Curate, connect, and discover
“Alright, fox boy! You ready to have some real fun?” Surge threw Tails onto the floor, knocking the Miles Electric out of his hand. He tried to reach for the device, but was stopped as his capture stomped on his back. “Not so fast!”
“Whatever you’re planning, Sonic’s going to stop you!” Even if he was beaten and held hostage, no way was Tails about to show weakness.
“Hah! Keep telling yourself that, kid! ‘Cause once we’re done here, I won’t be the only one he has to stop.”
That… did not sound good. Tails hated to admit it, but he was starting to get nervous. Surge dragged him by his left tail over to a large computer setup. She flipped him onto his back, pressed her foot on his chest to keep him in place, then proceeded to pull a glove with a strange stone on it. It sort of resembled Starline’s with the Warp Topaz, but different. Surge put it on her left hand, almost disgusted by it.
“This thing… caused us so much pain. I thought it was gone for good when I threw HIS into the fire pit, but it seems he had an extra… Lucky us.”
With that, she slammed it down on Tails’s face. “Let’s get started!”
———
“So, this is the place?” Sonic asked as he turned to Kit.
“Y-yes, sir. This is where we… w-where we lived.” The young fennec’s voice was more meek than usual. After Surge took off with Tails, the blue duo chased after them. Honestly, Sonic was surprised Kit stayed with him instead of going back to her. The hedgehog wanted to know if there was anywhere Kit thought Surge would go. This was the only one that came to mind. One of Eggman’s bases in the middle of the desert.
“Huh. Starline sure made himself comfortable.” As the two made their way into the base, Sonic looked at Kit. “So, tell me again why you two had it out for us? We never met, yet Surge acted like I was her sworn enemy.”
“W-we were… because… y-you…” Kit mumbled.
Sonic didn’t understand. He knew the kid was on edge, but he couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. He was more of a nervous wreck than when Sonic first met Tails. Tails…
“Don’t worry,” Sonic reaffirmed. “That whacky doctor won’t bother you again.” The feelings were mixed. Sonic never considered death an option, unless there was no other way, but Starline caused so much trouble. Bringing Eggman back, which led to the Metal Virus, trying to capture Tails, kidnapping Belle, and now whatever he did to Surge and Kit. It must have been bad, but… he was gone now. All that mattered was finding Tails. His little brother was tough and smart. He… he would definitely be alright.
"Can I ask... why you call Tails your 'brother'?" Kit asked. You two aren't even the same species. How can that be?"
Sonic shook his head in amusement. "It's true we're not blood, but that doesn't make him any less of a brother to me." Kit turned his head in confusion. "We've been together for years. We both didn't really have anyone before, but when we met, we just clicked. I helped him be more confident in himself, and he's saved my skin more times than I can count. He always has my back, and I can count on him for anything. Because of him... my life changed. I wasn't going it solo anymore, and now I can't imagine my life without him."
"You mean, he's that important to you?"
"More important than anyone else."
Kit led Sonic down the endless hallways. Suddenly, he stopped at one door on the right side. His pale face went paler. He started to shake and breathe heavily, like he was having a panic attack. Was there something in there?
“Stay here,” the blue hero told Kit. Sonic slowly walked into the room. There were giant test tubes of some sort of green liquid. They were big enough for Sonic to fit in, which made him even more unnerved. His eye caught something on the floor. Papers with sketches and writing on them. “Homing attack,” “Spin dash,” some kind of cycle of him vs Eggman. Why did Starline have all these notes? Sonic then saw more papers on the table. Designs for what looked like Surge and Kit, like different models of them. What struck him the most was was one image of a person with robotic replacements. Just then, the pieces started coming together, and Sonic felt his stomach drop.
“He... made you?”
Sonic looked back at Kit, who was now shaking up a storm. His eyes glowing with a horrific gleam. Some of the water was leaking from his pack, swishing around like frantic arms. “H-hurt us… changed us… m-made us forget… to… r-replace you…”
Finally, Surge’s words before made sense. She blamed Sonic. He admitted didn’t quite understand what she was going on about in their first fight. She was ranting in anger, like throwing a tantrum, so he wasn’t sure what to make of it at the time. Now he did. Starline stole Surge and Kit’s lives, their identities, their freedom… everything for his plan. Sonic was ready to fight tooth and nail to save Tails, but now…
Sonic made his way back, knelt down and placed his hand on the crying fennec. “I’m sorry, Kit. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to stop him. But he can’t hurt you anymore. And once this is over, the both of you can live however you want.”
Kit sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes. “B-both of us?” The water tendrils began to recede.
“We’re going to save Tails, and Surge. She’s important to you too, right?” Kit nodded his head. Sonic ruffled the kid’s hair, stood up, turned his head toward the door at the end of the room, and took a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
As if the last area wasn’t “cheery” enough, this room had even more test tubes. Sonic was just relieved they all looked empty. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what being trapped in there was like.
“Hey! I know you’re watching! We’re here!” Surge came out from behind one of the tubes in front of them in response to Sonic’s voice. She has a cautious air about her, not sure what to expect but ready to fight. “Listen, I don’t want to fight you. Just let Tails go, and we can all walk away.”
Surge’s attention was more focused on Kit. She slowly clenched her fists, electricity sparking. “After everything we’ve been through… what they’ve done to us… you go and join him?! I TOLD YOU YOU COULD ONLY TRUST ME! I TRUSTED YOU!!!” The anger and hurt in her voice was immense as the lightning she discharged. Sonic could even see some tears forming. She truly felt betrayed.
Kit hid behind Sonic, cowering in fear and guilt. “I… I didn’t mean…”
“Don’t be mad at him,” Sonic quickly defended. “He just didn’t know what to do. I was wrong, I thought you didn’t survive the fall from before. If I had… look, just tell me where Tails is. Please. We don’t have to fight.”
Surge stared at her feet, trying to recompose herself. “Well then…” she turned back with glowing eyes. “Too bad it’s not up to you.”
Suddenly, something slammed into Sonic, sending him flying to the other side of the room.
“Mr. Sonic!” Kit cried out.
Sonic tried to pick himself up, holding the side of his head that hit against the wall. As his vision refocused, he saw his attacker. The last person he ever expected.
“Tails? What are you—“ his sentence was cut off as Surge lunged at his throat. They collided with another wall as her grip tightened. “W-what… did you do?” he gasped.
“Simple justice,” she cooed with venom in her voice. “You take my sidekick, I take yours.”
“Tails would never turn against me! Right, little bro?” The fox was silent, stone cold gaze staring back. “Tails…” Sonic faced many horrors in his life, but nothing came close to the dread he felt from what he heard next.
“I don’t know you.”
—————
NOTES: I cut out Eggman and the Wisps so I could focus more on these four. I wrote this up before we got the Prime clip of Sonic and Tails, but it made me even more emotional seeing how sad Sonic was when Tails didn’t know who he was. Let alone fight him. Kit's question was a last minute addition, and I think it really makes what happens at the end hit even harder. 😢
Thanks again to @starrjoy for letting me write about her mini AU.