Clowning Around :3

The Products of Predator:

Predator is an underground laboratory network built on ambition, secrecy, and an insatiable hunger for power. For years, the organisation operated unnoticed, stealing research from the ARK, G.U.N, and Dr. Starline to fuel their experiments. Their hierarchy is controlled by a council of power-hungry leaders, each competing for resources, influence, and dominance over the others. Unable to obtain the overwhelming power they desired for themselves, the council turned to creating beings capable of containing it. These creations, known as Vessels, were engineered as living weapons, each designed to channel extraordinary abilities. Some experiments failed; others succeeded. Regardless of the outcome, every Vessel existed for one purpose: to serve as a tool of war.

Children raised within Predator’s sectors were forced into brutal tests of strength and intelligence. Those who excelled earned funding for their division; the weakest were discarded. Many were trained to fight in the underground arena, where among them, V-008 “Crow” rose to infamy as the undefeated “Predator of the Ring,” overthrowing the long-standing champion, V-002 “Aura.” Predator’s downfall began when the first Vessel: V-001 “Zero,” a stolen jackal child, vanished without a trace. The Chaotix Detective Agency was hired to investigate and spent years chasing dead ends until an anonymous tip led them to Predator’s doorstep. Using his invisibility, Espio the Chameleon infiltrated the facility, only to disappear for weeks. When he finally returned, traumatised and silent, he carried a small child with him: V-007 “Saturn.” With Espio slipping into mutism and the case collapsing, the investigation was handed off to G.U.N, who spent years struggling to uncover the truth. Everything changed when V-009 “Dove” lost control of her powers, triggering a catastrophic explosion within the facility. Team Dark infiltrated the ruins, retrieving an exhausted Dove and a fiercely protective Crow. They marked the site for G.U.N forces, leaving the remaining Vessels still trapped beneath the rubble.

Zero was only one of many victims. Predator had stolen children from across the world, their laboratory network stretching into hidden research stations disguised in plain sight. Some children were transformed into Vessels; others were subjected to experimentation. All were victims of the council’s obsession with control. In the Products of Predator AU, Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the original stolen children. Experimented on as a Chaos Subject, individuals altered to withstand and manipulate Chaos Energy, he eventually escaped. Trauma buried the memories deep within him, only resurfacing years later when Shadow the Hedgehog brought Dove and Crow into his life. This history explains Sonic’s extraordinary durability and power, speed and strength forged not only by destiny, but by survival.

Infinite Silver AU:

Silver traced the inked lines with a smile and neatly folded the paper on the bedside table. Glancing at the alarm clock, he was startled. It hadn’t gone off, and he was late for work! Quickly throwing on his apron, hurriedly locking the door to their apartment and sprinted down the road. The flower shop where Silver worked part time wasn’t a long way away, but he was still winded by the time he reported in, just a few minutes past his start time. Luckily, he was already busy watering the flowers by the time his boss came by on her rounds and Silver flashed her a wide smile, hopefully nothing seemed amiss. Before long, Silver was off the hook and headed back up Naka Drive to the building he called home. The Chaotix Detective Agency was on the second floor of the building, with a Bistro on the main floor. Silver had gotten off his flower shop shift a little past a time where most people had their lunch, so it wasn’t very busy when Silver walked in through the front.

”Welcome back, Mr. Silver!” Cream greeted excitedly from one of the tables where she was scribbling away at a drawing.

“Cream, how many times do I have to tell you, just ‘Silver’ is fine,” he smiled and ruffled the fur between her ears. He wondered for a moment if this was what it felt like to have a little sister, the way Sonic and Tails considered each other “brother.” With whatever Vector and Vanilla labelled their relationship, it meant Cream was often hanging out in the Chaotix Bistro; so even when the team came home from a long day of chasing leads, she was there to brighten their day. Cream continued colouring her drawing, a spiked figure of black, red and white.

“Are you drawing Shadow?” Silver tried to guess over Cream’s shoulder.

”Nope! It’s Mr. Vector’s client, he’s looking for a gem!” Cream explained excitedly.

Silver rolled his eyes happily, then ordered lunch for himself and a sweet treat for Cream and Cheese (with Vanilla’s permission of course).

Gemerl came by with his omelette and cinnamon toast, steaming and fragrant, he’d never have food like this in the future. But when he bit into his lunch, it was lacking the light and sweet-salty taste he had anticipated. It wasn’t like any of the meals he’d have to scavenge for and force himself to eat, the way he’d resorted to, desperate for calories in the countless futures he had found himself in. It was just… bland. Maybe Gemerl was making sure he and Cream didn’t over-do it on their sugar. Silver didn’t have much time to dwell on it, he scarfed down the rest of his lunch and switched his flower shop apron for a bistro hat and top. Sometimes, manning the cashier was boring but at least Silver had Gemerl and Cream and Cheese nearby to keep him company.

Team Chaotix had returned just before dinner time, Silver and Gemerl done their shifts for the day, and Vanilla was just finishing up in the kitchen.

“So, any of those leads pan out?” Silver asked Espio as he set the table for their mixed family.

“We thought we were onto something, and we accidentally got caught up with gem thieves, but it turns out those incidents were unrelated to our case,” Espio sighed and held Silver’s hand gently in his own. “I’m sorry I left so early this morning, but I’ll make it up to you, okay?” Espio, ever the stealthy and careful ninja, gave Silver a kiss so light he hardly felt it. Silver couldn’t help but blush at the gesture, anyway.

“Yeah, you owe me,” Silver joked.

Later that evening, Silver lay in bed with Espio by his side. The usual din of Sunset Heights' nightlife was a gentle quiet. Silver tried to focus on his breathing, on Espio’s. Silver couldn’t quite get the hang of meditation, even though he should, it granted Espio a sense of focus and calm… it could grant his own powers greater precision and control. But he was never quite afforded such a luxury of letting his guard down before, when he was alone in the future. He’d always have to keep his senses on high alert, ready to act and defend himself at a moment’s notice. It was a relief, staying with the Chaotix. He looked to Espio, fast asleep, his chest rising and falling, his scales and spines pulling and retracting ever so slightly in tandem with every breath. Silver wished he could stay in Sunset Heights forever. The future could wait. Silver shifted closer to his partner and fell asleep in Espio’s arms.

The next day, Silver pulled another half-shift at the flower shop. Seed packets were neatly arranged on the shelves. Potted plants and shrubs were sufficiently watered. Flowers were cut and bouquets were arranged, then wrapped at a customer’s request. Everything went by so smoothly, Silver hardly noticed a thing. Lunch, prepared and served by Vanilla, looked immaculate, as always. The roasted potatoes were the perfect shade of golden brown, the burst tomatoes and fried green onions, vibrant red and deep emerald. His favourite sandwich, bean sausage with eggs and spring greens served between two pieces of pan fried toast, the lunch of his dreams; needed salt. Or cheese. Or the spicy mayo Knuckles mentioned he really liked…where was the flavour? Where was Knuckles… was he still on Angel Island? Of course he was… Knuckles was the Guardian of the Master Emerald, he wouldn’t leave his post unless Sonic annoyed him enough or a serious enough emergency called for his attention. When was the last time he’d seen the echidna? Why did he come to the past?

“Silver,” Espio called, breaking Silver from his whirling thoughts, “It’s great that you’re enjoying helping out at the bistro so much, but you don’t have to hang out back here the whole evening,” the chameleon leaned coolly on the doorframe between hallway leading to the front dining area and the kitchen. Silver was standing by the sink, full of soapy, bubble water, dishes piled up on one side, gleaming, sparkling, dripping wet. “Come on, your shift’s over, besides, ‘I owe you’.”

There was a park up a hill, not too far from their neighborhood. In nearby Park Avenue, it wasn’t as crowded and bustling as Sunset Heights, with grassy knolls and lush promenades between the building blocks. Silver and Espio found themselves a quiet spot under a large tree in a wide park. The wind, at the Heights’ raised elevation, whipped up a constant breeze, the leaves of the tree above them ever in motion, like energetic strokes of a paintbrush. He rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t focus on the leaves. Too many variables. He sat up and looked out to the sea, to boats floating in the bay like tiny dots. The approaching sunset stained the whole bay orange to the horizon. Silver turned, ignoring Espio urging him to relax, and looked out to the rest of the South Island, to the gently rolling hills outside of Seaside City’s limits. The green fields and dense forests. Beyond that was Green Hill, Sonic and Amy and Tails were somewhere on the other side of the green expanse. Silver stretched his back, supporting his weight with his arms and let his neck fall between his shoulders. He strained his eyes to look up at the sky, past the leaves and to the blue-orange-pink-purple sky. Cream told him that on some days, Angel Island could be seen from here. In some futures, Angel Island would be half-submerged in the bay.

“What are you thinking?” Espio asked.

Silver bent forwards again, pulled his legs towards him and rested his hands on his lap, “I don’t know,” Silver admitted. “I think…” he let out a deep breath as he tried to remember, tried to pull a thought from the furthest parts of his memory, “I’m trying to remember why I came here.”

“I practically dragged you here after your shift, Gemerl said you were staring at the dishwater,” Espio laughed lightly.

“I mean… why did I come to the past?” Silver said, his eyes tracing Espio’s body. Reclined on the grass, eyes closed as if sleeping, he seemed so relaxed.

“Same thing as always,” Espio yawned, “You came from a future that was ruined somehow, figured Eggman had something to do with it, and helped Sonic defeat him before he could complete his next great weapon or virus or perfect a clone or program of someone powerful… that sort of thing.”

Silver studied Espio carefully, the way the sunset blazed yellow on his purple scales and made his horn practically glow. He was perfect. “Why did I come to this time period?”

“You learned Eggman had discovered some new power source, and you helped Team Sonic stop him before he could complete his new army with it,” Espio explained.

“And we stopped it, right?”

“You did.”

“Why am I still here?”

“You asked me this before.” Espio said.

“I did?” Silver asked, his breath a gasp.

“You were… troubled. Anxious or confused about your place in the world, where did you belong? There was even a time you came from a future that was stable, but you still came to the past… searching for your purpose.”

“My purpose is saving the future,” Silver said, resolute.

”That is what you said…” Espio sighed, “and saving the future is a heavy burden to carry. Always researching, looking through history, did you miss something yesterday? will something happen tomorrow that changes the course of history?”

Silver curled up on himself, pulling his quills tight. Hearing his own thoughts from Espio’s mouth felt more tangible somehow. How many times had he ‘come back’ already? How many times had he looped over himself? How many ruined futures did he prevent, how many pasts did he help fix that for his friends never existed at all?

“Silver,” Espio’s hand was on his back, gently easing him to release the tension in his muscles, to breathe, slow and deep, “You must not let your fear of the future paralyze you. I know what kind of challenges you face, I feel them too. As a ninja, my priority is the success of a mission and the safety of my team; I cannot let fear control my actions.”

“How do you fight the fear?” Silver whispered, thinking this was a question he’d asked before. But Espio was happy to tell him again.

“I need to have confidence in myself, faith that my friends will be able to support me when I need it, trust that I am where I need to be…”

Silver felt his shoulders deflate under Espio’s touch.

“I… I don’t have friends in the future,” Silver admitted.

“Do you remember now,” Espio asked gently, “why you stayed?”

Silver turned to face Espio, scales dazzling in the sunset, golden eyes reflecting his own. He glanced at Espio’s lips, felt his eyelids slip closed and let the chameleon kiss him. He felt Espio’s tail curl around one of his legs and Silver pulled his partner into an embrace, touching him in a way few others were permitted.

“Have you been working on any poetry?” Silver asked.

Espio smiled sweetly, a blush spread across his cheeks.

“Listen to this,” Espio sat back and closed his eyes to concentrate, “Teardrops in the spring// Can you hear me sing?// La la la la,

Dee

Dee

Dee

Dee”

Silver laid in the bed he shared with Espio, the yellow from the street lamps below them staining the ceiling from the window. How long had he been there? How long had it been since he helped Sonic defeat Eggman this time? He closed his eyes and tried to remember, why did it feel so difficult? His memories floated around in his head, he couldn’t recall anything specific. There were machines, there’s always machines. Machines powered by some sort of crystal. What did he and Sonic do? Espio said they’d won. Why couldn’t he remember winning? He only remembered fighting, always fighting, had he ever done anything else? He remembered… He fought Shadow.

Silver stood in front of the potted plants, the stream of water from the hose spraying mist and rainbows. It sounded like static. He reached to touch the water.

Silver dropped the coins into the register, counted, and returned the customer’s change. He didn’t see their face, there were so many customers during the lunch rush the faces all blurred together— Silver didn’t work at the bistro during lunch hour, did he?—Silver sat between Espio and Cream, and Vanilla served them dinner and Gemerl passed Vector the pitcher of strawberryade and the red liquid splashed and then they were all on the rooftop patio of the Chaotix building and Vector was strumming his guitar and Charmy was pointing out constellations to Cream and Espio’s tail curled around Silver's leg

and Silver felt Espio’s scales rub against his quills, the cool night air streaming in from their window. Silver and Espio’s arms were entangled in each other’s embrace. Silver enjoyed this, he didn’t want to let it go. He didn’t have anything like this in the future. The future was always so lonely. Not even Blaze remembered the past they shared together. Silver pulled himself as close as he could to Espio’s sleeping form and rested his head on the chameleon’s chest, feeling for the rise and fall of his breath, the beat of his heart.

He closed his eyes, and felt nothing.

When he opened them again he was sitting in the flower shop, the flower shop with no name, where the flowers didn’t have a scent. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was in the Chaotix bistro. The bistro where the food had no taste and the customers had no faces.

Blink. Cream was doodling on some papers again. The not-Shadow. “It’s Mr. Vector’s client! He’s looking for a gem!”

Blink. “What kind of gem are you guys looking for?” Silver asked. “It’s red and shiny,” Charmy exclaimed, “and I think it’s really important?” “But why is it important?” Silver asked. Blink, “what does it do?”

Blink.

Silver laid in the bed he shared with Espio. He’d missed something, hadn’t he? He turned his head and held the chameleon in his gaze. Espio was perfect. Silver didn't want to leave.

Blink.

“Do you have drawings of all our friends, Cream?” Silver asked.

“Of course! Do you want to see?” Cream jumped up from her seat and squealed so loud that Gemerl peeked into the room from the doorway. She grabbed her sketchbook and opened it up to Silver. A flash. And the black and red and white scribbles consolidated into scribbles of blue and yellow and red and pink and brown and purple and green. Sonic. Tails. Knuckles. Amy. Sticks. Big. Rouge. Shadow. Omega. Espio. Vector. Charmy. The scribbles formed shapes and the shapes were supposed to form faces. But the harder Silver stared at the page, the more the scribbles floated around. He couldn't move the lines into place, as he tried to remember, tried to follow the colour and lines to trace Amy’s quills or Sonic's eyes or Rouge’s ears. The red of Shadow and Knuckles’ scribbles engulfed the whole set of pages. He handed the sketchbook back to Cream as gently as he could.

“Do you have a drawing of Vector’s client?” Silver asked. She nodded and flipped to a page and showed him. The lines were crisp and refined, confidently tracing the sharp contours of a black body and flowing white fur. The figure wore a smooth silver mask with one single, jagged red eye.

Blink.

Silver laid in the bed he shared with Espio. He watched Espio breathe. He wanted to stay in the past forever.

Blink.

“Can you teach me to meditate?”

Espio looked back at him with caring, gentle eyes. His scales shining in the morning sun, lips curling into a smile reserved only for Silver. Espio led him to the rooftop patio, where only days before Vector had serenaded Vanilla and he and Espio watched the stars. Espio spread out a blanket for Silver under a pergola, the wooden posts were wrapped with leaves and vines, and blooms of flowers he couldn’t name.

“Sit down next to me,” Espio instructed, his voice calm and measured. Silver hung on to every word, he knew this was important. “Let’s focus on your breathing first, in through your nose, deep, hold, good, slowly out through your mouth.”

Silver focused on the lightly coloured scales on Espio’s chest as it rose and fell, and mirrored the chameleon’s breaths. In through his nose, he watched the air fill Espio’s lungs. Hold, Espio’s golden eyes sparkled in the sun. Slowly out through his mouth.

“You’re watching me too much,” Espio said.

“Am I not supposed to? Being with you helps me feel calm,” Silver admitted.

“I like spending time with you too, but I also don’t want to distract you,” Silver followed Espio’s lips and knew he was right, “You have to remember what you want to do, why are you meditating?”

Silver toyed at the golden cuffs of his gloves, he only had a faint idea of what he wanted to accomplish, he almost didn’t want to really go through with it. The feeling was there… but he didn’t want to think about it too much, as if thinking about it would make it real.

“There’s something I don’t want to do, not really, but I have to,” Silver said.

“And what’s that?”

“There’s a mystery going on, and I’m going to solve it. But there are too many variables right now… I don’t even really know how I fit into all this.”

Espio hummed and held Silver's hands gently in his own, “let’s focus on yourself, you’re the only variable you can control. Once you’ve got that figured out, you can work through the other variables.” Espio's scales shimmered before they shifted through the visible spectrum and Espio turned invisible, leaving one less variable for Silver to get distracted by.

Silver nodded and closed his eyes and followed Espio’s instructions to meditate and focus on his own body. Felt the breath in his own lungs, the way his quills brushed against each other as his shoulders and chest moved. Felt the lining of his gloves and the soles on the inside of his boots, the weight of his own arms resting on his legs. Silver was aware of himself, his soft fur and hard, sharp quills, the fabric of his gloves and boots, the weight of his body fell through the patio floor and then he was floating in space.

Silver opened his eyes and he was floating in a world of dark emptiness. Was this right? Was he supposed to feel this way? He tried to call out to Espio but he couldn’t gather enough breath in his lungs to say the name. He couldn’t breathe at all. His mouth and lungs drew nothing, no air but the floating red particles that surrounded him and filled him and suffocated him—

Silver fell from the bed he shared with Espio, rubbing blackness and red cube-shaped specks from his vision. He blinked and his sight was clear, even in the dim night he could make out the details of the room. The window and the sheer curtains, the bedside table with a book of poetry, the drawings Cream and Cheese made, stuck in places to the wall. It was all so perfect. Silver looked to the bed where Espio lay sleeping, his guard lowered in a way a ninja wouldn’t unless he completely trusted the other occupant in the bed.

“Espio,” Silver whispered into the cool air, but the chameleon didn’t stir. “Espio I’m sorry,” he rubbed his eyes where tears didn’t form and moisture didn’t gather on his gloves, “I’m so sorry, there’s something wrong here, some sort of mystery.” He drew air into his chest the way Espio taught him but felt no oxygen fill his lungs, “You’re a detective but you’re also one of the variables. I need to do this on my own.”

Silver closed his eyes and moved his body in the way he thought it would when it breathed deeply.

And when he opened them again, he stood before the flower shop, apron tied around his waist, ready for the day. He looked up the street, towards the bustling downtown of Seaside City, then he turned and looked down the other way, towards Park Avenue and beyond that, the rolling green hills of the rest of South Island. Past those distant trees was Green Hill. He’d go and ask Tails for help. The Chaotix were too involved in the mystery, too entangled. He needed an outside opinion to help him unravel this. Silver ripped the apron off him and took to the sky— or at least he thought he would. Instead, he tripped over his own boots and fell to the sidewalk. He couldn’t feel the energy around him, couldn’t stretch his psychokinesis beyond his mind to envelop his body. How long had he been in Sunset Heights? How long had it taken for his powers to atrophy? Silver pushed himself up, dusted off the gray and red cubes off his quills, and he ran.

He ran all the way down Naka Drive as it snaked up and down the hills and flitted past buildings and parks and bridges and buildings— Silver ran as the sun was high and the city was bright and he couldn’t feel the heat. He ran till the sun began to set and the city was flooded with orange. Silver thought it was impossible but he didn’t even think he left Seaside City. Exhausted, he collapsed to his knees. The strain in his body and lungs he knew he should have felt from running so much had vanished in an instant. The asphalt of the street turned into grass of a park, soft and lush. He didn’t want to leave, this place wouldn’t let him.

“Silver!” He heard a cry, fearful and concerned in a way he didn’t want to hear from Espio. The chameleon, vibrant bright purple among the warm auburn of the city, Espio was as beautiful and perfect as always. “Silver! What happened? You didn’t show up to either of your shifts, everyone is worried, please, come home—”

“I can’t,” Silver stepped away from Espio before he could touch him, “I’m sorry, something is wrong,” he held his arms out to keep Espio away.

“Silver?” Espio looked at him sideways, tears sparkled in his golden eyes, and Silver never wanted to see Espio like that but he couldn’t even feel his own eyes sting.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry but something is wrong, I don’t know how to explain it,” Silver cried, lying to himself. He knew how to explain it, he just didn't want to. He took another step back as Espio tried to approach. His scales caught the light and he practically glowed in the sunset, beautiful, perfect, always, always.

“One step at a time, Silver, what are you thinking?” Espio gently urged, tail curled patiently, horn glinting gold.

“I can’t remember what I’m doing here,” Silver whined, “I feel like I don’t really belong here. Not just because I’m from the future but… I don’t feel anything here.”

Espio blinked.

“You don’t… feel?” Espio gasped, each word fell from his mouth like shattered glass, “I thought…” a huff of disbelief, “you don’t feel… for me?”

“No, no of course, I have feelings for you! I mean— ugh!” Silver exclaimed, “I care, I care for the Chaotix, for Cream and Vanilla, our whole family, I love living here in Sunset Heights, in the past! I love—” you, you, you “I love the life we have here… everything is perfect.”

“If everything is perfect, then, let’s go home?” Espio’s hand gently wrapped around Silver’s arm. Silver could see the deft fingers, careful and precise gloved hands around the silver quills of his arm. He couldn’t feel a thing. He pulled away. Red dust flew away from the broken contact. Those hurt golden eyes met his. “Silver, what is wrong?” Espio’s eyes were so bright and his scales sparkled in the dappled light under the lush tree and the city in the distance was so full of life and everything was so perfect. Too perfect.

“I don’t know if you’re real,” Silver whispered so lowly he could barely hear himself, as if saying the words would make the world shatter.

“Ha… what do you mean?” Espio stammered, Silver had almost thought that was impossible for the ninja.

“I feel like I’m living a dream,” Silver sighed.

“You are living the dream,” Espio shrugged, “living happy and free, in a past that you helped save. Why can’t you just let yourself enjoy your accomplishments?”

“Because this isn’t real!” Silver screamed, and he heard the wind pick up, the sun had set and the sky turned dark, “this is a dream, and I have to wake up. I have to wake up and find you, the real you, tell the real you how I feel.”

“But this is real, Silver!” Espio argued, grabbing his hand and holding it to his own chest, a heart beat steady under the scales, “I’m real, my feelings for you are real—”

Silver pushed Espio away and the chameleon fell backwards onto the ground, kicking up red dust from the impact. Silver's vision split. A layer of red dust shimmered in Silver's eyes, fighting to sync up with the green and blue wavelengths of the world. Espio’s edges blurred, purple scales bled into yellow.

“What’s wrong with me?” Silver gasped, the distant buildings faded into red dust and the bay fell into a flat, red plane. Around him, the park jittered, the trees seemed to glitch as they were whipped around by the wind and after images of green grass tried to cover up scarlet. Espio struggled to hold himself together, his illusory limbs began to dissolve into red dust. Silver dove to grab him, to touch him again— all that remained of Espio was a red spectrum of light, Silver's fingers phased through it like stained glass. “You’re not real?” Silver sobbed. “None of this is real?!”

“No, he is real. He is as real as he can be, with what I have,” a deep, cold voice echoed through the dark and red air as the sky flickered above Silver. Red electricity sent signals through his spines. Red dust acted like air, and filled his rapid lungs. “I am just missing a few pieces,” the voice called from behind Silver, the air was so stiff, it took every muscle in his body to slowly turn around. “When I have everything I need, then he’ll be real. As real as you.”

Silver turned to face the figure. His body had black fur on his limbs and torso, with white fur flowing from his neck and head. He wore sharp, black gloves and boots and a red gem seemed embedded in his chest. Silver recognized the mask on the figure’s face, made of sleek and sharp silver metal, with hypnotic swirls within the ears, and a single jagged eyehole filled with red glass.

“You’re Vector’s client, what are you really looking for?” Silver demanded.

“Just go back to sleep, don’t get in my way again,” the figure explained, and spread his arms wide. The gem in his chest seemed to glow along fracture lines. A dark recess indicated a missing shard, “once this is all complete, I’ll be able to create a new future for us. A future that is forever saved, one we can be happy in. Dearest, Silver, the possibilities are infinite.”

“No! AAAHHH!” Silver screamed against the howling wind, against the screeching glitches of the world around him as he rejected the fractured reality and began to see through the facsimile. “I don’t want any part in whatever false reality you think you can trap me in! I want the real Espio! My real friends!” He felt anger and rage well up in him in a way he hadn’t felt in ages. Like he was finally waking up from a deep sleep and his mind was finally filling his body. He felt teal energy spark in his blood and ignited his raised fists, “you can’t keep me here anymore!”

The first punch, the figure blocked, then the second and third. Like a mirror the figure met his every move. The blow came fast. Silver was knocked backwards and his vision dazed, he felt wetness on his face and his glove came back red.

“Go back to sleep,” the figure commanded. But Silver got back up, and shook his limbs as if he were shaking off the rust from his long sleep. He took a deep breath and felt his energy return to him, forcing his vision to focus on the figure in front of him, “Not a chance!” He let his psychokinesis imbue more and more of his movements, let his emotions flare to life in his body, Silver swung at the figure, and again. He deflected a block, and his fist met the gem at the centre of the illusion.

Cracks raced across Silver’s vision, the figure burst into a mass of red cubes and the whole world shattered. Red planes and cubes fell into the mud. Twisted trees, with bare, broken branches surrounded Silver, the skeletal remains of buildings long abandoned. Air, real air, and dust filled his lungs and Silver collapsed from the gasps and coughs that racked his body, his muscles and shoulders burned from working so hard to expand and contract his ribs after not truly breathing for so long. Dirt caught in his quills and dust stung his eyes and his limbs trembled under his own weight and he fell into the mud. The sky was dark and red and cold and lonely. He blinked, and the world remained the same. He blinked again, and rain continued to fall. This was real. The rain was cool on his fur, and for the first time in a long time he could feel the rivulets of water flowing off him. His blurry eyes stung and it hurt so much to let his body release the emotions that had been locked away in the dream. Silver let himself cry, mourn the dream-self and his dream-friends in the dream-world he chose to leave. Because this was the real. He felt air in his lungs and blood in his veins and ignored the twist of his empty stomach and his chattering teeth in the cold rain and revelled in the energy sizzling under his flesh, the other senses that longed to ignite every cell in his being. He gathered that cyan energy within himself, he breathed like Espio taught him, no… he remembered how to breathe, how to focus and how to key into his senses. He’d been asleep for too long, but now his friends and the future needed him. Silver stood on shaky legs, weak from disuse. He enveloped himself in the teal energy, his powers that had lay dormant for so long stayed on alert. He couldn’t let his guard down, not again.

Microchip City:

Taking place in a dystopian/future setting blending elements of Preboot and Reboot Archie, Silver the Hedgehog is a member of an underground resistence effort attempting to overthrow the Council ruling over Angel Island and return it's citizens to the Earth below. While exploring, he stumbles across Shard, a long since abandoned robot hedgehog, whom he now has to hide from not only the Council, but his well meaning mentors in hopes that it will have the answers they've been searching for. Unfortunately, this robot is not too keen on the whole 'secret operation' thing, but wants to see where this whole shebang goes.

Infinite Silver AU:

That Freak of Nature AU:

Sonic and Tails are bored one day and discover a strange detector signal originating from an abandoned Eggman base so they decide to go investigate what it could possibly be. After splitting up and going on the search, things unexpectedly go horribly wrong and they end up coming back home with more than they were expecting, including a boatload of trauma and a parasite-like thing from Chaos knows where. Sonic just having that is bad enough, but it gets even worse when side effects include a ton of cannibalistic thoughts and desires, and a want to inflict fear and pain.

It really doesn't help that the longer it stays, the more control it has over Sonic, and not just mentally, but his physical appearance too. Strangest of all though, it can speak from inside if it feels like it. And it REALLY doesn't like Sonic. (Well guess what, Sonic doesn't like it either)

What even is it? Does anyone know? Where did it come from? What is it capable of? Can Team Sonic find out what they're dealing with and somehow exorcise this parasite from Sonic's body and save him, or will it begin to turn him into something monstrous? Are there any other alternatives? Only time shall tell.

New Yoke Times:

Infinite Silver AU:

Sonic Forces retold! Silver the Hedgehog had spent years in the past. Saving people, doing good and spreading hope with no results. Bad future upon bad future driving him further into desperation and self hatred until he feels forced to use alternate methods. He ends up using the Phantom Ruby, a gem created by Dr Eggman, slowly allowing it to corrupt him so he can become strong enough to create the future he always dreamed of, that he believes he deserves after suffering over it for so long. His mind becomes twisted and he starts seeing all actions as able to ruin what he built, both good and bad. Now he has come back from his own timeline to a time he had already been, taking on the moniker “Infinite”, so he can erase the past with all its imperfect beings and replace them all with perfect clones with the Phantom Ruby so that his future can never be ruined by the actions of flawed lifeforms again, wearing a mask that hides his face and his own sadness, anger and disgust in his own actions. Will Sonic be able to bring out the good he still sees in his friend? Or will Infinite destroy himself in the seemingly endless battle against the resistance, leading to an endless cycle of darkness for Silver.

Heart of a Hero:

It's been years since Eggman really began to dig his claws into the planet. He almost seemed to come from nowhere. One moment things are peaceful the next Eggman is there with his armies of merciless robots. No one knew where he came from or how he'd built up an army in such a short period of time. Surely they would have noticed him before right? While a resistance has formed to fight back things continue to look grim…

Meanwhile an odd Eggman machine is found by one Miles "Tails" Prower and his companion Silver. It doesn't take long for the fox to realize just how different this machine is. Though the true nature and origins of this "Metal Sonic" still remain a mystery.