

“I can do that.”

Rouge’s phone suddenly gave out an ear-splitting screeching. “Fucking Chaos!” She flinched, holding it at arm’s length. A familiar red symbol appeared on the screen. The Doctor’s maniacal grin.

“I require additional context on the circumstances that led the ancient Echidna to mark this chamber with such insistent warnings.” A flat voice drawled from the speakerphone of Rouge’s phone.

As one, Knuckles and Rouge snarled “Sage?”