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alterchaos · 9 days ago

Text

HUMAN

(cw: severe bullying/verbal abuse - read foreword)

After deciding to stay on Mobius, Eve gets settled into her new home with the help of her friends. Ready to start her new life, she ventures into town with confidence and enthusiasm. Though everywhere she goes, it seems she's only met with stares...

PREVIOUS CHAPTER: THE SHINING ROAD

NEXT CHAPTER: CALL OF A HERO

Hello everyone!

This is the second of two chapters that will dive into a deeper discussion on bullying including depictions of verbal abuse, harassment, and trauma. Viewer discretion advised.

Everything said and done in this chapter is reflective of my own life experiences exactly as they happened, apart from the Sonic-specific items of course. I decided to do this in order to keep things grounded in some level of reality. My hope is that this story can offer a fresh perspective for everyone - whether you are a bully, a bystander, or a victim - and offer a sense of validation and hope for moving forward.

The final scene in this chapter is based on a what-if scenario: what if I could go back and offer my younger self advice and encouragement? What would I say? How would I be there for myself in ways nobody really was at the time? I sincerely hope that scene can offer anyone else who needs it a sense of comfort and support. Even if no one else says it, you matter and you deserve to feel safe and loved.

Thank you for reading Alter Chaos.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life on Mobius was an adjustment to be sure. There was so much Eve loved though about the small planet like the endless expanse of nature and the slow, relaxed pace at which life moved.

And, of course, her friends.

The ragtag family of Mobians did everything in their power to make the teenage girl feel welcome and at home, especially Sonic. Once her brother had left her sight and her tears finally dried, the Blue Blur wasted no time nor effort in finding his new neighbor proper living arrangements. Amy obliged, expressing nothing but joy in having a new sister to share her home with. The girl moved in immediately, which wasn’t difficult given that she carried no furniture, trinkets, or luggage of the sort. She simply had a bare room and the clothes on her back to settle in with, though not for long. Once word spread of Mobius’s newest citizen, everyone pitched in to attend to their friend’s needs. Vanilla took measurements and tailored an entire wardrobe from scratch to meet the girl’s tastes while Cream helped get started on decorations. Vector and his crew taught her all about how the economy on their world worked, even donating a generous helping of rings for her to get started with. Amy began to compile a Mobius-special cookbook for her new roommate, complete with ingredients the human girl had never heard of. Knuckles taught her the general history of their world, catching Eve up to speed on local customs and etiquette so she would be ready to socialize. Tails, despite still being riddled with grief over Cosmo, spared a few moments to craft his friend a bed to sleep in and even gave her one of his old desks.

Then there was Sonic.

Through all of the chaos of getting settled into her new home, the Hero of Mobius insisted on remaining at her side, attending to every need she could possibly have, spoken or not. Whether through his clearly lingering guilt or some unknown promise to her brother she was unaware of, Eve didn’t know. All the girl with the golden hair knew was that, while incredibly sweet and appreciated, she was starting to feel a bit stifled by his efforts. With each passing day, her best friend who once inspired her to have confidence in her own abilities was starting to feel a bit more like an overprotective father who couldn’t bear to see her act on her own two feet. It was an overcorrection far beyond what she’d hoped would come from the incident with the fake emeralds, Amy even having to step in at one point and kick out the unrelenting, anxious hedgehog while insisting her new sister would be fine taking a few moments to herself to process everything. Eve felt bad for him, but Amy was right. She did need a few moments to herself.

Thankfully, the town where everyone had grown up wasn’t too far from her new home.

Eve stepped out to take a walk by herself for the first time…well…possibly ever. Back on Earth, she’d been the daughter of both a famous actress as well as a multi-billion dollar business tycoon. Taking a walk like this, alone, simply wasn’t feasible. She was too famous by association, too valuable and, therefore, vulnerable.

An easy target…

Here though, she was able to find a fresh start, to become who SHE wanted to be on her own merit. On Mobius, she could be a hero like her friends, strong and independent enough to enjoy activities like this on her own while providing for herself and helping those in need. It felt refreshing.

She felt capable.

She felt free.

Eve coveted the feeling and, while she missed her family back home, she didn’t miss the life she left behind.

The trauma she left behind…

The judgment…

The stares…

The ridicule…

All for where she came from, but never who she was…

Eve took a deep breath.

That all changed now.

Now, she could finally have the chance she always wished for.

…

Tap. Tap. Tap.

So then…

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Why…

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Why was everyone staring at her like this?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Like she was…some kind of…

“Freaky…”

“-!!?”

Eve turned her head sharply, catching sight of a couple cat-like Mobians whispering off to the side.

“What a weird-looking Mobian…”

“Where’s her tail?”

More whispers picked up in her ears from all around her.

“Oh my goodness…She’s human isn’t she?”

“A human?”

“Another human?”

“We’d better stay away…”

“She could be trouble…”

Trouble?

But why…

She hadn’t even done anythi-

“I bet she’s related to the doctor.”

“The evil Dr. Eggman…”

“He’s brought us nothing but destruction.”

“Should we call someone?”

“Shhh…quiet! She’ll look this way!”

“Just leave it to Sonic. I’m sure he’ll put her in her place if need be.”

“Yeah! Sonic’ll protect us…”

“Just like the evil Dr. Eggman!”

“Evil…”

Evil…

Was that really how they all saw her?

Eve turned as she felt a slight tap on her arm, catching sight of a young Mobian looking up at her with curiosity.

“Excuse me, Miss…Where’s your tai-”

Before she could respond, the child’s guardian raced onto the scene, grabbing the small child and holding them close before looking at the girl in panic.

“I’M SO SORRY!!! PLEASE!!! JUST DON’T HURT US!!!”

The whispers continued as the girl stood there stunned, silent and unsure what to say in response. Her face flushed red in embarrassment and shame.

Without another word, she turned and left town, heading back to her home where it was safe.

Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another week passed, every day the same as the last. Though the panic ceased, the cautious stares did not. Amy, having heard about her trip, asked Eve how it went. The girl was unable to bring herself to tell the truth. She didn’t want to cause any unnecessary turmoil, which meant she had to continue venturing into town on errands in order to keep up appearances. Though she fooled her friends, she couldn’t fool herself. Every trip felt like a battle against the jaws of death itself, the Mobians’ distrustful stares piercing her very soul, every whisper cutting at her heart like the sharpest blade.

Worse yet, there were a small handful of Mobians in particular who had caught on to her harmlessness and decided to take advantage of that, spreading hate and worsening the rumors that already weighed her down, knowing full well she would never retaliate.

“I saw her walking towards one of Eggman’s bases the other day…”

Lies.

“I heard her plotting to attack the town when everyone goes to sleep…”

Lies.

“See, she only wants to cause violence because she wishes she were us…”

“You mean that ugly little thing?”

All lies.

Suddenly, a gentle hand met her shoulder.

“Hey, Eve!” The blue hedgehog offered up a fanged grin, “I was on my way to check on Tails and wanted to see if you wanted to-!” He paused, catching sight of the girl’s face before him.

Eve was crying.

The other Mobians froze at the sight, silence filling the still air as they watched their hero in awe.

“Hey…What’s wrong?”

She wanted to tell him…

So badly…

But…

Eve wiped her tears, “S-Sorry…” She smiled, “I guess I’m just a little homesick is all…”

A frown crossed her friend’s lips as the Mobians who’d previously antagonized her released a collective sigh of relief. He closed his eyes, considering how to help before offering her another smile and a signature wink. He hesitated a moment before pushing his fears aside and finally taking her hand in his, “Hey, come with me. I want you to meet someone special.”

The girl with the golden hair watched curiously as her oldest and truest friend led her by the hand to a market stall in the deepest part of town. There, an elderly pair of dog and cat Mobians meticulously lifted and placed their goods for sale, smiling and taking each others’ hands lovingly when they could. They turned suddenly as they noticed the blue hedgehog approaching, smiling and waving enthusiastically.

“Sonic!”

The dark, male cat approached, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, Sonic! How’ve ya been, son!”

Sonic smiled, offering the couple a warm hug before stepping back to introduce his friend, “Jen, Indi, I want you to meet one of my best friends, Eve.” He looked back at his friend, who was now twirling a strand of her hair nervously, “These two took care of me and Tails when we had no place else to go. They’re like family to us! I’m sure they’ll take good care of you as well.”

The girl offered a small but nervous smile and wave, “H-Hi…”

“Reminds me of our sweet, little Tails...”

“How is he by the way?”

Sonic rubbed his head, “Well…still hurting but getting better day by day…”

“You poor kids must have gone through so much to save the universe like that…”

Sonic’s gaze fell, “Yeah…”

“Here. I have something for him that ought to put a smile on his face.” Indi crouched behind the counter, rummaging through more boxes.

Jen placed a hand on the hedgehog’s shoulder for comfort, eliciting a small smile from him, “Well anyways, a friend of yours is a friend of ours.” She looked to the anxious teen, “Anything you need, sweetie, just say the word!”

A small smile escaped the girl’s lips, “Th-Thank yo-”

“Hey Sonic!” A young, rambunctious kitten tumbled from behind the boxes, racing up to the human before she could finish, “Wooow who’s this strange lady? She kind of looks like the evil Dr. Eggman!”

Eve froze.

“Bonnie!!!” The elderly dog picked up the kitten by the scruff of her neck furiously, “Apologize to her right now!!!”

Eve looked down, rubbing her arm and speaking softly so as not to cause a scene, “I-It’s okay…I’m used to it…”

“Used to it?” Sonic watched his friend with intense concern as her face grew red, both from embarrassment and tears threatening to spring up at the comment. His ear flicked, picking up on the soft sounds of whispering behind him as other Mobians nearby began to stare, though not daring to get close.

Sonic clenched his fists, gritting his fangs in like as he turned to face the crowd.

“Rrrrrgh…Alright, listen up! If anyone has a problem with my friend here, they’re going to have to answer to me, The Hero of Mobius! Got that!!?”

Many in the crowd looked away in disdain, while the few antagonizers scoffed and rolled their eyes. None, though, dared to argue back against him. While the blue hedgehog puffed his chest and brushed his hands together in triumph, Eve shielded her face in embarrassment with one of her hands, not daring to look at the damage her friend had unknowingly caused.

That was exactly what she’d been afraid of…

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wow, having to hide behind the great hero, Sonic?”

“She’s obviously up to something…”

“She’s clearly just using him…”

She tried to ignore it day after day after day…

“I bet she just wants to steal his spotlight all for herself…”

“My, what a selfish pig…”

But it only kept getting worse…

“Bitch.”

“Whose boots are you licking?”

“Kiss-ass.”

Eventually, their words began to blend with those of the distant past…

“She should leave.”

“A waste of our space…”

“She was a mistake.”

“She should just leave Mobius for good.”

Eve didn’t even know whose voices she was hearing anymore…

“A complete waste of space…”

“Nobody loves you…”

“Who would ever want to be friends with her?”

Were they even theirs to begin with?

“You’re unlovable…”

“Just die already…”

“Die…”

“Go kill yourself.”

THUD!

Eve dropped her basket, the ingredients spilling out like the voices in her mind. She covered her face, sprinting from the town as fast as she could in a panic.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eventually, Sonic found her curled up near the cliffside overlooking the sea.

“Hey…still thinking about home?”

She wanted to tell him…

But…

“Yeah…”

Sonic rubbed his head in guilt.

“How did things go out in town today? Was it better?”

She couldn’t bring herself to…

Eve turned, a bright smile beaming from her lips.

“Yep! Everyone was super nice to me! Lots of new friends hehehe!”

Sonic watched her for a moment for any sign telling him otherwise. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead in tandem.

“Phew! For a second there, I thought maybe I made things worse!” He knelt down beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder after another moment of hesitation, “I’m really happy for you, you know?”

Eve nodded, maintaining her cheerful facade. She didn’t want to place that kind of burden on him, not when he’d already gone through so much on the Blue Typhoon. It was her business and, besides, she didn’t want to make the other Mobians hate her more. She needed to handle this herself. She could do this…she just needed a little more time…

She could handle this…

…

Then why did the thought make her feel sick to her stomach?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few more weeks passed since that day, her anxiety growing worse with every minute. It was all the same: the stares, the ridicule, the comparisons, the assumptions…Eventually, she didn’t even want to leave home, let alone her bedroom. If she stopped though, Sonic would figure it out. They all would. She had to keep up appearances.

They couldn’t know.

That grew more and more difficult though as Eve began to fall ill from the stress. She found herself hardly able to eat or sleep anymore, leading her roommate to inevitably catch on that something was seriously wrong. She approached her sister directly, seeking answers where she was only met with silence. Still, Amy encouraged the human girl to reach out to someone she trusted, to tell someone what it was that was weighing on her mind. She was right of course, though one question still remained…

Who would she tell?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The young fox maintained an intense focus on his work, for it was there that he found relief from the ever-present guilt and grief over his failures as a captain. Face shield pulled down, he watched the flames of his blowtorch as they melded the two scraps of metal together. Eventually, he clicked the blowtorch off, raised the shield, and took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow.

It was then that he caught sight of the girl peering sheepishly at him from the corner of his open garage.

Tails smiled, though a bit of fatigue and sadness lined his eyes, “Hey, Eve. What’s up? Do you need something?”

“U-U-Um…” She hid the bottom part of her face behind the wall, her eyes shifting to the side nervously, “C-Can we talk…?”

Tails’s eyes widened, noticing her fidgety demeanor. He recognized it all too well, remembering his own anxious mannerisms from his days at the orphanage with Sonic. He smiled warmly, rising from his workbench and inviting his friend inside without hesitation.

Eve felt a bit awkward at first, sitting across from her friend and captain on a sofa inside his adjacent house. She couldn’t find the words, though Tails didn’t rush her, simply offering her some snacks and a drink while she figured out what she wanted to say. Finally, she forced out a few words. Little by little, the awkwardness went away, replaced by a natural flow and passion that had been hidden away deep inside, locked safely from the outside world. She told him everything: all the names and harassment she’d endured. She told him about Sonic’s attempt to put a stop to it and how his efforts only made things worse. She poured out her heart until it was all empty. Tails simply sat and listened without judgment and, for the first time since she’d decided to stay on Mobius, Eve felt safe to just be herself.

Tails placed his mug he was drinking from down on the table before him, “Hmm…that is a tricky problem…I’m really proud of you for reaching out to me.” He offered her a wink, “I know first-hand how hard that can be, so I’m happy to help.”

Eve continued holding her mug in her trembling hands, sniffling a bit as her tears dried, “It’s just…It’s not that I don’t appreciate Sonic’s help…but…”

“Yeah…Sonic has many great qualities, but mediation was never his strongest. He just likes to jump in first and ask questions later, which explains why he and Knuckles fight so much. I know though, without a doubt, that if you told him how you feel, he’d listen. He really cares about you, you know.”

“I know that…I just…I don’t want to make him feel bad for trying to help…”

Tails smiled, “I’m sure he wouldn’t feel bad. If anything, he’d want to know how to make it right.” He closed his eyes in remembrance, “In fact, back when he first met you, he asked me for advice on how he could best help you feel more confident without making you feel overwhelmed or anxious. You know what I said to him?”

Eve’s eyes widened. She’d never heard of this, “What?”

“I told him to just keep being himself.” Tails opened his eyes, “Sonic has his own special way of connecting with others, just as I do mine, and just as you do yours. If he tried to be someone else, that wouldn’t be building a true connection. It would only be a form of acting, a performance with an end. But friendship doesn’t end, at least not if it’s true.”

Eve paused for a moment, taking in what she’d just heard. Sonic had really gone out of his way for her, even as far back as the day they first met. It touched her heart.

Then she remembered the reason he even found her in that construction site in the first place.

Her gaze fell, “...but what if…what if people don’t like the real me? Does…does that make me a bad person?”

Tails’s eyes widened, “What? No. Why would you think that?”

“Well…if enough people think so then it must have some merit to it, right? I mean…I know I don’t have any special powers…and I can’t really fight alongside all of you, so…”

“Woah, slow down. Powers aren’t everything, Eve.” The girl looked back up at her friend, “We didn’t choose to become your friend because we expected that from you. Not even close.” Tails watched her gaze fall once more, releasing a small sigh as he remembered his own struggle with self-confidence, “Not everyone is going to like you, Eve. You can’t focus on that. Believe me…I know…” Tails smiled, “What really matters is the people who love you for who you are, like me! And definitely like Sonic!” He winked at her knowingly.

The girl sat there quietly for a moment, unsure how to respond. While she knew she was loved, she still felt as though it was unearned. Her friends had contributed so much to her life and yet, she’d hardly even begun to pay them back for their kindness.

She needed to do better, starting now.

She looked up at her friend with concern, “You know, I’ve been so focused on myself these past few weeks that I don’t think I ever stopped by to ask how you were doing.”

Tails’s eyes widened before smiling nervously, “H-Hey, don’t worry about it! I’m…” His gaze fell somewhat, “...okay…It’s getting a bit easier with each day…I’m…trying and…that’s what counts…” He looked down sadly, “I know that’s what she’d want from me at least…”

Guilt flooded the girl’s expression, “I’m sorry, Tails…I-I didn’t mean to-”

The fox smiled, “Like I said, don’t worry about it. It’s good to talk about these things. It helps with processing everything. Besides, you really needed a friend who could listen and help. You never have to apologize to me for that, okay?”

Eve smiled warmly, “Thanks, Tails. I’ll…” Her smile faltered slightly, “...try to take your advice…”

At the very least, his words gave her the courage to continue.

If only…

“You’re welcome, Eve.”

If only there was a way she could prove herself as a hero…

As a true friend…

Then maybe they could see her as more than what she was on the outside…

Than that which held her back, hindering her in all aspects of her life…

Something more than some flawed, messy, weak, and out of place…

…human.

CHAPTER END

Fun Side Note: Jen, Indi, and Bonnnie are all based on real pets in my life.