Work Text:
-It's not over yet, Sonic! I'll be back! - Eggman yelled while flying away with the remainings of his army.
-Sure, thing, Egghead. Can't wait to beat you up again!
Ivo tried to ignore the laughs of Sonic and his friends that resonated in his ears even after he got back to the lair. This was by far the most degrading defeat of all time! The new giant robot that he made (and was so proud of) malfunctioned during the fight and tried to destroy it's creator instead, so the young scientist had to beg Sonic and his friends for protection, while actively dodging chainsaw punches thrown at him. After being forced by Sonic and his friends (but mostly Sonic) to proclaim that he, Ivo Robotnik, aka dr. Eggman, is dumb and his inventions are dumb and useless and that Sonic and his friends are superior than him, did they finally help.
Being split in two by merciless chainsaws would have been less painful than a toll that Ivo's pride took, he could still feel small tremors in his hands, breathing slightly elevated. This loathsome hedgehog! Arrogant, cocky, vile-
-Hey, Doc, how did it went?
Orbot and Cubot entered the room, the yellow drone being as cheery as usual, excited to hear about his creator's achievements. But one look from the man was enough for Orbot to grab his companion and hastily leave, throwing some "we have to do some cleaning" as a quick excuse.
Where was he? Oh, right, Sonic, that wretched island hero! If only he never met him!
Ivo was sixteen when he escaped from the orphanage on a small distant island, escaping to a big city on Mainland. The young man had no family to lend back on. His father wasn't fit to be a parent, to say the least. When the state intervened, they took away his father's parental rights and placed little Ivo in a foster care. There he went from family to family before eventually ending up in an orphanage.
His time in the big city wasn't pleasant either, but, thanks to his brains and skills at building death machines, he survived and thrived. His genius inventions were impressive enough for the underground bosses to take him under their watchful eyes, making Ivo their personal arms dealer.
At nineteen, after getting his PhD and accumulating enough money, Ivo run yet again, somewhere far where those scary people couldn't find him. A small island by the name of "Bygone" was a nice fit. It was far away from the Mainland and filled with only mobians. But Ivo wasn't planning to just hide there and be forgotten, oh no, he wanted more, his ambitions were grand! He was smart, young, handsome, so why not to take over the island and make it his personal playground?
It should have been easy, the locals there were just weak minded mobians living in shacks made of wood and grass, they couldn't stand a chance against his grand inventions!
But his plans were foiled by group of misfit teens. This is when they first met. Sonic was fifteen at the time, but even at such young age he showed to be a formidable force, defeating Ivo's army in an instance.
There, at that moment, a small flicker of flame rose inside the young man. He dismissed it as anger and tried again to take over the island.
He lost.
Again and again and again Sonic (and his friends) were there to stop him, to foil his plans. And with each defeat, with each smirk, laugh, joke, interaction, accidental hugs this small flicker turned into a wildfire, burning Ivo alive.
Within those ten years of their rivalry Ivo convinced himself it was hatred. The easiest solution to his confusing feelings. He simply detests this stupid hedgehog for foiling his plans and he wants nothing more than to destroy him! What else, those burning feelings deep inside of his soul that keep him wake at night couldn't possibly mean anything else, right? Because he couldn't be...attracted...to Sonic...
Right?
Impossible! Ridicules! The hedgehog wasn't even that handsome, sure he had pretty smile, nice voice, his laugh was contagious, he was sharp-witted and confident, and his eyes sparkled like shiny emeralds...
Okay, maybe he does find Sonic a little bit attractive, but hey, a man can't appreciate another man's beauty? And so what if he thinks about Sonic all the time, seeks him out daily, seizes every opportunity to get closer to him, and reminisces their accidental hugs while hugging himself in bed at night--
"Can't believe my son is a fairy! Should have drowned you with your lousy mother!"
Nope.
Nope.
Nope!
Don't think about that, he isn't there, he won't hurt you.
Breathe.
Ivo tried to subside small shakes in his shoulders, the big white room suddenly feeling too open, too exposed. He turned the security to the max, activating lasers and deploying robots to guard the perimeter. That should do it, he was safe, away from everyone who ever hurt him, just him, in this big empty base with no other living soul in sight
...
He needs a distraction, Ivo knows best to not dwell too much on his feelings and emotions, especially when they mix like that, creating a toxic cocktail of self hatred and doubt.
With quick typing the screen turned on. Ivo typed some code, waiting for the loading to finish. The live feed of Sonic's home appeared, showing the blue hedgehog and Amy outside hero's house.
*it really wasn't nice, Sonic*
Seems like Ivo stumbled right in the middle of their conversation. He felt a bit guilty for spying on them, but he rationed that it was to get confidential information on these pests to plan his evil schemes...Definitely that!
*Argh, Ames! It was a joke!*
*No, it wasn't a joke, it was a mean insult!* the pink hedgehog folded her arms, starring at Sonic who was lounging in the sun.
Oh, were talking about Ivo's embarrassing speech this morning? The evil genius could feel red shame spilling on his cheeks, anger brewing anew.
Sonic grumbled something and Amy gave him "the look".
*What?! He deserves to be kick down a peg!*
*Alright, but you could have come around this situation differently, like trying to talk?*
*Yeah, right, like this worked out before.*
*Still, it was too harsh, Ivo was in a vulnerable position and you used this opportunity to humiliate him!*
*He's been annoying us for months now! He ruined our anniversary date! And last week he crashed your surprise birthday party! And last month he blew up the movie theater right when we were about to watch this new comedy you wanted to see for so long! Its like he's doing it on purpose!*
Ivo halted, he wasn't doing any of this on purpose, it was just a coincidence! He has a quota of at least one evil doings to fill for the week, it just so happens that it landed on those special occasions...
*Look, Amy, I love you, but I am NOT going to apologize to him, he's been such a pain in the butt recently--*
Ivo didn't listen for the rest of the conversation, the screen turned off, making room seem dull.
"I love you". How many times Ivo wanted to hear those words said to him? As a child, as a teen, and now as a man? So simple, three words, and yet, he's never heard them before. It was easy for the young man to convince himself that he was simply unlovable, undesired, unwanted.
Broken inside, unhealed, stupid for thinking he deserves kindness from others.
And Sonic was very clear about it. That's why it hurt so much, to know it will never be reciprocated. He will forever be just "Egghead" for the blue hero, an annoying loser villain who achieved nothing in life.
And what would it be in ten years from now? Sonic will marry Amy, have kids, have his perfect happy ending and Ivo will be...there. Watching his only love have what he desperately wanted for so long: family, affection, apprecicion, but denied his whole life.