Categories > Games > Sonic the Hedgehog > Lost and Found
Sonic led Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails into the tattoo studio.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Knuckles asked. “You could get another t-shirt.”
“Shirts fade or get messed up somehow.” Sonic said. “This way, I’ll always have something of my brother with me. Oh, and Shadow’s getting his ear pierced if he doesn’t chicken out.”
Shadow shook his head. “Says the one who won’t swim in a kiddie pool.”
“Not cool. He nearly drowned in a pool once.” Knuckles said.
“Sonia never mentioned that.” Shadow replied.
Sonic did a double take in the direction of a green hedgehog with long spines and sighed. “That guy has spines like Manic.”
Tails patted Sonic on the shoulder. “We’ll find him one day, big bro.”
Finally, Sonic took his turn and waited to get his tattoo.
Knuckles and Tails stood nearby while Shadow was in the process of getting his ear pierced.
Knuckles leaned closer to Tails. “Five bucks says he’ll chicken out.” He whispered.
“You’re on.” Tails whispered back.
Someone on the other side of the room started laughing.
“That almost sounds like Manic’s laugh.” Sonic muttered under his breath.
The green hedgehog with brown eyes, long spines, and wearing a Fight the Fury t-shirt and studded wristbands over his black fingerless gloves sat down across from Sonic. “Okay, sorry about the wait.” He said. “I’m Nikós.”
Tails and Knuckles grimaced.
“It’s fine.” Sonic said. He bit his lip and finally pulled up the picture Sonia had made and sent to him. “I heard you’re an amazing artist. You think you can do this?”
Nikós looked at the picture, which was of a drum with a crudely written name over it. “Sure… uh… is the writing supposed to look like that?”
Sonic nodded. “It was my little brother’s handwriting.” He said. “He was kidnapped when we were three. I hadn’t seen him since. It's been eighteen years and the case is more or less closed.”
Nikós winced. “Aw, man. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” Sonic said.
“So what is it supposed to say?” Nikós asked.
“Manic.” Sonic replied. “That was taken from a preschool or daycare thing where he had to write his name.”
Nikós looked at the paper again. “Huh. That name sounds familiar.” He said. “I can do one of his pictures if you happen to have one and you’re interested in that.”
Sonic pulled up an old picture of Manic on his phone.
Nikós looked at it closely. “Wait.”
Tails and Knuckles looked at each other.
“How’d you get this?” Nikós asked.
“What?” Sonic asked.
“That’s me.” Nikós replied. “I still have that shirt in my closet too.”
Sonic shook his head in disbelief. “Are- please don’t joke about that.”
“I’m not.” Nikós insisted. “I should know what I looked like back then.”
“Wait. What else do you remember from when you were three, Nikós?” Tails asked.
“Well, one thing I remember from that age is that I was playing with these blue and pink kids on the sidewalk and my mom made me get in the car.” Nikós replied. “She acts weird every time I mention it for some reason.”
“Was the car a gray Toyota?” Tails asked.
“Yeah.” Nikós replied.
“My brother was kidnapped off the sidewalk while playing with me and our sister and made to get in a car.” Sonic said. “Sonia’s pink. That’s the shirt he was wearing when he was kidnapped.”
Nikós rubbed the back of his head. “So… you’re my brother?”
Sonic quickly got up and hugged Nikós. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re alive!” He exclaimed.
Nikós grinned nervously. “Uh… thanks…?”
Sonic finally let go. “When do you get off work?” He asked. “Mom, Sonia, and Uncle Chuck will be thrilled to see you.”
Nikós checked his watch. “About thirty minutes, but I gotta call someone first.” He said. “You still want this, bro?”
Sonic shrugged. “Why not?” He asked. He sat down. “Tails, you call mom and tell her and uncle Chuck to meet us at Hibachi buffet. Knux, you tell Shadow to meet us at the restaurant after he picks up Sonia. I’ll text Sally in a minute.”
*
Shadow walked over to Sonic and Manic as Sonic was paying for his tattoo. “I don’t mind picking up Sonia, but why do we have to meet you all at a restaurant?” He asked. “Like we don’t have plans?”
“Well, you don’t have plans unless you were surprising Sonia.” Sonic replied. He motioned to Manic. “Anyway, we found Manic. Bro, that’s Shadow, Sonia’s fiancé.”
“Nice to meet you.” Manic said, holding out his hand for a fist bump.
Shadow looked Manic over. “You’re sure that’s him?”
“He remembers when he got kidnapped.” Sonic said, turning to face Shadow.
“Vaguely.” Manic added. “I only remember because Mom got mad when I mentioned it and there were a few odd things about my family aside from the fact they were tenrecs.”
Shadow checked his watch. “I gotta pick up Sonia.”
Shadow stepped out the door and raced off.
Manic’s jaw dropped. “How…?”
“I’m faster than him.” Sonic said, patting Manic on the back. “Come on, Knuckles is driving.”
*
Manic stared out the window, drumming his fingers on the door panel as they waited for the light to change.
“What’s wrong?” Sonic asked. “Aren’t you happy that we found you?”
“Yeah, it’s just that I’ve been living a lie.” Manic replied. “I always knew something was odd about my… family, but I never thought I was kidnapped.”
“Sadly, the news lost interest in your case after a few months from what I’ve been able to dig up.” Tails said.
“Oh, Mom adopted Tails when he was two.” Sonic said. “Did I tell you about that already?”
“Yeah, while I was doing your tattoo.” Mamic replied. He snapped his fingers. “I gotta call Surge.”
“Your girlfriend?” Sonic asked.
Manic started dialing Surge’s number. “My wife.”
Sonic, wide-eyed, looked at Manic. “You’re-”
“Hey, Babe, you won’t believe this.” Manic said. “I think I finally solved the family mystery. I’ll explain later, but I’ll need you to meet me at the Hibachi buffet.”
Knuckles parked the car in the lot.
“Okay, see you there, babe.” Manic said. “Be careful; love you.”
Manic hung up his phone.
“I can’t believe you’re married.” Sonic replied.
Manic nodded. “For about three years now.”
Sonic sighed. “Do you have kids too?”
Manic rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t say anything, but we might be having a baby.”
“I… I won’t say anything.” Sonic said, slumping his shoulders. “I’m just shocked.”
“Tell me about it.” Manic said. “This wasn’t on my bingo card for the day.”
Everyone quietly got out of the car and started walking to the restaurant.
“So did I call our mom ‘Ma’?” Manic asked.
“Yeah.” Sonic replied. “Wow. I’m surprised you remembered that.”
“I knew I tried to call Mom that and she’d get angry.” Manic said. “I couldn’t understand why she suddenly got mad about it.”
Sonic dragged Manic inside the restaurant as soon as he saw Uncle Chuck and Aleena.
Knuckles and Tails followed them.
“Mom, Uncle Chuck.” Sonic called.
Aleena and Uncle Chuck turned around and froze.
“It’s Manic; we found him.” Sonic said, grinning. He nudged Manic forward.
“Hi.” Manic said, grinning nervously.
Aleena and Uncle Chuck hugged Manic.
“Where on Mobius have you been?” Uncle Chuck asked.
“East Mobius.” Manic said. “I kinda slipped out of my… parents’ home as soon as I turned eighteen. I am eighteen, right?”
“Yeah, your birthday was in March.” Aleena replied.
Manic looked around. “Where is Dad anyway?”
Shadow, Sonia, and Sally walked in.
“Your dad died when you were two.” Aleena said sadly. “Workplace accident.”
Sally hugged Sonic. “Glad you found him.”
Sonia rushed in and hugged Manic. “I’m so happy to see you!”
A green tenrec came in a few seconds later and marched over. “Nikós? Who is this?”
Sonic motioned to the hedgehog. “That’s your wife, bro?”
Sonia let go of Manic. “You’re married, little bro?”
“Yeah, that’s Surge.” Manic said, reaching out to his wife. “Surge, this is Sonia and Sonic. They’re my real brother and sister. Apparently, my real name is Manic.”
Surge grinned nervously. “Oh, that’s what you were talking about.” She replied. She went over and stood beside Manic. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, this is my Ma and uncle Chuck.” Manic said.
Aleena wiped her eyes. “I’ve been waiting years to hear you call me that again, Manic.”
Surge looked at the hedgehog family, then to Manic. “I guess you took after your dad, Babe?”
Aleena nodded. “He looks like his dad, except he didn’t have tattoos and piercings.”
Tails tapped Sonic’s shoulder. “I hate to interrupt, but we should get a table.”
“Right, thanks, little bro.” Sonic said.
Everyone headed to the cashier.
*
Tails glanced over his shoulder. “What’s taking Manic so long?”
Surge looked up. “He’s waiting on the Baozi to be set out.”
Aleena turned around slightly and smiled. “Some things never change,” She said. “This was his favorite restaurant. I was so surprised that he’d actually eat sushi when he was three. Couldn’t get Sonic to try it to save my life.”
“I prefer chili dogs.” Sonic replied.
Manic finally came back to the table with a plate loaded down with sushi, shrimp stir fry, and baozi.
Sonic chuckled.
Shadow looked at the plate. “How are you gonna finish that?”
“He can. I don’t know how he does it.” Surge said, shrugging.
Manic got his chopsticks ready. “This is just plate one.”
“He‘ll eat three plates of food, no dessert unless there’s mochi ice cream.” Surge said. “He’s only complained twice about eating too much since I’ve known him.”
Sonic opened his chopstick pack. “Do you still think your favorite song is called lobster, bro?”
Manic laughed. “No, Surge told me it was Monster.”
Surge sipped her tea. “I’m surprised you remember so much about him.” She said, “Manic only barely remembered you all.”
“We have a lot of videos.” Sonic said. “We kept his part of the room set up for him whenever he came home.”
“You still have my stuff?” Manic asked.
Sonia nodded.
“Even the Fight the Fury CD that you somehow found after Mom took it from you.” Sonic said.
“He did?” Aleena asked.
“It’s in his music drawer, hidden in the middle of the stack.” Sonic replied.
“Where was it hidden?” Manic asked. “By our Christmas gifts?”
Aleena sighed. “Yes.”
Manic laughed. “You tried, Ma.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Knuckles asked. “You could get another t-shirt.”
“Shirts fade or get messed up somehow.” Sonic said. “This way, I’ll always have something of my brother with me. Oh, and Shadow’s getting his ear pierced if he doesn’t chicken out.”
Shadow shook his head. “Says the one who won’t swim in a kiddie pool.”
“Not cool. He nearly drowned in a pool once.” Knuckles said.
“Sonia never mentioned that.” Shadow replied.
Sonic did a double take in the direction of a green hedgehog with long spines and sighed. “That guy has spines like Manic.”
Tails patted Sonic on the shoulder. “We’ll find him one day, big bro.”
Finally, Sonic took his turn and waited to get his tattoo.
Knuckles and Tails stood nearby while Shadow was in the process of getting his ear pierced.
Knuckles leaned closer to Tails. “Five bucks says he’ll chicken out.” He whispered.
“You’re on.” Tails whispered back.
Someone on the other side of the room started laughing.
“That almost sounds like Manic’s laugh.” Sonic muttered under his breath.
The green hedgehog with brown eyes, long spines, and wearing a Fight the Fury t-shirt and studded wristbands over his black fingerless gloves sat down across from Sonic. “Okay, sorry about the wait.” He said. “I’m Nikós.”
Tails and Knuckles grimaced.
“It’s fine.” Sonic said. He bit his lip and finally pulled up the picture Sonia had made and sent to him. “I heard you’re an amazing artist. You think you can do this?”
Nikós looked at the picture, which was of a drum with a crudely written name over it. “Sure… uh… is the writing supposed to look like that?”
Sonic nodded. “It was my little brother’s handwriting.” He said. “He was kidnapped when we were three. I hadn’t seen him since. It's been eighteen years and the case is more or less closed.”
Nikós winced. “Aw, man. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.” Sonic said.
“So what is it supposed to say?” Nikós asked.
“Manic.” Sonic replied. “That was taken from a preschool or daycare thing where he had to write his name.”
Nikós looked at the paper again. “Huh. That name sounds familiar.” He said. “I can do one of his pictures if you happen to have one and you’re interested in that.”
Sonic pulled up an old picture of Manic on his phone.
Nikós looked at it closely. “Wait.”
Tails and Knuckles looked at each other.
“How’d you get this?” Nikós asked.
“What?” Sonic asked.
“That’s me.” Nikós replied. “I still have that shirt in my closet too.”
Sonic shook his head in disbelief. “Are- please don’t joke about that.”
“I’m not.” Nikós insisted. “I should know what I looked like back then.”
“Wait. What else do you remember from when you were three, Nikós?” Tails asked.
“Well, one thing I remember from that age is that I was playing with these blue and pink kids on the sidewalk and my mom made me get in the car.” Nikós replied. “She acts weird every time I mention it for some reason.”
“Was the car a gray Toyota?” Tails asked.
“Yeah.” Nikós replied.
“My brother was kidnapped off the sidewalk while playing with me and our sister and made to get in a car.” Sonic said. “Sonia’s pink. That’s the shirt he was wearing when he was kidnapped.”
Nikós rubbed the back of his head. “So… you’re my brother?”
Sonic quickly got up and hugged Nikós. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re alive!” He exclaimed.
Nikós grinned nervously. “Uh… thanks…?”
Sonic finally let go. “When do you get off work?” He asked. “Mom, Sonia, and Uncle Chuck will be thrilled to see you.”
Nikós checked his watch. “About thirty minutes, but I gotta call someone first.” He said. “You still want this, bro?”
Sonic shrugged. “Why not?” He asked. He sat down. “Tails, you call mom and tell her and uncle Chuck to meet us at Hibachi buffet. Knux, you tell Shadow to meet us at the restaurant after he picks up Sonia. I’ll text Sally in a minute.”
*
Shadow walked over to Sonic and Manic as Sonic was paying for his tattoo. “I don’t mind picking up Sonia, but why do we have to meet you all at a restaurant?” He asked. “Like we don’t have plans?”
“Well, you don’t have plans unless you were surprising Sonia.” Sonic replied. He motioned to Manic. “Anyway, we found Manic. Bro, that’s Shadow, Sonia’s fiancé.”
“Nice to meet you.” Manic said, holding out his hand for a fist bump.
Shadow looked Manic over. “You’re sure that’s him?”
“He remembers when he got kidnapped.” Sonic said, turning to face Shadow.
“Vaguely.” Manic added. “I only remember because Mom got mad when I mentioned it and there were a few odd things about my family aside from the fact they were tenrecs.”
Shadow checked his watch. “I gotta pick up Sonia.”
Shadow stepped out the door and raced off.
Manic’s jaw dropped. “How…?”
“I’m faster than him.” Sonic said, patting Manic on the back. “Come on, Knuckles is driving.”
*
Manic stared out the window, drumming his fingers on the door panel as they waited for the light to change.
“What’s wrong?” Sonic asked. “Aren’t you happy that we found you?”
“Yeah, it’s just that I’ve been living a lie.” Manic replied. “I always knew something was odd about my… family, but I never thought I was kidnapped.”
“Sadly, the news lost interest in your case after a few months from what I’ve been able to dig up.” Tails said.
“Oh, Mom adopted Tails when he was two.” Sonic said. “Did I tell you about that already?”
“Yeah, while I was doing your tattoo.” Mamic replied. He snapped his fingers. “I gotta call Surge.”
“Your girlfriend?” Sonic asked.
Manic started dialing Surge’s number. “My wife.”
Sonic, wide-eyed, looked at Manic. “You’re-”
“Hey, Babe, you won’t believe this.” Manic said. “I think I finally solved the family mystery. I’ll explain later, but I’ll need you to meet me at the Hibachi buffet.”
Knuckles parked the car in the lot.
“Okay, see you there, babe.” Manic said. “Be careful; love you.”
Manic hung up his phone.
“I can’t believe you’re married.” Sonic replied.
Manic nodded. “For about three years now.”
Sonic sighed. “Do you have kids too?”
Manic rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t say anything, but we might be having a baby.”
“I… I won’t say anything.” Sonic said, slumping his shoulders. “I’m just shocked.”
“Tell me about it.” Manic said. “This wasn’t on my bingo card for the day.”
Everyone quietly got out of the car and started walking to the restaurant.
“So did I call our mom ‘Ma’?” Manic asked.
“Yeah.” Sonic replied. “Wow. I’m surprised you remembered that.”
“I knew I tried to call Mom that and she’d get angry.” Manic said. “I couldn’t understand why she suddenly got mad about it.”
Sonic dragged Manic inside the restaurant as soon as he saw Uncle Chuck and Aleena.
Knuckles and Tails followed them.
“Mom, Uncle Chuck.” Sonic called.
Aleena and Uncle Chuck turned around and froze.
“It’s Manic; we found him.” Sonic said, grinning. He nudged Manic forward.
“Hi.” Manic said, grinning nervously.
Aleena and Uncle Chuck hugged Manic.
“Where on Mobius have you been?” Uncle Chuck asked.
“East Mobius.” Manic said. “I kinda slipped out of my… parents’ home as soon as I turned eighteen. I am eighteen, right?”
“Yeah, your birthday was in March.” Aleena replied.
Manic looked around. “Where is Dad anyway?”
Shadow, Sonia, and Sally walked in.
“Your dad died when you were two.” Aleena said sadly. “Workplace accident.”
Sally hugged Sonic. “Glad you found him.”
Sonia rushed in and hugged Manic. “I’m so happy to see you!”
A green tenrec came in a few seconds later and marched over. “Nikós? Who is this?”
Sonic motioned to the hedgehog. “That’s your wife, bro?”
Sonia let go of Manic. “You’re married, little bro?”
“Yeah, that’s Surge.” Manic said, reaching out to his wife. “Surge, this is Sonia and Sonic. They’re my real brother and sister. Apparently, my real name is Manic.”
Surge grinned nervously. “Oh, that’s what you were talking about.” She replied. She went over and stood beside Manic. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, this is my Ma and uncle Chuck.” Manic said.
Aleena wiped her eyes. “I’ve been waiting years to hear you call me that again, Manic.”
Surge looked at the hedgehog family, then to Manic. “I guess you took after your dad, Babe?”
Aleena nodded. “He looks like his dad, except he didn’t have tattoos and piercings.”
Tails tapped Sonic’s shoulder. “I hate to interrupt, but we should get a table.”
“Right, thanks, little bro.” Sonic said.
Everyone headed to the cashier.
*
Tails glanced over his shoulder. “What’s taking Manic so long?”
Surge looked up. “He’s waiting on the Baozi to be set out.”
Aleena turned around slightly and smiled. “Some things never change,” She said. “This was his favorite restaurant. I was so surprised that he’d actually eat sushi when he was three. Couldn’t get Sonic to try it to save my life.”
“I prefer chili dogs.” Sonic replied.
Manic finally came back to the table with a plate loaded down with sushi, shrimp stir fry, and baozi.
Sonic chuckled.
Shadow looked at the plate. “How are you gonna finish that?”
“He can. I don’t know how he does it.” Surge said, shrugging.
Manic got his chopsticks ready. “This is just plate one.”
“He‘ll eat three plates of food, no dessert unless there’s mochi ice cream.” Surge said. “He’s only complained twice about eating too much since I’ve known him.”
Sonic opened his chopstick pack. “Do you still think your favorite song is called lobster, bro?”
Manic laughed. “No, Surge told me it was Monster.”
Surge sipped her tea. “I’m surprised you remember so much about him.” She said, “Manic only barely remembered you all.”
“We have a lot of videos.” Sonic said. “We kept his part of the room set up for him whenever he came home.”
“You still have my stuff?” Manic asked.
Sonia nodded.
“Even the Fight the Fury CD that you somehow found after Mom took it from you.” Sonic said.
“He did?” Aleena asked.
“It’s in his music drawer, hidden in the middle of the stack.” Sonic replied.
“Where was it hidden?” Manic asked. “By our Christmas gifts?”
Aleena sighed. “Yes.”
Manic laughed. “You tried, Ma.”
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