Sonic the Hedgehog

No Difference

Again and again, the very recent memory of Sonic's familiar smile and assuring thumbs-up flashes in Tails's mind. It's what fuels his spinning tails as he shoots down the stairwell of the apartment building with a very frazzled Amy in his hand and a chaos emerald in the other. The fearful girl only had but a brief moment as she evacuated her apartment to grab hold of her hammer on the way out. Now, she holds it with a grip tighter than she's held anything before. Rarely has she had to use it, but the hedgehog can't shake the uncomfortable feeling that she'll need it.

"What about Sonic!" Amy asks worryingly as she's rushed down the building. "Shouldn't we help him?"

"Sonic's got this!" Tails says without the slightest bit of doubt in that statement. "I know he does! What matters is getting you and this emerald somewhere safe! If Eggman gets his hands on it, we lose our advantage! As long as we can hang onto just one and bring it back to Station Square, he won't be able to collect all seven. This gem and what we do with it could determine the fate of the world!"

Saying that last bit out loud certainly didn't silence the butterflies in the fox's stomach. This kind of scenario is exactly what he feared when he embarked with Sonic on this wild adventure. But the boy figured everything would be alright- as long as his best friend was by his side. Now here he is, with the responsibility of the world in his gloved hand squeezing it tightly and a pink hedgehog to keep him company instead of a blue one.

The two Mobians enter the front lobby of the building and rush through the front doors, sparking the immediate confusion of the receptionist: a twenty-year-old rabbit.

Did that fox have two tails? She wonders. And... was he using his butt to fly?

Now outside, Tails and Amy stand on a sidewalk next to a cyan road filled with accelerating cars. It doesn't take but a glance to know that it's impossible to cross without becoming paste. Without a moment to hesitate, Tails hovers in the air and extends a hand to Amy.

"Grab on!" Tails says.

Amy, not having enough time to question the flying fox in front of her, grabs on and the pair lift off in the sky, a couple of meters above the road. Along with the nighttime chilly wind, bustling traffic, and passing conversations on the sidewalk, the young boy hears something that sticks out. A sound that sounds like a valve depressurizing. Tails almost shakes it off before he hears in the exact same direction:

"TARGET ACQUIRED."

Now dangerously close to having a heart attack, Tails doesn't even bother turning around. He pushes his tails to their limit in a desperate effort to escape whatever mechanical terror is surely after him.

Sonic must be done with that metal look-a-like... right?! He thinks as his heart beats against his chest. He should be here any second! I just have to hold on a little bit longe-!

Amy and Tails feels the wind of a sizable projectile miss their legs by a hair before an explosion erupts a few feet below them in an alley, knocking the boy and girl out of the air completely. They land roughly onto the rough, cold, dirty ground of the dark alley, with the red emerald and the purple, glowing road above being their only source of light at the moment.

Instinctively, Tails scurries across the ground and snatches the emerald before anything can even near it. As long as he holds onto it- then everything will be alright. It has to. Amy grips the familiar handle of her weapon and picks it up. She rises to her feet behind the exhausted genius, looking everywhere for whatever blew them out of the sky.

"Hey there," a soothing voice announces in the dark, making the two paranoid Mobians turn in its direction.

As the stranger steps closer to the red light in Tails's arm, her features become seeable. It's a bat. A bat in a hot pink, tactical outfit and white fur. A relaxed smile rests on her face as she eyes the two with perceptive eyes.

"Here I was thinking this was going to be a straight and simple operation," Rouge shrugs. "Oh well."

Behind the petrified duo, a giant, almost deafening crash erupts. They turn around and what they see are the red, emotionless eyes of a metallic boogyman. Its arms are lined with weaponry and it's no doubt the thing that took them out of the sky. Tails can't take anymore.

"SONIC!!" Tails screams. "KNUCKLES! ANYONE, HELP!"

"I'm afraid no one will be coming to help you, boy," Rouge says, getting his attention. "That echidna has likely been dealt with by Shadow already. And your hero, Sonic? Well... don't expect an open-coffin funeral. Just hand us the emerald and you two can go. Deal?"

"NO!" Tails yells, tears streaming from his eyes. "YOU'RE WRONG! NOTHING BEATS SONIC! HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!!!"

"Come on, kid, no one's coming to save you," Rouge says, a little annoyed. "Your war hero is facing a perfect clone of himself. He'll be lucky to keep those fast legs of his, no less his life."

"LET'S NOT GIVE THAT RUST-BUCKET TOO MUCH CREDIT," E-123 Omega cuts in, earning an eye-roll from Rouge.

"My boss isn't the type to wait," Rouge says to the kid before her, shaking like a leaf. "What will it be, fox boy? Just for the record- you do not want to say no."

Tails doesn't answer. He stays where he is, quivering. He's shaking so much that he can barely hang onto the emerald he's trying so hard to protect.

I just have to wait for Sonic. He determines. If I can just wait, he'll be here to save us! I can't let him down! I can't! But... what... what happens if he doesn't show?! Please, Sonic! I need you!

Tails gasps as the emerald is swiped from his hand by Amy. The young hedgehog walks up to Rouge, who eyes her curiously. More specifically: the mallet she's carrying. Amy holds out the emerald.

"Take it," she says, startling Tails.

Rouge accepts the emerald and eyes its beauty with unwavering fascination and appreciation. She turns to Amy, who has her head down, with a sly smile.

"Glad to know one of you has some sense."

"You're wrong about Sonic," Amy says, taking Rouge aback. "He will beat that metal monster Eggman sent after him. And then he'll stop all of you and save the day. I know it."

Amy raises her head and to Rouge's slight surprise, the hedgehog's face isn't one of anger or fear. She smiles widely as her determined eyes look into the spy's with confidence.

"You see, it made no difference giving you that emerald," she continues. "Because Sonic is going to get them all back for us! Count on it."

Rouge only shrugs with her usual smirk.

"Sure he will, sweetheart," she teases before she spreads her wings and shoots into the air, with E-123 Omega following closely behind.

...