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“But you’re not him!”
The thing that called itself Ivo Robotnik winced, a look of hurt flashing behind its eyes. It took everything in Stone to not crack. The thing quickly recovered and began to press its point again.
“Of course I’m Robotnik! Who the fuck else would I be?!”
Stone quaked.
“I don’t. I don’t know! But you’re not him! Robotnik died! I mourned him! You’re just. Just. You’re just some interloper! Some squatter in his body!”
The thing growled.
“I am not simply some squatter, Stone! I do more than just live in his body! I have the memories of Robotnik! The impulses! The responses! Of! Robotnik! I have everything he had. He is me!”
“But you don’t have his soul.”
“You imbecile!” It roared. “In all the years of working under me did your thick brain never realize that souls aren’t fucking real?!”
“But I didn’t work under you. I worked under the man you killed.”
The thing clenched its – no, Ivo’s fists. It growled using stolen breath. It stalked towards Stone, grabbing him by the jaw. Its scent was no longer the familiar smell of coffee and motor oil. Only the wet, rotting, scent of death and decay remained, and when it spoke putrid breath poured forth from Ivo’s mouth.
“I didn’t. Kill. Robotnik. All fungus aren’t all one fucking entity. And there is no difference between me and Robotnik. Sure, the body’s dead. Sure, I came in after and took up residence. But I have all of his memories. I can tell you what he… What I ate on my thirtieth birthday. I can tell you the name that you secretly call my badniks when you think I’m not looking. I can tell you every formula I’ve ever memorized. I have everything that made him him – what make me me. Everything Stone. Every thought he ever had. Every memory he ever kept. Every. Every.” It coughed. “Attraction. He ever. That I ever felt.”
The thing looked Stone in the eyes, and Stone thought how could this thing have no soul? When there was such depth, such deep mourning laid bare in those eyes. Its fingers gently swiped across Stone’s lips.
“Aban. Please.”
Stone broke away and began to back out of the lab.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I can’t.”
The hand which was left grasping at thin air dropped down to the being’s side.
“Fine.”
Stone stopped.
“Wait what? That’s it? Just. Fine?”
It looked on the verge of tears.
“Listen. I can’t force you to love me. I know that. I don’t know what sort of monster you think I am, but I could never force you to love me. I’d never do that. Not before. Not now. You don’t get that I’m me and. I can’t make you see that. I give up. Just. Go. Get out.”
Stone couldn’t move.
“I said GET OUT!”
He ran.