The horizon gleamed golden as shadows cast by the towering mountains blanketed the small town where people were just waking up and getting ready for work. Like nearly every morning, the hood of a police car was peeking from behind the town's welcome sign along Route 9. Leaning out of the vehicle and holding a speed gun was the town's second police officer, Wade Whipple. For him the weekend was to be more than exciting as he would get to act in the role of the town's sheriff while the real deal was away. Unlike Tom Wachowski, he was gladly sitting by the road and clocking turtles in the mornings.
As he concentrated on getting the speed of yet another turtle gradually making its way over the road, a blur of blue dashed past his car. "Morning Wade!" Sonic shouted as the aforementioned officer was hit with a blast of wind.
The radar gun flashed an error message as Wade looked after the speed devil. "Morning Sonic!" he shouted to the hedgehog, not like he would hear him as he was long gone from his earshot.
Sonic had left the road and into the woods, winding between the trees as he sprinted to the tallest mountain peak surrounding the town. Reaching the bare top, he laughed as he watched the citizens leaving their houses and cars filling the streets.
"Good morning Green Hills!"
He ran down the mountain and sprinted through the streets of the town. Arriving at the blue house he had called a home for nearly a year now, he hopped on the porch roof and climbed up to the skylight over the attic. He peeked in through the window, happy to see that no one was there, and pushed it open. He jumped down, softly landing on the floor, and slowly began creeping toward his bed. Unlucky for him, the floorboards of the attic just happened to be the creakiest in not just their house but any house he had ever set foot in.
Step after step the boards squealed and creaked under Sonic's feet. "Oh, come on," he quietly complained. Glancing down to see where he could step, he noticed something clinging onto the bottom of his shoe. He leaned down and grabbed whatever it was, only to realize they were hundred-dollar bills. Knowing he shouldn't have that kind of money —and that it was evidence— he worriedly glanced around himself. He hurried over to his bed and opened the top drawer of his nightstand, placing the money there. As he was about to close it again, his gaze landed on an old piece of paper lying on its bottom. It was the map Longclaw had given him the day he arrived on Earth.
He grabbed the map and unfolded it. A brown feather that had been wrapped between the folds was picked up by the draft. Sonic watched surprised as the feather slowly fell in the air before softly landing on the floor. Leaning down, he picked up the feather and watched it as he held it between his fingers. Just seeing it brought him back to the days he had spent with her. Back when he had been nothing but a small, carefree hedgehog running around that paradise-like island.
"I miss you Longclaw. I'm trying to make you proud," he said, wishing that in some way the owl heard him.
Placing the feather back on the map, he folded it up like it had been before. He grabbed his pouch from the nightstand and placed the map inside it with his rings. Tying it up, he set it back on the nightstand next to a hefty book with dark leather casing.
Despite his tiredness, he opened the book from a random page, and came across a set of photographs that made him smile. They were of him and Y/N dressed as werewolves on Halloween. The dye that was supposed to turn him gray had instead made him a darker shade of blue and with the evening getting closer they had just gone with it. It had been a fun day, as not only was it one of the rare occasions he was allowed among the townspeople, it also included a stomachache inducing amount of candy.
With a yawn, Sonic shut the book, and finally climbed into bed. Pulling his covers over him he muttered, "And now for a little shuteye." Having been up almost all night, it wasn't a surprise that the hedgehog fell asleep almost immediately.
What was a surprise however was the slobber that greeted his face not too long after. The smell of dog food entered his nostrils as he felt the tongue going across his cheek and he immediately groaned.
"Oh plegh, Ozzy, morning breath!" Sonic complained as he turned away from the golden retriever licking his face. He tried to hide under his covers but could feel the dog grabbing onto it.
"Sonic, are you still in bed?" asked Maddie as she walked up the ladder and into the attic. Going around the house with a basket, she was looking for laundry to wash before leaving later the same day. "You're supposed to meet Tom, remember?" she reminded the hedgehog.
Ozzy yanked the cover off of the hedgehog and in doing so managed to drag Sonic himself off the bed as well. The boy on the ground with his face first, groaning. "Alright, alright I'm up. I'm up."
Following a quick breakfast —and car trip— Sonic found himself sitting in a rowboat in the middle of a lake with Tom. The sun had finished rising not too long ago and the water was glistening in its rays. Both Tom and Sonic were holding fishing rods, though only one of them was actively trying to fish.
"Ah, what a day," said Tom as he threw his line far into the water. "Thanks for coming out, bud. You know I feel like you and me, we haven't had much time together lately. Especially now with you and Y/N out all the time," he said, and waited for any sort of response but was only greeted with silence. Still, he tried to pursue a conversation. "How's it going over there? You getting any bites?"
More silence waited for him, and by now the man was expecting at least some kind of acknowledgement from him. Tom turned around, discovering Sonic with his back facing his way. While Sonic's hands were still tightly gripping the fishing rod and he was sitting rather normally, Tom could easily tell that the boy wasn't all there. The quiet snores escaping Sonic's mouth confirmed his suspicions as the hedgehog fell deeper into his slumber. He began wobbling around, no longer able to keep himself upright. His grip on the fishing rod loosened and it was soon lying on the bottom of the boat. Slumping down, the hedgehog leaned toward the edge, and just like that he fell over it.
The water splashed as the hedgehog was awoken by the wave of cold. He thrashed around wildly, his arms flailing as he tried to keep himself from submerging into the depths. "I can't swim! Help!" he screamed. Tom dropped his fishing rod and made his way to the back of the boat. "If I die, don't look in my closet!" Sonic continued panicking.
"You're good, you're alright," Tom tried calming the boy down as he reached his hands out for him. Sonic immediately latched onto him as he pulled him up from the water and back into the hull. Tom set the wet hedgehog down on the seat. Wrapping a towel around the trembling hedgehog, he reassured him, "Take it easy. You're good. Okay." He moved back over to his seat as Sonic continued shivering. He sat down and looked at the hedgehog, "But, now that you've had a nap and a bath. I went up to your room last night to bring you some new comics. And um..." Tom thought of how to explain what he had encountered in Sonic's room the previous night. "Well, let's just say there was a contraption."
Sonic raised his brow, pretending to be oblivious to what he was talking about. "A contraption? I don't recall my room having a contraption."
"Let's hope this jogs your memory," Tom said and then went on to explain what he meant. Starting from the fake Sonic that the real one had built to deceive Tom into thinking that he was in the room. Going over the tripwire that had activated a pre-recorded cassette warning him to leave the room before being gassed out, and lastly explaining how the fake Sonic had fallen apart as the tape kept rewinding back.
Sonic groaned as he thought back to assembling the gimmick. It hadn't been the best of his plans but still one that he had thought that would work. "Uh, I knew I should've used real farts," he muttered as he rolled his eyes.
Tom reached behind him and grabbed something from the floor. He threw a newspaper on the empty seat between him and Sonic. The hedgehog observed the frontpage that read, 'Mayhem in Seattle – Crime Doesn't Spray.' He didn't have to read the article to figure out why Tom had brought it up, but decided to continue playing it cool.
"How many times are we gonna do this?" Tom asked.
"What? Cast your line and not catch anything? Seems like a billion," replied Sonic.
"I think you know what I'm talking about," Tom said. "The lying. The sneaking out. The uhh... pretending to be Batman."
"Blue Justice, trademark pending," the hedgehog declared proudly, but Tom didn't care at all what he called himself.
"Whatever. You're being reckless."
"Ugh, not this conversation again," Sonic rolled his eyes.
"Hey, it's no fun for me either. But if you keep being irresponsible, we're gonna keep having this conversation," the man told him.
"How is it irresponsible to use my powers?"
"Sonic..." Tom said and showed him the newspaper. Referencing the article and what it said about the damage caused to the street, he continued, "...you destroyed an entire city block!"
"That block was already messed up. Who cares?" Sonic tried brushing it off. He got up, and walked to the boat's stern, his back facing Tom. Thinking back to what he had done the previous night he smiled. "Look, I stopped a robbery. I was a hero."
"No, you put people in danger and that's not what a hero does," Tom argued. "And if that wasn't all, you had Y/N there with you. You put her in danger as well," he continued before quickly adding, "Not to mention yourself."
Sonic's smile faltered. Turning around to Tom, he said, "You're supposed to be her dad. Stop also trying to be mine." He slumped down on his seat. "I can take care of myself. And I promise to keep her safe."
"Sonic, taking care of yourself is not what being a hero is all about. It's about taking responsibility for other people. And right now, whether you wanna hear this or not, you are still just a kid. That means the safety of Y/N and everyone else is my responsibility. Not yours. You got some more growing up to do before you're ready to be the big hero. But trust me when I tell you there will come a time when your powers will be needed. But you don't choose that moment. That moment chooses you."
Sonic stared at Tom astonished. "Wow." He had read many superhero comics and seen many movies and what he had just heard definitely compared to those great hero speeches. "Look at you. I just got— I just got goosebumps," he told the man. "Wait a second did you steal that from Oprah?"
Tom smiled, looking over the water. "No sir. That is a Wachowski family special," he replied, thinking back to the man who had told him nearly the same words. "Came from my dad in this very boat, on this very lake. He would always try and steer me in the right direction. And that's what Maddie and I have always tried to do with you," he told Sonic. "So, until your moment arrives, I want you to work on being a little more responsible. Comprende?"
"Comprende," he agreed, smiling. "High five on it!" he said and stood up. The man was more than happy with the result, and the two high fived. "Yeah! The Donut Lord and the Blue Blur are back at it again!" Sonic cheered. Running over to the back of the boat he instructed Tom, "Hang on!" —and jumped into the water while holding onto the boat's back. "Speedboat!" he shouted and began running, causing his feet to propel the boat forward.
"Whoa!" Tom yelped as the boat began gaining speed. The bow of the boat raised upward as the vessel moved faster and faster. "Sonic!" shouted Tom as he held on the sides of the boat so as to not fall in the water.
***
On that same day, albeit it was later in the afternoon by then, the front door opened and Y/N entered the house. With as tired as she was following her day at school, she didn't bother to announce her arrival as she shut the door behind her. She made her way through the house and to the fridge, from where she grabbed a can of lemon flavored Fanta. On her way out, she snagged an apple from a fruit bowl and made her up the stairs and into her room. She shut her door and slumped down at her desk in her rather uncomfortable chair.
She placed her snacks on the table and began emptying her bag. As she was placing her laptop before her, she heard her door handle turning and the creaking of the hinges. Confused, she turned around to find Maddie entering her room.
"Hi, Y/N," her mother said.
"Hi," she replied, and turned back to her desk. She opened her laptop and glanced behind her. "I thought I told you to knock."
Maddie stood in the doorway, watching as the girl unlocked her computer. She had a perfectly good reason for having entered the room the way she did. Just moments prior to Y/N's arrival back at the house, she and Tom had been talking about what to do with her.
"You have no right to make that kinda rule after breaking every single one we've put for you," she said.
Y/N's fingers hovered over the keyboard as she stopped typing her password. Just by hearing that she could right away guess where the conversation would be heading. Gulping, she continued typing and said, "Um, remind me again, which rules have been broken?"
"Let's start with sneaking out after dark," her mother immediately replied, her voice stern.
That wasn't a tough one to explain. Y/N even had an explanation ready at hand for a situation like this. She spun in her chair, and faced Maddie. "I was gathering pictures for my Nocturnals Collection."
Maddie took steps into the room and tilted her head. She squinted her eyes and asked, "You were?"
It was now that Y/N noticed that the woman was holding something in her hands. She could see text written all over the white paper and could tell that it was a newspaper. Unsurely, she smiled. "Yeah. And I have the pictures if you need proof," she told her and reached for her camera that was sitting at the edge of her desk.
"What kind of nocturnals do they have in Seattle?" Maddie asked as she threw the newspaper on her desk.
Just like that, Y/N lost her grip on the camera causing it to start plummeting down toward the floor. In a flash, her heart raced and she leaned closer to it. Her fingers wrapped around the strap, stopping the camera right before it could crash against the floorboards. The uncomfortable thumping was still going on in her ribcage as she sighed in relief and watched the camera dangling inches above the floor.
"Any hedgehogs perhaps?" suggested Maddie.
Leaning back and sitting upright, Y/N glanced at her mother whose eyebrows were raised and lips tightly forming a straight line as she waited for an answer. She turned back to her desk and placed her camera beside the newspaper. She quickly skimmed through the headline as well as parts of the article and said, "Wow. He's been busy."
That was enough for Maddie who snatched the paper from the desk, surprising Y/N. "Stop with the lies!" she raised her voice. "The article mentions the presence of..." she continued and grabbed the newspaper pointing at the words, "...fourteen- to sixteen-year-old girl with the creature."
Y/N sighed annoyed. She didn't really know what to say now that she was caught red handed. Simply turning to the simplest option at hand, she glanced over to her window. "So?" she said.
Maddie scoffed. "So?" she asked. "I love that Sonic wants to help. And I couldn't be more proud of you wanting to help him," she told the girl who was now doing everything to avoid making eye contact. "But the way you're doing... It's dangerous and it's disruptive."
The teen crossed her arms as she mumbled, "The most danger I've been to was when I ate fries that were too hot."
"Why aren't you taking this seriously?"
Finally after doing her best to not look at her, Y/N took a quick glance over to Maddie. Just by seeing Y/N's gaze and the dark rings below her eyes, Maddie could see how tired the girl was which really was not a surprise to her. She had at most gotten a couple hours of sleep the night before, and seeing how many times she had sneaked out during the last few months, who knows how much sleep debt she had accumulated.
As Y/N's gaze escaped down and over to the window, Maddie said, "You're tired during the day and can't focus in school. I've seen your grades going down."
The girl tried to come up with something to reply, but as hard as she thought there still was nothing. The truth was that she was running out of excuses when it came to school. In fact, she was running out of excuses relating to nearly everything.
She slumped down on her seat and glanced at her mother. "Sorry."
As much as Maddie would have loved to take the apology and make her promise to not do it again, she knew that it wouldn't be enough, because the same exact conversation had happened the month prior, and the month prior to that too. Now she had had enough, and so had Tom, and together they had decided that this time, an apology and a quickly broken promise wouldn't cut it.
Sighing, Maddie glanced down and said, "Your dad needs your help in the garage."
Y/N looked up from the floor and furrowed her brows. Why would Tom need her in the garage? Instead of asking, however, she turned to her mother and inquired, "Now?"
"Now."
The girl stood up from her chair. She glanced at her mother as she walked past her and out of the room. Once downstairs, she discovered the front door open and waiting for her to go outside. Sighing, she walked out and slowly strolled over to the garage. Like the front door had been left open, so was the garage one.
She entered the dimly lit space that was filled with different sized boxes. Many of them contained items that had previously been stored up in the attic, but for obvious reasons they had been transferred here. Christmas decorations were spilling out of a box situated next to a stepladder that was currently being used. Tom was standing on top of the steps as he reached for a shelf situated high up.
"Here I am," Y/N announced herself.
Tom glanced over to her. He motioned for her to come closer with his hand and turned back to the shelves. "Great. So what have you been up to?" he asked as he grabbed something from the shelf. As Y/N walked over to him, she could see that the item he was taking off the shelf was not just one but two suitcases.
"School," she replied. Tom held one of the suitcases in his arms and turned around to her. She took it from him and added, "Not that I've had a chance to do anything else yet." She placed the suitcase on the ground and glanced up to see Tom already holding the second one. She took this one as well and placed it beside her. "Is there more?"
"Just one," he told her and reached to the very back. "Here we go," he said as he grabbed the final suitcase and handed it over to Y/N. As she set it down next to the others, Tom came down from the ladder and picked it up, placing it against the wall and dusting his hands. "Remember when we first met him?" he stated.
Y/N furrowed her brows despite understanding what he meant. The statement was just very odd. She looked around the garage and her gaze landed on the spot where she had first seen the blue blur standing. He was wearing those mismatched worn out shoes and his eyes were the size of dinner plates.
"Yeah. It's a pretty vivid memory," she said as she turned back to her father.
"Pretty much changed the whole course of our lives," Tom said as he leaned against a desk opposite of Y/N. "If you told me a year ago, we would still be living here because of a blue alien I wouldn't believe you."
The girl observed her father confused. She knew where the conversation would be going but couldn't at all understand the approach. Why bring all this up before scolding her?
"You know I'm really happy for you," Tom smiled at her. "Both of you."
Y/N squinted as she opened her mouth to reply something. The ends of her mouth forced themselves upward as she felt like laughing. Keeping herself from doing so, she glanced away and said, "Thanks?"
Tom nodded in reply. "It's nice that you have a friend. Have to say I wasn't expecting a boyfriend just yet and especially not like this but—"
"Okay," Y/N cut him off. It was embarrassing enough to talk about it once and she did not want to do that again. She sighed, "Dad. Just get to the point."
While surprised by her bluntness, Tom could see where she was coming from. She had already talked with Maddie so she knew why she was here. "Okay," he nodded, and cleared his throat. "Y/N. You're enabling him."
Hearing the accusation, she asked, "What?"
"We've talked about this before and I don't want to keep doing this. You allow Sonic to play a hero and it's gotta stop."
The girl shook her head and scoffed. "I don't enable anything. I just let him be who he is."
"First of all, he's still just a kid," Tom said, earning an eye roll and an annoyed sigh from the girl. "And so are you! Neither of you should be out there trying to save everybody."
Y/N stared at the concrete floor. "Sure."
Tom looked at her as she stood still with her gaze down. He walked closer to her and placed one of his hands on her shoulder. "Listen. I think it's great that he wants to help. And knowing that you want to help as well that's just... I couldn't be more proud to call you my daughter," he told her and she raised her gaze to look him in the eye. But even if there was a proudness in his voice, the same couldn't be said for his eyes. They were disappointed. "But right now what you're doing is just too dangerous. And not just for you, not just for him, but everyone," he continued. "What you two did yesterday could've gotten people seriously injured. Or maybe even worse, killed."
The girl turned her gaze away and thought about it. Everyone yesterday had survived without a scratch. And not just that every single one of the criminals had been caught. That's what it said on the news. But, on the other hand, they had barely avoided running over that pedestrian, not to mention the ice cream truck and its patrons. Then were the blown up drains, as well as all the money that had been spread around during the incident. And just how many police cars had been damaged throughout the night? But even with all the negatives, the facts were that they had helped. The criminals got caught.
Y/N continued her silence as Tom let go of her and took a step back. She quickly glanced at him, and saw her mother also entering the garage. As Maddie walked over to Tom and stopped beside him, the man said, "So for now, could you promise to discourage him? And start sleeping at night so you don't have to do it at school?"
She looked between her parents and nodded. It was something she could agree on. At least for now. "Yeah. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Good," Maddie said.
The girl fully expected that to be it as she gave her parents a smile, only for Tom to say, "There's still one thing we gotta talk about."
Looking between the two, Y/N tried to think of anything it could be, but nothing came to her mind. She had promised to make sure Sonic would stop the vigilantism, and heard about her dropping grades and sleeping issues. What more could they want to talk about? And right as she was about to ask what it was, her father answered.
"You're coming to Hawaii today."