Chapter Text
It was nighttime; in the silence, only two people were sitting in the Wachowski's living room.
“A month, Tom... a month. And no sign of Tails, no sign of the others. They just disappeared, like Sonic...” Maddie said in a low, tired voice.
Tom just stared out the window.
“It won't do any good to stare out the window, Tom. They're not coming back. It's been a month with no news. So far, G.U.N. hasn't responded... we have no choice but to ask them for help,” Maddie sighed.
“I know... I'm still trying to process what's happening, but you're right. We don't have time to waste.” Tom took a deep breath.
“First, let's leave Ozzy with Wade.” Maddie turned to leave.
The wind was blowing hard. After making their decision, they grabbed their keys and left.
Tom glanced over. “We're here. This was the address they gave us in case we ever wanted to visit them.”
Tom and Maddie looked at the entrance to the house.
Maddie looks up and down. "It looks more like a lair than a house... just like Dr. Ivo . And to think they decided to live here in Green Hills, of all unlikely places, right here... even Stone opened a cafe here.
Tom smiles. "Yeah... sometimes even I question it. Well, that's not why we came here.
Tom and Maddie look at each other nervously and knock on the door. Then they hear the door open slowly, gradually revealing who is behind it.
Shadow frowns, surprised by the visitors. “Hello, good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Wachowski. How can I help you?”
“Hello, Shadow. Good evening to you too. Could you call Dr. Ivo for us, please?” Maddie gives a sad smile.
Shadow notices Maddie's smile and realizes that something must have happened. “Okay... do you want to come in?” He tries to see if there is anyone else besides Tom and Maddie. Realizing that there is no one else, he lets out a sigh.
Tom and Maddie realized he was looking for someone else, but thought it best to pretend they hadn't noticed. Shadow stepped away from the door, making room for them.
“Come in.”
Tom and Maddie exchanged one last tense glance and crossed the threshold. The inside of the house was even stranger than the outside: a mixture of a makeshift laboratory, a messy warehouse with robot parts, and completely sophisticated decor, dark curtains, dismantled gears on the table, and the strong aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen.
Stone looked surprised. “Ah... visitors?” he said with a small, but not hostile, smile. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“They came to talk to Dr. Ivo,” Shadow crossed his arms, tense.
Stone took on a more serious expression and disappeared down the hall. A few seconds later, slow but heavy footsteps echoed.
Eggman appeared, no drones flying, no bravado, no dramatic entrances. Just him, with deep dark circles under his eyes... and a strange silence on his face.
“Tom. Maddie.” He adjusted his glasses. “I didn't expect to see you so late at night. And not with that expression.”
“Ivo... we need your help,” Maddie said bluntly.
Eggman's brow rose, surprised, perhaps even uncomfortable.
“That's... new.”
Stone joined the conversation. “Is it about Sonic? After all, he always gets into trouble, and I don't see him with you guys... since he wouldn't miss the chance to come.”
Tom swallowed hard. “Yes. He's one of the reasons we came.” After all, this started with Sonic not coming home... he disappeared without a trace.
Shadow turned his face away, already imagining where this was going. He frowned, crossing his arms.
“You guys really don't think this is another one of Sonic's escapades?” His voice was harsh, but there was hidden tension.
Maddie gave a sad smile and said, “It's been over six months... we don't have time for doubts anymore.”
“Not just Sonic. Tails, Knuckles, and Amy disappeared together a month ago. It hasn't been as long as Sonic, but they also vanished without a trace,” Tom added.
At that moment, Shadow recoiled slightly, his hardened expression softening. An old thought struck him: Sonic. The rival and former friend with whom he had shared so many battles, so many fights... And now, after his trip with Stone and Eggman, Shadow had returned the day before Maddie showed up. He believed that maybe Sonic didn't want to talk to him after their last argument before he left.
“...Sonic?” he muttered, more to himself. “He... he wouldn't say goodbye like that. Sonic would never walk away like that. He wouldn't disappear without a trace... not just him, but Tails, Knuckles, and Amy too,” guilt tightened in his chest.
Shadow lowered his eyes for a moment. The truth affected everyone there in different ways—fear, frustration, guilt, and the feeling that the calm before the storm was about to end.
Eggman rested his hands on the nearest table, leaning forward, studying each word as if solving a dangerous equation.
“You came here,” he said, his voice low and without arrogance, "to ask for my help in finding them all?
Maddie just nodded.
"Yes, Ivo. We've reached the point where... you're the only person who might be able to understand what's going on. They trusted you more than we wanted to admit. You saved their lives before, after all." Tom spoke firmly.
Eggman pressed his lips together. He didn't laugh, he didn't sneer.
For a brief moment, he seemed simply... human, Stone watched with growing concern.
“And you think this disappearance, this total lack of clues... is connected to Sonic? To what happened to him?”
Tom hesitated , but answered. “Yes. It can't be a coincidence.”
“Sonic... doesn't just disappear like that. Even when he acts on impulse, he always leaves a trail. Always. It's as if...” She clenched her jaw. “As if someone had erased them. Or pulled them somewhere that shouldn't exist.” Maddie closed her eyes.
Stone took a step back, uncomfortable.
Maddie walked up to Eggman, staring him straight in the eye.
"Ivo... we're desperate. We've followed every possible lead. We've talked to G.U.N., to the authorities. No one knows anything.
And you...“ She took a breath. ”You know about technology, dimensions, anomalies, portals. If anyone can understand something we haven't seen... it's you."
Shadow and Tom watched in silence. Eggman stroked his mustache thoughtfully. Then he turned to Stone.
“Very well. I'll help.” His voice was calm, but he didn't demand anything in return. And there was no arrogance.
Tom and Maddie looked at each other, surprised. Stone raised an eyebrow. Even Shadow blinked.
“What...?” Shadow murmured.
The three of them wanted to ask the same question: why would he help without asking for anything in return? It wasn't like him to act this way out of the blue, but Eggman spoke up first.
“Why would I answer you? I want answers too. When it comes to that hedgehog, something big always happens.” He tilted his head. “Make no mistake: it's not altruism. It's curiosity.” Eggman shrugged, with an enigmatic smile.
Maddie opened her hand, revealing two quills, one light blue and the other deep blue.
" Tails found this before disappearing. He thought it might be a clue about Sonic, and suspected that the other spike might belong to someone involved in his disappearance... but he discovered that both belonged to Sonic himself. He just didn't understand why the color had changed. Even though he tried to locate him, it that Sonic was missing.."
Eggman tilted his head, curious. He picked up the spikes carefully, his eyes shining with calculating interest.
“Hmm... different colors, two spikes... very interesting,” he murmured. “It seems almost symbolic. A pattern, perhaps.”
“So they're really gone... Didn't they tell you where they found the clue? Where the signal appeared?” Shadow narrowed his eyes.
"No. After Sonic disappeared, Tails tried to track his energy, but there was nothingas if he were dead or... out of this world. Until, a month ago, he decided to do one last search in the forest, near our camp. He tracked a strange energy... until he found this, and couldn't tell where it was coming from. After that, he quickly gathered Amy and Knuckles to investigate before he lost the signal he got from the thorns, but after they left, we haven't heard from them." Maddie sighed.
Stone analyzed the thorns.
“That's why we need you. If anyone can track or interpret this, it's Ivo. And we need to find them before it's too late.”
Eggman looked at the spikes and finally spoke: Stone, prepare my coffee.
It's time to get to work!
Then let's go. But any misstep, any lack of preparation... we could end up like them. We'll have to be careful when facing the unexpected!