Gadget's New Mission

Reunion

We continue to hug each other like it was the first time we ever truly felt warmth and happiness in our lives. A tear runs down my cheek during it all. My best friend, my only childhood friend, still alive... I couldn't be more blissful! "What have you been doing?! I was looking everywhere for you! Why are you-"

"Relax, Gadget. I know you're riled up from my mistake... hehe... very sorry about... I didn't mean to... I had no idea you were... Please don't take it the wrong way! I'd never, in my entire life, want to hurt you!"

He sounds the same as I remember him. Not wanting to look for trouble, especially from the people he cares about a lot. And seeing that he could've killed me, I understand why he's so sincere. "It's fine, Mighty. You had no idea it was me! And you certainly fooled me with... Infinite's mask..."

"Yeah... hehe... funny story about that..."

He looks reluctant in his speech...

"I'm... kind of a spy..."

"You're a what?!" It's all coming together... "So... you're part of the...?"

"Yeah... Infinite's old gang before he rose to power with Eggman. His Jackal Squad...."

"Are you... their boss?!"

"Not at all! They see me as an imitation of 'the one and only' yet they still accepted me for my dedication."

"Were you sent there by the resistance?"

Mighty looks ashamed as he talks.

"No... I'm one of the guys that went into hiding. Feels like I've been hiding my entire life. Almost started thinking that nobody cared for me either... People who crossed paths with me just kept on walking... It wasn't fun... It was miserable..."

I can tell he's about to burst into tears. I bring him to one of the stone tables to sit on. I comfort him as a caring friend should...

"I didn't want to feel useless or unwanted... I took matters into my own hands. I wanted to get into their jackal heads and destroy them like that. But every now and then, I lose my focus because of everything that has happened... It's hard..."

"I know that feeling... Ever since I joined the resistance and stopped Eggman and Infinite, I felt like I could actually do something! My parents were taken away from me... Those lugheads separated us, they took my family, my only friend, and my will to live... I couldn't have been anymore sad in my life... I was helpless and Infinite and his lackeys knew it and exploited it..." It hurts to tell this story again... I don't want to do this ever again. I don't want to remind myself of my tragic life. It's in the past, I have to look away from it now. I have to look to the future; only then can we succeed. "Now, I found you! And now, I feel my drive! I can continue on! I can keep going! And there's no way in hell I'm gonna leave you behind!" I reach out for his hand. He takes my hand and lifts himself off the table. He hugs me, all teary eyed. "We can do this. We've come this far..."

"I know..." says Mighty as his voice cracks. We stay hugging for several more seconds. Once that was over, Mighty goes to the door. He puts on his mask and turns to me. "Wait here," he says in his distorted voice. He leaves and I stay as I'm told. I notice my grapple hook on the floor and I go and put it back on. I look back at the opened slab with the remote control. I respect Mighty too much to not touch it. As I said, I don't know what it could do...

Mighty returns no worse for wear with a bag in his hand. He pulls out a fruit and holds it up to me.

"Perhaps this will take our minds off of our depressing lives..."