Work Text:
We were too close to the stars
I never knew somebody like you, somebody
Falling just as hard
I'd rather lose somebody than use somebody
Maybe it's a blessing in disguise
I see my reflection in your eyes
Reflections - The Neighbourhood
Doctor Starline proudly supervised the Eggperial City from one of its many towers. He had won and successfully conquered the Eggman Empire as his own, now more than ever his world domination would be inevitable. Once Surge and Kit finish their heroic inspirations the cycle that has plagued mobius for years on end will finally be under his control and his only. The platypus gently fidgeted with one of the cuffs of Eggman’s iconic jacket which he now wore as his own personal trophy. Now it was obviously oversized for him, but he could have it tailored later. Oh, how far Starline had come. Nothing could stop nor distract him now, he truly was on cloud nine.
“ So this is what it was all for? ”
A familiar scratched voice echoed into the room.
Starline swiftly turned to see Mimic entering the room, taking in the tower’s futuristic interior. Out of all of his former allies that could’ve returned, it was the one who not only threatened to take his life, but turned his entire team against him out of a lack of trust. Starline would have never expected Mimic of all individuals to come crawling back, likely to finish what he started, to kill him.
“ I thought you were smarter than this, Mimic. I really did, but it seems you want more than ever to finish what you've started. ”
Starline harshly spoke, activating the Tricore without hesitation. He wasn’t going to flee this time, not after everything he has worked for. The doctor wasn’t going down now.
Mimic’s headtufts quickly twitched to the response just in time for him to realize Starline charging towards him for the first hit. Yet reflexes were on the octopus’s side as his tentacles quickly stopped Starline’s attack, tangling and tightening around his arms until he couldn’t push forward, or step back.
“ This isn’t what it looks like, Doc! ”
“ Oh sure, this doesn’t at all look like an assassination attempt! ”
Starline mocked.
“ Do you really think I would’ve announced my presence if I was here to kill you? ”
Mimic asked, tussling against Starline’s attempts to escape his suctioned grip.
Starline had to admit, Mimic's lack of stealth upon entry was quite out of character for him, but Mimic was also a manipulator. A more tame approach could have easily been made in hopes he would let his guard down. That would’ve given Mimic the perfect opportunity to strike.
“ Do you really think I’m going to fall for that? ”
Starline snapped as the Tricore’s strength allowed him to pull himself out from Mimic’s grasp. Finally free, Starline attempted to kick Mimic, determined to inject him with the neurotoxins in his heel spurs. Yet Mimic grabbed Starline’s leg before he could experience the impact, quickly tossing Starline off of his feet before grabbing him from the ground and shoving him against the wall. A tentacle quickly wrapped around one of Starline’s heels and lifted it off the ground preventing him from trying to kick again. Starline deactivated the Tricore, hoping to give Mimic the illusion that he had won.
“ And here I thought you had moved on from the events of Eggnet Hub, considering how quickly you had moved on after you killed your old team, but I shouldn’t be surprised that you spent months tracking me down just so you could find me. ”
“ Do you not hear how fucking paranoid you sound right now?! ”
“ What? Isn’t that exactly what you did? ”
“ No… Well actually yes, but not to fucking exterminate you! For fuck’s sake if I was going to actively seek someone to kill at this point it probably be Eggman just to get him off my back for good. ”
Mimic paused, taking a split second to look Starline up and down.
“ But it seems you’ve already done that for me. ”
“ I suppose that means you owe me. ”
Starline sharply joked before reactivating the Tricore in order to punch Mimic in the face.
“ OW! For fuck’s sake- You bastard! ”
With the assassin off of him, Starline quickly made distance between them.
“ I just want to talk! ”
Mimic yelled, truly beginning to lose his patience with the platypus. Not only had he wasted literal months just trying to track Starline down, but he practically risked his life getting in here only for the scientist to not let him get a word in.
“ And I have gratefully enjoyed this little chat of ours! Though I have more important things to do than deal with your pesky shenanigans. ”
Starline sassed with a smile before snapping his wedded fingers, commanding a troop of Eggpawns to storm into the room and surround the shapeshifting intruder.
“ You know I can’t help but feel sorry that you didn’t place more trust in me back then. I had considered keeping you around, folding you into my masterplan, but it seems now I have no other choice than to cut you out of it… permanently. ”
Starline said as he watched his Eggpawns shuffle and strangle in order to grab Mimic, let alone keep him held.
“ Well maybe if you hadn’t rambled on a damn recording about how you were going to kill us, maybe you would’ve gotten your way. ”
“ And maybe if you had placed more faith in me back then, you wouldn’t have gone searching through my computer. ”
Mimic attempted to squirm loose from the robotic grip, only to freeze once he felt the edge of a gun against his mantle. Fear finally flooded him. He was going to die over this, wasn’t he? No… Not yet.
Starline strolled back over to Mimic, gently cupping his head up in his webbed hand with a smug grin.
“ It truly is a shame, Mimic. What a great thing you could’ve become if you had just stuck around. ”
“ Well, I’m sorry I fell in love with you, okay? But it happened and I can’t do shit about it! ”
Mimic had snapped without further thought, desperate to keep his life.
Starline’s face shocked blank, like a computer facing an error. At first, he couldn’t believe it. How could Mimic of all people fall for him? He couldn’t possibly be his type, right? Sure, he hadn’t been afraid to mess with the short-tempered assassin back when they worked together. It was entertaining to watch Mimic become flustered and annoyed over his occasional flirts when no one else was around to witness, but he had never expected those teases to maintain a lasting effect.
Mimic’s face fell into a similar shocked expression yet more cowardly, he couldn’t believe he had fucking said that. A wave of misery drowned Mimic’s mind as he slipped his head out of Starline’s hand, attempting to bury himself in his cloak. Just waiting for the Eggpawn’s firearm to shoot. Then this month's worth of suffering would end. It was all going to be for nothing anyways.
“ You… What? ”
Starline finally asked, his voice now soft and hushed.
Mimic didn't respond, only muttering curses under his raspy breath. He was more vulnerable now than he'd ever been. It was weak, it was sickening. This overwhelming fear and sorrow, like a child lost in a storm. He hated it, this feeling, this whole situation. He should've never come back. The one time he let his emotions take hold of him and now it was going to cost his reputation and his life. He had ruined everything he had going for him.
Starline waved his hand a couple times, queuing the Eggpawns to drop Mimic and leave the room. When Mimic didn't get up from the ground, Starline kneeled down in front of him.
Deep down, there was a small part of Starline that feared this was a trap, but this vulnerability is something he had never seen Mimic display before. Trap or truth, it was intriguing. Yet the longer Mimic remained silent, the more time it gave Starline to reflect. He could never remember why he had exactly flirted with Mimic back then. It was probably just to get under his skin, some selfish entertainment… or being fired by Eggman… Either way, Mimic had never returned those words and gestures, only snapping and cursing at him. Sure, it did fluster him back then but the doctor always thought that blush was out of embarrassment than interest. It could have even been a mixture of both for all he knew.
A light chuckle left his bill, Starline couldn’t believe he might have actually swoon Mimic into falling for him considering how persistent the octopus was in hating him. Though it wasn’t all his doing, not likely. The more he remembered, the more he could recall how much he had found himself missing Mimic after the events at the Eggnet Hub. How foolish was that? Missing a man who ought to slit your throat. Yet he had, and deep down he still did. Starline had just managed to bury himself so deep in his work that he forgot about his emotions, his feelings. They were nothing but a distraction back then anyways, but now, he was starting to reconsider.
“ Why didn’t you return sooner? ”
Mimic’s head perked up from his cloak. It felt as if the whole room was changing, one minute he was being held at gunpoint for intruding, next he was being asked why he didn’t intrude sooner. He should’ve been dead by now. What was going on?
“ I tried, but you decided to start running around like a headless clucky after the group split. It was near impossible to find you, and that's saying something coming from me. ”
He answered, still on the sharpest edge of fear.
Meanwhile, the doctor knew he wasn’t exactly wrong, Starline had been moving from base to base in order to keep anyone from tracking him down, though it was clear to tell that hadn’t exactly worked.
“ Well it all doesn’t matter much now, does it? You’re here now. ”
Starline said, continuing to soften his voice as he stood up and lended Mimic his hand to help him up.
“ I guess. ”
Mimic replied, hesitantly taking Starline’s webbed hand. He still couldn’t believe he wasn’t dead right now, let alone that this was mutual. As Mimic stood in front of him, Starline finally began to take in how much he had missed him. It felt warm to finally have him near again after so much time. The whole world finally felt alive again.
“ What now? ”
Mimic asked, finally making direct eye contact.
“ Well… I don’t exactly know… ”
Starline quickly turned to one of the monitors against the tower’s window, on it displayed a screen showing the location of Surge & Kit. They were near the edge of the city, still chasing down their light-hearted counterparts. At first Starline couldn't help but be somewhat annoyed that they had not completed their mission yet, but on the other hand…
“ But we have all the time in the world to figure that out. ”