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Thank Gaia no one saw her.
Surge skulked back towards her quarters, trying to keep her head down. She hated how bright the lights were in this place. The tenrec shoved the door open, stumbling through as she adjusted to the dimmer lighting in her room and eventually into the small connected bathroom, leaning on the sink. “Ugh.” She groaned, heart pounding from the adrenaline of trying to avoid the numerous goody-two-shoes of the Restoration.
“You know they’re going to get suspicious right?” That obnoxious, droning voice rang in her ears. Surge looked up, seeing Starline's ghastly visage looming in the doorway behind her, a sickening grin on his face.
"Just shut it." She growled.
“I'm just being realistic. You know they all already hate you, just looking for an excuse to throw you in jail and now you're skulking about like the little pest you are.” He drawled with that signature air of smugness emanating from his voice like some noxious gas.
“I just- don't wanna talk to 'em ok? They never shut up- they never stop prying- UGH, why am I even talking to you!?”
A dark chuckle left his bill. “Maybe because that's how I programmed you.” Snicker. “Or you're just going mad. Who knows?” The spectral platypus sung without a care in the world as rage boiled over in the girl's head.
“Just- JUST GO AWAY!” She yelled, slamming her fist into the mirror, her metal rings adding just that extra bit of pressure, causing shards of glass to rain over the tenrec and her shared bathroom floor.
“S-Sorry…”
Surge froze, her spins standing on end. She slowly turned around, seeing that pink hedgehog standing in the doorway.
Why did Surge feel guilty all of a sudden? “Ugh, what are you doing here?” She snarled.
“I just wanted to check on you, jeez.” Amy rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Stomping over to her bed, Surge dropped herself down on the edge, elbows resting on her knees, face in her hands. “Why do you care?”
“Because I do? I care about people! Is that a crime?”
“Look, I’m not dumb, you don’t gotta lie to my face. Just tell me what you want.”
The frustration on Amy’s face was already apparent and only continued to grow. “I just wanted to ask if you’re ok! You’ve barely left your room for weeks! I’ve seen Kit more than you!”
“Is that it?”
“Yes!” Amy cried out exasperatedly.
“I don’t buy it.” The tenrec shrugged, turning away and just sort of staring at the wall.
“What? What do you mean you don’t ‘buy it’?” Some mix of anger and sadness permeated Amy’s voice.
“I think you’re lying. You want something, just spit it out.” Surge grumbled dejectedly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” There was a hint of hesitation in the hedgehog’s voice.
“Don’t play dumb. You want something from me, so skip the feelings-y act.”
Amy furrowed her brow. “I don’t want anything from you. I just wanna make sure folks are alright around here-”
“Pfft. Yeah like I count. Everyone wants something from me. Or just to rile me up.”
“Like you count? What are you talking about?” Amy’s tone was hard to gauge, was she angry? Sad?
“I- I dunno! I don’t! I’m just some freak coded into someone’s brain.”
Amy walked over to Surge, setting herself down on the bed, making sure there was a space between them. She didn’t say anything at first. They just sat there in suffocating silence. “You know that isn’t true right?” Amy finally spoke up. “I-I know what happened to you but… it really doesn’t matter to us where you came from.” Surge looked back at Amy, almost confused. “Like, most of Sonic’s friends have tried to kill him for one reason or another, you’ve met Belle! She’s a Badnik! What matters is who you are now.” Amy continued. Surge just turned to stare at the floor.
“I don’t know who I am…” The tenrec admitted. “I’m a killer, right? That’s what I was made to do but…”
“You don’t know if you wanna be?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t have to be.” Amy offered a soft smile.
“But what if I do! It’s literally programmed into my brain! W-What if all I can do is hate and hurt people!” Surge’s voice wasn’t angry, moreso desperate, scared even.
“Then we’ll help.”
“Why? It’d be easier to just get rid of me.” Surge shrugged.
Amy pinched the bridge between her eyes. “Because you deserve a chance! Stop writing yourself off, ok?” Amy huffed.
“Thanks,” Surge murmured. “I… think I needed that.”
The pink hedgehog let out a sigh. “You’re welcome.”
The two sat in silence for another few minutes. “Everyone here hates me.” Surge spoke up.
“Huh?” Amy looked over at her.
“I can feel it… everyone stares at me… they all want me gone.”
“Is that why you’ve barely left your room?”
“I guess so.”
Amy reached out a hand to try and comfort the tenrec but it was quickly batted away. She should have seen that coming. “Well… I don’t- and I’m always here to talk, if you ever need to talk to someone.”
“I might take you up on that… You’re alright.” She smiled, just a little.
Amy stood up, stretching a little and heading towards the door. “So are you. Don’t forget it.” Amy gave Surge a small wink before leaving, shutting the door behind her.
Surge felt… warm?