The Creatures Neon

Chapter 7

Sonic the Hedgehog looked at each of them individually, a wry smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

It was Amy who broke the silence.

"How...?" Her voice was a shuddering whisper.

Sonic looked down at his legs, only, they weren't his legs at all. He looked back at Amy.

"It's kind of a long story."

At this moment Wave revealed herself exciting, on the party, a second jolt of surprise.

"Storm, Jet." Wave nodded at her former teammates.

The stunned silence continued for a moment more before Knuckles was unable to contain himself.

"Sonic!" he yelled, leaping over the conference table and embracing his old friend.

Sonic returned the embrace and the two of them shed tears of joy. At this outburst, time resumed and everyone took it in turns to hug the azure hedgehog. Jet and Storm hugged Wave, and there were smiles all around, though one could still sense the weight of words left unsaid hanging over the Rogues. Amy was the only one who didn't move.

After the initial excitement died down, Amy spoke here piece.

"How?"

Sonic smiled at her and sat at the table. Everyone gathered around him and he recounted the tale of the escape from the clinic and his life changing flight over Europe.

After taking his dramatic leave of the Swiss clinic, Sonic found himself speeding high above the trim landscape of Europe with none other than Wave the Swallow as his travel companion. He was propped up on a chair, taking great pleasure in a glass of cool water, while the swallow watched him - eyes as indecipherable as ever. She had always been the sharp cunning behind the Babylon Rogues.

"You sure made my job easy. I was planning on busting you out of there!" she said at length with a low smile.

The swallow was captivating. She had all the best parts of beauty and eyes that sung with a remarkable intelligence. As Sonic looked over at her, he was spellbound by her infinite competence and molecular cool. She struck him as someone who was perpetually in the middle of a strategy – always making a move to trap her enemy or help a friend.

"I'm surprised I made it out myself." Sonic replied, looking over at her.

Wave scoffed.

"A Swiss clinic is hardly a challenge for Sonic the Hedgehog, even if he is missing a few parts."

Sonic was silent. A soft smile played his lip.

"I was in a bad place, Wave... I've never felt like that before, and I never want to again. I completely gave up."

Wave took a sip of water.

"How did you know I was going to be there?"

"I didn't."

He continued after seeing Wave's confusion.

"Or rather, I didn't know that it was you, per se. All I knew was that I had to escape that room – that clinic."

"How?"

Sonic scratched his head.

"Bear with me on this one; Shadow the Hedgehog told me."

Wave arched an eyebrow.

"That's impossible."

"I know." Sonic sighed, "I know it's impossible..."