Chapter Text
Sonic had messed up. Badly.
The mission had been simple: infiltrate Eggman’s latest base, shut down the power core, and get out before the whole place went up in smoke. But somewhere along the way, Sonic had misread the numbers on the control panel. They were all so small and close together, and he really couldn’t make out the differences in what to push to implement codes. He’d thought he was pressing the right buttons to disable the countdown—only to realize too late that he had set it faster.
Panicking, he used his communicator to reach out to Tails to say that something went wrong. Typically, Tails would be the one to work with code while Sonic handled issues of speed, agility, and making team plans, but this time Sonic needed to get into the base to give Tails access.
Presently, the clock was ticking and Sonic was on his way out as sounds of collapse rang around him. Tails had barely been able to override the system before the whole thing exploded with them inside.
The look on his face had been a mix of frustration and worry. “Sonic, what happened back there?”
And Sonic had no answer.
Because he knew what happened. He just didn’t want to admit it. His vision—already bad enough without effort—had blurred at the worst moment, and he’d pushed the wrong button. It wasn’t the first time it had happened. His speed had always been enough to compensate, to mask the fact that he didn’t see as clearly as everyone else. But now? It had put everyone in danger.
So, he ran.
Not back to Tails or Amy. Not to the safety of home.
He ran off into the hills where he knew his friends would not find him. After what felt like hours alone running aggressive laps, Sonic sprinted off to someone unexpected, craving someone’s presence but needing to not deal with his friends.
—
Shadow had barely opened his front door when Sonic stormed inside, pacing the length of the living room. His breathing was fast, his quills bristling.
“I messed up, man.” Sonic’s voice was tight, frustrated. “I messed up.”
Shadow leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “What else is new?”
Sonic shot him a glare. “This isn’t funny!”
Shadow studied him, unimpressed. “You’re still standing. So is everyone else, I assume. So what’s the problem?”
Sonic clenched his fists. “The problem is that I almost got them hurt! I—” He exhaled sharply, rubbing his eyes. “I couldn’t see the stupid panel right. I thought I had it, but my vision blurred, and I—I just hit the wrong thing.”
Shadow’s smirk was instant. “So, the ‘Fastest Thing Alive’ has a weakness after all.”
Sonic froze.
Shadow shrugged, stepping past him. “No wonder you rely on speed so much. If you actually had to stop and look at things, you’d be helpless.”
It was meant to be a jab, a teasing remark—but it hit way too hard. Sonic felt it like a punch to the gut. His breath caught in his throat.
Weakness.
The word rattled in his head, looping over and over until it was all he could hear.
His vision was a weakness.
He was a weakness.
Without another word, Sonic turned and bolted out the door.
Shadow didn’t stop him.
—
Meanwhile, Amy stormed into Tails’s workshop. “Sonic just texted me something Shadow said to him. Can you believe the nerve of this guy? Sonic goes to him for who knows what reason and the least Shadow could have done was ignore him politely,” the pink hedgehog said with an eye roll.
Tails slammed his wrench onto the table when he got the news from Amy. “He said that to him?”
Amy sighed, gripping her hammer. “Shadow doesn’t think before he talks.”
“He doesn’t care before he talks,” Tails muttered, grabbing his scanner. “Now we have to fix it.”
Amy frowned. “Can you track him?”
Tails’s ears flicked back. “I should be able to. But he’s moving fast, and if he’s panicking—”
“We need to find him.” Amy was determined to find Sonic as soon as possible.
Tails nodded, already typing into his device. “I know.”
—
Sonic had run so far, he wasn’t sure where he was anymore. Somewhere deep in the hills, where the stars were clearer than the streetlights of town. His heart still pounded in his chest, his hands shaking as he sat curled up under a tree.
Weakness.
He squeezed his eyes shut, pulling his legs up to his chest. He had never let it bother him before. He had always been fast enough, smart enough, strong enough to make up for it.
Hadn’t he?
Then why did it feel like Shadow was right?
A rustling sound broke through his spiraling thoughts.
“Sonic!”
His head snapped up.
Amy and Tails stood at the top of the hill, both breathless, both looking worried.
“Tails?” Sonic blinked. “Amy?”
Tails was the first to move, dropping to his knees in front of him. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” His voice was sharp, but it wasn’t angry. It was scared .
Amy sat beside him, setting a hand on Sonic’s back. “You had us really worried, Sonic.”
Sonic’s throat felt tight again. “…Sorry.”
Tails frowned. “Why did you run off?”
Sonic hesitated, then let out a shaky breath. “Shadow said—” He swallowed. “He said my vision was a weakness.”
Tails’s fur bristled. “That jerk.”
Amy’s grip on her hammer tightened. “I’m gonna hit him. Just once.”
Sonic chuckled weakly, but it didn’t last. He shook his head, pressing his palms against his face. “But he’s right, guys! What if I am a weakness? What if—”
Tails grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands away from his face.
“Stop.”
Sonic blinked.
Tails’s blue eyes were fierce, determined. “You are not a weakness, Sonic.”
Amy nodded. “And your vision isn’t either. You’ve saved us how many times? You make mistakes, yeah, but so does everyone else.”
Tails squeezed his hands. “You scared us, dude. But not because we think you’re weak. Because we care about you.”
Sonic swallowed hard. The tightness in his chest didn’t feel as sharp anymore.
“…Thanks, guys.”
Tails sighed, finally letting go. “Next time, don’t run off, okay?”
Amy smirked. “Unless you want me to hit Shadow.”
Sonic huffed a laugh, rubbing his eyes. “Maybe let me take a nap first.”
And for the first time that night, he felt like he could breathe.