Fallen Idol
Concept by The Tears of a Mad Man
Written by Sean Catlett and The Tears of a Mad Man

Chapter 5

“It’s okay, buddy, you’re going to be okay, honest! We’ll get you the best doctor in town, then we’ll find out who did this to you and…” Sonic went on, babbling.

Who was this ‘We?’ As far as Tails was concerned, there was no ‘We’ anymore.

Just him. Him and his bleeding head.

God, Tails was tired. All he wanted to do was sleep.

In Sonic’s arms, eyes closed, being carried to the hospital, Tails let himself go limp for real.

**********

Fuc.k.in.g s i , m n, hi g y, ak ng me ly a te h m, go i h te p o le I e th s, th y ju t w nt gi e up, b t o, no, t ey al a s have to take over the w r d or s m t i g, it’s al a s so e h ng, but this time it’s different, t i g y s e s sm r er t a a l t e o h rs w o ha e t id to ta o er th s wo l . He’s methodical, in e I us, I ca f el i. H w v r he m k s p o le e p o e I m so f c I g in e e t d in t at I d k l f r k o l dge l ke that. Aroun the c r er I f ew a t r h m, t y n to c t h up. BUT I LOST HIM!! F C !! I l n ed, lo king left nd ri h for his happ a s. T e e w s ru b e a d g r a e li t r d on t e gr u d. He c u d be a y h re. I s d n y f l t e u g to R P H S F CK NG HE D O F. I W N A S C H S E E AL S O T OF HIS H A A D D I K H S BR I S ! ! GODAMMIT!! OW!! He s d e l c me a o n the c r er, h n s ra s d in t e a r, a d sa d “I g e u !” “ LL H T!” I y l e b c at h m, and l n ed, g o l g an s I t n . I c u d t s e his blood a r a y. B T HE W U D ’T QUIT G A NG AT E, THAT FUCK!!! When I r a h d him he p l ed s m t I g o t f o be I hi b k. It w s a p p . n t e o h r hand was a h p d r i n e le. T e it w nt d r w en he s u g t a m .

**********

“Tails…”

The next morning, it seemed. The light from the windows filtered through the fox’s eye lids. The soft, loathing sound of Sonic’s singsong voice came into Tails ears. It made him grit and grind his teeth, but he kept his tone of voice tired and emotionless.

“Wha… Sonic?”

He felt his body being hugged fiercely by soft, forceful arms. Tails opened his eyes to see his once idol’s back laid across the front of him. And the white, cold, sterile walls of the same room he was in twenty-four hours before.

“Shit. I’m in the hospital again.”

Sonic leaned back, and wiped his face. Concerned and now very serious. “You’re… you’re not still mad at me, are ya, buddy?”

More than anything right now, Sonic, I want to rip your heart out. “Course not. I was being a whiney little bitch earlier. No problems now.” Tails managed a weak smile.

“You sure?”

FUCK YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Sonic frowned, but nodded. “Good. You up to walking?”

“I think so.”

“Get dressed, then. We’re leaving.”

Sonic left the room then, waiting outside. The door closed behind him with a quiet click.

Tails sprang up out of bed and started searching the room for a weapon. His hands went through the drawers in the corner below the sink. They came up empty. In twenty seconds he had all of the drawers searched clean and he was still empty handed.

“Fuck!” Tails’ eyes fell on the door. Maybe he could find a rock or something to knock him out with. He wanted Sonic dead so bad that he could taste it already. Then…

The biohazard container, placed near the sink, glowing with red, caught Tails’ eye. Slowly, as he rushed towards it, he realized that he had a headache. Inside the container Tails must have known that inside were various discarded instruments that the hospital throws away. Therefore, they wouldn’t miss them if they were, say, taken.

The problem is that they are full of contaminants. They’re used. This is called the ‘hatbox’, or the ‘ice cream container’ by hospital staff. Although lighthearted, it’s only superficial. Really, caution should be taken very seriously.

But fuck it, right?

Tails carefully reached his hand down into the container, past the plastic flaps. He kept going down until his fingers hit something…

The headache increased.

Tails wrapped his fingers around the object. He pulled it out carefully, hoping he didn’t suddenly contract AIDS or something. He held the instrument in his hand, and suddenly his headache was almost unbearable, but he barely registered it. All he could think about was how… familiar it felt.

A hypodermic needle.

And for the first time in as many days, he asked himself, “What the fuck am I doing?!”

**********

Outside the room, Sonic was waiting, leaning against the wall, ignoring the small child that was tugging at his leg. “Mr. Sonic. Mr. Sonic. Mr. Sonic…”

Tails came out, carrying his hospital gown in a bundle. “Let’s go.”

The blue hedgehog nodded, and stomped down the hall, Tails close behind, leaving the small child whimpering, holding a pen and a blank piece of paper in his hand.

**********

Tails was thinking. Hard. Near the sink, he had watched himself in the mirror, the way he had carried himself. The way he held the needle, how fucked up his head had become. How there wasn’t a single hair left on it.

Tails, even though he still felt like killing Sonic, for the first time started to wonder why.

They both walked down the hall, Sonic in the lead, not acknowledging anybody’s presence. It was almost like he was storming down the hall, angrily. A guy at the front reception desk smiled and waved, singing, “They call him Sonic, because he faster than sound, and keeps jumping around-”

“Shut your fucking mouth!”

Tails was surprised at the sudden animosity. The sudden outburst, coming seemingly from nowhere. The poor guy was astonished, but with good reason.

“Uh, Sonic, maybe we should go out the back way…” He whispered, noticing the stares from all the patients.

“No. I want them all to hear this.”

Uh oh. He wouldn’t.

At about twenty feet from the front hospital doors, they swung open, and the reporters swarmed in.

“I heard he was here…”

“THERE HE IS!”

And they came forward, microphones raised, lights, camera, action.

“So, you saved your friend again, huh Sonic?”

“Is he grateful this time?”

“Is it true that you have homoerotic dreams about Shadow?”

Sonic just stood there, waiting for them to shut up. After awhile, the questions faded, and they all waited for him to speak.

And boy, did he ever.

**********

“Why did you do it, Sonic?”

“Because I’m sick of everyone and all their shit. If this is the price of being famous, I don’t want it.”

They had been getting phone calls all day. Companies wanting to retract contracts of sponsorship. Television host begging for him to come on their show and tell the country, again, why he did it.

Why he fucking quit.

“Can you even do that?”

“I can if I want to.”

“Holy shit, dude… this is too much.”

Sonic, standing near the phone, sighed. “I know. But it’s necessary.”

Tails couldn’t tell if he was thankful or infuriated. “How are we gonna live?”

“I have money. Been saving it ever since Sonic: Part One.” He smiled. “We’re loaded, as it would seem.”

The small fox sat on the couch and tried to relax. “What brought all of this on?” he asked, but he already knew the answer.

“You.” Of course. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this whole situation, and I decided that I’d rather be a nobody than be a somebody with no friends. If this is the cost of keeping us together, then so be it.” Touching, really. “Now, consider us retired.”

It sounded good and all, but there was something wrong…

Well, a couple of things.

“One at a time,” Tails whispered.

“Hmmm?”

“Sonic, there’s one more thing we have to do.” Sonic stood there for a second, then nodded in understanding. “I… we have to solve the case.”

“You know where he his?”

Tails nodded. “What he looks like, what his name is. I have all I need to bring him in.”

Sonic thought hard, then his eyes fell on Tails’ head. “You think you can handle him alone?”

Shock. “Are you serious?”

Short pause, then the blue one answered. “Absolutely,” he said, giving a small smile. “Go for it. I think you can do this one alone. Hell, you deserve it.”

Speechless.

It took a lot of forcing, but Tails managed to go over and give Sonic a big hug before he left.

On his way out, he grabbed his bundled hospital gown.

**********

It must have rained last night.

Redemption.

Small pieces of the worms were strewn about, people who didn’t care at all for them, going to get drunk or worse.

Savior.

Back in the Boardwalk area of town. Back near what is now T e Hol Chu k er. Back near the warehouse.

Just in time.

This was the part of town where everyone went to have a good time, or to escape the bad ones. To gain a moment of privacy, or to create a scene. Everywhere were abandoned buildings and bars and cat houses and warehouses and late hour bars to escape reality.

The last place Tails would ever go. Normally.

Loser.

To the left, docking yards. The sun was high in the sky, far from setting, far from inviting the seedy individuals to come out for… whatever.

Tails stood in the center of the ‘street’, staring at a small puddle formed at his feet. He was staring at his reflection again, the radiating bruise, the stitch marks where the unknown wound was stitched. The entire pig fetus of his head staring back at him.

Crack.

Splat.

Tails clutched the bundle of wrapped medical garments in his arms tighter, to lessen the pain of the headache. He looked to his right to the warehouse.

Hesitation, this time different from before. Fear, not overpowering, but still enough to stop and think.

It ends here.

The big NO.

The noon sun hung straight overhead, casting a squatting shadow over the warehouse. For awhile he waited, trying to get the strength to walk in and finish what he wanted done.

Tails got a quick, sudden flash of Sonic’s smiling face, mutilated and bloody across the walls of a red sky.

His fists tightened.

With that, Tails walked in, following his bright, dried neon blood trail into the warehouse.

**********

A small, cute ball of pink watched her hero sitting on the couch, her eyes big and watery.

“Don’t look at me like that, Amy. It’s creepy.” Sonic threw another potato chip into his mouth. He was watching television, anything but the news.

“I can’t help it. Why did you do it, Sonic?”

“I told you already. Stop bothering me.” He got up and walked to his desk, filled with the collecting papers and notes from the Exploding People Case. Or whatever.

“And you think you can trust Tails to solve the case on his own?”

Rustling as the papers were thrown into the trash can. Some of the facts were mixed with photographs and signed superhero cards.

“Not think. Know. That little buddy of mine has been solving cases ever since we became a duo. He was always the smart one. I was just the one everybody wanted to fuck.” He looked at her. “And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

A tear fell. Sonic grabbed the last of the junk and pushed it off the desk.

“You just want me for my fame,” he said. Pausing, he went and sat back down on the couch. She started bawling. “Tails is more important to me than all the women, all the fame and fortune, all the money, and especially all of the fake recognition that I get. And yes, he’s more important to me than you, Amy.”

The crying was uncontrollable now, but the few words that he could make out from her were something to the effect of: “Not… true…” And she ran to him and flung her arms around him, screaming and crying. Sonic rolled his eyes and tried to comfort her.

He started to think that maybe she really didn’t just want him for the fame, that maybe she really did like him for what he was. It would be refreshing to say the least.

This is what kept him from throwing her out the door right then. All Sonic did was pat her on the back and comfort her. That, and of course he watched television.

**********

Tails lifted the lid of the wheat box.

“Fuck!” He wasn’t there. He thought to himself what a stupid idea this was in the first place…

One.

Tails could hear a faint shuffling echoing around the warehouse. He flew into the air, carefully, nursing his hurt appendages, and looked frantically. High in the air, everything looked smaller and less realistic. It boosted his confidence.

And there the human was, crawling out the back door as fast as he could, obviously in a lot of pain.

“That’s pathetic!” Tails yelled out, getting Merrick’s attention, who then began to crawl out at a faster pace.

The freak was halfway out the door when he felt hands grab his feet and pull him back in, and up into the air. Merrick screaming in horror, surprise, and pain as he was lifted.

And dropped.

Just before he hit the ground, Tails caught him again and gently set him down on the metal chair. He got down in front of Merrick and started his tirade.

“I could kill you very easily right now…”

“Likewise.”

“Shut up. I’m not. You’re going to the police.”

The human, beaten to a pulp, squinted at the fox standing over him. “You’re lying. You’ll be charged with brutality. I’ll sue you. I’ll win.”

“Right, whatever, I don’t care anymore. I want you off the streets, and if I killed you I’d be no better than you are. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing I’d like more than to scrape you off the sidewalk with a shovel, but I’m tired and I want this over with. This is a police matter now.”

Merrick stared at Tails with absolute disbelief. “No.”

“Believe it. What did you think I was going to do? Team up with you? Kill people with you? Kill Sonic with you?! You’re fucking nuts!”

Still tied with ropes around the ankles and wrists, the human sighed deeply. “Shit.”

“Well put.”

“I guess I was being naïve. I mean, you and Sonic have saved the world numerous times over, from even bigger problems. Who was I to think that I could take it over by making people explode using my gift. I mean, gee golly, I should give up right now, shouldn’t I? I mean, shit, you’re the side kick,! God forbid Sonic would actually turn me in. You have to do it. To prove yourself, right? To everyone that you‘re a big boy now?”

Two.

“Whatever, alright. You’re off the streets. That’s what’s important. But if you try to fuck with me, or try that staring shit then I can always say you attacked me. They believe my word over a freak’s word. You know, a freak such as yourself.”

Merrick smiled. “Tails, here is something I’ve learned: you’re a horrible bluffer. You’re not a killer. In fact, you’re a little pussy. I could rip your fucking arm off and shove it up your ass, but I wont since you’d probably enjoy it. Fancy little faggot.”

“Good one, Merrick. I’ll have to remember that one next time I’m climbing off your mom.”

“Oh, is that why she became a lesbian?”

Three.

“Okay, enough. Let’s go, short stuff.” He reached down to Merrick’s neck to grab him by the collar when suddenly the human lunged, screaming and kicking. They both fell to the concrete floor. Merrick’s hands were untied, and suddenly he seemed to be in a lot less pain.

He was faking. That sneaky little bastard.

Four.

Tails, overwhelmed by surprise, threw fists outwards, trying to hit him as best as he could, but all he managed to do was hit his stomach. He seemed taller now, even though he was only on his knees, Tails on his back on the concrete. It was getting hard to breathe. Images of ripping the guy’s face in two came to mind.

The man grabbed Tails’ hairless, scarred head and slammed it down on the concrete as hard as he could. Stars flew in front of the fox’s eyes. A loud cracking noise resounded over and over again, and he could feel something break.

Five.

Again, his head was slammed on the concrete, harder this time. The hands wrapped around his head were sweaty and rough. More stars flew, but strangely, there was no pain. Only vast amounts of confusion.

Merrick’s face was visible through a waterfall of red. He had a maniacal grin on his face as he brought back his fist and brought it forward, connecting with teeth. Somewhere on the floor, they clattered.

Thoughts were so jumbled that Tails first thought that he was winning, but then he finally started to concentrate on thinking of a way out of this.

SLAM! Again.

Six.

Think. Think. THINK.

H sp tal G wn.

Seven. Eight.

“Little fucking bitch,” the human paused. Then hit again.

SLAM!

His hospital gown had a weapon in it. A familiar, comforting weapon in it. Somewhere, it had flown out of his hands and was on the floor. Waiting.

As his head hit the ground again, Tails for the first time realized that he was still flailing at the human above him, and not doing any damage. Despite being weak and very, very confused, it took some doing and hard concentration to convince himself to stop fighting.

Nine.

Tails’ hands dropped, palms down. His head was slammed again on the floor. Everything suddenly became like liquid, so hard to move. Muffled and difficult to breath, yet comforting and serene. Drowning in a sea of red. His hands brushed the gown on the floor, the soft material inviting, and he struggled to reach inside.

Above him, Merrick was grinning. “Did you actually think you could beat me, you little shit? No way.” The human reached behind his back. Tails still couldn’t find what he was looking for. “Although this is not what I had in mind, I can still finish what I started.” His hands came to the front again.

What? What the fucking hell?!

Ten. Eleven.

Brandishing a hypodermic needle, full of fluid of an unknown kind, Merrick tapped the point near the insertion point. His pressed the plunger slightly, and it spurted forth a single stream. Also, Tails’ hand finally reached the weapon.

Without another word, Merrick brought the needle down with both hands, sailing towards Tails’ heart.

The fox was thankful for the sea of red, for it made everything slower, it gave him time to bring his own needle up in front of him, and leave it sailing toward the humans heart.

They hit each other at about roughly the same time. Right on target, both of them. The difference was that Tails had only air in his.

Twelve.

It seemed common knowledge than if an air bubble enters a vein or an artery and reaches the heart, that either an embolism in the heart, or elsewhere in the body, will occur. Immediately, Merrick followed this rule and was thrown off of Tails’ chest, catapulted backwards, thrashing. Both needles remaining in the two fighters.

Something was wrong.

“What… what the hell…?!!”

And before it went all red and black, Tails saw himself chewing furiously on a piece of Merrick’s face.

Thirteen.

**********

Surprisingly, Sonic had no dreams that night. He just lay in Amy’s arms, asleep on the couch. Although he wouldn’t admit it later, it was the best he had ever slept, because maybe everything had seemed so right with the world, that everything which truly didn’t matter, he could let go and it would disappear.

Right?