Chapter Text
“Alright lil dude. An hour, then lunch?” Tom watched the blue hedgehog do some quick stretches. The day truly was a lovely one, with the perfect amount of overcast and chill touching the air. Seeing it, Sonic had all but begged to go on his run earlier than usual. As night fell the air would inevitably grow cooler, which Sonic had no problem running in, but it would be a crime to let this wondrous weather go to waste.
“Mmm, two hours?” He bartered. Watching Tom out of the corner of his eye, Wachowski gauged his success rate. A wry smile tugged at Donut Lord’s face. “Three hours!”
“Alright, don’t get greedy there, Lightning McQueen.” But the sheriff glanced up at the sky. “How about this, if those clouds actually do start pouring, you head home. Maddie said it won’t rain,” Tom tapped the edge of his nose, “but I can smell it.”
Sonic lifted his nose to the air, inhaling deeply. All he could smell was the clean linen scent from Tom’s shirt and the sharp bite of freshly cut grass. “If you say so.” He lunged to the right once more.
Maddie had emphasized the importance of dynamic stretches before a run. Initially, Sonic had only joined in to spend time with her, but they did improve the overall quality of his runs and he found they soon became a staple.
“Two hours!” Tom called after him, tone brooking no argument. Shooting a bright smile over his shoulder, Sonic took off into the treeline.
Ten years was a long time. There weren’t many bright memories in that time for Sonic, but he had learned the forest surrounding the town of Green Hills deeply and intrinsically. Dodging around the trees was second nature, feet finding sure footing in the uneven, shadow filled forest floor. Most of this knowledge had been earned the hard way, but it was his now and Sonic used it bravely to cut through the terrain.
An hour flew by before he had even realized it. The sun was beginning its sure arch downward, signaling midafternoon.
No clouds darkened the sky yet. He had plenty of time.
Tearing to the right, Sonic streaked over the thick undergrowth. Roads were easier to navigate, best suited for sprints, but only the thicket and untouched forest floor could offer him the challenge he relished right now. The trees whipping by him, lengthening his stride over burrows and holes, it was fun.
Soon, he found himself on a flat plain, the treeline falling away to only a smattering of tall firs to offer coverage. Sonic slowed to a jog, breathing heavily, raising closed eyes to the warmth of the sun. It shone bright even through his eyelids but the kid could hardly be bothered, basking in the simple joy of existing.
A flash of pain snapped those thoughts into oblivion.
"Wha-" The words scarcely left his mouth before the earth rose up to greet him coldly.
Crumpling gracelessly to the earth, the last thing Sonic felt was the snap of something cold and ungiving around his neck.
Shaking his fist, Scourge looked down at the knocked out Sonic, wiping the thin line of blood that spattered his knuckles on his fur. The collar was clipped around his neck already, adjusting to be snug and unmovable.
The green hedgehog’s lip curled at the sight of the Sonic. He was smaller than the rest, but if what the wacky Egghead had told him was true, he was no less capable than any other.
“He’s powerful.” The human had crooned, running a razor over his shining scalp. “Don’t underestimate him… Scourge, was it?”
The kid was out cold, but Scourge had trusted a seemingly unconscious Sonic to be out for the count one too many times.
Well. Didn’t hurt to be certain.
Once, twice, Scourge scuffed the tip of his boot against the ground before rearing his leg back. Whipping right towards the little body on the ground.
He scoffed at the sight. The kid looked like a damn skipping stone.
Jogging lazily, Scourge closed the distance the kid had flown. The blue hedgehog was definitely out. Reaching down, he picked the kid up by the scruff of his neck. This Sonic was barely out of his hoglet years by the looks of the fluff in his quills. Much younger than his prime counterpart. Shrugging, Scourge slung the kid over his shoulder. A job was a job. And any chance to get at a Sonic was not one he’d easily dismiss.
The weight was hardly present and Scourge frowned, snapping out his warp ring. Just how young was this kid? He had crumpled to the ground instantly, and while Scourge wasn’t in the business of pulling punches, his prime self usually went down with much more of a fight.
The ring hummed to life, opening the portal instantly.
Whatever. It didn’t matter.
Kid wasn’t going to be his problem for much longer either way.
Waking up was a drowsy, uncomfortable affair, pain blooming behind Sonic’s eyes before he could even open them. Sucking in a breath, he nearly screamed at the jab of pain in his side. Eyes snapping open, he realized it was already late into the evening, the sun hanging low in the sky.
Donut Lord, the despaired thought flashed across his mind, limbs jerking into clumsy action. But everything hurt and he ended up crashing onto his side. Hard. The smallest whimper slipped through his teeth as the sharp threat of pain dug its claws into his ribcage.
“Oy. Stay still or I’ll knock you out again.” The voice that snapped out was easy-going, but Sonic froze at the eerie familiarity of it.
Buck? Turning, he saw a hedgehog who looked quite a bit like the other Sonic but, at the same time, not at all. This hedgehog was a bright, emerald green and Sonic fought the urge to wince when icy blue eyes snapped to him as he shifted in the dirt. A large, shark-toothed grin was tossed his way.
A deep, primal instinct jabbed at his brain, the impulse to run making his feet twitch. Whoever this stranger was, he was definitely not Buck.
“Who are you?”
The grin grew somehow impossibly wider. The strange hedgehog laughed. “Someone’s who’s about to be very rich, blue.”
Sonic bristled at the nickname. This hedgehog looked so much like Buck, but it was the differences that put him on edge. That grin that felt like a challenge and a warning, the raised scars over his chest, and the leather jacket he was sporting...
Another Buck somehow?
Sonic frowned. His hands were bound, but his legs were free and his mind buzzed at the opportunity. The decision was a split second one. Ignoring the jab of pain, he sprung into movement, tearing across the unfamiliar forested terrain.
Trees whipped by him and Sonic bit back the painful bubble of laughter. Even with his hands bound, he was quick. Too fast for the strange hedgehog who’s very appearance screamed danger surely-
A lance of pain.
Sonic didn’t even have time to scream as he crashed into the undergrowth, sliding to a rocky halt by the trunk of a tree. Gasping, he looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the attack before he realized the burning that focused on the back of his neck. Sonic tugged at the metal around his neck, heart threatening to hammer out of his chest. His fingers just slid around the edges, finding no corners or clasps to pull at.
It was stuck, it wouldn’t come off-
“I see it works even at a range.” The green hedgehog approached again, eyes bright with mirth as he held up a small device. “Nifty, ain’t it? Sucks up the energy used for speed, comes back as a nasty electric shock?” He sniggered.
“What do you want?” Sonic bit out, rising shakily to his feet. He hoped he at least sounded braver than he felt. “You still haven’t told me who you are. I didn’t even realize hedgehogs came in the neon variety.” He laughed, blinking back the tears that had bubbled up from the sudden pain. No way was he going to break in front of this jerk.
“Scourge the Hedgehog,” the green mobian chuckled, closing the distance. At Sonic’s terseness he held up the device tauntingly, clicking his tongue. “Formerly Sonic, if you wanna get technical. Run again if you like.” A clawed thumb hovered over the thumb and Sonic glared at the older hedgehog. “Can’t say it’ll end too well.”
Formerly Sonic… things were starting to make a bit more sense.
Sonic eyed the little controller before looking back to Scourge, who only seemed amused.
Did the controller activate the collar? He had to assume so, in the way the green hedgehog waved it around like it was a weapon. And in Sonic's case it practically was.
In the grass, his fingers twitched. Right. Grab the controller and get the hell out of dodge. He could do that. If the controller could turn the collar off then he could run long enough to get away. “What’s the matter? Can’t take me on one-on-one? Need a little controller to- whoa, wait-”
Sonic wasn’t expecting for Scourge to reach down for him, legs scrabbling back in a sudden panic. Wincing, he made an aborted grab for the controller while he had the chance, but his arms weren’t working. Blinking, Sonic realized that Scourge was holding him by his neck scruff and he couldn’t move.
Frowning, Scourge regarded the smaller, shocked hedgehog. He had expected him to flail as he dragged him to his feet, grabbing him by the scruff, but the way his body curled naturally to allow him to more easily carry on instinct. He still had his scruffing reflex… just how young was this kid?
Shoving the thought down, Scourge set the kid on the ground, tugging at the metal collar with cold, sharp claws to make sure it was still secured. Sharp white teeth lunged out at him, missing his hand by a hair.
“Cut that out.” Scourge snapped, cuffing the kid’s ears. It wasn’t meant to be a hard blow, but the kid reeled from it, looking shocked. “And stop tugging at that collar. Don’t want to deliver the doc a damaged package.”
Sonic’s heart dropped. Memories surfaced, unbidden; the crazy doctor with the egg robots and sleek appearance. The way he chased him across the world, shot him through and talked about preserving his body -
But it couldn’t be. He was far away on a planet filled with nothing but mushrooms. And this place… even if this wasn’t earth, there weren’t any mushrooms around.
Sonic snuck a glance towards Scourge, angry and baleful. The other hedgehog hardly noticed him, turning and tugging him in the direction they had come from.
“So you mentioned Eggman,” Sonic asked, trying to not wheeze as the collar pushed against his neck, stumbling over his still shaky legs.
“Did I?” The older hedgehog sounded incredibly bored.
“What uh- where is he? Are you meeting him here? There’s a suspicious lack of fun-guys.”
“For a prisoner, you’re awfully chatty. Wanna find out the voltage that collar can handle?” Scourge turned to shoot a grin at the small hedgehog, but frowned at the wide-eyed frightened look.
That wasn’t right.
Catching himself, Sonic plastered on a smile. He could do this. “That little tickle? No thanks. I am starving, though.” At another hard turn Sonic felt his balance give, collar digging painfully deep. “Um,” he wheezed, trying to dig his fingers between the narrow space between metal and skin, “can you maybe-”
“Hurry up, we got a ways to cover before it gets dark and I’m tired of carrying you.”
Sonic frowned, digging in his heels. “I’m not gonna follow you to Egghead if that’s what you’re- ack!” Tripping over a hidden branch, Sonic dipped forward, crashing into the undergrowth yet again. The scream slipped out really, he hadn’t meant for it to happen. But his side hurt so much and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. The collar dug into his neck and Sonic thrashed, the breath in his throat hitching into a sob. He bit down on his tongue until copper flooded his mouth.
Sighing, Scourge looked down at the sprawled kid. None of this was quite going how he expected. It was becoming clearer that this kid was not experienced at all in fighting. He hadn’t seen Scourge coming and his escape attempts were beyond pathetic. Had the doc been pulling his leg the whole time?
Relax, he’s a Sonic. Getting out of tight spots is their shtick. Get the money and forget about him.
On the ground, the small hedgehog jerked, body arching in pain as their hand fluttered around their ribcage, afraid to touch.
Maybe the kick had been overkill.
Shaking the thought from his head, Scourge picked the kid up by an arm, pointedly ignoring the tiny gasps of pain. He tried to tug him forward a couple more steps but the kid just stumbled.
Shit. He wouldn’t meet the doctor by nightfall at this rate. Sighing, Scourge released the kid, who fell to the ground almost immediately.
He’s just a Sonic. You’re not gonna start feeling bad for the brat. He’s not only a kid, alright? He’s another Sonic.
“We’ll stay here for the night,” Scourge said, masking his own surprise at his words. He’d get nowhere hauling the kid through the forest and across the plains. No. Best to rest up before having to carry him to the doctor.
He ignored the kid while he set about gathering materials for a fire. The kid had quieted down after realizing they wouldn’t have to move for a while. Scourge threw out the occasional biting comment, trying to lure the atmosphere into something more familiar.
He wasn’t used to a… vulnerable Sonic, for lack of a better word. The older blue hedgehog was quick on his feet and with his comebacks, infuriating even the normally unflappable Scourge. But nothing was quite sticking with this one. Each insult met with only a glare and the occasional sniffle. So he switched tactics.
“Whatsa matter, Blue? Daddy still do all the talking for you?”
That got a reaction. Just not the one Scourge expected.
Ears pinned back, the kid’s eyes widened, as if he remembered something. His attempt to school his expression was pathetic really, but Scourge pretended like it worked. For his sake more than the kid’s at this point.
“Whatever.” Rising to his feet, Scourge dusted the dirt from his hands, the fire not quite roaring, but burning steadily. “Don’t move. I’ll be back.” At the kid’s brightening eyes he shook his head, almost disappointed. Really, this kid was like an open book. “No use running. This isn’t your planet anymore, if you haven’t pieced that bit together. Stay put, or the next jolt won’t be as short.”
The threat rang a little hollow, but Scourge was confident the kid wouldn’t pick up on that. Pushing into the undergrowth, the green hedgehog disappeared into the dark forest.
Sonic let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding, wincing as he lifted himself into a sitting position.
Not the same planet…
Now that he paid attention, he could spot the small differences. The air was different. Breathable but… different. Filled with something else, but he couldn’t be sure what. The forest around him seemed close enough to an earth forest, but the grass blades were darker and softer, more like moss than grass.
He was so far from home. Not on the same planet. Was he even in the same universe? The other Sonic’s he’d met had proven the existence of multiple universes, they even visited him sometimes. But he’d never been able to visit them without a chaos emerald and guide.
Sonic swallowed the lump of panic that swelled in his throat and nearly choked at the thought that surfaced.
How am I supposed to get home?
Maddie was expecting him for lunch and it was already so dark… and Donut Lord…
Would they worry? Would they wait out on the dark porch? Would… they think he ran away?
The constant pain in his side prevented him from curling into a ball, but Sonic curled up as best he could, muzzle pressing into his knees. The first sniffle bubbled up, followed by a sob. There really was no way home. Maddie and Tom would never know what happened to him. And in an unfamiliar forest, hurt and alone with someone who was taking him to Eggman…
Hot tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, spilling over as he squeezed his eyes shut. Everything hurt and he just wanted to go home. Sonic hadn’t always had a home but right now, he missed the warmth of his bed, the soothing touch of Tom and Maddie as they watched a movie together.
The quiet, shaking sobs quickly morphed into small whimpers that, try as he might, he couldn’t hold back.
There wasn’t… He was alone again. It really didn’t matter what he did.
Energy crackled from his quills, absorbed instantly by the collar and sent back through his body.
“Ow- ah!” Touching the back of his neck, where the pain centered, Sonic felt something wet. A red spot marred his glove.
He was bleeding.
He couldn’t even… couldnt even cry without this collar absorbing the energy and hurting him with it. Lip trembling, Sonic stared at the red spot on his glove, until the image blurred out of focus, tears spilling forward once more. The energy crackled out. He couldn’t help it, he tried .
It wasn’t fair.
Sonic tried to control his emotions, knowing they could only end in more pain. The overwhelming emptiness threatened to swallow him whole and he could only bury his face into his arms and knees, wishing for a warmth that was light years away.
The dark forest crackled with the sound of unfamiliar life, but the green hedgehog could hardly be bothered to take notice, too wrapped up in his own thoughts. Despite the mission going so smoothly, Scourge felt oddly rattled by the whole situation. He wasn’t in the business of second guessing himself, but something about the whole thing didn’t sit straight. The kid was nothing like the doctor had implied… he was just. A kid.
Needing to clear his head, he left the Sonic alone with the fire. Even if he tried to run, he couldn’t get far with bruised ribs and that collar.
The doctor was only a day's walk from their location, his odd base located at the heart of a god awful mushroom forest. The agreement had originally been to meet that evening. The wackjob had said something about testing the Sonic as a new battery.
Normally, the comment wouldn’t faze the green hedgehog. He’d heard Eggmans say and do worse, regardless of what universe they came from. But with the kid…
Not your problem.
Besides. The kid would probably escape within the day. Scourge would get his money and the kid would get some experience under his belt. Everyone would come out a winner.
Reassured, Scourge looped back around, heading back to the glow of the fire. As he approached the little clearing, he noticed the kid had moved. The little blue hedgehog was curled up against a tree, shoulders shaking and small sobs wracking through his body, making their way through the darkening forest. Sniffling, he pressed his face against his knees, tail and body tucked as tightly as he could.
The discomfort in the pit of his stomach grew at the sight.
The sooner he made his presence known the sooner he could work on ignoring what he’d seen. Scourge approached loudly, mouth tugging up in a smirk when the kid tensed and whirled around to face him, face set in what he figured was supposed to be a threatening snarl. It could hardly be called a snarl with the tear-streaked muzzle and trembling lip.
“What kinda face is that, huh?” But the moment Scourge took another taunting step toward the kid he jerked back, small hand raised as if that would ward him off.
That made Scourge stop, smirk frozen in place. What the hell? The kid looked terrified, wincing as if he expected a blow. Yeah, he’d taken the kid out but that was part of the job. The kid had been electrocuted but it was because he’d run. He hadn’t… he hadn’t hit the kid like that. Not like-
The pit in his stomach was a gaping maw now. And Scourge felt something he hadn’t felt towards himself in a long time.
Disgust.
Changing direction, Scourge moved opposite the kid, crouching by the fire. The night was warm, but this planet was an odd one.
“Get some rest.” Was all he said. Using a long stick to settle the embers into a steady burn.
For a long moment, the kid didn’t move. Scourge could tell he was exhausted, he had to be. But for some reason he was fighting to stay awake.
“You’re worth more to me alive than dead, kid.” He snapped, ears pinning back slightly at the boy’s wince. “Which means you can go to sleep.”
Green eyes stared back at him over the fireglow. “You’re taking me to Eggman tomorrow?” The voice was small, uncertain. Scourge looked back to the fire, though it needed no more tending.
“That’s the deal.”
“Oh.” No comeback, nothing. The kid looked shaken, but curled on the soft grass, his sniffles eventually petering out to a semi-undisturbed silence.
Scourge rubbed at his face harshly.
He didn’t sleep a wink.
The morning brought Sonic a bleak, gray sky and the reminder that he hadn’t eaten in nearly two days. His stomach growled loudly, but he didn’t move, hoping that if he stayed still long enough, he’d wake up back in his own room. Something nudged his shoulder.
Gasping, Sonic jerked away, seeing the green hedgehog who’d become his captor. He wasn’t smiling today.
“Get up. Lots of ground to cover and I’m done slowing down for you.”
Biting back any retort, Sonic was lifted to his feet by his scruff, wobbling slightly. He’d already cried in front of Scourge… but he refused to give him any more satisfaction. The thought of coming face to face with Eggman in such conditions was more than a little horrifying… but he’d be okay.
Right?
The walk was less punishing than the day before. Walking still hurt, but Scourge had at least stopped trying to drag him by the collar. And he’d stopped saying mean things. In fact, he wasn’t saying much at all. Merely walking ahead and occasionally lifting him by the scruff if he didn’t move fast enough, which was often.
The silence was tense. But Sonic didn’t have the energy to fight it. And he’d need whatever he had left to try and survive Robotnik.
He was still trying to come to terms with it when the first mushroom came to sight.
Now this was starting to look familiar. Sonic’s heart pounded in his throat, eyes darting around. Scourge tugged on his collar as he slowed down.
“C’mon kid.” He sounded weirdly quiet. But Sonic could only think about how real this was now and how he had absolutely no plan to deal with capture.
A large hand wrapped around his and Sonic eventually realized that Scourge was now leading him by the hand. It was oddly reassuring, despite the fact that they were still heading towards Eggman.
As they walked, Sonic’s mind ran a mile a minute. When he saw Eggman, what would he do? Scourge said he wanted him alive so… that was good right? That meant that he could still try and escape. Meant he still had a chance. All he had to do was be quick on his feet.
But there was still the matter of the collar. And Sonic had no idea how to remove it other than the little control. The bruising on the side of his head told him Scourge had a mean right hook. Were his ribs not bruised he may have attempted to steal it anyway but it took all he had to walk at the painfully slow pace they held even now.
Too soon, they arrived before a pair of ugly, metal doors.
Scourge knocked roughly, stepping back and glancing coolly at the kid.
Sonic felt like he couldn’t breathe when the doors finally opened.
“Ah… late, I see.” Robotnik’s voice still carried the smooth lilt, but his grin as he zeroed in on Sonic was nothing short of terrifying. “But would you look at that, you actually delivered.”
“You said he was powerful.” Scourge’s tone sounded accusatory, and Sonic couldn’t help it. He pulled back, shifting behind Scourge as if putting his captor between him and Eggman would somehow help.
“And he is. Like an endless battery. Soon to be all mine-”
“Tch. Where’s my money doc?” Scourge snarled. He didn’t need to hear this shit. Didn’t care about what the doctor would do to the kid. He didn’t. “No money. No kid.” A part of him actually hoped there was no money.
Behind him, the kid shifted. He was shaking, eyes glued to the ground while trembling hands fiddled weakly with the collar, as if they might find some purchase there.
Shit.
The rings were quickly exchanged, this Eggman being nothing less than professional. Scourge fought back the pit in his stomach as a pair of robots led the kid away. The little hedgehog shot one last, desperate look thrown over his shoulder as he disappeared into the doc’s facility.
“Well,” clapping his hands together, the doctor looked at Scourge pleasantly, but dismissively. “It was truly a pleasure doing business with you, Scourge.” And the genuinity in his words put a sour taste in the green hedgehog’s mouth.
As the doors closed and Scourge was left alone, he looked down at his payment. The golden rings shone in the evening daylight, taunting. Absorbing the payment, Scourge rubbed his palm roughly against his twin scars.
The mushroom forest was eerily silent, the gaseous clouds settling as the sun set over the horizon. There was no one else on this entire planet. No one to stop him. Scourge turned to look at the metal doors.
Shit.
Sonic was led down a cold passageway. That was the first thing he noticed. Vents lined the ceiling, pumping cold air constantly throughout the hallway and, he imagined, the rest of the facility.
He had tried to stray from the path that the robots had led him down, only to be met with what looked like… a cattle prod?
“What’s the big idea?” He muttered under his breath, hobbling back down the hallway. At this point, it was hard enough to put one leg in front of the other. The moment the robots halted, Sonic buckled.
Alone for the moment, he simply allowed himself to feel the pain, trying desperately to regulate his breathing. Too soon, footsteps sounded behind him, the tall, bald form of Dr. Robotnik sweeping into the room.
“Heya Eggman,” Sonic injected some levity into his voice, hoping to mask the pain. “Going for that bald look, huh? I can’t say it’s a good look, but we can’t all be The Rock, am I right?”
When Eggman smiled at him, Sonic felt the blood turn to ice in his veins. Again, the primal instinct gripped his thoughts. But there was no energy left to move, much less run. All he could do now was try and survive.
“Funny you should mention baldness! I was actually thinking about collecting your quills before we moved onto the harvesting process-”
The doctor babbled on and Sonic tried to find his tongue.
What… what the hell?
“Harvesting process?” It was almost a squeak, but the doctor hardly noticed, busying himself with a monitor.
“Oh yes, your little alien body is basically a gold mine of materials. What a poor example, gold has its uses sure, a great conductor of electricity. But it isn’t a producer of sheer energy and can’t give me what I need.” Eggman turned, a large syringe in hand. “Not like you will.”
And it could have looked hilarious, like something out of a B-rated action movie where the villain approaches the hero with large medical instruments. But this wasn’t a movie. And Sonic wasn’t a hero.
And he was terrified.
Breath coming in quick, sharp pain lanced through his side as he tried to rise to his feet, managing to only fall back in the process.
“W-wait a second, this isn’t fair,” he laughed, feeling his eyes prickle again with the threat of tears. “Y’know I’m not even at my best. This won’t be a fair fight, Eggma-”
Eggman laughed. Loudly and unrestrained, mouth stretching wide as he howled with laughter.
“Fair! Haha, fair!” The laughter was even more unnerving than the syringe, Sonic feeling waves of dread lap at the edge of his thoughts.
Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, the doctor fixed him with a controlled, yet crazed look. “Oh, now that was funny. But-” The two robots, who had been idle for so long Sonic had all but forgotten about them, grabbed his arms, lifting him in place. “I’m afraid lab rats are just that. Nothing more.”
The tip of the needle rested over his chest, right above his heart. Sonic thrashed wildly. He didn’t know what was in the syringe but he knew, somehow he knew, that if he let himself be shot with it, he’d never wake back up.
“No! No, wait!” The needle pressed against his chest, the hollow point breaking skin-
An explosion deafened him.
The sound of shattering glass and twisting metal screeched through the air and Sonic reeled. The metallic appendages that held him up disappeared and he folded onto the metal flooring like a paper doll. The ringing in his ears echoed loudly before petering out to a long, high pitched whine. A voice came into focus.
“-ain’t about the money, doc. Though I ain’t complaining.”
That voice.
Scourge?
A now familiar hand wrapped around his scruff, something tapping his face.
“Kid? Hey, kid!”
Blinking, Sonic focused on the face before his. Scourge scowled, turning to look at a corner of the room.
“What the fuck you do to him?”
But the only response that came was a loud hacking and howling curses.
The walls of the facility sped by in a speed-induced blur, giving way to the muted browns of the mushroom forest. He was being held, he realized.
Faintly, he realized Scourge must have rescued him. Sonic couldn’t understand why. But finally, the primal instinct had quieted down. He didn’t know what was going on, but for now, he was safe.
The pain, terror, and uncertainty of the past day and a half caught up to him, slamming into him like a freight train. Sonic gladly gave into the embrace of unconsciousness.
The mushroom forest, plains, and dark forest bled by in a deafening blue. The kid was crushed to his chest, Scourge not taking any risks when running at such a high speed. The doc would no doubt be after them.
There, that had to be enough distance. The warp ring barely had enough charge, but it’d do. Couldn’t risk the doctor following him where he was going now. He already had enough trouble with another blue hedgehog on his case. Stepping through the portal, Scourge watched sharply until it closed, leaving nothing behind but silence.
Releasing a breath, Scourge relaxed, looking around at his surroundings.
Fuckin fantastic. Another forest. He’d meant to take the kid back to his world… Hissing angrily, Scourge realized he’d thought about the other blue hedgehog right before tossing the ring.
He was in Mobius.
This is what he got for trying to do something good. Well. That could work just fine either way. The other hedgehog would no doubt know what to do with the kid. Scourge could call this his charity for the decade and move the fuck on.
It was still late in the night. The grass on Mobius wasn’t nearly as lush, but it’d do. Scourge set the kid on the ground, picking another spot for himself not too far away. If he was lucky he’d catch maybe a couple hours sleep before the kid woke up. It didn’t feel right to just abandon him, but Scourge could point him in the right direction once he woke up. Make sure he didn’t die in a forest or something.
Halfway to dreaming, a small shuffling sound caught the green hedgehog’s attention. Blearily, he looked around, realizing the kid was shaking like a leaf. The nights on Mobius were much cooler than that mushroom planet, apparently.
It was a quick decision, shucking his jacket and tossing it over the kid’s tiny frame.
Closing his eyes, Scourge finally slept, the pit in his stomach growing smaller.
Sonic snuffled as he awoke slowly, his face was cold but the rest of his body was pleasantly warm. Burrowing deeper into the blankets, he closed his eyes and tried to slip back into the pleasant hold of sleeping. But this blanket was heavy and thick, nothing like the sheets that lined his bed. Had Maddie-
Eyes snapping open, Sonic jerked upright, blinking away the bleariness in the sudden light. Donut Lord and Maddie… he wasn’t home. Eggman had nearly gotten him but Scourge… Looking down, Sonic saw that his blanket was actually Scourge’s leather jacket, the scent of smoke and leather oil wafting up from the material.
“You’re up.” The green hedgehog was already up, dusting dirt and leaves from his fur. He looked odd without the leather jacket, the resemblance to Buck all the more striking like this.
“You came back.” It was an observation, but Scourge quirked a brow at him, swiping up his jacket.
“Yeah, doc shorted me. So I shorted him.” Scourge shrugged the jacket back on, the lie rolling easily off his tongue. “This ain’t your home planet, but I’m sure you can find someone to help you back.” The kid followed his arm as Scourge pointed east.
“Two days walk that way, you’ll run into the Resistance Headquarters, if they haven’t moved them.” Brightening at the words, the kid rose to unsteady legs.
“That’s where Buck is!”
“You got a friend in the resistance?” Scourge scoffed, “Figures. Well, don’t let me hold you back.” He looked at the kid expectantly, who only blinked, hand raising to touch the collar.
“But I can’t run.”
As Scourge opened his mouth to argue, the kid wobbled, grabbing his jacket sleeve for purchase. He looked pathetic, but Scourge had done plenty as it was. “Look kid, I’m not carrying you all the way to the resistance.”
“Fine.” The kid huffed boldly, letting go of the jacket but hovering close. The green hedgehog had a lot of bite, but he had helped him… so far. “Then take this dumb collar off then. It’s too tight.” Sonic was fairly confident that with the collar off he could make the distance towards Resistant Headquarters. Maybe his body would even begin to heal?
Rummaging quickly in his pocket, Scourge brought out the small controller. “Sure, whatever.” The doc said it activated the collar, which meant it could deactivate it right? He pressed the button.
Instantly, the kid’s body seized and he began to scream, body convulsing as he fell to the ground. Scourge dropped the controller, as if burned through his gloves.
“Shit! Shit! Kid, hey kid c’mon get up.” But the kid wasn’t listening to him, fresh tears painting his muzzle as the remnants of the electricity ran through his body.
“W-why did you do that?!” The words were pushed out mid-sobbing breath, the shock of the pain having caught him off guard.
“I didn’t!” He didn’t know why it was important that the kid knew that, but it just was. “I just pressed the button it was supposed to deactivate-” Scourge picked up the controller but froze when the kid winced at the sight of it again. As if he thought Scourge might press the button once more. “Hey, hey look I’ll get rid of it okay?”
Sharp, black nails curved between the controller, catching at the seams of the pkastic and snapping it apart easily. Sonic watched the pieces fall to the ground, his breathing evening out.
Running a hand through messy quills, Scourge sighed. So the doctor had designed the collar to never come off? The more the hedgehog learned about this Eggman the less he liked him. Sure, not all Eggmans were like his own universe’s, but this human was vile. The kid would never get anywhere with the collar and bruised ribs.
Picking him up, Scourge adjusted his grip. If anyone saw him now he might very well have to take them out as well.
The kid sniffed, settling into the hold. “Thought you said you weren’t gonna carry me to the resistance.”
“I can drop you right now.” The green hedgehog reminded him. “No way I’m going near that place. But maybe close enough to your friend, Buck, was it?”
Sighing, the kid tried to ignore the pain in his side. It was bad, but walking made it hurt deeper and for longer. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” At that moment, his stomach growled loudly. Sonic offered a small smile at Scourge’s raised brow.
“Don’t get your hopes up. We’re a far ways out from any city.”
Twisting slightly in the older hedgehog’s hold, Sonic looked at the bushes that passed them by as Scourge walked through the forest.
“We could eat that.” Confidently, he pointed to a small, mossy area where small mushrooms were sprouting up. Scourge’s lip curled at the sight.
“No way, but these berries tho-”
Sonic’s eyes widened as he recognized the bright, shiny berries. “Not those! They’re poisonous, you’ll be sick for days, trust me.” The green hedgehog looked at him, surprise crossing his face briefly, before composing itself.
“If you say so. I’m not eating any fungus, though.”
“Just let me grab some, I’m starving. They can't hold a candle to cool ranch doritos but eh.”
An annoyed huff made its way past Scourge’s lips as he set the kid on the ground, kneeling to gather up as many of the small mushrooms as he could.
“Here.” He dropped them into the kids hands, large, surprised eyes looking up at him. Picking him up once more, Scourge resumed his pace, the kid happily cleaning off the mushroom and popping them into his mouth. He seemed utterly unconcerned by the plant, sighing contentedly when they were all gone.
“Were you a boy scout in a past life?” Scourge finally asked. Maybe the kid was one of those nature types.
A blue ear flicked at the question and the kid frowned. “What’s that?”
“A boy sco- ugh, nevermind. Who taught you about plants?” The green hedgehog wasn’t even entirely sure that his prime counterpart was knowledgeable about foraging in the wild.
“No one!” The kid chirped, “I figured a lot on my own. That’s how I know about the berries and the mushrooms. I usually found my food in the tr- uh, elsewhere.”
But before Scourge could ask any more about that bit of information, a gale of wind burst through the forest, stopping not too far from where they were.
Another Sonic. And not just any Sonic, his prime counterpart. Scourge felt his lips tug up in a familiar, feral grin at the sight of the other. But this Sonic looked furious, expression dark and murderous, the only break in the intensity of expression when he looked down at the figure in Scourge’s arms.
“Wachowski!”
The kid perked up, a bright smile blooming across his face as he recognized the other Sonic.
“Buck!”
Eyes widening in surprise, Scourge looked between the kid in his arms and the furious blue hedgehog across from him. The older Sonic, Buck apparently, crouched. Green eyes zeroing in on Scourge his blue spines crackled as he pieced together the pieces in front of him.
Well. Shit.