Sonic: Earthbound

Chapter 25

It was like she blinked, and a second later, she was somewhere else entirely. Although she'd done this once or twice before (three times counting the time she fell asleep doing it), it was no less alarming. Disoriented, Alex spun around in a circle.

She was standing on an abandoned beach. The one on the shore of North Lake, far off the beaten path; specifically, the route Robotnik's vehicle had taken before lifting into the air and flying across the lake to his invisible Robo Dome.

"Sh-Shit..."

Why'd I come here of all places?!

Alex gazed out at the lake, at the sun setting on the horizon, wondering if Robotnik could see her from his invisible base and fearing that it might be possible. Bathed in twilight, the wind whipping at her hair, she stood on the darkening beach, feeling the pebbles and driftwood beneath her socks and knowing that she was in real trouble.

For a moment, she thought she was alone, but the moment passed when she heard a voice coming to her on the breeze, singing that same song.

"I guess you're just what I needed... I needed someone to feed... I guess you're just what I needed..."

Alex turned in the direction of the voice. Not far from here stood an old derelict lifeguard station, its wood in a major state of decay. As Alex stared at the structure, Sage stepped out from behind it.

"I needed someone... to bleed."

He was still wearing the nice dress clothes and long black trench coat he'd been wearing during their encounter at The Veranda. Only now, she saw the shoulder had a hole in it and his arm was pressed firmly to his torso, as if he were favoring it.

At the sight of him, Alex was a mix of fear, pity, and revulsion. Fear, for she knew he intended to take her to Robotnik; pity for his wound, even though he was not human, for she knew that he once had been, and she wondered, perhaps, if it pained him in any way; and revulsion for she realized how he'd trapped her.

He'd used her father's song against her. He'd tapped into her Chaos Energy by frightening her, for he knew quite well how it worked, and he manipulated her destination by toying with her emotions, making her think of her father and triggering her curiosity to get her to appear right where he wanted her.

Well, it worked. In spite of her fear, she was curious, damn curious how he could possibly know that song and what it meant to her. Slowly, she backed away as he approached, maintaining her distance at all times, syncing her steps with his as though it were a strange sort of dance, and never taking her eyes off him.

"H-How?" she asked tremulously. "How do you know that song?"

Sage continued to approach. If he so chose, he could likely rush at her and grab her if he really wanted to. And yet, he didn't make any such move. Instead, the handsome android slowly moved forward, as if he was methodically taking his time with her. He could see the fear on the girl's face. And yet there were a mix of other emotions.

"You're Just What I've Needed. A song by The Cars. When I placed you in a daze in the Master's car, you started singing it. And when you sang it... It struck a chord with me. I believed it must be an important song to you."

As he continued to approach with such a slow, methodical grace, Alex was reminded of a panther preparing to pounce on its prey. She continued to back away, knowing that if he touched her, it was over for her. If he touched her, he'd put her to sleep or place her in a daze. She couldn't let that happen.

Sage tilted his head as he looked at her. "And yet... when I, myself, began to sing the song, I came to the realization... that I had heard that song before. But I have no knowledge as to when or where. Now that is something I find quite intriguing."