— Solid and Tricky’s Childhood House (Northern District) —

  “...”

  “Solid, wake up.”

  The orange hedgehog groans and rubs his groggy eyes, witnessing the team already surrounding him while Tricky shakes his shoulder. “Ugh…? Wha…? Huh…? What is it… Tricky…?”

  “I’ve seen Eggman.”

  Solid immediately sits himself up from the couch, confused and shocked. “Are you for real?”

  Tricky groans and pokes at his forehead, needing to explain once again. “Yes, I’m for real! I’m not stupid enough not to tell you where he is.” He continues poking him until his brother swats his hand away. “Stay awake for once, maybe drinking coffee should do.” Muttering to himself in a remark about his brother’s sleepiness.

  “Do you think coffee is a great choice to keep me awake? I constantly bicker about that bitter taste of caffeine, and even if I do try drinking one, I’ll probably spit it out. Decaf wouldn’t help, too...” Solid’s first experience with coffee was during college, and when he first tried one, he hated the taste. No matter how many times he drinks it, whether it’ll be once per week or every day, he never gets used to the taste of coffee in general.

  “Anyways.” Sonic cuts their conversation between the brothers and forces Tricky to look at him. “You said that you saw Egghead in this district. If so, tell us more. Anything that helps us obtain clues about his whereabouts.”

  Pacing back and forth, the porcupine recalls the time Eggman was around his district. “It was early in the morning… March 30th…”

  Looking out at the window, he remembers where he was during the time and place. “I walked outside the house to begin my day. My car had engine problems, so I had to force myself to commute via train. A 5-minute walk to the station, and while I was waiting for the train to pass by, a human figure walked out of the train a few doors away from me. I was intrigued by their appearance, skeptical of who he was and what he was doing here. But I didn’t have much time to examine because a bunch of crowded commuters like me were boarding the train, and I had no choice but to abandon my investigation.”

  He visually recalls himself staring at Eggman, watching him take the steps to the Northern District before he disappears from his sight. The train begins to move, and he continues to stare at the stairs. He eventually sat down at an open seat to continue with his day.

  “Weren’t you late to work that day?” A conspicuous question from Solid, needing verification if it was truly what happened.

  “Due to numerous train delays, I was… I know, I got scolded by the CEO, and you were questioning me like paparazzi. If that even matters… all I’m saying is that Eggman has been around this district… and I fear this neighborhood too.” He eventually sits down on a random chair, needing some way to relax. “Oh well.”

  The situation has dramatically worsened for the team. With Haven City being a megalopolis, the limited time is not only detrimental, but dealing with recruits that Eggman has potentially pursued to join his side leaves them outnumbered, especially since the Northern District is the largest in terms of population and area. Meaning more battles and violence await them soon.

  …

  “So… anything special you guys are doing?” Sonic lets out a nervous chuckle, hoping they’re not quick to defeat whatever.

  “No.” Solid slowly stands up, already feeling the pressure inside. “Why don’t we… leave? I think we have enough evidence for today.” He looks at his brother, who gives him a thumbs-up in support.

  Tricky, who seemingly has the dedication to take time off work, is a big need. He’s always bummed out from the stress given at his workplace, trying his best to stay focused, but doesn’t have the free time to. His brother knows about this and decides to offer the black porcupine something of his lifetime. “Maybe…”

  “You can join us, Tricky.”

  The team reacts in unison, shocked, but after careful consideration, it could be the best decision. Solid gives him a reassuring smile, hoping that his brother feels motivated by his words. “If I offered you the chance to help get any clues about Eggman’s whereabouts, then you’re the perfect situation for us. Besides… I know that you can fight. You’re WAY better than me. You feel me?” His offer does enlighten the team a bit; hopefully, adding another ally would help support their main mission to uncover Eggman’s whereabouts altogether.

  “Hmm…” Tricky, however, remains a bit wary of his decisions, thinking about the situations he’s going through if he were to deal with the constant missions and fighting with the team. “I’m unsure… maybe… but then again… Do I want to fight…?”

  Sonic goes along with the orange hedgehog, now convincing Tricky to pressure himself to join the team. “Tricky. This isn’t our world… this is your world. We’re interdimensional travelers who want to help your dimension stay safe from the harms of Egghead alike. Listen to your brother… and maybe you can join us. Alright?”

  Still, the porcupine remains hesitant about the decision, even with the pressures from both hedgehogs; it isn’t enough to persuade him to commit. “I… I’ll think later…” He stands up and looks at the time, seeing how it’s already sunset, while changing the subject. “Damn… you spent the whole day thinking about the Eggman, huh?”

  “Yep. It was actually more than thinking about Eggman, but your words are true.” Tails lets out an amused scoff, hearing the statement amusingly true. Recalling how on this same day, they had to fight the Badniks, reunite with Knuckles and Amy, or play basketball (for whatever reason). The whole day was spent dealing with more situations involving Eggman; it’s their first time having such an encounter in a new dimension.

  The porcupine returns with a small scoff, rolling his eyes as a response to his answer. “You guys are unbelievable…” He says that before heading towards the hallway, where he needs to use the bathroom. “I’m going to use the bathroom. You guys can leave if you want; that’s up to you. But for my decision, it’ll be some time soon.”

  The team is aware of his words and the decision that he may choose. They’re not against what he wants, but in a situation where needing an ally is crucial, this could be the right time. So, Knuckles gives it one more go. “Before you use the bathroom… I feel honored by the man you are. Experiencing hardship while taking care of your younger brother. Once again, we want you to join our team. Please?”

  “I have work tomorrow, bro.”

  “DAMN IT!” Knuckles angrily yells as he heads towards the front door, already quitting in his last-ditch effort to help the team out. “Let’s go home and plan our mission!”

  “Typical Knuckles…” Amy shakes her head, grabbing her Piko Piko Hammer resting on the wall before going up to Tricky. “Thank you for allowing us to visit your house and for giving us a house tour. Hearing of your mother's death pains me… but listen to Sonic says, and I hope you’ll be fine.” She says before whispering to him. “Sonic’s words are always the best. No matter what.” She happily smiles and skips her way outside.

  Tails tries to catch up with them, but also says his goodbye, turning around and giving him a wave. “Cya, Solid’s older brother! It’s a pleasure hearing your story and such!” He runs out of the front door, now leaving the two hedgehogs and the porcupine inside.

  “Well. Well… Two hedgehogs and a porcupine.” Tricky pauses before they let off an amused and sudden chuckle. “Nah, but for real, thank you… Sonic and Solid for helping me explain this. I could potentially join… but… just wait. It’s all about patience.”

  Sonic teasingly acts like he’s being patient; he rolls his eyes, crosses his arms, and taps his foot. “Oh god. Talking about a load of crappy patience, that is. I’m not dealing with that, Tricky.” He playfully swats his hands in the air, before reverting to his normal expression. “Look. All I’m going to say is… Good luck out there. It’s going to be difficult; we’re constantly fighting, but making it your own decision is completely fine. I’m not against your will.” He takes one more dap up to symbolize their friendship. “Thank you for letting us inside. Have a great day.” The blue blur gives a peace sign before instantly leaving the house.

  Now left with the two brothers… Solid takes a chance to hug his brother back. “Love you… Tricky. I decided to join the team, and here I am. Away from work.”

  “You could’ve told me that earlier, so that I wouldn’t have to work, and we could team up. But oh well… I’ll join you on Saturday and take a break for a week. Just for my little brother.” The porcupine ruffles his brother’s head and quills, having nostalgic memories of doing that since they were young. They never complained about their moment and always enjoyed the brotherly love. “Take care, Solid.” He instantly goes inside the bathroom, leaving the orange hedgehog alone for once.

  “Take care… Tricky.”

  The sunset reveals a beautiful skyline, with a mixture of orange, pink, and purple, creating the perfect skyline everyone knows of in Haven City. Especially at the beach, where the sun dies down in the west, signaling a time where they’ll wait until the following days to repeat, yet it never gets old.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The heat dissipates throughout the entire city, and the shift from the afternoon heat to the nighttime coolness creates a comfortable atmosphere for the people.

  It’s not even a surprise.

  Yet for the people of the city, traffic starts piling up as they return home, ready to rest after a long day of working. It sucks to waste time in traffic, but the ease and mind of everyone leaving tells one thing. To relax at the end when they reach their destination. It’s nothing short of a full-day task to be completed sometime soon, where once they go to bed, it’s a guarantee to finish everyone’s day. But until then, they’re roughly 80% complete with their day.

  Outside the house, the team stretches their bodies, already tired from a long day of being outside. With the door closing, the orange hedgehog steps out to see the neighborhood. Fades of his old neighborhood in the sunset capture the moments of him watching the beauty of the sunset. It always reminds him of the times he and his brother played until mom told them to get inside.

  “It’s for their safety.” Their mom said.

  He always remembers the other moments. During high school, he would often return home late, spending too much time at Woofa’s house, where they would spend their time doing homework or engaging in miscellaneous activities. Once the orange hedgehog rings the doorbell, he always remembers their mom scolding him for being exposed to the danger outside the house, especially as the moon rises.

  But until then… the neighborhood remains still.

  Sonic takes a long, relieved sigh, continuing to stretch his arms and legs out. He yawns from his bad sleep, still not forgetting the environment he had to deal with at Solid’s home. “Tired… And tired… Let’s go home. While on the way, maybe stop by for some Chili Dogs if you will.”

  “Chili Dogs. Really? I’d rather have some grapes; they make me comfortable every time.” Knuckles anticipates one sooner rather than later, promptly choosing to go home in a rush.

  “You two have an addiction to something…” Amy shakes her head in disbelief, uncertain if their addiction will remain throughout their lifetime.

  Tails gets an amused side eye look, knowing that even if she doesn’t have an addiction, she does have deep bonds about relationships. “Yet you have an affection for Sonic. You know. You know.”

  “Please be quiet.” Amy instantly shushes him, hoping he doesn’t speak much more about her relationship.

  In the meantime, while the Mobians are busy talking about some stuff together, the non-Mobian watches one of his neighbors exit their house, seemingly recognizing the orange hedgehog already. “Wait… Solid? Is that you, man?” The hyena neighbor says, already recognizing his face.

  “Yo…” Solid lets out a soft, yet subtle hint of happiness. He approaches his hyena neighbor with respect. “What’s up? What’s up?” He quickly daps him up while both stand on the opposite side of each other's fences. “Man, I haven’t seen you since I moved outta here. What’s going on?”

  The hyena lets out a soft scoff, amused by his past actions. “You should’ve stayed, not gonna lie to ya. It’s always hectic around here, but I assume you’re just not fond of the hood.”

  “Can’t help when my mom died…” He gazes at the sunset, still apparent at this time. “At least you have my dumbass brother.” He lets out a laugh, taking the conversation to a similar tone with the Mobians.

  His neighbor laughs along with him, letting them have a fun time talking. “Yeah… I’ll just spend more time seeing him… because one of the brothers has to die, you know.”

  “Heh-Heh… funny. One of the brothers has to die.” With the amusement slowly dying down, Solid slowly calms himself down, still having bits of laughter while wiping his tears away.

  “One of the brothers… has to… die…?”

  He halts his movements and slowly glances at his neighbor, feeling a menacing tone in him. “Die…? That’s a dark joke, bro. Of course, we know one has to die, old age… or illness. But still it’s not like-”

  “Solid! When are we going home!?” Sonic yells at him, already losing his patience with this neighborhood. “We need to eat dinner or something for once! Might as well order some Chili Dogs-”

  “No! Grapes would be the preferred choice!” Knuckles exclaims, shutting the blue blur’s mouth to prevent him from influencing Solid’s decision.

  Yet, sweat starts to form from the orange hedgehog’s fur, feeling the intense pressure between the two situations. He wants to leave with them, so they plan out their mission involving Eggman and the Master Emerald. However, his neighbor is the sole reason he’s not moving, so they continue their casual discussion, but the words coming out of his mouth cause the tension to build up, and he feels uneasy.

  “Go, Solid. You have Mobian friends to spend time with while trying to stop Eggman.”

  Solid’s eyes widen, and he slowly glances at his neighbor, now sensing danger lurking inside of him. “How… How do you know about this…?”

  “Luck?” The hyena presents a menacing smirk; he slowly approaches the fence, where the orange hedgehog responds by slowly walking backwards, taking notable distance away from him. “Your plan to stop the doctor isn’t enough for you guys… especially for a weak hedgehog like you. All you do is seek help from your weak porcupine brother, your weak blue counterpart, and some foreigners.”

  “You’re nothing short of limited…” Throughout the neighborhood, the doors and windows eerily open, where a bunch of Solid’s neighbors slowly stare at the team.

  “You’re nothing short of weak…” The team realizes that they’re being watched, now aware of the situation.

  “You’re nothing short… of dead.”

  Solid takes more steps backward until he accidentally bumps into Amy, where they quickly look at each other, but are distracted by the scenery around them. “What’s happening, Solid?” Tails quietly mutters to him, wanting a sort of explanation while sensing the intensity that’s about to unfold.

  “Stay calm… guys.” Sonic also mutters, unsure of the situation, but wants to take the lead. “This is what Tricky feared: this neighborhood could be influenced by Egghead’s tactics.” The team instantly glances from one neighbor to the other, directly staring at them with intent.

  “Hey, Solid.”

  The hyena brings the orange hedgehog to his attention, letting him hear the following words.

  “Good luck.”

  Suddenly, all their neighbors' arms are immediately raised with a handgun, aiming directly towards the team. Nothing short of Eggman’s plans to “SHOOT!!!”

  Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!

  A barrage of bullets has been fired at the team, aiming to kill them upon Eggman’s orders. However, the team reacts quickly by storming back inside their house and taking cover. Solid instantly closes and locks the door, where bullets do manage to strike holes in it. “WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!?” Knuckles exclaims as the team takes more cover from the barrage of bullets. “These damn assholes… Eggman really did influence them.”

  Still, the sound of bullets isn’t dying down any time soon. Punctuating more bullet holes into the walls, glass breaking, and items being shattered or falling apart by the impact of the bullets. The team tries its best to deal with the rampaging shooters by creating a plan not only to leave this neighborhood but also this entire district.

  “Any plans!?” Sonic yells out, trying to make his voice audible over the noisy gunfire.

  “I don’t think we have any!” Tails also yells out, but has a trick up his sleeve. “Though I can use one of my devices to see a weak point.” He takes out a peculiar device, a device called the “Smoke Grenade. Hopefully, they won’t shoot at us while it’s still off.” He throws one through the bullet hole, where it precisely fits, letting it bounce from the steps and into the front yard.

  Without the shooters paying any attention at all, the smoke grenade goes off, now halting the shooters. “Checkmate! All we have to do now is-”

  Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam! Blam!

  Even with his plan, the shooters remain relentless, obsessed with shooting the Mobians and the orange hedgehog. “I thought I was onto something.” He says with a slight amusement, even though the smoke grenade is still working.

  The team is in a stalemate, stuck in a position where their choice is to either pray that the bullets don’t hit them while they escape, or worst case scenario… die. They don’t want to kill others, because it’s not their way of fighting.

  The team listens to Solid’s sigh of defeat, watching him look down at the ground while holding his knees close to his body. “I’m sorry… I never thought we’d run into a trap…” His voice is filled with defeat, demotivated to do a miracle to save their team, while showing eventual tears. “A death trap for us… they outsmarted us… Eggman outsmarted us… Eggman-”

  THUD!!!

  They look to see the bathroom door open, staring at the porcupine once again, this time… he has a handgun in his hand. He doesn’t take a look at the team, nor at his brother. Instead, he walks to the front door, where, despite rounds of shots being taken, he ignores all of the noise and walks right through.

  “T-TRICKY!?” Solid instantly stands up, he walks outside the hallway, and sees his brother getting closer to exiting. “You’re trying to die!?” He exclaims, letting the others stare at the now terrified hedgehog. But once he notices the gun in the porcupine’s hand, this is where he crosses the line. “... You’re not trying to… kill them… are you?”

  “Why not?” Tricky pauses, not glancing back towards his brother; rather, he stares down at the continuing smoke, where he miraculously isn’t shot by one of the bullets. “They’re Eggman’s allies, they’re supposed to die-”

  “I DON’T CARE!” His brother speaks out, disapproving of his brother’s message. “I DON’T CARE IF THEY’RE OUR ENEMIES, IT’S UNREASONABLE TO RESORT TO KILLING!!!”

  However, even if the porcupine heard his adoptive hedgehog brother loud and clearly, he still ignores him. He walks out to the smoke, where the orange hedgehog decides it’s enough. “TRICKY!!!” He instantly flashes towards him and grabs his hand, fighting for the gun.

  “Let me go!” Tricky tries to fight his brother off, but is left stunned, surprised by his strength compared to a few years prior.

  “You don’t understand what you’re doing, brother…” Solid continues fighting for the gun, leaving both brothers at a stalemate, and the team uncertain of what they’re doing. “Not everything should be used with weapons… ever. Not even a gun-”

  BANG!!!

  …

  The barrage of bullets is halted.

  The neighborhood suddenly becomes eerily silent, opposed to the shootout just seconds earlier.

  The team watches out of the front door as the smoke begins to fade away, revealing both brothers still intact.

  It’s just… that Tricky’s handgun was fired off, forcing his brother to let go of his hand. A warning sign not to fight someone with a gun.

  “Hope that serves you a lesson. Listen to your older brother.” The porcupine says, while they’re left in a vulnerable position. Now the guns are aimed right at them, leaving death for the brothers to happen.

  “Make way for the blue blur!” Sonic instantly yells out as he dashes throughout the neighborhood, landing punches and kicks onto the gun users themselves. The brothers are shocked, but the rest of the Mobians are swiftly dealing with the gun users with ease, watching them fight with such precision, without resorting to non-lethal measures. The armed users tried their best to recover from reloading the number of bullets, but were caught off guard by the blue blur, resulting in them getting distracted by him.

  Sonic is a distractor.

  At the same time, Tails realizes he also has another device that he was intentionally going to use when chasing Eggman, but opting for his jetpack instead, he decides to save it for later. With the right timing, he brought a device used to stun opponents while they’re distracted. He tweaked the voltage to make sure it isn’t too deadly, but not too weak to be barely stunned. Once the device was thrown at them, the armed users instantly felt a stunning effect, leaving them stunned for a few seconds.

  As they recovered, they noticed that their guns were deliberately destroyed right in front of them, unsure what had happened. All the gun destruction was by Amy and Knuckles, whose strength allowed them to instantly shatter it into pieces, leaving each user armless and now vulnerable without their precious handgun.

  Without their weapons, the neighbors are left fleeing the team, leaving their houses to go to another neighborhood, where they’re never seen again.

  With the efforts by the Mobians, led by Sonic himself, it’s hard not to thank the team, especially the blue blur. He coordinated the plans all along, all while the brothers were led to a brief exchange earlier.

  As the neighborhood is finally calm, all without the eerie tension surrounding them, the dying sunset tells the team of their accomplishment. Even from the rough start, there are always ways to finish with a strong message. Never underestimate a team.

  Solid approaches them with a relieved look, opposed to his situation with his brother. “Thank you… for dealing with this mess. I’m sorry for-”

  “Don’t be sorry, Solid. We’re still a team. We always have tense moments; it’s going to happen sooner or later.” Sonic puts a hand on his shoulder, hoping he doesn’t take too much to account for they’re at it.

  For a sigh of relief, the team can finally take joy in returning to the populated area, away from this district for good.

  “I can join.”

  The team glances back at the porcupine, who is seen fidgeting with his gun while approaching them. “As feared, this place isn’t safe. Now that I’m on your side, I guess I’ll call off work.” He gives the team a unanimous approval, letting them cheer on, while still bitter about his brother. “... And help stop Eggman’s plans once and for all.”

  “Well.” Sonic gives the porcupine a wink, putting his hand on his shoulder for a key-time decision. “Consider us your friends.”

  Until then… the team decides to walk away from Northern District, knowing that Tricky doesn’t have the insane ability to run like them. It’s going to take a long time, especially for a huge city, but for them, it signifies a successful day.

  Walking behind, Tricky takes out the same framed family photo from his mother’s room, which he had taken, hoping that the picture will never be harmed in the near future.

  A promise to keep the family united at heart.

  - - ACT 1: Stage 2 (Northern District) || COMPLETED - -