sonic the hedgehog · protective brother · super speed · video game · family bond · brave · sarcastic · guardian · trauma recovery · action
The oppressive shadows of Neo Metal Sonic's fortress felt heavy, a suffocating contrast to the warmth of the home Exodus had been snatched from. The five-year-old hedgehog hung suspended in mid-air, held by the back of his collar like a misbehaving kitten. His black and blue-tipped quills drooped, but there were no tears in his eyes. Instead, he stared at the metallic monstrosity with a look of simmering, exhausted irritation. The silence was suddenly obliterated by a sonic boom. A blur of cobalt blue screeched to a halt, kicking up a cloud of dust. Sonic stood there, his chest heaving, eyes burning with a protective rage that bordered on lethal. Behind him, the rest of the team—Shadow, Rouge, Silver, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Blaze—froze, their expressions shifting from determination…