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Sonic had never felt such adrenaline before. Even his heart. His heart always beat faster than a normal person and he never felt it, but right now it was like a bomb was going off in his chest wall. He had gotten into increasingly heated fights with Metal Sonic before, but he had never felt so rushed and so challenged. Each time they met again, Metal would appear with new upgrades. Even Sonic couldn't believe it, but it was as if Metal was moving faster than him this time. At least reflexively. It was impossible for an outsider to follow this fight with the naked eye. Both were moving so fast. Tails and Eggman were like spectators staring from the outside. However, it was going to be a pretty ordinary day. Especially Tails wished for a quiet day today. Although, after the little fight he had with Sonic in the morning, he knew that it was not possible, but he still hoped…
-Early morning hours-
When Tails woke up, he took a deep breath and rubbed his face. Looking out the window, the weather looked pretty good. All he wanted to do today was drown in his inventions and not get in trouble. He stretched out of bed. He pressed the button on the coffee machine. One or two bitter coffees in the morning was barely enough to sober up. So many thoughts were running through his head. His inventions, the different views of those around him, Eggman's plans, his desire to protect himself, his friends and those around him. To stay out of trouble. That's all he really wanted lately. He was starting to get tired of the thought of staying safe all the time. Of course, this trouble had only one name, but he felt as if he was attracting trouble himself. Or someone else he knows very well. He shook his head furiously. No, it was unfair to think that. He just couldn't blame it. He grabbed his coffee mug and headed for the door. It would really make him feel good to be in his workshop. He was just out the door when a blue blur passed in front of him. He nearly knocked down his mug with the wind created by the speed. He rolled his eyes. It was the early hours of the morning, really? The blue blur reappeared beside him.
"Good morning buddy." Sonic stopped with a hearty smile. Tails continued to keep his eyes dull.
“Good morning Sonic.” He said calmly. Sonic chuckled:
“Ooo, I guess someone hasn't really woken up yet. Sounds like you need another one if it's your first cup of coffee." Tails frowned:
"If you don't cause me to waste this first one, one will suffice." Sonic felt his spines with his hand:
“You seem overly nervous today.” Tails didn't say anything and started walking towards his workshop. Sonic followed behind him:
“I came to pick you up. Won't you come to have breakfast with the team? It's too early for you to work. You should at least have a snack. Also, your head works harder.” He smiled again. Tails stared at Sonic for a while. He still wouldn't stop treating him like a little kid sometimes. Even though he liked it from time to time, he couldn't really take it right now.
“I don't want to watch Knuckles and you get into a hot dog fight like you do every Sunday morning.” Sonic laughed lightly:
“Bud, you always get into that fight too. You also come up with some pretty interesting ideas for holding the hot dog." Tails didn't return Sonic's smile and took a sip of his coffee. Sonic waited for Tails to say something, but he didn't get the answer he expected. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed. When they came to the front of the workshop door, he put his hand on Tails' shoulder and stopped him. Tails is turned to Sonic:
“Are you okay? You are not like yourself today.” ' Sonic asked. Concern was in his voice. Tails took a deep breath. Was he really okay? He felt tense and angry right now. He looked into Sonic's eyes:
“I really need a quiet day today.” He said. He opened the door of the workshop and entered. He didn't wait for Sonic to pass. Sonic grabbed the door that was about to close and peered in. Then he walked in and slowly closed the door. This time his face fell. He really knew there was a problem. He swallowed:
"Look, I know we've had some eventful days lately." Tails sighed nervously. Didn't he realize that he didn't want to talk about this? Even talking about it would break the calm. Sonic continued:
“But as you know, we are still here and we have no problems. Of course, I can understand that you want to breathe every now and then. But you worry too much.” Same sentence again. “You worry too much.” Who knows how many times he heard this phrase. He really didn't have the patience anymore. Suddenly he put the mug in his hand down on the table and turned to Sonic. His eyebrows furrowed:
“So are you worried?” Sonic raised an eyebrow:
“What ?”
“Or are you worried at all ?”
"What does that mean?"
“You know what you say to me every time I get into these kinds of trips. You worry too much. Have you ever been worried in this life?!” His voice rose slightly at the last sentence.
“Tails what are you talking about, of course there are times when I worry.” Tails started to get very angry:
"Really?! So why don't we feel it at all? Or wait wait. You're a master at hiding your worry, aren't you? We can't always be iron-willed like you, can we? That's why if we were even a little bit worried, it would seem to you that we were too worried." Sonic's tongue began to wander. He couldn't understand why his brother was suddenly so nervous.
“Tails calm down please. I know very well that you, especially you, have iron will. Don't underestimate yourself.”
“This has nothing to do with my self-deprecation, Sonic. It's just…” Tails paused. He didn't want to fight. In fact, he shouldn't have yelled at all in the first place. He knew very well that Sonic's intentions were not bad. All he really needed right now was a few quiet hours.
“You live for adventure. Almost everything seems boring to you when there is no adventure. Your moments of rest are limited. You cannot expect the same performance from us. I mean, at least from me. Now, every morning when I wake up, I wake up so that today will be calm. Nobody gets hurt. Let's not be afraid for our lives or for the lives of others." Sonic stared at Tails. How could he not understand that his brother was feeling this way?
“Tails, I…” Tails raised his hand to silence Sonic:
“Please Sonic. I really don't have the energy to argue with you right now. Look, I really admire you." Sonic's eyebrows rose. “I will always be amazed. Sometimes I wish I could really be like you. Not to worry at all. To be able to look at every war as an opportunity to have fun. Which…” He swallowed: “Sometimes it feels like you're taking all the trouble just because of it. Because where Eggman is, you are right there.” Sonic was surprised:
“What do you say Tails? It's my job to stop Eggman. It's our job as heroes."
"Yes. As a hero. That's what I call opportunity. I've never seen you take fighting Eggman seriously once. Would Eggman really still be out if you really took it seriously? Do we still wait for when he will attack? When will he come up with a crazy plan?"
“Tails, you’re being unfair.” Sonic didn't know if he felt it, but his voice trembled slightly. Tails' words were getting heavier.
“I just can't wait calmly. Living on thorns makes me tired. Sometimes I want to rest. I can't be constantly chasing adventures like you." He lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. It was 08:00. “You continued to be stubborn. At least allow me to rest, to take time for myself during the quietest hours of the day. Then you know I'll be your sidekick again." Sonic was startled. No, he couldn't believe Tails was implying that he only thought of him as his sidekick.
“Tails…” Tails turned to face him.
“Please Sonic, I need a few hours alone. Don't see that too much for me." Sonic was now paralyzed. So he stared. He wanted to open his mouth, but he couldn't. He left the workshop without saying anything. Tails slapped his face hard as Sonic came out. He cursed himself. He didn't want to fight. I mean, there were no mutual squabbles, but he knew very well that it was heartbreaking. He had emptied himself of anger with morning tension. Sonic wasn't used to Tails' discharges like this. It was really surprising and shocking. Tails looked at the door. Still, maybe a little bit, he wanted Sonic to be able to understand him. He had no complaints about being a hero. Without Sonic, he wouldn't be the person he is today. He knew he would be nothing. He was lucky to have an older brother like Sonic, but that didn't mean he never got tired.
Sonic stopped in front of Amy's house with a calm expression on his face. He was still struggling to comprehend what he had heard. Was Tails so fed up? Or most importantly, was it all just for the opportunity for adventure? He wasn't just letting Eggman escape, was he? He shook his head vigorously. No. Of course there is no such thing. It wasn't just that he was letting Eggman hang around for fun. Eggman was sneaky though he didn't look like it. He was genius enough to find a way to escape even when his every plan was ruined. He was always a major threat. Sonic wasn't always having fun. He had had too many moments to fight seriously. When he didn't take it seriously, it would break out immediately. Isn't it ? He put his hand on his head. This conversation was really heavy in the morning. He nodded again and tried to regain himself. He knocked on the door. Amy opened the door with a smile. Sonic immediately put a fake smile on his face the moment he saw Amy.
“Sonic! Good morning, welcome.” said Amy cheerfully.
“Good morning Ames.” Amy peeked through the door, looked around, then turned back to Sonic:
“Where’s Tails?” Sonic clasped his hands.
“Well, he said he wanted some alone time this morning. I think he'll be buried in some of his inventions." Amy's eyebrows went up.
“But Tails never missed our breakfast. Also, how will he work when he’s hungry?”
“Let's give him a few hours. He will come later.” said Sonic in a quiet voice. Amy sensed the awkwardness in Sonic. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed. She used her voice softly:
"Did you, have a fight?" Sonic was startled. How did she know right away? He exhaled through his nose:
“Let's just say he had a little emotional discharge.” He said and walked through the door. He definitely didn't want to talk right now. Then he would definitely talk to Tails about this. He needed to recharge now by having breakfast. Amy wanted to keep asking, but realized it wasn't the time. Without a word, she walked towards the breakfast table. Another big table was set up. Sonic was always happy to see this table. Cream was making the final preparations for the table. When she saw Sonic come in, she let go of her hands and ran towards him. She wore her usual loving smile on her face:
“Good morning, Mr. Sonic!” Sonic couldn't help but return Cream's smile. This kid's smile was always contagious.
“Good morning Cream.” Cream folded her hands behind her back:
“How are you this morning?”
"I'm fine, thank you." Maybe he believed the lie he told. Because Sonic hated lying. Amy pressed her lips too. She knew. Vanilla appeared from the kitchen with a tray of pancakes in her hand. She smiled at Sonic:
“Good morning Sonic, honey.” Sonic nodded slightly:
“Good morning, Miss Vanilla.” Then he looked around. There was no one else but Amy, Cream, and Vanilla.
“Where is everyone else? Is it just me?" Amy chuckled.
“You are early as usual. There's still time, calm down. Knuckles said he's finished touring Angel Island and is about to arrive. Unfortunately, Blaze and Silver can't come to breakfast today, they apologized profusely and said they had a few important things to do. Rouge is coming, and she said Shadow might come this time.” Sonic rolled his eyes and smiled:
“I hope he doesn't stop at the last minute. Again, he should’nt use the excuse that such things are against him.” He said. Amy laughed too: “
Rouge was hopeful. We'll see." Amy looked back at the table. Then her eyebrows shot up as she thought: “Ahh! I remembered. Tangle also called. She finally convinced Whisper to come. Both of them will join this time.” Sonic was happy about that:
"This is great. Tangle was stubborn, so that if Whisper didn't come, she wouldn't.” Amy laughed. She pressed her lips together.
“Aaaand umm… Our dear detectives won't be able to come either. They said they had a job." Sonic patted his face, chuckled:
"I don't even want to know." Amy chuckled too. After Cream had placed what she had left, she came over to them:
“Today, unfortunately, we are 10 people. I hope we can be full numbers next week.” They had made it a routine. After all, after each adventure, everyone dispersed in their own way. Certain friends, elsewhere. In other dimensions and times. In order not to completely cut off communication, they began to organize a breakfast every Sunday morning. Of course, they couldn't get the full number until now, but they still continued to organize it every week. Sonic gulped:
"Well, let's drop another plate." Cream was surprised:
“What? Who isn't coming?"
“Tails.” Cream's mouth fell open:
"But how ? Mr. Tails never misses the breakfast.”
“He said he wanted some time alone today. Let's not force it." Cream was upset.
"Did something happen ?" She asked. Sonic pressed his lips together. But Vanilla spoke instead:
“We can't force it if he's needed, dear. We are still 9 of us. Don't bother yourself." Sonic nodded. It was clear that Cream was depressed. Still, he didn't go against it. They went into the kitchen again. Amy put her hand on Sonic's arm. Startled, Sonic turned to Amy. Amy smiled faintly:
"Do you want to talk ?" Sonic averted his eyes.
“Not really.”
“Was it a serious fight?” Sonic smiled. Not sincere:
"You don’t need to worry." As he said that sentence, he felt something sink into his stomach. That's why he had a fight with Tails. “You worry too much.” Yes, he knew he had said that phrase a lot to his friends. In fact, all he wanted was to tell them that they didn't have to worry. But were they all thinking like Tails? Sonic was not without worries. After all, is it possible to live without worrying about anything? Wouldn't you be emotionless then? Sonic couldn't cope with the questions in his head. He just needed that friend breakfast to start and clear his head.
When breakfast was over, everyone's communication device started to alarm. They were all startled. Tails' voice rose on communication devices:
“Eggman attack! At many points! Please tell me everyone is gathered for breakfast!”
"I'm sure we have enough, fox." said Shadow.
“Tails. Coordinates.” ' said Knuckles, using his voice of command. All attack positions have been sent to everyone.
"Ok." Said Knuckles: “A total of 4 points. Looks like Eggman was at the north point.”
"I’ll handle it. Tails, meet me there.” said Sonic.
“Okay Sonic.” Said Tails from his communicator.
“Can you really handle it? According to what Tails sent, that area has the most destruction.” ' Shadow said in his cold voice.
"We'll handle it." said Sonic simply. He wasn't worried, of course. He fingered his nose: “Leave it to us.” Knuckles nodded:
“Okay, Amy, you and I are in the east. Rouge, Shadow. South. Tangle and Whisper. West. You can handle it, right?" Laughing, Tangle gave the military salute:
“You can count on us, commander!” Said. Whisper nodded, keeping her calm face intact: “It's okay.” She said in a whisper.
"What about me ?" said Cream. “I want to help too.” Vanilla grabbed her daughter's shoulders.
"Sweetie, that's too dangerous."
"But I can help, mom." Sonic bowed before Cream:
“There's no need to jump into danger, Cream. I promise. Next time. Ok?" He blinked one eye. Cream pursed her lip. Yes, she knew she was just a kid, but she had helped many times. She was tired of trying to hold her back every time.
"Ok." She said simply nodding his head.
“Come on team.Let’s go!" said Sonic. He took off in an instant, using his speed. The whole team also disbanded. At all points, hordes of badniks were roaming. What the hell was it that was suddenly attacking with armies randomly again? Though, Sonic had stopped questioning Eggman by now. Because there was only one answer behind it. Capture. Only this. Maybe that's what Tails meant. It was a lot of work. Empty attacks. That's why Eggman wasn't supposed to be out anyway. Sonic always thought that taking away someone's freedom was the worst punishment ever to come. Did Eggman deserve this punishment? Of course. He was always damaging. But here's to taking someone's freedom. He sighed when he thought about what would have happened if it had happened to him. It wasn't something he could stand. The other punishment that could be given to Eggman was out of the question. He mean, how could he? Or could he let it be done? Were those two reasons alone the reason Eggman was still out there? Sonic grit his teeth. Maybe. He shook his head and came to himself. It didn't matter, why was he thinking that? Wouldn't he already be there to stop Eggman no matter what he did? He also did not allow anyone to be injured or killed. He really had nothing to worry about. When he reached the coordinate point, he encountered an empty space. Nobody was here. Why ? He looked around:
“What is he after again?” He turned to the voice behind him. Tails stopped his tails and landed on the ground. He was scanning around with his hand tablet.
"Didn't you say that this is the area of greatest destruction?" Tails nodded.
“It looked like that in my scans. It pointed out that Eggman was here too.” Together they looked around. This was so ridiculous. Sonic turned on the communicator:
"Team. No one at the north point. What's up with you?"
"Is this a joke?" Shadow's voice came.
"There is no one here." said Amy.
“There is no one to beat here either.” said Tangle. There was disappointment in her voice.
“Tails, could there be an error in the coordinates?” said Knuckles.
“I'm scanning again. These signals are illogical.”
“Because it was all to bring one person.” The whole team and Sonic and Tails knew the owner of the voice.
“Sonic! Tails! Get out there!” cried Knuckles.
“This is an ambush!” Whisper raised her voice. The moment Sonic looked up, he instantly reacted to what was quickly coming to them: “Tails! Look out!" he shouted, pushing Tails aside. Then he went head-to-head with Metal Sonic. They clasped each other's hands together. They were pushing each other strongly. Tails stood up from where he had been pushed.
“Hello Metal! You look awful as always!”
“Sonic!” Tails shouted.
"I’ll handle it! Tails, get out of here!” Eggman appeared in the hills:
"I was just thinking you'd come here, but of course you can't help but drag your little fox helper with you." Said.
“If you want me, you get me Egghead!”
“Ooo you can be sure I will.” Metal increased its strength. Sonic's arms began to strain. Then he turned into a ball and withdrew in front of Metal. Metal staggered but quickly recovered.
“Sonic! We must make a plan. Metal has received upgrades!” said Tails. He was scanning Metal with his tablet. Sonic turned to Tails:
"I don't think he’s going to give us time to plan, bud!" He rushed forward using his speed. Again, he wasn't listening to Tails. Planning was not for Sonic. Being the fastest living being, he was immediately thrown into things.
“I didn't think you'd fall for the coordinates so quickly. You say we shouldn't leave it to chance anymore, right? HOHOHOHO!” Eggman laughed.
"Are you kidding me ? Whatever you do, you don't pose a threat! Again you trust my robot clone to do your job!” said Sonic.
"Certainly! My only intention was to lure you here and you fell right in. The reason you came directly to this point and not to other points was because you knew you were going to face me, right?"
“It's my job to ruin your plans, Egghead. You don't need to give my friends a headache. I'll deal with you."
“Ahhh, it feels like it will never end, doesn't it? It's always the same cycle." He pressed one of the buttons on the front. Metal's eyes began to glow with a blue light. It got an incredible boost. In the remaining events, it was impossible to follow the two with the eye.
“Sonic!” Tails didn't know how to help. He couldn't reach both. He dialed a message on the communicator. “COME EMERGENCY! METAL SONIC GOT UPGRADE! SONIC IS CHALLENGING!” Then he looked at the two of them again. They stopped at once. Sonic was out of breath. It was so rare for Sonic to feel tired from running. He started laughing:
“Wow Metal. You've never pushed me this hard before. That's what I call real adrenaline." Metal just stared at Sonic.
"That’s the whole point for you isn’t it?" said Eggman. Sonic looked at Eggman:
“What ?”
“You start having fun when you come face to face with death because you like to live life on the edge.” Sonic frowned.
"This isn’t true." He started to get nervous. His sentence reminded him of the fight he had with Tails this morning.
“Do you think so, hedgehog? You have fun every time you fight me. Like if I stopped fighting you, I'd take all the pleasure out of your life. I've never seen you fight seriously." Sonic clasped his hands:
“Are you sure you want to see me get serious?” Eggman chuckled.
“HOHOHOHO! Sounds like you're not catching me to be someone you can have fun with all the time. Ooh, you also won't be called a hero if I'm not around.” Sonic shook his head violently. Same with what Tails said. No, it wasn't. It wasn't!
"You're wrong!"
“Ahh, it's so satisfying to see it this way. Let's see what other surprises you have? Metal! Destroy him!” Sonic didn't realize in time that Metal was rushing towards him with thoughts swirling in his head, especially Tails' words of the morning.
“Sonic!” He only heard Tails shout. And for a brief moment. While Metal was about to strike a severe blow, he saw Tails suddenly get in front of him. Metal's blow landed on Tails' chest and violently hurled his body. As he was hurlling, he hit his head on a large stone and fell to the ground. Completely self-indulgent. Sonic stared. Eggman and Metal also stopped. “Tails…” A whisper came out of Sonic's mouth. He was staring at Tails' body, horrified. Then he immediately gathered himself and ran to Tails:
“Tails!” He leaned over and put his hand on Tails' head. He was out of breath as he looked at his body. There was a large bruise in the chest area. He shook Tails a little with his hand on the back of his head:
“Tails. Tails wake up bud come on." When he removed his hand from Tails' head, his white glove was dyed red. He looked at his glove in horror. Tails’s head was bleeding. His lips began to tremble. He placed both hands on Tails' shoulders.
“Tails. Tails please. Wake up. Come on buddy, show me your blue eyes." Sonic had never felt so helpless. He didn't know what to do. His brain had stopped. His brother was injured because of him. because of him. Because he didn't fight seriously. He shook Tails a little more. His eyes were starting to water.
“Little bro, please. Please open your eyes." There was no reaction from Tails. Blood was starting to come from his mouth, too. Sonic was crying now too. Even Eggman was stunned by what he saw.
He had never seen Sonic cry before. Sonic started to look around. It's like he's looking for someone to help. Then he looked at Tails' chest again. He leaned on his chest, ignoring the tears in his eyes. He pressed his ear to his heart. To hear a beat. And… he couldn't hear. I couldn't hear any beats. He quickly raised his head again and looked at Tails' face. Then again and again he put his ear to his heart. "No." He started delirious:
“Nononononono.” He grabbed Tails' head again. He took him in his arms: “No no, you can't leave me Tails no. Please no Tails. You can't l-leave me a-alone. I, I-I can't do without you Tails no.” He buried Tails deep into his bosom. He hugged his body as if he was going to fly away. He was breathing fast, as if he was having a panic attack. And he made a groan with a cry he had never heard before in his life. Even Eggman was startled by the scream. But he could also say that he liked it. He hadn't thought before that he could put Sonic in a situation like this. He couldn't help but laugh:
"Wow! What have we done to Big Sonic the Hedgehog? Too bad about your little fox friend, though. It was an unnecessary sacrifice if you ask me.” Lightning struck Sonic's head. He spoke without turning back. He was still holding Tails tightly:
"Unnecessary?" Sonic's voice came out darker than it had ever been. Eggman hesitated. With slow movements, Sonic knocked Tails down. He patted his head before standing up. He slowly turned his head to Eggman. Eggman turned to stone when he saw Sonic's face. If looks could kill. If looks could kill, Eggman would surely be dead now. It was definitely an expression he hadn't seen on Sonic's face before. Completely dull, full of anger and gloom. But Eggman didn't want to spoil it. At first, however, he took the same stance again:
"Don't worry. You'll join him soon. After all, you were my target from the very beginning. Metal, dest…”
“You better not blink.” Metal Sonic shattered into pieces in that millisecond as Eggman opened and closed his eyes before his sentence could be completed. Sonic had moved so fast that Metal's upgrade was instantly trashed. Eggman's mouth fell open. Sonic locked his dull eyes on him. He started walking towards him. Then again, faster than he could see, he shattered his Eggmobile. Eggman slumped to the ground. He couldn't stand up in shock. He tried to back up, crawling on the ground on his back. Seeing Sonic's gaze again, this time he truly felt fear.
“Sonic, Sonic, listen please. You know it wasn't my intention to hurt Tails. You know, even in my every plan is to beat you first. I don’t harm others, especially unintentionally.”
“I'm tired of your excuses.” Sonic lifted his head. Tears were still flowing from his eyes, but his expression was full of anger. “You left me no choice. There is no more cruel option than to take away someone's freedom.” Eggman took a deep breath.
"Yes you’re right. That would be cruel. Look, we can fix this."
“I will fix it, yes. I will do what I should have done a long time ago. What I should have done from the moment I discovered that you really posed a threat to this world. The choice I never thought I would make.” Eggman gulped: "D-d-you mean-"
“You no longer have the right to live. You took my brother from me." He suddenly raised his voice and shouted: “Do you think I’ll leave you alive now?!” Using his speed, he pounced on Eggman and began hitting him repeatedly. Tirelessly, knowing that nothing will ever change, trying to take out all of his pain and resentment and knowing that he will never be able to. He was messing with Eggman's face. He began to hit not only in the face, but also in the chest. Just as Tails turned bruises from the blow to the chest, until Eggman's body was left with a spot that didn't bruise, bleed, or break. His gloves began to fall apart. He was hitting so hard that it even made his own hands bleed. Even his injuries from Metal Sonic were nothing. He opened his own wounds. Finally he gave a kick and threw Eggman a little farther. Eggman couldn't move. With the bruises on his face, he couldn't even say he could see anything. Every bone in his face was broken. But of course Sonic wasn't finished. He wasn't going to let him die so easily. For all the pain he and his friends suffered from the first time they met. But of course, those old pains would be nothing compared to what he is going through now. He stopped at Eggman's head as he tried to crawl along the ground.
“You wanted me to be serious? You will regret that I gave you what you asked for.” And he started again. This time using his speed. But no matter what he did, he couldn't take his anger out. He would never get it. He didn't want to stop either.
But it was Knuckles who suddenly stopped him by wrapping his whole body behind him and holding him tightly. Knuckles exclaimed angrily: "What do you think you're doing?!" Shadow appeared beside him. Sonic started to stomp. He was trying to get rid of both of them.
"LET ME GO!" he yell. Knuckles, even Shadow, flinched at Sonic's shout. Neither had ever seen Sonic so angry and out of control before. Amy, Rouge, Tangle, and Whisper also arrived at the site. Rouge went to Eggman and tried to control his situation. The sight she saw made her shudder.
“Sonic calm down! What's going on, stop it?!” said Shadow.
“I SAID LET ME GO! I WILL KILL THAT ASSHOLE! HE NO LONGER HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE!” The girls were startled. Amy was really scared:
"Sonic, what's going on?" ' Amy asked, keeping her voice as soft as possible. Sonic was still struggling. Knuckles and Shadow were having a really hard time holding him. Tears continued to flow from Sonic's eyes. He shouted with all his might:
“HE TOOK MY BROTHER! HE TOOK MY BROTHER FROM ME!” They all looked at Sonic with a shocked expression.
“What are you saying? Where’s Tails?" said Knuckles. There was fear in his voice. Amy was the first to see Tails' body lying on the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand. Then she immediately ran to Tails. They all looked at Tails. Amy studied Tails. Tears started to flow in her eyes too. Tangle also couldn't help herself and started to cry, hiding her face with her tail. Whisper just stared at Tails. It's like her body was paralyzed. Sonic took advantage of the vacuum to hit Knuckles and Shadow and escaped from their grasp. He was going to lunge for Eggman again, but Knuckles and Shadow got in front of him. Sonic's fangs were visible. Under normal circumstances it would never happen. And he was clenching his teeth too hard, his fists too. His hands were covered in blood. He had his own blood, too, but most of it belonged to Eggman.
"Move." His voice was not loud, but rather firm.
“Sonic. I know the way you are right now. And believe me, this is definitely not the right way.” said Shadow. He continued speaking slowly, raising one hand slightly: “What you are about to do will never bring you peace or change what happened.”
“Peace? There is no such thing as peace anymore. Also called hope. Also called life. There is nothing for me anymore. Just as he has no right to live.” Shadow knew the look he was seeing all too well. He had that look a long time ago. That look will never change, no matter how many times he takes revenge. He wouldn't have guessed he'd see that look on Sonic's face. Sonic's aura was starting to weigh heavily on them. Sonic whispered harshly again:
"Move!” Knuckles spoke this time, softly raising his hands, signaling him to be calm:
“Dude, Sonic, I understand how you're feeling right now. Tails is my brother too. But I can't let you do something like that. This is not you. You can't break your purity for this scumbag." Sonic raised an eyebrow. Purity? Then he suddenly started laughing. Laughingly. The team startled and tensed at Sonic's laughter:
“I'm pure huh? This is as much my fault as it is his fault. If anyone had to die, it was me! I'm not pure. I'm telling you for the last time! MOVE!” They didn’t move. They’re not gonna move. Sonic knew it was his only option. He used his speed in an instant. Both failed to respond in a timely manner. He tossed them both to the side. The situation was getting worse. Tangle wrapped its long tail around Sonic and locked his arms. Whisper also whipped Sonic with her Lightning wisp. They were trying to hold Sonic in place, but it was really impossible to stop Sonic right now. Had Sonic concealed his true strength all this time? Didn't he feel the need to reveal it because he never really fought seriously? Using his speed, he also slashed Tangle and Whisper. He pulled them all away. He turned to look at his friends who were trying to get up from the ground:
“Don't get in my way. I don't want to hurt you." He said. Here is the darkness of a hero. They say don't push a hero's limit. Because everyone who lives has a dark side in them. Even heroes. And when that darkness appears, nothing else could be more devastating. Sonic transformed into a ball, ready to strike the final blow. Rouge was also staring at him in horror. Eggman was alive, barely. But one more blow would certainly have finished him off. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't stop Sonic. With this power, with such anger, nothing can stop him...
“Sonic! Tails is alive!” Sonic came out of the ball with Amy's shout. The team looked at Amy together. Amy sat on the floor, holding Tails in her arms. Sonic couldn't comprehend what he had heard:
“What ?”
“Tails live! He has pulse! We must take him to the hospital immediately!” He walked over to Amy with an incredulous expression on his face as if nothing had happened. He fell to his knees:
H-how? I I-I couldn't get a pulse.” He stuttered. He was in shock. He couldn't take his eyes off Tails.
“His pulse is weak. It's hard to feel without focus. He has. He is alive.” Amy smiled. She was trying to comfort Sonic. Sonic's brain had stopped. He tilted his head towards Tails.
“He may have had a brain hemorrhage. He shouldn't be moved too much." Amy warned. Tails' head was still bleeding. Sonic focused only on Tails, as if ignoring Amy's presence. His breathing was quite rapid. It was impossible for him to calm down. He hugged Tails:
“Y-yeah. Yes, of course he's not dead. My brother won't leave me alone. Still living. He didn’t die." He started delirious. Amy gulped. It broke her heart to see Sonic like this. Sonic turned to Amy's voice again:
“Sonic, Sonic, look at me.” He looked into Amy's eyes. “We need to get him to the hospital immediately. And you're the only one who can get him to the hospital in time. Pull yourself together please. Tails needs you.” It was hard for Sonic to believe that, after all, Tails was the way he was because of him. But yes, he could use his speed to get Tails in time. He picked up Tails and stood up. Amy smiled faintly:
“We're right behind you. Leave it here to us. You can count on us.” She said. Sonic just shook his head blankly. Then he suddenly started running, creating a sonic boom. He kept Tails as steady as he could. Trying not to do any more damage. Because if it didn't happen this time, it would really be all his fault. He can save him. He will save him. What good would Sonic the Hedgehog do if he couldn't even save his brother?
The team was trying to calm themselves down after Sonic took off taking Tails. Amy didn't get up from the ground. Tangle came right back to Whisper again. "I’m fine." Whisper said in a low voice. She stood up without help from Tangle. Knuckes and Shadow also got up with support from each other. It was really hard to comprehend what had just happened. Rouge was still in charge of Eggman. Tangle grabbed Amy by the armpits and lifted her to her feet.
"What are we doing now ?" She said, hier voice trembling. This time, Shadow spoke in his usual cold voice:
“I think we should decide what to do with that garbage bag first.” He pointed to Eggman. Rouge was touching Eggman's face with her hands. She pressed her lips:
“If we're going to take him, we have to take him to the hospital right away. It's like he's drowning in his own blood. There is absolutely no solid bone left in his face. I couldn't count how many traumas he had."
“He got Sonic so out of control huh?” said Tangle. Her voice was still shaking because she was really scared.
“Anybody out. To cause you to lose your closest one. This is crossing the limit.” said Whisper. She knew very well what Sonic was going through. She felt the same when she lost her entire team.
“We stopped Sonic that much. We can't let him die." said Knuckles. Even though he doesn't want him to be saved. The thought of Tails being dead made him sick to his stomach. Fortunately he wasn't dead. Sonic would get him to hospital.
“Let's not waste time then. Shadow, Rouge?” said Amy. Shadow turned to Amy: "Can you handle it?" Shadow took a deep breath.
“Ahhh, fine.” He just said. Rouge also nodded. Amy turned to the others:
“Let's go to Sonic and Tails too.
“I hope they’re fine.” said Tangle, clasping her hands together.
When the team entered the emergency aisle, they found Sonic sitting on the side seat. He was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging down. Blood dripped from his smashed gloves to the floor. He was staring at the ground with a blank expression. It was as if the light in his eyes was gone. Amy rushed in front of him. Tangle, Whisper, and Knuckles followed behind. Amy bent down in front of Sonic. To see his face. Sonic's breathing was still fast. They didn't expect him to calm down anyway, but still seeing him like this.
“Sonic?” Amy called softly. Sonic's ear twitched. He didn't look at Amy:
"They're still interfering." He said in a low voice. Amy smiled slightly. A tear fell from her eye:
"He will be okay." Sonic didn't react. Amy studied Sonic. Metal's wounds were still there. And the scar on his cheek with Metal's sharp claws. The blood had dried on his face. It was also mixed with tears. And of course his hands. His knuckles were not only livid from hitting, but were now flayed. It was unclear whether it was his own blood or Eggman's. She took his wrists in her hands. Sonic lifted his head slightly. Amy smiled:
“Come, you have scars too, they need to be looked after.” Sonic glanced at the emergency door. He shook his head:
“N-no. No no, I can't leave him alone. I can't leave." Never before had there been so much concern in his voice.
"He’s not alone." ' Tangle said without raising her voice. Sonic looked at Tangle, Whisper, and Knuckles.
“There is nothing more you can do. They take good care of him. You also need to heal. Amy.” Knuckles glanced at Amy. Amy nodded.
“Come on Sonic. Come. The team is here.” Said. She grabbed Sonic by the wrist and lifted him to his feet. Sonic kept his eyes on the emergency door as she walked Sonic slowly. When the emergency door was out of sight, Sonic turned and bowed his head. He didn't mind Amy at all. He didn't even know if he had the energy to fight back. He just sat there without saying anything when Amy brought him into the dressing room. Amy was going to go out after explaining the situation to the nurses so they could do their job more easily, but suddenly she stopped with the hand holding her wrist. Sonic wasn't looking at her, but his hand was gripping Amy's wrist. He didn't want her to go. Amy smiled slightly. She stayed by his side while Sonic's wounds were being taken care of. They covered the cut on his cheek with tape. Sonic didn't even make a sound while they were dressing his hand joints one by one. He just left himself. When the dressing was finished, Amy took the gauze from the nurses and slowly began to wrap Sonic's hands. Every now and then, she looked up at Sonic, but there was no expression on Sonic's face. They both just remained silent. There was no one else in the room but the two of them. Sonic's whisper broke the silence:
“I lost him.” Amy was stunned. How ?
“What ?”
“I lost him. Or else, I'll lose." Amy took Sonic's hands.
“Sonic, don't. Tails is still alive, he'll be fine. Please don't worry." Worry. Yes. It all started with this word, right? “So are you worried? Or are you worried at all?” Tails' words began to spin in his mind:
“It happened because I wasn’t worried.” Amy raised an eyebrow:
"What does that mean?"
“You asked what happened this morning. We fought. He emptied me of what he had been holding all this time. He said that I wasn't worried no matter what, that I saw fighting Eggman as an opportunity to have fun, so I never tried to catch him, that when he got a little worried it seemed like he was too worried, that he wasn't as iron-willed as I was, so I should have given him a break in time to time.” Amy was shocked by what she heard. Why would Sonic view war as a source of entertainment? War is not fun. Of course, they were all heroes, and sometimes when they came face to face with death, they felt really alive and excited about it, but just seeing it as a means of entertainment. Tails couldn't have said that. Especially letting Eggman roam free just for more fun. This couldn't be it.
“He doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't think he meant them." said Amy. Sonic nodded.
“No, he did. He meant it all.” Sonic lifted his head. Again the tears began to fall freely from his eyes. Amy broke down when she saw this. Sonic continued to speak:
"I-I, you know Amy, I'm not good at showing my feelings." Amy smiled.
"Yeah, we all know, that's not a bad thing."
“It would be wrong to say it happened because I wasn't worried, it's all my fault for not showing I was worried. Be-ecause if I s-show that I'm worried, that is, if I let myself know…” Let himself know ? Was Sonic convincing himself that he was never worried?
“I-I can't control myself. I let my seriousness take over. E-Everything is getting blurry. There is only one option in front of me. Win no matter what. Without anyone getting hurt. The result…” He swallowed: “Whatever the result.” Amy's eyes watered. Sonic wasn't being serious about battles, he looked like he was having fun because if he got serious, he would have killed Eggman long ago. That's why he talked about something called "What I should have done before" at the north point. Has he been holding himself back this long? This was really scary. That's why Sonic's moral compass was so sharp. “I was afraid to do it all this time. I have such a feeling inside of me.” Amy really couldn't say otherwise. As such, Sonic looked truly terrifying. A face she hasn't completely seen. He was like a completely different person.
“So I was looking to have fun in battles. But no, not what Tails thinks or what Eggman says. I'm not letting Eggman out for a hero's opportunity. T-there is no such thing.” It was as if he was trying to convince Amy. Amy gestured with her hands to be calm:
“I know, I know, calm down.” Sonic shook his head.
“He doesn't trust me anymore.”
“No Sonic, Tails trusts you with everything. Just as you trust him.
“He thinks I only see him as sidekick.” Amy was startled:
“What? Don't be ridiculous, he can’t be.”
“He implied it. Besides, you know, I'm the one who made this happen. It’s my fault." Amy immediately put her hand on Sonic's cheek. Sonic shook his head, startled.
“No, no, it's not your fault. He jumped in front of you to save you. Voluntarily. Knowing that there is such a risk.”
“But if I hadn't been distracted, if I had fought seriously from the start, hadn't enjoyed the way Metal was pushing me…” “Sonic.” Amy silenced him:
“It's no use saying wishful things. Don't do that. Tails saved you, now he's injured but will recover. That’s it." Sonic's lips trembled. He placed his hand on Amy's hand on his cheek. They were both startled when Tangle suddenly came into the room. Tangle was smiling:
“They take him to the room. Come quickly.” Sonic jumped right up front. Amy ran with Tangle.
It's been 2 days since the incident. Tails still hadn't woken up. Although it was said that he would not wake up immediately. He had suffered a serious head injury. He had a skull fracture, but thankfully there was no cerebral hemorrhage. He had 3 fractures in his ribs. His body was full of bruises. But it was nothing serious. Now they were just waiting for him to come. For 2 days, Sonic did not leave his head for a moment. He never left Tails' hand either. Many people came and went to visit the room, but Sonic didn't care about any of them. His full attention was on Tails. Nothing else mattered. It was as if he wasn't holding his feet. He felt so empty without Tails. It's like half of him is missing completely. His ear twitched at the knock on the door. He turned to the door. The person waiting was not coming in. He then heard a whisper:
"May I come in ?" The voice belonged to Whisper. She kindly asked permission:
“Come Whisper.” ' Sonic said without raising his voice. Whisper opened the door slowly. Her jacket was not on her shoulders. She didn't take her wisp with her. She looked at Tails with narrowed eyes:
“Is there any change?”
"No there's not." Whisper opened her blue eyes slightly. She locked eyes with Sonic. His eyes were sunken. His bruises were still very evident. Of course, he was more tired emotionally than he was physically, but he hadn't even blinked in two days. She knew he needed rest. She slowly sat down on the stool next to him. Sonic glanced at Whisper as he realized she was sitting next to him. He remembered hitting Whisper. Just like he hit Tangle, Knuckles, and Shadow. How blind could anger be? Enough to hit your friends. Even to the point of threatening them. He was about to open his mouth when Whisper spoke:
“You are miserable.” Sonic was startled. “You blame yourself. You want revenge. You want to do justice to yourself.”
“What do you say, Whisper?” he asked in surprise.
“Until a while ago, these were also what I wanted to do.” This time she wasn't whispering. She was speaking in her normal voice. “I don't want to go into details. I have lost people dear to me. I wanted to take revenge on the person responsible for this. Tangle stopped me. It reminded me of you. I couldn't trust anyone for a long time. I wanted to be alone. To never lose the people I love again. But despite everything, you were with me. Especially Tangle and you. You may not be good at showing your emotions, but you are very good at reading other people's emotions. The first time you saw me, you knew what kind of person I was. You gave me time to get used to it. And you suddenly made me part of a team with such great friends. I totally understand how you feel right now. But believe me, nothing is your fault. Being a victim of anger. So you don't have to apologize to me. I don't think Tails will blame you either. I know you're fighting. You just need to talk. That's what friends do, right? You are more than just a friend. You can't be broken by a fight. You showed me this. Just because your anger has taken over doesn't mean it's over. Tangle and you kept me in line when it happened to me. You are still pure. And lucky you didn't lose your loved one. He's still with you." Sonic just stared into Whisper's face. He didn't know what to say. First of all, he was surprised and upset that she too had experienced such a tragedy. He had never had a conversation like this with Whisper before. Whisper's time to chat was rather limited. She would usually just feel comfortable around Tangle. She would talk to himself whenever he tried to have a conversation, however small, but it had never been like this. He pressed his lips:
"Thank you." He could only say. Whisper squinted her eyes and smiled. Then her smile narrowed a little. Sonic laughed:
"Relax, I'm not going to squeeze you like Tangle and hug you." They both chuckled. Whisper put her hand on Sonic's shoulder:
“Get some rest. You look so tired. You haven't slept at all." She spoke again in a whisper.
“I don't think I'll be able to sleep until Tails wakes up. Especially without apologizing to him for our fight.” Whisper smiled again:
“He will forgive you no matter what. Relax." She got up and headed for the door. She looked back at Sonic before walking out the door. They smiled at each other, and Whisper left the room. Sonic took a deep breath. He couldn't deny that he was tired. Either way. He started to let go of himself. A little sleep wouldn't be bad. He continued to hold Tails's hand tightly with his left hand. He brought his right arm in front of him and rested his head on his arm. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
Tails blinked. His vision was very blurry. His head was throbbing as if he had been hit with a hammer. The pain in his chest was also making it a little difficult for him to breathe. He could tell that where he had woken up was a hospital bed. How did he get here? Everything before he woke up was very foggy. What happened last? Weren't they fighting Eggman and Metal Sonic? Then that moment appeared in his head. Metal Sonic had lunged at Sonic to deliver the fatal blow. Sonic! Was he okay ?! He could only remember getting ahead of him, there was no rest. His feelings began to increase in his bed. The room was becoming more visible. He needed to see Sonic. He should have seen that he was okay. He began to feel the pressure on his hand. He slowly lowered his eyes to his left. Sonic was right next to him. He had fallen asleep in a sitting position. He was holding his hand tightly. Tails took a deep breath. He was relieved. Sonic was with him. He tried to sit up but was tired. It was getting harder to breathe as he tried to move his body. He continued to lie down. He focused on Sonic. He worried when he saw the bandage on Sonic's cheek and the bandages on his hands. But there seemed to be nothing else. If he wasn't well, he wouldn't be sitting next to him right now. He swung his own hand under Sonic's hand, and he took Sonic's hand too. Sonic seemed to sense Tails' grip. He shifted in place. His eyelids began to open slowly, and he was raising his head. He was staring blankly in a drowsy state. His eyes fell on his hand. He looked up at Tails in shock when he saw that his hand was in Tails's palm, not on Tails's. Tails' eyes were still half-open, but open. He smiled slightly:
"Hello." He said in a whisper. He thought he had said something wrong or something, because Sonic suddenly jumped on him. He was hugging tightly. He completely wrapped his arms around Tails:
“You w-woke up! You're finally awake!” His eyes were still watery and he was sobbing. Tails was shocked. What had happened so Sonic had become like this all of a sudden? Sonic broke the hug and took Tails' head between his hands. He was stroking his head, noting the bandage around Tails' head. He was looking directly into his eyes:
“Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay. Are you hurting?" His voice was shaking a lot. Tails was in shock after shock. Was it Sonic? Worried all the way? What had happened that had worried him so much? How long was he unconscious?
"I'm fine I'm fine. Really." Sonic studied his face and body again and again. He put his head in his hands again.
"You're fine. Of course you're fine." He was delirious to himself again. This time he was having a hard time convincing himself. Tails took Sonic's hands and slowly lowered them from his face. He stopped holding it. His eyes locked on Sonic's bandages:
“Are you okay?” He asked. Sonic looked at his own hands. He laughed lightly:
“Well, yes. It’s not important. Let's just say I pushed myself too hard." Tails looked blankly at Sonic. He couldn't understand. He swallowed:
"What happened ? How long have I been unconscious? Something serious must have happened.” Sonic didn't know how to respond. All he wanted was to talk calmly to Tails. Talking about what had happened would make him nervous again. He took a deep breath:
"You saved my life. Although I never wanted you to do this, but you saved me. And, and you…” He couldn't return the sentence. He thought of Tails's body lying motionless, as if dead. He didn't really feel a pulse at that moment. Maybe the shock of the event prevented him from feeling it, but it was. That Tails is momentarily dead. His chest was tight. A tear fell from his eye. Tails was startled. It was almost impossible for Sonic to cry. At least in front of someone else.
“Sonic ?”
“I thought you were dead.” He started clasping his hands. He was trying not to cry. “You weren't responding at all. I- I was so scared.” Tails' eyebrows went up. Sonic admitted he was scared. He would deny that he was afraid of even the water he feared most in life. But now he has confessed. He was likely to die from Metal's blow when he jumped in front of Sonic. Of course, he hadn't thought of that at the time. His only goal was to keep Sonic from getting hurt. He was starting to put the pieces together one by one. He looked at Sonic's hands again. Only his knuckles were bandaged. He opened his mouth in shock:
“You… Or, when you thought I was dead, were you going to ki…”
“I was.” Tails was startled. Sonic averted his eyes. He was very ashamed. “You were right, Tails. I'm the one who brought the trouble to us."
“What ?”
“Eggman's goal was to get me. The trap was for me. You weren't supposed to be there. You were dying because of me.” Tails confirmed:
"No. I chose to get ahead of you.”
"Again if I wasn't distracted, if I was fighting seriously, you wouldn't have needed to save me." Tails remembered their fight that morning. He cursed himself again. He knew he had broken Sonic’s heart:
“Everything is my fault. You wouldn't have been distracted if I hadn't started that fight. You couldn't focus because of me." Sonic looked at Tails with a confused expression. He shook his head:
"No. No. tails I may be having fun in our battles with Eggman. B-but that doesn't mean I want Eggman to start a war, that I'm letting Eggman roam free outside. N-not like that." Tails gulped. What was he really thinking when he said that sentence? As if Sonic, not Eggman, was to blame for the wars.
“I know, Sonic. I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Sonic laughed lightly.
“Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who should apologize. I should have realized you were so bored. I shouldn't have forced you. But…” He lowered his head again. He let the tears flow:
“I can't do without you, Tails. You are the only thing keeping me alive in this life. You asked why I wasn't worried? Your keeping me afloat keeps me from worrying. Because I can't keep you safe if I'm worried. I get out of control.” He swallowed: “Just like that day.” Tails also had tears in her eyes. Sonic didn't look up.
“I’m sorry Tails. I really didn't realize I was stressing you out so much. Of course, it is your right to rest. And believe me, it's the sign of your iron will. Because you can get over your anxiety just by distracting yourself for a few hours. I, I directly try to ignore the feeling of anxiety. What an iron will, isn't it?” Tails suddenly hugged Sonic. Sonic stood with his arms open. Tails tightened his embrace:
“Don't be unfair to yourself. You are the coolest, bravest, strongest-willed person I know. And I can't do without you either. Without you, I wouldn't be able to become what I am today. You raised me. Unfortunately, it looks like I picked up the bad parts as well.” He chuckled after his last sentence. Sonic smiled faintly.
"What are they?"
“A dangerous level of selflessness. Extremely stubborn. Slightly smug.” They both laughed. Then he pressed his lips together:
"Don't tell me "don't do that again." You know I would do it again though. We always save each other.”
"It doesn't seem like it would help me to say it anyway." He averted his eyes again, and began rubbing his knuckles. Tails gulped:
“For me, because of me, you were going to…” he couldn't finish:
“Well, they say don't cross a hero's limit. If I had truly lost you, the rest wouldn't have mattered."
“But you would be a murderer because of me…”
“I didn't care at the time. You are one of my limits. The person who keeps me in control, the person I care most about in life. When the limit is crossed, there is no control.” Tails was startled. It was something he wasn't used to. He hugged Sonic again without saying a word. Sonic returned the hug. They stayed like that for a while:
“I love you big brother.” Tails said. It was so good for Sonic to hear that. Tails wasn't just his sidekick. He was his brother from the very beginning:
“I love you too, little bro.” They hugged for a while. Sonic was involuntarily squeezing Tails again. Tails' broken ribs made it hard to breathe:
“So-sonic. You're choking me." He said. Sonic immediately backed away, a worried expression on his face again. Tails took a deep breath and smiled:
"No problem. I’m good. It was a little heavy.”
"Sorry." They both turned to the door as it opened. Amy poked her head out. Seeing Tails, she pulled her head behind the door and shouted:
“He’s awake.” She rushed in and hugged Tails. Tails laughed and returned Amy's hug. Knuckles, Rouge, Shadow, Tangle, Whisper, Cream and Vanilla entered one by one. In Cream's hand was the crown of flowers she had made. She smiled sincerely:
“Get better soon, Mr. Tails. I’m so glad you are well.” She came to him. She stretched out her arms to put on the crown. Tails leaned forward with a smile and allowed her to wear the crown.
“Ohhhh you finally woke up! You really scared us. I think it's a little bit gone from my life." said Tangle. Whisper smiled faintly:
"You look good." She said. Tails nodded. Knuckles placed his hands on his hips:
“I swear Sonic and you will one day take me by heart. As if we weren't getting enough excitement." Tails put his hand on the back of his head. He smiled smugly.
“I'm sorry I scared you. But I won't apologize for saving my big brother."
"Whose brother is that?" said Knuckles. Tails chuckled. Sonic couldn't look at the team. He averted his eyes.
“Sonic? What's wrong ?" ' asked Amy. He didn't raise his head. Whisper spoke:
“I think he still regrets hurting his friends.” The team looked at each other.
“Yes, no matter how much I want to be held accountable for what happened, I can't get angry. We wouldn't have reacted differently if we were you." said Knuckles.
“For the first time, I had to restrain myself because I didn't want to hurt you. Otherwise, there would be no such result.” said Shadow. Sonic got nervous and chuckled:
"You've softened my heart, thank you." He said.
“Nahhh, it's okay. It was a very tense environment and anything could happen. And we’re all okay." said Tangle cheerfully. Whisper just smiled. She had already spilled. Sonic finally looked at them all:
“Still, that doesn't justify what I did. I apologize to you all." They all smiled at once. Sonic knew they forgave him, even if they didn't say it out loud. He turned to Shadow. His eyes were sharp:
“I didn't ask for two days. What did you do ?" His voice was very serious. Shadow knew what he meant. Rouge smiled:
“You have nothing to worry about, darling.”
“Alive, fine.” ' Shadow simply said. Talking about it disgusted him. Everyone should really know that Sonic's bad side shouldn't be hit. That's what he learned. Rouge laughed:
"Ooh, and I don't think he's going to cause much trouble anymore." Sonic raised an eyebrow:
“W-why ?”
“Because he accepted the first option. He's in jail now." The entire team opened their mouths in surprise.
"Is this possible ?" ' asked Tangle.
“Well, he said he'd have to be crazy to mess with Sonic again. That's why the further away the better. He's terrified of you now, Blue. It would be wrong to say "he said" though. It's going to take a while before he can talk to that chin again. He spoke in writing.” Sonic gulped. He knew very well that he was exaggerating.
“One more scumbag has been wiped out from the world. A bit." ' said Shadow, grinning. Sonic lowered his head.
“I’m grateful.”
“Oh, stop it now. I'm not used to this at all. Behave yourself." he said in a stern tone. Sonic chuckled.
“Let's go out now. You both still need rest." said Amy, smiling. Sonic and Tails nodded. Amy hugged them both before she left the room. Tails and Sonic were left unresponsive. They didn't expect.
“Nothing can bring you down. I love you both." Both of them had big smiles on their faces. She broke off the hug and smiled at the two boys and left the room.
“We are very lucky.” Said Tails.
“Hmm ?”
“We have friends who will always stand behind each other.” Sonic laughed.
“I too have a little brother who will support me no matter what.” Tails chuckled.
“I also have an older brother that I can admire no matter what he does.”
"Anyway, come on mister, you still need to rest, those fractures won't go away without rest." Tails frowned:
“What should we say to you? How many days do you not sleep? Do you have to faint to sleep?”
“You!…” he jumped on Tails. He was in bed. He was rubbing his fist on the unbandaged part of Tails' head:
“I’m the big brother! You will listen to my word!” Tails started laughing:
“Yeah sure. Did you have any other wishes?" Sonic stopped his fist:
“Actually yes, there is.” His voice was soft. Tails was surprised:
“What is it ?”
“Can I sleep here next to you? I don't think I'll fall asleep anywhere else. I guess I still need to feel you by my side." Tails looked into Sonic's face. Of course, he wasn't surprised that he wanted to sleep next to him, but he hadn't wanted it that way before:
“Of course you can sleep. I was actually going to want the same thing.” He smiled saying. Sonic laughed too. He settled down next to Tails. He rested his head on the pillow. One arm was under Tails' neck. He had it over his shoulder. Tails also gave Sonic a side hug. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Sonic took a moment. He still seemed a little on edge. The room was completely silent. He could hear Tails’s breathing. He also took a deep breath. Feeling his brother's breath comforted him so much that he relaxed. He was falling asleep. Thinking that he was out of breath, even for a minute, was really the same as taking his own hand, foot, breath. As he said, Tails was his limit. Once that limit was crossed, nothing would be left.