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The hedgehog should have killed me.
Starline was no longer a threat to her and Kit. Sonic and the others had given them a place to call home.
But despite that, Surge still wasn’t happy.
Whether it was Spiral Hill or Central City, there were still people that were wary of her. No one would look at her, or they would pretend not to acknowledge her, possibly afraid of getting hurt.
Honestly, though, SHE was the one getting hurt. When she went missing, no one went to find her. Same for Kit. And it STILL feels like she was missing, even though she was already back.
What was even left for her?
-
Surge blew a raspberry while leaning against a tree. All that was in her sight was the pathway to Spiral Hill Village. It looked like a cool place to live from afar, she had to admit.
It had been a month since Sonic had “defeated” her, and apparently, he’d also taken down this crazy ass octopus dude, along with that wolf and a lemur.
And now, the last two were settled into a house together, outside of said village.
Nowadays, everything was calm and pretty damn boring, aside from the occasional badnik attacks.
The tenrec’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of boots squeaking against the pavement.
She opened her right eye to see none other than the wolf, munching on what appeared to be a piece of poundcake. She was out of what Surge usually saw her in, and this time had on a casual red t-shirt and jean shorts. Still had that mask on the side of her head, though. Whatever happened to that battle attire she always wore?
…well, whatever. None of her business. She looked in the other direction.
As soon as she did, though, her stomach began to sting. The hell was that about?
Then, Surge remembered that day in Central City. The beatdown she gave her. How she stole her wisps. The broken whatever-she-called-it. The horrified face she made when Sonic brought her to the Restoration HQ.
The wolf viewed her as a monster. Just like everyone else did.
She was vile.
“W’sup with you?”
A brief wave of electricity surrounded Surge as she jolted at the sound of the wolf’s voice. She turned to find her staring at her, puzzled.
“T-the hell’s it to you?” she said, trying to maintain her composure. “None of your business, silent mouth!”
“Whisper.”
“Excuse m-?”
“My name is Whisper ,” the wolf said in a more stern tone, her usually closed eyes slightly open.
Was… was she getting pissy with her??
Surge opened her mouth to retort, but “Whisper” spoke first. “Actually, it’s kinda good that I came across you.”
“Eh?”
“I’ve been wanting to speak with you after Tangle and I took out Mimic,” she explained, tossing and catching her half-eaten piece of poundcake. “Never found the time, though.”
Surge raised an eyebrow. “What’re ya saying?”
“I’m asking you to come with me for a bit. If you have the time, at least.”
Now both eyebrows were raised. “I do have the time. Not like I’d waste it with YOU, though.”
The wolf sighed and shrugged. “Your choice.” Then she continued walking up the path.
With a “hmph,” Surge turned away. What could she have to say to her that was so important, anyway?
…
Actually, what DID she…?
“Damn it,” she muttered, and started making her way after Whisper. “Wait up!!”
-
As Surge followed Whisper through the woods, she became more and more impatient.
“Where are you even taking me?”
“I’m not ‘taking’ you anywhere,” Whisper pointed out, still looking straight ahead. “You said you wouldn’t waste your time on me, yet you’re right behind me following my lead.”
Okay, WOW, Surge thought. She’s really trying to piss me off.
“Oop, we’re here.” Whisper stepped aside to give Surge a good view.
The tenrec saw that they had stopped at the top of a hill, and as she got a better look, she came to see the view from above.
And it was beautiful. Not like the wolf had to know though.
“Oh, woooow, a hilltop view.” Surge put her hands up, pretending to be awestruck. “How LOVELY! Is this all you want me to- QUIT IGNORIN’ ME!” she blurted out as she saw Whisper settling down against a large stone.
She gave Surge a puzzled look. “Do you want to join me?”
What the hell is up with this girl?!
“You can leave if you want. I’m just offering.”
Gladly, she wanted to say. Her mind kept telling her to just take off. Her body, however, didn’t move away. And a few seconds later, she found herself sitting next to her.
What am I doing?
Whisper reached into her left pocket and pulled out a small piece of poundcake, like the one she was eating before. “Want a snack?”
Why is she so fucking casual with me?? “…I’m good.”
She put it back in her pocket. “More for me then.”
Surge exhaled through her nose. Then the wolf spoke up again.
“Whenever I’m questioning something - questioning myself - I come here,” Whisper said. “I’ll have something nice to look at while trying to find the answer.”
“Holy shit, that’s so fascinating - what does ANY of this have to do with me?” the agitated tenrec asked.
Whisper turned to her, slightly glaring. “The thing is… I want to understand you better, Surge.”
Surge gave her a dumbfounded look. Where was this going?
“Ever since our… ‘meeting’ in Central City, I resented you. Honestly, I still kinda do,” Whisper explained. “But then I remembered something. After you crushed me with Blue’s power, I could hear you trying to fight someone that wasn’t even there.”
Now the tenrec’s eyebrows were raised. She heard that?
“…Starline,” Surge suddenly blurted out, her tough-girl act gone. “The Dynamo Cage or whatever it was had me seein’ things. It felt… so real, though.”
Whisper’s left eye opened. “But he’s… gone now, isn’t he? He must have done a number to you.”
“Asshole captured me and Kit. Just so he could make us into copies of Sonic and Tails. He wanted to prove to Eggman that he was superior.
“I have no idea who I was before he did it,” Surge continued. “He wouldn’t tell us. He-he used us as PAWNS…” She stopped there. Why was she telling her all this?
Whisper only stared at her, disturbed. Possibly by her explanation.
“He…” Her left hand gripped onto the grass. “He’s more insane than I made him out to be…”
Both of them sat in silence for a few seconds until Whisper spoke up again.
“So what I got out of that was… he broke you.”
Surge turned to her. “I guess? If you put it that way…”
“Hm. Just like me then.”
Another dumbfounded look. “Sorry?”
“You know Sonic and Tangle went with me to stop Mimic? The octopus?” Whisper asked. Surge gave a small nod in response.
“A long time ago, he betrayed not just me…” She fished into her right pocket and held out a photo of her and what appeared to be some old friends. “…but my entire team.”
As Surge looked at the photo, Whisper kept going. “Sold out everyone to Eggman. A bunch of androids got to them and…” She shuddered. “I was on look out, so I was the only one that made it out.”
The tenrec stared at her. She lost everything, just like her.
“Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to revenge,” she continued, taking the picture back. “I figured that after I was done with him, there’d be nothing left for me.
“But…” She took her mask off her head, looked at it and smiled. “After meeting Sonic, Tangle and the others, I realized how wrong I was.”
Surge looked down. That must be why those wisps and that wispon meant so much to her.
“I…” she began, then stopped. What could she even say to any of that?
“Now let me ask you something,” Whisper suddenly said. “You don’t know about your past, but why don’t you try to make your own future?”
The tenrec’s right hand formed into a fist. “Cause unlike any of you, I don’t belong.”
“Not according to Kit.”
That got Surge’s attention. “Wha-? You spoke with him?”
“Mhm. A couple of times, actually,” Whisper started. “He keeps saying how cool you are, and that you could become a great hero. He’s also really glad to be your sidekick.”
That last part stung. Kit wasn’t really a sidekick. He was just as important as Tails was to Sonic, but was programmed to act as a sidekick.
She had to tell him that.
“Everyone does care for you,” the wolf continued. “You just have to let them.”
Surge sat in silence for a few seconds. Then she took a deep breath. In and out.
“I…” she stood up. “…gotta go talk to Kit. Need to see if the kid’s doin’ alright.”
Whisper nodded. “You do your thing.”
She turned and took a running stance, then stopped and turn back.
“Oh yeah, um… thanks. For this talk. I feel like I needed it,” the tenrec said. “And… I’m sorry. For stealing your little guys and breaking your weapon. I know I probably don’t sound sincere, but-“
… it’s a start, Whisper thought.
“I know you are.” She gave her a small smile. “I’ll be sure to tell them you said that.”
Surge gave her one last smirk before zooming off.
After she was gone, Whisper sighed, and stood up. She had a girlfriend and some wisps to go back to.
-
As Surge ran, on her way to the Restoration HQ, where Kit was, Whisper’s words played in her head.
Why don’t you make your own future?
Everyone does care for you. You just have to let them.
As she left a streak of lightning behind her, she smiled.
She’d show Kit and everyone else that she was someone to rely on, someone that they could fight alongside.
She’d show them that she was finally free from him.