Chapter Text
Dark-red dirt crumbled in Summer's claws as she dug under the rusty chain-link fence. The aardvark flinched as the fence rattled from her work, and she prayed the noise had gone unnoticed.
Squeezing herself through the gap she'd created, Summer got to her feet and sprinted into the night. Glancing behind she could see the wood-worn houses of Sparkling Springs. For all eight years of her life she'd called it home. Now she could only call it a prison.
Summer turned away, focusing on the path ahead. The land was flat in all directions, punctuated by the odd sky-piercing hoodoo, and the moon and stars shone down to give her light. She loved the sight of the moon, and would often climb to the roof of her house and watch the twinkling tapestry until bedtime.
With hastened footsteps, Summer trudged across the cold desert. Every so often, she’d jump at a shrub’s rustle or the pitch of a gust of wind. She was certain that something would get her; it was only a matter of time.
Dark, unfamiliar clouds moved across the sky, shrouding the moon from view. The light dimmed, and Summer could barely see anymore. A rock caught her shoe and she ate dust, smacking her face into the earth. Tears welled in her eyes at the pain, but she grit her teeth and picked herself up. She tasted blood and wanted nothing more than to run home to her parents.
But she was the only one who could save them. She was the only one small enough to escape. She had to get help.
She needed Sonic the Hedgehog.
The sound of wheels on earth caught her attention, and Summer whirled. Stark, electrical light scanned across the flat landscape, and it only took seconds for it to fall upon her.
Summer screamed, scrambling away from the light. A cacophonous whine of engines grew closer, joined by creaking metal and clanking gears. The light grew brighter as the monster approached, cutting the darkness away like a rusty blade. Summer had no hope of escape, only blindly running in fear. As the beast's two lamp-eyes zeroed in on her, she let the tears fall. She had failed.
Summer gasped as the machine slammed into her, rolling her through the dirt. She began to cry as the fear and pain chilled her. The beast surrounded her, its long serpentine body encircling her, its twenty wheels revving and churning up dirt, the laser gun on its tail shaking like a rattlesnake.
The giant jaws of the machine clanked down on her chequered shirt, hauling her up into the air like a cat with its kitten. The two cold-white lights on its face blinded her with its intensity. Summer shut her eyes, and prayed it would be over soon.
The machine turned to move back toward Sparkling Springs, but it paused, listening. Summer could hear it too; another mechanical engine, crisp and pure in contrast to the snake's unequal medley.
Summer fell, the beast dropping her from its mouth. Summer hit the dirt, dust spraying up around her, causing her to cough. She turned to watch as the monster churned the earth, racing off towards its new prey: a lone motorbike travelling through the badlands.
Summer winced as the beast tore into the vehicle, chomping through the front wheel and flipping it over, smashing it into the ground. She blinked, trying to shoo away the tears that blurred her vision. Part of her brain told her to hurry up and run, but the rest of her wouldn't move.
The monster finished its thrashing, its headlights scanning through the wreckage of the motorbike for its driver. Summer squinted. She could see a figure, silhouetted by the pale hint of dawn, but there was no way the machine could; the motorbike's owner was standing on the beast's head.
"Where do you get off…" The rider's hand curled into a fist, and Summer could swear she saw lightning spark from it. The fist punched straight through the robot's head. "...wrecking my bike!?"
The machine twisted and thrashed in simulated pain, trying desperately to knock off its assailant. Its tail gun rose up, wildly firing a spray of lasers that blasted sand into small pockets of glass. A few of the shots landed around Summer, and she covered her head as dirt rained down on her.
The rider avoided the shots by leaping into the air, landing a few feet in front of Summer. The machine's wheels churned into the ground as it zoomed away, turning and spraying up dirt, angling for a ramming attack.
The person was only a silhouette in the darkness, but they glowed with a faint green light. "C'mon then!" They shouted at the robot. "You waitin' for me to die of old age?"
The machine revved all six engines then thundered forward, directly towards them. Summer quaked as the robot's headlights illuminated them, growing brighter and brighter. The rider stood between Summer and the machine, a dark shape blocking out the light.
“Let’s see how you like it!”
Just before the machine rammed into them, Summer shut her eyes. There was the sound of rending metal and the smell of rust and ozone. Summer felt heat and wind pass by on her left and her right, and then it was silent.
She was suddenly aware of how heavy she was breathing. She looked behind her and could see two distinctly long shapes separated by a few feet. The insides of the rattlesnake robot glowed red with heat, sizzling in the cold air; the monster had been bisected completely down the middle.
The clouds blocking the moon dissipated, shining down on them, revealing the person before her. They had short fur, with long spines tied upward above their head, two of which tucked around their chin like tusks. They wore a black and yellow jacket, steel-capped, yellow shoes, and a strange, canister-like backpack with nozzles sticking out the bottom.
Hope sprung within Summer; she knew who this was, she’d heard stories about him. He was faster than the wind, able to take down robots without breaking a sweat, and fought with all his might so that everyone might be free.
”Thank you so much, Sonic the Hedgehog!”
The rider spun, a flicker of surprise on their face, as though they had just realised Summer was there. Now that Summer got a better look at him, she began to doubt her initial assumptions. This person had spines, but they weren’t hedgehog spines. Her fur was green, not blue. And she was a she, judging by the length of her eyelashes.
“Oh, kid...” She looked at Summer with a complicated expression, a strange half-sneer, as if she’d heard a joke that was both funny and upsetting. “If only you knew...”
---
Summer picked up a ruined handlebar and brought it over to a growing pile of twisted scrap next to the green… uh… “So, you’re not a hedgehog?” Summer asked sheepishly.
“Tenrec.” The rider, who had introduced herself as Surge, corrected her. “Similar, but not the same.” She placed the front wheel of her bike to the frame, but even Summer could tell there was no fixing it. Surge snorted and muttered to herself. “Like a whole lot of other things…”
Summer stepped back, then looked at the snake robot’s smoking carcass; they would notice their machine was gone soon enough, and then they’d come looking for her.
Surge heaved a dramatic sigh. “Looks like someone owes me a new bike.” She hopped to her feet and dusted the sand from her slacks. “And I’m holding you responsible.”
“What!? Me!?” Summer spun, mouth agape. “But… that wasn’t-!“
“Apapap!” Surge raised a finger. “You said I saved you from this badnik.” She leaned forward and prodded Summer in the ribs. “That means you owe me, got it?”
Summer stared in shock, then her face hardened. She’d thought she’d found a hero, but she was just another thug.
“Now, where do you live?” Surge shielded her eyes from the morning sun, scanning the horizon. “Hmm. There, right?”
Summer looked over her shoulder, and was shocked to see that Sparkling Springs was still in view. She had felt like she’d walked for hours, but she’d barely moved a mile. The crushing realisation of her failure weighed down on her.
”C’mon, I’m sure someone has a bike I can borrow.” Surge sauntered off in the direction of the town, kicking rocks like a bored kid.
A sudden shock of fear seized Summer. “W-wait, I can’t go there! I need help!”
”No kiddin’.” Surge groused. “Who chooses to live in a desert? Honestly.”
“That’s not what I meant!” Summer ran up to Surge and tugged on her jacket. “There are bad guys in charge! They’re dangerous!”
”So am I.” Surge turned, pinching two fingers over Summer’s hand. A static shock leaped between them, forcing a yelp out of Summer and making her to let go. “Now we’re gonna go over there, and you’re gonna point me in the direction of the nearest set of wheels, alright?”
Summer set her face into her best scowl. “No!”
Surge grinned and nodded in approval of her defiance. “Too bad!”
Surge grabbed Summer’s arm. Before Summer could even protest, there was a sudden rush of wind. She blinked, and they were standing slap bang in the middle of the town square.
Sparkling Springs was a town in decline. There were barely a handful of people visible between the two-dozen buildings. Bags of trash and heaps of metal scrap littered the place, flies buzzing around the mess. The old sign with the town’s name on it hung loosely from a single rusty wire, lopsided and creaking. Several of the houses had collapsed, with the detritus blocking the roads.
”Sheesh.” Surge raised an eyebrow as she took in the sight. “What a dump. No wonder you wanted to get away.”
”I can’t be here!” Summer hissed quietly, neck on a swivel. They were already starting to garner attention. She turned and ran for the nearest alley.
“Woah there!” Surge was still holding onto Summer’s wrist, holding her back. “What about my bike?”
Summer responded by kicking Surge in the shins and squirming out of her grip.
“Ow?” Surge frowned, seemingly unharmed.
“Please!” Summer begged. “I have to get-“
”You there!” Summer looked over Surge’s shoulder to see a raccoon in a black shirt and leather boots approach, a mean look under his wide-brimmed cap. “Haven’t seen you ‘afore.”
”You want something?” Surge turned to address this newcomer, and Summer took that opportunity to flee.
She ran out of fear, stumbling along the streets of Sparkling Springs. If she could just get home-
A metal bird foot stomped the ground in front of her, blasting sand into her face. Summer stopped short and coughed in the dust. Squinting through the cloud, Summer paled as she looked up into the face of a robotic ostrich.
”Well, well!” The ostrich turned, revealing a blue-skinned gecko riding on its back. The gecko had on a copper cowboy hat and a brown scarf covering his mouth. “If it isn’t Little Sum-Sum? Out breaking curfew, are we?” The gecko crossed his arms over his lap, leaning down with mock concern. “You know what the penalty is, don’t’cha? You musn’t care about your mom and pop at all!”
Summer’s fists tightened into balls. She could feel the tears brimming at the corners of her eyes again, but she was too tired to care. “Leave them alone!” She cried out, sobbing. She looked around for help, but the townsfolk avoided her gaze, afraid to jump in.
“Oh, of course! We will…” The gecko nodded sagely. “Just after we work the life out of ‘em in the mines!”
As the gecko cackled, Summer could feel her hopes melting into a soggy puddle. There was no saving her family, no getting help. She couldn’t take much more. With a last, despairing cry, she raised her fist and punched the leg of the ostrich robot.
KA-BOOM!
Shingles from a nearby house clattered onto the street as an explosion rocked the town. Sand and dust blasted through the street, once again choking Summer.
”What in tarnation?!” The gecko whipped his mount around and raced down the street.
Summer stared up at the sky, wondering what on Mobius was going on now? She could hear yelling, a metallic squawk, and then-
The gecko and his ostrich burst through one of the dilapidated buildings, rolling across the street to land in a jumbled heap. The robotic ostrich was now headless, and it's heavy body pinned the gecko to the ground.
Stunned, Summer turned to the collapsing building, its destruction revealing the town square on the other side. Several members of the gang lay in a heap, with Surge standing on top.
”I’m not asking for much here, people!” Surge scolded, tossing the ostrich’s head away like an empty bag of crisps. “I’m just looking for a ride!” Surge caught sight of Summer and pointed. “There you are!” She climbed down the pile of unconscious thugs. “What’s the problem with these guys, huh?”
A shadow fell over her. “Look out!" Summer cried in alarm.
A muscular capybara in suspenders swung down a hammer made from the head of a robotic rhino. The rhino's horn would have pierced Surge's skull, but she sidestepped with the ease of a pedestrian avoiding a puddle. The hammer shook the ground, heavy as an anvil.
Surge shrugged to herself. "I'm starting to suspect I'm not welcome."
The capybara grunted, twisting the hammer's grip. Jet fire spewed from the back of the hammer, rocketing the rhino head into a devastating uppercut.
Surge had just enough time to bring up her guard before the hammer slammed into her, launching her off her feet. She sailed through the air, crashing onto a tiled rooftop.
"Ow… Okay, I guess it's not a suspicion anymore…"
She sat up, rubbing the bruises on her wrists. Her ears perked up at the sound of buzzing, and her eyes widened. She threw herself flat as a whirring propeller sliced through the air above her. Surge rolled across the roof, slipping slightly on the smooth tiles, hopping to her feet.
Her new assailant was a grungy-haired lynx wearing a stained poncho. Her fists were hidden inside two green and black egg shaped robots with propellers on the tips. She advanced, jabbing at Surge with whirling walls of blades. Surge ducked, and the sharp blades sliced through the solid brick of the house’s chimney.
Surge frowned. “Those aren’t your run-of-the-mill weapons, are they?”
The lynx bared her fangs in a smug grin and struck again. Surge kicked off the chimney and slid under the whirring blades, sweeping the lynx's feet. The lynx toppled, her saws going wide, digging into the rooftop and dragging her around. Surge had to scamper backward to avoid getting decapitated by the wildly flailing blades.
The lynx rolled to free her weapons, standing and bringing them to bear. With a snarl, she leapt, striking and slashing with dangerous blows.
The saw-like propellers forced Surge backwards. She cursed, turning and using her speed to leap across the alley to the next building.
The lynx pursued, using her propellers to glide across the gap.
Summer watched the battle with her heart in her mouth. Surge fought like no one she'd ever seen before. She didn't like the green tenrec, but if Surge could win this fight…
As Surge scurried for space, a chain of purple orbs, tipped by a robotic scorpion tail lashed around her leg. A crow in sunglasses pulled on the whip, dragging her down towards the ground. Surge lost her footing and fell from the rooftop. A pile of rotting barrels caught her, splintering into a mucky heap.
“No…” Summer gasped, watching in despair as the small hope that had budded in her chest was once again brought low. She sank to her knees, watching the posse of goons surround the dust cloud. The capybara hefted his hammer, the crow coiled his whip, and the lynx dropped off the roof to the ground, propellers buzzing. They approached, ready to strike the final blow.
The dust cloud glowed green.
Surge blasted from the cloud as a spinning green ball, striking the large capybara in the chest. He staggered back, grunting as he ignited the flames on his rhino hammer.
Surge danced backward, taunting with a wicked smirk. “Alright, you guys want a real fight!?" She punched her fists together, electricity sparking from them. "You got one!”
The crow swung the scorpion whip in a wide arc. Surge somersaulted backwards, the robotic whip tickling the spines of her back. The crow struck again, but this time Surge snatched the whip and twirled, yanking the crow forward. They swapped places, and the crow had just enough time to squawk before the rhino hammer blasted him in the face, cracking his glasses.
“Are you guys even trying?” Surge vaulted over the reeling capybara, kicking him in the back of his head. The lynx was there, ready to meet her with two fistfuls of spinning blades. Surge rolled forward, skittering just beneath the saw-like propellers and between the lynx’s legs. The propellers dug into the dirt, just missing Surge, spraying up sand into the lynx’s face. As she pulled up her weapons, Surge rebounded, slamming into the lynx’s back, shoving her towards her compatriots. The dangerous propellers buzzed forward, swinging wildly. The capybara blanched, hurriedly throwing up his hammer to block the spinning blades.
The propellers sheared through the haft of the hammer, the heavy head falling heedlessly onto the capybara’s foot, landing with an uncomfortable crunch.
“You guys need a minute?” Surge asked with mock concern. The crow, his fractured sunglasses askew, struck at her face with the scorpion whip. The lynx attacked her back, propellers raised to kill.
Surge closed her eyes, instincts alive with electric fervour. She twisted her shoulders, the whip passing harmlessly by her head. The lynx’s eyes grew wide as the whip entangled her propellers, the engines chugging ominously. The crow stumbled forward, letting go of his weapon to avoid getting pulled in, but Surge was ready with a sucker punch to the gut.
The lynx struggled to free the whip from her weapons, but the strain on their engines was too much, belching gouts of black smoke as the machinery died.
She looked up to see Surge holding the other end of the whip. Surge raised an imperious eyebrow, and the lynx stuttered. "W-wait-"
Electric currents bolstered Surge's augmented muscles. She heaved the whip, dragging the lynx around in a screaming arc, slamming her into the crow and then the capybara. Without wasting a moment, Surge ran laps around the trio, tying them up together.
Surge crackled with electricity, holding the end of the whip with one hand. She leaned over the three goons with an amused leer. "And what did we learn today, kids?"
They looked back at her with a mix of frustration and confusion.
"Beware the thunder..." Surge smiled, then channeled all of her charged up electricity down the robotic coil. The trio shuddered and quailed as the lightning blasted through them, frying the fight out of them. "Cuz the lightning's soon to follow."
The three goons coughed and groaned in defeat as Surge mic-dropped her end of the whip onto the dusty ground.
“How…” Summer approached from behind, staring at the defeated hooligans. “How did you do that?”
Surge dusted her hands with satisfaction. “I’m just that good. Now…” She rounded on the little girl, “about my ride out of here-”
”But you can fight!” Hope sparkled in Summer’s eyes, bright enough to make Surge recoil. “You can save us from-”
“Woah there,” Surge interrupted with a finger pressed against Summer’s mouth. “I get it, but I’ve got something super important to do, and I can’t waste time with nobodies like them.”
”But…” Summer objected, however Surge had already lost interest, sauntering across the square. She stared at Surge’s back, lost for words. If she had as much power as this tenrec, she’d fight to save as many people as she could. It was unfair, that this thug could be so strong and yet care so little. Her fists balled by themselves, her teeth ground against each other, and her frustration boiled over. “You’re a coward.”
Surge paused, turning her head and regarding Summer with a look of dismal bemusement, as though she were watching a badly acted play.
Summer stepped forward. “I’m glad you’re nothing like Sonic the Hedgehog. The whole world would be lost if he was anything like you.”
”Don’t think I won’t punch you.” Surge warned, deadpan.
“Fine. Do it.” Summer glared. “It’s not like you’ll do any good, no matter what you do. You’re just as bad as these guys, if not worse!”
Surge suddenly appeared before her, wind blasting with the speed of her movement. Her expression could be called nothing less than ‘thunderous’.
Summer stood her ground, staring up at the green menace. “You… you won’t save anyone… because…” Tears pooled in the corners of her scowl. “You can’t. You can’t save anyone.”
Surge pulled back her fist, and Summer flinched, shutting her eyes. She waited, expecting a blow, but it never came.
Summer gingerly peeked up at Surge, who was staring at her own fist like it was a hideously alien object.
There was a wheezing snicker. “Kid’s got your number, greeny...” It was one of the bandits, the crow, still tied up and coughing from the electric shock. “A coward like you better be good at runnin’, cuz there ain’t no hiding from our boss.”
“He gives us tools and robots, weapons and money!” The lynx chimed in, the group regaining their mojo after Summer’s chiding. “With it, the Rust Devils will be the toughest gang in the whole of Frontier Canyon!”
“We gonna own ‘dis zone.” The capybara added with grumpy snort. “And our boss gonna gift it to us.”
“Like I care…” Surge muttered, turning away.
“That’s right! Run away!” The crow cackled and sneered at Surge. “No one messes with Dr Robotnik!”
Summer’s bottom lip trembled; just hearing the name made her shiver. Her parents were being held captive by that horrendous madman, and the very thought filled her bones with ice.
Surge, however, was suddenly all smiles. “You tellin’ me that you’re working with Eggman?” None of them had seen her move; yet she was leaning over the trio of goons with an air of bubbly joy. “He’s here?”
The crow was not expecting this reaction to the threat of Robotnik. “Y-yeah, he’s here…”
Surge performed a surprisingly adorable jig of joy. “Hahah! Yes! I thought it would take forever to find anything in this stupid desert!” She turned back to the gang. “Now tell me…”
Lightning blasted around Surge like a green halo, a thunderous wave of sound rippling out and shaking the town walls. The captive trio leaned away as far as they could, terrified of the electric demon towering over them. Her eyes were bright with energy, and her voice grim and guttural as she demanded:
“WHERE???”