Getting Up To Speed…

Sonic was absently swirling the tea around in his cup. He’d never been really fond of the stuff, but he had been raised to be polite. Especially to old friends. He’d gotten used to Miles appearance now. The fox had obviously hardened due to his experiences over the past twenty years, but beneath it all, he could still see the little boy he knew so well.

Julie-Su was another thing entirely. The tomboyish young female he remembered had certainly bloomed into a true beauty. He was aware that echidnas lived longer than most other species on Mobius. The thirty-seven year old female still had many years ahead of her. Though he had to admit…she did look sad…

‘Can’t say I blame her for that…’ He sighed.

Lara-Su suddenly looked towards the entrance. “We got company.” She announced as she rose to greet them. Sonic raised a brow. It would seem she had inherited her father’s senses…he hadn’t heard a thing.

He heard a delighted squeal as something small and green wrapped itself around Lara-Su’s neck, and continued to giggle like a maniac. “Hello, Vertice.” She sighed as she took gentle hold of the little crocodile’s tail and unwound her. She held her up by her thick strong tail, smiling at her as she continued to giggle.

“Vertice?” Sonic echoed. “What kind of a name is Vertice?”

“Are you dissin’ on my girl?” A familiar voice enquired. Sonic smiled at Vector’s beaming face. The little crocodile squealed again and began swinging on her tail as she held her hands out to him.

“YOU have a daughter?” Sonic asked incredulously.

“Hard to believe someone managed to tame the croc?” Vector arched a brow.

“HA!” The graceful female crocodile snorted as she took Vertice from Lara-Su. “Tamed? You’re barely housebroken.”

Sonic threw Vector a glance and punched him in the arm. “You dog! She’s gorgeous! How’d you manage to land a babe like her?”

“I think she just felt sorry for him.” Miles chimed in.

“Hey!” Vector grumbled.

“It’s not everyday you find a croc that can move like Vector…” She smiled at him as she came up to stand beside him. Vertice brightened even more as she climbed up on to her father’s shoulder. “I’m Susanna.” She said, holding a hand out towards the hedgehog.

Sonic took her hand. “I’m Sonic.” He returned the introduction. “But you probably already know that…”

“Oh, yes.” She smiled. “I know ALL about you.”

“All good I hope.”

She just smiled.

“Man!” Vector shook his head as he circled the hedgehog. “I still find it hard to believe…”

“Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!” Vertice cried happily as she spun in circles across the floor.

“Oh, yeah.” Sonic smirked. “She’s your kid all right…”

As she continued to spin across the floor, she crashed into a tall, dark brown-furred creature that Sonic couldn’t identify. He resembled an echidna, but his snout was far too long and curved down slightly at the end. And he was huge! He was even taller than Vector.

“Hello, Vertice.” He rumbled in a deep, melodious voice as the little crocodile beamed up at him, holding up her arms for a hug, which he happily obliged. He cast his large, deep brown eyes in Sonic’s direction.

“Dad…” A voiced whined from behind the giant. “The rest of us would like to get in.”

“Do not whine, Kanku.” He turned to address the voice as he deposited the little crocodile back on the floor. “It is unbecoming.”

“Oh for crying out loud, Kurlanga.” Moni-Ca’s voice came from behind him. “Just shift your butt.”

“You should not speak that way in front of the children.” He said to her in his deep rumble of a voice, turning slightly to look down at her. “You will teach them bad habits.”

“They’re fifteen years old, Kurlanga.” She sighed. “They’ve already learned all the bad habits they’re going to learn.”

He raised a brow as he considered this, then smiled and nodded. “You are probably right.” He admitted. He stepped aside and Sonic could now see the familiar lilac-furred echidna. Despite the massive height difference, it was obvious from the way the pair looked at each other that they were a couple. He noticed that they both wore a golden armband around their upper left arm. Each was identically decorated with a series of little suns, complete with sunbeams, interspersed with tightly coiled scrolls. He had noticed Julie-Su was wearing a similar armband, though it bore a stylised flame motif.

Then he noticed the two younger echidnas, which each shared characteristics of both Moni-Ca and the giant Kurlanga. They were obviously the children that he had spoken of…their children.

The male more closely resembled his father, with the same dark eyes, thought there was a purple tint to his fur and his beak-like snout was not as long. He was quite tall, about the same height Knuckles had been when Sonic had first met him. The girl was almost a mirror image of Moni-Ca though she had her father’s dark eyes. She was taller too, only a little shorter than her brother. Moni-Ca had said they were fifteen years old, so Sonic assumed they were twins.

“Sonic…” Miles said. “I’m sure you remember Moni-Ca…” He indicated the lilac echidna. “This is Kurlanga…her partner.”

The tall creature offered his hand. “I have heard many tales of you…” He said as he grasped Sonic’s wrist rather than his hand. Sonic clasped Kurlanga’s wrist in return. He raised a brow at the slightly curious look on the hedgehog’s face. It was an expression he was used to. “I am Bruijini.” He told him.

“Bruijini?” Sonic echoed.

“One of the three tribes of echidna.” He explained.

“I thought you were an echidna.” Sonic nodded. “You look a little different…but not a whole lot…”

“Yeah…” The young male spoke up. “Different branch of the same family tree…otherwise I guess we wouldn’t be here. I’m Kanku.” He jerked a thumb at his sister. “And that’s Rebe-Ca.”

“I can speak for myself, Kanku.” She protested.

“Do not start…” Kurlanga warned softly.

“Don’t sweat it, Dad.” Kanku smiled. “We’re cool.” He looked down as Vertice suddenly wrapped herself around his leg. “Hey, lizard lips.” He beamed down at her. “You wanna go play outside?”

“Yeah!” She smiled up at him.

“You two comin’?” He called to his sister who was talking to Lara-Su. “Or you wanna hang with the olds?” Sonic had to suppress a chuckle when he noticed just about every one of his friends bristle at being called old.

After the quartet of youngsters had headed outside, Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Miles before he could even utter a word.

“Don’t say it.” He warned. “We are NOT old!”

“I wasn’t going to say that.” Sonic looked at him, all wide-eyed innocence.

“Yeah, right…” Vector mumbled. “Just remember, we crocs live about a hundred and fifty years…”

“And we echidnas live even longer…” Moni-Ca added.

~~~~~

“Isn’t it a little archaic for the girls to be doing all the cooking?” Sonic asked. As the reunion had continued on towards night, Julie-Su, being the proper hostess, had offered to fix everyone some dinner. Moni-Ca, Susanna and Kurlanga had offered to help.

“Don’t get too comfortable…” Vector told him. “The cooks don’t do the washing up…”

“I see…” Sonic said softly.

The trio had moved out onto the veranda that seemed to surround the entire dwelling. The four youngsters were now paddling about in the large natural pond that made up half of the back yard, each apparently a very accomplished swimmer, even the little Vertice, but then she WAS a crocodile.

Sonic sighed. It was all so hard for him to absorb. So many of his dearest friends were gone. He couldn’t even begin to miss them. It was just too much to comprehend. He watched Lara-Su as she executed a perfect dive towards the water. She levelled out, scant seconds before she would have hit the surface, and skimmed across it to the other side where she landed without so much as a drop in her fur.

“Show off!” Kanku cried out.

“She’s a lot like her dad, isn’t she?” Sonic noted.

“Yeah.” Vector agreed softly.

“Do you think Julie-Su’s right about him…” He began.

“Sonic…” Miles warned.

“What?”

“I know where you’re going with this.” He turned his mix-matched eyes on him.

“We followed Julie-Su’s lead when she insisted he was alive.” Vector said. “We figured it was her way of coping…that deep down she knew the truth…we should have never let it go as far as it has…”

“But what if she’s right?” Sonic cut in. “What if he’s cooling his heels somewhere in Robotropolis waiting for you to rescue him? We owe it to him…we owe it to Julie-Su…to find out if she’s right.”

“Sonic.” Vector said firmly. “The last time we tried a frontal assault on Robotnik we not only lost Knuckles, but Espio, Mighty and Ray as well. We can’t put any more lives at risk. The only reason that Robotnik hasn’t come after us is because he doesn’t know we’re here!”

“And we all know that Robotnik doesn’t keep prisoners.” Miles added softly.

“But…” Sonic began in protest.

“We have a responsibility to those that are here.” Vector said, gesturing towards the children still playing across the lawn. “They’re lives have been screwed around enough.”

“Besides.” Miles added. “You know what it’s like out there. Nothing can survive out there.”

“Lara-Su seemed to manage okay.” Sonic pointed out.

“She’s her father’s daughter.” Vector shrugged. “She’s an exception.”

“Julie-Su told me that she goes out there looking for him…”

“Lara-Su’s one true wish in this life has always been to know her father.” Miles said. “You want to get her hopes up just to dash them again?”

“Wouldn’t it be better for everybody to KNOW…one way or the other?” Sonic argued.

“Maybe.” Miles admitted. He glanced at Vector. “We’ve thought about it too…about going after them…but the risks are just too great. You know Robotnik would never give us a moments peace if he were to find out about us.”

“We’ve lived here comfortably…and mostly happily, for the past fifteen years.” Vector added.

“So you’re just gonna totally give up on them?” Sonic could feel his blood beginning to boil. “What kind of wimps have you become?”

Miles’ brows furrowed. Sonic had never seen him look so angry. “Drop it, Sonic.” He growled. “You’re skating on thin ice.”

“Truth hurts, huh?” Sonic sneered. “You’re too scared to do it.”

Miles surged to his feet, Sonic following suit. The pair, who had always been the best of friends, glared at each other. Vector looked from one to the other. They looked ready to tear each other apart. He stood, slipped his arms in between them, and shoved them apart.

“Not in front of the kids!” He snarled at them. They looked over to see that the youngsters were looking in their direction, and that they quickly looked away as they glanced towards them.

“Hey!” Susanna called brightly as she stepped out on to the veranda. “What’s going on out here?”

“Nothing.” Sonic said, turning his attention away from Miles. The fox glanced off towards the horizon. Susanna raised a brow and looked to her husband for an explanation. He just shook his head to indicate ‘don’t ask’.

“Well…” She continued. “Dinner’s ready.” She looked at Vector. “Wanna call the kids?”

“EVERYBODY OUT OF THE POOL!” He bellowed in their direction. “DINNER’S ON!”

“Thanks.” She sighed.

~~~~~

Sonic and Miles were quite over dinner, barely even looking in each other’s direction. It was hard not to notice the tension between the two. By the time the food was eaten, and the cleaning up done, by Vector and the children, it was getting very late. Julie-Su offered a room for Sonic for the night, they had plenty of room. Miles accepted a lift back in to town with Vector.

Sonic sighed as he watched them go. He didn’t like there being bad blood between him and his buds. He tried to understand their point of view. Vector was a husband and father now, he had other lives to think of besides his own. But Miles was another matter. He was still single as far as Sonic could tell. Knuckles and the others had saved his life when he’d gone after Robotnik, risking their lives for him. Why wasn’t he willing to do the same?

“Hey.” A voice said softly behind him. He turned quickly to see Lara-Su emerge from the shadows. She’d snuck up on him without making a sound. ‘Just like her father…’

“Hey.” He returned softly.

“Were you serious?” She asked.

“About what?” Sonic frowned.

“About finding out what happened to my father.”

He looked at her, startled. “You heard us?”

She shrugged. “Mum and Grandpa say I inherited a lot from Dad, including his enhanced senses. If I concentrate, I can hear the traffic from the city.” She jerked her head towards the distant lights of Echidnaopolis. “Hearing your raised voices across the yard was easy.”

“Oh.” Sonic said simply.

“So…are you serious?” She asked again.

“I guess.” He said. “But Miles said I wouldn’t be able to survive out there…he’s probably right…I remember what the air’s like out there…”

“Yeah…” She nodded. “But this’ll help there.” She held up a strange looking amulet. Now that he thought of it, she’d been wearing one similar to it when she’d rescued him on the surface.

“What is it?” Sonic asked as he took it from her, studying it. There was a rune carved into its metal surface, a crystal attached to the top left-hand corner. “What does it do?”

“It’s hard to explain.” She admitted. “I call it necro-technology. It’s a mixture of magic and science. It projects an aura around anyone who wears it. That’s how I can breath out there…” She tapped the one that hung around her neck. “Mum’s not happy about it…but I have to do it…”

“You really think you’ll find him?”

“I know my mother probably told you I go out there looking for my father…” she lowered her head. “I’m not stupid, Sonic. I don’t buy into my mother’s psychosis…I accepted the truth about my father a long time ago…” She looked at him then, the same steely determination in her eyes that he’d so often seen in Knuckles’.

“I don’t go out there to find my father…I go out there to avenge him.”

“You’re looking for Robotnik.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah.” She confirmed. “But it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. I don’t know the surface…and I can’t ask anybody that does…you’ve talked to Miles and Vector…there’s no way they’d help me. And access to surface maps is restricted…even for me. But then, after what he’s done to it, it probably doesn’t look the same any way…”

“You take me back to the spot you found me…” Sonic said. “And I’ll lead you to Robotropolis.”

~~~~~

“There’s not a lot of places where you can get through the shield.” Lara-Su explained as the pair moved quietly through the wilderness towards the edge of the Island. “But I’ve explored quite a bit out here…I just like it out here better than the city.”

“You’re dad was like that…there was always something a little…untamed…about him.” He chuckled. “You really do remind me of him…but you’re probably sick of hearing that…”

“No…” She said, smiling slightly. “From what I’ve been told he was a pretty cool guy.”

“Yeah.” Sonic agreed with a sigh. He looked at her. “What exactly have you been told?”

“Well…I’ve heard about his abilities…the Brotherhood have always kept a pretty close watch on me…waiting to see just how much like him I was gonna turn out to be…and about his adventures with you and Miles…some of those sound pretty wild.”

“You have no idea.” Sonic chuckled.

“And about him and Mum…and all the crap they went through just to be together…” She went on. “Vector says they were really intense…that they were like something out of a storybook…that they’d kill or die to protect each other…

“Guess Dad kinda proved that…”

“Yeah...” Sonic sighed.

“Here’s the spot.” She said suddenly. She put her hand against the force field. It sparked at her touch, but she managed to push her hand through it. She offered the other hand to the hedgehog. He took it tentatively, not knowing what to expect. She turned her attention back to the force field.

“Ah…” Sonic looked at her nervously. “You DO know I can’t fly, right?”

He felt his quills bristle as he passed through the crackling barrier. He blinked at the sudden change in the light around him, and carefully took a breath. Lara-Su had been true to her word. Whatever the amulet did, and however it did it, it certainly worked.

The magenta-furred echidna had settled them into a gentle glide. This was the one thing about the current turn of events that Sonic didn’t find disconcerting, he had, after all, done this with the girl’s father. He looked up at her to see her eyes narrow in concentration.

“What are you…?” He began, stopping as he noticed the swirl of emerald light form before them. ‘So she can open portals too…’

“Okay…” She said as they exited. “This is where I found you…which way now?”

“That way…” Sonic pointed in the direction he instinctively knew Robotropolis lay. “I suggest we go in low, though…”

“Radar?”

“Amongst other things…” Sonic mumbled.

She dipped down, Sonic watched the ground skim by beneath them. He could see now the damage Robotnik had done to the land. He closed his eyes, he couldn’t stand it.

“What is that?” Lara-Su said softly. She was squinting through the smog, and could just make out what looked like spires, the blocky shapes of buildings reminiscent of Echidnaopolis, but without its beauty…or its cleanliness. They glided into a decrepit city. It was empty, filthy, falling apart.

“Looks like he’s let the place go a little.” Sonic admitted.

“Or he’s moved on…” Lara-Su pointed out.

“I doubt it…” Sonic shook his head. “He fought too hard for this place to give it up. It never looked all that much better than this…set us down, so I can get my bearings.”

She lowered him down until his feet touched the ground then let him go, dropping down gracefully beside him. She looked around, a myriad of emotions crossing her face. She’d searched for this place ever since she had the power to do so. A part of her hadn’t actually expected to find it at all. But she knew the moment of her vengeance was at hand.

“This place is really creepy…” She hugged herself unconsciously. “It’s so quiet…”

“Yeah.” Sonic frowned. “No Swatbots…no Robians…no nothin’…guess he doesn’t feel the need to post any guards…” He spied the entrance to Robotnik’s main laboratory, and his most likely whereabouts. “This way…”

The door was open, rusted off its hinges. They moved in cautiously, eyes searching the darkness for potential ambush, an alarm sensor, anything…

“Man…” Sonic grumbled. “This is…”

“Sshh!” Lara-Su hissed, eyes darting as she sniffed the air.

“What is it?” Sonic asked. “Your ‘spider-sense’ tingling?” She looked at him with a confused frown. He shrugged at her reaction. “Your dad never got it either…”

“He never had time for comic books, Sonic.” An angry voice growled in his ear.

“Miles?” Lara-Su frowned. “You scared the life out of me!”

“What the hell do you two think you’re up to?” The cyborg fox demanded. “You really think I wouldn’t know you’d try and pull something like this?” He glared at Sonic. “We are going back NOW!”

“C’mon, Miles…” Sonic smirked. “This is a cakewalk…Botbutt’s not expecting a thing…”

“You wanna put money on that?” Miles growled.

“Guys?” Lara-Su said quietly. The pair looked at her. She glanced at them. “We’re not alone…”

Miles began to search the darkness, Sonic following suit. Both knew the girl had inherited her father’s senses…she’d already proved that…

“DUCK!” She yelled suddenly as she slammed Sonic to the ground. He felt something whistle by over his head. Keeping in a crouch she continued to search the darkness. Sonic did too, but could see nothing.

Miles adjusted his cybernetic eye to see in the darkness. He squinted as he saw something crawling along the wall above Sonic and Lara-Su’s heads, it’s shape sickeningly familiar, making its way down towards them…

But before he could warn them something struck him, hard, on the back, knocking him to the ground. A high-pitched shriek filled the air as metal grated on metal. He managed to twist, knocking the weight from his back. Miles glanced at his metallic shoulder, at the four deep scratches there.

In the confusion, as Sonic and Lara-Su went to help their friend, the thing he’d spied on the wall, the thing he’s recognised, the thing he’d failed to warn them about, chose that moment to strike.

Sonic gasped as a thick, metal band coiled around his neck. Miles, already recovered from his own attacker, lashed out with his own metallic claws, neatly severing the coil around Sonic’s neck from the metal being it belonged to. It let out an enraged, almost pain-filled shriek.

“What WAS that?” Sonic asked as he rubbed his neck.

“I think it used to be Espio.” Miles said with grim sadness. Sonic looked at the metal coil, then at his friend. “I told you he doesn’t take prisoners.”

“What are you talking about?” Lara-Su asked, still looking about warily. “Are you saying that we’re being attacked by the Chaotix?”

“No.” Miles shook his head. “They’re not the Chaotix any more…” He spun suddenly, quickly, lashing out once again with his claws. There was another pain-like shriek as something hit the wall. The trio moved quickly over to investigate.

It was small. A thin, foil membrane, now torn on one side, stretched from its wrists to its ankles. A thick, club-like tail coiled on the floor around its feet. There was a sizable dent in its forehead from where it had struck the wall. Miles turned it over, there was no glow in its metallic eyes. The implication of this was not lost on Sonic.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” He said in horror.

“What are you babbling about?” Miles frowned.

“This is Ray…was Ray…” Sonic pointed at the inert Robian. “You just killed him…without a second thought.”

“Better to be dead,” Miles said softly. “Then to live as Robotnik’s slave.”

“We could have helped him!” Sonic protested. “We could have freed his mind!”

“And how would we do that?” Miles countered. “The only way we ever successfully managed to do that was with the Sword of Acorns! And as much as I hate to say it, it’s gone…along with the only ones who could wield it!”

Lara-Su wasn’t listening to their argument. She looked at the metal being before her. She had never seen a Robian before, though she had been told about them. Beings once flesh turned into mindless, robotic slaves by some fiendish machine. She could feel the knot forming in her stomach. Had her father shared this fate? There had been another…the one that had attacked Sonic…Espio, Miles had said. She knew he was a chameleon. She looked at the coil on the floor…had that been his tongue?

“Miles?” She asked, her voice more than a little shaky. He looked at her, he’d never heard such uncertainty in her voice. “My…father…?”

He walked over to her, wrapped his organic arm around her. “I won’t lie to you, Lara…” He began.

The floor rippled beneath their feet, throwing the trio off balance.

“Mighty!” Sonic yelled as he hit the floor. “Has to be!”

Lara-Su managed to steady herself and glared at the metallic armadillo. He had been one of her father’s dearest friends, she knew that, but she wasn’t going to let him hurt the few friends he had left. Of the three of them, she was the only one who came close to matching his strength. She wasn’t as strong as her father had been, and he hadn’t been as strong as the armadillo. But she had something going for her that he didn’t. The ability to think. He turned to face her as she approached.

“Lara-Su!” Miles cried out. “What are you doing?”

As she expected, he swung at her. She ducked it easily, grabbing his wrist as she did so. She spun around behind him, pulling his arm with her. She heard the shoulder joint creak at the sudden stress put upon it. Before he could strike out with the other arm, she managed to snag that wrist as well. She pulled both arms back with all the strength she possessed, augmenting it with the Chaos Energy that was her birthright, thanks to her father and grandfather. The joints creaked louder. Mighty began to shriek in an eerie imitation of anger. He began to twist trying to wrench himself free of her grasp, but she wasn’t about to let go.

There was an unnerving shriek of metal as one arm broke free. Mighty managed to twist away from her now. Turning, screaming at the top of his metallic lungs, he charged her. She braced herself, his own broken arm held out in front of her. A moment before he would have slammed into her, she sidestepped, ramming the arm into his metal belly. He doubled over and slumped to the floor with a loud clang, where he lay unmoving.

“You really aren’t a good role model…” Sonic said to Miles. He lowered his head at the demise of another one of his friends.

“Mighty, Ray and Espio died fifteen years ago, Sonic.” Miles said softly. “Robotnik killed them…we’re just setting them free.”

“Keep telling yourself that…” Sonic said. “And you might just believe it…”

“Can we get this over with?” Lara-Su asked softly. She didn’t like this anymore than Sonic. Miles was right, these were just machines, but they hadn’t always been.

“There’s still Espio to deal with.” Miles pointed out. “I damaged him, but he should still be functional…”

“I can’t believe you’re talking like that.” Sonic whispered.

“I wish I didn’t have to talk like this.” Miles said to his friend. He sighed. “I guess we’ll worry about him when he shows himself…no pun intended…”

~~~~~

They continued in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They paused as they reached Robotnik’s inner sanctum.

“No need to knock, my friends.” They heard Robotnik’s rather cheerful voice. “I’ve been expecting you.”

They exchanged a glance, and shrugged. He knew they were there, what was the point of hiding? Sonic and Miles entered, making sure to keep Lara-Su behind them in the hopes of protecting her from Robotnik’s initial attack. Julie-Su had already lost Knuckles, they couldn’t let her lose her daughter as well.

But Robotnik just smiled at them brightly. “I expected you way before now, Miles.” He said. “You really haven’t been acting to your heroic persona. And Sonic…you’re looking mighty healthy for someone I killed twenty years ago…you really are the proverbial ‘bad penny’ aren’t you…you just keep turning up…” He leaned back in his oversized chair. “Still…it’s been so long since I’ve had company. To what do I owe the honour?”

“Stow it, Botbutt?” Sonic snarled. “You know full well why we’re here! You’re gonna pay for what you did to this planet…to my friends…to Sally…”

“Back off, Sonic.” Lara-Su growled as she pushed through the pair to glare at the despot. “He’s mine!”

Robotnik was obviously taken aback by the young female’s unbridled hatred. “Hmmm…such venom for one so young…I can fully understand the hedgehog’s ire…and even Miles’…but, to my recollection, we’ve never even met…what could I possibly have done to you?”

“You killed my father!” She snarled.

“Your father?” He leant forward, frowning as he studied her more closely. His face brightened. “Of course! I’d recognise that scowl anywhere!” He chuckled to himself. “So the Guardian managed to breed…how marvellous!” He picked up a nearby device, holding it up in front of him. “And it would seem you’ve inherited your father’s…Chaotic…abilities…”

“It won’t do you any good.” She told him. “I will have blood for blood. I will avenge my father’s death!”

“My dear, sweet child.” Robotnik’s smile deepened even more. “I didn’t kill your father.” He raised a brow as he studied the confused faces before him. “Why would I destroy the perfect, self-perpetuating power source?”

The anger drained from Lara-Su’s face as the implication of what he was saying began to sink in. He smirked. He did so love to see the pain of others. He tapped a series of commands into the computer terminal beside him. A section of wall slid up into the ceiling to reveal the components within.

Nestled within the circuit boards, wires and cables was a cylindrical, fluid-filled chamber. And within the chamber…

She’d never set eyes on him before, but she knew every little nuance of his face, even though most of it was covered by a breath mask. There was a slight frown on his otherwise peaceful face, giving him a slightly anguished expression. His scarlet spines had grown so long during his captivity, they curled about his legs. His claws were similarly unkempt. His hair drifted about his head like an auburn cloud. She unconsciously touched the white band at her throat as she noticed the identical band on his chest.

Her eyes were drawn to the spurs on the back of his hands that had inspired her grandfather when naming him, and the simple golden ring, the twin of her mother’s. She could hear the machines around him that monitored his condition. His breathing, heartbeat, brain activity, all registering at the bare minimum. He was alive, but only just.

She reached out a trembling hand to touch the smooth glass that held him. It was bitingly cold. She knew cold was one of the few echidna vulnerabilities, and obviously so did Robotnik.

Her eyes travelled back to his face. She could see herself reflected there, just as she’d been told time and time again. She blinked back tears as she studied his face. A single word forming on her lips. Her voice, barely a child-like whisper, as she uttered it…

“Daddy…?”