Chapter Text
From the moment he woke up, he knew something was wrong.
For instance, the fact that he should be in a lab under a mountain and not outside, under careful supervision and not alone.
Another sign was that he was exhausted. It was beyond the normal fatigue he experienced after the researchers had him run around to collect his energy. He felt like he had chains on his limbs, slowly pulling him into the earth, trying to drag his consciousness away. What could he have possibly done to make him this tired?
He sat up slowly. His head felt like cotton; thoughts dissolved before they could fully form, his eyes kept trying to close, his head pounded fiercely. He pressed a hand to his temple with a grimace, then withdrew and stared in shock at his gloves. Instead of how he liked to keep them—crisp and clean—they were smothered in soot and dirt. When he brought them to his face once more, he could smell traces of fire. And his inhibitor rings were gone, something he’d never even attempt.
Only then did he realize he was lying in a little crater, cracked earth and burning grass surrounding him. The sun shone brightly from halfway down the sky, casting a warm aura onto the land.
He glanced down at his body. Ebony-black fur was similarly smeared with grime and ash. His normally smooth quills stuck up at weird angles, some broken, most knotted beyond hope. Scratches marred his shoes and the cuffs of his socks were frayed from tears.
His breathing quickened. He had to find out where he was. Surely the humans would be sending out squadrons of armed personnel to find him. He was out on his own; a liability. Although, despite his rings disappearing, he could barely feel the echoes of chaos power within his body. He doubted he could teleport a few feet, let alone unleash his powers of destruction.
In one quick motion, he pried himself off the ground. No sooner had he moved did his left ankle burn with pain and he collapsed to the ground again with a cry.
Shaken from the surprise, he sat back and drew his leg close for inspection. His ankle was swollen, though not too bad, and gentle probing around the area revealed a twinge of pain whenever he put too much pressure on the lateral side. Not broken, but definitely injured.
Slower and more cautious this time, he stood, keeping most of his weight on his right leg. The rest of his body ached, burns and scrapes making themselves known as he moved. He was more banged up than he’d initially assumed, which only made him more confused.
What happened?
Scarlet eyes scanned the landscape. He could see nothing but flat, grassy land in any direction. No mountains, no rivers or streams. No civilization.
The professor was going to freak if he’d been away for too long. And given his confusion and lack of memory from whatever happened, he guessed it had been a while. This did not bode well for him.
Which meant he had to get back, pronto. He had to find his friend. She’d know what was going on; if not, she could at least provide some comfort and clarity. The doctors could patch him up and tell him what was wrong, why he was so confused.
He climbed out of the crater with no small amount of effort. His ankle sent pins and needles up through his leg whenever he put too much weight on it. His other leg already shook from the strain of having to keep his body off the ground, weakened from…whatever had happened. He wanted nothing more than to collapse onto a bed and sleep for a week.
But he couldn’t. He had to get back.
One step in front of the other.
Normally, he hated moving so slow. It didn’t make sense. Why walk when he could teleport or run faster than sound? It seemed a waste of time. But now, with barely enough strength to keep himself upright, it was his only option. Walking suddenly seemed nice; serene and safe.
He wandered for a little, choosing a direction and going. He had no time to dwell on finding the right direction to go, not when he had no landmarks and the landscape was entirely foreign. Walking meant progress, and progress meant finding out where he was faster. Hopefully he could find some water on the way, too. His throat was parched.
The sun had shifted somewhat in the sky by the time he found another crater. It was smaller than the one he’d woken up in, but also had ashes coating the bottom and embers in the grasses around it. Something golden glittered from half-underneath the ash.
He knew what it was immediately. He carefully bent down and clasped his hand firmly around the ring, pulling it from the crater. He blew on it to clear off the dust, then rubbed it with his palm. Somewhat satisfied at the brief cleaning, he fastened it securely around his wrist.
Distant echoes of chaos power in his mind went quiet, subdued by the ring. He smiled wryly. One down, one to go. At least now he had some kind of restraint if his powers went out of whack.
He found the other one by sunset. With the second inhibitor ring around his wrist, he panic settled somewhat. It would take a very conscious effort to create devastation now; he was less of a loose cannon.
Yet, even with the rings on, he felt…something.
A small flicker of chaos.
His drained powers yearned to be replenished. He felt compelled to head towards the odd sensation.
He turned towards the sunset, where the pull was strongest. Weak as it was, in any other direction it was nonexistent. A whisper of power and promise, softly calling out.
So he followed. He limped on. He had a destination, wherever it was. Even if it wasn’t the lab, it was something.
The fires in the grass died out behind him.