GeneX - Shatterverse
Chapter 5 - School Daze
Copter awoke in...a warm, cozy bed? This was very weird for him, and it only got stranger as he looked around. He was in a bedroom, and based on the emphasis on blue clothing and stylish tailbands, it almost looked like it could be HIS bedroom. A female fox wearing an apron was in his doorway. "Oh, good, you're up! But you're still running late! Come on, get to school!" the lady said to him in quite a motherly tone. "Who...are you?" Copter stammered. The vixen laughed. "Only Rosemary Prower, you know, your mother! Come now, get dressed!" she said, plopping a school uniform onto his bed before leaving. The ringing of his ProwerPhone startled Copter as he watched Rosemary leave. "Hello? I'm having a weird dream, could you call back?" he said into the phone. "Wait, don't hang up! I finally got through!" Tails was on the line, "Where are you?" he asked. Copter chuckled softly. "Seems I'm in my own room, and I have a mom named Rosemary who wants me to go to school." he said. Tails nodded through the phone screen. "So, you're in a world where...where my mom's around. You might even be my actual brother there, hehe." he said with an awkward chuckle. "Right, I'm world-hopping. So, can Gemini zap me back?" Copter asked. "It won't work that way. The Shatterverse is...complicated. That's what we're calling it, by the way. Even getting this call out to you was tough, and it was designed for interworld communication." Tails explained, "We'll figure this out, but in the meantime you better get to school." Copter made a face. "No way, I'm looking for a way home..." he insisted. "I just want to point out, you're the only you in that room, right?" Tails asked. Copter nodded, and Tails continued, "In the Shatterverse, you replace the you that's supposed to be there. He'll come back after you leave, but you may be there a while. I think you'd appreciate it if you, uh, kept your life warm for...you." he explained. Copter groaned. "This is gonna be a mistake... Also why is our mom hot?" he gulped.
And so, Copter was led to the school by the version of Tails who was "his brother." The both of them were wearing white uniforms with blue neckties and simple pants. Similar uniforms were worn by the other students, except for skirts being worn by the girls. The school was fairly large, and Copter noticed that there were very few humans, the majority of the students and faculty being Mobians. "Well, I'm off to my class... Don't cut again, Arthur!" Tails said. Copter grunted in annoyance. "I'll be fine, Miles!" he said before realizing he had no idea where to go. He shrugged and started heading for the door when a certain gargoyle landed beside him and put an arm around him, startling the fox. "Ack... G-guard?" he stammered. The gargoyle chuckled. "Guard against what? Hey, you ready for that algebra test?" he asked, being rather chummy with Copter. The black fox tried to wrap his head around what was going on as the gargoyle led him into the school. "T-test? Ahh... N-not ready at all...Garen?" he stammered, guessing at the gargoyle's name. It was all surreal. Guard was what, his best friend? "Well, maybe you can study during first period literature; Just don't let Mr. Doyle catch you." Garen said. Doyle again...? Copter didn't have time to think about it before his eyes caught a breathtaking sight. There was Gemini, walking the halls, looking rather cute in her student uniform, carrying some books in her arms. Copter stopped in his tracks watching her, and then groaned as Knuckles approached. He was wearing a sports jacket, clearly one of the school's jocks. "Sooo, Gemma, you taken for the school dance yet?" he asked, placing an arm around her. Gemini shrugged his arm off. "Not planning to be 'taken,' thanks. Why don't you pester a cheerleader?" she told him. Knuckles faked a shiver. "So cold... But you'll play a different tune once I get ya on that dance floor- gah!" the echidna gasped as who but Richard Gunner stepped between them! Copter clenched his fists, but stopped when he heard Knuckles stammer "P-principal Gunner!" The old grump of a human cleared his throat. "Shouldn't you all be getting to class? Go on, chop chop!" he ordered. "Urgh, let's go before he chews us out, too..." Garen whimpered. "Principal...Gunner... it figures." Copter groaned, following after Garen, getting ready to fall asleep to "Mr. Doyle's" lecture...
Garen wouldn't let him sleep, though. The gargoyle sat behind him and was full of questions. "So, you're looking at Gemini now, hm? Good luck there, heh. I'd rather take that Mia kitten..." he snickered. "Whatever... Copter grumbled, slumping into his chair with his eyes rolling back into his head. "What? You don't think she's hot? Well, what about that Amy Rose, hm?" Garen asked with a snicker. "Would you be quiet and let me think?!" Copter snapped. Mr. Doyle cleared his throat. "Mr. Prower... You've been quite disruptive lately. Principal's office or the school counselor. Your choice." he said, pointing at the door. "Yeesh, got a stick up his butt in this world..." Copter muttered under his breath.
Talking to Gunner wasn't an attractive option by any means, so Copter found the counselor's office. Who of all people but Sonic stepped out of the office ahead of him. He was also in uniform. "Yo, Copter!" he waved, "Just got the 'ol 'school is your future' routine again. What're you in for?" he asked. Copter shrugged, and Sonic continued, "Never mind that! Got a girl for the dance yet?" he asked. Copter shrugged again. "Not sure I'm going..." he muttered. Sonic snickered. "Goin' stag myself. Amy wants to pin me down, but I ain't ready to quit partyin', I'm only 16!" he laughed, walking off. Copter wondered about the ages of everyone here. Guard and Sonic seemed younger, but Doyle seemed oddly older. Either way, Copter stepped in to see the counselor, and let out an audible groan when he saw Ophiuchus seated at the desk. "Slacking off again, Arthur?" the snake asked. "Oh, no, I thought this was the bathroom..." Copter babbled. "Have a seat." Ophi told him. Copter grudgingly sat down. "So, it's been rough since your father's passing, hasn't it?" Ophiuchus asked. Copter thought about it, and Bucky came to his mind. "I guess it did kinda suck... Didn't even get to tell off the old man one last time..." he muttered. Ophi scribbled something in a notepad. "I see... Well, what would you tell him, if you could?" he asked. Copter rubbed his head. He wasn't expecting to be psychoanalyzed today. "He's an idiot. He's off his rocker..." he grumbled. "And? Anything else?" Ophi questioned. "...And..." Copter gave a light sigh, "...I'm proud of him." Bucky sacrificed himself to save everyone else in the end, and Copter couldn't deny that he'd come a long way from strapping a bomb to his wrist. Ophiuchus dismissed him, and Copter exited the office with a lot on his mind.
In the empty hall, Copter was soon approached by Sage. She was wearing a uniform, too, but something told Copter she wasn't from this world. "You! Send me home, right now!" he shouted. Sage motioned to a poster on the wall, advertising the dance. "I would suggest you make the most of your time here. You've never been to a school dance... Nor have I." she stated. "I ain't goin' out with you! Get real!" Copter snapped. Sage had a light blush, but she shook it off. "No, not with me. Just think about the situation. You could find happiness here. Out of my way. Out of my father's way. You could have the childhood that you never got to have... Just stay here..." Sage vanished as she spoke the last words, leaving Copter to resume his march through the halls with a frustrated grumble. A flash of light from a nearby classroom drew his attention, and glancing through the door, he was surprised. It was a magic class! He recognized Gemini, Whisk and a young Aquarius all dressed in uniforms and holding what appeared to be "training wands." Fred Leo, Gemini's lion father, was the teacher. "She's learning her spells..." Copter stammered as the bell rang. As students shuffled into the hall, Copter's attempt to follow Gemini was interrupted by Garen jumping on him again. "Way to escape 'Droning Doyle,' heh! Hey, what's with you?" he asked. "You might've been on to something with Gemini... How do you think I could get her attention?" he asked. Garen scoffed. "You can't. You saw her shoot down Knuckles. What do you have that he doesn't?" he asked, "Besides an extra tail." Copter rolled his eyes. "How 'bout half a brain? Maybe I could get into that magic class..." he muttered. "Magic club." Garen corrected, "It's pretty exclusive. You gotta have some magic in you, to start." he said. This might not pan out if this world's Copter was magic-free, but he knew that somehow or other, he had to get a spell to send him home. Gemini was his best shot...
To be continued...
Egg Memo X4
I was stumped on how to reach the multiverse. It seemed to require a form of energy that can't be found in our world ordinarily. However, I received a visitor that solved the problem. He kept his face hidden, but his tail suggests a fox. Relative of Sonic's mutant friend? I doubt it, actually. He gave to me a special ring. Similar to the rings from our world...in fact, near identical. The fox told me the only difference was that its power had been awakened. An examination of this ring revealed that it could open portals for interspatial AND interdimensional travel! I don't know what this fox hoped to gain by sharing this with me... But I'll use this ring to empower ordinary rings from this world! If it works, it'll be a game changer!
