FicWad

Tears flowed down Eggman's face as he found himself over the city again. All that because I didn't exist... I... was necessary. Without me, Tails was left to do all my evil deeds... Without me...

"The world we live in needs heroes and villains to continue. If it doesn't have them... It creates them. Miles received even worse treatment from age eight onward... No one hit him, but everyone was rude. He decided to get revenge... He turned his attentions on the legend of Dr. Gerald Robotnik and his evil legacy. He never realized just how deranged the Doctor was, just as you failed to... but he didn't come around until it was too late."

"And all this happened because I wasn't around?"

"You were a necessary evil. If you had your life ahead of you... I'd tell you to try to make things better, to not be evil and turn your mistakes around without dwelling on the unchangeable past..."

"But..."

"But you jumped off a building, Ivo. I can't change that."

Eggman's jaw dropped. "You don't mean..."

"Goodbye, cousin."

"Wait a minute! No fair! I want to cha-"

But then it felt as if the floor dropped out from under him, and Ivo found himself falling. He braced himself, waiting for the impact... but with the boing of a spring he found himself moving upwards, then down, and was surprised at how little it hurt when he hit the pavement.



What is that pain?

Ivo Robotnik opened his eyes. He saw... ceiling. A white ceiling. Am I dead? He asked himself. Is this Hell?

He tried to move, but a sharp pain in his arm precluded him. He groaned. What happened to my arm? Where am I? Was any of that even real?

"Hey," someone whispered, "I think he's waking up."

"Who's there?" he asked, turning his head. "Where am I?"

"Take it easy, Eggman," ordered a very young voice. The Doctor found himself staring into pale blue eyes. "You're gonna be okay."

"M-m-miles?"

He glared. "Don't call me that."

"You gave us a pretty big scare, falling off a building like that," a woman said from out of view.

"Rouge..." Tears began to form in his eyes.

"Dr. Eggman? Are you okay?" Tails asked him.

"Give him some space, Tails," came a male voice. "Poor guy doesn't need to have someone who kicked his butt back on the ARK all up in his face."

"Okay," Tails responded, but then he looked into Eggman's eyes. "Don't move that arm. I haven't been able to set it properly yet." The fox got up and walked out... Eggman could see a flash of purple move toward the doorway as well.

Someone came down and sat at Eggman's side; he couldn't help but smile at seeing the most familiar face of all. Sonic the Hedgehog grinned at him, looking at him with warm green eyes. "You broke your arm and a couple other things, but you're gonna live, you old coot."

"Sonic...? Is that... really you?"

"Who else would it be? Is it that weird that I'd be nice to you now that we're on the same side?"

"I'm glad... that you're you... that you're all..."

"But you aren't yourself. Jumping off a building? Come on, Doc, you're the one who's supposed to keep coming back, no matter how bad we beat you. You gotta do better than that."

Eggman averted his eyes. "I felt bad... for all the bad things I've done."

Sonic also looked away. "I'm not gonna deny that... ... But Shadow was just as bad, and he turned around and made things better."

"Depression isn't rational, Sonic."

"Yeah, but still... don't scare me like that. I already lost one friend. I don't need to lose another."

"I'm sorry..."

Sonic smiled. "That's not like you, Dr. Eggman... but it's a change I think I like. I'm gonna go check on Tails. Get some sleep, and don't do anything stupid until Amy comes in to baby-sit you." The hedgehog stood up.

"Sonic?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Hey, no problem. The past is past, and we all kinda owe you anyway. I don't think we'd be the same people if you hadn't been a pain our butts these last couple years. Maybe now we can do the same thing for you."