FicWad

The van rattled along through the desert in the middle of Canyonopolis.

Sonic drove the van, occasionally checking their GPS.

“Are you sure we’re not lost?” Sonia asked. “I’ve seen nothing but desert for an hour.”

“I’m sure.” Sonic replied. “It’s a big desert.”

Sonia pointed at something on the side of the road ahead of them. “What’s that?”

“Hopefully, it’s not a Swatbot.” Sonic said.

As they got closer, they realized it was a black and red hedgehog standing by a wrecked motorcycle.

“Aw, we can’t leave him stranded in the desert.” Sonia said.

Manic walked over to Sonic and Sonia.

“He could be working for Robotnik.” Sonic said.

“What does he look like?” Uncle Chuck asked.

“Oh, that’s Shadow.” Manic said.

Sonic pulled the van on the side of the road and parked it. “You know him?”

“Yeah, he’s one of my best friends.” Manic said.

“You better go talk to him.” Sonic said. “He’s armed and he doesn’t look happy.”

Manic got out of the van and walked over to Shadow.

Sonia and Sonic watched as Shadow put his gun away while talking to Manic, then followed the latter back to the camper.

Sonia brushed back her spines and smoothed out her dress.

Sonic sighed. “You think he’s hot, don’t you?” He asked. “You do realize he’s gotta be a criminal if Manic knows him.”

“Manic said he’s a decent guy.” Sonia replied.

Sonic got up. “By what standard?”

Uncle Chuck barely glanced up from his laptop. “So what does-”

The door opened.

Manic and Shadow walked in.

“I’m sure we can hook your motorcycle to the back.” Manic said. “Oh, this is my brother Sonic and sister Sonia. Oh, and Uncle Chuck. We just reunited.”

Sonia smiled. “Hi, Manic told us a lot about you.”

Manic raised an eyebrow.

“By ‘a lot’ she means he only mentioned your name.” Sonic said.

Sonia blushed.

“Anyway, his bike is shot and he doesn’t want to leave it.” Manic said. “Do we have something to hook it to the van?”

Sonic motioned to the cabinet. “There’s some straps in there.”

“Great.” Shadow said. “Thanks, I-”

“You can go with us.” Sonia offered. “We have room.”

Uncle Chuck looked up from his laptop. “That’s Terios.”

Sonic backed away with his eyes wide and spines raised.

“Relax.” Shadow said, glaring at Sonic. “I have no business with you.”

Sonic lowered his spines. “That’s still not comforting.”

Shadow set his backpack on the floor, by the counter. “I have no other choice, but to go with you.” He said. “Robotnik is on my trail.”

Manic got the straps out of the cabinet. “I’ll help you.”

*

Uncle Chuck got behind the wheel and started driving.

Shadow sat down at the table across from Sonic and Manic while Sonia got them all some water.

Surge walked out of the bedroom with Glitch. “Oh, so that’s why we stopped.” She said, “How have you been, Shads?”

Shadow shook his head. “Maria died.”

Manic hung his head and frowned. “I’m sorry.” He said softly. He wiped his eye with his sleeve.

Surge sat down beside Manic and rubbed his arm. “That’s awful.” She said sadly.

“It was a blessing at this point.” Shadow replied. He took a cup from Sonia. “She had gotten sicker and was in more pain since the last time you two saw her.”

“I’m sorry, Shadow.” Surge replied.

Sonia sat down beside Shadow. “Who’s Maria?”

“My adoptive sister and Gerald Robotnik’s granddaughter.” Shadow replied. “Where’s Farrell?”

“Swatbots busted him back in Lake Valley.” Manic said, motioning behind them.

“So… what did you do in the city, Shadow?” Sonia asked.

“It depends.” Shadow replied.

“He helped us move supplies, security work.” Manic said. “Shadow took me to see Gerald when I got stabbed when we were little kids. That’s how we met and Gerald got to be my doctor. Maria had gotten sick about a year before the coup. She used to like to hear me sing.”

“Thanks for the videos you sent her, Manic.” Shadow said. “She played them every day.”

Manic smiled. “Aww.”

“You’re an amazing singer, bro.” Sonia said, sliding out of her seat. She walked to the counter. “We heard you singing to Glitch.”

“Thanks.” Manic replied.

Sonia closed the fridge. “Who ate all the cheese and the apple chips?”

“Manic ate the cheese and stashed the apple chips in his backpack.” Surge said.

“Sorry.” Manic replied.

“Why do you do that?” Sonia asked.

“I wasn’t thinking about it when I took the apple chips, but Surge and I were hungry when we ate all the cheese.” Manic replied. He pulled a bag of apple chips out of his vest pocket and dropped them on the table. “Here, sis.”

Surge elbowed Manic. “You ate more than I did.”

“I’m sorry.” Manic said, rubbing his arm. “I only ate a little more than you did.”

Sonia sat down beside Shadow and picked up the apple chips. “Thanks.”

Surge played with Manic’s spines. “I don’t know why he’s such a klepto,” She said. “He stole sauce packets out of a food truck and a beanie baby penguin on our first date. That’s not even the most random haul he’s ever swiped.”

“The sauce packets weren’t random, sometimes that was all Farrell and I had to eat when our supply lines were blocked.” Manic replied.

“I guess I blocked out the memory of having to eat sauce packets too.” Surge said, grimacing. “I hadn’t thought about it until just now.”

“How long have you two known each other?” Sonic asked.

“We met in the black market when we were twelve.” Surge replied. “I had slipped out of my parents’ home and was wandering around out of curiosity and he was concerned about me.”

“Aww.” Sonia said, offering some apple chips to Shadow.

Shadow took a couple of chips.

“It gave me an excuse to talk to her.” Manic said, rubbing the back of his head.

Surge chuckled. “Why are you acting like that would be some deal breaker?”

Manic shrugged.

Glitch started crying.

Surge got up to let Manic out.

Manic got up. “Hold on, Glitch.” He said, heading to the bedroom.

Shadow glanced at Manic. “He’s two weeks old, isn’t he?”

“Three weeks now.” Surge said, sitting down. She slid over to give Manic room to sit down. “Manic’s got him totally spoiled.”

Manic walked back in with Glitch. “There’s uncle Shads, little dude.” He said. He sat down beside Surge and turned Glitch to face Shadow. “He’s done a lot to help your Ma and I.”

“Taught your dad to fight.” Shadow replied.

“That’s how Manic’s gotten a violent reputation.” Sonic said. He got up and stopped as he saw something outside. He pointed out the window. “What are those things?”

“Are they spheres with a glowing red eye?” Shadow asked without looking out the window.

Sonic looked at Shadow. “Yeah, why?”

Shadow nudged Sonia out of her seat as Manic handed Glitch over to Surge.

“The heck?” Sonia protested.

Shadow and Manic got up, pulling guns out of holsters they had hidden in their coats respectively.

“Stop the camper.” Shadow said.

Uncle Chuck pulled the camper onto the side of the road and parked it.

Shadow opened the door.

The drones quickly flew over to the door.

Shadow and Manic fired at the drones, taking them out with well-placed shots in the drones’ red eyes.

Shadow closed the door. “Let’s go.”

Sonia got up and walked over to Uncle Chuck. “I’ll take over for you.”

Sonic looked at Manic. “You’ve been armed this whole time?”

“Yeah, but it won’t bring down Swatbots.” Manic replied. “Now that bazooka thing Shads had would take out an army of them, but it kept jamming.”

Shadow settled into his seat. “The whole arsenal got destroyed before I left.” He said. “Swatbots pulled a massive raid at my house.”

Sonic pulled the camper back onto the road. “Is… is that how Maria died?”

“No, the raids happened when I was heading home from the funeral.” Shadow said. “A tip came in saying that the royal triplets were still alive, so they think any hedgehog close to that age could be one of the triplets.”

Sonia seethed. “I can’t believe I was gonna marry that creep.” She muttered as she pulled the camper back on the road.

Shadow looked at Sonia. “You were gonna marry Robotnik?”

Sonia cringed. “Ew!” She shrieked. “No, Bartleby Montclair.”

“That’s not much better, Sonia.” Shadow replied.

Sonia pulled the camper on the road and drove away.

“I was gonna drive, sis.” Sonic said.

“You can take over for me after dinner.” Sonia replied.

*

Sonic yawned, then pulled over on the side of the road. “You want to drive, Shadow?” He asked. “I can’t believe I’ve been driving for three hours straight. That’s a new record.”

Sonic got up as Shadow walked over.

Shadow sat down in the driver’s seat. “Where are we headed again?”

“Green hills estate in East Mobius.” Sonic said, over his shoulder as he walked over to his sleeping bag.

“I think I know where that is.” Shadow replied.

“Thanks.” Sonic said, climbing into his sleeping bag.

Manic walked over and sat down in the passenger seat as Shadow pulled the camper back onto the road.

Shadow drove away.

Manic glanced back to make sure Sonic was asleep. “I mentioned they were my fam, right?”

“I wouldn’t think you were with a random group and I remembered your siblings’ names.” Shadow replied. “Though they know nothing of you since Sonic believes you’re violent.”

Manic leaned against the door. “I sort of trust them.” He said, drumming his fingers on the door. “Still not sure if I should completely drop the act, y’know? I figured he’d catch on after a while.”

“I’m not saying anything.” Shadow replied. “Sorry about Farrell.”

“I’m sorry about Maria.” Manic said. “She didn’t suffer, right?”

“Right; passed in her sleep.” Shadow replied.

Surge walked over with Glitch, who kept reaching for her spines. “Manic, he wants to play with your spines. My spines aren’t good enough for him.”

Manic took Glitch from Surge. “Sorry, Babe.” He said. “I don’t know why he was born fascinated with my spines.”

Shadow glanced at Manic. “Your spines are barely different than hers.”

“Somehow it is.” Surge said, shaking her head. “It’s like when I was a kid and swore there was a difference between red skittles and yellow skittles.”

“I never did that.” Manic replied. “Maybe because Farrell would always say ‘eat it and shut up’.”

Manic slumped in his seat. “You think we can cure him?”

“It’s possible.” Shadow said. “Go rest. I can concentrate better when I’m not distracted anyway.”

Manic got up. “G’night, Shads.” He said over his shoulder as he walked Surge back to their room.

“Yeah, yeah.” Shadow replied.