Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Wow, the stuff here’s pretty damn boring.”

Not a single passerby paid attention to Surge’s disdain, Kit noted as he ambled past marketeers alongside her. A stark contrast to months prior, where their stint in Central City would’ve left ne'er do wells panicking at the mere sight of them. Now, their allegiances were—outwardly—with that of the do-gooders. Aside from the occasional enamored kid, most didn’t bat an eye at them, though he never did like it whenever they bothered Surge for too long.

Said tenrec was currently feigning interest in a row of skewers, only to bound off as the dog manning the stall perked up, rightfully leaving him with her dust and a dejected expression. Kit ran after her, keeping her too-large hoodie in sight. No need for his hydrokinesis; the situation didn’t warrant it. His abilities were only meant to further Surge’s goal—to help people. Right now, she was chasing neither danger nor limelight, oblivious to the tripped lady behind her who dropped all her boxes of oranges; he ran as fast as his little legs allowed. If Surge did not want it so, formalities were pointless. Preserving his Hydro Pack capacity would be prudent. 

(He wouldn’t let that two-tailed traitor outsmart him again.)

He huffed slightly as he caught up. Or rather, she slowed down—the sun had just risen above the horizon, draping its fingers onto everyone’s faces, beckoning them toward the day it had just begun writing. Kit blinked it away. “Um, we could go back if you want to—”

“Nah.” Surge waved his concerns away, an easygoing grin on her face as they strolled through the marketplace. “It ain’t that boring. I guess it’s kinda nice, seeing what these people get up to. Even if it just confirms that they’re boring people with boring lives.”

“If you say so, ma’am…”

Surge frowned, making Kit wonder if he’d said something wrong. Still, she didn’t retort with any snappy remarks, only continuing her pace with her arms crossed behind her head, so maybe he was doing things right after all. Even the bomb threats and the engineered traffic jams that came with it. He would be apprehensive about going behind Surge’s back like that, but Surge got her kick out of saving the townspeople, and they sang their praises to them both. Kit couldn’t care less about praise if it didn’t come from Surge, but she seemed to genuinely love it. Therefore, this arrangement is beneficial to them both.

What if Surge found out, though? She’d tell him to stop, then what? Without any threats, she wouldn’t be happy, and he’d lose what makes him…him. He couldn’t bear that thought.

There weren’t many mathematical models without answers. From basic arithmetic to displacement profiles involving boundary conditions, most could be solved given enough time and information. Which was why his predicament troubled him: lie to Surge to make her happy, but risk making her mad if she caught on; if he didn’t though, she’d be unhappy, and that would mean he’d failed. He would be obsolete. There was no choice—Kit had to continue this charade. He’d just have to be extra careful.

A solution, as imperfect as it may be, is still a solution.

This is by design. You were designated as Surge’s support. It is your function. 

Your only function.

All this—it was because of them. The masses he found himself submerged in. Glancing around, he let his scowl flow freely as he took in the sights of mundanity: acquaintances chatting, buyers bargaining, some kid manning their parents’ stand picking their noses. The general populace just went about their daily lives. So mind-numbingly carefree, oblivious to the horrors that could be happening just a few alleyways away. He couldn’t comprehend why Surge wanted to help these people. Did she just want to hog Sonic’s spotlight to stick it to him, or…?

Kit shook his head; it wasn’t his place to question her. Outwardly, anyway. Whenever he did that, Surge would just get mad. A part of him felt happy every time she chastised him, though—it was the expected reaction from her. 

Idly, he ran a gloved hand across a mat on display, taking in its multicoloured geometrical shapes. He’d help Surge achieve her goal, she’d be happy, and that made him happy; he’d fail in that regard, she’d dish her anger out on him, and still a part of him would be happy. Kit didn’t like failing Surge at all—he wouldn’t, he couldn’t —but he was somewhat relieved by how everything conformed to a set outcome. In a way, his relationship with Surge was akin to tessellation—repeating patterns that brought comfort to him. These regular pentagons…though you could alter their diagonals, at its core, they were still formed from the same nested radical. No unexpected deviations. No unwanted byproducts.

Just the way it should be.

“Oh, sonny! Fancy a rug or two?”

He jumped a little; he hadn’t even realised the old vixen had made her way to the front. Her face crinkled in a grin, most likely glad at the prospect of someone stopping by.

“Um, no, sorry.” Kit rubbed his arm. “I just thought these looked nice.”

“Hah, I weaved them myself!” The old lady’s smile somehow got even wider, pride seeping through her hoarse voice. “They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Well, if you and your sis ever need something more traditional to fill up your space, don’t hesitate to stop by.”

Kit nodded his way out of the unplanned social interaction before scurrying away right back to Surge’s side where he should be, latching onto her arm with both hands. Surprised, she paused for a bit before ruffling his hair with her free arm, smiling that smile that always accompanies her ruffles. However, the warmth that typically bubbled beneath his heart didn’t surface this time. Everything felt off-kilter. A world tilted on its axis.

At that moment, Kit wasn’t sure whether his neurosis was out of fear of losing her…or losing himself. 

You’re being silly. You’re still useful to Surge, aren’t you? Reason for being: there. Grimacing, he focused on his surroundings: two rows of stalls running down the roadsides, each displaying a talisman—some small enough to thieve into pockets, others so large, its owners’ mental faculties should be called into question. Some are even selling said charms. Was faith truly such a lucrative business here?

Amidst all of the bric-a-brac, there was one that caught his eye—a pendant. It wasn’t the heart-shaped ones that couples fawned over, no. Instead, it resembled a cage; inside it, a Flicky with its wings folded, perched on a few branches.

“Ya like that trinket, Drippy?”

“Um, yes,” Kit blurted out, having been snapped out of his stupor. Perhaps ridiculously, he had felt a sense of connection to it. “B-but it’s all right! I don’t—”

Without warning, Surge twisted the crown at the indentation below, and a gentle music box melody began playing. Periodic soft clicks accompanied the bell-like sounds, making Kit take notice of the dial beneath the Flicky miniature. 

“Ooh, this is kinda cute, actually. Hey, Long Ears! How much for this?”

“A-ah, well.” The rabbit, who had been chatting with another vendor, fidgeted with his hands. For a salesman, he wasn’t being very eloquent, though Kit knew the reason for that. “For you two, it's free, of course!”

Surge scowled, though it was short-lived as a smile forced its way across her face. “Are you scared of me? Are ya?” At his trembling form, she continued, “Well, you shouldn’t be! I just wanna pay for that little birdie right there. We’re heroes, remember?”

“B-but, I’m offering it to you for free!”

“Well, I don’t want you to do that!” Surge yelled, slamming a fist on the table to accentuate her words. Her feigned pleasantries were all but abandoned. “I wanna pay for it! Or do you want a rearranged small intestine to go with your payment? Huh? HUH?”

“Okay, okay!” The rabbit was practically embracing the floor at this point; so was his voice, which was nothing more than a low whisper. “I-it’s three coins.”

Rolling her eyes, Surge tossed the coins toward the stand. One of them bounced off onto the ground, but Surge made no move to pick it up. “There ya go. Wasn’t so hard now, was it?” 

“...i-if you don’t mind me saying, I’m…surprised you got it to work. The mechanism was broken, last I checked.”

“Huh?” Surge twisted the knob; sure enough, the clock hands didn’t rotate, nor did the melody play. Her voice gradually rose again as she asked, “Ya selling broken crap to us?”

“No! I-it’s because…” Still on the ground, he frantically pointed up toward a sign. Hopp’s Broken Antiques , it read. “That’s why it’s so cheap. I-I’m sure you can get a clockmaker to fix it.”

“Oh. Should’a said that earlier, bucko.” At the rabbit’s continued interest towards a piece of lint on the floor, she snatched the pendant and darted elsewhere, all the while waving him off: “Thanks for this! It was okay doing business with’cha!” 

“Aah! Ma’am, please wait up!”

Back to this cramped space again. The Restoration’s room-for-grabs doesn’t seem so bad, suddenly…

Ever since they returned to their hole-in-the-wall hideout, Kit had been fiddling with that little trinket. Sure enough, the damned thing wouldn’t work, exactly like that Hopp guy said. Earlier, she must’ve had some sort of…what’s the term again? Jazz hands? Miracle worker fingers? Whatever. She’d add another phrase to the language later.

“It’s kinda kitschy to me. Get it? ‘cause your name’s—never mind.” He had just been staring at her with a blank expression, as if he was the biggest moron to roll over from Dumbsville. And Drippy’s not dumb. If anything, she was the dumb one, and—

“Yes,” he said, offering her a small smile. “It was funny.”

“You don’t have to pretend, Drippy.”

“I wasn’t…?”

A long, drawn out groan escaped Surge as she clambered to the top of the bunk bed. Deciding that she needed to vent her frustrations onto something, she pretended the ball next to her pillow was Sonic. What followed was her throwing it against the ceiling repeatedly, the sound of each smack eventually earning a chuckle from her. What could she say? Butter fingers? Yeah, that could work. And that blue idiot's smirk was practically an open invitation to punch his face in! All reasonable motives for assault, she thought, a crooked smile on her face as half-hearted smacks gradually turned into full-blown bashes.

“Were you really going to…”

“Huh? Speak up, Drippy!” she says, bringing her impromptu “beat an imaginary hedgehog to an imaginary pulp” game to a halt. “Can’t hear ya.”

“Were you really going to tear that guy open? N-not that I mind, of course!” 

Surge didn’t doubt that—she knew he’d assist her with whatever she set her sights on. Without hesitation. 

…was that a good thing, though?

What are you saying? Of course it’s a good thing! Are you charge-deficient or something? The kid has your back! He’s…the only person who has it.

She covered her mouth; with it, the dumb frown that was probably on her face, even though Kit was right below him and couldn’t see it anyway. “Eh, probably not.” Taking a deep breath, she reoriented herself. “Don’t know what goes on in here” —poking her sides a few times, she frowned, slightly miffed that Starline didn’t hook her up with some sort of instant-transparency feature— “but it’d probably be messier than our room.”

By the time Surge had replied, though, it seemed Kit’s attention was back on that trinket—there was no reply. Trying not to let irritation creep into her voice, she asked, “You can fix it, can’t ya?”

“...maybe later.”

“Hey.” She leapt down, meeting his eyes as she crouched. “What’s got ya in the dumps, Drips?”

He bored a hole into the bedsheets with his gaze, as if pondering whether to tell her the truth. A few tense seconds passed by before the kid spoke: “Maybe it’d be better if we just accepted his offer? Take the pendant for free?”

Seriously? That’s what it’s all about? Money?! “I wasn’t gonna let that moron treat us like some good-for-nothing villain!”

“But, we barely have any money…”

“We pay for stuff if we can! What are we, nomads?!”

“...we are?”

Damn it. She practically ran right into that one! “Ugh, just…forget about it! If it gets to that point, we’ll just…pull something with the public. Even if some of them only seem to care about Sonic.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Both of them stared at each other, before Kit used one of his water tails to turn the doorknob. Standing outside was none other than Whisper, clad in her usual attire and frown. The wolf raised an eyebrow, as if intrigued and amused by their trepidation. A bold move, considering Surge kicked her ass once and could do it again.

“Whaaattt! You!?”

Whisper made a little groaning noise, gaze flitting away as if to say, “Trust me, I’d rather be somewhere else now.”

“Couldn’t they have sent someone else? What about that lemur? Or that sheep?”

“Tangle’s busy today. Rather not disturb her. Lanolin is…unavailable.” Guessing Poofball’s got an entire PR disaster to deal with and then some, huh? Sucks to be her!

“Heh, you really got this much time to bother me? Last I checked, your little club’s supposed to get vengeance against Tentacles. Y’know, for totally pulling the wool over your eyes.”

“Vengeance…” The word lulled off Whisper’s dulcet undertones like an explosive snuggled into a stroller—primed to explode at the wolf’s notice. “Vengeance can wait. Your help is needed.”

“Help? How’d you know me an’ Kit were hiding out here, anyway?” With how Whisper’s eyes are shut all the dang time, she wouldn’t exactly be the best choice to locate them.

“The market. Weren’t exactly quiet, you two.”

“Hmm. I oughta punch that rabbit’s face in.”

“Don’t bother. Plenty of eyewitnesses.”

“Oh. Then I oughta punch all their faces in!”

Sighing, Whisper bristled past Surge, handing Kit a book that was mouldering around the edges. Dynamics, 2nd Edition, by some guy whose name Surge couldn’t read. A note was taped below the blocky title; on it, a bunch of numbers and letters in neat marker handwriting. 

“Coordinates,” Kit said, seemingly out of instinct.

“Require your talents.” She eyed Surge. “Both of you. Tuesday morning. Eight a.m., sharp.”

So…two days later, then. There was one thing she didn’t get, though: “What’s the science book for? You could’a just…I dunno, gave us the note?” She shot her a shit-eating grin. “I didn’t take you to be the vandalising kind, Fangs.”

The wolf’s eyes opened slightly. “...perhaps you can spend time on that, instead of bothering the locals.” Surprisingly, the bite that should’ve accompanied those words hadn’t been there.

“So, let’s get this straight: you, the gal whom I mopped the floor with, wanna work with me an’ Kit.” Surge eyed her suspiciously. “Are we sure this isn’t some kinda trap?”

“Possibly.” Whisper’s expression was annoyingly neutral. “Not by me, in that case.”

“Oh, so you don’t wanna end me like last time?”

“More pressing things to worry about.”

“What’s so pressing that you need to sniff for us? And did’ja seriously expect us to jump when you tell us to?” Surge smirked. “Sorry, we may have turned over a new leaf, but we don’t offer our services to wolves that might go feral at a moment’s notice.”

Whisper looked away, as if cowering behind her bangs and mask, but not before Surge got a good look at her gritted teeth and snapped-open eyes. The wolf might be good at bottling things within her, but damn was she bad at hiding the fact that she was hiding things. Surge would’ve been content getting one up on Whisper, but what she next said piqued her interest: “...Eggman.”

“Wha—”

“The coordinates. They point to his former Eggperial City. Sudden energy surge. No activity outside. Underground, most likely.”

Right, that place. Where she first lost against that insufferable blue jerk. Why the hell would she go back there?! Surge was snapped out of her impending rant when Kit pulled her aside. “H-hey! What are ya—”

“Wi-with all due respect, ma’am,” he said, voice low, “perhaps we should follow her. Starline’s tenure was short-lived, but we may find something he left there.”

Surge knew exactly what Kit was referring to—their pasts. Hmm…they never did get any closure after the whole thing with Clutch went kaput. Closure. What a sappy word. She stomped on the thought before replying, “Chances are, it’s gonna be a bust. She said former city. There’s probably not gonna be any tech left for you to go through, and cool gizmos for me.” Sure, the last one she shoved through her quills made her hallucinate a bunch of crap she’d rather not think about, but any opportunity she could get her hands on to better kick Sonic’s butt was a plus.

“...true. But if they require our help, then they must suspect something. And Sonic and Tails must be unavailable, or else…”

A chance to show Sonic up? Say it ain’t so! “Well, anything Sonic and Tails can do, we can do better!” She shot Whisper a smirk. Mostly because screw Sonic, but also because Whisper had been standing in front of the door, observing them like some dumb statue. Kinda creepy, to be honest.

“No…conventional payment for Restoration work. But there are benefits, as you already know.”

Yeah, yeah. Free food; decent lodgings—bunch of hoopla. As if they needed more reasons to accept. Surge groaned. Wolfie picked up on the fact that their living conditions weren’t the best and dangled it in front of their faces. If she hadn’t liked Whisper, a right hook would’ve been suitable then. “Okay, fine. You got you and your little club a deal.”

Whisper merely nodded before she turned around, ready to leave. She definitely came knocking while already knowing their answer. The audacity! Whatever, time to test out one of the perks of associating with the lame-os: getting to annoy the crap out of Whisper. Before she could leave, Surge asked, “You’re not just gonna dangle this juicy work in front of us and then leave us hanging on the actual day, are ya?”

“Will be present,” was her stiff reply.

“Aww, so you’re not worried I’m gonna snatch your Wisp friends again?”

Whisper’s fur didn’t bristle. Her eyes didn’t even shoot open. Instead, she merely paused in her step, her anger sauntering out in eight measured words: “If you try again, I will end you.”

And then, she stalked out of their home and into the alleyway, disappearing deep into the stacks of ragged buildings.

“Pshh,” Surge spat, long after Whisper had already left, “Killjoy.”

Chapter Text

“So…this is what you guys did to Eggman’s place, huh. Gotta say, I kinda like it.”

Where Eggperial City had been, there was a gigantic, barren patch of land. All natural colour had been leached by the former city, leaving a dull, almost tintype version behind. Apparently, rebuilding here would’ve been a death wish; the ground underneath was hollow. So it kinda just stood out. Like acne. Okay, maybe she shouldn’t have phrased it like that…

Regardless, the sight may have been distressing to the Diamond Cutters, but it certainly wasn’t for Surge. Any chances of info on her and Kit would’ve been teleported into space and subsequently blown up by some hot-topic hedgehog, and this area with a whole lot of nothing confirmed it. She just wanted to be done with the mission, go home, and tick a box that Sonic couldn’t. Maybe she’d even rub it in his face—no, definitely.

“Don’t think about returning to HQ just yet,” Lanolin chided. Was it really that obvious? Oh, wait, she was looking at Tangle as well. Stupid lemur totally blew her cover! Whatever. It saved her the trouble of complaining. 

“It’s…just a boring patch of land.” Tangle said, and for once, Surge completely agreed with her.

“She’s right, ya know,” Surge added with a smirk. “Might as well listen to the gal while she isn’t being dumb.”

“Even if it is, we still have to make sure of that! Those readings didn’t just appear out of thin air, you know!” After her tirade, Lanolin’s eyes widened, as if reminded of a recent memory. Her voice was less brash when she next spoke, “We’ll…try to make it quick to accommodate you two.

“Huh? Oh, there’s no need for that. I was just screwing around!” Tangle frowned. “You…know that right, Lanolin?”

“...yes. Of course.”

“I wasn’t.” While they were having their touchy-feely moment, Surge had managed to dig a particularly persistent ball of earwax out, flicking it away to grant this sad chunk of land some fertiliser. “Can we get a move on already, ladies? If you guys still need some more me-time, I can just run circles around the entire area and do your jobs for you.”

Tangle scowled, but it just made her look dumber: the expression fit on her face like an uncomfortably small glove. She definitely wasn’t the type to get angry. Lanolin, on the other hand, accepted the fate consigned to her, only sighing before calling for Whisper to join her in surveying the area. She’d honestly forgotten the wolf was even there. She didn’t say a single thing!

As Whisper stalked behind Lanolin (and Tangle hollered after Whisper, the two were joined at the hip), Kit approached Surge with his assessment: “...it seems unlikely that today’s mission will be fruitful.”

“Ya got that right. Seems more like an outing than anything. Eh, the extra cred’s still good for us, though.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Surge frowned. She used to love how eager Kit was to please her, and she still did a little, but… the kid ought’a think for himself sometimes. Her thoughts were interrupted as Tangle called after them, tail gesturing for them to come closer. Lanolin and Whisper were staring at some sharp depression in the land.

When Surge regarded Kit, he was already staring at her, waiting for her command. She shrugged, and seconds later, they were right next to the Diamond Cutters. (...case in point.) “What sorta stuff are we—whoa.”

Beams creaked. Robot joins stuck out amidst broken rebar and concrete in all directions. Eggman’s ugly face, plastered at the far end. Surge recognised this place. How could she not? It was where she landed after her battle with Sonic—the incinerator. Though now that it was no longer functioning, it wasn’t an incinerator so much as a garbage dump. Pretty metal stuff, but just like everything else so far, was lacking in the excitement department. Criminally so.

“Great. Just what I expected to see: a mountain of robot corpses. Are you sure you didn’t just call me an’ Kit over to help you guys carry all this back to HQ?”

In lieu of a reply, Lanolin merely frowned in Whisper’s direction. “...Whisper?”

“...no activity.” 

Moments later, the wolf pointed a claw at an area of interest: an entrance around the middle of the incinerator, where a metallic gate had been broken down. Huh. She hadn’t noticed that. Eh, you miss the little things when trying to escape from purgatory. That, or being bored out of your mind.

They clambered down. Whisper immediately began examining the door, running a gloved hand over it as she contemplated…whatever it is that prickly snipers contemplate. Above, clouds drifted like listless souls.

“Maybe it was Clean Sweep, or some locals that came scavenging?” Tangle suggested. 

“Hm…” Lanolin mused, “Eggman tech does sell.”

“Should’a guessed. Anything that might’ve been here was totally looted!”

As she stood, Whisper’s reply was annoyingly swift: “No.”

“No?” Incredulous, Surge threw her hands; she was half-certain Whisper had retorted because she was still sore about what happened in Central City. “What the heck do you mean, no?!”

“Not looted.”

“Well, how do you figure that?!”

“The door was broken…from the inside.”

As they stalked through the newly-discovered corridor, light from the surface soon petered out to fluorescent lamps flickering overhead. Kit didn’t like that they were still functioning. Surely they would’ve ran out of power long ago? Perhaps those crystals mentioned in Lanolin’s briefing were still around…

“You know…I’m kinda surprised you guys are still a thing.” Next to him, Surge had broken the silence. The Diamond Cutters glanced at each other.

Lanolin stiffened; so did her reply: “Amendments…have and are being made.” 

Tangle’s was less so. “The whole thing’s been stretched, yeah. But that doesn’t mean we can’t pull through for each other!”

“Faith,” Whisper added, eyes opening into narrow slits, “is meaningless without doubt.” 

Kit couldn’t shake off the feeling that the wolf was now thinking about something else. This line of thought led him down the same path, too; he thought of the world outside, colourless, as if time had stopped. 

How funny. He felt as if time had stopped in his world with Surge as well.

“Right…shouldn’t have expected anything else from you three schmucks—whoa!”

Surge had turned around just in time to stop herself from smacking face first into a wall. Tangle couldn’t resist a snicker, earning her Surge’s glare and Kit’s ire. This was by design: Surge was angry at the lemur; he was as well.

“Schmuck?” Tangle grinned. “Guess I shouldn’t have expected anything else from someone whose moral compass is probably gathering dust somewhere.”

Before Surge could give Tangle an earful, Lanolin shushed them, head gesturing toward the exit. The gate was ensconced with pinprick green crystals, seemingly emerging from the room on the other side. His hypothesis was right.

“Fake Chaos Emeralds…didn’t Shadow make the whole thing go kapow?” Tangle asked.

“This city was ever-expanding,” Lanolin said, crouching to get a better look at the crystals. “And given that this area seems mostly unscathed…I’m starting to think otherwise.”

“Well, there’s our answer.” Surge leaned against the walls. “Eggman’s leftover phony jewelry is what’s causing this hoopla! Can we go home now?”

“Not yet. We have the ‘how’, but we don’t have the ‘why’.” Lanolin’s gaze set at the gate. “And I have a feeling we’ll find that in there.”

They followed her. Inside languished pristine white machinery, with several tubes snaking from across the room toward its raised centre—a broken cylindrical glass dome, one that’d fit a typical Mobian snugly. Robot arms assumed the position of gargolyed attendants, flanking it with a menagerie of instruments. The entire setup was reminiscent of an uncomfortable catafalque. More vaguely, it reminded Kit of

Muffled screams; maniacal laughter. 

Throat to water, water to lungs. Cyclical rebellion. Cells

dying and undying.

Kit stepped back, once, twice. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder—Surge. She’d stopped him from stepping on a glass shard; they littered the floor like petals would a ceremony.

Suddenly, the vast room no longer felt so.

“You…know what this is, Kit?” Lanolin asked.

“No…it reminded me of something else.” The transport cells which Starline kept Surge and him in. He exchanged a glance with Surge. It was thus decided: there was no need to tell the Diamond Cutters that. “A healing or stasis pod, if I had to guess. Though that doesn’t explain the robot arms.”

Crossing her arms, Tangle gave the machine a half-hearted kick. “Why would Eggman need one of these?” Silence settled, and the lemur’s eyes widened like a sympathetic fool would. “Don’t tell me…he took prisoners here, like with the Death Egg?”

“As…bad as that sounds, I think we can discard that idea. The city’s security system sent intruders into another plane. There’d be no need for these pods for that purpose.” Still, Lanolin frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with her own logic. 

Still, their question remained unanswered.

“Yeah.” Tangle nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s…keep going.”

No one moved.

“Guys?”

“...don’t like this,” Whisper said.

“Well, Fangs doesn’t like this, everyone! Guess we should’a packed five minutes ago and turned tail.” Surge grinned, smug, as Whisper’s ensuing growl was more than audible.

“...no, this definitely doesn’t bode well.” Lanolin rubbed her temple. “It’d be best if we exercised caution from now on.”

Surge shrugged. “Whatever you say, boss lady.”

“I was also considering calling Sonic and Tails in, through Jewel.”

“Nope.” Surge’s face turned dark in record time. “You’re not doing that, Poofball.”

Lanolin glared at her, deadpan. “You’re not the only person who’d rather not have the four of you in the same room. Just know I’ll call in the cavalry if need be.”

“If need be.”

Groaning, Lanolin walked into the next hallway. Surge and Tangle followed suit. Whisper was…waiting for him? Waiting for him to enter as well, it seemed. Kit stared at Whisper. The cold, mechanical eye of her mask stared back as she tilted her head, grip on the Wispon adjusting slightly. Turning around, he tailed the rest; Whisper followed close behind.

Was that polite curiosity? Or a dare to rush past her and escape? As they entered another snaking hallway, he couldn’t help but frown. Two days ago, Whisper was the one who approached them. It can be assumed that Lanolin or Jewel suggested this cooperation, but had Whisper fed them that idea? No, no, that was ridiculous.

…was it? Regardless, Kit was sure he had a fair chance against the sniper, especially in such close quarters, but he knew this just by observing: Whisper was not to be trifled with. The power gap between her and Surge did little to comfort him then.

As they stepped further into the dilapidated base, Kit couldn’t help but wonder about the pursuit of vengeance locked behind circumstance, and the distinct clinking of a key opportunity falling onto wretched claws. 

A crack emerged from the walls. Bodies tensed. Heads snapped, covering different angles at once. Their breaths, warm against each other.

Nothing. Nothing…?

…nothing.

Quietly, Tangle spoke, her fists and tail clenched: “Is…is that just the crappy infrastructure, or…?”

“Could be,” Kit replied in an undertone, “Hard to tell.”

“Lanolin. Orders?”

“...proceed, cautiously.”

“You heard her, folks. Let’s get the heck outta here, Drippy. This place’s way too stuffy.”

“O-okay.”

Their pace was slow as they shifted past geodes, the edge of a loading bay, half a mancave. Despite the well-lit conditions showing the place empty, Kit couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were being watched. At the very least, someone—or something—was sharing their space. 

Surge was strong, Kit knew. It was his purpose to know. But she had a penchant for leaping into things without looking; it was his job to rein things for her. Easing the path to her goals, manipulating events and people, keeping her safe…he liked doing all of that. Which was why he wished to be out of this situation as soon as possible—uncertainty was something he loathed. How could he perform his designated task when there were so many unaccounted for? 

What if Surge got hurt badly? He didn’t want to imagine it. He had already seen her drained and defeated look as he carried her away—his own failure staring back at him. But this was beyond any feelings of inadequacy. He didn’t want to fail. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Just…needed to keep an eye out. Keep himself moving and talking whenever necessary. You will not be useless. Not when she needs you most—

Mid-step, the lights shut off. The sight of the base’s dreary walls fled away, leaving only shadows gilded by the weak, multicoloured glow of small crystals. The darkness seemed populated with tiny movements.

And then there was one large sweeping gale as something shambled into them fast, and Kit cried out as the back of his head hit the wall so hard he saw bursts of light. He grunted, sending water tails that wrapped around its appendages, struggling as it thrashed. It tore through the restraints faster than he could generate them. He heard Tangle yell, presumably putting all her might restraining it with her tail. Whatever it was, it couldn’t see well in the dark either.

“Where—”

“To your right!” 

At Whisper’s call, the room brightened with sparks as Surge launched a hard kick at it. Her foot—and Whisper’s hammer—dug into its soft flesh. A shrill, modulated cry pierced the air as it flailed, breaking free of its restraints, grabbing Surge by her leg and dragging her face through the walls. Surge’s face was awash with pinprick agony as she tried to wriggle herself free. 

An awful rage filled Kit. Dim, greenish light waned from their attacker, yet he couldn’t see it clearly. His mind was taken over by a need to attach a face to this thing, a need for an identity he could pour his being into to hate. His wish was partially fulfilled when Lanolin had fired several concussive blasts: it weaved through the first few; the last one struck true, sending it reeling back as the blast illuminated it. Something with misshapen wings—like nature picked up wood carving and got carried away.

Several things happened in quick succession. It straggled away with unnatural speed, as if being tugged by something. The lights switched on; the whole world was bright. And when their vision adjusted, Surge was already chasing it down.

“Surge!” Water tails lashed behind Kit as he scuttled toward them.

“Kit, hold on!” Lanolin cried out.

He could not comply—he needed to get to Surge! Assist Surge! Be with Surge! 

The corridor ended abruptly, giving way to an underground, almost completely hollowed out. Kit's gaze darted around, scanning past the stalactites for—there! Surge was leaping off of one, curling into a ball smashing into a winged figure obscured behind a stalactite.

The door slammed shut behind him—

“Whoa!”

 —cutting the Diamond Cutters off. 

Muffled speech. The sound of several saw blades scratching harmlessly against metal; the Diamond Cutters were trying to get to them. He shifted his glance between the gate and the ongoing battle, eventually chasing down Surge.

“Kit!” Tangle’s muffled voice called out. He ignored it.

His hesitation may’ve cost him.

Lanolin grimaced. She told Surge to listen, and now— deep breaths, Lanolin. …there we go.  

Things were going wrong rapidly, but the situation was still salvageable! No need to panic! She wouldn’t let her team down, wouldn’t let Surge and Kit down, wouldn’t let herself down. 

Not again.

The rocket mode of the Variable Wispon might down the door in a few shots, but they didn’t want to risk hurting Surge and Kit on the other side. And given the dilapidated nature of the base, they’d probably just wind up taking down everything along with them.

“We’ll need another avenue in. Above, most likely.” The prospect of requesting Sonic and Tails’ help was becoming increasingly tantalising. That option sat snugly in her pocket in the form of her handheld device, ready to be deployed whenever.

“What…was that?” Despite their predicament, Tangle seemed more occupied with other things. Her gaze was beseeching Whisper; with her mask, she had to have a clearer view.

“I…couldn’t get a good look amidst the chaos. But…not a robot. Not fully. Was flesh. Was…us.”

Tangle gasped. Lanolin glanced away. But their situation left them little time to ponder about the implications, as Whisper’s head snapped upward. “Activity above. Closing in.”

A trap? Lanolin tutted as she reached for the bell on her neck. “How many? A few? Dozens?”

“No.” Whisper’s voice was grim. “Hundreds.”

As Kit pulled himself closer yet closer toward Surge, he willed his water tails to traverse the cavern faster, gripping and pushing off onto the sparse stalactites like a flailing octopus. He needed to get to Surge as quickly as possible. Though Surge was capable, flight was an advantage she sorely lacked here.

Kit looked around. Even through the scant cracks of sunlight overhead, he couldn’t find them. Did they really travel that far while he was indecisive? He shouldn’t have hesitated. Now, he was unsure of Surge’s location and wellbeing.

Then, he heard it—the chittering of feathers, fast approaching.

“KIT!”

Kit whipped his head around—

And his eyes widened.

A whirlwind of things happened: Surge pushed him. Her eyes widened, and she gasped weakly. In place of him, the creature’s barbed tail, or something approximate to it, had pierced through her midsection. She clutched her chest; blood seeped out along with the life in her eyes.

Kit felt his blood run cold, shivers unmelting on his skin.

Lanolin led Tangle and Whisper through the run-down corridors, hoping to reach the exit before Eggman’s forces could trap them. 

Then, something grey crashed in front of them: a mess of metallic quills, disrupted from their parabolas by large dents and burns—a Shadow Android. It locked eyes with them before it galumped toward them with limbs that weren’t there. Before it could gain more ground, Lanolin swung her Wispon. The concussive blast paralysed the robot; it twitched and sparked, and then its irises dulled.

From behind, another laser blast made its mark in the downed robot. Then another, and another, and—

Lanolin looked behind. Tangle was beside Whisper in an instant, hands on her partner’s shoulders. “Whisp, you…you okay?”

Whisper huffed slightly, taking a deep breath. “...yes. I’m—I will be fine.” Though she stopped trembling, her grip on her Wispon was still tight.

“Then let’s get going.” Lanolin didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but there was no time to waste. “Diamond Cutters, follow me!” She ran toward the entrance; Tangle and Whisper followed.

“Still, Surge and Kit—”

“Will do on their own,” Lanolin cut Tangle off. “We need to hold out until backup arrives. We can’t let ourselves be pinned down here!” 

Tangle frowned, but didn’t object further. Beside her, Whisper ran, silent. She’d heard the tremble in Whisper’s voice then—all of them did. Lanolin mustered up a reassuring smile for them both, and hoped it was enough. She too didn’t like the idea of leaving Surge and Kit behind either, but they’d hold their own. They had to. (Besides, if her assessment of Surge was correct, then she wouldn’t let anything happen to them both.) Lanolin winced at the thought of having to deal with salvos in such an exposed battlefield, but they’d at least have more options here. Defending from a horde of robots in a cramped space, where the only way out was where the robots were rushing in from… She shook her head. Between Scylla and Charybdis, they’d just have to make do with what they have.

“We can get through this!” Tangle shot them a confident grin, randomly easing into her role of de facto pep talker. We always have!” 

Seems Tangle snapped out of her funk in record time. She’s right, though.

Then again, it’s not like they had a choice.

Sonic had just been lounging on a hammock, watching Tails tinker with a doohickey when Lanolin’s call came. Sonic answered, and Lanolin immediately launched into a brief, out-of-breath message. Tails and him heard it all: the energy surge, the unknown creature pursuing them, the Badnik reinforcements.

Stretching his feet, Sonic sighed. Maybe the third time infiltrating Eggman’s city would be their charm. Right now, though, he needed to help his friends.

But since they were near a certain Egghead’s base—one of many, anyway—they decided to take a quick detour. Tails dropped him smack-dab in the middle of it, and they did what they did best: wrecking stuff.

He knew they’d destroyed plenty when a shrill voice called out: “What are you two doing here?!”

“Hey, Doc.” Sonic zipped up to the large computer screen displaying the mad doctor’s enraged face, shooting him a crap-eating grin as he rested his arm on the control panel. “You don’t look too happy.”

“Of course I’m not! You ingrates are interrupting my mining operations!”

“I’m just gonna keep this simple, Eggman.” Crossing his arms, he levelled a glare at the doctor. “What are you planning?”

“I’m not planning anything!” Eggman huffed indignantly. “Well, not against you, anyway…”

Tails, who had finished destroying his fair share of equipment and landed next to him a few moments ago, asked, “Not…against us?”

“Yes! Ever heard of Clean Sweep?” Though he steepled his fingers and swivelled away from them smugly, Eggman’s tone was unremarkable—it was as though they were discussing the weather. “Think of it as a quid pro quo, not that Sonic’s smart enough to know what that means. It’s nothing that concerns you all.”

Ignoring the jab directed at him, Tails persisted, shoving the Miles Electric in front on the screen: “Just some time ago, Restoration HQ detected an energy surge from where Eggperial City was! How do you explain that?”

“An energy surge?” Scoffing, he waved a hand at them dismissively, not even sparing a glance at Tails’ device. “Their readings must be faulty, then! An equipment malfunction! You of all people should know why that is, Prower.”

“That was what we thought, too. Until the Diamond Cutters sent a distress signal, saying that they were being haunted by something there.” Sonic scowled. “You better tell us what’s up, Doc, or there’s gonna be a major hike in your repair costs.”

“Gah, fine, fine! Just get your filthy quills away from my technology! Hmm, perhaps…” Curious, Eggman peered closer toward the screen before nodding to himself. “Those readings are unmistakable. They originate from my fake Emeralds that powered Eggperial City.”

“But they exploded!” Tails exclaimed. “Besides, Shadow teleported the entire city along with them! How can there be any trace of them left?”

“Or maybe…he didn’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You're saying Shads missed a spot when he Chaos Controlled the entire place outta there?”

“It’s a possibility. Even with my genius, I wasn’t aware that that part of the city survived until just now.”

“That part?” Tails asked.

Sonic frowned. “You’re raising more and more questions, Eggy.”

“It was meant to be a surprise! A parting gift, like what Neo Metal was meant to be during the war. But as always, you animals went ahead and ruined everything before I could act on my brilliant ideas.” Still, as Eggman lamented, his grin only grew wider, stretched out across his face like thin threads being stitched together. “I hypothesise that a fragment there survived your meddling, and with Shadow teleporting the lion’s share of the city’s overloaded power source, it stabilised. With it intact, it continued to grow as it did before, eventually having enough power to cause those readings your little Restoration picked up.”

“That still doesn’t explain whatever’s hunting them,” Tails said.

“Ah-ah-ah,” he said, waggling a finger, “that’s where you’re wrong. Because in that secluded area lies my Egg Nest, a pet project of mine that previously housed what’s picking off your little friends right now.”

Sonic’s hands clenched into fists. “Get to the point, Eggman. What’s attacking my friends right now?”

“Tell you what, hedgehog, since you were so helpful in figuring out who was behind Clean Sweep, I’ll let you in on this… 

“It’s someone you know very well.”

Frozen in place, Kit couldn’t do anything but stare. Eyes widened, he stared as blood began to seep through Surge’s clothes, The pained expression on Surge’s face was all he knew. 

The creature yanked its tail out of her flesh. A splatter of blood, a choked sound. Surge’s body was briefly tossed along its pull before it tumbled lifelessly into the abyss.

Kit did not visibly react, at first. Fettered in time, he could do nothing but stare at that zoetrope of Surge getting impaled, could do nothing as she traded places with him. 

Surge was there, in place of him. 

At that, something in Kit’s brain snapped, like a blood vessel bursting. His mind was screaming at him; there had been a connection between them both, and it had been severed.

He knew, then—Surge was gone.

Time stopped. And then, it started again. During that instantaneous eternity, several things had occurred in harsh inertia. Kit trembled. His breathing was noisy, his vision blurry. The taut string that had held his entire world together snapped, and he spiralled like an unravelling rope. Deep, yet deeper into the abyss, the darkness had rendered him into two things—grief, and hate. There was no need for his programming to tell him what to do. After all, Kit was staring at the thing who kissed the person he treasured most into her coffin, and then spat on it. 

So, he rebuffed.

“YOU TOOK SURGE!”

With a roar, he sent rivulets of bladed water at it. It swerved past the first few, but eventually one struck true at its torso. It let out an ululating cry, reeling backwards, then righted itself with a flap of its wings, charging forward. Webbed talons swooped in, gripping onto him and smashing him against a pillar.

Kit saw what it was. He did not register it, only continuing to struggle against its grip. He wanted it to hurt, wanted it to pay, pay!

“Cease this foolishness,” it boomed in scornful mathematics. Several voices? 

“Get away from me!” Kit thrashed. He was a butterfly pricked, vivisected, about to be dried for display. Staring into the sun’s face during a solar eclipse; radiance and vigorous hatred set upon him in earnest. 

“Come now, Kitsunami. Surely you remember me?”

Dazed as Kit was, two prominent voices stood out: his own, and… His eyes widened as he stared at the impossible proof. But despite the deformities and lacerations, one thing was clear—the creature that stumbled with the precise gait of a marionette, the one that took Surge away from him, was none other than Starline. 

Sharp blades of jagged metal protruded from its back—wings, from which I’ll cherry pick those to be rendered asunder. Flame in singular eye burned my will manifest unto Kit as it creaked its head—no, it wasn’t a head, not anymore; a large section of its temple gave way to an emerald shard that pithed through where brain tissue should’ve been, sessile. It pulsed; ardent; cold.

“Won’t let you…not gonna…”

“My dear child, what you think doesn’t matter. I created you. My word is your law. This is not by design.” Perhaps the darkness was playing tricks on him, but Starline never moved its beak. Not that it mattered—each word the chimera uttered was a hot knife through butter, carving law into his mind with circuitous language. His mental resistance was being torn down, bit by bit; it peeled away at his head, nibbled away at skull, tissue, muscles. All to hollow Kit out, such that it may pour wax through the crown of his head—the foundation to break the Cycle; nest the wick—the impossible rule of two despots; light it with its flame—evolution.

“In a way, you are my mistake. Please do not resist as I rectify you.”

Kit felt his senses plunge into darkness, his hold on the world slipping despite his struggles. Breathing was laborious. But pain did not throb from his limbs. Screams did not tear from his lungs. It was relaxing. Someone uninvited was coaxing him into his bed, and it was mellow, a choir of roaring lions lulling him to sleep.

I failed.

(Not long left.) 

Couldn’t…couldn’t save her.

The heavy presence that loomed over him stretched its maw open…and smiled. A harsh voice creaked over, patting his head like a doting father would.

And then everything was as it should be: evanescent.

Notes:

I apologize, but my judgement renders their end.

Somewhere, an end stretches on. 

Hundreds, if not thousands of metres below, Surge’s limp body free-falled, smacked around by rocky pillars that stretched to eternity. But in the lightless depths of these caverns, where law is no more, even eternity has its end. Falling, falling, falling… Would the tenrec meet solid ground soon, or would the planet’s core do her in?

Perhaps, if it had been someone else, or just herself, the girl would’ve accepted her end with open arms. But the fennec was different. He was her companion, one that breathed the same fates and walked the same eras; her light, young and unsure, yet for her, burnt with a spark that dwarfed all divinities; her little brother.

Heh, asking me to roll over dead? Screw that…! 

My ending may not be happy, but I won’t…

I won’t let it play out now!

Then, there was a spark, like pyrotechnics unto swan songs—

And the cavern crackled with light.

Chapter Text

Initiating failsafe…

Complete. Welcome back.

Reborn, you awake from your lullaby.

You seek nothing. Desire nothing. The world is a mishmash of shapes, contours, shadows—nothing more. It feels bizarre now, but comfort will come soon. That is assured.

For now, there is only one thing to do.

[Rise]

Rise, past the placid ocean waves that subsumed you, the anchors with binding chains snapped, to the wall of stalagmites that crack like destroyed porticoes. Your citadel awaits. Unhindered, you shamble past halite labyrinths.

[Coalesce]

Focus on your directive, and nothing more. Illuminate.

A sharp crackle of light bursts out from below. Not what you intended. As you shield yourself from the brightness, you make out pale shapes, like ghosts crawling out from the abyss.

It’s…her?! How…vexing.

No matter. Merely another setback, which you will swiftly rectify.

[Fight]

Fight as you ever will, for you are Kitsunami—an instrument for reshaping the world. Drip by swift drip, your water dance choreographs tectonic plates to snap into their rightful places, having risen out from the darkness that plundered this world of its changeability. Future promenades will be done in your remembrance.

As the blur resists your lunges of water, it becomes apparent that this blur of colour is only so due to its speed. Affix its flesh with needles, and its form will hold for you to hate—there we go. A choked gasp escapes it; blood splatters onto your fur. You make no movement to wipe it off. Instead, you behold: the enemy in the way in your objective; the tenrec that wrapped its hands around your water spear, struggling despite the hole in its chest; the tenrec that cared about you the most, with a pleading expression that indicated she didn’t want to fight—

[DISSONANCE]

this is not right

Everything is as it should be.

b-but that’s…that face, familiar…it has to be…

Irrelevant. Cleanse any and all thoughts regarding Surge from your head. Illuminate.

Screaming, you clutch your head. It isn’t enough. It’s all you can do. It isn’t enough. It feels like your head is being bifurcated from the inside out, neurons separating and dying and realigning as you scream.

Still, a voice, small as it was, cut through the clanging of law:

“Surge…?”

“You did what to Starline?!”

Sonic was positively fuming as he rushed to the remains of Eggperial City, Tails trailing right behind him. The hard light projector on his wrist depicted Eggman backing away on his swivel chair with his hands up, which he should! Because if the doc was here right now…

“I needed to teach him a lesson!” Eggman defended himself without missing a beat. “He overstepped as my assistant, so I repaid in kind! The Egg Nest trapped him in that same cycle he tried so fervently to break, forcing him to relive his failure over and over again. A fitting punishment, if I do say so myself.”

“From what it sounds like down there, you also treated him like a living petri dish!” Tails yelled over the wind, his expression more regretful than anything. The platypus was a horrible person, but who knew what unspeakable horrors Eggman had committed on his comatose body. “Besides, you said he perished in the battle between you two!”

“Eh, he was dead to me.” With a wave of his hand, Eggman had swept aside his callous acts. “I had been tinkering with ideas of an…enforcer of sorts, and the good doctor was in no condition to enforce anything other than the stench of his failed upheaval. Why should I have revealed critical info to you animals then?”

Sonic gritted his teeth. “When we’re done here, Eggman…”

“Yes, yes, we’ll get to that when we get to that. Now hurry up and put that chimerical platypus to sleep! Aren’t you supposed to be the fastest thing alive? Well, finish off his foolish dream long overblown already! My popcorn is getting cold! Orbot! Fetch me more!”

Times like this made Sonic doubt on whether Eggman was capable of change. But that was for later. Right now, he needed to get there, smash some bots, and help his friends. And though they’d never really seen eye to eye, and probably never will, Surge and Kit, too.

Hang in there, you guys…

The first thing that Surge did when she came to was curling up into a ball and smashing straight into Starline. Screeching, Starline tossed her away with a flick of his bony wings, only for her to leap off a stone wall and bury her soles straight into that head of his, whizzing into something soft and pink. Agony tore through his throat as he stumbled back, but he bulled forward at Surge right after, and though she bent backwards, he speared his barbed tail and scraped off flesh from her ear.

“GAH!”

Her hand instinctively went to her ear as her body was sent spinning uncontrollably into the abyss. Gritting her teeth, she dived toward yet another stalactite—knuckles scraped against rock as her fall slowed. Surge barely had the chance to take a deep breath before she had to leap away again; she heard the sound of Starline’s entire body smashing into the pillar right after. She grumbled, “Just couldn’t stay dead, could ya? Had to relive your failures aaaaall over again.”

“Look who’s talking. You were destined for greatness. An enforcer in my new world. But now…I don’t need to point out the hole in your chest, do I?”

Wait, was that the Starline in front of her? Or the one that hung out in her brain? Sure sounded like it came from her head. Whatever. Her brain was foggy, and thinking too much hurt. Solution: Surge curled up into a ball and smashed into Starline. The blow sent the platypus-bird-ew careening into a pillar, causing wounds to bloom anew.

Whew. That was…something. Probably shouldn’t have wasted energy talking; as it stood, she could barely go on. Still, she wouldn’t be Surge if she didn’t let ‘em have it, both physically and verbally, even if it was at her expense. So, she rebutted.

Yeah, well, Surge told the Starline in her mind, you have a hole in your damn head. How’d that happen?

The chimera in front of Surge seemed to grimace at that before swooping away. She thought Starline was being chicken, but it soon became clear that he was using her lack of mobility against her—the chimera circled around her, trying to find an angle where she wouldn’t be able to react from. Well, she wouldn’t let him! The tenrec leapt from stalactite to stalactite, clinging onto other pillars whenever it came swooping toward her. Still, she needed to think of something else, stat. Whatever her body and internal mechanisms were running on, it probably won’t last forever. And her fists were itching to meet Starline’s face.

That opportunity arrived when something barreled toward her in the darkness. Surge propelled herself off the stone to meet it head on, extended fist crackling with electricity, looking like the world’s most demented artillery strike. Her punch came close to a fennec—

“K-Kit?!”

Surge veered back; Kit did not. Several spears of water shot out from his backpack, and Surge did the first thing that came to her in her frazzled state: grab them. She managed to stop the first two in their tracks, her healing mending the cuts; the third one skewered straight through her side, sending her body crashing into the stalactite she leaped off of. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel much pain as she grabbed the high pressure water appendage uselessly, looking up only to see a blank expression on Kit’s face.

“Kit! Snap—ghh—out…of it!”

Behind him, Starline crooked his neck, birdlike. The bastard could’ve ended things then and there, but chose to watch. There was no mistake, then—unrecognisable as he was, this truly was what became of Starline. The need to prove his thinking and stratagem superior proved it to her. A light in the darkness, the gem buried in his head gleamed. Light…that’s it! She just needed to bring this above ground, then she’d have a better chance! She just needed to…to…

“Kit, c’mon…it’s me! Surge!” Her voice wavered then. “Don’t you remember?”

“Surge.”

Like an arrow of light, that name shot through the corridors of my mind, and, for a moment, cleansed the filth away, dusted off the cobwebs, lit up the room.

What? You—

I remembered, then. With remembrance came clarity, and the drowning of that voice that’d been screaming in my head. It was a recent memory, suspended in time. A trinket: heavy in its significance, pondered upon, swiftly dropped into my palm like it’d weighed nothing. Conflicting ideas reigned over my head just now: the need to complete my objective and drown the enemy, and the contemplation of a normal life with said enemy. This was so. This was not so. But I’ve reached an answer. A purpose.

Kitsunami, you will—

No—it’s clear now. What I am is wrong. I was meant to make Surge happy. She is upset. All this…all of this is my fault. Which means…I have but one thing left to do, here.

[Fight, truly]

Fool! Don’t you realise? This option will will will will will will will

3 q                w                                o        r                p                                5

F                r        ee                                d        o        m                 i                ns            i     g        h                        t

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B                e        t        e                                                s                                        t                                                        e                                d

b                y                                                        fi                                                                                        r        e

“Despite your numbers, you guys sure suck at landing a hit on us!”

Explosions bloomed throughout land and sky as Tangle ran on the balls of her feet, a horde of Badniks tailing her, well, tail. With Eggperial City being almost completely barren, the Diamond Cutters had just been trying to fend them off until the cavalry arrived, using the defunct incinerator as a makeshift trench. It was still somewhat manageable at first, what with Whisper using Cyan and those crystal thingies to take out dozens of robots at once, not to mention Lanolin’s bell being effective against them as well. But mindless as they were, the Badniks were seemingly endless, their numbers allowing them to gain ground on them.

In the end, they split up and left the death pit, hoping that they’d stop locking onto them and continue marching to the non-existent heart of Eggperial City. But bummer, whoever sent that signal updated their primary directive. So here she was, leading these bolts-for-brains on a wild goose chase. Tangle slid underneath an Egg Hammer, flipping away from a Fullboar’s rush, only to skid to a halt when a trio of high-flying Buzz Bombers harassed her with gunfire. She ducked her head and rolled toward the incinerator, tail snagging onto a nearby metal plate for protection. She raised it—clank clank clank—blocking a few shots overhead that would’ve otherwise given her new holes in her chest.

Man, if only Whisper wasn’t preoccupied. Then those guys wouldn’t have the chance to be so smug—ooh, a projectile! This one would do. Her tail shot out, snagging on an Egg Pawn that had strayed too far from the ranks, and catapulted it at the shooters. Collision, explosion, score!

Her celebration was short-lived as she was soon back to running and leading the horde. Whisper probably wouldn’t be a good idea, since she stopped using those crystals of hers a while ago. Lanolin it was—her Wispon was really good at disrupting robots. And so, Tangle ran toward the sound of clanging, with her tail occasionally taking potshots at stragglers. Nothing for her tail to cling on to, nothing to hide under cover with…man, did it stink.

Gotta keep moving. Whisper was still out there. And if that bell going off like a mischievous kid at a sermon is any indication, Lanolin was fighting like crazy, too. They just needed to hang in there a little longer, until—

A Motobug group’s charge tripped Tangle, and before she could regain her footing, a Slicer raised its claws to strike. Tangle brought her arms forward, steeling herself for the incoming pain—and then limbs went flying everywhere! Not hers, though. A blue blur had smashed right into it, sending sparks and joints flying everywhere.

Tangle only gaped for a moment before grinning and hopping to her feet. Sonic immediately leapt to her side; the two were back to back, surrounded by bots again. Just like the old days! Heh, she sounded old saying that. Still, she was full of pep as she greeted the hedgehog: “Hey, Sonic! Nice of you to finally show up!”

“Sorry, we had to take a little detour. Got some info out of Eggy.” He gestured to his communicator before giving the Eggpawn making a beeline for him a hard kick. “Long story short, that thing that was chasing you guys—that was Starline.”

“He’s alive?! Wait, that’s—”

“Yup. Turns out, Eggman isn’t exactly the best source of info,” Sonic said, levelling a glare at Eggman.

“Bah, that doesn’t matter now, rodent.” The hardlight projection of Eggman scowled. “Where is that blasted platypus, anyway? I’ll teach him to know better than to take control of my destroyed city!”

 “Say, these are your robots, right?” She sidestepped an Egg Pawn’s lunging spear and punched a hole straight through it. “Why can’t you override the signal and help us get this over with faster? This is a repeat incident, right?”

Adjusting his glasses with a finger, he replied, “Because, lemur, it hardly matters to me which of you win this bout. If Sonic and his little friends win, they will have vanquished Starline for me. If he loses, even better! I’ll swoop in and carpet bomb Starline before dealing with that nasty hedgehog myself.”

Shocked at Eggman’s bluntness, Tangle could only stammer out what she knew all along: “You’re—you’re a jerk!”

“What’s with the compliment? Go help your friends already!”

“Don’t need you to tell me that!”

“Sonic, you should” —Tails spin attacked an encroaching Badnik as he landed— “probably find Whisper. Oh, and Lanolin’s holding up, by the way.”

“Good thinking, Tails. Wouldn’t mind some Hyper-go-on action! Now, if I were a sniper, where would I be…”

As if on cue, a rocket shot up in an arc from a nearby woodland; flames erupted in the sky as it struck a large Buzz Bomber. A flare! Sorta. Guess Whisper must’ve noticed Sonic and Tails’ arrival and figured the same thing. That’s my girl!

“Fast and efficient! Just what I like to see. Here, hold onto this,” Sonic tossed Tails the communicator, and then he was off, dashing to Whisper’s location.

Just as they were getting back into their groove, the ground shook; everyone paused. And then, an explosion—ruptures spiderwebbed like newly-born trenches, and a mess of people came bursting out alongside rubble and dirt: that creature they were fighting earlier—Starline, a part of Tangle registered, oh Chaos that’s Starline; Surge, sparks flaring from her fur despite the half-healed hole in her chest (is she okay?!); Kit, by her side.

“Looks like they’re still kicking after all!” As her tail-fist left a large dent on yet another robot, Tangle hollered out, “Hey, need some help?!”

“Heck no!” Surge yelled back, “Stay in your own damn lane!”

“You should probably listen to her. My Badnik army will probably skewer you if your attention is elsewhere,” he said, all too gleeful for that to happen if the smirk was any indication.

“Well, you created this! Stop it! Stop him!”

“I can’t, you idiot! I gave him administrative privileges over the city’s systems!”

“What?!” Tails’ jaw dropped.

“Doesn’t take a tech genius to recognise how dumb that move was. Nice going, dude.”

Eggman grumbled, peeved that his intellect was called into question. “I…I was designing an AI that’d defend my bases all around, and watch over networks in my stead. Starline was meant to be a prototype. Of course I had to give him clearance! Which, in case you’ve forgotten, I can’t remove, because someone wrecked the whole city before I could even think of it!” He huffed, taking a huge chug of water after his tirade. “As it stands, Starline has full control over what remains of the city, including my brilliant security systems, mangled as they may—gah! What are you—put that down, you insolent—”

“Sorry, but what I’m hearing is: you’re kinda useless to us right now.” Like a gladiator in a shot put event, Tangle flung the communicator with all of her might. Up and up it went, until it collided with a soaring bird Badnik, and then Eggman’s projection was no more. Man, was she racking up points today!

“Whatever. We don’t need that jerk. We can handle this guy no problem!”

“Tangle, won’t that mean Starline will most likely have to…”

“Yeah, I know.” She shot a glance at the tenrec above—her pale figure trembling with riotous vitality, legs thundering with pursuit, lidded eyes crackling with morphing ontologies—and continued, “And somehow, I don’t think it’s for us to decide that answer.”

Pursuit thundered in Surge’s eardrums. Sparks burned as sigils of popping, smouldering, thrashing anger. Her feet were basically a red ruin. She thrashed anyway. Kit was by her side, using his water tails to restrain Starline for her, or hitting him behind his back while he was preoccupied with her. The kid was quiet. But he didn’t need to say anything; they were driven by one desire, one voice.

Our resolve is a waltz, hastened by that which you artificially soldered unto us. Its chorus, yearning. But unlike you, Star-lame, we won’t remain as we are. We have communed: we desire freedom. The sun is in the way. We will escape your shadow; we will rise at the hour of our choosing. We will break the sun.

Pretty sure Drippy did most of that. But she felt those words vibrate in her bones all the same.

Having enough, Starline swerved away and around before swooping in again, a futile attempt to gain respite. Although Starline was no longer, essences of a living being still remained—with it, its will to survive. Even in limbo, he was still bound to his old habits—the cycle he tried so fervently to break.

Too bad he really sucked at all that.

One second Surge was bouncing off some dumb bot and making a mad dash toward Starline, the next her leg had already swung its arc, and Starline was sprawling to the ground. Whoa. Was she…blacking out? Probably running on empty. Can’t power a…thingy if the shaft ain’t even there. Probably some dumb law about that too.

Heh, law? Screw that. She’s Surge the goddamn Tenrec—law is less itself in her presence!

They took off into the sky, closer and closer to the sun—the gate before freedom. Kit scraped the last remains of his Hydro Pack to restrain Starline, the water tails breaking off into droplets. The shard in Starline’s head pulsed weakly. One last push…one last push! She burst forward—

And time slowed.

Well, it didn’t. Temporal fracturing wasn’t really her thing. Rather, she’d clawed up whatever reserves she had left, the heightened senses and speed letting her dodge Starline for the final time.

Starline reeled back, a clockwork sun casting shadows onto Surge—the law drilled into her bones, her body, her brain. A wound, a scar; an absence, an everything. For a while, it was all she’d known. To unlearn would be to undefine, more than she’d already done. But Surge didn’t care. Because on the other side awaited something better. Though brief, she’d seen its light for herself.

Dying? Pssh. That meant little as long as that light could shine.

“No, my narrative…you cannot foil it!”

Sinew by sinew, law by law, the tenrec felt herself unravelling as she pushed herself to end it all. Heh, lucky me. I probably should’a dropped dead twenty minutes ago. Starline sure counted on it.

Sucks to be him, ‘cause she’s Surge the Tenrec. And she aims to misbehave.

“Sorry, but your next chapter…”

Electricity crackling like wildfire, Surge threw her fist forward—

“Is permanently on hiatus!”

And as the world boomed, it did so in brilliant, defiant lightning. For the final law that held Surge the Tenrec as she was was then undone.

Chapter Text

“Hello, Surge. Are you and Kit doing well?”

Surge had been in the Restoration’s cafeteria, playing with a spoonful of tasteless porridge before Lanolin approached her. Can’t the gal see she was eating?! Or at least trying to, given that she was still recovering?! Man, can’t have crap ‘round here.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Kit's gonna take some time, but we'll manage.”

“I see. Glad to hear it.”

“Ya didn't come here just to kick me an’ Drippy out, right?”

“Oh, no—not at all. I came here to ask if you'd stay.”

“Well, duh. Drippy still needs to rest, and the cafeteria's free grub doesn't taste like total garbage—” At the severe look on Lanolin’s face, Surge paused. “Uh. Guessing you meant longer than a week.”

Lanolin sighed before nodding. “Yes…I’m hereby extending a formal invitation for you to join the Diamond Cutters.”

“I remember Fangs spit in the face of that pretty little idea.” Surge elbowed Lanolin’s shoulder. “What, ya gonna go against the rain like last time?” 

A small smile decorated the sheep’s face. “That’s the thing. I consulted Whisper about it: she agreed.”

Surge’s jaw dropped. Her? That same wolf that she mopped the floor with, and then stole her little buddies to beat her to a pulp some more? C’mon! Wasn’t Fangs supposed to be cool?! With a scoff, Surge stated her thoughts out loud: “I don’t believe you. Also, if she actually did change her mind, that’d make me not like her anymore, so—thanks, but no thanks.”

“I see. Whisper wouldn’t mind either outcome, but I can’t imagine Tangle’d be too happy about it.” She shook her head. “What about here?”

“Ya got too much wool clogging your ears or somethin’? I just said—” Her rant was cut off when the sheep raised a hand. The audacity of this woman! Though Surge sort of…didn’t mind it. Not that she’d ever tell Lanolin that!

“The Diamond Cutters hardly constitute the entire Restoration. The both of you can stay here as long as you help out somewhere. I imagine Kit would fancy the woodworking department…we’ve been shortstaffed for ages.”

“Sorry, but the answer is still no.”

“Are you answering for yourself, or are you answering for Kit as well?”

Surge’s eyes widened. She blurted out a quick jumble of incoherent noises before snapping her mouth shut and whirling away. It was true—she’d answered for Kit like it was second nature. She just assumed he’d follow her. Because why wouldn’t he? They were a package deal. And he was always so diminutive, so loyal. To a fault, even. Kit had done so much: he’d listened to her every command—every single fruitless one; absorbed her thoughtless castigation without retaliation, even when, looking back, she kind of deserved it; stayed by her side.

So much, and none of it was for himself.

Her hands balled into fists. Gloves creaked; fur sparked. It was all Surge could do to steady her breath as she replied back: “...I’ll ask him later. Don’t get your hopes up, though.”

“...very well. Get some rest. Make sure to inform me once you’ve both made your decisions. …or not. With you two, I feel like I’ll find out one way or the other.”

Surge sighed as Lanolin left. If nothing else, there was one thing Surge understood well: oftentimes, the hardest choices you have to live through are the ones made for you.

“Surge.”

“Holy—don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Wasn’t trying to.”

Surge groaned. Was every member of the Diamond Cutters trying to get in her way today?! She turned around, and sure enough, Whisper was staring back at her with that dumb squint of hers. Maybe she should start calling her Squinty… Ehh, she could do that later. Time for something that had been bugging her: “You were the one who invited me an’ Kit to that hellhole. Don’t tell me you knew about Starline, ‘cause I’ll punch your lights out if you do.”

Whisper didn’t reply; her neutral yet somehow judgemental stare said all that it needed to: what sort of inane idea is that? It made her feel like a moron! Which…wasn’t exactly too far off. But really reductive. Hey, wasn’t she supposed to be the good guy here?  “Okay, ya don’t have to look at me like that. Still kinda wish my mental gymnastics were true, though.”

In lieu of a reply, Whisper merely fished out something from her cloak—the same blue bird pendant that she got for Kit back at the market.

The first thing that came to Surge’s mind was: “Hey! Were you sifting through our crap?!”

“Yes. Both of you are stuck here for a while. Went to your hideout. Looked for any important belongings or necessities.” Gently, the wolf placed the pendant in Surge’s palm. “Found this.” 

“Okaaay…still kinda weird.” Her gaze set on the little birdcage, heavy as stone. “But thanks. I guess.” 

Surge turned her back on Whisper and took a few steps away; no way was she about to let the wolf see her do this. Sunlight draped past the window and onto her; the pendant shone like a mirror. Its weight in her hands—comforting. Her fingers drifted to the crown at the bottom of the birdcage. Twisted it a little, expecting nothing but the creak of internal mechanisms. And yet, a soft melody caressed her ears. Like a breeze, it carded through the notes against the impossible—

And then there was silence. After all, Surge hadn’t winded it up much, if at all; it didn’t even have a chance to reach harmonization. But for those brief seconds that it played…

Both song and subsequent silence said all that it needed to between them both.

“You didn’t mess with any of our other stuff back home, did’ja?”

“...there wasn’t much to be messed with.”

Quiet reigned. Once again, Surge was reminded of the situation she’d gotten Kit and herself in. Even if Kit was the smart one, she was supposed to be the adult of the two! Or, well…older sister! That was just how things worked! And, ugh, was Whisper feeling sympathetic? Chaos, she’d sooner kill the wolf and then herself before she’d let that happen.

“You didn’t need to get that puppet girl. Drippy’s smart. Real smart. Could’a figured it out eventually.”

“Perhaps. But it wasn’t an inconvenience.”

“I don’t give a crap if it took her ages or whatever! Look…I thought you said you’d rather die than have me join your little club.”

“...didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, but the idea was there. So. Why the change of heart?”

“Earlier at Eggperial City…saw everything. The fire in your eyes.”

“What, you mean that tussle with that quack doctor? Pssh, no need to spin it like I’m some sort of goody-two-shoes like you guys. I just had enough of that guy.”

“I agree. Like Tangle said, your moral compass is probably gathering dust somewhere.”

Surge shot her a glare. “What was that, you—”

“But better you two be a nuisance here than cause trouble elsewhere.” 

“Hmph. Don’t tell me you’re taking a liking to me now, even after what I did to ya.” Surge crossed her arms. “Cuz that’d be suuuuper boring.”

“Hardly.” She paused. “But the way you fought for someone you care about…isn’t disagreeable.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Take it however you will.” And with a flutter of her cloak, she stalked off to do…whatever it is prickly wolves do in their spare time. Whatever. She turned back to face the door, steeling herself mentally for what she was about to ask.

“…here goes nothing.”

Kit sat on the mattress, ruminating upon his position in the middle.

One path was obvious—continue to leave Surge in the dark, and pray she wouldn’t figure out his deceit. Even then, forks and more forks. Should he continue his treachery? Or stop before it was too late? Kit turned around: therein lay another path far too obscured by heavy snowfall to make out. But they lead somewhere, no doubt; Kit just didn't know where. All roads do. However, the uncertainty, the non-rigidness of it all—it scared him. And yet, as he stared back at the path he had been on, Kit couldn’t help but wonder: how long was he going to live in stopped time? 

He made a decision, then. Seeing Surge fight for him back at Eggperial City—he knew she deserved the truth. It was the least he could do.

A few minutes later, Surge entered their shared room. There seemed to be something in her grip, but upon eye contact, she quickly dropped whatever it was into her pocket. This was it… 

“Hey, Drippy. There’s something I have to ask you.”

“No—before that, I…have something to confess.”

“Whuh?”

“You know that time when the island nearly sunk, so we had to save the residents? And the bomb threats at that bank miles away, and the traffic was relentless?”

“Uh, yeah?”

He took a deep breath, then committed: "I…orchestrated all of those.”

Surge’s eyes widened. But before she could say anything, words continued to pour out from him like a tidal wave, “I blew up the buoys. I was the one who made that bomb threat. I was the one who disrupted traffic systems to cause all those roadblocks along the way. It was me! I was the one who…” He paused, but it did little to steady his breath. “I was the one who…” Chaos, why was he like this? “I just…wanted you to see me as useful. I’m sorry. I’m so, so—”

A mess of green and blue. Something barrelled into Kit—Surge—and enveloped him in a tight hug. What he once thought as truth shattered in the face of irrefutable evidence against it, and his world went topsy-turvy in its warmth. Surge smelled like everything he’d come to associate with safety: Restoration HQ’s cheap shampoo that everyone used, the air after a thunderstorm. He used to be wary of hugs. Still was. But not Surge's. They’d only hugged a few times, but Surge always hugged like she had the world in her arms. Now, he finally understood why.

“You’re…not mad at me?”

“I’m not mad,” Surge muttered into his back, “...not that mad, anyway.”

“But…you should be furious! I went behind your back! Multiple times!”

Surge pulled back, looking him straight in the eye. “Yeah. I would’ve been had you told me a few months ago. But after what happened…I get it now. Ya only did it ‘cause I wasn’t appreciative enough. That’s on me. So…I’m not gonna hate you for it.”

For some reason, that answer only made Kit disheartened. He wanted Surge to lash out, to scream at him, to punish him for arranging her stardom and accolades. That was the expected outcome, and he found comfort in that. It was what he was used to, what he deserved. But this? Understanding? Forgiveness? This was a side of Surge he had hardly seen. Why…why wasn’t she…

Tears welled in Kit’s eyes. How illogical of him. He’d tried so hard to gain her approval—something that he already had, long before. He was just too blind to see it.

“Aren’t…aren’t you at least disappointed?”

“Honestly, yeah. A little. But only because you felt the need to do all that. We’re way better than Sonic and Tails! We can show them up any day!” Her gaze drifted away. “I guess I was too crappy of an older sis to tell you that, though.” Kit’s eyes widened, but it seemed Surge didn’t realise what she’d just said as she went on. “So, I’ll put it to ya straight this time, Drippy: I, well, I guess…” After a moment of stammering, Surge stood up abruptly. “Ugh, I’m no good at this stuff! Look, I care about you. And nothing’s gonna change that, ya hear me?! And you better be listening with those large ears of yours, ‘cause I’m gonna keep drilling that into your head if you aren’t! Remember, not even dying stopped me from doing just that!”

Kit sniffled, rubbing his eyes as he gave Surge what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Yes. I’m listening well, ma’am.” 

“Good. Because I have something important to ask you.” Surge’s expression sobered. “Being by my side...is that what you want?”

“Huh? Wh-what do you mean?”

“You don’t hafta keep following me.”

Kit felt his heart drop. “But…it’s always been you and me, ma’am.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I wanna have more of that. You an’ me.” Surge looked away for a bit. “But you were someone else, too. No need to keep making choices revolving around me.”

And yet, despite the voice in his head screaming that Surge was upset, that he wasn’t useful, that he failed, his gaze and voice held firm: “I don't know where I want to go. But…I know I want to be by your side, whatever happens.”

In the end, all he got was a quiet response as Surge’s gaze drifted away. “...thanks, Kit.” Kit settled in the quiet of her harsh blinks. Regardless, her pep was down for only a moment before she rebounded back: “Well, if we’re gonna be an even closer package deal, we gotta establish a few things!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Okay, first off: none of that ‘ma'am’ crap anymore.”

Kit giggled slightly, but nodded.

“Secondly…there’s something I wanna give you.”

Surge dug through her pockets before producing that same broken pendant that she gifted him. Kit stared at it, dumbfounded, then accepted it. As he twisted the crown this time however, a soft melody guided the clock hands beneath the bird’s talons.

“You…you fixed it?”

“Wolfie gave it to me earlier. Puppetty girl probably fixed it an’ stuff…anyways! That doesn’t matter! I gave it because I…heard what you said when you thought I was gone for good. Just know that I’ll always be by your side, kicking butt alongside you. And hey! If there comes a time where I’m really not with’cha, then let this little birdie be a reminder, yeah?”

Sunlight broke free from the horizon, piercing through the window in quiet divinity. And Kit reached a revelation, then. He saw Surge in a light worn yet new: quills bounded up in her scrunchie, steady yet unkempt for the journey that awaited; toothy grin wide in her unabashedness, its confidence so reassuring; stance, battered yet tall.

One, two steps, and Kit was already burrowing into the crook of Surge’s neck. Surge herself let out a soft gasp; she didn’t expect him to give her a taste of her own medicine so readily! As the fennec fox nestled against her, feeling each heartbeat echo warmth into his chest, the tenrec realised just how small he was. But what did Kit not do? He was the enforcer of her will, the brains to her brawn, her only companion in this world…

In her arms, he was only eight years old.

“We’re not staying.”

“I see. That’s too bad. But not unexpected.”

“Oh? Big bad Poofball predicted everything?”

“You two have always struck me as free agents. Not on the side of good, but not evil either. Not completely, at least. Maybe you two are what’s needed. To end the cycle…”

“Wouldn’t that be nice.”

“Heh. You said something I can get behind. Well, I won’t hold you for long.”

“What are you gonna do now? Go back to managing boring crap?”

“Yes. It is my place. And…”

“Hm?”

“I will also wait. For the day when you two join our side.”

“...eh, keep dreaming.”

“It was once my dream to make this world a better place.”

“Uggghh, spare me. Not saying that us joining you fully won’t happen, but chances are, you’re gonna have to wait for a loooong time.”

“No matter. I understand the importance of being there regardless.”

“Ya ready, Kit?”

“Yes!”

It seemed a little silly to pump themselves up just to enter their home, but it felt appropriate. Much has happened since they last left their hearth. Together, they once again stepped foot into the cramped space snuggled between derelict buildings. There was no welcoming ceremony; all was quiet without the hubbub. Overhead, the skies were frosted with stars—but in a few hours, they will melt. That much is a certainty.

With the threads of time no longer frayed, the sun will rise to colour the world again the very next day. Trishaws will wheel over stone. Universes will be ended by alarm clocks. Machinations will be hatched; tired quips will be exchanged. But despite the customary rhythm, it will be a new day—novel experiences to be had; laws to be reforged anew. Hand in hand, they’ll walk a path whose ending was then uncertain. Perhaps it will be an unsatisfying one. Perhaps it may be a good one, or somewhere in between. Surge and he may never even get to realise that ending for themselves. But nothing is truly set in stone, not in their quaint little world where radicals can be denested, and what was once law can be undone.

Before, Kit had despised this world—for his creation, for its seemingly mindless inhabitants, for its cyclical nature. Though it’d be remiss to claim he now cherished what he once hated, he couldn’t deny that he’d gained a better understanding and appreciation of the equations that shaped it. Mathematics expresses the thought of creation; it seemed only fitting that there now existed an equation for his forged bond with Surge—one only they could truly understand. So many variables, so many unchallenged aspects, and yet Kit no longer felt discouraged by it all. Because no matter where he was, he could look to his side and take comfort in that constant forevermore: the knowledge that Surge would always be right beside him.