May 23rd, 2023

  “It was just a week after Solid graduated from college, and we haven’t done much since. My brother always hangs out with his childhood friend, while I keep myself busy at work. It was a long day, and I had to take a train to get back home since our mother was already using the car. I got home around 5 P.M., and by the time I arrived, Solid was already there, cooking dinner for us. Nothing out of the ordinary.” Tricky says to the team, starting to tell the story.

  “Wat’cha cookin', Solid?” Tricky asks him while he puts his work bag down on the ground.

  Although focused, Solid retains his usual manner, “Cooking some beef stew. A classic, just replicating some of mom’s same old usual recipe.”

  Tricky gives a quick smell of the stew, taking a proud sniff and deeply satisfied with the process. “Mm-hmm. That stew is going to be amazing, I know it when I smell the same old cooking from momma, alright.” He ruffles his quills, teasing him while continuing to show support for his young brother, before walking to the bathroom. “I’ma take a shower. The train smell is worse than it is bad. I probably smell bad anyway.”

  “I’ve got to say. Eating the stew was a fond nostalgic memory. It was the first thing we ate when our mom quickly adopted him. Although Solid and I were young and were anxious about us becoming siblings, it was also the best thing that has ever happened in my life. Growing up from our childhood activities, we always supported each other. Giving each other advice about home, school, and the real world.”

  “The stew is always a quick reminder of how far we’ve gotten.”

  After eating, both brothers relax on a long night. They hang out and talk about it, mostly watching the football game, but keeping the conversation alive. “Do you know when Mom is coming home?” Tricky asks his brother, who he knows has either stayed inside the house or left to hang out with his friends.

  “Umm…” Trying his best to recall the time when Mom left the house, Solid answers. “I’ve been out for some time to hang out with… Woofa. But, I’ve heard that Mom is spending time with her friends before she comes back home. I don’t know when… but probably soon.”

  “In the meantime, we enjoyed our time together. We’re still discussing how life just went by, how Solid has already graduated from college, and everything is positive and uplifting. I know I have work tomorrow, and how damn stressful it is, but everything is alright.”

  At some time during 9 P.M., Tricky had already brushed his teeth and gotten himself ready for bed. He comes out to the living room, going to say goodnight to his brother, only to see him still watching the football game. “They’re still playing at this time? I hope that the Racers win against the Restrictors. I swear, if Barry the Bill throws a deep pass to the Cheetah himself, I feel that-“

  “A deep pass by Barry to take the lead before the two-minute warning. And he’s throwing it deep- OH HE’S GOT TYREEK THE CHEETAH!!! TOUCHDOWN!!! 67 YARDS!!! THE RESTRICTORS ARE NOW IN A 38-35 LEAD AGAINST THE RACERS!”

  Solid jumps out of the couch, yelling and cheering while Tricky falls to the floor, devastated from one play, but instantly gets himself back up. “Ok! Ok! Ok! Ok…! We still have… 2 minutes… and all timeouts. I don’t care what happens, I’m going to watch the Racers win.” He quickly invests in himself, prioritizing a win against his brother before he starts going to sleep.

  “We’re always fanatics about sports. Despite my brother being the calm and humble guy, there’s always an instance where he shows a lot of passion and emotion for it.”

  After some drives from the Racers, it’s 4th and long at their 40-yard line. Anything can happen with this much time yet again. “My heart was beating… I wanted to see a game-winning touchdown or the game sent to overtime. All we were having… was the best time of our lives at that time.”

  “40 seconds remaining. The ball snaps for Ian the Fly, looking for any open receivers… here COMES THE BIG GUY- Not yet!!! He’s now scrambling around his pocket, where he throws a Hail Mary for any open receivers, a diving catch, and…”

  Nothing is better… than a game that sparks up the intense moments… where every fan goes against one another, to symbolize their loyalty to their team. And in this case… the two brothers got the rivalry set.

  “WOW!!! CHASE THE FALCON WITH THE AMAZING CATCH!!! DOWN AT THE ONE-YARD LINE!!!”

  “A-Are you kidding me?” Tricky starts laughing and teasingly points at his brother, watching him get up from the couch, devastated from the miraculous catch. “This… this team bro… They can’t DEFEND!” He paces back and forth, hoping for a miracle to happen to him.

  “GET CLAPPED!!!” Tricky continues laughing through the moment, although shocked by the sequence, he doesn’t have much to say because he’s simultaneously celebrating. He continues his actions until he focuses on the game. “For sure, they’ll hand it off to Beast Mode himself for the touchdown!”

  Within under 30 seconds after the timeout, the play begins, and for the first play after the clutch 4th and long Hail Mary, this is what they do to win the game.

  “Play clock at five. Pass is… INTERCEPTED AT THE GOAL LINE BY MALCOLM THE GOAT!!! UNREAL!!!”

  “AHHHHHHHHHHH HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!” Solid laughs and yells at Tricky, who immediately falls to the ground in disbelief. “LOOK AT THAT!!! LOOK AT THAT PLAY AND TELL ME WHAT KIND OF STUPID PLAYCALL WAS THE COACH THINKING ABOUT!? Can’t even hand it off to Beast Mode himself, I’m telling ya.”

  “My heart sank… Umm…” Tricky lies down, completely staring at the ceiling while hearing Solid celebrating along with the TV audio. “I lost my bet. I shouldn’t have cheered for them… Heh-Heh…”

  “But you’re still wondering. ‘What happened to our mom?’”

  While Solid and Tricky have moments of celebration and misery, letting the brothers set the tone of emotions inside the house, outside their front window, they saw a car parked at the side of the road, a familiar vehicle to their eyes.

  “Mom!”

  The TV is immediately turned off, and both brothers wipe away the emotions from earlier as they immediately exit the front house, seeing their mom getting out of the car and arriving back home. “Tricky! Solid! How are my babies doing?”

  “We’re doing great, Mom! How’s your time with your friends?” Solid asks her with enthusiasm in his voice.

  Their mom smiles and closes the door, feeling content with the after-party. “Always fine as always. We had a blast at her house, talking with her family and their children. You should’ve gone with me, but I knew you two had some things in your lives.” She says while yawning, feeling tired from the party. “Let’s go back inside the house and-“

  Bang.

  “Mom…?”

  “What happened?” Both eyes widen for the brothers, witnessing their mother collapsing on the street in an instant. “One of our memorable moments together quickly turned upside down.”

  “MOM!!!” Solid tries to flash towards her, but Tricky holds his shoulder, gripping it tightly while stopping him at the front porch. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? CAN’T YOU SEE I’M-”

  “SOLID!” Tricky’s grip on his shoulder becomes sturdier, having no anticipation of letting go. “Someone’s out there…” Apparent sweat rolls down their fur, the curiosity and tension arise throughout the neighborhood, making the setting increasingly menacing, before a car suddenly stops by them.

  “Ha-Ha… Tricky!” A pig and an antelope step out of a car. “Your brother seems tense. This is what happens when you don’t repay what you did to my house.” The antelope with a gun shoots more bullets into the air, with the pig putting on a menacing smirk, exclaiming the words out.

  Tricky steps in front of his brother and guards him, making himself vulnerable to any shots taken in his body. “Guys, look. I’m sorry to you, John, for trashing your house earlier. That gang member was beating me up, and our friends and I had no choice but to-”

  “Ahh… sorry about your excuse. That’s the most B.S. excuse I’ve ever heard of, because I know that no one would… DARE to touch my house!” John punches the hood of their mom’s car before he approaches their fence. His anger is on another… another level. “THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY HOUSE WAS SET ON FIRE!!! I lost everything… EVERYTHING!!!” The pig angrily points at them, accusing not only Tricky but also Solid of the outcomes. “I’LL KILL YOU BOTH! FIRST YOUR BROTHER, THEN YOU!!!”

  “I tried convincing him, but that just makes it worse. We thought this was our last moment. First our mom… then my brother… then me? That was our story… That was it…”

  “But I realized something. They never experienced the immaculate speed of my brother. I knew he was my last line of support, and a sudden move would allow him to pull out my plan successfully.”

  “Solid.” Tricky whispers quietly, in a tone for him to only hear, but for John not to. “Get me the gun… In my room, under the bed. Do it.”

  John notices their private discussion, already having a feeling of a private plan between the brothers, without hearing anything. “You two talkin’ bout some damn plan? Don’t try to hide your foolishness, you DESPICABLE PIECES OF SHIT!”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “HURRY.” Tricky grits his teeth and mutters quietly, trying his best to keep his brother covered from them.

  Solid has no choice… with his heart beating rapidly and the pressure on the line, all on him to save the day.

  The area starts to slow down from his perspective, intently listening to the remainder of John’s words coming out of his mouth. “I thought that he wouldn’t go for it. But I know he’s a strong guy… a brother that I put my trust in.” He flashes his way to Tricky’s room, a messy room, but he doesn’t let that slide. He grabs the suitcase underneath the bed and opens it to reveal a handgun, fully loaded, armed, and ready.

  “Diabolical act, Tricky.” John looks at his antelope friend, ordering him to- “Shoot him!” The gun loads and aims at Tricky, where he pulls the trigger.

  BLAM!

  Though at the right time, his brother flashes to the scenery, seeing the bullet spiraling toward his brother in slow motion. It’s gonna take a few seconds before direct contact with his chest will injure him. “Damn those two… they’re gonna regret what I’m going to do.” He says to himself before tossing the gun in front of Tricky, letting it slowly spin mid-air, and praying that his brother reacts in time.

  Now focusing on the bullet, he dashes to it and lets himself get shot in his left palm, which hurts, but all the focus is now on the antelope. Jumping over the fence, he rushes towards the shooter, diving and tackling him, hoping his plan comes along together.

  When time finally resumes back to normal, Tricky sees the gun spinning in front of him, and he grabs it. Meanwhile, John reacts and runs to save his friend, but the armed porcupine shoots him in the leg. “ARGH!” He collapsed to the ground and held his leg, “DAMN YOU, TRICKY!!!”

  Tricky hops over the fence and kicks John’s stomach, telling him to- “Shut up.” He nonchalantly says before approaching his brother, whom he successfully pins the antelope friend down. “Reveal his right palm and both his legs for me.” Once both of their parts are exposed, he shoots those areas, letting his friend scream in pain, while unable to move. “Grab Mom inside and help her! Call the police and the ambulance, too!”

  Solid nods at his request and helps out his mom, who’s still conscious but is losing a lot of blood. “Oh god… Mom… P-Please stay alive for us…” He lifts her body and carries her inside and onto the couch, where he finds anything to bandage her while he talks to the dispatcher.

  Ring.

  Ring.

  “Northern District’s Police Department, what’s your emergency?”

  Yet… his heart was still beating rapidly, his body trembling with emotion. He tries his best to remain calm, but this is too much for him.

  Way too traumatizing…

  However, he is determined to make his voice heard, and with a bit of momentum, he kickstarts his dialogue. “M-M-My Mom has been shot! She’s shot in the chest…!” He locates where the bullet hit, and it’s the worst place he wants it to be. “T-The h-h-heart! She’s been shot at the heart!” He holds his tears like a dam almost cracking, with water weighing up to trillions of gallons. “M-My b-b-b-b-b-brother…” He pauses temporarily, letting himself try to calm himself down more. “-he shot the suspects… but they’re non-f-f-f-fatal! T-t-there’s two s-suspects and… t-t-they’re still alive…!” By holding his breath, he temporarily calms his emotions, while preventing his tears from being exposed.

  “Provide me with the address to your location, please.”

  He can’t bear looking at his mom like this, so he closes his eyes and looks away, preventing himself from causing further distress. “8251… West… 57th… Street…” His voice becomes weaker, and he slightly opens his eyes, seeing his gloves covered in blood, and his phone marked with the prints.

  “Alright, sir. Tell me the situation you’re-”

  “SITUATION!? I EXPLAINED THE DAMN SITUATION TO YOU ALREADY!!!” His voice echoes throughout the whole house, far enough for Tricky to hear, to the point where he starts trembling from his brother’s voice. “MY MOM IS GOING TO DIE!!! BRING THE DAMN POLICE AND THE DAMN AMBULANCE TO THE LOCATION, NOW!!!” Tears flow down his face; seeing his mother suffering brings pain throughout his entire body. The amount of blood being leaked from her body makes him lose hope. He breaks down and drops onto his knees; his forehead leans onto her chest, where blood stains his orange fur.

  “... Alright, sir, so what I’m going to do for you is to follow my instructions. Don’t hang up the phone, and stay on the line as long as possible, alright?”

  “Y-Yeah…” He takes subtle deep breaths, followed by his calm composure.

  “Do not worry, help is on the way. While on the phone, try to find anything to apply pressure to the wound. If it’s bleeding a lot, apply more pressure. Anything in your household that you can quickly cover up?”

  He quickly looks around for anything before stumbling on an old, yet clean, towel that they’re going to get rid of. He flashes back to his mom, where he puts a lot of pressure on the wound, controlling the blood effectively, albeit with some still leaking. “M-Mom, talk to me. Y-You don’t have to say anything s-strong… but… say something…”

  His mom doesn’t say anything; she continues staring at the ceiling, lying motionless on the couch. He starts getting concerned and checks for her pulse, which is severely worsening. “Mom! Please!”

  “The ambulance will arrive approximately 20 minutes-”

  “I HAVE NO TIME TO WAIT THIS DAMN LONG!!! YOU NEED TO GO TO HER NOW!!!” He tries to wipe all of his tears away without using the blood stains from his glove, but no matter how much he tries, he uncontrollably cries. He loses hope in all the attempts and advice given by the dispatcher, but everything remains ineffective. All but one choice he finalizes now…

  “When I heard Solid crying… my heart sank… my entire body wants to… to…. God, I can’t… speak about this story… It’s heartbreaking seeing mom… Mom…”

  Solid carries his mom before flashing outside and leaving an orange trail through the streets of the Northern District. “SOLID! WHERE ARE YOU-” Tricky watches as he tries reaching out for his brother, watching the trail left behind. He has a bad feeling… and tears soon start to follow, feeling the worst coming… while the police lights roll right behind him.

  Running through the streets, the orange hedgehog tries his best to save his mom… but the towel flies away, causing his mom to start losing more blood rapidly. “Don’t die, Mom! DON’T DIE!!!” Tears flow down the side of his face, and the breeze blows his quills in the calm, yet distressing night.

  At the hospital, Solid appears in the building where a few patient services are already being provided to another patient. An injured person sitting down in the lobby is shocked to see him carrying his mom, with blood dripping onto the floor. The staff immediately springs into action, helping his mom onto the stretcher before being taken elsewhere inside the building. Solid follows them, watching and telling his mom to wake up; the staff tries their best to calm him down, but his tears are automatic. He continues to cry and scream her name… until he finally explains the situation.

  “Once the police arrived, John and his friend were quickly arrested. I was detained and had to question the police on this ongoing situation. I was held briefly by the law enforcement before I was told that I was free. I asked one of them to take me to the hospital, which they did.”

  “Once I did… I wish I had never…”

  “Solid…” Tears from both brothers spiral along them, witnessing his brother, standing outside with defeat, mostly covered in his mom’s blood. “Is she alright…?”

  “I shouldn’t have asked that question… I SHOULDN’T! I SHOULDN’T!!!”

  Solid trembles, unable to speak up for himself as he tries to process the information to his brother… He stares at his brother, his eyes emotional, constantly sniffing, unable to speak about the situation. He looks down at his bloody glove… where he finally says his line…

  “M-M-Mom… is…” He falls to his knees, letting the emotions run high while his brother tries to support him. But all of that was to answer the situation of their mother’s fate.

  “Dead…”

  “… I don’t want to… cry… It’s my mom I’m discussing with you guys, but…”

  Tricky falls to his knees and quickly hugs Solid, letting their emotions take full control. Both brothers are crying over the loss of their mother… Emotions are already at their max, but this is on another level. “Why us…? We didn’t have to go through this… Why…?” He says in his mind, feeling his brother crying adds to the pain.

  “Tricky… I-I should’ve… I should’ve run toward her… I should’ve run toward her… Save her… I should’ve sacrificed myself-”

  “Don’t… Please, Solid… I don’t want to lose you too…”

  “I was never meant to be a-ad-adopted… Never meant to be a good son… I should’ve let mom-”

  “Shh. Shh. Shh.” Tricky closes his eyes and pulls for a tighter hug, kissing him on his forehead to show support. “You’re still my brother… I don’t care if you’re adopted… Y-You tried saving her… You did what you had to do…”

  Solid closes his eyes and wraps his arms around his brother, finally letting out one final scream. “I’M SORRY…!”

  Tricky ruffles his brother’s quills, soothing him while he tries to soothe himself. “I love you… don’t ever… think of dying… We need to live… We need to… live… as brothers. Just what mom said.”

  The worst day of their entire lives.

  “John was sentenced to 15-20 years in prison. His friend was sentenced to life. I wasn’t sentenced, but had to do 25 hours of community service as a punishment. The funeral was held in the Northern District cemetery. Myself, Solid, our friends, and our mom’s friends came to mourn the loss of our mother. No other emotions… just sadness. Even after our funeral was over, my brother and I were the only ones who stayed in the cemetery the entire day. At nighttime, we refused to leave, watching our mom’s grave while the full moon shone bright over us.”

  April 2nd, 2026

  — Solid and Tricky’s Childhood House (Northern District) —

  When the door opens, their mother's room remains perfectly still in time. All the furniture is a perfect 90s aesthetic, and the floor and walls are dramatically different from the newer floor models inside the house.

  But the obvious focus within the room is a dedicated shrine, filled with portraits, along with candles placed around it. “Ever since she died, … well…” His glove brushes smoothly off the table, collecting the dust built up over time. “... We miss her. Our minds were still plagued on that fateful day.” He closely inspects the amounts of dust collected before rubbing it off, letting bits of particles fall to the ground. “After Solid finally got employed at the same workplace as I, he immediately wanted to move out. Saying his goodbyes and deep support to me before he left.”

  Most portraits on the shelves and the table are a remembrance of their mother, whether young or old; the shrine is a memorial and a dedication to her. The main portrait that caught the team’s attention is a family photo. Their mom, followed by Tricky and Solid, smiles happily in a memorable moment. Both brothers in the photo share a rare instance of their lives at their prime, but what they see right now is different.

  “Knuckles.” Tricky brings attention to the Mobians, “The reason why Solid is homeless is that every time he looks at the moon, it reminds him of our mother. She loved looking at the moon when she was younger, and it inspired him to do the same. No matter the weather conditions, he watches the moon as if the moon is watching him… almost like our mother is watching…” He tries holding back his tears, but it’s too late. He continuously wipes them, having a tough time holding back his emotions as he exits the room, unable to maintain his relaxed demeanor.

  Nevertheless, everyone in the team has experienced the deaths of those whom they cared for. The brothers are not alone; they have allies, potentially lifelong friends, inside their mother’s room that they can relate to. Sonic takes a bold decision to leave the room and to confront him, “You’re not alone. We share the same experiences that you and your brother have gone through. It hurts, it really does. But you can’t keep on grieving over it for almost three years.” He puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to control his tears. “I know you care. But you’re not going to let death consume you, just like your brother. Deep down in your heart-” He pokes at Tricky’s chest, specifically at its heart, “-Mom is watching from above.” A reassuring smile catches Tricky’s attention; the formerly sad and emotionalized figure has felt a specialized touch from the Mobian, placing a meaning in his heart.

  Knuckles approaches him with a grin, putting pride in himself, but also in the porcupine. “Back when I was young, I lost my beloved Echidnas. I’m the last surviving member, yet even if it lingers inside my head, I must remain vigorous. Never let your past hinder you. Be strong, man. Be strong.”

  A heartwarming and uplifting message causes Tricky to rethink his life. Not everything is pain… suffering…, but there’s always a bright side to character development. With all the crazy stuff happening in the hood life, there’s always an importance to living in these conditions, and understanding the brutal reality of life.

  “Don’t tell your brother this…” Sonic whispers to the grieving porcupine, trying to change the attitude. “I’m technically homeless, too.”

  Tricky instantly changes his expression, reacting in a state of shock, while finally controlling his tears. “Really? That’s one way to change the attitude. I guess you hedgehogs prefer being homeless.”

  “Hey, we’re just hedgehogs with similar lifestyles. However… I’m still not used to the street noise down there. I still don’t understand how Solid maintains that lifestyle.” He ends his statement with a bit of a snicker.

  “Because it’s Haven City. What did you expect from a city with over 100 million people? I bet that your cities in your dimension can’t surpass that.” They both snicker at each other, enjoying their conversation, unlike the emotions ago.

  Meanwhile, Tails whispers to Amy, giving his honest thoughts while debunking his claim. “Sonic isn’t homeless… He’s messing around. But I know that he’s going to be very influential on these brothers. They’re practically like their father.”

  Amy looks at Tails, confused, and politely gives her thoughts as well, “More like their brother. I just have a feeling that if they do go into combat or hang out in public, they’ll start something stupid. But I don’t mind it with Sonic’s actions.”

  “Maybe life isn’t so bad. Sonic has probably discussed this with Solid. No wonder we sense such a bond together; maybe I’m feeling the same way, too. Life always has its memorable and forgettable memories. Sometimes we want to remember them. Sometimes we want to forget them, especially the traumatic experiences. But I'm talking to Sonic, his friends, and Solid being involved… I feel… happier. More content.”

  Sonic finally takes a look at the sleeping orange hedgehog, and thinking about how he is coping with his traumatic loss, until he finally realizes what he needs to do upon his words. “Hey, Tricky.”

  “What is it?”

  Sonic finally gives out the long-awaited question, anticipating what he’s going to say. “Do you know about the whereabouts of some human? He’s tall, bald, has a striking mustache, etc? His name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik… but we call him Dr. Eggman. We want to find clues on where he is.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “We need to stop him now. Take back the Master Emerald to Knuckles and save your dimension from falling into his hands.” The team is desperate for an answer, anything to kickstart their main mission. Hoping that Solid’s plan to talk to Tricky would lead to something useful.

  “... I’ve seen him.”