Chapter Text
"And stay out you freak!"
Ivo was violently thrown out by a tiger mobian. He lands harshly against the gravel, feeling it shred little cuts against his soft skin. He makes a 'oof' noise when he lands. Ivo sits up to see the tiger glaring at him with venom.
"If I catch you near here again trying to steal I'll skin ya alive. Now get!"
The tigers growl scared the small boy, enough to make him run off. All while surrounding mobians watched him leave with disgust. Ivo with some bruises and cuts hides in the woods, he looks back to make sure no one was following him. When he felt it was safe he relaxed against a tree. Ivo huffs holding his stomach as it growls. He makes an uncomfortable grunt.
"Hungry..." He says out loud to no one obviously.
Ivo, age 5 has been out on his own for about 5 months now. The mobian that took care of him the first 5 years had left him. Unable to care for him anymore. He huffs. Like he needed her... as his stomach growls again he rethink that last statement. It was damn near impossible to get food on his own. Every town he went to he was chased out, had things thrown at him, even shot at a few times.
It's not like Ivo didn't know why. He knew how...different he was compared to others. He was a human, he knows this because his old caregiver told him this. Also about where he came from, earth. His parents were originally there till they found a way to mobious.
Ivo knows nothing of his parents, only the small bits his caregiver would willingly tell him and his father's old journal. He just can't wrap his head around it, why would his parents come here of all places. This planet was horrible! Everyone is so mean and scary..
His stomach growls again. Thankfully, Ivo isn't a normal kid. He's smart, terrifyingly smart. Hell if he wasn't he'd no doubt be dead by now.
No problem, he can't steal some food he'll scavenge for it. Ivo looks around in the bushes, seeing the various berries. His able to tell which ones were poisonous by its bright colors and spots. He identified some none poisonous ones and starts to harvest. Once he has a handful he begins to devour them. Appearing as a wild animal of sorts. When all is quite and the sun was setting.
A random flash of blue passes through the woods. Startling Ivo making him jump like a cat. He did a double take. What was that? "That was moving at the speed of light..." He said to himself. He looks in the direction of where the blur went. His rational side was telling him not to go. Whatever that was could be dangerous or...who knows what. But his kid brain was telling him to follow.
Despite Ivo's high intelligence, he is still a child. And curiosity is strong at this age. He follows where the blue light went. He walked for a pretty long time actually, eventually he reached an opening. At first nothing appeared to be there, maybe whatever passed was long gone. Then he saw it, a shuffle and sniff. Ivo squints his eyes trying to make out what it was. He steps closer.
"Is that...a hedgehog?"
It was a small, frail, blue hedgehog. It was shaking violently, looked beaten up pretty badly.
"There's no way...that light came from you?" He spoke to himself.
The hedgehog opens it's eyes, it takes a moment for it to freeze up. Quills standing high up. Claws spread out. Ivo backs away immediately. He's been scratched before, by fully adult mobians even. Even through this hedgehog looks really young Ivo wasn't taking any chances.
Ivo starts to slowly back away, keeping eye contact with the small hedgehog. All he had to do was get far enough and turn and run to safety. The hedgehog slowly relaxed when it noticed Ivo backing away.
The hedgehog watches him really closely. Then it's expression turns from fear to curiosity. It starts to follow him, head tilt curiously. Sniffing the air for his sent.
"L-leave me alone! Don't scratch me!" Ivo tried to sound demanding but the fear was clear in his voice. The hedgehog ears fell back. It shakes it's head.
"I..I won't hurt you..." It's voice was rough and scratchy. Probably a dry throat.
"Then stop following me!"
"Why?"
"Because you following me means you plan on hurting me!"
The hedgehog looked really confused now. "Why would I plan to do that?"
Ivo rolls his eyes annoyed. "I don't know, but that's what your kind does. Hurt me."
It's eyes widened. "My kind?"
Ivo nods, face serious. "Mobians." He said it like the very word should be sending a shiver down it's back. Like the mere mention of the species of enough to show someone how scary they were.
The hedgehog looked more confused. It shakes it's head. "Well...I don't know who would want to hurt you. But I don't want to do that.."
Ivo stops for a moment. "If you don't want to hurt me then what do you want?"
"Um...I don't know. I just want to see what you are..I never seen a mobian like you before.."
Ivo's face scrunched in disgust. "I'm not a stinky mobian! I'm a human."
"Hu-mon?" The hedgehog struggled to pronounce the new world.
Ivo sighs irritated. "Not 'humon', human. I came from earth."
"Oh..well how you get here?"
"Well...my parents came here for some mission. I don't know why though, this place is horrible.."
"You have parents?"
"Um.." Ivo looks down, pain clear in his expression. "I used to...."
The hedgehog sees Ivo's expression, his own face softened a little. "Hey don't feel bad..I don't have parents either..."
Ivo felt his chest tighten a bit, he hates when he feels like this. Especially when thinking about his parents. "Um...what was that anyway? I saw this blue light passing by, but when I followed it I only found you."
The hedgehog perks up, he smiled showing he has a few missing teeth. "That was me!"
Eggman made an unamused expression. "You? The speed that light was going is impossible for anyone to do. Especially you."
The hedgehog grin, suddenly getting cocky. "Oh yeah? Let me prove it. Watch this."
Before Ivo could say something he his pushed back by the sheer force of something passing him. It was that blue light again, it was gone less than a millisecond, then back right again. Ivo blinks awestruck. There's no way, that was the hedgehog!?
"H-how!? To move at such speed is impossible. Literally impossible!"
The hedgehog shrugs. "I dunno, just been able to do that since..ever."
Ivo, still taken back from what he saw. Slowly closed his mouth, eyebrow furrowed slightly.
"Huh...weird. Really weird...does..moving that fast hurt you?"
It shakes its head. "Nope! Not at all. Feels really good actually. Running normally is soo slow and boring! I can be anywhere at anytime."
"Huh...so you have like supersonic speed..."
The hedgehogs ears perked up. "Sonic...speed?"
Ivo nods. "Uh..yeah. You know speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound? I mean I don't know how fast you run exactly but..I'd say something like that maybe."
The hedgehog nods not really listening. "Yeah...sonic speed...sonic..that sounds nice.."
Ivo looks at it like super speed wasn't the weirdest thing about it. "Right. Um..anyways. I'm going to go."
The hedgehog snaps out of his thoughts. "Huh? Wait where are you going?"
"Um..away? It's dark out. I need to find shelter."
The hedgehog blinks. "Oh. Ok, where we going?" It smiles following him.
"Um. I'M going to find a place to sleep. You go off and do whatever it is you did before."
The hedgehog stops. Ears pointing down. "But, I was alone before..."
Ivo paused. He looks at the hedgehog expression suddenly getting cold. "That's life, get over it."
As Ivo walks away the hedgehog panics. "Wait! Please! I can be useful to you! I can take you anywhere you want, i-i can help you get uh sticks?" Ivo kept walking. "I can get you food!" The hedgehog yells eyes closed and fist balled.
Ivo stops and turns looking hopeful. "Food? R-really?"
The hedgehog nods violently. "Yes...please don't leave me..."
Ivo thinks for a moment then sighs. "Alright, but once you become useless to me I'm cutting you off."
The hedgehog smiled tail wagging. It runs up to Ivo, getting uncomfortably close. Ivo frowns. "No touching."
The hedgehog looked disappointed but moves back a bit. As they walk in silence the hedgehog speaks up.
"Hey... what's your name?"
"Ivo. Ivo Robotnik. I assume I have to ask yours?"
The hedgehog smiles big again. "Sonic!" It jumped excited.
Ivo raised a brow. "Sonic? Really? Who named you that?"
"Uhhh...I did."
"Well what about a last name? Don't tell me it's just Sonic."
"Um...Sonic, the hedgehog?"
Ivo looks at him then rolls his eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."
The two walk deep into the woods, the stars being their light.
.
.
.
Ivo was scavenging in the woods. He was looking for a particular material, metal. He's been gathering all sorts of resources, wires, bolts, ect. Any to get his hands on.
He lets out a grunt as he pulls a huge sheet of it out of a hole he dug. "Huh..this will do nicely."
He drags the metal sheet back to shelter. Which was just a cave really with leaves and wood shilding the opening to keep the cold out. But it's way better than being outside unprotected. Ivo puts the metal sheet down on his side of the cave. He had to make it very very clear who's side was who. Sonic was very...clingy and touchy. Ivo had a harm time getting Sonic off of him. From hugging to standing to close in his space. The kid was weird. But eventually he made the boundaries clear, which Sonic seemed really hurt by for some reason. But that wasn't his problem, they weren't friendly by any means. He's only here because Ivo needs him for food.
Which Sonic gets pretty easily, compared to Ivo. He doesn't get chased out of town or threatened by the owners. No Sonic is just a normal child in there eyes. Not a freak like Ivo was. If we're being honest Ivo is pretty bitter comparing the treatment he gets compared to Sonic.
While he gets bottles thrown at him, Sonic is oooed and awwed. So unfair. But Sonic doesn't seem to understand when Ivo brings it up.
"Why do they treat you like that? You're just a kid like me?"
Ivo scoffs. "Well not to them I'm not."
Sonic huffed hands on his hips. "Well what do they know? They just haven't gotten to see how cool you really are!"
Yeah right. Ivo knows Sonic is only around to use him for something. What is it exactly? Well he doesn't know, but he knows the hedgehog isn't around willingly!
That's another thing about Sonic that annoyed Ivo. His friendliness. Sonic always acts like they're friends for something, cracking bad jokes, physical touch, talking to him about whatever brain dead thought comes to him. He's obviously pretending to like Ivo, he doesn't know why Sonic is putting on a front. He makes his own intentions clear that all this is just transactional. But the hedgehog chooses to be fake for some reason.
As Ivo placed the sheet metal he just found in his metal pile. Sonic comes speeding in loud as always. "Hey Ivy! I got us lunch!"
"I told you to stop calling me that."
Sonic ears fall back, he grins sheepishly. "Sorry Ivy, i-i mean Ivo!"
Ivo rolls his eyes. He looks up see what Sonic brought for lunch. His nose slightly scrunched up. "What is that?"
"Oh, they're chilly dogs! I got these for free by a nice man." He took a bite out of the plate of chilly dogs. "Mm, it's really good! Here try some." He puts one in Ivo's face. He takes it examining it.
"Well. It's either this or starving." He takes a bite chewing slowly. Sonic waits for his reaction leaning in tail wagging. "Weeellll? Good right?"
Ivo pushed him back slightly. "It's sufficient."
Sonic snorts. "Ok Mr. Hard to please."
The two continued to eat in silence, Sonics tail wagging. He loved when it was just them being close. Ivo not off being antisocial hiding away or working on his strange project, and Sonic not out running like a maniac being anywhere and everywhere. It was just them and their own company..it's nice.
Sonic looks over in Ivo's 'workshop' he was building a uh robot or something? "How's your project coming along?"
Ivo stops mid chew for a moment looking back at his barley started project. "Eh, it's coming along. Hard to build a fully functional robot though off of scraps."
Sonic leans over a bit humming in thought. "Oh! How about I get you some things you need? I don't mind."
Ivo squints suspicious. "Oh yeah? What's it you want in return huh?"
Sonic shakes his head. "I don't want anything in return. Just helping out a friend."
Ivo squints. "We're not friends."
Sonic smirks. "Oooh yeah? What do you call us then hm? We live together, eat together, everything! We are totally best friends! Also I know everything about you."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
Sonic hums exaggerated. "Welllll I know you are super smart!"
Ivo scoffs. "Wow. What gave you that clue."
"Hold on hold on I got more. I know you like the color red! Mmm you stargaze a lot, you also like everything a certain way. Very organized and clean, you're not a fan of touching, your nose scrunch up in a cute way when you're focused."
Ivo eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
Sonic blushed sweating slightly. "Ah-ha nothing! Um..anyways I know you well. If you know it or not."
"Yeah well, that stuff doesn't mean anything. You can know my deepest secret and we still wouldn't be friends."
Sonic huffs at that, arms crossed. "You're mean."
"Took you this long to notice?"
Sonic's cheeks puffed out. He was pouting. "Well..even if you are a meanie you're still my friend. So I'll be nice and just ignore that." Soon Sonic pout was replaced with a smile.
"Hey how about we play a game?"
"I don't do games. They're beneath me."
Sonic dramatically sighs rolling over on the floor. "Uuuugh! You never want to play with me!"
"Choas you're such a child."
Sonic sits up blinking rapidly. "Exactly! And so are you!"
"I'm too..mature to pretend that we are on the same level. I exceed you in many ways. What you see is fun I see as stupid."
"Come oooon. Just one game. One game and I promise I'll drop it. For a moment." He mumbled the last part.
Ivo dramatically sighs. "Fine. Just one, then you leave me alone for a whole day."
"Make it 30 minutes."
"No a day."
"25 minutes?" Sonic smirks.
"Ugh! 3 hours max. At least."
Sonic hums. "Mmm alright!" He grabs Ivo's hand pulling him out of their cave. Sonic ignored Ivo's fussing laughing as run wild in the woods.
Sonic smiles bright, feeling a lightness in his chest. He hopes it can just be them forever.