"The Brothers of Chaos"

by ThePurplePyroHedgie

Summary:

AU: Leaving her past behind her, Amy, a skilled nurse, winds up working as a medic for the notorious M.C, "The Brothers of Chaos." Along the way, she learns about what makes this group so dangerous & well known. However, one of the members of the club soon realizes that their new medic is hiding a formidable secret.

Chapter 1: Meet the Brothers

Artwork Credit Goes to: Kaencrumbs on Twitter (X): https://x.com/Kaencrumbs

Sitting in the waiting room of a mechanic store, Rouge, a beautiful, thirty-something bat, sat behind a desk across from her newest interviewee of the day. Rouge wore a white tube top that revealed a bit of her stomach, skintight navy jeans, and a black leather jacket that read: “Brothers of Chaos” across the back with a skull biting down onto a green chaos emerald. Finally, on her feet, she wore some knee-high black boots. The bat looked down at her clipboard and tapped her blue pen against the wooden frame as she pondered to herself. “So, you understand the circumstances of this interview, correct?” her stern, mature voice questioned.

“Yes, I understand,” a younger voice replied.

Rouge glanced up at her job recipient, a bright, young twenty-four-year-old medical nurse named Amy Rose. Amy was a cute girl-next-door type, a pink hedgehog with glossy jade eyes. She wore a radiant yellow canary sundress with white flowers, gold bangles around her wrist, and some tan gladiator sandals. Rouge scrutinized the girl up and down before realizing she was gazing at her for too long. Amy blinked back at the potential employer, looking concerned by her first impression. Was there something on her face? Was she not dressed appropriately? She couldn’t quite read the white bat at that moment.

Rouge quickly shifted her eyes down to her interview questions. “Ahem, I’m sorry, now back to the questions…” She flipped a few pages on her clipboard and stopped to glance at Amy’s resume again. “I noticed you have quite the experience in the medical field under your belt,” she commented with praise.

Amy nodded with composure. “Yes, ma’am, I’ve worked in the ER for three years now. I’ve pretty much seen everything when it comes to emergencies.”

Rouge smiled at her. “I’m sure you have. I’m sure you’ve got quite a few stories up your sleeve,” she chuckled lightly. “And I see you graduated top of your class from Mobius University. That’s very impressive,” she commended.

Amy tried to refrain from getting cocky with the accolades. She had worked her butt off to get where she was. However, it was nice to be noticed for her work. “Yes, I worked very hard. However, I’m still not where I want to be. I plan on furthering my education and going for my doctorate.”

Rouge nodded as she listened. “Wow, I see. So, that leads me to my next question. Why do you want to work as an on-sight nurse for our company? Based on what I’m seeing, you could easily be snatched up by any other hospital of your choice based on your credentials.”

Amy clasped her hands together in her lap and sat up straight. “Well, that’s true, but right now, my previous employment could not meet the funds I’d need to acquire the education to achieve a higher position. I want to be able to continue to practice as a nurse but also get more time to do online schooling,” she answered.

Rouge tapped the pen up against her lips as she stared back at the girl. “Right, that makes sense,” she concurred. “I’m assuming the sum we advertised online looked suitable for you?”

“Yes, ma’am, it’d be able to cover all my classes. Plus, there’s a nice added bonus: I’d have room and board.” Rouge lowered the clipboard in her lap and looked deep in thought. She bit her lower lip, and Amy couldn’t help but notice she looked conflicted in opinion. “Um, is something the matter, ma’am?”

“That’s just it. I’m not sure,” she replied with uncertainty. “Look…Amy, you seem like a very sweet girl, and you’re definitely very experienced and well qualified in your field, but I’m struggling to determine if our company would be the right fit for you here.”

Amy swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away; she’d come too far now. She needed this. “Do you mind elaborating on your concerns about my placement? I think if you gave me a moment, I could justify my position.”

Rouge’s ears perked, and she tilted her head, surprised. Evidently, this girl did not want to walk away in defeat, and there was something very impressive there. “Of course.” She clasped her hands together and rested them in her lap, giving her her full attention. “We both know how you got here. You found our ad on the dark web, correct?”

“That’s right,” Amy concurred.

“Then you are well aware of the potentially illegal undisclosed practices that take place at our facility. If you take this job, you will have to accept that your patients are sometimes morally corrupt and have done terrible things to warrant their injuries. Will you be able to take care of our staff in a time of need?” she questioned sternly.

“Although I do not quite know what this company does for a living. I’m well aware of the type of activities that may be happening here,” she began. “Ma’am, I took the Nightingale’s pledge a long time ago. At the end of the day, I’m not a police, a judge, or any other type of law enforcement. My job is to help the sick or the injured and I won’t hold any biases here,” she answered whole-heartedly.

Rouge looked quite impressed by her answer. “My, my…You know what--” She extended her right hand out. Amy looked down at it and grasped it after realizing what it meant. Rouge shook it up and down and gave her a big smile. “Congratulations, Ms. Rose, you’ve got the job.”

Amy’s face beamed from the good news. “Oh, thank you so much! You won’t regret it!”
•~•

Once signing all the paperwork needed, Rouge led Amy to show her around her new work facility. Walking behind the mature bat with a backpack and rolling suitcase in hand, the two females entered a two-story home off-site from the mechanic shop they had held the interview. Amy stared up at the large home in awe. “So, this is where everyone lives?” she inquired, pointing up.

Rouge walked up the three steps to the front porch of the home. On the porch were a swing bench and a few rocking chairs. “Yes, that’s right,” she smiled. She reached for the door and unlocked it, opening it up. Rouge gestured for Amy to go ahead, and she walked inside.

Once indoors, Amy was quite surprised by how well kept the place looked. “Not to sound rude, but I didn’t expect it to be so clean for a bunch of bikers,” Amy chuckled.

Rouge laughed at her assumption. “Hey, you came on a good day. Sometimes the boys can really make it look like an atomic bomb went off in here, especially after some parties they throw. However, I’m a bit of a neat freak, and I harp on the boys to keep it clean for the most part,” she explained. “Now, let me give you a tour of the place.”

Amy followed the bat as she led her off to the right into the large living and dining room. “This is our living room,” she gestured, moving her arms out. “You have a large leather oversized chaise couch right here,” she pointed. “This is where we sit back and watch some TV or just kick back and relax, maybe read some books. You know the drill,” she dismissed quickly. “Oh, and over here,” she gestured, walking behind the couch. “This is our dining room.” Amy stared at a long stretch dining room wooden table with seven chairs. “This is where we specifically eat our meals. Again, I’m a bit anal with people eating all over the house. So make sure all meals are eaten here or in the kitchen,” she explained.

“Right, got it,” Amy affirmed.

“Speaking of the kitchen, let’s make that our next stop,” she segued. Rouge led Amy into the next room connecting to the living room. The two entered a lovely modern, white-tiled kitchen with black granite countertops. “Okay, so here we have our standard kitchen. Feel free to use whatever appliances you want. Just make sure to clean up after yourself.”

“Who does most of the cooking around here?” Amy asked curiously.

“Oh, that’s easy. Shadow, the club's vice president, does most of the cooking, but he can be a bit of a control freak though,” she warned. “Before I forget--” She walked over to the French door refrigerator and opened up both doors. “Feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge, but if it has a name label on it, DO. NOT. TOUCH. IT,” she made explicit. “Unless you wanna really piss someone off, then go ahead and eat their food. Some of these boys get really angry when they find out people have eaten their leftovers.”

Amy gave the bat a sheepish grin. “I doubt I’ll make that mistake,” she chuckled uncomfortably.

“Smart girl,” she chuckled. “Now, let me show you our entertainment room!”

Amy followed the bat out of the kitchen, through the living room, and back towards the main entrance to the house. “Wow, you sure have a lot of rooms in this place!”

“Yeah, the guys have done a lot of remodeling over the years. We’ve had some really good years of earning,” she winked. The two stopped in front of a standard-looking wooden closet door. “Now, this right here is the door that leads to the basement. This is where we throw a lot of parties.” Rouge opened the door, and the two walked down the wooden stairs leading to the basement. Rouge flicked the light switch on, revealing downstairs.

Amy’s eyes widened at the reveal. The basement was very spacious and held various entertaining variables. There was a pool table, a full bar with stools that was completely stocked with all different alcohols, a dart board, a sofa in front of a smaller TV with various game consoles, and even a dance floor. “This is absolutely incredible.”

“Isn’t it?” Rouge smirked. “We just installed the bar last year, and it’s been a big hit. The boys like to come down here and blow off some steam with the games.”

“This just makes me all the more curious to find out what you guys really do. Especially now that I saw how much you’ll be paying me,” Amy admitted.

Rouge crossed her arms over her busty chest. “Oh, sweetie, you’ll find out soon enough. Now, c’mon, let me show you your office.”

Once returning upstairs, Rouge led Amy to another door across from the living room and dining room. “This is your office,” she announced, opening up the door. Amy stepped inside the office and seemed rather impressed with the setup in the examination room. There was a rolling stool, a lovely white counter top, and brown wooden cabinets, an exam table off to the side, a computer, stethoscope, gloves, a sink, a scale pushed up against the far left wall, a blood pressure machine, blood sugar reader, glass jars filled with cotton swabs, gauze, and bandages.

Rouge smiled, pleased by the look on the nurse’s face. Amy didn’t realize it, but she wandered all over the room, going through cabinets and drawers, looking for any fault, but was coming up short. “Don’t worry; you’re fully stocked with all medical supplies you could ever need. If you feel like you're missing something, let us know, and I’ll send out one of our guys to pick it up for you.”

Amy turned around to look at her employer, stunned by the number of medical supplies. “How…how did you manage to get all of this? This is expensive equipment, and some of it they don’t easily sell to the public.”

Rouge shrugged innocently. “We’re able to pull a few strings here and there. With our work, we know we’re going to need as many supplies on hand for emergencies. We want our medical professionals to be ready for any situation. I assume you’re happy with your workspace?”

“It’s almost identical to the examination rooms I’ve interned in with primary physicians. So yes!”

Rouge clasped her hands together, pleased to hear her approval. “I’m happy to hear that. Now, there’s one final place to finish off our tour. Let me show you to your room.”

Heading upstairs, Amy came face to face with eight doors on either side of the long hall. “This is where our rooms are located. As you can see, each door has a name on it, and this one over here at the end of the hall is your room.” She opened up the door allowing Amy inside. The room wasn’t very big and was only large enough to hold a dresser, a small closet, a bed, and a window. “I hope this is alright.”

Amy plopped her backpack down on the bed and parked her rolling suitcase beside the bed. “This is fine, Ms. Rouge. I’m just happy to have a roof over my head, food, and a job.”

“That’s wonderful, and Amy, you don’t have to add 'Miss.' You can just call me Rouge. We’re pretty casual around here,” she advised.

Amy gave the bat a sheepish grin. “Oh, my apologies. Thank you for hiring me, Rouge. I hope to make you and your team proud.”

“I’m sure you will, hun.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “Ooh, the boys should be arriving home any minute now. They were out on the run, so I’ll introduce you to them once they get here.” Right on cue, the sound of approaching motorcycle engines roared in the near distance. Rouge glanced out Amy’s window and could see a dirt cloud and a group of Mobians on motorcycles coming back to the complex on the dirt road. “Looks like they’re here!” she sang. She turned around and grabbed ahold of Amy’s left wrist. “Come on, Amy, let’s meet the boys.”

“Uh, okay!” Amy jolted forward as the bat strutted powerfully out of the bedroom and lead her downstairs.

•~•

Outside, a mighty and buff-looking red echidna dismounted his motorcycle momentarily to unlock the metal gates and pull them open to allow the crew into the compound. A flock of motorcyclists drove through the gates once they were parted and navigated to their designated parking spots just in front of their home. One by one, each cyclist parked their identical, sleek, black, and chrome Harley – Davidson Dyna Super Glides just in front of the front porch in the rocky gravel.

Amy and Rouge waited on the front porch to greet their arrivals. The first one to take off their full-face helmet was the red echidna Amy had spotted opening the gates. He was wearing the same black leather cut jacket that Rouge was wearing adorning the title, “Brothers of Chaos.” He wore black combat boots, blue ripped jeans, and a tight, white wife-beater shirt showing off his toned upper body. The guy clearly looked like he enjoyed an upper-body workout. He approached the two girls first and eyed the newcomer. “Who’s this?” he questioned, nodding his head in Amy’s direction.

“Knuckles, this is Amy Rose, our new medic. I just hired her today.”

Knuckles extended a hand out for her to shake. She accepted the gesture and shook his hand, feeling his firm and strong grip. “Nice to meet you, Nurse Rose. Has my old lady treated you well so far?”

Amy pulled her hand out of their friendly hand exchange and looked befuddled by the term. She laughed uncomfortably. “Old lady?” she repeated with confusion laced in her tone.

“Old lady refers to me,” Rouge quickly piped in. “That’s the term we use around here for long-term girlfriend or wife,” she explained.

“Oh, I see,” Amy responded. “Well, to answer your question. She’s been nothing but lovely to me,” she smiled.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Rouge can be a real charmer, but you must watch out for her bad side. She can be a real piece of work if you get on her wrong side,” he snickered. Rouge punched him in the shoulder by his comment, and Knuckles feigned a pained expression from what he deemed a light punch. “Ouch, touchy subject, babe?” he cracked with a smirk.

She scoffed. “Ignore him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Knuckles backed up and raised his hands in surrender, and headed inside. “What do I know, huh? I hope you like working here, Amy. We’re a bit of an eclectic bunch.”

A few moments later, another red echidna sauntered up the steps. This male echidna was a bit older, though. He looked to be in his earlier to mid-fifties. He looked just like Knuckles, except he had big bushy eyebrows, a dark red triangle stripe on top of his head, and two horizontal stripes on his two quills framing his face. He also sported a grey goatee, showcasing his older age. He wore a black denim vest instead of a black leather jacket. “Newcomer, huh?” he stated.

“Amy, this is Knuckles’ father and my father-in-law, Locke,” Rouge introduced. “Locke, this is our new medic.”

Locke exchanged a friendly handshake with her. “Pleasure to meet you, young lady,” he smiled.

Amy returned a friendly smile. “Same goes for you.”

“I hope this doesn’t sound rude with this being a short introduction, but I’m sure I’ll get to know you more in time. My back is giving me issues so I need to find a seat inside,” he explained apologetically.

“Oh, no, I understand. Nice meeting you. I’m sure we’ll talk more later,” she waved. “Come and see me about your back later, and I can sort it out.”

He gave her a curt nod and then headed back inside.

Next to walk up was a twenty-seven-year-old black and red armadillo named Mighty and a twenty-three-year-old, green spiky-haired hedgehog, Manic. Mighty was the cleanest cut-looking one she had met. He was nice on the eyes and had rather dazzling blue eyes one could get lost in. Not to mention, he also had a bright smile that could make any girl swoon. On the other hand, there was Manic, a grunge-looking metal-loving rocker. Manic had frazzled bangs going in every direction, three eyebrow piercings on his left eyebrow, both his ears pierced, a sleeve tattoo on one arm, and his bottom lip pierced too. The guy clearly had an affinity for metal studs and reeked of weed. The two wore black leather jackets, grey t-shirts, and jeans with combat boots.

“Mighty, Manic, this is Amy Rose, our newest nurse on sight,” she introduced.

Mighty exchanged a hand. “Nice to meet you, Amy.”

Manic crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out a lower lip. “Damn, and here I was thinkin’ we got a new sweet butt for the club,” he bemoaned. He eyed Amy up and down, checking out her assets on display. “Hmm…”

Once again, Amy was left confused by yet another unfamiliar term, not to mention slightly uncomfortable by his prolonged stare. “Um, excuse me?”

Mighty face-palmed by the naivety of his partner. “Did you really have to say that out loud right now?” he reprimanded. He glanced back over to Amy apologetically. “Ignore and stay clear of this loser,” he gestured with a thumb point. “He has no filter.”

“A sweet butt is just another term for a girl that hangs around the compound available for sex,” Rouge whispered into her ear.

Amy blushed profusely at the notion that Manic believed she was one of them. She waved her hands frantically out in front of her. “Oh, no, no, no. You’ve got the wrong idea about me.”

Mighty couldn’t help but crack a grin at her blushing. He found it rather adorable. “I’m sure you’re gonna pick up the lingo around here real fast, Amy.” He walked past her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Nice meeting you,” he winked.

Manic placed his arms behind his head and huffed as he walked past the girls and followed Mighty inside. “Yeah, yeah, nice meeting yah, toots.”

“Hey Rookie,” Rouge waved, eying the next member approaching. The next guy was a red wolf with yellow eyes. He wore thick-rimmed black glasses, a utility belt with a bunch of gadgets and other gears, a blue tooth device in one of ears, and green gloves. Compared to the other guys, he definitely didn’t fit in with the protocol around here. He looked like a nerdy tech guy, not some outlaw biker like the rest did. One thing Amy noticed was he wasn’t wearing a leather jacket like the others. Instead, he wore a black leather cut with no sleeves. On the back of his cut read, “ROOKIE.” The guy looked relatively young and was probably somewhere in his early twenties.

“His name is Rookie?” Amy questioned for clarification.

Rouge shook her head. “No, his name is Gadget,” she introduced. “His nickname is Rookie around here because he’s not officially a part of the club yet. He’s in the hazing process to see if he’s worthy,” she explained.

“Oh, I see…” Amy replied.

“Hiya miss,” Gadget waved.

“Nice to meet you, Gadget. I’m Amy Rose, the new nurse on staff,” she smiled sweetly.

“Nice to have you onboard, miss,” he smiled before walking into the house.

That left the last two biker club members—two ebony-looking hedgehogs looking somewhat similar in appearance. The one ebony hedgehog had red stripes, piercing red eyes, and a brooding, “Don’t fuck with me” look, while the other had a more unsettling and darker aura. He had more bluish-grey-looking stripes, reptilian green eyes that were terrifying to look at for too long, and jagged upward quills. The one with the red stripes was definitely more attractive among the two.

“Mephiles, Shadow,” Rouge started. “This is our--”

“—No need to repeat it, Rouge,” the black and red hedgehog said, placing a hand. “We heard what she’s here for several times while we were dismounting our bikes.”

Rouge watched as he walked up the stairs and barely even glanced in Amy’s direction, brushing past the two and heading for the front door. As Amy watched him depart, the guy completely lost any attractive appeal solely from his sour attitude.

The bat spun around, looking taken aback by his rude first impression. “Um, hello. You could at least introduce yourself to her!”

Shadow didn’t even bother to stop. “No point, I doubt she’ll be here for very long anyway.” Amy watched as he fled the scene. She didn’t know quite what his problem was, but she’d make sure to stay clear of irking him during her stay.

Feeling embarrassed by Shadow’s first introduction, Rouge apologetically turned around to face Amy. “I am so sorry, Amy. I-I don’t know what his problem is right now.”

“Oh, just ignore my younger brother. He can be so moody at times,” the other creepy hedgehog butted in. He reached out and grasped Amy’s hand with his right and patted the top of it with his left hand. “My name is Mephiles. I’m Shadow’s older brother and the current president of this club,” he introduced smoothly.

Amy tried to avoid swallowing the lump forming in her throat before the hedgehog. There was something oddly haunting and off-putting by this guy. His hands were icy cold to the touch, his eyes were absolutely goose-bump inducing, and it was as if he was staring straight into her soul. “Nice to meet you too, Mephiles. I hope to make a better impression on your brother next time.”

Releasing his hold on her hand, he cocked his head to the side slowly. “I’m sure you will, my dear. I’m sure he’ll come around on you eventually…”

“Again, it was nice meeting you,” she forced a smile onto her face and waved.

With that, the dark hedgehog slithered his way into the home to rejoin the others. Amy looked to Rouge, grimacing at the elder brother as he departed. “Just keep this between you and me, sweetheart,” she whispered. “But if there’s anyone you need to truly stay away from, it’s that creep,” she gestured with a shoulder lift. “He’s always given me the heeby-jeebies, not to mention he’s a complete closet pervert.”

Amy didn’t want to start any type of gossip or pre-determined bias and shrugged in response. “I’m sure he’s not that bad.”

“You’ll come to your own decision on that soon enough,” she replied. Rouge gestured for Amy to follow her inside the house. “Now, let’s get you settled in. Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

•~•

Later that night, after Amy had settled in, the entire biker crew sat at the dinner table with their newest employee to enjoy a home-cooked meal. Most of the boys scarfed down their food hungrily at the table and didn’t have much table discussion. Amy sat at the far end of the table, opposite the moody vice president and in between Mighty and Rouge. “Sooo,” Mighty sang, catching her attention. “Amy, are you around from this area?” he asked curiously.

She shook her head. “No, I’m actually from Tech City,” she answered.

He continued to cut up his food. “Tech City, huh?” he repeated in astonishment. “That’s a very expensive area, but I heard it’s pretty cool. What made you move out of the big city and over to Mercia?”

Amy finished taking a sip of her water. “Oh, you know, I just lived there for so long, and I felt I needed a change of scenery,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“If I could afford it, I’d love to live in Tech City,” Gadget chimed in. “It’s very illustrious, I’ve heard.”

“Yeah, it is, but it can get to you after a while,” Amy added.

“I think I’d hate living in the city. I like living the land,” Locke piped in.

“Of course, you’d say that…” Rouge chuckled, looking at her father-in-law. Her sight turned back to Amy. “Anyway, it must get old seeing the same tall skyscraper buildings all the time, huh?”

Amy moved the last remains of food around on her plate. “Yeah, something like that,” she chuckled awkwardly.

“How long did you live there anyway?” Mighty continued to probe.

She lowered her fork. “For a few years now,” she replied. “I’ve wanted to explore Mobius for a long time, and I finally found an opportunity to do it.”

“Don’t you miss your friends or family?” Knuckles asked from his end of the table.

“My parents died when I was in high school, and most of my friends I can still keep in touch with through texts and phone calls. I have an uncle and an aunt that is still alive, but I’m not very close with them anymore…”

“Ah, geez, I’m sorry to hear about your parents,” Knuckles apologized.

Amy waved her hands out. “No, it’s quite alright. It’s been long enough to accept.”

“Soooo,” Manic interrupted, swaying the mood. “Amy, are you single or what?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively. “Because I’m not asking for me, but for a friend,” he grinned, elbowing Mighty’s right side. Mighty grunted and shot the green hedgehog a glare.

Amy paused for a moment as she carefully considered her answer and feigned a smile. “I am single,” she announced.

“Awesome,” Manic smiled. “I’ll let my friend know. He might be interested after all,” he winked. The table minus Shadow and Mephiles erupted into laughs at Manic’s childish nature.

However, Shadow had been listening to Amy tell her life story but shook his head to himself as he chewed a bite of steak. This girl clearly did not belong here and was way in over her head. Once she knew what she got herself involved in, she’d be gone in a matter of time. Secondly, she wouldn’t fit in; most of all, there was something very suspicious about her. It felt like she was hiding something, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what. He was sure he’d figure it out eventually.

Interestingly enough, Mephiles had the exact opposite opinion of the new girl. He had difficulty keeping his eyes off her since her arrival. She was an absolute stunner. She had a lovely slender figure, cute perky tits, a taut ass, sparkling jade eyes, and a dazzling smile. What he would give to have her for himself. Perhaps he’d even make her his old lady. He hadn’t had one for quite some time. “Oh, Ms. Rose, do you mind if I ask how long you’ve been single? It’s just it stuns me to discover someone as beautiful as you be unclaimed by a male consort.”

“Oh, thank you, Mephiles. Um, I’ve been single for a couple of months,” she explained carefully.

“Well, there are plenty of suitors here in Mercia. I’m sure it won’t be long before you find someone to your fancy,” he stated optimistically.

“If I’m honest, I’m not looking for a relationship right now. I’m more focused on settling in and focusing on my studies—but if something comes my way unexpectedly, I’m not opposed to it,” she shrugged.

Mephiles rested his face on one hand resting on the tabletop. “What a fantastic outlook,” he mused.

•~•

After dinner, Amy sat in her bedroom and on her bed, typing away at her laptop. She was in the middle of completing one of her school courses in her pajamas when she heard a bit of a heated discussion coming from down the hall. Her door was already slightly cracked, so with her curiosity getting the best of her, Amy lowered the screen to her laptop and scooted off the bed. As she got closer to her door, she quietly gripped the handle and parted the door to peek out.

At the other end of the hall, she could see Shadow and Rouge standing at the top of the stairs. Shadow looked irritable as consistently as he moved his arms around in annoyance. “Just what the hell were you thinking when hiring that girl, Rouge?” he whispered in a hissed voice.

Rouge kept her arms blocking her chest as she glared up at the hedgehog. “We needed a medic on site. Most of our applicants were not qualified enough or were too sketchy. She’s the best thing I’ve seen come in for a while now,” she whispered back.

Shadow raised his arms. “Why can’t we just get our old guy back? Pay him more if that’s what it takes.”

Rouge growled in frustration. “Shadow, Dr. Quack was starting to lose it mentally. We had no choice but to let him go,” she reminded quietly. “I don’t know what your issue is with Amy, but she’s done nothing offensive whatsoever. What don’t you like about her?”

Shadow paced a bit in the hall, grumbling and looking around for a good excuse. “She doesn’t belong in our world, and I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her,” he answered quietly.

“I don’t give a shit if you don’t think she fits in,” she barked in a hushed voice. “She’s practically a doctor, and she’s here to do one job, and that’s to take care of, you assholes,” she pointed venomously.

“You won’t see me going to her to even get a band-aid,” he glared.

Rouge took a threatening step closer, practically meeting him nose-to-nose. “I swear to fucking Chaos, if you do anything to make this girl quit, I will personally fuck you up myself,” she warned. “Give her a goddamn chance.”

Amy quietly closed her door after hearing most of the conversation. So, that was it, huh? Shadow didn’t like her because he didn’t believe she could handle their work environment and didn’t trust her. Well, if that was the case, she would do everything she could to earn her place.

Heading back over to her bed, her cell phone vibrated on her mattress. Amy reached over, picked up the phone, and glanced at the caller's I.D., which read “C.S.” She quickly accepted the phone and placed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“…Amy?”

Amy sank back onto her bed and smiled, recognizing the familiar voice. “Cosmo, it’s great to hear from you!” she stated.

“It’s good to hear from you too,” the friendly female said on the other side. “I’ve wanted to call sooner, but I know you instructed me to wait for a certain time to pass.”

“I know it must have been difficult, but I’m honestly fine now. I’ve found a new place.”

“…Is it safe?” Cosmo questioned with concern laced in her tone.

“Safer than it was back in Tech City,” Amy countered. “Speaking of which, has anything notable happened since I’ve been gone?”

“They’ve come to the hospital quite a few times trying to get information, but they’ve been unsuccessful,” Cosmo explained. “I can see they’re quite upset.”

“As long as I can keep them off my trail, all the better. Do you think they have any idea I left the city?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Cosmo replied.

“I’m hoping this time will be for good. I think I’ve covered my bases well.”

“I think you have to. I’ll inform you if I catch any wind of them catching on.”

Amy smiled on her end. “You’ve helped me out so much these past months. Thank you.”

Cosmo giggled on her end. “You’re my best friend, Amy. What do you expect? I wish you the best of luck. Stay healthy and safe, and text or call me if you need anything. I mean it.”

Amy smiled on her end, touched that Cosmo cared so much about her. “Thank you, Cosmo. I really appreciate it.”

“Alright, good night, Amy.”

“Night, Cosmo,” Amy replied and hung up.

Amy glanced at the photo of her and her friend Cosmo on her desk. The picture was of the two of them posing in their nursing station back in Tech City after becoming best friends during their first week of their official nursing job. She smiled as she reminisced the good memories they spent working together. She would miss working side by side with the green seedrian but she knew in her heart she’d someday see her in person again once it was safe.

Chapter 2: The Warehouse

Summary:

Amy continues to try to settle into her new home and get to know some of the members of the Brothers of Chaos. Meanwhile, the Brothers deal with the loss a burglary of their warehouse stock.

The following day, Amy woke up from a good night’s sleep and headed downstairs in her sky-blue nurse scrubs and towards the kitchen. When she got downstairs, she noticed how eerily quiet it was. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Rouge dressed in similar feminine biker attire from the day before and sitting on a stool at one of the kitchen counters enjoying a hot cup of coffee. “Morning,” she smiled.

“Morning,” Rouge mimicked, raising her cup of Joe. “Did you sleep well?”

Amy walked over to the coffee pot, grabbed one of the cups from the cabinet, and poured herself a cup. “I did, actually.” She took a cautious sip. “So, are the guys out for the day?”

“Some of them,” Rouge replied. “Mighty, Gadget, Locke, and Manic are in the repair shop working on some client’s vehicles, and Shadow, Mephiles, and Knuckles are out conducting a business run as usual.”

“Oh, I see. So, in the meantime, is there anything I can do around here?” she offered.

“No worries, hun. Since you don’t have any patients feel free to work on your courses, or you could always organize your office to your preference,” Rouge suggested. “It’ll be pretty quiet around here at times, but you’ll also have some very hectic moments. Trust me on that…” she chuckled.

•~•

Meanwhile, far off from the compound, Shadow, Mephiles, and Knuckles stood before a crime scene of their burned storage unit that carried and stored their illegal arms. It was located far off the city's outskirts and had been burned to a crisp. Smoke continued to bellow off the ashes left over on the ground. As the group of guys walked around assessing the damage, a few of them took observation on something rather sketchy. All of their weapons had been taken and they had not been able to find any remnants of burned guns anywhere on the premise. Standing behind the yellow tape was thirty-five-year-old Vector, a tall, green, muscular crocodile in a white button-up shirt, black trousers, red tie, and dark knitted trench coat. As Shadow and his crew approached him, he jotted down notes on his small notepad.

“What’s the deal here, Vector?” Shadow questioned.

“Ah, Shadow! It’s about time,” Vector proclaimed.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. “Get to the point.”

“Well, we’re saying it was a propane gas leak,” Vector commented. “However, I know that this here is arson,” he whispered, using his hand to keep his voice down from his co-workers overhearing.

“And where is our merchandise?” Mephiles questioned, looking for charred remains.

“That’s the issue here,” a purple chameleon interjected as he sauntered over. He was Vector’s assistant detective and partner. “It appears whoever burned down your facility did a clean sweep of all your supply before burning down the place to cover their tracks.”

“…Shit,” Shadow cursed. “We don’t need G.U.N’s A.T.F sector coming out and sniffing around. They’re already chomping at the bits to get us,” he grumbled with irritation.

“Hey, Shadow, man. You know we’re on your side here,” Vector gestured with a sly grin. “Espio and I know how to stray the path to keep your club outta trouble. You know that we’ve always got your back,” he winked.

“I know, I know,” Shadow replied. “You’ve helped us for years now. I’ll wire some more money to you on Friday.”

While the group stood before the crime scene, Knuckles watched as a young teen bee navigated through the rubble with a pair of gloves and facemask on off in the distance. “Aye, who’s the kid?”

Vector turned around to look at the young bumblebee. “Oh, him? That’s just Charmy. He’s our three-month intern. You don’t have to worry about him. He’s harmless,” he dismissed.

Mephiles eyed the young boy suspiciously. “He’s not some valiant, justice-seeking, golden boy we have to worry about?”

“Not particularly,” Espio noted. “He’s mostly just an oblivious little idiot.”

Vector nudged his assistant detective and laughed at his observation. “He’s right about him, but let me tell ya, the real person you want to watch out for is that guy,” he pointed discreetly. The three craned their necks in unison only to spot a silver hedgehog in a police uniform strutting about the crime scene with an eagle eye and directing other officers.

Knuckles shuffled his hands into his pockets and raised a brow. “What is so concerning about him?”

“He’s new to our patrol. He was transferred over from Soleanna and was top of his class. He’s been working his way up the ranks and has a keen eye for detail. He’s not the type of official that can be easily persuaded,” Espio explained carefully. “He’s your basic justice fighting hero, and he’s already gotten a few sniffs of your scent,” he alluded.

Mephiles grimaced by the information. They had always been able to get away with a lot with their insiders on the police force, but every now and then, they’d have to deal with a new officer just like this one—moral, correct, and fair. They especially didn’t need to deal with this at such a crucial time for their business endeavors.

The officer they had been gossiping about spotted the group of bikers staring in his direction and walked towards them with a confident stride.

Keeping his composure, Shadow refrained from showing any hesitancy. The grey hedgehog raised his black aviators away from his eyes and hooked them onto the front of his collar. “So, this is the infamous Brothers of Chaos, huh?” he observed, eyeing their decorative matching biker jackets.

“You a fan?” Shadow cracked passively with a smirk.

Silver kept his neutral expression as he eyed the other males. “Not quite. However, I have heard a lot about your club. You seem to have been involved in many victim crimes, yet, it shows in your files that you’re always clean from any involvement of retaliation,” he noted skeptically.

“Reading up on us, huh? Kind of sounds like a fan to me,” Shadow noted. “What’s your name again, officer? I don’t believe I caught it.”

“My name is Silver,” he introduced, extending his hand out.

Shadow shook the officer’s hand. “I’m Shadow, the V.P of the club.”

“And I’m Mephiles, the President,” he introduced and moved his brother to the side. Mephiles stepped forward to take over the conversation. “You see, sir, we’re just a group of friends that formed a brotherhood bond,” he replied innocently. “We enjoy riding our bikes and doing auto repairs for our town, that’s all.”

Silver eyed him skeptically. “…Yeah, I bet,” he nodded with doubt.

“Ahem,” Vector interjected, looking to Silver. “Sir, we’ve gathered all evidence that leads us to believe this fire was based on a propane leak.”

Silver took Vector’s notebook and scanned the notes. “Huh, that’s funny because my guys covering the south end of the C.S have found bullet casings and a few burnt illegal semi-automatic rifles left behind, leading me to believe they were being held in your warehouse,” he noted, eying the group accusingly.

“If you’re trying to insinuate something, you’re wrong, officer. Our warehouse held spare auto parts shipped from overseas,” Shadow defended calmly.

“I didn’t find any remains of automobile parts,” he countered.

“Perhaps, whoever did this, stole them and tried to set up the scene to look like a gas leak and set us up,” Shadow surmised calmly.

Silver placed his sunglasses back over his eyes, shielding his pupils. “Well, if I do my job correctly, I guess we’ll both find out the truth, won’t we, Shadow?” The two stared each other down in a heated stare-off. Both of them knew Shadow was bullshitting for some illegal agenda. Silver was way too smart to fall for their tricks, and, seeing what he was up against. It’d be hard work to get enough substantial evidence to book them.

“…Yes,” Shadow finally replied. “I assume we will,” he rebutted. Espio and Vector eyed each other, watching the exchange go down. Their job protecting the club was about to get a lot harder from here on out.

“Right,” he nodded, backing up and keeping his eyes locked on the vice president. “Well, nice meeting you, boys. We’ll notify you if we find anything else. In the meantime, I’m sorry for your warehouse. I hope you have decent insurance to cover your losses.” With that, the hedgehog wandered off, leaving the group alone again.

Once he was out of earshot, Knuckles exhaled a sigh. “Well, he’s gonna be a HUGE pain in the ass…isn’t he?”

Mephiles frowned at his retreating figure. “Most definitely…”

•~•

Returning to the house, the boys headed into their dining room area to discuss their assumed suspects of interest. With a map laid out of the city, Mephiles’ finger traced the map of possible locations where their stash of weapons had been taken. In the meantime, in the kitchen, Amy sat on one of the stools at the bar area with her laptop. With some books laid out on the countertop, and a pad of paper beside them, she worked diligently on her studies. However, unbeknownst to the boys, she had a pretty good position of eavesdropping in on the biker’s meeting.

“Now,” Mephiles began. “We have three possible suspects: The Babylon Rogues, the Suppression Squad, or the Deadly Sixers.”

“The Babylon Rogues have always been known to play dirty with their transactions and obtainment of merchandise. It’d be easy to assume they were the ones that stole our supply,” Shadow deduced out loud. “Yet, they’re not as showy with their robberies.”

“Yeah, but maybe, that’s what they want us to think,” Manic piped in.

“You know, as idiotic and conspiracy theory concluding as he is, I think Manic may be onto something,” Mighty added. “The Rogues are an easy scapegoat. They’re known for their theft, and it’d be very clever for another group to have us go at them and start another war with an opposing gang, even if they’re innocent.”

“If this is true, then that leaves us with the Suppression Squad and the Deadly Sixers,” Mephiles motioned.

Shadow stroked his chin as he contemplated his theory. “The Deadly Sixers are strong in muscle, but they’re not very good for their strategic play. They’d be more likely to rob us in person than in clandestine.”

“I think I must agree with my younger brother here,” Mephiles concurred. “We’ve been tight competitors with the Suppression Squad for years now with selling our merchandise.”

Knuckles glanced at his phone, “We may be onto something, fellas. Intel from our local snitch insists that he overheard the Suppression’s plan to sabotage our warehouse.”

“Let me see that,” Shadow commanded.

Knuckles handed over his phone and allowed Shadow to read the message exchanged between him and their intel operator.

In the kitchen, Amy seemed intrigued by the conversation happening in the next room over. It sounded like they had some sort of gang war happening with opposing biker clubs. Whatever this club sold, it must have been rather pricey if they were getting this wound up over it being stolen.

Back in the dining room, Shadow finished texting back for more info. He received another message on Knuckles’ phone and glanced down at the map on the table. “He just sent me the location for their alleged temporary warehouse unit. We’ll make a plan and attack tonight to get our supply back.”

“Sounds good. We have about three hours to get ready. We’ll gear up and meet outside at eight,” Mephiles announced. “Meeting dismissed.”

“Do you need me to come?” Locke questioned. “It’s just, my back has been acting up all day…”

Mephiles shook his head. “No, you can stay back on this one. I think we’ve got it covered.”

Hearing their meeting come to a close from the kitchen, Amy scrambled and grabbed her phone and headphones and plugged them in to pretend she hadn’t been listening. Right on cue, Shadow sauntered into the kitchen and spotted the pink female reading from a textbook. He paused in the doorway, wondering how much she had overheard. “Hey, you,” he spoke, trying to catch her attention.

Amy reached up and unplugged her earbuds innocently, feigning ignorance. “I’m sorry, did you need something?”

Shadow eyed her suspiciously for a moment before shaking his head. “…No, never mind.” He walked past her and reached for the fridge handle and opened it up. He eyed for the beers and reached in for a cold one. Grabbing the bottle, he used the edge of the counter Amy was sitting at to crack open the beer cap. Amy gasped as droplets of beer splattered onto her textbook along with the loose lid. “Hey, watch it! This is an expensive book.”

Shadow showed no empathy and instead stared at her before taking a swig of his drink and exiting the kitchen. Amy glared at his retreating figure before getting off her stool and grabbing some paper towels to blot up the fizzy substance. “Jerk,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Ignore him,” another voice piped in. Amy glanced up from her cleaning only to spot Rouge casually leaning in the doorframe. “I don’t know what crawled up his ass, but he’s not worth your time.”

She tossed the used paper towels into the bin. “I haven’t even done anything to him, and I can already tell he has it out for me.”

“Shadow’s always been very particular when it comes to new people. It takes a long time for him to trust others,” she explained.

Amy rubbed her left arm awkwardly as another thought crossed her mind. “Hey, Rouge…”

“Yeah?”

Her ears lowered. “I, um, heard you defending me last night to him. I’ve never really had anyone do that for me, let alone a stranger.”

Rouge looked surprised to learn Amy had overheard the argument she and Shadow had last night. “Oh, geez, I’m sorry you had to hear what that dick said, but I still stand by my belief. On paper, you are a good medic, Amy. Don’t let this one guy try to run you out of here, okay?”

Amy nodded. “I’ve had plenty of patients in my experience who have tried tearing me down. It’s just a bit different when I’m living with them 24/7,” she smiled uncomfortably at the thought.

“Well, he’s gonna have to get used to having you around.”

Suddenly, Locke appeared in the kitchen and looked at the two girls. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation, ladies, but I was hoping I could get some assistance from Ms. Rose.”

Amy rose from her seat. “Of course.”

•~•

In her office, Locke sat shirtless on the edge of the examination table while Amy did an essential examination on the echidna. “How long has your back been bothering you then?” she inquired politely while she listened to his heartbeat with her stethoscope.

“My back has always given me issues,” he replied. “But for the last two days, it’s really flared up. It’s because I’m old, I’m afraid,” he chuckled.

Amy removed her stethoscope and rested it around her neck. “Even young people can have back problems. It’s not always necessarily due to age,” she informed. “Where specifically is it bothering you?”

He moved his right arm behind him and pointed with his finger. “Right here, especially.”

Amy moved around him and noticed it was his lower back, mainly located on the right side. “Tell me, do you ever feel a shooting pain run down your leg or up your back?” She placed her hand in the location and pressed lightly on and around it to search for anything peculiar.

He nodded. “Chaos, all the time. It’s especially bad when I stand up sometimes.”

“Well, I’m happy to inform you this is likely nothing but a flare-up of sciatica. It’s just nerve pain. Luckily, there are a few stretches I can perform today that should alleviate some of the pain without you having to take any medication.”

Locke shrugged. “Hey, I’m up for anything to help this damn back pain.”

Amy smiled. “Lay down on your back for me, and I’ll perform the stretches on you.”

Carefully, Amy helped ease Locke back down onto the examination table before heading for his feet dangling off the edge. She lifted his right leg and bent it up at a ninety-degree angle. “I’m just going to move your leg back and forth from completely straight into this bent position. Okay?”

“Alright.”

“Let me know if it hurts,” she reminded.

While Amy performed the stretches, Locke looked up at the ceiling with thoughts lingering on his mind. “You know, Ms. Rose…have you ever considered what you’ve gotten yourself into by working for this club?”

Amy continued to bend his leg in and out. “I have weighed the pros and cons,” she confirmed. “Why?”

“It’s just…I’ve been in this club for a long time. I was here at the very beginning with Shadow and Mephiles’ father when he ran the club. It has changed significantly over the years under Mephiles’ reign, and it’s become more precarious too.”

“I’m sure I can handle whatever is thrown my way,” she assured as she moved over to the left leg to perform another few legs stretches. “But what was their dad like?” she questioned, eager to change the topic of her safety.

“Oh, their dad was great. He made this club unite us all under the idea of brotherhood. He wanted us to do volunteer work and give back to our community,” he reminisced. “Boy, those were the good old days…”

Amy moved over and helped flip him over onto his stomach. Her hands began to knead his back in the area that caused him pain. “What happened to him?”

“Ah…he died in a bad motorcycle accident, I’m afraid,” he informed. “I lost a great life-long friend that day,” he sighed sadly.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she replied.

“How did his sons take his death?” Amy inquired curiously.

“Shadow took it the hardest, but Mephiles seemed to recover quickly. Mephiles has always been more stoic with these types of things. Shadow acts brave, but he’s deeply emotional.”

“I see…”

“It’s been at least eight years since he’s been gone. You would’ve liked him; he was a great fella.” Locke reached back and placed a hand on his lower back. “Hey, you weren’t kidding about those stretches. I’m feelin’ better already,” he beamed.

Amy giggled. “That’s great to hear. Let me know if it flares up again, and we can do the stretches again.”

Locke moved back into a seated position and faced Amy. “Thank you, nurse for tending an old man like myself.”

“It was no problem,” she smiled.

•~•

Later that night, the Brothers of Chaos drove out to the inner city, where they’d find the Suppression’s warehouse. Instead of riding their bikes out to the location, the group decided it’d be best to drive one of their vans to appear more inconspicuous. That way, they’d be able to load the merchandise and arrive in disguise. Once they arrived as one unit, the group parked their large white van out behind the warehouse. Shadow opened the back doors of the van and hopped out with a Glock 19 drawn, and at the ready, Mighty, Gadget, and Manic hopped out behind their V.P, following closely behind and armed.

Meanwhile, Mephiles remained in the driver’s seat while Knuckles sat in the passenger seat. The two got out once Shadow’s group rounded the backside of the building and disappeared. Mephiles and Knuckles walked straight ahead, armed with their own Glocks, looking for a side entrance. The plan was to find two different entrances and meet up to ambush potential guards inside.

Knuckles and Mephiles stopped from rounding the corner and ducked down behind some wooden crates when they spotted two-armed Suppression guards on duty in front of the main entrance. A brown and black lynx stood with a compact rifle drawn and ready as he scoped the scene. Next to him was his partner, a green, dodgy-looking frog carrying a similar weapon at the ready.

“Shit,” Knuckles muttered quietly.

“Hey,” Mephiles whispered. “Don’t get worked up over two guards. We’re here to take our shit back and send a message. Let me handle this.”

Knuckles watched as Mephiles reached down and picked up a rock off the road and then an old-looking dirty sheet. He handed Knuckles the rock. “Throw this at the dumpster when I give you the signal, okay?”

Knuckles nodded and watched as Mephiles rushed over to the said dumpster, laid down on top of some full garbage bags, sat next to the dumpster, and draped the sheet over him to conceal his presence. Mephiles stuck his hand out and waved in Knuckles’ direction to signal him. Obliging, Knuckles chucked the rock at the dumpster, making a loud echo. The two guards came running around the corner to confront their potential threat. Knuckles aimed at the frog as he concealed himself behind the wooden crates and successfully shot the frog in the head, taking him out.

The lynx slammed on his brakes as he looked at his fallen comrade before aiming his weapon out in front of him, looking for the threat. His eyes were met with an empty alleyway, but his heart sank when he felt cold metal press up against the back of his neck. “Don’t move,” the voice commanded. It was Mephiles who had snuck out of his hiding position while the lynx had been looking for Knuckles.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” he vowed, raising his arms slowly.

Knuckles emerged from his hiding position with his weapon aimed in the lynx’s direction.

“Yes, I’m sure you don’t. Now drop your weapon,” he commanded.

Growling, the lynx dropped his assault rifle onto the road and raised his hands.

“You don’t steal from the Brothers and get away with it lightly.”

BANG.

The lynx crumbled to his knees as he was shot through the throat. Knuckles watched as a pool of blood formed under his body. However, their revenge wasn’t long before another two shots rang out. Knuckles howled in pain as he was shot twice in the back. Mephiles aimed his weapon at another Suppression member standing at the far end of the alleyway behind Knuckles with his gun drawn.

Mephiles was quick to shoot, though, and hit him in the leg, temporarily hindering him. The president rushed over to his friend to assess the damage. “Are you okay?”

Knuckles groaned and nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I’m wearing the bulletproof vest tonight, thankfully…”

“Chaos…” His reptilian eyes shot over to the wounded male writhing on the road. “Now, as for you.” He strutted to the other end of the alleyway to look at his next victim. It happened to be just a young boy, perhaps a new recruit for the biker gang. He was a green duck with a name patch sewn into his jacket that read: Bean. “No mercy for the wicked here.” BANG.

Mephiles took another clean shot straight between the kid’s eyebrows.

Shadow and the other three came running out from around the corner. “Chaos, we leave you for five minutes, and you already get into trouble,” Shadow panted as he saw the two.

Mighty looked at the three bodies they had taken down. “Damn, it looks like it was a party over here.”

Shadow eyed Knuckles clutching his right side. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Shadow. I got shot twice and will have some rather painful bruises on my backside, but I’ll be fine.”

“That’s good to hear. Speaking of which, all our stuff is here plus some of their own supply. We can pull the truck around back and start loading.”

Mephiles looked intrigued as a wicked thought came across. “Excellent, now I say we take half of their supply for our expense and then burn their warehouse down to the ground just like they did to ours,” he suggested.

“Isn’t that just going to cross the lines and really set the tone for war,” Shadow theorized, not as keen on the idea. They were here to get their stuff back, not try to ignite the flames even more.

“They messed with the wrong people. We need to show some dominance in this, brother,” he tsked.

“Yeah, but I just think--”

“—Ah, ah, ah,” Mephiles cut off condescendingly. “Who is the president here?”

Shadow turned his head away in defeat. His brother would have the last say in this. “…You are,” he droned.

“That’s right, now be a good boy and fetch the car,” he instructed.

Shadow walked over to retrieve the car while Mephiles looked at the rest of his crew. “Now, the rest of you, let’s head back inside and start loading up.”

•~•

Watching TV in the living room, the two girls, plus Locke, watched some television together. Locke sat in one of the lounge chairs under a blanket and was completely out in a deep sleep for the evening. Amy’s ears twitched when she heard the sound of motorcycle engines making their way into the compound. Rouge placed her right arm over the back of the couch and turned her body slightly to look behind her. “Sounds like the boys are back.”

On cue, the front door opened, and Mighty, Gadget, and Manic were seen carrying in large wooden crates. The two boys plopped the crates in the living room and headed back out, seemingly to get more. The next two to bring in another round were Shadow and Knuckles, who also wandered into the living room to dump their load. Rouge blinked in surprise and stood upright. “What in the hell is going on here?”

Mephiles walked in next and put his hands out. “Now, don’t get your panties in a twist, my dear. This is only temporary,” he pledged.

Amy eyed the boxes suspiciously. Just what exactly was in these crates anyway? This must have been the supply she kept hearing references to from earlier.

“We cannot harbor that shit here,” she bellowed. “It takes one innocent visit by a customer or an officer, and we’re done!”

Knuckles walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders to calm his wife down. “Babe, we know,” he assured. “But because our warehouse was destroyed, we need somewhere to keep goods until we can find a new home for assembly and distribution.”

“He’s right,” Shadow piped in. “I sure as hell don’t want this stuff lying around, but we really have no other choice. Come tomorrow. We plan to start searching for a new place to store them.”

Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and glanced off to the side. “They better be out of the house in one week…”

“We promise to have them out in five,” Mephiles pledged before turning on his heel and leaving along with the others.

“Five?” Rouge repeated in astonishment. She began to follow after the bunch. “Now, just wait a goddamn minute, Mephiles!”

Watching the rest of the group wander out of the room. Amy was left alone, with her curiosity getting the best of her. Glancing over to Locke, who was still completely out, she quietly tip-toed over to one of the crates and lifted the lid to see what was inside. At first, all she could see were shredded bits of mulch but eventually, her hand grazed something cold and metal. She gripped ahold of whatever was inside and lifted it from its disguise, only to realize it was some sort of automatic rifle that was disassembled into pieces. So that was it then. They were selling guns!

She quickly placed the lid back and backed up. Just then, she heard a breaking news signal from the T.V. She walked closer to the television and saw the live video footage of a burning storage unit. A newscaster stood in on a corner as the building burned in the background shot. Firefighters were busy putting out the fire.

“I’m standing on the corner of 38th street and main, and as you can see behind me, a local storage unit is currently burning. Authorities were called to the scene only fifteen minutes ago, and they’re already calling this a homicide. Several bodies of notorious biker club The Suppression Squad remains were found behind the burning building. Names have not been identified, but police are begging the public to call if you have any information regarding the murder and arson that occurred here.”

“What a shame…” a voice said from behind her.

Amy spun around only to spot Mephiles staring at her. “That building has been here since I was a boy. I wonder who could’ve done such an atrocity...?” he hummed innocently before walking off. Amy watched him wander out of the room. It was strange. Just by his tone, it seemed like Mephiles wanted her to figure out their true career path. He was practically egging her on to continue being curious.

•~•

At that same time, back in Tech City, things were quite gruesome in an apartment complex. Lying face down on the floor, a green seedrian nurse lay dead in her kitchen. With her eyes still open, despite her demise, her neck harbored fresh strangulation marks—the indication of her death. In the living room, her attacker rummaged through her belongings. Cosmo’s wallet, keys, and any other items found in her purse were strewn all over the room.

A gloved hand reached into her purse, finally finding the item they were looking for—Cosmo’s cellphone. They walked over to Cosmo’s dead body and unlocked the cell phone by using her fingerprint. Once it was opened, the assailant scrolled through the contacts list, searching desperately for a specific individual. Eventually, they came across the contact: “A.R.” Pulling out their own cell phone in their other hand, the figure quickly copied the phone number into their own contacts list. Once finished, the figure dropped her cell phone back onto the carpet, snatched up her wallet, and placed it in their back pocket. They wanted this to appear like a robbery gone wrong.

The figure walked around the apartment complex looking for a few other prized possessions to steal to keep up the act of robbery before stopping by one of the walls in the hallway. As they looked up, they noticed one of the photos of a pink hedgehog embracing the now dead female seedrian in the kitchen. Their eyes narrowed as they stared at the picture before continuing down the hall.

Chapter 3: The Carnival

Summary:

Amy and the members of the M.C hit up the local carnival in town and spend quality time with each other. An incident occurs at the carnival, slowly getting the M.C involved in resolving a conflict, and someone from Amy's past pops up.

The next day, the club headed to the local carnival. It always came around this time of the year and was a big draw for the town. Many people went to enjoy the rides, the food, and the games. Others came to socialize with neighbors, friends, and newcomers. Some simply came to do business—and that was half the reason Mephiles and his crew had turned up. With still no warehouse to hold their merchandise, Mephiles hoped to use the carnival as a disguise to do some incognito business exchanges.

Rouge dragged Knuckles playfully towards an old-fashioned photo booth. The bat was excited as she forcefully pulled him inside the small box, and Knuckles grunted, still slightly sore from his previous injuries. “Aww, Rouge, do we have to?” He groaned in discontent.

“Yes, it’ll be fun,” she sang. “Besides, I wanna give you a hand job and get a pic,” she cooed.

“…Rouge,” Knuckles whispered, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Not with kids around!”

“Shh, it’ll be quick!” She quickly shut the curtains to give them privacy as they played around with the functions inside.

In the background, Gadget carried a large brown teddy bear Knuckles had won for Rouge. He panted, carrying the giant stuffed animal.

In the meantime, Mighty and Amy wandered around the carnival together, enjoying the sights of the active rides on display and games buzzing with various sounds. “It’s been years since I’ve been to one of these things,” Amy noted as she linked arms with the black and red armadillo. “Thanks for inviting me out here with you guys.”

“Heck, no problem, Amy. We always make this an annual tradition.”

“I can see why,” she laughed. “That spinning ride was really fun, and the corn on the cob was pretty tasty.”

He smiled down at her. “Well, I’m glad you’re having a fun time.”

“You’ve been a great host,” she smiled sweetly. “And you’ve been the kindest towards me out of everyone in the group.”

“Well, I like everyone to feel included,” he smiled while rubbing the back of his neck.

“—Hey, kids. Why don’t you stop going all goo-goo for each other and step up and take a shot at me,” a voice mocked near them.

The two glanced over and spotted an egg-shaped human male sitting on a plank of a dunk tank, waiting for a customer to attempt dunking him. He was in his mid-50s, dressed in a stereotypical clown outfit, complete with an orange wig, white face, round-shaped spectacles, white gloves, a red nose, and a hideous multi-colored polka-dotted outfit.

Amy released her link from Mighty’s arm as she watched him roll up one sleeve of his jacket. “Sure, I’ll take a crack at it.”

“Then maybe you can actually impress your lady friend,” he noted passively.

Mighty and the carnie exchanged money, and he handed the armadillo three balls to attempt to dunk the fat man for $5. “Dunk the clown and win a prize,” the unamused carnie declared while gesturing to an assortment of stuffed animals behind the counter.

“I’m going to win you something, Amy. Just you watch,” Mighty avowed.

Amy stifled a giggle at his decrement and stood back to get a good view of his attempt. Mighty tossed one of the baseballs up and down in his hand to get a good feel of the weight.

The clown looked at his wrist, pretending to look at the time. “Any day now, buddy!”

Amy cupped her hands around her mouth. “Go Mighty; you can do it!” She cheered on.

Furrowing his brows, Mighty raised his right arm back with the ball in hand and chucked at the metal target off to the side of the tank. It completely missed going right over the intended target.

“Hah, missed, loser!” The clown spat.

Mighty took the second ball and threw it, but this time it grazed the top of the metal circle target but did not have enough force to trigger the dunk machine.

Amy grew anxious as she watched. He only had one ball left now. Would he be able to succeed? “You got this, Mighty!” She encouraged.

Exhaling, Mighty aimed for the target and threw the ball once more, and it hit the target in the dead center, but for whatever reason, it did not dunk the clown-like promised. “What the hell?” Mighty swore in confusion and anger. “Is this rigged?”

The carnie stared at the armadillo without empathy. “I’m sorry, sir, you did not hit the target hard enough. You lost the game.”

Mighty’s fists clenched up at his sides in fury. “That’s not fair. I did hit the target. It should have dunked the asshole.”

“Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah,” the fat clown mocked. “Looks like your biker gang isn’t as big and tough as they say.”

Mighty tried to lunge for the rude clown, but Amy grabbed ahold of his arm, stopping him. “Mighty, it’s not worth it. It’s just a dumb game.”

“Hey, girlie, just some advice,” the clown continued. “Find a better guy. This one is too weak to knock my fat ass into the sink,” he chortled. “And another thing--”

KER-PLUNK!

The two were stunned to watch the giant, mocking clown completely immerse himself into the dunk tank. They glanced over to the right and spotted Shadow, who had jumped over the booth while the carnie was not looking and had the side of his fist still pressed firmly against the metal target. The carnie turned around and glared at the ebony hedgehog. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Shadow said no words, removed his hand from the target, and glared at the carnival worker, baring his canines. The scuzzy human carnie gulped nervously and backed off, allowing Shadow to move past him. Shadow walked over to the dunk tank, where the fat human was in the middle of pulling himself out of the icy water. He reached in and grabbed the clown by the collar, yanking him up to the surface. The obese clown looked terrified as he stared back into his cold, red eyes. “Don’t mock our club or the members of it, or you may find yourself experiencing our brutality firsthand,” he threatened quietly before allowing him to fall back under the water.

With that, Shadow began making his way toward the two. “That was wicked back there, Shadow,” Mighty cracked with a grin.

Shadow walked past the two with a blank expression. “…I hate clowns,” he droned with a sigh.

Meanwhile, in another part of the carnival, Mephiles and Locke sat at one of the booths near the food vendors with some fries and a beer. The two people watched while Mephiles waited to find his prey for an attack. Within twenty minutes, he spotted the people whom he was looking for. “There they are,” Mephiles whispered. Grabbing some popcorn at one of the vendors, he spotted two white, upper-class humans, Sam and Veronica Murphy, and their thirteen-year-old daughter, Stacy Murphy. The family was quite wealthy and was known for investing and creating new infrastructure around town. Money was written all over them, and he knew they’d be the perfect people to talk to about finding a new home for their weapons business.

“You really think this will work?” Locke questioned with skepticism.

“With some hard persuasion, yes,” Mephiles confirmed.

As the family walked nearby, Mephiles rose from his seat, dusting himself off. “Sam, good to see you,” he announced.

The brown-haired human stopped along with his family next to the table with the motorcycle president. “Oh, nice to see you, too, Mephiles,” he said, feigning a polite smile.

“Sam,” Locke waved in the background.

Sam looked around Mephiles, spotting the elder echidna. “Oh, and Locke too? What a treat.”

Veronica placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, looking eager to leave the conversation. Mephiles glanced at the young blonde human girl and forced a pleasant smile. “My, my, how you’ve grown. The last time I saw you, you were only six,” he reminisced.

Stacy smiled sheepishly at the Mobian biker, unsure of how to respond. She didn’t quite know who he was but could determine that he and her father shared some sort of history together. “Wow, that’s a long time. Sorry, I don’t remember you much, mister…”

Mephiles laughed. “Don’t be apologetic, my dear. I don’t doubt you remember me much.”

“Well, it was nice seeing you, two,” Veronica interjected uncomfortably. “Now, if you’ll excuse us. We need to get going.”

“—But Mom, I wanted to go on the Spinner again,” Stacy protested.

“We’re out of tickets, dear. You know that,” Sam replied.

Mephiles rummaged into his pants pocket and pulled out several tickets. “Will this do? I wasn’t planning to use them, but it’ll give you a couple more rides. Besides, they kicked me off that ride because I was screaming too loudly.”

Stacy accepted the tickets graciously. “Thank you, sir.” She rushed off, leaving her parents alone with the dangerous biker Mobian.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Sam advised.

Mephiles shrugged innocently. “I didn’t need them anyway.”

“Well, thanks for that,” he smiled. “I’m sure I’ll see you around?”

“Actually,” he segued. “I was hoping to talk to you about a project proposition,” the dark hedgehog hinted.

Sam glanced at his wristwatch. “Oh, well, I’d love to talk about it, but perhaps some other time,” Sam eluded with a wave.

Seeing they weren’t in the mood to talk, Mephiles watched as Sam and his wife Veronica quickly ambled off to avoid further discussion. “Very smooth, Mephiles,” Locke chuckled in amusement.

His fist tightened up by his sides, but then he relaxed. “We must be patient. Remember that old man.”

Manic walked up behind Mephiles, munching on a large corn dog covered in mustard. He leaned over his shoulder, startling him momentarily. “Whoa, like what’s their deal?” he asked, with a mouthful of food.

Mephiles’ reptilian eyes turned from looking at Manic by his side to watching the human couple retreating further from his sight. “They probably don’t want to be seen kahooting with a bunch of dangerous bikers,” he assumed lowly. “No worries, though. I’m sure we’ll be in touch very soon.”

A few moments later, Shadow walked over to the table where Manic, Locke, and his brother were seated. “Hey, I’m rounding up the group. I just got a call that a new shipment is on its way. It’ll be at the compound in thirty minutes,” he announced.

Mephiles nodded. “Good, let’s roll.”

•~•

Later that evening, Veronica walked all up and down the carnival, bellowing for her daughter. “Stacy!” She called out over the loud carnival music and chatter amongst the crowds. The place was starting to get packed, with more teenagers and adults. She looked panicked as she continued her search for her missing daughter, growing hopeless.

Still at the carnival, Rouge and Knuckles walked hand in hand together. However, the two stopped in their tracks when the white bat noticed the distraught mother. “Mrs. Murphy, what’s going on?”

Veronica looked over at the couple, feeling anxious. “It’s my daughter. I’ve searched everywhere, and I can’t find her.” Her eyes began to water at the worst thoughts.

“I’m sure she’s here somewhere,” Rouge assured. “Knuckles, and I will help you find her.”

Sam came running over and looked out of breath. He placed his hands on his bent knees as he caught his breath. “She’s not on any of the rides. I’ve double-checked,” he announced.

“Don’t worry, sir. We’ll find her. She couldn’t have gone far,” Knuckles pledged.

•~•

Speaking of the young human girl, several yards outside of the carnival and behind the trailers where the carnies lived was Stacy’s body. With her panties around her ankles, and her dress practically torn to shreds, the young girl has hidden away behind some tall grass. She winced as she came to, with blood dripping down her forehead.

She was disoriented and had no idea where she was, but her eyes began to flutter open as she came to. “Mom…dad?” she croaked weakly.

•~•

The next day, the boys worked in the mechanic workshop just next to their house. It was a busy day of repairs. There were a couple of cars in for tune-ups, oil replacements, tire alignments, and battery replacements. The place was buzzing with activity. The whirring of drills and clanking of tools could be heard from the oversized garage.

While Mighty, Manic, Locke, and Knuckles worked diligently on their repair orders, Shadow and Mephiles discussed business outside of the shop. “With the new shipment that came in last night, we’re in desperate need of a place to assemble the weapons,” Mephiles started. “We only have about 60 hours before our buyer will want the goods.”

“There’s no chance we could just assemble here?” Shadow suggested.

“Absolutely not,” Mephiles shot down. “We’ll never make that mistake again. Think of all the others still behind bars because of that shit. We never mix business operations with home.”

“Right…” Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. “So, you still don’t have your eye set on any other location?

“Not yet…” he sighed.

Just then, a slick black BMW pulled into the compound and honked the horn at the two brothers. Shadow and Mephiles eyed the tinted windows of the vehicle, growing curious at their new arrival. “Who’s this then?” Shadow whispered as they kept their eyes locked on the car.

The car slowly drove past them. “If I had to guess, I’d say, Sam Murphy,” Mephiles surmised. “The expensive car is giving away the hint.”

Shadow scoffed. “Just what the hell does he want?”

Mephiles and Shadow approached the car just as it parked in one of the parking spots.

•~•

Inside the mechanic shop, Sam sat down in the waiting room, looking exhausted and devastated in appearance. He informed them of the tragic news regarding his young teen daughter. “She’s still in shock,” he started. “The guy knocked her in the jaw, threw her down in the dirt, and raped her. She just turned thirteen years old,” he croaked, trying to hold back tears.

Shadow listened intently, feeling empathetic for the guy. “What did the cops say?”

Sam scoffed in frustration. “They took down the report and are still out looking, but that’s why I came here.” He looked over to Mephiles with desperation and anger in his eyes. “I want you to find this guy and bring him to me first.” He clasped his hands together. “I’ll pay you anything you want…”

Mephiles eyed his younger brother for a moment, contemplating on how to respond. “What the hell do you think we are here, Sam?”

Sam lowered his clasped hands slowly. “Look, my family has been in Mercia a lot longer than your M.C. I know what type of business you get up to, but I chose to look the other way. I know who you guys really are.”

Mephiles knelt down to the father’s level. “I don’t want your money,” he began. “No one comes into town and gets away with doing this to a little girl. We’ll find the sick bastard, but when I deliver him to you, I’m going to need to know that justice will be served.”

Sam stuck out his left hand for him to shake. “You have yourself a deal.” Shadow watched as Sam and his brother shook on the oral contract.

“Alright, so what do we know so far about this bastard?” Mephiles probed.

“My daughter isn’t telling anything to the cops. She’s saying she can’t remember, but all I know is that she told me it was one of the carnies there, but she can’t remember which one,” he explained.

“How long before Sheriff Silver cracks through and gets the lead over us?” Shadow questioned.

Sam shrugged. “No clue, but it’ll be sooner than later. I told her to hold off on giving him too much information because I want to settle this matter personally myself…”

•~•

Once striking up the deal, Mephiles rounded up the boys to inform them of their latest assignment. Some of them were up for retribution, while others were not as bothered. The group sat around in various parts of the mechanic shop as they held the quick meeting.

“All we know is it was one of the carnies, and it happened around the time of 5 to 8 PM,” Mephiles explained. “Sam wants us to find the prick before the authorities do so he can get a bit of justice in himself.”

Manic groaned and put his arms behind the back of his head as he leaned back in his seat. “Man, do we really need to play vigilante here? We’ve got our own problems to deal with, don’t we?”

“The girl was thirteen years old,” Mighty stressed. “That’s fucked up, and you know it. If we let that slide around here, it could become a huge problem. People aren’t raped in Mercia.”

“Think about if this happened to your own kid,” Locke pointed. “You’d be just as angry and want vengeance. We cannot allow this to go without retribution.”

“He’s right,” Shadow concurred. “This town is ours, and we have to show punishment to those who disobey. Some think that the police run this place, but they’re wrong.”

Mephiles nodded. “I agree with my brother, but don’t think we’re doing this as a charitable act,” he continued. “I plan to get some type of payment or reward out of this. I don’t plan to walk away empty-handed,” he smirked.

Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest. “Just what exactly do you have planned?”

“Let’s leave that as a surprise, but no doubt, it’ll benefit our club greatly,” the president assured.

“Ahem,” another voice chimed in. The group of males looked over to the doorway leading to the mechanic shop. Rouge was leaning partly through the door, looking urgent.

“Babe, what’s up?” Knuckles questioned.

“I know this is a pretty important meeting I’m interrupting, but we’ve got the authorities on the premise, and they’re looking to talk to you.”

“Shit,” Mephiles cursed. “Perfect timing…”

•~•

The group of bikers dressed in blue mechanic jumpers approached the group of cops waiting for them outside. Spotting the policemen, the group walked over to greet them. “What brings you to our compound, officer?” Mephiles greeted loudly.

The white hedgehog lifted his aviators as he stared him down. “We’re investigating a sexual assault case,” Silver announced. “I have witnesses that claim you all were at the carnival yesterday, and since I know some of you have major criminal records, I felt it’d be best if I’d start my investigation here.”

“Really?” Manic announced in feigned shock.

“Yes, and I need to talk to all of your guys that were present at the carnival. Now, if they’re not here, get them here now,” he ordered sternly.

“Shouldn’t Vector and Espio be here to take our accounts,” Shadow questioned skeptically. “They’re the department’s leading detectives, after all.”

Silver glanced over to the dark hedgehog and marched towards him slowly. “I took on this case last night. Therefore, I’ll be the one handling it. Is that a problem, Shadow?” Shadow did not reply and merely shook his head.

Mephiles eyed the police officer in amusement. “You really think one of us was responsible? We’re not rapists,” he declared adamantly.

Silver shrugged. “A lot of you have violent crimes on your rap sheet. I’m just following logic.”

“Last week, some officers were caught in a prostitution ring. Maybe we, like, should question you, man,” Manic shot back dauntingly, getting up in his face.

Silver did not even flinch at the cigarette and weed-smelling hedgehog’s attempt at intimidation. “Excuse me?” Silver glared with insult.

Mephiles bashed the top of Manic’s head, causing him to cry out.

Manic cradled the top of his throbbing head and crumbled to his knees. “Ouch, man!”

“Don’t mind him,” Mephiles defended. “You were saying, officer?”

“My two officers, Larry and Frank, will be taking your statements; it could take hours,” he forewarned. The two other hedgehogs in the back gave a curt nod in their direction.

“About that, sir, we’re trying to run a business here. It’s pretty busy today,” Mephiles argued politely. “We’ll get backed up on our repairs if we don’t continue.”

Silver had no sympathy for their business and continued to be stern. “We can take the statement here, the station, or wherever you want to do it,” Silver suggested.

Seeing he could not persuade him otherwise, he gave up. “Fine, we’ll do it here,” Mephiles groaned in defeat.

The other two officers led the group of bikers back towards the mechanic shop. Turning on his heel to leave, Silver stopped when he spotted an unfamiliar face. Taking out a box of recycling was a young pink female hedgehog. She was making her way down the steps of the house when he approached her.

“Excuse me, miss!” He called out.

Amy halted in her tracks and spotted the officer jogging over to greet her. “Um, yes?” She asked nervously.

“I don’t recall reading up on any other female other than Rouge the Bat living here. What’s your name?”

She lowered the box full of recyclables onto the ground and dusted her hands off. “My name is Amy Rose,” she introduced herself and extended her hand out for him to shake. “I only moved in a few days ago.”

“Moved in?” he repeated, shaking her hand and eying her up and down. “Well, Ms. Rose, it’s nice to meet you. I’m the new deputy, Silver. I’m also new to the area.”

She smiled kindly and released her hold of his hand. “Nice to meet you, but how can I help you today, sir?”

He placed his hands in his pants pockets and leaned back on his left heel. “For starters, what tempted someone of your standard to live with a bunch of rough and dangerous bikers? You don’t look like the type to associate themselves with a group like this.”

Amy looked surprised by the forward questioning. Was it that obvious that she looked out of place? “Oh, um, I don’t know exactly what you’re insinuating, sir. They’ve been nothing but lovely to me.”

He scoffed slightly. Of course, some of them would treat her nicely. She was absolutely gorgeous and had a light sunshiny feel to her. She looked like the perfect girl a guy in this M.C would love to corrupt. She was like a challenge one would want to succeed. “I’m sure they are…What is it exactly that you do, anyway?”

“I’m a practicing nurse,” she replied.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Do you work at any of the local hospitals?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m working on putting in applications,” she lied smoothly. She did not want Silver to know she already had an established job as a nurse for the club. That would just lead to more questions.

“Let me give you a word of advice, Ms. Rose.” Amy’s ears lowered as he leaned his head near her right ear. "Get the hell out of here as soon as you can. You do not want to associate yourself with these guys. They’re incredibly dangerous, and you don’t want to be dragged down with them,” he warned quietly.

She shot him a sheepishly uncomfortable grin as he pulled his head back. “Oh, thank you for warning me, officer. I appreciate it. As soon as I can gain my footing, I’ll be gone in a flash,” she lied again with a smile.

He reached into the pocket on the front of his shirt and whipped out a business card. “If you need help getting an in at the hospitals, just call me. I can always help you out.”

Amy accepted the business card and looked down at it, seeing his info printed on the card. “Well, thank you again,” she smiled awkwardly.

“Stay safe, Ms. Rose,” he waved and walked off.

Amy watched his retreating figure before he got into his car and drove off. Amy slipped the card into her pants pocket and exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Great job back there. You held your own wonderfully,” a voice said from behind her.

Amy gasped and spun around only to spot Rouge with her hand on her left hip. “Rouge,” she placed a hand on her chest. “You scared me…”

She twitched her large bat ears. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop. I was going to step in to help you out, but my ears overheard the whole thing. You handled the situation very well,” she commended.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “But I didn’t expect him to interrogate me like that on the spot.”

“He’s not on our side. Knuckles told me we’ll have to watch our backs as long as he’s around.”

Amy bent down to pick up the box of recyclables again. “Why was he here in the first place?”

“There was a rape on a minor that occurred last night at the carnival. He thinks one of our own had something to do with it.”

Amy gasped by the disturbing news. “Oh, my goodness, that’s terrible. None of the boys are guilty of it…are they?”

“—If you have to ask, why the hell would you be living with us?” another voice piped in passively. It was Shadow, and he sauntered past Amy with a grimace.

Amy opened her mouth to counter him but came up short. Rouge placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “Ignore that dickhead. It wasn’t any of ours to answer your question, but we’re looking to figure out who did.”

•~•

Later that day, Silver continued to get information on his case at the hospital. He stood outside Stacy’s hospital room with both Veronica and Sam as they retold their side of the story. “We went to get ice cream and told her to meet us there. She never showed up.”

“Right,” Silver nodded. “Based on my information, the guy who was operating the ride said that he saw your daughter head for the pop-up arcade. Is there any reason why she’d go there? Perhaps to meet someone?” he questioned.

Mrs. Murphy shook her head, on the verge of tears again. “Please, we don’t know anything else!” With that said, she stormed back into her daughter’s room.

Silver patted Sam’s shoulder reassuringly. “I’m going to find this guy, I promise.”

Sam moved his hand to the side, not as confident in his promise. “You better…”

•~•

Back at the compound, Mephiles, Shadow, and Manic stood in one of the garages continuing to work on different cars and bikes, while Silver’s two officers sat on the hood of their police cars and drank coffee. They had already interviewed three of them but were now stalling to complete the rest of the interviews.

Gadget walked past, carrying two toolboxes in hand. “Hey, Rookie,” he flagged down.

The young red wolf sauntered over to the president. “Yes, sir?”

“Run some reports on those carnies and see if anything comes up. Any type of arrests or complaints,” he ordered.

“Right away, sir,” Gadget saluted before running off to complete the errand.

Under a popped hood, Shadow cranked a bolt as he kept his eagle eyes on the two cops. “I can’t believe these assholes are taking another coffee break. They’re taking forever to interview all of us. Just how are we supposed to do our own investigation?”

“Ey, guys, I’ve got it handled,” Manic announced quietly to the group with a triumphant smirk. In his hand was a fresh coffee pot full of steaming brewed coffee. “Two double tranquilizer coffees, coming up!” he snickered lowly.

“Yo, I’ve got fresh coffee, boys!” Manic announced as he sauntered out with the coffee pot.

The two officers perked up at the sight of fresh coffee and held their paper cups out. “I appreciate it, bud,” one of them proclaimed.

Manic topped off both of their cups, smiling as he poured. “Careful now. It’s hot.”

Shadow and Mephiles watched from the garage as they took a few sips. Feeling that the side effects would come on soon, Mephiles ambled over casually. “So, any chance that I will do my interview soon?”

Before either could answer, the two officers wobbled on their feet before collapsing. Manic was quick to catch one, while Mephiles caught the other. “Finally!” Mephiles exclaimed. “Shadow, help us get them inside. We’ll have the girls deal with them while we go on the hunt.”

•~•

Inside the house, Amy was in her office working on schoolwork when both Shadow and Mephiles barged in carrying the two unconscious officers. Hearing the door slam open, she jumped when she watched them plop one down on the examination table and seated the other in a waiting chair against the wall. Amy looked surprised by the sudden arrival. “Um, what’s going on here?” she questioned, rising from her seat.

“Don’t worry about it, Ms. Rose. Just watch the officers for us, will you? Make sure they don’t have any allergic reactions to those tranquilizers we put in their coffee,” Mephiles quickly explained as he exited the room.

“Tranquillizers?” Amy repeated in astonishment. “How much did you administer to them?”

“Not sure,” Shadow answered with an indifferent shrug. “Manic is the one that gave it to them.”

He began to walk out, but Amy grabbed Shadow by the arm. “Wait a second. For all I know, he could have overdosed them. I need to know how much they were given and what type!”

Shadow shooed away her hand, grasping his mechanic sleeve, and shot her a glare. “That’s not my job, princess. I’m not your errand boy. You can figure it out yourself by asking the pothead.”

Amy stared at his retreating figure in utter disgust. He was beyond rude to her for no reason. “Asshole…”

•~•

After discarding the officer’s unconscious bodies with their fellow nurse, Shadow, Locke, Mephiles, Knuckles, and Mighty headed for the carnival to pick up more clues on who was responsible for the rape. The gang of bikers hustled into the closed carnival and headed for the trailers out back where they’d find the carnies that operated the event.

A small bald human male in a green shirt and matching pants approached the group of bikers as they neared their mobile homes. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

Shadow whipped out a current photo of Stacy and held it out for the human male to see, along with his employees lingering in the background. “Any of you see this girl last night?”

A few of them glanced at the photo and scoffed, staying quiet for the most part.
The human leader crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “I already talked to the police and gave them my account and several others. We don’t have to talk to you.”

Knuckles stomped over, grabbed the human by the collar, and lifted him easily. “Oh yeah? What’s your name, little fella?” The other group of male carnies looked on before acting.

The bald human’s eyes bugged out at his strength. “It’s S-Snively…” he stammered.

Snively’s boys began slowly encroaching towards the bikers, showing off their knives or side pieces they whipped out from behind their backs. Mephiles, Shadow, Locke, Manic, and Mighty flashed their own weapons of assorted handguns holstered to their hips.

“If that’s how you wish to play, so be it,” Mephiles challenged calmly.

Snively held out a hand to excuse his men’s intentions. The group of humans stopped and refrained from taking action. Knuckles lowered the small human back to his feet and shoved him back, causing him to stumble. “Well, Snively, you’re going to tell us exactly what you told Officer Friendly, or we’ll have to handle this our way. So how about you make it easier on yourself…”

“Why do you think it was us?” he questioned.

“Because that type of shit doesn’t happen around here, which clearly points to an outsider,” Knuckles scoffed.

Mighty placed his hands on his hips as he looked at the out-of-shape, rather scummy-looking carnie humans. “And you guys sure do fit the description…”

Snively huffed under his breath. “Fine, I’ll tell you what I told the cop. All my guys were here chaining up rides or powering them down. A few of my guys saw her at their rides or booths, but none had any further interaction with the girl.”

“Mind if we have a look around?” Locke inquired.

“Do whatever you have to. You won’t find anything,” Snively shrugged.

•~•

Back at home, after tending to the unconscious officers, Amy left her office. Feeling her pocket vibrate, she whipped out her phone to look at the caller's I.D. The phone number didn’t look familiar as she scrunched her face in confusion, but regardless, she answered it hesitantly. “…Hello?”

“I’m not sick or anything, but boy is it hard to get ahold of a good nurse,” an oh-too-familiar male voice said on the other end.

Feeling her stomach drop at the sound of the voice, Amy did not reply and immediately hung up the phone and clutched it to her chest. It was like hearing a ghost of her past.

“—You okay?” a voice asked her from behind.

Amy spun around only to see both Shadow and Mighty standing directly behind her, having seen her entire reaction play out. Composing herself, Amy feigned a smile and waved it off. “Oh, yeah, absolutely. I hate telemarketers,” she dismissed coolly.

Mighty tilted his head but shrugged eventually, accepting the answer before walking off. However, Shadow stared at Amy for a long moment before shoving his hands in his pockets and sauntering away. Amy felt unnerved by his longing, judgmental stare. Perhaps he didn’t believe her lie as well as Mighty did. “So, how long have you guys been back?” she transitioned before following them down the hall.

“Just a few minutes,” Mighty answered.

“Did you find out who is responsible?” she questioned.

“Nope. Hit a dead end. We’ve got nothin’,” Mighty exhaled.

“Ah, there you are,” Gadget smiled. He joined the group carrying a few printed-out papers. “I did those reports you asked for. Here’s what I found.” He handed the documents over to Mephiles.

Mephiles allowed his eyes to scan the report and spotted the words “molestation” under the mugshot of one of the carnies working the carnival. “Well, I’ll be damned…”

Shadow looked intrigued to find out what he had read. “Who is it?”

He held up the report showing the picture of the carnie. “Some Egg-shaped human, with a handle-bar mustache. Ring any bells?” Shadow, Amy, and Mighty all exchanged looks as the realization sunk in.

•~•

Later that night at the carnival, the carnies were just finishing closing down the rides when they heard the revs of motorcycles roaring up in the distance. Snively squinted, he saw the Brothers of Chaos entering their area on their bikes. “What in the hell?”

Mephiles and his squad of members parked their bikes before dismounting them and making a beeline straight for Snively and his crew.

The tiny, bald human marched towards Mephiles defiantly as the leader stormed towards him with his gang behind him. “What in the hell are you doing back here again?”

“Turns out you lied straight to our faces earlier today,” Mephiles announced.

Snively blinked in befuddlement as the rest of the human carnies came up from behind him, ready to defend their boss. “I don’t understand. What are you talking about? We didn’t lie!”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest as she stood by his brother’s side. “Then why are you hiding a fugitive?”

“Who?” Snively questioned, still acting confused.

“The egg-shaped man,” Mighty clarified.

Snively’s face turned white. “…I-Ivo?” he stammered.

Mephiles’ eyes glinted. “Ah, so the perverse human has a name, yes?”

“He’s under our protection. You can’t touch him!” Snively’s men formed a tight line behind Snively and were ready to fight to protect one of their own.

“We can do whatever the hell we want.” Mephiles reared his right hand back before striking a blow to Snively’s face. The small man flew backward from the powerful strike. Within seconds, Mephiles’ crew burst into action fighting the carnival workers. The group tackled one another, throwing powerful punches, kicks, and blows. It was like a riot as the group used their hands to strike pain and punish the sleazy carnie workers.

After a couple of minutes of the brawl, Mephiles gave one last kick to Snively’s side before dusting off his bloodied hands. He placed his fingers to his mouth and gave off a sharp whistle, drawing in Mighty and Manic’s attention. “You two find the rapist!” he ordered.

Mighty dropped the unconscious worker he had been fighting before running off with Manic. In the meantime, Mephiles looked over to Knuckles, Locke, and Shadow, who were still busy getting in the last licks of their fight. Shadow straddled a larger human and repeatedly punch the man in the face, spilling blood left and right. Knuckles, in the meantime, threw his human carnie onto the hood of a truck, making its alarm go off.

“We got him!” Mighty shouted. Seeing they had completed their mission, Mephiles rushed over and pried his brother off of his victim. “Come, let’s go, brother. We’re done here.”
•~•

About twenty minutes later, Silver arrived back at the carnival but was startled to find their camp in ruins and most of the workers injured. It looked like they had just been in a recent throwdown. Walking amongst the group, Silver approached Snively, holding an icepack to his bruised left eye. “What happened here?”

Snively gulped nervously. “Nothing, officer…”

Silver looked back to the two new officers he had with him. He lifted a piece of paper with a sketch drawn of Ivo Robotnik, the man who had raped the girl. He had finally managed to get Stacy to remember her assailant and was ready to make an arrest. “Find this man,” he ordered to the two officers. The other policemen walked in different directions through the camp to find their suspect.

In the meantime, Silver whipped out his radio and radioed into the two officers he stationed at the mechanic shop. “Come in, officers. I repeat, come in over.”

After a few moments, static came in over his end. “This is Officer Frank, over.”

“Are the brothers still stationed at the shop, over?” Silver questioned.

There was a long pause before hearing a response. “Uhh, about that... We kind of lost track of them, sir, over.”

Silver’s eyes widened. “What the hell do you mean you lost sight of them? You’ve been watching them all day along with interviewing, over!?”

“We lost track of time, sir. We just woke up from a pretty heavy nap, over.”

Silver lowered his walkie away from his mouth, getting a sinking feeling that they were already two steps ahead of him. “God damn it,” he mumbled. It was all making sense now. Clearly, the club was trying to take justice into its own hands.

•~•

Meanwhile, several miles away in a secluded area outdoors, Mephiles and his gang held Ivo Robotnik bound, gagged, and ready for delivery as promised to Mr. Murphy. A slick black car drove down the isolated road and came to a stop. The door opened, and Sam strolled towards the group of bikers, looking on at his daughter’s attacker in disbelief. This was the person who had ruined his daughter’s life.

Mighty and Manic kept Ivo restrained as they held him in place on his knees. The fat man was bound and gagged as he watched the father stand before him with glaring vexation.

“As promised—one rapist,” Mephiles announced.

Sam glared at the pathetic fat man. “So, you’re the one who did this to my daughter, huh?”

Ivo shook his head back and forth frantically, desperate to defend himself. He mumbled through the gag, trying to communicate with the father to no avail.

“Do you want to hear anything from the sick bastard,” Shadow questioned, gesturing to Ivo’s gag.

“No,” he replied. “I just want to hurt him, real bad.”

“I have any idea on that,” Mephiles piped in. Everyone watched as Mephiles rummaged into his jacket pocket with his gloved hands and whipped out a pocketknife. “I think we need to make sure the fat bastard doesn’t do this to any other poor girl,” he suggested sinisterly.

Sam took the knife from his hand and eyed the sharp blade in thought. In the meantime, Ivo began to thrash in the two’s grasp, even more, realizing where this was heading. He moaned and mumbled a “No” through his gag, but everyone continued to ignore his cries. Somehow, he managed to get the gag out of his mouth. “Please, please, I-I didn’t do it. I swear!”

Sam the blade, and he looked down at the weapon in his hand. “Do it, Sam,” the president goaded. “Go on, give him what he deserves.”

Mighty and Manic tightened their grip on the heavy-set human as he thrashed about. “Oh, Chaos, no, please!” he bellowed.

Sam held out the weapon and began to shake. Could he really go through with this? Ivo sobbed profusely as he stared at the weapon. Finally caving in, Sam dropped the knife and stormed off. “I can’t do it!”

Mephiles watched the father walk back towards his vehicle. “What do you want us to do with him?”

Sam opened up his car door. “Just rough him up and bit and then send him the authorities’ way. He deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life.” With that said, he got inside his car, closed the door, and drove off.

Once his car was out of sight, Mephiles walked over and picked up the discarded blade left in the dirt. He made sure to pick it up with his gloved hands. He then eyed Ivo sinisterly. Shadow raised a brow curiously. “What are you doing, brother?”

“Making sure we have proper insurance. Now, hold the bastard still. Once I’m done with him, we’ll bury him in an unmarked grave. Time for a little snip-snip.”

“That’s wicked gnarly, man,” Manic noted with a shudder.

Mighty, on the other hand, looked quite repulsed. “Vile…”

Grimacing at the thought, Shadow walked over and undid the man’s pants and let them drop to his ankles. Ivo squirmed as Mephiles went in with the blade to inflict significant harm to the perverted human.

•~•

Later that night, in Tech City, a handsome blue hedgehog in his late 20s, wearing business attire, sat in an office looking at a manila folder full of paperwork. He held it like a book flipping through page by page until he stopped on a photo of the subject. It was a picture of Amy Rose. The file was full of paid bills, rent, change of address, phone calls, and records from the past eight months. A knock on his door distracted him from studying the file cautiously. He closed it quickly before any other eyes could look at it.

A young fox in his early twenties opened the door. “Here’s all that stuff you requested on the city Mercia, Agent Zonic,” he smiled while handing over one manila-colored file. Zonic opened the new one and flipped through it. “What’d you find out, Tails?”

“The only thing that came up as flagged was some sort of motorcycle club with a criminal record called Brothers of Chaos. There have been no charges for five years; however, past offenses have been smuggling and gun dealing.”

Zonic nodded politely as he absorbed the knowledge. “Thanks, Tails.”

“Of course, sir,” he nodded back before departing from the room. Once he was gone, Zonic began to flip through the folder. He looked at a few criminal records of the M.C. The first one he spotted was of someone by the name of Mephiles. He looked at the creepy older hedgehog in a mugshot, scoffed, and continued to go through the files. Next, he came across Shadow the Hedgehog’s mugshot. He was related to his older brother Mephiles. He continued to read up on Mighty Armadillo, Knuckles Echidna, and Manic Hedgehog. All of them had spent some time away in either jail or prison for various charges. Zonic looked over at Amy’s open file and spotted the last time a phone tap had occurred, which was earlier this morning, located in Mercia, Mobius. It was only a brief twenty-second call, but it was long enough to locate her whereabouts.

Zonic closed the file and opened up the first folder of Amy Rose, and stared at her picture longingly before reaching for the call button on his phone. He pressed down on it, and it buzzed. Eventually, Tails’ voice came over the system. “What do you need, sir?”

“Get me a train ticket to Mercia for tomorrow morning,” he ordered.

“Right away, sir.”

***
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Chapter 4: Shots Fired

Summary:

A new A.T.F agent with connections to Amy Rose arrives at Mercia to investigate The Brothers of Chaos MC.
The Suppression Squad attacks the Brother's home in retaliation, and one of the members becomes severely injured as a result.

Late into the night, the boys returned home covered in filth after the castration and burial of Ivo Robotnik. Gadget carried the dirty shovel back around the side of the house. “Let me put this away before I take a shower.”

Manic followed him around the side with his own shovel in hand. “Good idea, bro.”

In the meantime, Knuckles and Locke headed straight upstairs to get cleaned up while Mephiles and Shadow remained on the front porch.

“You mind explaining what the hell all that was about back there?” Shadow inquired. “I‘m pretty sure Sam gave us different orders.”

“You’re right, brother. He did. However, I need to capitalize on whatever I can to give us benefits to our cause. That’s why I did what I had to back there. Besides, the human deserved it,” he justified.

“How exactly is cutting off the guy’s dick going to help us out anyway? It’s not like Sam paid us for this mission anyway?” he countered.

Mephiles nodded. “Correct,” he replied before reaching into his leather jacket. He pulled out a clear baggie with the now bloodied blade inside it. “However, it’d be a shame if Sam didn’t help supply us with a new storage facility. You never know where murder weapons may show up after all…”

Shadow stared at the evidence before him in awe. “…You plan to blackmail him?” he surmised.

Mephiles grinned triumphantly. “That’s right. He already broke the law by trying to involve us in his evil doings. Now, this blade only has his fingerprints on it. He’ll be blamed directly for the murder that I committed.”

Shadow scoffed and turned on his heel heading back indoors. “You’re sick. You know that, right?”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “When did you become holier than thou? Last time I checked, you’ve made quite a few sins yourself.”

“Yeah, to other terrible people who have committed their own sins. I’ve never fucked around with someone who was an innocent or bystander,” he replied passively before departing. “Sam doesn’t deserve this…”

Mephiles merely shook his head at his brother’s exit.

•~•

Later that night, after most people had gone to bed, Amy walked out behind the house while everyone was asleep. After calling for the third time that day, Amy paced anxiously back and forth behind the house. With the phone still up to her ear, she waited as the ringtone droned on and on for what seemed like forever. “Come on, come on, pick up!” she urged quietly. Amy had been trying to contact Cosmo multiple times earlier that day after her mysterious caller earlier. However, her efforts stalled when Cosmo had yet to get back in contact with her.

Amy was starting to grow more and more concerned with her friend’s well-being the longer she remained silent. After all, she knew how potentially dangerous and cunning this individual could be. She could only fathom if Cosmo was seriously injured or, even worse—dead. Eventually, she came out of her paranoid thoughts as the voicemail came on for the fourth time. “The voicemail box for this recipient is full Please call back and try again.”

Hearing the infamous voicemail tagline, Amy sighed and hung up. “Chaos, I’ve wanted you to get in touch with me all day. I have so much to tell you about…” she whispered to herself. With her cell phone and a hammer she had smuggled out of the shop during the day, she knelt down in the dirt, placed her cell phone on the ground, and began whacking at it violently. The phone’s screen cracked and eventually broke into pieces after several strikes. Out of breath, Amy stood upright, picked up the broken telephone's discarded bits, and dumped them into a plastic bag. She walked over to a nearby garbage can parked out back behind the mechanic shop and left the remains. Making sure no one had witnessed her destroying her phone, she quickly rushed inside as quietly as possible.

However, unbeknownst to her, Shadow had seen the whole thing go down. He kept his back pressed up against the side of the house with a lit cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth. Just what the hell was this girl hiding from their group anyway? Shadow took another long drag before exhaling a puff of smoke out of the corner of his mouth. He’d be sure to find out sooner or later. After all, he didn’t trust her at all.

•~•

In town, Silver sat in his office, rubbing the bit of skin between his eyes in frustration. This case was becoming increasingly tricky, no thanks to the Brothers of Chaos. Silver had spent most of the night searching for the perpetrator Ivo Robotnik but had found no leads to his whereabouts. He heard a knock on his door and glanced up only to see Vector cracking open his door. “You have a visitor, sheriff,” he announced.

He raised his head briefly, feeling exhaustion creep in. “Who is it?”

He opened the door wider. “An ATF agent,” he replied.

In walked Agent Zonic dressed in his agent uniform, which consisted of a red spandex full-body suit, gold shoulder pads, and knee-high green boots with gold shin pads. He wore thick black forearm gloves on both his arms and a gold belt around his waist. He took off his green and red helmet with a clear visor and braced it against his right hip. With his free hand, he whipped out his I.D badge and displayed it to Silver. “Good morning, I’m Agent Zonic, A.T.F for Tech City district 0001. You must be the deputy, Silver.”

Vector eyed their new visitor suspiciously before closing the door behind him, leaving both Silver and the agent in privacy. Silver rose from his seat and nodded slowly as he took in the officer’s presence. “Uh, that’s right, but what brings you here? You’re so far out of your district...”

Zonic tucked away his I.D in his pocket and offered out an outstretched arm for a handshake. “I’m here to investigate an outlaw M.C for possible illegal firearm distribution—they go by the name Brothers of Chaos. Are you familiar with them?”

Silver’s eyes beamed at the recognition of the male’s purpose. Perhaps he’d be able to help take down the club once and for all. Silver obliged by shaking his hand back in respect. “Oh, I’m quite familiar with them,” he smiled victoriously. “Welcome to Mercia.”

•~•

Later that morning, there was a loud knock at the front door. Rouge hustled towards it, holding her morning robe clenched tightly to keep her revealing nighty from being exposed. When she opened the door, Silver stood on the other end.

“Oh, officer,” Rouge gasped. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

Silver took off his shades and eyed the bat skeptically. “Mind if I come in?”

Rouge looked apprehensive at first but eventually moved the door, allowing the officer inside. “Please, come in. Everyone’s just waking up now.”

As Silver strolled inside the large house, he took a mental note of his surroundings. He spotted Mephiles walking out with a newspaper and coffee mug in hand and grimaced at his sight. “Oh, deputy, what brings you back so soon?” he questioned in feigned ignorance.

Silver crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. “Don’t play dumb. I know you were at the carnival looking for our perp last night.”

Mephiles put on his best acting and shot the grey hedgehog a look of befuddlement. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, officer. We spent the night working on vehicles.”

“Bull shit,” Silver snapped. “My guys woke up with a wicked hangover and swear they didn’t take anything. You were all gone when they came around, and I know you were up to this!” he pointed accusingly.

More of Mephiles’ crew began to emerge from all the ruckus from different parts of the house.

“We’re not lying,” Shadow seconded. “What proof do you have that we were there anyway?” Silver opened his mouth partly but struggled to reply. Technically, Shadow was right, he didn’t have any evidence to the point that they were culprits in evading the police’s search for a criminal, but he had a hunch they were up to something.

Shadow cocked his head to the side and smirked triumphantly, seeing him come up short with an answer. “You have no evidence to prove we were ever there because we weren’t.”

Seeing he was winning a losing battle, Silver backed up slowly, eying the motorcyclists down. “I swear, one of these days, I’m going to finally put you all where you deserve to be…behind bars. I’ve got a hunch it’s going to be soon.”

Mephiles smirked at his threat and watched as Silver retreated from their home. Once outside, Silver was surprised to run into Amy Rose back up from the steps after a morning run. “Oh, Ms. Rose, nice to see you again,” he smiled pleasantly.

Amy pulled out her earbuds after finishing a playlist from her morning run. “Good morning. I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” she smiled.

He shoved his hands into his pockets as they remained on the front porch. “Well, I’m still investigating the carnival case, and I’m pretty sure your new friends are involved somehow…”

Amy blinked a few times. “I-I don’t know much about what’s even going on, sir. I’m sorry I cannot be of any more help,” she shrugged innocently.

Unbeknownst to them, Shadow stood nearby one of the windows inside the house by the front porch and tried to listen to their conversation. He still didn’t trust their new doctor, and now she was having a rather prolonged discussion with the police officer. He couldn’t decide if she’d accidentally blab to them.

Back outside, Amy reached for her left arm uncomfortably. Silver reached for his car keys in his pocket and started to head off. “I’m sure I’ll see you around. Goodbye, Ms. Rose.”

“Wait,” Amy called out after having a thought. Silver spun around to look at her as she followed after him down the stairs.

“What is it?”

She swallowed as she kept her voice hushed. “Um, if I were to have a restraining order against someone in another city, would it still be valid if I went somewhere else?” she asked nervously.

Inside, Shadow strained to hear what the two were discussing. Whatever it was, Amy was sure to keep it discreet by keeping her voice lowered.

Outside, Silver raised a brow at her out-of-field question. He hadn’t expected her to ask such a question at that moment. “Well, that all depends…every city is a little different. Why? Do you believe that someone may be coming here?”

She shook her head adamantly, trying not to worry or concern him. “No, no, I doubt it.” She paused momentarily in thought. “But there was this guy I dated while I was in nursing school back in Tech City, and things got weird—it’s, uh, kind of hard to explain...”

Silver nodded, comprehending her situation. “I see…well, do you want me to run his name through the system and see if—”

“—No, that’s alright,” she waved off. “I’m probably just being paranoid,” she smiled sheepishly.

Silver crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing her carefully. “How long ago did you get the R.O?”

She tucked her arms behind her back. “About six or seven months ago.”

He pulled out a pen and pad of paper to write a reminder and jotted it down. “Right, I’ll make some calls and see how that plays out here.”

“Thank you, officer,” she replied politely. Amy watched as Silver walked over, loaded himself into his car, and drove off. She waited until his car was out of site and of the campus before heaving a sigh of relief. She turned on her heel to re-enter the house but bumped into someone directly behind her. She glanced up to see who she had run into and met with Shadow himself. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t--”
Shadow grabbed her arm and led her around the side of the house. Begrudgingly and entirely confused by his gesture, Amy was tugged against her will in his direction. “Hey, wait a second. Where are you taking me?” she prevailed.

Shadow backed her up against the side of the house as he towered in front of her, glaring down accusingly. He released his hold and crossed his arms over his chest. “Just who the hell are you?”

Amy glared up at him and seemed baffled by his sudden stern questioning. “Excuse me?” she squawked. “What are you talking about?”

“Stop playing dumb, princess. I know you’re hiding something from us!” he pointed venomously.

Amy swatted away his pointed finger out of her face and furrowed her brows up at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What the hell is your problem with me, anyway?” she screamed back.

“My problem?” he rebutted in insult. “My problem is that I see you doing shady shit all the time around here. First, it was last night with destroying your phone, and now you’re having little side convos with that new officer. You’re working with him, aren’t you?” he accused.

He had seen her destroying her phone. Well, damn. And now he thought she was some sort of plant for the police, which was the least of the truth. “You’re insanely paranoid. You know that right?” she cracked with a smile at his crazed theories. Although he did have a right to be paranoid about her destroying her cell phone, she was, after all, hiding some things from them.

He growled at her amused smile. “I’ve always been right with my instincts. Spill it.”

Amy moved around him and began walking away. “I don’t have to reveal any information I feel you’re not privy to,” she shot back confidently.

Hey, what’s going on out here?” a voice called. The two looked and spotted Mighty, Rouge, and Knuckles emerge from around the side of the house. The group had come out to investigate after hearing all the commotion from the two’s loud arguing.

Amy headed back indoors and passed the confused three. “He’s just being a complete asshole like usual,” she spat.

Shadow’s eyes followed her retreating figure, hearing her quip. “What’d you just say?”
Amy didn’t bother to look back as she re-entered the house with a huff.

Rouge shot the V.P a scowl. “Shadow, what have we talked about? Leave the girl alone!” the bat stressed.

“For real, man. Amy’s super sweet. You have nothing to worry about with her,” Mighty assured.

Shadow growled in frustration. “You all make me sound psychotic. I KNOW she’s hiding something.”

Knuckles looked between his girlfriend and the armadillo, lost in this feud. Had Shadow already been warned about this before? “Babe, what’s going on?”

Before Rouge could answer, a grey van crashed through the open gate into the compound. The whole group froze as they reacted to the strange car. It screeched to a halt right in front of them before the side door slid open. Two armed males wearing red bandanas to cover their muzzles, black hoodies, camo pants, and sunglasses whipped out automatic rifles and began to shoot rounds at them.

“Crap, scatter!” Mighty shouted as everyone diverted in different directions.

Everything happened so fast that people reacted differently. Knuckles quickly grabbed Rouge and ushered her to the nearest cover he could find to protect her from the flying bullets. Luckily, he got them behind one of the trucks parked beside the house. The couple remained there as bullets blasted the side of the car. Rouge hid her face against Knuckle’s chest as he shielded her with his broad arms, keeping her held close.

Mighty dodged oncoming bullets, hid under the porch's opening side and lay flat on his stomach as bullets hit the dirt in front of his face. His eyes widened as they took shots at their parked bikes and managed to hit one of the gas tanks, causing it to explode. It was like a chain reaction, setting off explosions of the other parked bikes beside them. “Nooo!”

Shadow, in the meantime, booked it around the side of the house, looking for cover. Bullets whizzed past the members, hitting the trees and grazing their sides.
After hearing the attack on their compound, Mephiles, Gadget, Locke, and Manic came out fully armed and ready for battle. After hearing the attack from outside, Amy had already dropped down underneath a window.

She removed her hands from covering the top of her head. “What’s going on?” she screamed.

Manic shot her a glance as he undid the safety mechanism on his gun. “Not sure, but stay indoors and stay put,” he said before running out with the others fully armed.

Both Manic and Mephiles had their own semi-automatic rifles and a few more to spare strapped to their backs. Locke had just an average shotgun and carefully scoped out the area as he headed down the steps behind the two. Mephiles walked down the front porch's stairs confidently, aimed directly at the car, and shot at it. Manic took his own aim, ducking behind the railing a few times but managed to take out one of the shooters in the van with a headshot. Locke ducked down himself, avoiding a bullet whizzing over his head. Seeing they were losing a battle, the assailants rounded up everyone. They slammed the car door shut and sped off out of the compound, leaving a dirt cloud from their spinning wheels in their tracks.

Mephiles looked over to Gadget once the coast was clear. “Rookie, go put out the fires by our bikes before it causes further damage. Manic, Locke, and I will deal with the others.”

Gadget nodded. “Yes, sir!” He rushed off to grab a hose to put out the flames.

Once it was safe, Knuckles, Rouge, and Mighty exited from their hiding positions. They all ran back to the front of the house to assess the damage. “Are they gone?” Rouge questioned nervously.

Knuckles held her close. “Yeah…”

“Who the hell was that back there?” Mighty panted.

“If I had to guess, probably the Suppression Squad,” Knuckles surmised. “We did steal our shit back and killed a couple of their guys only a day ago. They’re probably just retaliating.”

“We’ll deal with them later,” Mephiles mumbled before noticing a missing member. “Where’s Shadow?” Mephiles questioned.

Rouge and Knuckles wandered over to where they last saw him. “Shadow!” Knuckles called out. While they walked around, Rouge spotted a pair of legs lying flat on the dirt ground. Feeling her heart sink, Rouge rushed over and came around the side of the house, where she found him on his back, clutching his abdomen. A large amount of blood was already covering his lower half, and his eyelids were lowered and weak. “Crap…” She looked around frantically for assistance. “Help, help! He’s been shot!”

The other boys came rushing over, seeing Shadow’s gruesome state. “Brother!” Mephiles screamed.

“Help me get him inside. Amy can treat him,” Rouge urged.

Knuckles, Mighty, and Manic helped lift Shadow’s limp body and carried him inside. Amy gasped as she watched the boys carry Shadow’s injured body. He was bleeding pretty severely, so she knew she needed to be diligent with time.

Shadow was placed inside Amy’s office on top of the examination table. “Ms. Rose, what do you need?” Mephiles urged frantically. “If you need any sort of assistance, we’re here to help. Just don’t let my brother die.”

“I promise I won’t,” she pledged. “In the meantime, Mephiles apply pressure on the wound with this towel. Keep it held down while I get everything else ready in the meantime.”

Mephiles followed her instructions and used the towel to apply pressure to his brother’s wound. Shadow winced slightly but remained, for the most part, out of it. “Hold on, Shadow…”

Amy looked to the rest of the room as they waited anxiously for her following directive. “Alright, Mighty, look in the cabinets above the sink. I’ll need painkillers, coagulants, clean towels, sheets, and alcohol.”

Mighty nodded as he absorbed her long list. “I’m on it,” he saluted before racing off to get the supplies.

Amy looked at the red echidna. “Knuckles, go over to that cabinet and look for my surgery kit. It should be on the bottom shelf. I’ll need some gloves and a mask while you’re at it,” she ordered.

“Got it!” The giant echidna ushered over to help her prepare.

Amy looked over to Rouge next. “I’m going to need two I.V bags and an intravenous pole. They’re in the spare closet.”

“Two,” she repeated in confusion. “What for?”

“One for Shadow and the other for a donor.”

“Oh, they’re over here!” Rouge scurried off into the spare closet, where they had a pole at the ready. She handed Amy the two I.V bags quickly.

Amy accepted the items and looked over to Mephiles, who was still helping keep pressure on the wound. “Do you have the same blood type as your brother?”

He nodded. “Yes…”

“Good,” she smiled in relief. “Manic, I will need you to take over for Mephiles while I draw his blood.”

“Righto.” Manic walked over and placed his hands over Mephiles’, applying the same type of pressure he had previously used. Mephiles slipped his hands out from underneath and stood staring at his brother’s body. Shadow was starting to lose a lot of color in his skin.

She walked towards him and grabbed his arm. The dark hedgehog was still in shock, and she walked him over to the spare seat in the corner of the room. Sitting him down, she reached into a drawer for her kit. Mephiles stared at his brother’s unconscious body draped across the table. He was so out of it that he hadn’t realized that Amy had just finished setting up the I.V into his left arm. “Good, then I’m going to get you set up so we can start the transfusion process. He’s already lost a lot of blood and is still losing more.”

“Do you need anything else from us, Amy?” Rouge inquired as the rest of them stood by the door.”

Amy quickly washed her hands and slipped on her gloves and mask. “No, I should be able to take it from here. I’m just going to need one person to assist me, but it won’t be anything too drastic,” she informed.

Mighty raised his hand. “I’ll help out, doc.”

“Thank you for volunteering. Go wash your hands, wear gloves, and take over for Manic.”

The rest of the group headed out, leaving, Mephiles, Mighty, Shadow, and Amy inside.

•~•

Back at the police station, Silver returned to his office only to see Agent Zonic set up in a neighboring office they allowed him to work in for his temporary stay. The blue hedgehog typed away at his computer, syncing any data Mercia’s station had on the infamous M.C club. The agent looked up from his typing as the silver hedgehog entered the room. “You’re back. How’d it go?”

“Terrible, they’re acting completely innocent—like always,” he sighed. “I’m just waiting for the right moment to be able to finally tag them with something.”

“So, what’s the deal with this group anyway? Why are they able to get away with so much?” Zonic pressed curiously.

“This M.C has been here for years now. Some of them had gotten their dues, but most of them managed to slip through the cracks of justice and get off with a hand swat.”

He leaned back in his chair casually. “When you went to speak with them this morning, I took it upon myself to ask some of the locals about the biker gang. Most folks went quiet when I questioned their thoughts on them.”

Silver nodded. “Yeah, Mephiles, their president, has done a pretty good job convincing people their method of outlaw justice keeps the bigger and scarier boogeymen away…” he shook his head.

“I see,” Zonic replied, stroking underneath his chin. “They must be right, though, because the crime rate around town is rather low, so they must be doing something right.”

Silver walked over and shut the office door closed from prying eavesdroppers. “Look, they’re not doing this all on their own to escape the wrath of justice. They get a lot of help from superiors in higher places. Honestly, I believe they’re getting help from people even in this very building.”

Zonic sighed. “Well, that’s about to come to an end. With my help and your assistance, we should be able to put away these cons once and for all.”

Unbeknownst to them, Vector had been eavesdropping right outside the door the whole time. He quickly hustled away and whipped out his cell phone, knowing he’d have to make a quick call.

•~•

Back at the house, Amy and Mighty were working on tending to Shadow’s wounds. Amy was in the process of removing the bullet shards left in his lower abdomen. Unfortunately, without anesthesia, Shadow was feeling immense pain from her digging around for the shards. He screamed in agony and thrashed about to his best ability even as Mighty did his best to hold him down.

“Keep him still!” Amy shouted as she grabbed another shard of the bullet.

“I’m trying, Ames!” he shouted, continuing to hold down Shadow.

“GAAHHH!” Shadow bellowed.

Mephiles, on the other hand, sat off to the side and had seen enough. Watching his brother suffer in pain was hard to watch. “Stop it, you’re killing him!” he screamed.

Both Amy and Mighty froze as they stared at the irate older brother. “Meph, calm down. She’s trying to save him!” Mighty shot back.

Suddenly Shadow’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he passed out. Mephiles blinked in befuddlement at his brother’s limp body. “Is he, is he…dead?”

Amy placed the bloody shard she was fishing for into a metal dish with the other two she had managed to snag. She lowered her tool and felt his wrist for a pulse. “No, he just passed out. The pain drained him, but at least now it’ll be easier for me to get the remainders out.”

Mighty loosened his grip on Shadow’s shoulders and sighed in relief. “Three down, two more to go.”

The door cracked open, and Knuckles stuck his head inside. “Sorry to interrupt, but we got Detective Vec on the line. He needs to talk to you,” he gestured toward the dark hedgehog.

Mephiles looked astounded by the interruption. “Are you fucking kidding me? My brother is severely injured. He could die.”

“It’s okay, Mephiles,” Amy interrupted. I’ve got him stabilized. For now, he’s in good hands,” she assured.

Knuckles looked back over to his president. “He says this is pretty urgent too.”

•~•

After hearing the news that an A.T.F agent was in Mercia, Mephiles called a quick meeting of their remaining members. “We’ve done everything we can to stay out of the A.T.F’s sight. We don’t necessarily know they’re here for us,” Mephiles began. “But it’s come to my attention that they are in town, and they are in the process of an investigation.”

“I think it has to be about us,” Manic rebutted. “Think about it, man—we crushed any hope of Silver solving that rapist case. He probably called in the feds to get to us.”

“Well, according to Vector, he wasn’t able to hear all the specifics, but we’re definitely on this list of subjects,” Knuckles chimed in.

“We still haven’t found a safe house to store all our weapons. If he rolls around our place, we’re looking at life in prison,” Mephiles growled in irritation.

“When do you plan to use that blackmail against Sam? It could come in rather useful right now...” Manic reminded.

“True,” Mephiles nodded, stroking his chin in thought. “However, the construction of our new warehouse will take too long. We need to find a quick fix ASAP.”

“I have a prospect,” Locke suggested. “What if we call Finitevus for help? He owes us after we helped him take down the Suppression five months ago. We could ask him to stock our supply just long enough for the feds to leave our trail,” he suggested.

“I like it,” Mephiles concurred. “Alright, Locke, call him up and pitch our case if he says yes, then I’ll send you and Manic to deliver the goods to him. I’m not leaving this house until I know my brother is out of the woods.”

“I’ll get started right now.” With that said, the meeting was dismissed.

“Um, excuse me,” a voice interrupted. Everyone turned only to spot Amy standing at the entrance to the dining room where they were holding their meeting. She was covered in Shadow’s dried blood and still wore her gloves and surgical mask. “I’ve managed to extract all bullet fragments and stabilize Shadow. He’s out right now, but he’s still not out of the woods yet. I will need a few more crucial supplies to ensure he remains stabilized and heals properly.”

Mephiles rose from his seat and kept his eyes locked on her. “What do you need?”

“I’m going to need an oxygen tank, a mask, some more bandages to help keep his wound fresh, and some antibiotics.” Mighty appeared by her side, holding out a piece of paper. “I had Mighty write everything down in case you forget,” she answered.

“We’ll get all the necessary supplies immediately.” His eyes shifted over to Gadget and Manic. “You two, head out to our old friend at the hospital and snag the items.”

Gadget walked over and accepted the piece of paper from the armadillo. “We’ll be back as soon as we can, sir,” he pledged with a salute.

•~•

Several hours later, Shadow’s eyes fluttered open. His tired ruby orbs scanned his surroundings as he tried to determine his location. His vision was a bit fuzzy at first, but after a few moments of blinking, it began to clear up. He groaned, feeling his throat as dry as the desert. He tried to move but seethed in agonizing pain and realized it was better not to move. He reached up to touch his face and noticed he had oxygen tubes going into his nostrils to supply him with more oxygen. Shadow lifted his hand and saw an I.V drip taped on top of his hand.

Shadow heard someone enter the room, and eventually, a familiar pink face hovered over him. “Well, good morning, sleeping beauty,” Amy smiled sarcastically down at him.

Shadow frowned at her sight and scoffed. “What happened?” he asked weakly.

She raised a brow, slightly alarmed. “You don’t remember getting shot?”

Shadow thought about it for a moment before it all returned to him. “Shit, that’s right…and you saved me?” he asked in surprise.

“Of course, it’s why I was hired to work here after all,” she smiled arrogantly while crossing her arms over her chest.

He rubbed at his eyes. “How long was I out for?”

“About six hours,” she replied. “I’ve been keeping watch just in case anything happened, but as of now, I’d say you were very lucky.”

Shadow looked away briefly as he absorbed her words. “…Thank you,” he mumbled.

Amy was shocked to hear the words come out of his mouth. She wasn’t sure she had heard him correctly. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

He groaned and rolled his eyes, knowing he’d have to repeat himself. It was already hard enough to say the first time. “I said thank you, alright?” he repeated bitterly.

Even Amy could tell it was difficult for him to say, so she accepted the effort. “You’re welcome,” she replied softly. She sat in a seat she had set up next to his bed. “So, why did those guys attack us?”

“Didn’t that contract Rouge made you sign when you came on, say no questions asked?” he reminded passively. “You know damn well you’re living with a bunch of sketchy guys who do sketchy business—like I said, you don’t belong here,” he emphasized.

Amy narrowed her brows at him. “I’m well aware of what I signed up for. How come it’s okay for you to get pissed off with me for keeping my secrets?” she countered.

“Because I happen to know and trust everybody else in this club except you,” he pointed. “You could be an enemy in disguise, for all I know. You won’t earn my trust so easily, princess.”

“Enough with the degrading ‘princess’ nickname,” Amy rebutted. “It’s extremely immature. You could be a little nicer to me, you know. I did just save your life,” she reminded.

“I don’t have to do shit,” he scoffed.

Amy opened her mouth to interject, but a knock at the door distracted their attention. Before they knew it, Mephiles cracked open the door to Shadow’s room. “Mind if I have a word with my brother for a moment?”

She huffed and rose from her seat. “Of course not. I’d rather not spend any more time than needed in here,” she replied passively. “…I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Mephiles and Shadow watched as she left.

Once the door was closed, Mephiles took residence in the seat beside his brother’s bed. “What’s happening then?” Shadow inquired. “Who attacked us?”

“We don’t know for certain yet,” he started. “We’re assuming it was the Suppression, but we’ll deal with them later. Right now, we have a more pressing matter on our hands.”

Shadow seemed confused. What could possibly be more important than that? “What is it?”

“Vector informed us that an A.T.F agent is in town and is possibly in the process of investigating us.”

Shadow plopped his head back onto his pillow. “Shiiit,” he moaned.

“I know,” Mephiles concurred. “If they were to get a warrant for our compound, we’re looking at life in prison with all the illegal arms we’re sitting on unless we find a good hiding spot. Thankfully, we have a plan, but things will be moving fast around here.”

He sat up slightly, wincing as he did. “What do you have in mind?”

“Locke called up Finitevus to see if his charter could hold our stash for the next couple of months until this shit blows over. He agreed to hold our supply, but you know it’s a couple of hour's drive from here. Knuckles, Manic, and I are going to leave tonight. I’m going to leave Mighty, Locke, and Gadget here to keep watch over you and the girls in case another attack occurs.”

“But if you go, you’ll have to drive through Suppression territory…You could be ambushed.”

“We know the risks, but I’ll take it over being thrown in prison for life. We have far worse enemies locked away behind bars itching to get retaliation against us,” he reminded gravely. “I’d rather stay out of prison.”

Shadow stared sternly at him, knowing his argument was valid. “Fine, but be careful out there.”

Mephiles rose from his seat and started to head for his door. “I plan to come back alive as always. Now, as for you, try not to give Ms. Rose a hard time. She did save your life after all…”

“I didn’t ask for her help,” he huffed. “I’d rather have been taken to a hospital than have her touch me.”

Mephiles opened his bedroom door and scoffed in humor. “Of course, so then we’d have to report the gunshot wound and have the authorities sniffing around here even further,” he replied dryly. Before Shadow could get another quip in, Mephiles shut the bedroom door behind him.

Coming back out of her room, Mephiles spotted Amy Rose heading back toward Shadow’s room. “Oh, Ms. Rose,” he called.

She glanced up at him as they stopped in the middle of the hall. “Yes?”

He reached out and took her hands in his, cupping them gently, taking her aback by his sudden gesture. He kept his reptilian eyes locked on her confused jade ones. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my younger brother back there.”

She smiled sheepishly, and her ears folded back slightly. “Heh, it’s what you hired me for, right?”

His other hand remained on top of hers, and he softly petted the top of her hand as he sensually stroked her other hand with his thumb. His eyelids lowered seductively. “We’re already paying you to do your job, but if there is any other type of way I can show you my gratitude, I would have the utmost pleasure in showing you…”

Amy gulped nervously, feeling something rather uncomfortable with his alluding words. She recoiled her hands out of his grasp. “Oh, Mephiles. You don’t have to. I know you’re thankful. I love what I do, so no need to thank me further.”

“Well, I hope my brother doesn’t scare you off. So far, you’ve proven to be a great asset on our part,” he noted. “He may be an ass, but I assure you he’s quite the softy deep down.”

He watched as she moved around him and headed back for Shadow’s room. “Nah, Shadow can’t scare me away,” she smiled sheepishly, while backing away. “Thanks for the compliment, Mephiles. I got to check in on Shadow again.” It seemed she’d rather be trapped in a room with Shadow than be out in the hall on her own with the creepily eerie dark hedgehog president.

•~•

Back at the police station, Agent Zonic got up from his seat and left his office, heading for the nearest exit. Silver watched the retreating hedgehog and followed after him. “Agent, where are you going?”

“I need to do some more surveillance on the group before I can call in a raid. I’m going to collect more evidence by following them around for the next 24 hours,” he explained, grabbing a set of car keys in his pocket.

“You want me to send another officer with you for backup?” he inquired.

Zonic shook his head. “I should be fine by myself. I’m trained to handle this on my own.”

“Oh, okay…” Silver watched as Zonic left the building. Meanwhile, in the background, sitting at their desks, both Espio and Vector exchanged concerned glances.

•~•

Twenty minutes later, back at the compound, Mephiles, Knuckles, and Manic were ready for their trek. Gadget ran over to their chain-linked fence and unlocked it. Grabbing ahold of it, he ran down the side of it and dragged it open for their departure.

Near the front of the house, Rouge embraced Knuckles and smooched him passionately. Knuckles kept his hands on her hips, kissing her back. Rouge pulled back and looked up at him. “Stay safe, babe.”

He released his hold around her waist. “Nothing is going to happen. Make sure Shadow doesn’t drive off the doc. She’s worth keeping around.”

She waved to him and watched as he hopped into his blue pickup truck carrying a trailer with all their disassembled illegal arms. “I will,” she laughed.

At that same time, a BMW with black windows. It parked itself off the side of the road just outside of their compound. The window rolled down slightly only to reveal Agent Zonic behind the wheel. His brows furrowed as he eyed the motorcycle group. His eyes scanned the compound and picked up on the recent damage. There were charred burn marks on the ground and up the side of one of the walls of the mechanic shop. “Recent attack perhaps or accident?” he pondered aloud to himself. He whipped out his camera and took a few shots.

Suddenly, Mephiles lead the charge, ripping out of the compound with Manic following closely behind on his bike. Behind Manic was a blue pickup truck that followed after them. Starting his engine again, Zonic decided he’d follow them to see what they were really up to.

•~•

Driving down the highway in the dead of night, Mephiles led the charge, driving in front while Knuckles drove a truck behind Manic and Mephiles. Suddenly, as they rounded the corner, a group of three bikers came roaring toward them. Mephiles squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look at their oncoming traffic. Were these enemies or just random bikers? As they got closer, he realized they were actually, in fact, Suppression bikers.

“What do we got?” Manic shouted over their roaring engines, eying his leader.

“Suppression Squad,” Mephiles shouted back. “Be ready.”

Manic scowled. “So much for trying to stay low profile,” he shouted back. “It’s three against four.”

In the truck, Knuckles could also see they were in trouble. His hands gripped the steering wheel. “Oh great…” he mumbled.

Mephiles, Manic, and Knuckles continued to drive ahead. It’d only be a matter of time before they’d be side by side on the road alone, together with the enemy. Mephiles watched as one of the other cyclists, a large butch brown dog, whipped out a pistol. However, he got it out too late and missed the opportunity to strike as Mephiles, and his crew whizzed past them on the opposite side of the road.

The Suppression bikers immediately did a U-turn and raced after the group, and came up behind them. Knuckles watched the group get closer in his rearview mirror. “Come on…” His eyes looked straight ahead of him, and he saw Mephiles signaling him with his hand. He read his cue and nodded understanding. He slammed on the brakes just as the Suppression got near. The group of bikers was forced to navigate quickly around the halting truck.

The brown dog, leading the charge, crashed his motorcycle into a ditch off the side of the road. The large bike landed on top of him, pinning him down in the dirt. One of the other riders veered off and stopped their bike to assist him. In the meantime, Manic and Mephiles realized they wouldn’t have to fight. The other bikers were too busy dealing with their wounded friend. Mephiles signaled for the others to keep moving. They continued riding off down the highway. They knew they wouldn’t see the last of them.

*~*
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Chapter 5: The Brothers of Chaos: Southside Charter

Summary:

Amy remains at home and takes care of Shadow as he recovers from his injuries, while Mephiles and some others head over to the Southside Charter for assistance. Mephiles picks up a drifter on the way, and she gets an insight to what type of people the Brothers of Chaos really are.

Later that night, in Shadow’s room, the dark hedgehog thrashed around in his bed in a cold sweat. His head tossed back and forth against his pillow as he panted. He was having a night terror that felt more realistic than usual.

.::Nightmare::.

A beautiful, blonde hedgehog with long flowing quills fled for her life outside a diner and other screaming civilians. Out of breath, she dodged oncoming bullets as other people around her crumpled to the floor on either side of her, riddled with bullets. Out in front of the parking lot, Mighty, Locke, Maniac, Knuckles, Shadow, and Mephiles were hidden behind some parked cars as they held a shoot-out with their opponents.

She turned the corner of the block and gasped when she spotted a grey Camaro roll around the corner. As the car got closer, the Camaro's window rolled down, revealing a masked figure who whipped out a semi-automatic rifle and aimed it in her direction. The passenger wielding the weapon said no other words and did as he was ordered.

Shooting at assailants nearby, Shadow craned his neck when he heard another round going off behind them. His eyes widened in horror when he spotted the blonde hedgehog’s body fall as multiple bullets shot at her. His whole world slowed down at that moment. “MARIA!” he screamed. Her body crumpled to her knees, and she fell to her side with wide-open eyes. The sidewalk she lay on collected multiple puddles of blood. Craning his head, Shadow rushed towards her fallen body just as the other cars passing by sped off, leaving their destruction behind them.

Shadow fell to his knees, turned her body over, and brought her into his arms. Shadow clutched Maria’s body up against his chest, feeling hot tears streak down his face. He rocked back and forth slowly, stroking the top of her head as he held her. His shirt, jacket, pants, and gloves quickly began to stain with her blood, but he did not care. “Maria, Maria…no, no!”

Shadow shot upright in bed and panted. He looked down at his hands, expecting to see fresh blood but soon realized it was just that same night terror again. He placed a hand against his chest, feeling his heart race, and began to collect himself. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and held it before exhaling. His bedroom door opened, and Amy peeked her head inside, looking at him with concern. She flipped the light switch to his room, turning on the lights. He winced from the abrupt brightness. “Shadow, are you okay? I heard you screaming.”

Shadow ignored her concerned tone and continued to focus on his breathing. He panted, “Go…away.”

Amy walked over, picked up a pitcher of water by his bedside, poured a fresh glass, and handed it to him. “Here, drink some water.” He accepted her kind gesture and sipped the water, and calmed down. Amy sat down on the seat beside his bed. “So, who’s Maria?” she questioned, causing him to choke on his water.

He coughed a bit on the water that went in the wrong direction down his throat. “None of your goddamn business,” he coughed.

Amy furrowed her brows at his sharp venomous tone. “You were having a nightmare and screaming a name. I’m just trying to help you process it,” she defended.

He put the cup of water back on his nightstand. “I can process shit on my own, now get out of my room. I’m fine.”

Glaring at him, Amy rose to her feet and walked out of his room as instructed. “So rude…” she muttered under her breath. Once she was gone, he settled back into bed, nestled his head into his pillow, and exhaled a shaky sigh.

•~•

Downstairs, Mighty’s cell phone rang as he lounged on the couch. He answered his phone and placed it to his ear. “Hey, how’s the trip going?”

On the other end, Mephiles stood outside a gas station on his cell phone as both Knuckles and Manic pumped gas into their vehicles in the background. “So far, not great,” he droned. “We had the luxury to run into some crew members of the Suppression squad.”

Mighty’s eyes widened at the news. “Shit, you guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” he replied on his end. “We managed to lose them, but now they know we’re in their area and we’re carrying merchandise. We’re fueling up to make it through the rest of the night before reinforcements come after us.”

“Okay, I’ll inform Shadow of the status update.”

“Very well, keep vigilant on your end. Now that they know a few of us aren’t at the compound, the members in the area could strike again.”

“Right, keep me posted, man.” With that, the two hung up.

•~•

After getting some cigarettes from the gas station, Manic, Knuckles, and Mephiles walked out to their parked bikes but were surprised to see some company lingering near their vehicles. A female yellow mongoose with strikingly beautiful purple hair stood with her back to them as she tried to get the best picture possible with her boyfriend, another yellow mongoose with black hair. Her boyfriend sat on Mephiles’ bike, trying to strike the best badass pose he could whip up.

“Hurry up, idiot,” he seethed through a clenched smile as he grew impatient with her struggling to get the best shot.

She tapped on the screen with her finger. “Hold on, I forgot to put on the flash,” she shot back.

“—Need a hand?” Mephiles asked, standing directly behind her with his crew.

The female mongoose gasped as she eyed the three of them. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I-I told him he shouldn’t sit on the bikes,” she rambled apologetically.

Mephiles waved a hand and looked indifferent to the prospect. “Nonsense, my dear. It’s quite alright. Here, allow me.” Hesitantly, she handed over the cell phone, and Mephiles held it up to get the best shot. His reptilian eyes glanced over to her boyfriend. “You like bikes, then?”

The boyfriend nodded as he held a pose, trying to look rugged and badass on the bike. “Yeah, they’re wickedly cool.” Mephiles took a picture, and the snapshot sound effect went off. “Ah, there we go. There’s the before,” he said, handing back the phone to the male and then reaching for his helmet planted on the back of his parked bike.

In the meantime, the male mongoose looked down at his picture, admiring the shot but was confused by his comment. “Huh, what do you mean before?”

WHACK. The male mongoose flew off the stationary motorcycle after being side-swiped in the face violently with the motorcycle helmet now held in Mephiles’ hand.

The female gasped. “Ash!”

Knuckles cringed at the sight of the male mongoose. “Ouch, that’s going to hurt tomorrow…”

Manic reached down, picked up the phone, and snapped another picture of Ash with a bloody nose and mouth. “And there’s the after,” he smirked darkly.

Ash sat up weakly, glaring up at the dark hedgehog. Mephiles held no intimidation as he stared down at him. “Don’t you ever sit on another male’s bike, you wannabe lowlife,” he pointed venomously.

Ash wiped some of the blood dripping from his nose on the back of his sleeve, then looked over to his girl cowering off to the side. “What are you doing just standing there, you dumb bitch? Help me up!” he shouted.

Hesitantly, she went to move in to assist him, but Mephiles blocked her path with an outstretched arm. “That’s how you speak to your old lady?” He moved his left leg back and kicked it into the side of his left rib cage. Ash grunted from the assault and stayed still on the floor, wheezing for breath. “Get lost, you leech.”

Knuckles walked around the guy and hopped into his truck. “Stop wasting time here. Let’s keep moving,” he urged.

Manic and Mephiles mimicked his actions and mounted their bikes. Mephiles eyed the girl up and down as she stood there, looking lost and unsure of what to do next. “Hey, gorgeous…”

“Me?” she pointed to herself.

He nodded as he clipped on his helmet. “Yes, where are you heading? I’ll give you a lift.”

She approached him cautiously, feeling her cheeks hot from his compliment. “Uh, nowhere special…”

His eyelids lowered suggestively. “That’s quite the coincidence. I’ve got the same destination,” he smiled as charmingly as he could and patted the back seat of his bike. “Hop on, beautiful.”

She smiled, feeling butterflies in her stomach from the idea of riding with these complete yet, attractive strangers. She climbed aboard the back of his bike and put on the spare helmet he handed her. “What’s your name, my dear?” he inquired politely as he placed his hands on the bike handles.

“It’s Mina,” she answered, securing her helmet. “What’s your name?”

“Mephiles,” he replied as he started his engine. “Now, hold on tight.” She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his torso. Mephiles revved his handles, kicked off the kickstand, and drove out of the gas station. Knuckles and Manic followed behind him.

Ash stumbled to his feet, holding his injured side as he watched his girlfriend ride off into the night. “Where the hell are you going, you good-for-nothing bitch!? Hey, come back here!” he called. He watched as the two motorcyclists rode off down the road along with the echidna in the truck.

In the background, parked in one of the parking spots, Zonic watched from the comfort of his car. He whipped out his long-distance lens camera and took a few pictures of the three bikers riding off. He’d make sure to continue tailing them. So far, they were making his night quite enjoyable.

•~•

Back at the house, Amy knocked on Shadow’s cracked door before pushing it open. She was holding a first aid kit of fresh bandages, gauze, alcohol, swaps, and gloves. “Sorry to bother you, but I’m going to need to change your bandages,” she announced.

Shadow groaned in annoyance. “Do you have to?”

“If I don’t, it could get infected,” she replied. “You need fresh bandages. Your wound is probably still oozing.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine, get it over with.”

“If you think you’re going to get rid of me by being a cranky patient, well, I hate to break it to you, Shadow, but I’ve dealt with plenty of patients just like you,” she smiled sweetly just to annoy him further.

He watched as she snapped on her gloves and began to lay out the supplies she’d use on his wound on the table by his bed. “How can you be so disgustingly sweet towards me when I’ve been nothing but a dick to you?”

“It comes with experience,” she answered simply. She lowered the sheets off from covering his upper half revealing his bare upper body. She rested the sheets at his hips and carefully peeled away the medical tape keeping the gauze secured. Shadow hissed slightly, feeling it pull at some hairs surrounding the area. “I’ve had patients treat me like garbage, throw punches, spit, throw up on me, verbally attack me, but at the end of the day, I’m here to heal my patients. You don’t have to like me, but you must allow me to do my job.”

He could only imagine the type of patients she had to put up with. “I see…” He watched as Amy took a bit of cotton and swapped the area with some alcohol to clean the area around the stitching.

Amy discarded the used cotton into a bin behind her. Just then, Amy glanced at his bare and toned upper body. She hadn’t had much time to really check it out before when she was surgically removing bullet fragments. Only now did she notice how well in shape the dark hedgehog's upper body was. However, she also noticed that Shadow’s chest was covered in scars of all different variations. Amy shifted her longing glance at checking out his body and focused on patching up his fresh bandages. “I can’t help but notice you have a lot of scars. I’m sure there’s a story behind each one.”

“I’ve been in a lot of fights throughout my life,” he replied quickly, without giving out too much information.

She finished taping up the gauze. “Is this your first time being shot?”

“It’s my third time,” he answered dully. “However, this is the closest I’ve come to dying. So, again…” his focus shifted from looking her in the eyes. “…Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” she took off her gloves and tossed them in the bin. “Well, that’s it. We’re finished here.” She began to collect her things. “If you need anything, just holler. I’ll be down the hall from--” She paused when she heard him groan in pain. “Hey, what do you think you are you doing?” she questioned as she spotted him sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to stand.

He strained to push himself up to a standing position. “I need to take a piss. Calm down, princess.”

“Oh, here.” She walked over to his dresser and placed her supplies down temporarily. Afterward, she walked over to his bedside. “Let me help you. It’s good that you want to walk around. You need to gain your strength back.”

He shook his head at her outstretched arms. He swatted her arms away and growled in irritation. “No, get away I can do it on my own.”

Amy ignored his disapproval and sat on the bed beside his left side. She took to hold his left arm and draped it over her shoulders. She draped her other arm behind his back and helped lift him to his feet. Shadow winced, feeling a searing pain around his wound. He wobbled slightly, still weak from his injuries, but Amy supported him. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” she smiled.

He got a whiff of her scent and couldn’t help but admire how nice she smelled. He could only imagine how he must’ve smelled in his current state. Shadow shook his head, coming out of thoughts of the female, and instead shot her another irritated look. “I said I don’t need your help,” he tried to growl threateningly.

“You’re not completely steady yet. Now stop complaining and start walking, mister.” Grumbling inaudible words under his breath, Amy and Shadow slowly sauntered out of the bedroom and into the bathroom next door.

Just as Amy led Shadow into the bathroom, they spotted Mighty heading up the stairs. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“Fine.” Amy removed Shadow’s arm draped around her and allowed him to enter the bathroom on his own accord.

“I’ve got it from here,” Shadow assured, making his way into the bathroom. He held onto the counter and shut the door behind him.

Amy turned to look at the armadillo. “Did you need something?”

“Not really,” he smiled. “I actually need to talk to Shadow about some news regarding Mephiles, but I’ll wait until he’s out.”

“Oh, right,” she smiled sheepishly, realizing it was private information regarding the club. “Then do you mind assisting him back to his room once he’s done?”

He placed one hand on his hip. “Yeah, I’ve got it from here.”

Amy walked back to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Once she was gone, the bathroom door cracked open, and Shadow stepped out, holding onto the door frame. “What’s up?”

Mighty allowed Shadow to drape an arm over his shoulders. The two of them walked back to the bedroom. “Your brother called. He said they ran into Suppression members on their ride.”

“Chaos,” Shadow breathed. “Is he alright?”

Mighty helped sit Shadow down on the edge of his bed. “They’re fine. They scared them off. He told me they’re not taking any more pit stops now. They know we’re carrying our supply and could strike again,” he explained.

“He’s going to need a sanctuary for sure now,” Shadow surmised as he settled back into bed.

Mighty draped the sheets back over the weakened hedgehog. “That’s what he was saying too. I’ll keep you posted on the updates, though. For now, just rest and recover.” He stood back upright and left the room.

•~•

Later on, Mephiles, Knuckles, and Manic finally arrived at their destination. They parked their vehicles outside a large industrious-looking clubhouse near an exit off the highway. Mina got off from behind Mephiles, and he dismounted his bike too. As the two of them took off their helmets, Mina looked at her surroundings curiously. On the side of the building, it read: Brothers of Chaos: Southbound. “What is this place?”

“Don’t worry about it, beautiful,” Mephiles assured, placing his helmet along with hers on the back of his motorcycle. He slung his arm behind her neck and walked with her close to him. “Just stick close to me, don’t ask too many questions, and we’ll eventually get down to some fun,” he smirked suggestively.

After getting out of the truck, Knuckles approached Manic as they watched Mephiles flirt with the naïve mongoose. "He sure loves going for those just out of high school girls, doesn’t he?”

Manic placed his helmet on the back of his motorcycle as he saw Mephiles draping his arm over Mina’s shoulder and giving her a quick cuddle. She seemed to like it as she blushed innocently. He made an internal cringe. “Yeah, he’ll do anything for some good pussy.”

As the four made their way towards the bar, the doors opened up, and a middle-aged white biker, an echidna with black spectacles, greeted them. “Mephiles,” he grinned with outstretched arms.

Mephiles released his slung arm around Mina and sauntered over to his old friend. “Finitevus, old friend. It’s been so long.” The two of them embraced momentarily, patting each other on the back.

In the distance, Zonic parked his car off the side of the road and continued to snap pictures to obtain plenty of evidence on the biker group. He got a few snaps of the white echidna and Mephiles exchanging handshakes and embraces. He lowered his camera as he watched their next move from the safety of his car.

Once they departed from their friendly embrace, Finitevus gestured for them to enter. “Come in. You must be very tired from your journey.” Knuckles and Manic walked in behind Mephiles, and Mina hesitantly followed behind her new acquaintances. Once inside, the bar was filled with all different colored echidnas, hedgehogs, bats, armadillos, and squirrels belonging to the southside M.C. Some were at the bar getting a drink or socializing, others were playing pool, and some were just watching TV at the high tabletops. Knuckles spotted an old fling lingering in the background. “Oh, Julie-Su,” he waved.

The purple echidna noticed him and smiled, waving back and slowly approaching him. “Hey, Knuckles,” she smiled.

Finitevus caught the attention of his members with a hand clap. “Attention, everyone. We have M.C royalty in the house. I want everyone to make them feel at home.” All the members gave a cheer and went back to doing their activities. Finitevus noticed the pretty yellow mongoose with long purple hair as they walked further into the building. “Is she your old lady,” he whispered to Mephiles, eying her looking out of place in the background.

“No,” he replied with a head shake. “She’s just a little snack I picked up near the border. The poor thing looked like a deer in headlights, so I figured she could be fun for later,” he chuckled with a soft side jab of the elbow.

Finitevus chuckled. “I hear you, brother.”

“—Whoa, and who the heck is that piece of ass?” The two leaders heard Manic exclaim nearby. They turned and spotted him lay eyes set on a beautiful female at the other end of the room.

Finitevus and Mephiles looked in the same direction only to spot what he coveted. A beautiful orange female echidna was wearing a skintight black leather one-piece suit. She was leaning against the bar with her ass sticking out most enticingly. She had her quills in an updo showcasing her beautiful tribal-looking stripes in her dreads. Her lavender eyes focused on the screen behind the bar as she watched a local sports game. “Ah, you have your eye on Shade, hm?” Finitevus hummed. “She usually goes for $1200 an hour.”

All of the hope and optimism drained from Manic’s face after hearing about the price range. There was no way he’d be able to afford that. “Aww, man…”

“However…” Finitevus continued and placed his hand on the green hedgehog’s shoulder. “For you, she’s on the house. Go have fun, young lad.”

Manic’s eyes beamed in excitement. “Really?”

Finitevus placed his fingers to his lips and whistled, catching the girl’s attention. “Shade, come over here and meet, Manic.”

Shade sauntered over to Manic and exchanged a hand. “Nice to meet you,” she smiled seductively.

He kissed the top of her hand. “I’d like to get to know you more in private, if ya know what I mean, baby girl?” he said, flashing a grin. She giggled and led him off. The two wandered off to the back rooms of the club for some fun.

Unbeknownst to them, Mina had wandered over to Mephiles and Finitevus after feeling quite awkward. She didn’t know anyone here and was starting to have second thoughts about tagging along with the strange bikers. Finitevus caught her uncomfortableness and flagged over another female. This time it was a red female echidna. “Misty-Re,” Finitevus began. “This girl is with Mephiles. Take her under your wing and show her around.”

Misty-Re nodded, understanding her assignment. “Of course.” She looked over to Mina, who looked even more nervous. “Come on, sweetheart. Let me show you around.”

Mephiles and Finitevus sat together at the bar and were served beer. They clinked their glasses together and threw back a gup of the cold substance. “So, what type of business are we getting down to today.”

“Well, as you’re aware, we’ve got an A.T.F agent sniffing around in Mercia. It’ll only be a short time before reinforcements come. Since our feud with the Suppression seems to be increasing, we currently have no warehouse to assemble and distribute our guns. We hoped you could help us store them somewhere out here until we get a buyer.”

“Yes, my condolences to your old warehouse…” Finitevus stroked his chin in thought. “You know our business out here is prostitution—but I do happen to have a strip club a few miles away. It has a huge basement, and I could allow you to store them there for the time being,” he suggested. “But only for a bit.”

Mephiles nodded with a grin at the offer. “Perfect. This will only be a temporary solution; I assure you we’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

In another part of the room, Misty-Re and Mina shared a cocktail. The two sat at a high tabletop bar with some martinis. “So, are you Mephiles’ old lady?” Misty-Re questioned curiously.

Mina shook her head. “No, we just met tonight, actually.”

She shot the girl a look of pity. “Oh, I see. Well, that explains a lot.”

Mina took another sip of her drink. “So, how long have you been with these guys?” Mina inquired curiously.

She smirked and lowered her eyelids suggestively. “Sweetheart, I’ve been here for three years.”

Mina seemed impressed by the reveal. “Which one is your boyfriend, then?” Mina asked, glancing around the room.

“Well, none of them yet,” she answered, fiddling with her glass. “But I’m just waiting for one of them to realize what a great gal I am and to make me their old lady,” she stated confidently.

Back at the bar, Finitevus noticed Mephiles start to fade. He had traveled all through the night, and fatigue began to strike. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “Now that we have our deal underway, I suggest you get your rest. You’ve had an adventurous day. Take the back room on the left.”

Mephiles raised a brow. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

Finitevus shook his head and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. “I insist.”

Mephiles finished his beer and placed the glass down on the counter. “In that case, I’ll see you in a few hours.” The white echidna watched as Mephiles walked in Misty-Re and Mina’s direction. The dark hedgehog stopped at their table and eyed his girl. “Come on, darling, let’s have some fun.”

Mina hopped off her seat and exchanged an excited glance with Misty-Re. “Have fun, kids,” Misty sang and waved as she watched Mephiles slip his arm around Mina’s waist and guide her off down the hall.

Mephiles opened the bedroom door and led the stray female inside. Once in privacy, Mephiles grabbed Mina by the hips and pulled her flush against him. She blushed from his forwardness, stared into his reptilian eyes, and blushed. “Are you frightened of me?” he whispered.

She smiled wryly. “Just a bit. You are a little intimidating but also very mysterious in a sexy type of way,” she admitted. “Normally, you’re not my type…”

“Not your type, hm?” His right hand came up next to her and stroked it, and he leaned his face closer, resting his forehead against hers. She could smell the mixture of leather, cigarettes, and alcohol looming between them. “Let’s see if I can change that opinion tonight.” He closed his eyes and brought her into a heated kiss. Once caressing her face, his hand slipped down to the side of her neck. Mina moaned into the kiss, feeling the heat intensify between them. Mephiles’ other free hand remained on her hip, giving occasional small squeezes.

Mina felt his tongue roam inside her mouth, gently dancing with her own. Eventually, she felt Mephiles begin to back her up slowly. Her butt bumped into a dresser directly behind her. Mephiles pried his mouth away from hers and directed it to the side of her neck, giving soft nips and open-mouth kisses along it. Mina kept her eyes closed as he got her further into the mood. Both his hands went down her backside and stopped at her ass. He carefully cupped a feel of her perky ass, and then one hand slipped towards the front. Mina rested her hands on his shoulders as she felt him stroke her opening through her panties under her short skirt. His index and middle finger coaxed at the fabric keeping her vagina covered. They stroked in a soft back-and-forth manner sensually. Mina gasped as she eventually felt his finger move past the fabric and dip into her hot core. Mephiles smirked at her heated face as he felt her hot insides and slickness coat his long fingers.

Mina found herself leaning in closer to him and stood on her tippy toes as he sunk his fingers deeper and deeper inside her. Her hands gripped his leather cut as she felt the heightened sensation. “Mep—Mephiles,” she moaned softly. Mephiles leaned his mouth near her ear and licked along it softly. She found it rather strange for him to do something like that, but at the same time, it felt rather lovely in combination.

“Almost there,” he quickened his speed, going up a notch. He moved his fingers in a come-hither motion making the sensation unbearable. Mina cried out as she felt a release rush come all over his fingers. She felt her heart racing as she collected herself. Mephiles removed his fingers from between her legs and sniffed them. Mina watched as he inhaled her scent before letting his tongue lick off her essence. “Delicious,” he hissed. “Now, take your shirt off,” he ordered.

She blinked a few times, still slightly panting. “What?”

“Take it off,” he repeated more sternly. Mina didn’t argue and took off her tank top and let it drop to the floor, leaving her only in her bra, skirt, and soiled panties. “Now, the skirt,” he pointed. Mina felt so embarrassed yet thrilled by his alpha personality and authoritative stance. She pulled down her skirt, leaving her in her black bra and matching bikini panties. His right hand reached above her and landed on top of her silky purple head. He gently eased her down onto her knees onto the floor. Mina watched as he unbuckled his pants before her and whipped out his hardened dick. It stood erect and proud, only a few inches in front of her face. “Your turn, my dear.”

Mina reached out, took his erection into her hand, and began to pump it. She squeezed at different parts before finally enveloping it in her mouth. Mephiles looked down at the young girl watching as her head bobbed forward and backward as she took more of his length into her mouth. “Yes,” he hissed in pleasure.

Her hot mouth engulfed his engorged member making him feel a shiver run down his spine. He pressed his back against the dresser, let his head fall back, and closed his eyes. He let his mind wander to other things. He thought back to what he had told Amy Rose earlier. He had meant it when he told her he would thank her in other methods of payment other than cash. However, she didn’t seem as receptive to the idea. Oh, how he wished he could place her on a countertop, eat out her sweet little pussy, and make her cry out into ecstasy and beg for mercy. As he allowed his mind to daydream, he winced as Mina began to deepthroat him. He imagined Amy sucking him off instead of this hitchhiker slut he had picked up off the side of the road. He gasped and grabbed the top of her head, holding her in place as he dumped his load into her mouth. Mina shut her eyes and felt his hot seed flood her mouth. After a few moments, he pulled out his cock from her mouth and panted, looking down at the young girl. Mina swallowed his semen and wiped the corners of her mouth. “Good girl,” he praised, patting the top of her head like a mere dog.

•~•

Later that evening, back in Mercia, Amy knocked on Shadow’s door before opening it up. Shadow had been taking a little snooze when he cracked his eyes open after the sudden knock. “What now?”

“It’s been a while since you last ate, and I figured you might be hungry.” She walked further into his room carrying a tray with a plate of food, silverware, and some water. “This was made a few hours ago, but I reheated it. It should still be good.”

Shadow winced as he sat up to get a better look at the meal. “What is that?”

She placed the standing tray over his lap. “It’s lasagna, and based on the reviews I’ve heard downstairs, it’s a hit.”

Shadow got a whiff of its hot scent. He could smell the fresh mozzarella cheese, freshly grated parmesan, ricotta, beef, creamy tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning. It smelled fantastic, but he hesitated for a moment. “Who made it, Mighty?” He reached for the silverware and took a seat beside his bed. “Because that guy cannot cook.”

“No, I did,” she stated proudly.

He blinked in surprise but also looked skeptical. “You can cook?”

She nodded. “Yes, I adore cooking.” He cut into his lasagna, took a bite, and chewed it for a few moments. Amy waited patiently to hear his thoughts. “Well?”

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. It tasted like he had eaten a bite of heaven. The meat was cooked perfectly, the sauce danced on his tongue, and the combination of cheeses blew his taste buds away. The herbs were prominent but not overpowering. It was like a perfect synchronized dance in his mouth.

Amy’s eyes widened, and she blinked in befuddlement. “What’s wrong?”

“Is this fresh pasta?”

She nodded. “Yes, I made it earlier this morning when you were asleep.”

He swallowed another bite. “And you made the sauce from scratch, too?”

“Uh-huh,” she smiled. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re also a fan of cooking, aren’t you?”

He cut off another piece. “I can cook far superior to this, but it is pretty good for your standards, I guess.”

“Thanks for the back-handed compliment...” Amy stood up and rolled her eyes before sauntering back towards his bedroom door. “But I’d like to see how your cooking tastes. Once you’ve recovered, I’d like to try your lasagna in comparison,” she challenged.

He scoffed with a smirk. “I’m sure you would…”

•~•

Back with Mephiles and Mina, the two were now getting into the thick of it. Now both completely nude, Mephiles had Mina on the bed in doggy style as he pounded into her from behind. He kept his hands planted firmly on either side of her hips as he thrust into her behind, with only the sounds of his balls smacking her pussy lips, her juices sloshing in a musical anthem, and her soft cries of ecstasy. Right now, the sex was satisfying to pass the time. The girl’s walls were tightening around his thick cock with every thrust, and from his perspective, the view wasn’t too bad either.

“Shit,” he cursed, feeling himself getting close.

“Don’t—don’t stop,” she begged, gripping the sheets. “I-I, I can’t think.”

He did a few more powerful strides before shooting another load into her. Mephiles stopped, looked at her yellow perky ass, and gave it a hard slap, making her cry again. “Aah!”

He pulled out, and she fell forward onto the bed. Mephiles panted himself, flopped down onto the bed beside her, and placed his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. “How was it, my lovely little minx?”

Mina rolled over and cuddled up next to him. “I think I could get used to this lifestyle,” she smiled at him with half-lidded eyes.

Outside the clubhouse, Zonic was still doing his stakeout by watching the president's and club members' movements. He snapped a few last pictures after seeing most of their graphic hook up through the open blinds of their window. Once he was done, he took a flask out from the inside of his jacket and took a few hits from it.

•~•

The following day at the clubhouse, Gadget walked up the stairs just as he spotted Shadow making his way out of the bathroom alone. “Hey, V.P, how’s the recovery going?”

“Just peachy.” Shadow placed a hand on his bandaged side while his other hand braced the door frame to stabilize him. “It could be worse, though. Thankfully, I can feel my strength returning.”

“Good to hear,” he smiled. “I assume Ms. Amy is taking adequate care of you? Because I must say, she’s a fantastic cook. Did you try her homemade lasagna last night?” he questioned eagerly.

“She’s taking care of me, alright…” he scoffed under his breath, answering his first question. “And yes, I did try her lasagna, and it was,” he paused briefly, trying to find the proper adjective to describe it. “…Alright,” he replied in annoyance, not wanting to admit it was more than just good.

Gadget tilted his head in confusion. “Excuse me for all the questions, sir, but why do you detest Ms. Rose so much?”

His brows furrowed towards the young wolf. “Because she can’t be trusted. Everyone here is too accepting of her. It seems like I’m the only one who questions her loyalty and purpose for joining our club.”

Gadget rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Yes, it appears so. Everyone is aware of your unacceptance towards her.” He pulled out his smartphone and started swiping the screen. “However, I must conclude that she is a very kind girl. If she is hiding anything, you’d be able to figure it out fairly quickly.”

Shadow’s countenance brightened at the idea, especially as he watched the tech-savvy biker swipe away on his phone. “You’re right, now that you mention it…”

Gadget looked up from his smartphone, suddenly regretful of his words. He placed his hands up apologetically and flailed them in front of him, knowing where this conversation was headed. He could see the gears grinding in Shadow’s head as he stared back at him. “Oh my, no. Please, sir. Don’t make me do this.”

“Rookie, I’m giving you your next assignment. I want you to research and find any type of dirt you can. I want to see if she has any type of criminal record, arrests, court cases, anything,” he specified.

Gadget sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and bowed his head. “Very well, sir.”

•~•

The following day, Mina woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She walked out of the room and wandered the clubhouse to find it quite telling by the scene. It seemed like the party had gone through the night and into the early morning hours. There were barely dressed girls all strewn about the club. Some of them were passed out on top of tables, and others were lying on the floor, along the couches or bar tops. The males of the club looked like they had a pretty good time too. They were knocked out all over the place as well. Mina continued walking further into the bar area and made a face of disgust as she caught a whiff of vomit, spilled beer, weed, and alcohol mingling in the air. Suddenly she spotted another sober and coherent individual trying to tidy up the place. “Oh, morning, Mina,” Misty-Re smiled politely.

Mina waved back. “Good morning Misty-Re.”

Misty-Re leaned over and picked up more empty beer bottles tossed on the floor. “Did you sleep well?” she questioned with a sly smirk.

Mina blushed as she recalled her hookup with Mephiles last night. It had been better than she had expected. “Oh, yes. Speaking of which, where is he? He wasn’t in bed when I woke up.”

Misty-Re walked behind the bar and placed the bottles into a recyclable bin. “I think he’s out back having a cigarette with Finitevus. They’re both early birds.”

Suddenly, Manic sauntered out from down the hall with outstretched arms above his head. His mouth parted wide as he let out a loud yawn. “Man, that was just what I needed. Getting laid really puts a pep in your step. I feel like I could conquer the world.”

“Good to hear most of us enjoyed ourselves,” Mephiles interjected as he and Finitevus re-entered the building from the back.

Manic showcased a sleazy smile. “Hell yeah, man.” He walked over and patted Finitevus on the shoulder. “Thanks for hooking me up, Fin. It was sick.”

Finitevus gave a coy smile and chuckled lowly. “You are my guest. I need to make sure everyone is taken care of.”

Out of nowhere, the front doors burst open, and Knuckles ran in, out of breath. He placed his hands on his bent knees as all eyes laid on him. “Suppression…coming!” he wheezed.

“They don’t come out this far...” Finitevus looked surprised by the reveal. “What did you do?”

“Nothing.” Knuckles power walked towards them. “I was out on a ride to grab a bite to eat. I passed them at a diner, and they started following me back. I was trying to outrun them, but they kept pursuing me!”

Finitevus glanced out the front window, not seeing anyone there at the moment. He knew they’d be there shortly. “How much time do we have?”

“At most a minute,” he replied with a vague assumption.

Realizing this was a crucial life or death moment, Finitevus brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle which brought even the dead back to life from its shrill sharpness. In the bar area, all heads snapped to alert, and bodies began to shuffle to life around the room. “Listen up! I need all men to the front line immediately. Grab a gun and get ready to fight,” he instructed.

Quickly and without questions, the club members scrambled to their feet and ran about in all different directions. Males wandered around the room looking for clothing items or headed to the back to grab a weapon. Finitevus watched as his men fell into a routine. Misty-Re and Julie-Su rushed over to their boss. “What can we do?” Julie-Su asked frantically.

“You two gather the other girls and get them out back in the garage.” He reached behind his back, pulled out a pistol, and handed it to Julie. “Protect the girls at all costs.”

Misty-Re and Julie-Su exchanged looks before following orders. Misty-Re rushed over, grabbed Mina by the arm, and guided her from behind the bar. Mina didn’t argue and followed the two females at their rushed pace. “What’s going on?”

“Suppression Squad,” she answered. “They’re a rival biker club and here for nothing good.”

“Can’t you just talk to them?” Mina inquired, still lost on the implications. Julie-Su opened the back door and pulled Mina outside by the arm.

Julie-Su scoffed. “They don’t have time to talk things out. That’s not really their style.” She stopped, placed her hands on Mina’s shoulder, and looked her straight in the eye. “Now, I want you and the other girls to head into this garage,” she gestured with a head nod. Mina looked to her right and spotted the oversized metal garage connected to the clubhouse.

She clasped her hands together anxiously. “But why?”

“No more questions, just go!” she shouted.

Misty-Re remained at the back door of the clubhouse holding the door open. “Come on, ladies, let’s go!” she hustled. A flock of prostitutes flocked towards the open garage and hid inside.

Back up front, the guys were loading up their rifles or automatic weapons. Knuckles glanced out the front window and saw the group of bikers roar up the hill. “They’re here!”

Outside, twelve Suppression members halted their bikes right in front of the clubhouse. Zonic, who had taken a break and taken a short nap inside his car, was startled by the roaring engines of motorcycles and stirred awake. He raised his black aviators and squinted his eyes as he witnessed the group of males whip all assorted types of arms out. Thankfully, he was at the other corner of the street, parking behind some trees. “What the hell?” he muttered. Quickly, he reached for his camera and whipped it out.

Suddenly, Zonic watched in awe from the safety of his vehicle as the Suppression members and the Brothers of Chaos Southside had a massive shootout with each other. Hiding behind buildings, parked vehicles, and trees, the gang members fought radically to remove as many of each other as possible.

Zonic continued to shoot photos to use as evidence as he watched the battle go down. Before he realized it, the Suppression members retreated on their bikes, leaving as soon as they arrived. He was sure a few of them had been wounded, but none had perished, surprisingly. Lowering his camera from his face, his mouth remained gaped. “…And just what in the hell was that all about?”

•~•

A few minutes later, Mina and the other girls emerged from their hiding position. A bit shaken, Mina stumbled out of the garage and stared at the building and other parts of the clubhouse that had been riddled with bullets. She had heard plenty of the shoot from within the garage and was not coming to realize just how dangerous these males were.

Julie-Su walked over and stared at Mina. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah, I just need to make a quick call,” she excused before hurrying off inside.

Shrugging at her response, Julie-Su regrouped with the other males to see what damage they had sustained. “Any fatalities?”

Finitevus shook his head. “None, thankfully. A few of our guys were injured, but they’ll live.”

•~•

Later on, with the south side crew, Mephiles and his boys were gearing up to head back to Mercia. “Are you sure you don’t need us to stay a bit longer?” Mephiles offered. “After all, they could return.”

Finitevus shook his head. “It’s alright, brother. We’ve got it handled here. Go home and return to Shadow. Knowing him, he’s probably worried sick about you while lying in bed.”

The dark hedgehog nodded. “Knowing him, yes,” he chuckled. “I’ll have the Rookie swing by for more protection if you need it,” he offered.

Finitevus gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

Out of the corner of their eye, the two presidents spotted a red, and black Street Sporter roll up off the side of the road. Running out the club's front door, the two males watched as Mina rushed over to the mysterious biker and climbed aboard the back of the bike. The biker riding the vehicle turned his head, and Mephiles could see through the visor that it was the same male mongoose from the gas station that he had hit.

Finitevus eyed the other president with confusion. “Wasn’t she with you?”

Mephiles shook his head as he watched Mina wrap her arms around Ash as he took off down the street. He could care less about the girl. He had gotten what he wanted. “Nah, as I said, she was just pussy. Now, let’s go home.”

AN: Remember to leave me a review. I appreciate them!

Chapter 6: Triggers

Summary:

Shadow continues his own investigation on Amy Rose, while Mephiles gets notice that an A.T.F agent is looking into their club. The group hits the gym, and Shadow finally connects with Amy on a personal matter. Meanwhile, Mephiles takes matters into his own hands by blackmailing Sam Murphy to help out the club.

Once Mephiles and the rest of the crew returned. Things began to settle down again. A week later, Gadget hustled into the living room with a manila folder in hand. He spotted Shadow lounging on the couch and watching T.V. The ebony hedgehog was still recovering from his injuries, but he was doing much better and had more mobility. “Hey V.P, I finally got that report you wanted!” he shouted excitedly.

Sitting upright and looking panicked, Shadow placed an index finger to his lips and made a shushing sound. “Hey, you’re supposed to keep it discreet, idiot,” he whispered harshly, looking towards the dining room. He had no idea if anyone else had heard him.

Gadget bowed his head apologetically. “Oh gosh, sorry, V.P,” he replied quietly back.

Shadow extended out his arm to accept the report and rolled his eyes at his nickname. “It’s Shadow, Rookie,” he corrected. “Now, what’d you find out?”

Gadget handed over his findings. “Uh, nothing much,” he replied, as he started rubbing the back of his neck. “A few parking tickets from her early teen years. No arrests and no warrants. She’s got a pretty clean record, actually,” he noted.

Shadow continuously flipped through her file and allowed his eyes to scan the documents as he listened to Gadget. Inside he had copies of her school report cards from high school and even college. There were some social media photos of her from online and some other miscellaneous yet useless info. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he droned. “Nothing to worry about, then?”

Gadget tapped his chin in thought. “I mean, she’s moved about three times in the past eight months, which is kind of weird, and she filed for a restraining order six months back.”

Shadow’s eyes lifted from the folder. “Restraining order?” he repeated with intrigue. “Any idea on whom?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, sir, I couldn’t find the details on that. All I know is it was someone that lived in Tech City. However, that specific information was even blocked from me. Whoever it is, it must be someone pretty important.”

“—Gadget!” Rouge called from the front door.

The red wolf’s ears perked up as he heard his name called, and spun around. “Yes, ma’am?” Shadow quickly took the folder and placed it under the sofa cushion, hiding it from the white bat. If Rouge found out he was doing his private investigation on Amy, he knew she’d flip out from his paranoia.

Rouge sauntered into the room and placed her hands on her hips. “Hello! You’re supposed to be helping me load the rest of the dishes, Rookie!”

Gadget adjusted his glasses nervously. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, ma’am I was helping Shadow,” he apologized.

Rouge scoffed and waved a hand. “Well, get to it. Those dishes won’t load themselves.”

“Right away!” he saluted before charging towards the kitchen. Rouge followed after him, leaving the ebony hedgehog alone. Shadow leaned further back into the sofa coolly and relaxed.

Once he saw the coast was clear, Shadow grabbed the folder from under the cushion and headed upstairs. When he entered his room, he scoured the area for an excellent place to hide his intel. He opened his drawer and stashed the folder under some boxer briefs. He moved them over the folder to conceal its hiding spot just when a voice interrupted him. “Ahem.”

Shadow jolted from the unannounced visitor and turned around to see Amy standing in his open doorway with a first aid kit. What perfect timing… “Mind if I come in?”

Shadow collected himself and pressed his back against the drawer, closing it shut. “Huh? Oh yeah, sure.”

Amy walked further into his bedroom and set her first aid kit down. “I just came because it’s time to take out your stitches.”

He watched as she opened up her kit on the end of his bed. “That time already, huh?”

She put on a fresh pair of gloves. “Yes, now would you mind taking off your shirt and lay down on your back, please.”

Shadow obliged, took off his black leather jacket, and draped it across the back of a recliner in his room. He then reached behind him, pulled off his white t-shirt, and tossed it into the chair. Now topless, Shadow plopped down onto his bed and placed his arms behind his head. Amy bent over and took off his bandages, and discarded them. She then began to sterilize the area with some anti-septic. “Wonderful, your wound is healing beautifully.”

“Good to hear,” he replied dully as he stared up at his ceiling, waiting for her to finish.

While Amy began to delicately remove his sutures, Shadow’s mind wandered to the information he had gathered earlier. She had no arrests and had never committed any minor or major crime, yet she had a restraining order on someone. But why? Better yet, who was it, and why was the person she had it against anonymous? He needed to get more information out of her, but it would be difficult. He’d have to use some manipulation tactics to get it out of her if he wanted to know more.

“…Almost done,” Amy chimed as she pulled out the last sutures.

He lifted his head slightly to look at her. “Hey, thanks for putting up with me this past week. I really appreciate it.”

Amy finished applying a simple medical-grade healing ointment over the wound. She screwed the cap back on and placed it in her first aid kit. “As I said, it’s my job.”

“—Oh my, am I interrupting something?” another voice called from the doorway.

The two glanced over to the door where Mephiles stood, staring at the position in awe. From his perspective, he thought he had walked in on something rather lewd, seeing his brother shirtless and lying in bed. Amy’s head was hovering right over his groin area, making him think dirty thoughts.

Shadow scoffed at his brother’s perverseness. “Shut the hell up, you sicko.”

Mephiles ignored his brother’s jab. “Well, in any case, I came up here to inform you that a few of us are heading to the gym in town. If you two are interested in going, we’re leaving in ten.”

“Is Mighty going?” Amy inquired while packing up her belongings.

“Yes, I believe so,” Mephiles answered with a head nod.

She snapped off her disposable gloves. “I’ll be joining you then,” she smiled as she sauntered out of the bedroom past the dark hedgehog.

“Mmm, and I’d love to have you,” he whispered lewdly, making sure she didn’t hear his comments as he watched her enter her bedroom.

Shadow swung his legs off the side of his bed and sat there shaking his head. “What is wrong with you?”

Mephiles leaned his right shoulder against the doorframe as he continued to stare off down the hall where her figure once loomed. “She’s a beauty, that one.”

Shadow grimaced at his comment. “No, she isn’t,” he countered sharply. “She’s so, so…boring,” he concluded. “So vanilla.”

“Different tastes, I suppose, but some of us enjoy the simple things in life,” he shrugged. He turned to face him again. “Will you be joining us as well?”

Shadow hummed at the thought until he realized there might be an opportunity for doing some snooping. “I’m sick of being confined to this house, so I’ll go.”

•~•

Meanwhile, in Mercia’s police station, Zonic was hard at work connecting the dots to the brother’s business connections. Following Mephiles and collecting those photos would be very beneficial in taking them down, but he needed to ensure he had all the details before coming for them. There was also the mission of hunting down Amy. Honestly, he was quite surprised he hadn’t run into her yet. He knew she was hidden somewhere in this town, but he couldn’t figure out where. He had already checked all the local hospitals, and Amy was not registered to work at any of them.

Zonic stood in front of the evidence board he had begun constructing and tapped away at his chin at the other possibilities of her locations. Had Amy truly outsmarted him this time? His thoughts were interrupted when Silver popped into his office with two coffee mugs in hand. “How’s it going?”

Zonic came out of his thoughts and turned his head toward Silver’s direction. “It’s alright for now,” he answered. “I’m just trying to determine their next move, is all.”

Silver walked over and eyed the evidence board, quite impressed with what he had collected. There was plenty of incriminating evidence already there, but even he knew they’d need more. Silver handed Zonic one of the mugs of fresh coffee and stared at the evidence board in awe. “Wow, you’ve been hard at work in here.”

Zonic accepted the caffeine. “I’m good at my job,” he boasted and then took a sip. “We’ll get them, but we need to be patient.”

Silver watched as he continued to drink his coffee. “Do you plan on doing any more undercover work today?”

“I’m not sure. They haven’t moved much or attempted to look like they're moving any illegal arms. I think I’ll just go on my usual lunch break—hitting the gym,” he grinned.

“Oh.” Silver watched as the agent left the room. “Uh, have a good workout then.”

•~•

Shadow, Mephiles, Knuckles, Amy, and Mighty worked out vigorously at the local gym in town. Mephiles worked on the rowing machine off in the far-left corner working his upper arms, chest, and shoulders. Meanwhile, Knuckles worked on weight training, working his arm muscles. Shadow, on the other hand, was working on his legs, lifting heavy weights by pumping his legs up and outward. Amy and Mighty worked on boxing practice using the small boxing ring provided in the center of the gym.

Mighty held up his punching mitts as he walked in a circle, darting his hands at different levels to keep Amy in sync with her punching strikes. Amy stood just a few feet in front of him, keeping her hands held just in front of her face in a fighting stance. “Come on, right here,” he encouraged, holding his right-hand high, covered by the mitt. Amy threw a hard punch at it. Mighty smiled at her efforts and continued the routine. He moved his left hand to the side. “Now, a high kick!”

Amy swung her leg and hit his hand covered by the mitt again. “Yaaah!”

Mighty lowered his hands with his punch mitts. “Yeah, alright!” he cheered. “Amy, you did amazing. You’ve improved your stamina and strength.”

Amy took off her boxing gloves and caught her breath. She bent over, grabbed her water bottle from the floor, and took a gulp. She wiped her mouth on the back of her arm. “I know, you’re a great coach,” she smiled while trying to catch her breath. “Thanks for helping me out with this.”

“Fantastic job,” another voice praised with a clap. Amy looked to her right and spotted Mephiles leaning his arms along the bent rope of the boxing arena. His eyes traced up and down her body, checking her out in her tight-fitted black and blue sports bra and tight form-fitting leggings. “I had no idea you enjoyed martial arts, Miss Rose.”

“I’ve only recently picked up the hobby,” she replied, trying to ignore his obvious gawking. “I’ve wanted to learn the fighting style, especially when living in Tech City.”

Shadow’s ears perked up on the conversation, and he stopped his leg workout. Moving away from the machine, he casually walked over to the fighting rink to learn more. Why exactly did she feel she needed to learn this fighting style in the first place?

“How long have you been boxing?” Mephiles inquired. “You look quite experienced.”

Amy worked on tightening the gauze around her hands as she spoke to the dark hedgehog. “Oh, um, probably a few months now. I’m no expert yet,” she admitted shyly. “But I want to get better, so I asked Mighty to help train me. Once I moved here, I didn’t have my old trainer to keep up my training.”

Mephiles looked over to the armadillo and gave him a curt nod. “Kudos, Mighty, you’ve done well.”

Mighty shrugged arrogantly. “Hey, you all know I used to be a professional trainer before I joined up with you guys. Anyway, if you’re impressed with Amy’s boxing, you should witness her self-defense techniques. She’s become wicked good at that.”

Amy blushed at his compliment and felt her face heat up. She waved her hands out in front of her. “Oh, Mighty, don’t,” she dismissed. “I’m still not that good yet.”

Mephiles turned his head to look at his brother, who stood off to the side, not looking impressed by the display. Shadow kept his arms crossed over his chest and looked bored by the exchange. “What’s with the sour face, brother?”

Shadow shook his head and shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Say, I have an idea,” Mephiles chimed as he snapped his fingers. “Why don’t we give Miss Rose one more round of practice? I’d like to see some of her self-defense in action.”

“Hmm…” Mighty tapped his chin in thought as he stared at Amy. “You know, that isn’t half bad of an idea. Amy and I have been practicing for a few weeks now, and I think she should experience a simulated event.”

Amy rubbed her hands nervously together. “Wait a second, are you saying you’re not going to perform with me for practice?”

Mighty nodded. “Yeah, but you know me, Amy. I’ll go too easy on you. I need someone to come at you with full force and no holding back, just like if it happened in real life.”

Amy’s ears lowered slightly, and she looked apprehensive. “But--”

Seeing her worried expression, Mighty sauntered over, placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eyes. “Ames, it’s okay. You’ve got this. Don’t hesitate and fight like your life depends on it,” he encouraged.

“You need a volunteer?” Mephiles offered as he raised his arm.

“We do, actually,” Mighty nodded. “Come on up,” he gestured. Obliging, the dark hedgehog moved between the ropes, lifted himself, and walked over to Mighty.

Shadow scoffed under his breath and shook his head in second-hand embarrassment as he watched his older brother being his typical creepy self. “Tsk..”

Knuckles walked over, wiping the sweat from his face with a rag as he finished weightlifting. “What’s going on over here?” he asked, stopping beside Shadow.

“Mighty is having the doctor practice her self-defense he’s been teaching her. Meanwhile, my brother just offered himself up as a volunteer to demonstrate her skills,” he explained dully while rolling his eyes with disinterest.

“Oh boy, this should be sweet then,” Knuckles grinned eagerly.

Amy walked over to the ropes where both Knuckles and Shadow stood. She clutched the ropes. “I-I don’t know if I can do this. What if I really hurt him? Or what if I freeze up and forget all the moves?” she panicked aloud. In the background, Mighty whispered some instructions to Mephiles, who nodded, comprehending it.

Knuckles cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. “Amy, relax. I’ve seen you practicing over the weeks. You’re a total badass,” the echidna encouraged. “Take him down and make us proud!” he clapped.

She nodded, feeling a build of confidence rise. “You’re right. I can do this.” She walked back towards the center and shook her nerves, shaking her arms by her side.

Shadow eyed Knuckles as if he were insane by his comments. “You truly think this girl could hold her own in a fight?” he asked skeptically.

“Hey, you haven’t been hitting the gym recently. Amy is mad good. I wouldn’t mind having her back to back with me in a bar fight.” He nudged Shadow with his shoulder. “Just wait. You’ll see.” Shadow placed his eyes back on Amy. He remained skeptical about watching her fight. Would she be as good as everyone claimed? She certainly didn’t fit the mold for a fighter type.

Now facing her opponent, Mephiles, Amy felt her adrenaline pumping across from her. Her brows furrowed as she eyed Mephiles down. No longer was he just someone she lived with. She now viewed him as a dangerous enemy with his only intent on harming her.

Mighty stood in the middle, between the two. “Alright, listen up. Mephiles will come at you in full force, and he will not hold back. I’ve instructed him on some attack moves to demonstrate so we can see you display them correctly. No holding back, Amy. Give it your all.”

Her fists tightened by her sides in determination. “Got it.”

Mighty turned to look at Mephiles. “As for you, you volunteered to be a part of this. Do not hold back just because you know her. But be prepared. You signed up for this,” he warned.

Mephiles stretched his left arm over his chest horizontally, stretching out his pectoralis. “Trust me, it’ll be hard enough to keep my hands off of her,” he smirked lewdly.

Amy gulped nervously at his comment and made an uncomfortable smile, unsure how to respond. Suddenly, that cold-sickening feeling began to overcome her. She remembered quickly that Mephiles had given her the creeps. Why did he have to be the one to volunteer for this? However, her thoughts of distaste for the dark hedgehog were disturbed when she heard Mighty suddenly yell, “Start!” putting her back into reality.

Coming out of her daze, Amy went into defense mode as she spotted Mephiles charging at her. She placed her fists up in front of her face for protection just as Mephiles took the first swing. Amy easily dodged his thrown fists with ease with a lean back. He threw out left and right punches and even some uppercuts. Calmly, she merely moved her head to the side, backed up, ducked, dodged, or pivoted with every swing he brought her way. Mighty watched on proudly from the sidelines, watching all his training come full circle.

On the side, Shadow watched in intrigue as Amy evaded every punch or kick committed by his brother. He knew his brother was a pretty good fighter, but even right now, he was looking out of breath. Mephiles growled, growing frustrated from his lack of physical contact. “Mighty has trained you well,” he panted.

“Yeah, that’s it!” Knuckles cheered from below. “Go, Amy!”

Amy turned to look at Knuckles, smiled cheekily, and waved in his direction. Seeing her focus off of him for a second, Mephiles charged in for the first move Mighty had told him to perform. He captured Amy in a classic choke hold. With his right arm looped around her neck, Mephiles kept her back pinned against his chest as he began dragging her backward. “Seems I’ve finally managed to lay my hands on you,” he whispered victoriously.

Furrowing her brows, Amy used her right arm, brought it upright at a ninety-degree angle, and struck it backward at a diagonal angle with full force right into Mephiles’ upper rib cage. Mephiles yelped in agony as he was temporarily winded, loosening his hold around her neck. Using this as her opportunity to get rid of him, Amy turned slightly, grabbed him by the upper right shoulder, and used all her strength, and swung him down onto the mat.

Shadow’s eyes widened at her sudden move. It all happened so graciously, almost like a perfectly synchronized dance. Mephiles collided onto the mat with a decisive thud, holding his right side with his arm. “Damn it…” the president winced.

Amy walked closer, standing above him with both legs on either side of his spread outward. She placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. “Not too bad, huh?” she panted, trying to catch her breath.

Mephiles rolled over onto his side and began to chuckle. “Let’s see if you can continue to impress me.” Before Amy could question him, Mephiles swung his right leg, hooking it behind her left ankle and knocking her over backward, and forcing Amy down onto her back. With a loud thud, Amy was stunned, just enough for Mephiles to trap her. He quickly scurried over and straddled her hips, trapping her legs under and behind him. He kept his hands pinning her wrists above her head as he towered over her. Amy squirmed, trying to wiggle her legs and flail them about, but his weight, strength, and position had her overpowered. He chuckled darkly. “Looks like I’ve finally pinned you.” His eyelids lowered suggestively. “Now, just give in and let me win.”

Amy’s eyes dilated as she heard those words, triggering a repressed memory.

.::Flashback::.

Amy was pinned in the same position with a handsome blue hedgehog in a government official G.U.N uniform straddling her. “Please, don’t do this. This isn’t you!” She could smell the alcohol on his breath. Amy continued to fight, squirming under him, thrashing her legs, and trying to free her pinned wrists above her head.

“Give in and let me win,” he whispered harshly to her.

.::End Flashback::.

“Amy! You can do it!” Knuckles shouted, bringing her out of her haze. Amy blinked a few times out of her stupor, and her adrenaline spiked further.

Mephiles held her down as she stared up at him. “How will you get out of this one, then?” Amy thrust her pelvis upward, lifting her entire bottom off the floor and holding her weight with his using her feet. Mephiles, astonished, began lifting upwards and realized his body was lurching down. With his hands still holding her wrists, Amy swung her wrists outwards and down towards the sides of her body in a snow angel manner. “What the…” Mephiles was forced to release his hold of her wrists to catch himself before faceplanting into the mat below him. His hands braced the mat just above her head, and Amy wrapped her arms around his upper chest and used her power and now sudden control to roll them over onto his side and then appear on top of him in a straddled position. She lifted her raised fist in the air, ready to strike Mephiles in the face but realized then he was not indeed the enemy of her past. She relaxed her stance and stared down at Mephiles, who seemed not to mind having her straddle him.

Both Knuckles and Shadow looked impressed and shocked by her escape method. Knuckles, Mighty, and Shadow all applauded at her performance. As the adrenaline began to wear off, she placed a hand on her chest and began to pant even harder. She could feel her chest begin to tighten and constrict. Amy got off of Mephiles and backed away before running off and out of the cage. Mighty watched on, confused by her display. “Amy, where are you going?” he called after her with concern.

Mephiles groaned from the mat and sat upright. “…Someone, give me a hand,” he ordered.

Mighty approached him and extended his hand out for him to take. However, he noticed something odd going on with his pants. “Are you freaking hard right now?” he whispered harshly with a hint of disgust.

Mephiles was lifted to his feet. “I can’t deny what turns me on.”

Mighty shook his head. “You’re sick, man.”

Ignoring their conversation, Shadow watched as Amy fled down one of the gym halls, passing other gym on-lookers. He felt his heart suddenly sink, and without realizing it, his expression softened in empathy, recognizing what she was going through at that moment. He instinctively walked after her in a trance. “Hey, Shad, you going after her?” Knuckles called out, noticing the direction he was heading in.

He turned his neck to look in his direction. “Yes. Tend to my brother, will you?”

Once Shadow got down the hall, he spotted Amy huddled up in the corner by the water fountain with her knees up to her chest. She kept her head pressed up against the wall directly behind her, breathing rapidly. Her arms were tightly wrapped around her legs, and she shook. “Doctor?”

“Please. Stay. Away,” she gasped, shutting her eyes and turning her head away. She was utterly embarrassed to be seen in the state she was currently in. Especially by Shadow of all people. She could only imagine what he might be thinking right now.

Shadow crouched down to her level but remained a respectful distance. “You do realize you are having a panic attack right now, don’t you?” he asked calmly.

She seemed surprised that he recognized her current situation. “How. Do. You?--”

He frowned as he thought about his response. “—Because I get them too sometimes,” he admitted empathetically. Amy looked into his eyes and connected with him for a moment. He knew what she was experiencing right now. Sensing she was willing to accept his help at that point, he moved in a bit closer and extended out his hand to her. “Let me help you,” he offered.

Hesitantly, Amy placed one of her hands in his, and he held it gently. He inched in closer but made sure not to crowd her space. “Focus on my eyes and follow my instructions, okay?” She nodded quickly and swallowed a big gulp as she continued to hyperventilate. “Deep breaths,” he instructed, demonstrating himself. Amy followed along with him, never taking her eyes away from his. She took in a deep breath herself. “Now hold it for fifteen seconds,” he said and then held his breath himself.

After about fifteen seconds, Shadow exhaled, and she mimicked his actions. They repeated this pattern a few more times until her breathing had steadied. Once he saw she had calmed down, he helped ease her up to a standing position with himself. “Are you alright now?” he asked softly, releasing her hands.

She placed a hand on her chest and could feel her heart rate at a regular steady beat. “Yes, thank you.”

Mighty, Knuckles, and Mephiles walked down the hall spotting the two. Shadow quickly backed further away the moment he heard the others approaching. “Hey, Amy, you okay?” the armadillo questioned, looking concerned for his friend.

“I’m fine, Mighty. The adrenaline caught me by surprise, is all,” she smiled shyly. “Sorry about that.”

He gave her an assuring pat on the back, buying her lie. “Good, you gave me a scare there, kid.”

“Miss Rose, I must commend you for your strength and determination back there,” Mephiles added. “I’ve never had a female toss me around so violently before. It was exhilarating.”

“I-I didn’t hurt you, did I? I might have gotten lost in the simulated experience,” she expressed apologetically.

“Perhaps a bruise here or there.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll recover.”

“Let’s get back. I’m sure Rouge is pissed we’re still not back yet to help with chores,” Knuckles bemoaned with an eye roll. The group agreed and headed for the exit.

While they walked out of the gym, Mighty slung an arm around Amy’s neck. Amy jumped slightly from the gesture, still slightly shaken from the triggering event, and Mighty was quick to notice. “Hey, you sure you’re okay, Ames?” he asked quietly. “You seem a bit jumpy.”

Amy tried to force a reassuring smile. “Yeah, it was just really exciting,” she justified. “I’m fine now, honest.”

She must have convinced him because Mighty returned a charming smile her way while they continued to walk through the parking lot. “Good to hear.”

At that same time, just outside the gym, Agent Zonic had just parked his car. Now dressed in his grey gym shorts and sleeveless tank top, the blue hedgehog slammed his car door and locked it preparing to head for the gym entrance. However, he halted in his tracks when he heard familiar angelic laughter in the parking lot. Staying hidden by a large parked red truck next to his car, he peeked behind the trunk of the car to look for the owner of the laugh. Looking up and down the parking lot, he spotted the person it belonged to. There she was—his Amy Rose. She laughed playfully as Mighty had his arm over her shoulders and whispered something in her ear, causing her to erupt in a fit of giggles.

He narrowed his eyes as he spotted the people she surrounded herself with. It was a male group belonging to the biker gang he was investigating. He kept himself concealed behind the parked truck and watched as she climbed into one of the pick-up trucks they drove. Thinking quickly, he knew he’d have to tail them to see where they dropped her off. Only then could he find her new residence. Zonic rushed back to the driver’s side, got in his car, and quickly started its ignition.

The pick-up truck Amy got into pulled out of its spot and drove out of the parking lot. Zonic reversed out of his parking spot and followed after them. After about a twelve-minute drive, he arrived at the Brothers’ compound. He parked on the street along one of the sidewalks just outside their wired gated entrance. His mouth dropped as he had the sudden realization of her new residence. His hands clutched the steering wheel as he tried to understand her motive behind her new home. “…That stupid bitch,” he breathed. He watched as Amy hopped out of the car and sauntered into the house with the group of males.

Now that he knew where she lived, he knew it’d be much harder getting to her one-on-one. His only hope of getting her alone would be to extract each biker member from the clubhouse, which he knew wasn’t impossible, but would take time.

•~•

Later that evening, after everyone had showered and eaten dinner, Amy found Shadow standing on the front porch and leaning against one of the railings. He was smoking a cigarette as he enjoyed the crispness of the cold air around him. Clutching the zip-up hoodie she had put on for the night, Amy pushed open the front screen door to approach him. Hearing the door creak, he turned slightly and pulled the cigarette out from between his lips, holding it between his index and middle finger. “If you’re going to nag me about how smoking is a deadly habit, don’t bother. I’ve heard it enough.”

She put up her hands defensively. “No, that’s not why I’m here at all. I just wanted to talk, if that’s alright?”

Shadow stared at her for a long moment as he processed the thought before taking one last long drag of his smoke. He exhaled the smoke out the side of his mouth and then flicked the end of the cigarette out onto the dirt. “Sure,” he answered and walked over to the bench sitting on the porch. “Have a seat,” he instructed, gesturing to the bench.

Amy obliged and sat down next to him on the bench. “I wanted to thank you for helping me out back at the gym.”

“Oh, you mean with the panic attack?” he stated for clarification. He shrugged indifferently, glancing away momentarily. “Yeah, no problem.”

She fumbled with her hands and turned her head to look at him. “There’s just one thing that’s bugging me. Why did you help me anyway?”

Shadow debated within his mind on revealing some relatable anecdote to help answer her question and eventually caved in. Perhaps with his little tragic story, he’d be able to gain enough trust and sympathy to get her to spill the beans. “Alright, you want the truth?”

She nodded. “I do.”

Shadow leaned further back against the bench. “I helped you because I’m still dealing with shit like that, too. I just happen to have a better grasp on it,” he explained.

Amy blinked a few times as a thought came to mind. “The night terror you had the other night,” she suddenly pieced together. “You were having a panic attack when I entered your bedroom, weren’t you?”

He felt a genuine pang of sadness hit him in his chest as he was reminded of his tragic memory. “…Yes.”

She leaned back in her seat. “I doubt you’d tell me what happened anyway, which I understand, but--”

“—No, I’ll tell you,” he said, cutting her off. “About three years ago, my girlfriend was murdered in a drive-by shooting by one of our rival biker gangs,” he started. “She was an innocent bystander but was not spared in the bloodshed.”

“Oh my.” Amy placed a hand to her mouth and gasped at the reveal. “I-I I’m so sorry…”

Shadow reached into his jacket pocket and whipped out his wallet. He opened it up, pulled out a picture, and handed it over to her. “This was her,” he pointed. “Her name was Maria. We met in high school. We were high school sweethearts.”

Amy took the picture and looked at the image of his deceased girlfriend. “Wow, she was beautiful,” she complimented before handing the picture back. “I think I saw another picture of her in your bedroom.”

“Yeah, that’s her.” Shadow glanced at the picture before tucking it away again. “But…enough about my tragedy. Most panic attacks come with triggers, and I noticed yours started when my brother said something to you on the mat. Whatever it was, it seemed to trigger the response. So…what did he say to you?”

Amy’s ears lowered, and she shut her eyes tight. Shadow tilted his head at her curiously as he watched her. Whatever Mephiles had said must’ve brought on some sort of painful memory. “I’ve only recently started having panic attacks for a few months now. They’re still very new to me.” Amy clutched the fabric of her sweatpants on her knees.

He could see by her body language it was bothering her just to even relive it again. “Oh…hey,” he began, feeling guilty from his subtle interrogation. “You don’t have to say anything. I understand.”

She opened her eyes and focused them on the wooden porch below her. “Just like you said, you weren’t comfortable with sharing things with me at first. I’m not very comfortable sharing those types of things with you yet.”

“Yeah.” He nodded slowly. “I get it.”

She got up from her seat, and he mimicked her actions. “I appreciate you feeling comfortable enough to open up to me. It looks like we’re finally building some bridges of trust, huh?”

“Yeah, it appears so,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his stomach turn. Why was he feeling so guilty for trying to exploit secrets from her? He didn’t give a damn about her, right? All he wanted was information to piece together her past and motive.

Amy tucked her arms behind her back. “Well, I’m going to go to bed now. See you tomorrow morning.”

He looked down at her. “Right, night, doctor.”

Amy reached for the door briefly but stopped. She turned around to face him. “Hey, Shadow?”

He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. “Yeah?”

She walked back towards him and looked up at him. Looking down into her jade eyes, for whatever reason, made him feel a sudden pang of nervousness. Was she onto him? Did she know that he was investigating her history? His racing thoughts were broken when he felt her arms wrap around his torso softly, being careful of his healing injury. He gasped as she embraced him, placing her face against his chest. Shadow felt a sudden warmth overtake his entire body and suddenly found himself returning the gesture cautiously. The hug lasted only a few moments but felt like it lasted much longer. Amy pulled away and looked up at him, and backed away before turning to head indoors.

Once she was gone, Shadow exhaled a huge sigh of annoyance and paced on the front porch. He walked over to the porch railing and leaned one hand against the railing while his other hand pinched the skin between his eyes. “No, no, no, damn it. I refuse to let this happen,” he said to himself. “Repress those feelings. You are stronger than this,” he pledged to himself. He turned and looked back at the front door where Amy had gone back inside. “Stupid girl…” he muttered as he shook his head to himself.

Unbeknownst to them, Agent Zonic had watched the entire display occur before him within the concealment of his vehicle. He lowered his binoculars seething from the close contact of his girl with the dark male hedgehog. He quickly reached for his flask inside his coat pocket and took a swig. He knew this game would require strategy and patience, but he desperately wanted to get in there and intervene.

•~•

At a diner in town in the early morning hours, Mephiles sat at a lone booth in the back of the old-style diner among the primarily empty establishment. It was merely 6 AM, and he was still expecting company. The bell to the front door jingled, and in walked Sam Murphy looking quite sleep-deprived. He approached Mephiles’ table and plopped down. “This better be worth it.”

Mephiles smirked wickedly. “Oh, it is.”

Sam reached for the empty coffee cup sitting in front of him and flagged the only waitress there, who hurried over and poured him a cup before wandering off. “Just what is it that required me to get up so damn early to meet you here?”

Once the waitress was out of earshot, Mephiles continued. “Well, according to some little birds at the police department, my club seems to have acquired a little fanboy by the name of A.T.F. He is doing random surveillance of our group to gather reconnaissance, so I figured a little breakfast with one of the locals wouldn’t look too inconspicuous if it turns out he’s watching.”

Sam took a sip of his coffee and exhaled. “What the hell do you want, Mephiles? My time is precious around here.”

Carefully and discreetly, Mephiles pulled out a Ziplock bag from within his leather jacket. He laid it on top of the table and kept his hand over it to conceal its content. “You know the police still haven’t found that pedophile Ivo Robotnik, correct?”

“Yeah, I’m assuming you took care of him,” he whispered.

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Now, I demand your company kindly donate one of those new warehouses you’re building to our M.C.”

Sam chuckled uncomfortably. “You’ve got to be joking. Why the hell would we do that?”

Mephiles lifted his hand, revealing the bloodied weapon. “Because it’d be a shame if the police were to find this murder weapon with your D.N.A along with Ivo Robotnik's…”

Sam’s face turned to panic before settling into anger. “...You, son of a bitch."

Mephiles carefully tucked it away inside his jacket. “So, is it a deal then?”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not going to give me much of a choice, are you?”

Mephiles chuckled lowly. “Not at all.”

Author's Note: Please remember to leave a review or comment! I'd appreciate it.

Chapter 7: Hit Me With Your Best Shot!

Summary:

Amy is greeted unexpectedly by someone from her past and decides to do what it takes to protect herself. She goes to Shadow to get gun lessons and learn how to shoot and handle a gun.

The following day, after spending the night doing a stakeout and observing their patterns, the whole group left together in a large van. He spotted some of them taking reusable bags with them, so he could only presume they were doing their weekly grocery shopping. Seeing this as his opportunity, Zonic got out of his car and approached their compound. Zonic had changed up his appearance for this occasion. He wore jeans, a black hoodie, a baseball cap, black gloves, and carried a backpack.

The group of bikers locked their front chained link fence, so Zonic was forced to find other means of entering. Getting a good running start, he ran and leaped for the wired fence, bringing his fingers to grip between the mesh. Cautiously, he climbed the chain link fence and hopped over the side of it. Dropping down in the dirt on the other side, Zonic kept a vigilant watch and approached the house, making sure to keep his eyes out for cameras or different prying eyes. As he got to the front door, he grabbed the door handle but saw it was locked. Zonic rummaged into his jacket pocket, whipped out a pair of tools, and worked on unlocking the front door.

Once the door was opened, he pushed the door open and walked in. While inside, he closed the door behind him and began his exploration. He observed their living areas, giving them a scrutinizing look. He eyed one of the walls in their meeting room, which held a wall full of mug shot photos of every member who had been locked behind bars. He recognized a few of the members that he had done his research on. He spotted Shadow’s photo along with his brother Mephiles. Growing bored of eying the images, he moved back towards the entrance and eyed the staircase. Becoming curious, Zonic walked upstairs to do more exploring. When he was upstairs, he spotted numerous bedroom doors and opened each one cautiously, trying to figure out which one was Amy’s. Eventually, he came across one that appeared to fit her style.

Zonic walked around Amy’s bedroom, observing her new setup. Eying the laptop she had set up on the small table, he approached her desk station and allowed his hand to graze the computer's top. There were only a few pictures laid out on the table, one of her with her old co-worker Cosmo, a green seedrian nurse, and one of her standing in front of the Tech skyscraper building. There were also a couple of medical books there.

His eyes wandered over to her made bed. He reached for her pillow, picked it up, and brought it to his face. Closing his eyes, he took a deep inhale, gathering her scent. He hummed lowly, relishing the smell of her pomegranate shampoo he remembered so fondly. He tossed her pillow back onto her bed and sat on the edge of it. So, this is where she called home now?

He could only fathom what went on between these walls. Was she dating one of these low-life-hardened criminals? Did she love them? He shook the thoughts away; he could not allow Amy to make such a grave mistake. He’d make it his mission to keep her safe from these criminals and win her back like he had done many times before.

Walking into the next room in the hall, Zonic pushed open the door and entered cautiously. As he entered, he realized he was now in Shadow’s room. He walked over to one of the walls, glanced up, and eyed a few pictures hanging on the wall. He spotted one of Shadow embracing a pretty blonde female hedgehog next to his motorcycle. He scrunched his eyebrows together, a bit confused. He hadn’t seen that girl anywhere in the files or hanging out with the group in person. He moved towards Shadow’s dresser and noticed some of the drawers half open and half closed.

Zonic nosily opened a few of them and rummaged around inside. He pulled out a pistol stashed away in a sock drawer and didn’t seem surprised by the find. He put it back in its place and continued to rummage through another drawer. His fingers brushed against some sort of folder in this one, and he whipped it out. Curiously, he flipped it open and allowed his emerald eyes to scan the documents. Within the folder, he spotted all sorts of information regarding his Amy. His hand lifted the paper containing information about the restraining order she had placed against him. Thankfully, the paper stated that the restraint against the individual was classified. That didn’t stop Zonic’s paranoia, though. Did Shadow know the restraining order was against him? Perhaps not, but it was evident from this file that Shadow had reservations about Amy, this type of information could come in quite helpful for him to distance Amy away from the group.

•~•

Later that morning, the group returned from grocery shopping and went to work in the kitchen, putting everything away. “Yo, I call the shower first, man,” Manic claimed after putting away the last item.

“Not if I claim it first,” Mighty proclaimed.

Manic eyed the armadillo competitively. “First one to get there wins,” he stated.

Locke opened a cabinet, putting away a box of cereal. “You two sound like two-year-olds right now. Chaos,” he said, shaking his head.

Manic and Mighty charged out of the kitchen to get to the shower first. The two were shoulder-to-shoulder and nearly knocked Amy over as they whizzed past her, but Knuckles quickly caught her stumbling. “Hey!” she whined.

“Sorry, Amy!” they shouted in unison as they ran up the stairs.

“Jack asses,” Knuckles mumbled, setting her upright. “Ignore them.”

She glanced behind her at the echidna. “Thanks, Knuckles.”

A few minutes later, Amy wandered upstairs and opened the door to her room but was surprised to see rose petals strewn all over her now freshly made bed. Sauntering towards it, Amy eyed the different colored rose petals and felt her heart begin to race. She glanced over and noticed two papers lying delicately on her pillow and reached for them. As her eyes picked them up, she realized one of them was a dirty nude photo of Zonic’s lower half showing off a stiff erection. Her heart sank knowing her resolved ex-boyfriend had once again found her. She shuddered and flipped it around, and noticed a handwritten message on the back. “Miss me?” it read.

The second paper she flipped over was a news article she was not expecting to read. It was an image of her best friend Cosmo—with the title: “Nurse Brutally Murdered in Apartment.” She clasped a hand over her mouth, stifling a croak. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears that quickly streamed down her face; Amy ripped up the nude photo into shreds and discarded it into her garbage can. She quickly gathered the rose petals and shoved them into the bin. Amy plopped down onto the edge of her bed and held her face in her hands as she tried to compose herself. “Cosmo,” she croaked softly, choking back loud sobs. “I-I’m so sorry,” she breathed quietly.

She had thought that she had been able to cover her tracks this time. She thought she had managed to lose him for good, but her efforts yet again were for nothing, and to make matters worse, this psychopath had now killed her best friend while trying to find her. Sniffing and wiping her nose with the back of her arm, she decided that now more than ever, she needed to take matters into her own hands. No more running away.

•~•

Later that afternoon, Amy found most of the boys working in the mechanic shop later that day. Knuckles was in the process of rotating some tires along with Mighty. Gadget worked on an oil change on a bike while Manic and Locke worked on a broken radiator. In the meantime, Mephiles was inside the check-out room, working on billings. Amy looked high and low for the red and black hedgehog but found it difficult to locate him. Passing by Gadget, she stopped to get assistance. “Hey, Gadget, do you know where Shadow is?”

“Oh, yes,” he replied, fumbling with one of the tubes. “He’s under that green jeep,” he pointed.

Amy looked in that direction before smiling back at the red wolf. “Thanks.” Walking over to the car the hedgehog worked on, she spotted his legs sticking out from underneath the vehicle. She knocked on the side of the car to notify him of her presence.

Hearing her knocks, Shadow rolled himself out from underneath the car while he remained on his creeper. He sighed in annoyance once seeing her smiling down at him eagerly. He knew she wanted something from him by the looks of it. “…What?”

Allowing her smile to drop, she looked at him very assertively and crossed her arms over her chest. “Teach me how to use a gun,” she commanded.

Shadow blinked in surprise at her demand and sat up on his board. He was a bit stunned by her forwardness. His brows knitted together while he reste his arms across his bent knees. “Excuse me?”

She furrowed her brows together sternly. “You heard me; I want to learn how to use a gun, and I want to learn today,” she pointed.

Shadow reached for a clean rag in a red bucket next to him. He grabbed it, wiped off his oil-stained hands, and scoffed in amusement. “What makes you think I’d willingly teach you how to use a gun, princess?”

“Because I know what you guys do for a living, and I know you’re experts handling high-rank weapons,” she countered.

Shadow rose to his feet and eyed her in annoyance. “I think you’re sticking your nose in the wrong places. Stick to playing doctor.” He turned and began to walk away.

She watched his retreating figure and huffed. “If you don’t help me, I’ll tell Officer Silver everything,” she threatened.

Shadow froze in place and craned his neck at the audacity of her threat. “What’d you just say?”

She walked over to him, remaining unruffled. “I’ve been here long enough, and I’ve heard whispers here and there of what actually goes on during your bike runs,” she continued using air quotes to emphasize.

“I knew I couldn’t trust you…” He growled until a smirk suddenly settled on his face from a thought. “However, you’ve got some serious ball. You can threaten my club and me all you want, but you know nothing is stopping me from killing you and taking out that dangling threat of yours,” he warned.

Amy only smirked back to counter his claim. “Nice try, Shadow, but I know you couldn’t kill me even if you wanted to.”

His brows furrowed at her confident and bold statement. “And what makes you think that?”

“I know this club has its own set of rules and morals. You don’t kill or harm children and females.”

Shadow growled lowly at her response. She was right, and she had seen right through his bluff. “Why can’t you ask someone else to help you? Maybe I’m busy,” he shrugged.

“Well, according to Mighty and some others, you’re the best shot in the club. If I’m going to learn, I want to be trained by the best,” she complimented.

Shadow groaned in defeat. It was evident she wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and she had also teased his ego. “Fine, you win. Meet me here at 3 PM once I’m done with my shift.”

She smiled happily and clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Shadow.”

He rolled his eyes and waved her off. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

•~•

Later that day, Amy and Rouge visited the outdoor mall twenty minutes away from the house. The two had gone majorly shopping and were heading back to the car. “Thanks for coming with me again, Rouge. I appreciate it,” Amy smiled weakly as the two walked side by side with bags in hand.

“No prob, babe,” Rouge waved. “I love a good shopping spree, and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to enjoy it with another gal. I usually just drag Knuckles around, but he hates it,” she laughed lightly.

“Well, we killed two birds with one stone today. I got my new cell phone, and you got practically a new wardrobe,” Amy cracked playfully, staring at the amount of bags Rouge carried.

“I needed it anyway,” Rouge shrugged innocently before another thought crossed her mind. She stopped suddenly in her tracks, forcing Amy to duplicate her actions. “Oh, mind if you wait here for me real quick, hon? I need to use the restroom,” Rouge gestured.

Amy shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll wait here by the water fountain with the bags.”

“Thanks, hon,” Rouge smiled, handing over her bags. Amy accepted them and laid all their shopping backs on the sitting area of the water fountain. She sat down on the edge and watched as Rouge hustled off in search of a lady’s room. In the meantime, Amy rummaged into one of the bags and pulled out the new cell phone she had purchased. She took it out of the packaging and turned it on. While she kept her head down to play around with her new mobile phone, she was unaware of a figure approaching her from the front.

“—Nice, new phone?” a familiar male voice asked.

Her heart dropped, and her breath hitched as she recognized the voice of the person she dreaded most. Hoping it was a nightmare, she lifted her head only to meet his eyes. There he was, standing only several feet before her in the flesh in his official uniform. It was her ex, Zonic, also known as an official government worker for G.U.N. He smiled charmingly and stood there with his arms tucked behind his back, acting as if everything were normal.

Zonic remained a respectable six feet in front of her and maintained his pleasant attitude. Amy’s eyebrows narrowed at him as she kept up a brave face. “You…”

He put his hands up innocently, showing no harm, and kept up his innocent smile. “I’m not here to hurt you, relax. I was just hoping we could talk.”

Amy looked around her carefully, realizing it might be safe in this public setting. They were in an open outdoor mall with plenty of shoppers around. He wouldn’t attempt to do anything to her with all the witnesses around. “Fine, but say it here and stay where you are.” People walked around and past them, oblivious to the tension between them.

“I just came to give you a heads up and let you know I’m in town,” he started. “I’m here for G.U.N related business--”

“—What kind of business?” she abruptly cut off, doubting his motives.

“Uh, it’s an illegal arms weapons case,” he rebutted carefully. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but it originated in Tech City, and a big arms deal led here to Mercia. The M.C Brothers of Chaos are involved in it.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. Now it was all starting to make sense. “I see. So, the rose petals and the dick pic are business, too?” she countered sharply.

Zonic refrained from giving any type of reaction. “Well, about that…” he diverted calmly.

“—What about killing my best friend?” she whispered harshly. “Was that you?”

He put a hand behind his head and closed his eyes. “She got in the way,” he stated bluntly without hinting at empathy.

“You’re a murderer, Zonic,” she accused quietly, trying to refrain from getting emotional in public.

Zonic dropped his arm from behind his head and opened his eyes. ”So are the bikers you’re living with,” he countered. “Look, I just don’t want to see you get hurt, especially by that black and red hedgehog,” he pointed out.

“She was trying to protect me too, Zonic…She didn’t deserve—” She stopped herself, feeling her emotions brewing. She shut her eyes tightly. “How long have you been watching me anyway?”

He shrugged casually. “I mean, I’ve seen you here and there since I’ve been in town, but these guys, Amy, they’re--”

“—Stop worrying about me, Zonic!” she shot back. “They’re the least of my concern. You know that restraining order is still in effect, don’t you?” She wagged a finger in his direction, standing from the seat along the side of the fountain.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course, I know about it. It’s just I--”

“—You come near my new place or anywhere near me again, and I will file a--”

“—Babe, I got it,” he smoothly interrupted with a sickly sweet but charming smile. His eyelids lowered suggestively as he gave her a leering look. “But just to warn you, my federal jurisdiction with G.U.N takes precedence over such mandates like a restraining order,” he chuckled.

Amy felt her confidence drop at his words, and her ears drooped slightly. His high-ranking government job was aiding him once again in bypassing the law.

Seeing her expression sink, he smiled victoriously. “But don’t worry, I understand how you feel. No more contact, I promise.” He eyed her up and down as she clutched her new phone. “Oh, and it’s been good talking to you. I’ve missed hearing your voice.”

With that said, Amy and Zonic stared at each other in silence before Zonic placed his darkened aviators over his eyes, turned on his heel, and left. Amy watched as he wandered off in the opposite direction before disappearing into a crossing crowd across the street.

A hand touched her shoulder, making her gasp suddenly, forcing her to drop her phone. “Aaah!”

“Oh, geez, Amy, sorry for scaring you there,” Rouge apologized and picked her phone up for her. “You okay? You seem jumpy.”

Amy smiled sheepishly and accepted her dropped object. “It’s okay. You just startled me, is all. Let’s get out of here.”

The two started to walk towards Rouge’s parked car together. During the silence, Rouge glanced at Amy, who looked a little down for some reason. She cleared her throat. “So, a certain echidna told me you asked Shadow to teach you how to use a gun. Is that true?”

Her ears perked slightly. “Oh, yeah. I figured it’d be a good skill to acquire while living with you guys.”

“I’m surprised you’d ask Shadow, of all people. Why not Mighty? He seems to like teaching you new tricks,” she winked.

Amy blushed at her suggestive comment. “Well, I asked Mighty because he was a personal trainer. He’s skilled with different martial arts, and he told me how skilled Shadow is with guns, so I figured asking him would be worth a shot.”

“That makes sense,” Rouge concurred. “But don’t you and Shadow still not see eye to eye?”

The two girls finally arrived at Rouge’s white convertible. She clicked a button on her key, popping the trunk open. Both of them began loading bags into the back. “Our relationship isn’t as bad as it was in the beginning,” Amy countered. “I think he’s come around on me slightly. Besides, I heard from the other boys he’d be the best to train me.”

“Well, I’m glad he’s starting to trust you. He can be so weird at times,” she said, shaking her head.

•~•

At the police station, Zonic returned to the office and went straight for his private office. Espio and Vector watched as the blue hedgehog shut his office door, secluding himself in his work area. “That guy’s been here for a few weeks now, and even though he’s an A.T.F agent and is doing his job, something is off with him,” Vector mumbled as he leaned against a desk facing Espio’s cubicle.

Espio continued to work on filling out some paperwork. “I sense your skepticism about the hedgehog,” he agreed. “His aura feels…off.”

“Hey, you two,” a voice called. Both Espio and Vector looked to their right, where they spotted Officer Silver standing there and glaring at the two. “I don’t pay you two to stand around and gossip. Get back to work,” he pointed.

“Yes, sir,” they replied in unison. Once the silver hedgehog had walked away, the two co-workers eyed each other.

“Boy, Silver’s sure got a hard-on for Zonic, huh?” Vector whispered.

The chameleon chuckled lightly. “You got that right. Anyone willing to be on board to take down the brothers he’ll ride with,” Espio shrugged.

•~•

Once returning home, Shadow and Gadget took Amy to their private shooting range to help Amy learn how to use a gun. Out in a deserted desert field off a major highway, Gadget worked diligently on setting up target silhouettes. The red nerdy wolf set up three silhouettes at different distances and dusted off his hands as he rushed back out of the shooting range. In the meantime, Shadow was busy setting up the assorted guns on a display table. Gadget joined him and helped configure and assemble the disassembled weapons. Amy stood off behind them, watching them intently. It seemed like second nature as Shadow and Gadget quickly put the gun pieces together.

Once they were done, Shadow took a pair of noise-canceling headphones and put them around Amy’s neck to rest for the time being. He looked her dead in the eye. “Don’t put these on until I tell you. Got it?”

Amy nodded. “Okay.”

He turned back around, picked up a pair of safety glasses, and placed them on her face over her eyes. “And whatever you do, don’t take these off.”

“Right.”

She watched as Shadow and Gadget placed on their protective eyewear and placed some noise-canceling headphones or earplugs in. Shadow reached for a standard and well-known Ruger LCP. “Alright, let’s go over some gun safety first because I don’t trust you with a weapon, and I don’t feel like dying today.” He held up the gun and pointed away from both of them. Amy eyed the weapon in awe. “Rule number one, always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. In this case, it will be down range, away from me, yourself, or Gadget.”

Amy nodded, comprehending the information. “Right.”

“Rule number two,” he continued. “Always keep your fingers off the trigger until ready to shoot,” he instructed. “Now, notice where my fingers are as I hold up this gun for you to see,” he gestured. “My index and middle finger are resting alongside the frame and are clearly off the trigger.”

She nodded, taking in the mental note. “I see.”

“Rule three, learn how to tell if your gun is fully loaded or empty.” He moved closer for her to get a better look. “Here we have the slide lock back,” he pointed. “Here, we can see with our eyes there are no bullets in the chamber.”

She blinked a few times and leaned in closer to observe. “Oh, I see.”

“Yes, and if you look underneath here,” he gestured, flipping it. “There is also no magazine in the pistol.”

Shadow reached for a magazine off the table and picked it up. “Watch how I load the magazine.” Amy watched as he loaded it into the gun. He then placed his gun on the table facing down range, reached for an identical pistol and magazine chamber, and handed them over to Amy. “Show me what you’ve learned so far.”

Gulping nervously, Amy did the steps Shadow had taught her. She looked to make sure it wasn’t loaded. Check. She kept her fingers off the trigger and rested them on the frame. Check. She correctly loaded the magazine into the chamber, held the gun downrange, and kept her fingers off the trigger. Check.

She picked up quickly. “Good job, princess,” Shadow commended, using his sarcastic nickname. “Now, it’s time to start shooting.” He pointed towards one of the closest targets and kept one of his hands on her upper back. Amy felt a shiver run down her spine from his touch, but thankfully Shadow didn’t notice her reaction. “See that one there,” he pointed.

“Oh, uh…” She nodded, following where he was pointing. “…Yes?”

“Put your arms out straight ahead of you, aiming for the target. Keep your fingers rested against the frame until you are ready to pull the trigger, but just wait a second. I’m going to place your noise-canceling headphones on, okay?”

She kept her arms out directly in front of her as she clasped the gun. Shadow stood behind her and placed her headphones over her ears. He took a few steps behind her, put on his headphones, and watched. Amy lined up her shot and aimed for the target. She squinted her eyes before believing she had a good shot in range. She moved her fingers and placed them on the trigger, and squeezed. The gun shot off, and the bullet barely grazed the top of the target. She squeaked in surprise, feeling the kickback.

“Try again.” Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and observed her from behind. Amy moved her aim and pulled the trigger again, hitting her target's shoulder area. She did a few more shots, slowly getting better at hitting the center target. Feeling her heart race, Amy lowered her arms, keeping them closer to her chest but rested her elbows near her ribcage. “I-I think I’m done now…”

Shadow walked behind her and took off her headphones. “I’ll unload it for you. Just take your finger off the trigger for me.”

Amy moved her fingers away and rested them on the side of the frame. Shadow carefully remained by her side, took the gun out of her hand, and unloaded the magazine chamber. He laid the gun down on the table facing down range. “How was it?”

“Terrifying,” she admitted shakily. “It’s weird holding such a powerful and deadly weapon, but I know I need to get comfortable around them.”

“Once you get accustomed to their design and how to handle them properly, it won’t be so scary. Although, for your first time handling a gun, you weren’t too bad,” he admitted.

She wiped off her hands on the side of her jeans. Her palms were sweating. “Thanks. I just need to keep practicing and getting better. It’s funny, being a nurse, I can save lives. Now I just need to learn how to protect my own.”

Shadow seemed intrigued by her comment. Why did she feel so inclined to better herself in self-defense, weaponry, and such? He opened his mouth to comment, but Gadget quickly cut him off. “Sir, might I recommend you show Ms. Amy your skills with handling guns while we're out here?”

Amy’s eyes widened with interest. “Oh, that’d be cool. I’d love to see what you’re capable of,” she nodded.

Shadow looked uncertain. “Uh, well…”

Amy clasped her hands in front of her in a begging motion. “Please, we came out all this way anyway.”

Shadow exhaled. “Fine.” He looked over to Gadget. “Hand me that SIG P226,” he ordered the nerdy wolf.

Gadget walked to the display table and picked up the slick jet-black gun. He handed it over to Shadow, who accepted it.

“Magazine,” he commanded.

Gadget picked up the correct magazine round and handed it to Shadow. Shadow placed his safety headphones on. “Put your headgear on, you two.”

Both Amy and Gadget followed his orders and placed their headgear back on. The two stood safe behind Shadow but not too far away, where they couldn’t watch him in action. Like a perfect synchronized dance, Shadow held the weapon in front of him and aimed at the target closest to him on his left. He made three perfect shots right in the dead-center chest plate. He quickly positioned his next shot and pulled the trigger three times. The following bullets went completely clean through the head target. Shadow aimed for the next target on his right and repeated his actions to the previous mark.

Amy watched in awe as he shot another bullseye in the chest plate of the target. He then maneuvered his position and did a perfect headshot. She watched his expression, impressed with his relaxed and confident demeanor. Shadow dropped his arms down in front of him, keeping the gun in a respectable and safe position.

Shadow turned his head to look at Amy. “Do I live up to my reputation?” he smirked arrogantly.

“Definitely,” Amy praised while taking off her ear gear. “How long did it take for you to become that good?” she inquired curiously, watching him unload the weapon.

Shadow took off his safety gear and placed it on the display table. “Not too long, maybe a year or so,” he answered.

“You think that’s cool,” Gadget interjected. “You should see V.P out in the field hitting live and moving--” he suddenly froze, realizing the information he was just spilling to Amy. Shadow shot a deadly glare toward the red wolf. Gadget covered his mouth with his hands regretfully. “Oh my gosh…”

“Relax, Shadow,” Amy dismissed quickly. “I already know. You held up your end of the deal, and I’ll keep quiet as promised.”

Gadget blinked a few times. “Hold on, she knows about what we do?”

Amy took off her safety goggles. “I’ve kind of known for a while now. You guys have never explicitly said what you do for a living, but I’ve just had my theories. Not to mention, you guys don’t do the best job at hiding it.”

Shadow tilted his head at her calm demeanor. “How can you be so calm after learning I’ve killed people? After knowing what we really do?”

“I’m a nurse,” she replied calmly. “I don’t just save saints, you know. I’ve been around enough criminals to tell the difference.”

Gadget scratched the side of his head. “Wow, no wonder Rouge hired you.”

She shrugged. “I’m saying I don’t hold any judgment.” She looked over to the gun she had previously used feeling a boost of confidence. “Now, let me try one more time.”

•~•

Once returning home, Gadget, Shadow, and Amy disembarked the truck. Gadget reached into the back of the car and pulled out the large green carry-on bag with assorted guns. “I’ll put these babies back,” he informed as he headed for the garage. In the meantime, Shadow and Amy walked back towards the house together.

They spotted Mighty, Locke, and Manic sitting on the front porch enjoying a beer. Mighty sat on the railing frame and waved with a big smile as they approached. “Hey, how’d she do?” he shouted curiously.

“Yeah,” Manic added loudly. “Did she accidentally shoot, yah?”

“I don’t see any bandages or blood, so I’d guess not,” Mighty observed their appearance.

“I’m sure she did well,” Locke surmised.

“She didn’t do too bad,” Shadow commented, eying her momentarily. “She’ll just need a bit more practice obviously.”

Mighty nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he laughed before glancing over to Amy. “And what about you, Ames? Handling a gun is pretty weird at first, huh?”

Amy rubbed her arm. “Yeah, it’s quite different, yet it’s also oddly empowering.”

“Damn, you might have to join us on the road sometime. Sooner than later, you’re going to be a badass,” he cracked. Shadow sighed and shook his head at his comment, and Mighty took notice. “Aye, Shadow, you didn’t go too hard on her, did ya, teach?”

“Yeah, bro, you can be such a dick sometimes,” Manic pointed accusingly.

Shadow kept his arms crossed and his expression unruffled by their comments. “I remained unbiased and stern as all teachers should remain during a lesson.”

“He wasn’t that bad, Mighty,” Amy added. “However, it’s sweet that you were thinking about me.”

Just then, the front door opened, and Rouge sauntered out. “There you all are. Alright, announcement!” she declared, clapping her hands together. Everyone looked at the white bat. “Tomorrow evening, Mercia Middle School is hosting a benefit concert. I will need all hands on deck to help volunteer for the event. I’m going to need Manic, Mighty, and Gadget to perform some songs at the venue,” she instructed.

“Wow, I get to rock out tomorrow night?” Manic asked with wide eyes. “Sweet…”

Rouge looked over to Shadow and Amy. “I’m going to need one of you to work the grill and the other to work at the ticket booth.”

“I’ll help at the ticket booth,” Amy volunteered to raise a hand.

“Perfect,” Rouge smiled. “Then that means, Shadow, you’ll work on the grill cooking hamburgers and hotdogs. Mephiles, Locke, and Knuckles are helping set up the booths and will work as security.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mighty concurred.

“You love a fundraiser, don’t you?” Shadow questioned sarcastically.

Rouge smirked his way. “You know I love charitable work. We have to keep up our appearance that we’re just a motorcycle club that likes to help the community after all,” she winked.

Shadow shook his head. “Right.”

•~•

 

Later that evening, Shadow got ready for bed. Kicking off his shoes, he was utterly exhausted from his day’s work. Feeling stressed thinking about the dumb charity event for the middle school tomorrow, Shadow reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out his cigarette box. Pulling out a cigarette, he walked over to the window and lifted it open, too lazy to head downstairs to smoke. Just as he leaned his arms on the windowsill and prepared to light his cigarette, he heard the soft sobs of someone crying just a little bit away. Moving to pop his head outside, he looked to his left and then his right before spotting Amy huddled up and sitting near the edge of the roof. She was in a hoodie and sweats as she looked down at something in her lap and cried as quietly as possible.

Placing his unlit cigarette behind his ear, Shadow lifted himself out of his bedroom window, got onto the roof, and carefully made his way toward the grief-stricken female. “You know you could easily fall if you’re not careful up here,” he precautioned, slightly startling her.

Amy gasped and tried to wipe away as many of the tears streaking down her face as possible. He watched as she clutched whatever she had been staring down at close to her chest, hoping he wouldn’t see.

Shadow carefully lowered himself and sat a few feet away on the edge of the slanted roof. “Why are you out here—crying?”

Amy sniffed. “Because I wanted some fresh air to think. I just received some bad news back from home…”

“You know, if you wanted fresh air, we have a perfectly good porch downstairs,” he pointed below them.

“I know, but when my parents were alive, I used to sit on the roof and look at the night sky when I was upset. It’s just a weird ritual I did to make myself feel better.”

Shadow reached for the saved cigarette tucked behind his ear and placed it between his lips. He lit the tip and inhaled a drag before exhaling the smoke from the corner of his mouth. “I know you don’t trust me,” he started. “And to be fair, I get it—but what happened?” he questioned.

Amy wiped her runny nose on the back of her arm. “My best friend back home was murdered,” she worded carefully. “I-I just found out through social media,” she lied. She had already known about the death of her friend from earlier in the day, but it was now all hitting her again. She was gone.

Shadow seemed rather alarmed. He hadn’t expected this type of bad news. He turned to look at her, feeling sympathy. “Shit…I’m sorry for your loss. What exactly happened if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’m not sure,” she sighed. “The police are still investigating, but I can’t help but feel like this is my fault somehow…”

He took another drag and cocked a brow. “Why would you say something like that?”

“It’s just I—never mind,” she quickly adjusted. She couldn’t believe she had almost just spilled everything to this brash hedgehog. “I’m just overly emotional right now.”

Shadow eyed the object she continued to clutch against her chest as he absorbed the hesitancy on her end. She was hiding something, that’s for sure. “What’s that?” he pointed before taking another puff.

Amy glanced down at the picture frame she had been holding. “Oh, this is just a picture of us together.” She hesitantly handed him the picture to look at. Shadow accepted the photo and glanced down at it. He spotted a green seedrian and Amy behind their nursing station, smiling at the camera. “We became practically best friends on the first day of our job. We always had each other’s backs.”

“I see…” He handed her back the photo. “Again, I’m sorry about your loss. Do you know when the funeral will be held?”

She shook her head. “No…because there is still a homicide investigation underway. It’s prolonging it,” she replied.

“If you ever need one of us to accompany you or transport you to the funeral. Let us know. We’ll lend a hand where we can.”

Amy smiled weakly, appreciative of the thought. “Thank you, Shadow. You were the last person I’d expect to see up here consoling me.”

He smirked. “Hey, I’m not completely heartless,” he shrugged and rose to his feet. He flicked the rest of his cigarette off the side of the roof. “Now, can we go back inside the house? You’re making me nervous seeing you sit on the roof's edge in this state. I don’t want a lawsuit on our hands.”

Amy got up and started walking towards him, just when her foot landed on an unstable roof tile. She began to fall sideways as it ultimately came loose. She outstretched her hands out in front of her to stabilize herself. “Ahh!”

“Shit!” With his eyes widening in horror, he grabbed her left arm with his right hand. Amy’s panicked eyes met his red ones, and he used all his strength to keep both of them on the roof while he used all his power to pull her towards him. He managed to do so, and Amy came flinging towards him and into his arms. The two landed back on the roof's edge with a thud. Amy was lying on top of Shadow while his back remained against the slanted edge of the roof. His one arm was secured around her waist, making sure she didn’t fall or slip.

Hearing him groan from his back’s impact against the tile, Amy lifted herself slightly as her face was extremely close to his. She felt her cheeks red, seeing how their bodies pressed against each other. “Oh my gosh, Shadow! I’m so sorry.”

He grunted as he cracked one of his eyes open to look at her. “As I said, we have a perfectly good porch downstairs…” he winced.

Amy carefully moved off the top of him, allowing him to sit upright. The two rose to their feet but held onto each other’s arms for stabilization. Shadow glanced at Amy in the moonlight, realizing how pretty she looked despite having cried her eyes. For some unknown reason, Amy felt very bashful under his prolonged gaze. She, too, was noticing how attractive he looked as always. Shadow rubbed his back. “Let’s head back indoors, for real this time…”

Amy carefully made her way through her bedroom window, and Shadow stood on the roof, watching to make sure she got back safely. Amy played with one of her longer stray quills in her ponytail. “Well, thank you for coming to my rescue. I appreciate it, Shadow,” she smiled weakly but also felt a mixture of butterflies in her belly.

Shadow tried to remain calm and collected as he stood outside her window on the roof. “Well, good night.”

“Yes, goodnight,” Amy replied before shutting her bedroom window.

Shadow ambled back over to his bedroom window and climbed back inside. What the hell was that back there? He had felt things he hadn’t felt in a long time. Shadow shook the feelings. He would never allow himself to feel those things again. He would make sure of it.

Author's Note: Once again, reviews would be greatly appreciated!

Chapter 8: Charity

Summary:

The Brothers of Chaos disguise their true agenda by hosting a charity event for a school in Mercia. Old faces both from the club and Amy's past show up and other secrets are revealed.

The following day, Rouge, Amy, and the rest of the group worked diligently on setting up the booths, tents, tables, and stage for the big charity event. Shadow, Knuckles, Locke, Mighty, and Gadget worked on setting up the stage, while Amy, Manic, and Mephiles worked on setting up the tents. Other parent volunteers from the school meandered around, helping set up other booths or carrying in food and different assortments. On the temporary stage, Shadow’s group diligently worked away at hammering in the joints to the location to ensure it was stable for tonight’s big concert.

Rouge, in the meantime, stood with her checkboard in hand, checking off her lists of to-dos’ as she observed the work performed around her. Her aqua eyes observed as Amy and Mephiles worked on putting the poles into the ground for their third tent. “Yeah, that should do it, right there,” she pointed.

Coming up from behind her, a beautiful black and white female skunk wearing jean shorts and a pink and white plaid crop top approached her. The mysterious girl looked no older than twenty-eight but seemed a little apprehensive as she stood behind the bat. “…Hey, Rouge?”

The matriarch white bat turned around and eyed the girl standing before her. “Chloe?” Rouge beamed and outstretched her arms. “Nice to see you around again!” The two girls embraced, and Chloe smiled awkwardly. It had been some time since she had interacted with the bat.

“Likewise,” she nodded.

The two parted from their hug and stared at each other. “So, is your son coming to the big charity event tonight?” the bat inquired.

“Of course,” Chloe smiled. “Sebastian loves his school. He has a lot of school spirit, which is actually why I wanted to talk to you,” she segued.

Rouge blinked curiously. “Oh? Well, what about?”

“Sebastian really wants his dad to come and spend the evening with us at the concert, and, well, look, you and I know what went down with my ex-husband, but Sebastian doesn’t. Is there any way he can come here tonight?”

Rouge frowned, hearing the predicament. “Shit, Chloe…I-I don’t know. I don’t think Mephiles would really--”

The skunk clasped her hands together and shot her a look of desperation. “—Please, Rouge,” she begged. “Sebastian doesn’t know, and it breaks his heart that his dad can’t come to anything in Mercia. No sports games, no school stuff, you know?”

She waved her hands in front of her. “—Alright, alright,” Rouge cut off, getting the point. Chloe had managed to pull at her heartstrings a bit. “I’ll bring it up to Mephiles and the others, but I’m telling you right now. I can’t promise anything,” she made explicit.

Chloe smiled optimistically. “Thank you, Rouge. I appreciate it.” With that said, Rouge watched as Chloe sauntered off to continue helping set up for tonight. Sighing, Rouge wandered back over to Mephiles’ group as they finished putting the tarp on the tent poles.

Mephiles eyed the bat approaching him. “Everything going well for your fundraiser?”

“Of course,” she answered confidently. “Mind if I have a private word with you?”

Mephiles eyed Amy and Manic, who was just finished. “You two, take five.”

Amy and Manic nodded and walked off to allow the two some privacy. Once they were out of earshot, Rouge turned to face the president. “I was just talking to Chloe St. Croix, and I was wondering what you’d think about letting Jeffery come to our event tonight?”

The dark hedgehog reached for a water bottle on the ground. “I’ll think about it,” Mephiles replied monotonously. “If you recall, Mighty went to jail because of that traitor. There’s a reason he’s excommunicated.”

She groaned in frustration. Just by his tone, she could already tell that his ‘I’ll think about it was just his bullshit answer to ‘no.’ “Chaos, this is not for Jeffrey. It’s for his son, Sebastian,” she pointed. Chloe stayed in Mercia after you stripped his patch, and she even divorced him,” she reminded.

He finished taking a swig of the cold liquid. “She divorced him because he was fucking everything left, right, and center with a heartbeat.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. “The guy is a scumbag. The answer is no.”

She placed a hand on his arm and batted her eyes at him. “Please, Mephiles. Just think about it for real.”

He groaned in thought. “Fine, I’ll put it up for a vote, but it’s not going to pass,” he shrugged.

She smiled triumphantly and blew him a kiss, and sauntered off. “Thanks, Mephy!”

“Do not call me that,” he growled lowly under his breath at her retreating figure.

•~•

After finishing work for the event, Shadow made a quick pit stop at the local gas station. He walked out with a new pack of cigarettes and walked around the corner to his parked bike but was startled to see an unannounced stranger eying his choice of vehicle. It was some male blue hedgehog wearing a red leather jacket and matching red leather pants. He was holding his sophisticated helmet in his left arm with his back towards him. Shadow approached the spectator and cleared his throat behind him. “Can I help you?”

Zonic spun around to face Shadow and spotted him with a lit cigarette between his lips. “Oh, sorry man, I was just eying your bike,” he gestured with a hand wave. “She’s gorgeous,” he complimented. “I especially like the rim modifications.”

Shadow smirked, pleased by the compliment and unaware of his true identity. “Thanks,” he replied. “I did them myself,” he gestured.

“How old is this girl?” Zonic continued, trying to keep up the conversation.

“Not too old; she’s about two years,” he replied before walking over and straddling his bike.

Zonic smiled at him before eying the motorcycle one last time. “Boy, what I’d give to ride one of those. Nice talkin’ to you.” He turned on his heel and walked off back towards his own Yamaha YZF-R1.

“Yeah…you too.” Shadow watched the unnamed stranger mount his own bike and take off out of the gas station parking lot. Shadow finished one last puff of his cigarette before extinguishing it on the blacktop. His encounter with the blue hedgehog was oddly unsettling, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

•~•

Later that day, back at the clubhouse, Mephiles held a meeting to get a vote on their St. Croix business. The group would decide whether or not they would allow ex-member Jeffrey St. Croix to spend time with his family at the fundraising event. Mephiles sat at the head seat while the rest of the members sat on either side of the table.

“Alright,” Mephiles began. “Rouge asked me earlier if there was any chance St. Croix could come to the big fundraiser event. What are your thoughts, gentlemen?” The group members began to make audible sounds at the idea. Scoffs and groans could be heard from either side of the table.

Knuckles shook his head. “Are you kidding me?”

“Absolutely not,” Locke gawked.

“Isn’t this already a done decision?” Shadow piped in, looking peeved at just the idea.

“Yo, the guys a scumbag,” Manic added with a head shake.

Mephiles sighed deeply. “I know, but I told Rouge I’d bring it up at today’s meeting. However, his ex-old lady did take a big hit. She remained behind in Mercia and still supports our club. According to Rouge, this is for her kid, not for that jackass.”

Everyone eyed each other around the table, waiting for someone to respond. Eventually, all eyes landed on Mighty, who had been the least outspoken amongst the group. Mighty leaned forward in his seat to share his piece. “Let him come,” he addressed calmly.

Manic shot a look of disbelief to his best friend beside him. “You serious, M?”

Mephiles wagged a finger in his direction. “This can’t be about revenge,” he reminded.

Mighty shook his head, disarming any concern for that. He put his hand up innocently. “It’s not about that. The guy’s got nothing. No club, no girl, no friends, no real family. What’s it gonna hurt?” he challenged. “It’ll do some good for me to see that so I can appreciate what I have,” he smiled.

“Anyone else disagrees?” Mephiles questioned, looking around the relatively quiet room. Most people remained expressionless with not much to say.

“Yeah, me,” Shadow admitted raising an arm. “I don’t agree with this.”

Mephiles looked around the quiet room once more before caving into their decision. With no more opposition, it looked like Jeffrey would be able to attend. “Majority rules,” he sighed. “The scumbag’s allowed to show up.” With that said, Mephiles banged his gavel on the table, declaring it official. “Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone rose from their seats and began to wander out of the room one by one. Mephiles walked by Manic and stopped him momentarily. “Manic, I want you to keep a sharp eye out for Jeffrey tomorrow. Keep him away from Mighty,” he commanded quietly.

The pierced green hedgehog nodded. “Got it, boss man.”

•~•

Later that afternoon, the festivities were in full effect. Parents and children walked around the school’s open field that provided plenty of rooms for the booths and small tents. Rouge and another parent worked at the raffle booth, collecting money and selling raffle tickets. So far, things were going pretty smoothly. Families seemed to enjoy picnicking out on the fields, playing simple carnival games and spending time together. A dashing-looking male skunk pulled up on his motorcycle in the parking lot with a female companion on the back. The skunk parked his bike and took off his helmet, along with the female straddling behind him.

“Dad?” a voice said from nearby.

Jeffrey craned his neck only to spot his young son, Sebastian, along with her ex-wife, Chloe, staggering behind. “Hey, kid,” he grinned.

Chloe did not look pleased when she saw that Jeffrey was not alone. He had brought along his newest conquest, a young eighteen-year-old pink bunny with blonde hair. Just by looking at her appearance of high-waisted jean shorts and a high white crop top, she could only imagine what Jeffrey found interesting about the girl.

Jeffrey dismounted his bike and embraced his son, who was excited to see him. He patted him on the head. “How are you doing, kid? Keeping up your grades?”

“Yeah, mom helps me get my homework done. I’m about to make the honor roll!”

Jeffrey looked rather impressed by the good news and smiled at his ex-wife. “Wow, keep it up, mom.”

Sebastian looked over to the strange female bunny. He had never seen her before. “Dad, who is she?” he questioned curiously.

“Oh, her?” he gestured to the pink bunny waving in the background. She walked over, and he slung an arm around her waist. “This is Hilda, my new friend,” he introduced.

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, not approving of his lie. He knew damn well Hilda was not just some ‘friend.’ Hilda, on the other hand, played along with his lie. She outstretched her hand to Sebastian. “Hi, Sebastian. Your dad tells me all about you.”

Sebastian shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Hilda,” he greeted.

Not being able to watch this charade any further, Chloe stormed over, grabbed Jeffrey by the arm, and moved him a few feet away to talk. “I can’t believe you brought her,” she whispered harshly. “I only did this so Sebastian could spend time with you,” she said, pointing a rough finger into his chest.

Jeffrey pried his arm out of his grasp. “Whoa, sweet cheeks, she’s not going to kill the mood. I still plan to hang out with my little man today.”

Chloe scoffed. “You just don’t get it. This was a huge mistake…” Jeffrey watched as she walked back over and grabbed Sebastian’s hand, and led him off toward the entrance of the school. Sebastian looked baffled by the strange gesture and looked back at his father as he was led off. Jeffrey and Chloe watched as the two walked ahead by their parked bike.

Hilda looked over at her boyfriend. “What’s her problem?” she whispered.

He gave her a pat on the bum. “She’s just jealous, baby, don’t worry about her,” Jeffrey advised.

Unbeknownst to them, most of Jeffrey’s ex-crew just so happened to watch the display go down in the parking lot. They hadn’t been able to hear much of the conversation or read lips, but they could figure out what had gone done. Shadow and Knuckles shook their heads as they remained in their booth, flipping hamburgers at the grill. They had a perfect view of the parking lot from their vantage. The echidna finished making one burger and wrapped it up in aluminum foil. “What an idiot,” Knuckles groaned. “He thought it’d be smart to bring his new girl here? That wasn’t a part of the deal.”

The dark hedgehog finished flipping another burger on the grill. “Mephiles won’t be happy to see it either,” Shadow added.

Another person who had witnessed the scene was Manic himself. Standing behind one of the school buildings to take a quick smoke break, Manic extinguished his cigarette and approached the skunk with his new girl. Jeffrey spotted the lime green hedgehog making his way over and signaled his girl to give him a moment. “Hey, go on ahead, and I’ll catch up,” he nudged.

Hilda nodded and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Alright...”

Once she had walked off, the two males stopped in front of each other, staring at each other like an old western standoff. “Manic,” Jeffrey acknowledged. “I wasn’t planning on saying anything. I was just going to keep my mouth shut.”

“Yeah? That’s a good thing, but I’m tellin’ yah right now,” he stated sternly. “Stay the hell away from us.”

Jeffrey watched as Manic began to turn away but then called after him. “Wait, Manic.”
Manic turned to look at him. “I wanted to help the club out. I have another route for money that I think the club would like to hear,” he alluded.

Grabbing him by the collar, Manic swiftly slammed Jeffrey up against the walls of the building, secluding them away from prying parents or children. “Is that why you’re here? To buy back your way into the club?”

He put up his hands, showing no harm. “No, I want to share this info with you guys,” he promised. “Honest.”

Manic released his tight hold on him and backed up, not believing him. “Stay out of my sight,” Manic warned.

•~•

Over at the raffle booth, Rouge was busy collecting raffle tickets from oncoming customers. Heading over towards her on his break, Shadow walked behind the booth to speak with her for a moment. Rouge caught sight of Shadow hovering in the background and allowed her assistant parent to take over her duty. “Just give me a minute,” she gestured before moving away to have a private conversation. Once facing the ebony hedgehog in the corner of the booth, she smiled up at him. “How’s it going?”

Shadow shoved his hands into his pockets coolly. “So far, so good.”

Rouge looked over her shoulder and spotted Jeffrey in the middle of a competitive egg toss along with other dads and their children. She smiled at the sight and turned to face him. “Thanks again for voting to allow him to attend. I know it’ll mean a lot to Chloe and Sebastian.”

“I’m not the right person to thank,” he noted, making Rouge shoot him a funny look.

She placed her hands on her hips. “What do you mean?”

“I was the only one who opposed the vote,” he explained. “Also, I don’t think Chloe will appreciate this as much as you think. The douche brought his latest whore with him,” he gestured discreetly with a thumb wave.

Rouge looked in the direction where he gestured and spotted the pretty female bunny cheering on Jeffrey in the background. “Oh, chaos…are you kidding me? Is someone looking after Mighty in all this?”

“Yeah, Manic’s got that under control,” he replied. “Speaking of which, let me get an update. Excuse me.” Rouge nodded and watched him leave before heading back to her job. Shadow walked back towards the front of the school, but to his far left, he spotted Amy walking in the opposite direction. He stopped momentarily to stare at her to see what she was up to.

Oblivious to Shadow’s prying eyes, Amy wandered through the festival on her break. She walked past booths smiling at the happy children whizzing past her. She inhaled the delicious mix of fried foods such as hamburgers, hotdogs, chili, and popcorn, but she suddenly stopped when she saw something. Her smile dropped, and her eyes focused on someone several yards ahead of her. Shadow followed her line of sight and determined she was staring at the Mercia Police Department booth, handing out beers and cooking chili. He watched in intrigue as Amy awkwardly backed up before turning around and keeping her head low as she retreated in his direction.

Puzzled by her reaction, he looked back at the booth she had been staring at to determine what had seemed to spook her. He looked at the individuals standing behind the booth. He noticed Officer Silver, Detective Espio, intern Charmy, and finally…the unnamed blue hedgehog he had seen earlier at the gas station? His ruby eyes focused on the suave blue hedgehog in black sunglasses and a cheesy ‘kiss the cook’ apron. Why in the world was that guy working the booth?

Shadow made his way over to Detective Vector, who was currently scarfing down a fried twinkie by another booth. He stopped before him, making the large alligator halt and chew his last bite. “Yuck,” Shadow commented, eying his snack. “Those things will kill you, you know.”

Vector shrugged and swallowed his last bite. “Something’s gotta do it eventually, Shadow,” he grinned. “I don’t think I mind the idea of death by deep-fried twinkles.”

Shadow rolled his eyes before getting back on topic. “Vec, who’s the blue hedgehog behind your booth’s grill?” he gestured with a lowkey head nod.

Vector craned his neck over his shoulder to look at their police booth, spotting the identified stranger he spoke of. The blue hedgehog laughed as he dished up a fresh chili dog and handed it over to a customer, unaware that he was being gossiped about. Vector turned his head back around to face the dark hedgehog. “Oh, that’s our new best friend, Agent Zonic,” Vector stated facetiously. “You know, the A.T.F agent.”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest, looking surprised by the reveal. “That guy is looking into our club?” he questioned in surprise. “I saw him earlier today at the gas station. The guy tried making small talk with me.”

Vector shrugged. “Special training, don’t you know?” he shot back sarcastically with a chuckle.

“Is he getting anything good from us?” Shadow inquired.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. He keeps his investigation reports VERY private. He does most of the work independently and occasionally lets Silver assist him. Sorry, I can’t give you any more intel. Espio and I are trying our best to infiltrate.”

Shadow scoffed. “Well, I’m sure we’ll find out just how much dirt he has on us soon enough,” he groaned. “Thanks for the update, Vec.” He patted him on the shoulder and walked off searching for Mighty and Manic.

•~•

In the meantime, Mighty sat at a picnic bench and stared hard at the male skunk and his family in the distance. He felt a presence looming behind him and didn’t bother to look. “I’m fine, Manic. Just take a seat and stop worrying about me.”

The green hedgehog obliged and slid down beside him on the bench. “I was assigned this duty in case you had an incident. Be happy that I’m looking out for you, bro.”

Mighty cupped his hands around the sides of his face. “Do you think he’s happy?” he questioned.

Manic watched as Jeffrey missed catching the egg in the egg toss. The egg slid down his shoulder, making a huge mess. He and his son broke out into laughs from the mishap. “Nah, he probably is miserable.”

“I thought he’d be. After all, he was disowned by our club. I didn’t think he had a lover anymore and was distant from his family. Yet, here he seems so happy. So full of life…I thought I’d see him more miserable.”

Manic cocked a brow. “Are you saying you’re jealous, man?”

He lowered his arms and rested them on the picnic table. “I can’t explain it, but I’m feeling some sort of emotion right now…Like, he screwed me over, so I figured karma would come into play soon enough to balance all this out.”

“I feel you, brother,” Manic concurred.

The two watched as Jeffrey began to take his motorcycle jacket off. “Hey, babe, mind helping me?”

Hilda walked over, took off his jacket, and accidentally pulled up the back of his shirt, revealing his giant back tattoo that read, “Brothers of Chaos,” with a large green chaos emerald covering most of his back. He still donned the notorious ink he was told to remove once expelled. The two looked at each other in disbelief. “Oh, shit…” Manic mumbled under his breath.

Mighty rose from his seat, looking angered by sight. “I’ll handle this.”

Manic, panicked, followed the angered armadillo as he stormed in Jeffrey’s direction. “Whoa, man, wait a minute!”

Mighty followed after the skunk as he ducked into the boy’s room to clean his egg-covered hands. Mighty followed him inside and was pleased to see that only the two of them were there. Jeffrey looked up from washing his hands towards the entrance where Mighty stood defiantly. Rushing in behind him, Manic caught his breath as he panted. “Geez, you power-walked your way over here, huh?”

“Hey, Mighty,” Jeffrey waved uncomfortably before tossing the wet paper towel in the bin. “I’ve been doing what I’ve been told. I’ve been avoiding you all day, but, you know, I wanted to talk about what happened between us…”

Mighty began to crack his knuckles. “Yeah, and you never did.”

Manic placed a hand on his friend’s right shoulder. “Don’t do this, man.”

Mighty shrugged away his touch. “Buzz off,” he shot venomously. “This is all me.”

Jeffrey put up his hand defensively. “Listen, let me explain now.”

The armadillo brought up his right fist. “It’s too late for listening.” He swung a punch socking the skunk square in the jaw. Jeffrey was flung towards the bathroom floor. Manic went to intervene and grab Mighty, but the black and red armadillo kicked backward, landing a blow to Manic’s chest and winding him temporarily. Manic stumbled back, crashing into one of the sinks. He grabbed his chest, wheezing from the assault.

Now with Manic out of the way, Mighty had Jeffrey all to himself.

•~•

A few minutes later, swinging open the bathroom door, Shadow was stunned to see Mighty and Jeffrey casually cleaning up after their fight. Both Mighty and Jeffrey were standing at the sinks when Shadow entered. Mighty used paper towels to wipe up blood oozing from his split lip while Jeffrey splashed water onto his bruised and bloodied cheek. Manic leaned against the wall, acting calm through the whole scene.

Looking amongst the group, Shadow’s eyebrows furrowed. “Just what the hell is going on here?”

“Nothing now,” Mighty noted, tossing the dirty towel into the garbage. “We just talked, that’s all.”

“I think he finally got all that pent-up anger out of his system,” Manic added.

Shadow walked further into the bathroom. “Did anyone see this? We can’t allow the public to witness this roughhousing.”

“Nah, Manic watched the door while he danced,” Jeffrey commented. “We’re good now.”

“I know you’re good,” Mighty commented. “You’ve got a nice piece of ass, and you're hanging out with your family again,” he listed in annoyance.

Jeffrey frowned. “Not really…I miss it. I miss it all.” His eyes wandered to Shadow’s motorcycle jacket. “When I had that jacket on, no one messed with me. I got respect—even from people I had never met before. It was amazing…”

Shadow huffed. “It’s not our fault that you fucked up your chance. You are the only one to blame here.”

“I know, but I was hoping I could get another chance. I have a good deal that I think you guys might be interested in. It scores some hard cash,” he hinted.

“You assume Mephiles would accept you back into the club?” Shadow challenged.

“Hey, the worst thing he could say is no. At least give me a shot, man,” Jeffrey pointed.

“I’ll entertain the thought, but until then, get back to your family. They’re looking for you.”

Jeffrey nodded and walked out of the bathroom, past Shadow and the others. Once alone, Mighty approached Shadow. “You can’t be serious…”

“I’m not. It’s never going to happen,” Shadow added. “I’ll let him get his hopes up only for them to be crushed.”

Mighty’s eyes brightened as he remembered another essential detail. “Shit, Shadow, I nearly forgot! Jeffrey still has his ink. Both Manic and I saw it when he was playing in the egg toss.”

Shadow looked perturbed by the news. “You’re joking.”

Both males shook their heads. “He’s telling the truth, Shad,” Manic noted. “I saw it myself.”

Shadow stroked his chin in thought. Is an ex-member still harboring their ink? “Then perhaps, Mephiles would be interested in meeting with Jeffrey after all…”

•~•

Back outside the bathrooms at the festivities, Mephiles chowed down on some chicken wings as he sat at a lone booth. While enjoying his meal, he was suddenly ambushed by Shadow, Manic, and Mighty. The group of bikers surrounded his table, causing the dark hedgehog to look up at the three members. He watched as they made themselves comfortable. Two sat on either side of him, and the other sat across from him. He swallowed the bite he chewed. “Can I help you?”

“Sorry to interrupt your meal, Mephiles, but there’s something you need to know,” Shadow began.

Mephiles droned at the thought. He could only imagine what the possibilities were. He dropped off a couple of cleaned-off bones into his paper tray. “Now what?”

“It’s Jeffrey,” Shadow continued. “He’s still got his club tattoo on his back.”

Mephiles’ brows furrowed at the information. “Does he now?”

“Yes,” Shadow nodded. “And he wants to talk to you about some sort of money-making business. I told him you’d hear him out, but honestly, I think it’d be more investing to discuss the hidden ink he promised us he’d revoke.”

“You’re right,” Mephiles concurred. “And I have a brilliant and devious idea,” he smirked. “Tell the idiot that he can swing by our compound for drinks to pitch me this idea of his. We’ll lull him into a false sense of security before we do operation blackout.”

Manic made a wry face at the notion. “You mean—”

“Exactly,” Mephiles confirmed. “Now, round up the boys and tell Rouge we’ll have to cut short our charity hours. She’ll understand.” The other boys watched as Mephiles rose from his picnic table with his trash in hand and walked over to the nearest trash bin.

•~•

After realizing Zonic was attending the same festivities, Amy could no longer deal with his prolonged gaze on her from across the field. She felt like she was being violated even when she was so far away. Just knowing his eyes were on her made her skin crawl. Cautiously, Amy made her way over to Rouge’s booth, holding her stomach as if she were going to throw up—which wasn’t too far from the truth, if she was honest. “Hey, Amy,” Rouge smiled. “What’s up?”

Her ears sagged. “…Actually, I’m not feeling very well.”

Rouge shot the pink hedgehog a look of empathy. “Oh, do you need some Advil or maybe a tampon?” she whispered discreetly. “I have some in my purse,” she motioned.

Amy shook her head frantically. “No, no, it’s not that,” she denied. “My stomach is just bugging me. I was wondering if you’d mind if I headed home early? It’s just that—”

Rouge waved her hands in front of her, cutting her off. “Absolutely,” she confirmed. “You’ve done your time here.”

Amy smiled weakly, appreciating that she’d finally be able to escape the stalkerish gaze of her ex. “Great, thanks because I—"

“—Rouge,” another voice cut in. The two females looked only to spot Shadow marching over in their direction. In the background, Mephiles, Mighty, Knuckles, Manic, and Gadget remained in wait.

The white bat sighed. “What now?”

“We’re going to have to cut our time short here. We have business as usual,” he alluded.

Rouge crossed her arms over her busty chest, looking quite peeved. “Just great. I’m about to lose half my staff now. You all know you have another two hours left. Can’t it wait?”

Shadow stood beside Amy, and his eyes narrowed to the left in the far distance, where he spotted Jeffrey whispering something to his girl. “Not really.”

Rouge followed his gaze and raised a brow. “Oh, that type of business, huh? Didn’t we agree not to interact with or touch that individual?”

Shadow groaned, growing irritated by her lack of knowledge. “Look, this is club business, okay? Now, we gotta go.” He began to turn on his heel.

“—Wait!” Shadow stopped and turned to look at her once again. “Fine, go, do whatever you must do, but can you at least give Amy a ride home? She’s not feeling well.”

He eyed her for a moment, still wondering what her strange behavior was connected to. “…Yeah, sure. Come on, doctor.” Amy quickly hurried after him, staying close by his side as she followed his powered pace.

Rouge watched the two retreat. “And make sure Mighty, Manic, and Gadget are back in time for their performance!” she shouted as a reminder.

At that same time, Zonic had been watching the group from a distance. He watched as Amy hurried off with the group of bikers. Amy glanced at Mighty’s face as he handed her a spare helmet to ride back with him. “What happened to your face?” she questioned with concern.

He smiled sheepishly. “Heh, it’s a long story…”

•~•

Once arriving back at the compound, Amy released her grip around Mighty’s waist. She took off the helmet Mighty had supplied her and handed it back to him. “Thanks for taking me home.”

Mighty dismounted his bike. “Was it something you ate?” he questioned.

Amy shrugged, even though she knew perfectly well why she was feeling ill. “I’m not sure, but I’m going to bed. If you need me, let me know.”

He nodded, watching her head inside. “Alright, let me know if you need anything, too, Ames.”

She stopped momentarily to look back at him. “And you’re sure your face doesn’t need tending to?”

He waved her off. “Nah, I’m fine. It’s just a little scratch here and there.”

She nodded and sighed. “Very well.”

Mighty watched as Amy walked back into the house. In the background, the other boys led the oblivious Jeffrey to meet his maker. They led him into the house with a jovial attitude and headed straight downstairs to their bar. Downstairs at their bar, the group of boys sat together, throwing back a couple of beers. The group laughed as they reminisced about old times together.

Sitting at the far end of the bar, Mephiles glared down the table at the traitorous skunk. He was satisfied with the group lowering Jeffrey’s guard, but honestly, he wanted to get down to business. Seeing his former president’s grim expression, Jeffrey lifted his arm, raising his beer bottle. “Aye, Pres, why the long face?”

Mephiles’ reptilian eyes gazed back at him. “I’m not fond of your presence in our home. You said you had an offer. So, prove to me why I should forgive you.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Jeffrey remembered. He lowered his beer bottle, and the other boys went quiet to hear him out. “One of my boys got in a new shipment of dope. It was around fifty pounds of it. If we can move it, then we’re guaranteed--”

“—Stop right there,” Mephiles interjected. “That’s quite enough.”

Jeffrey blinked a few times at his cut-off. “But I--”

“Mercia has always been a drug-free town. I do not tolerate that type of business, and we’ll have no interaction in this operation,” he made explicit.

Manic patted the downtrodden skunk. “Sorry, bud, but you know what might cheer yah up?”

He lifted his head with a frown. “What?”

“Seeing the classic Mustang we just got in. It’s got new modifications and everything, but still has that classic interior,” Manic explained. “It’s in the garage right now.”

Jeffrey looked intrigued. “Really? Whose is it?”

“Some old guy, he’s a collector,” Manic added. “Come on, let’s go see it.”

Mighty, Shadow, Knuckles, Locke, and Gadget all signaled to each other with their eyes that the next stage of the plan was about to occur. They watched as Manic and Jeffrey hopped off their bar stools and headed to the garage. Knuckles grabbed a bottle of vodka and followed behind the group. Things were about to get ugly.

•~•

Once in the garage, Jeffrey was the first to enter the facility. His eyes looked around but noticed no alleged Mustang, as Manic had mentioned. “So, where is it?” His countenance dropped when he saw Shadow closing and locking the door behind him. It was soon evident that he was brought here for a more sinister reason. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. “Hey…what’s going on, guys?”

“Take off your shirt,” Mephiles ordered sternly.

Jeffrey smiled for a moment before chuckling uncomfortably. “Why would I do that?”

With his arms tucked behind his back, the dark hedgehog president took another few steps forward and kept his eyes locked on him. “I’m not going to keep repeating myself. Now, take off your shirt…”

Seeing Jeffrey was not going to oblige, Knuckles and Locke came up behind him and detained him by the arms. Jeffrey thrashed in their grasp, but they ripped off his t-shirt revealing his bare upper half. The two forced Jeffrey to turn around, baring his bare back and showing their tribal club tattoo. The others stared in awe at the familiar ink—a green chaos emerald in the mouth of a skull and cross bones with the words Brothers of Chaos around it.

“Did we not have a deal that you’d remove that ink?” Mephiles reminded sternly.

Jeffrey bowed his head. “Look, I-I was going to do it so many times, but I caved. This tat gets me respect. It instills fear into others. I couldn’t go through with it,” he admitted sadly.

“You do realize what’s going to take place tonight, don’t you?” Mephiles segued.

Jeffrey shook his head as he continued to be restrained. Panic began to set in as he knew what was coming. “No, please. I beg of you!”

“Knife or fire?” Shadow questioned, holding up a hunter’s knife or blow torch in either hand for him to see.

Jeffrey eyed his two options and realized he’d not be able to escape even if he wanted to. He heaved a sigh. “…Fine,” he said in defeat. “I’m not going to run.” Locke and Knuckles released their hold on him for now. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the floor as he concluded. “Fire…” he answered in a mumble.

Locke walked over and bent down to pick up the bottle of Grey Goose he had set down temporarily. “Here, you’ll need this, lad,” he offered.

Jeffrey accepted the bottle and began to chug it. In the meantime, Shadow brought down some chains dangling from the ceiling. Jeffrey lifted his arms after drinking half the bottle and handed it back to Locke. As he swallowed, he prayed the alcohol would hit him soon to numb the oncoming pain.

Shadow took the chains and wrapped them around both of Jeffrey’s arms, keeping him immobilized. “You’re going to want to hold onto these.”

Jeffrey gulped and watched as Knuckles came up from behind him and poured the remaining vodka down his back to sterilize the area they’d be working on. Shadow started up the blow torch and then turned to look at three of the boys, “Manic, Mighty, Gadget, don’t you have a performance to do?”

Mighty gasped, realizing their time was running short to get back in time. “Crap, shit, Rouge is going to kill us if we’re not back in time.”

“Go,” Shadow instructed. “We’ve got it from here.” Obliging, the three headed for the doors and raced out, hoping to return to the school in time for their big gig. Once they were gone, Shadow focused on Jeffrey, anxiously awaiting his punishment.

He shook slightly with his eyes shut tight and clenching his teeth in anticipation. “Just do it already.”

Holding out the ignited flame, Shadow brought the flame down onto Jeffrey’s exposed flesh, slowly burning away the tattoo. Jeffrey howled in pain as his skin melted away from his slow strokes. Mephiles, Knuckles, and Locke stood in the background, watching in awe and disgust. Knuckles didn’t know how much longer he could stomach the sight. He turned his head, feeling something bubbling in his stomach. The stench of burning flesh was revolting.

On the other hand, Mephiles seemed unfazed the least. It almost looked like he was enjoying watching the ex-member suffer.

Jeffrey’s wails of pain reached their peak before he abruptly stopped screaming. Knuckles kept a hand over his nose to conceal the stench from reaching his nose but seemed concerned by his sudden lack of vocals. “What happened? Is he dead?”

Shadow continued doing flames strokes down his back, nearing the end. “No, he just finally passed out, is all.” Once getting to the final stroke, Shadow turned off the flame and placed the device on the floor, safely away from the scene.

“Knuckles, Locke, undo his chains and get him the hell out of here,” Mephiles ordered, looking down at his injured body in disgust.

Knuckles grimaced at the sight of blood and melted flesh mixed in a gruesome puddle underneath the unconscious skunk. “Erm, yes, sir.”

Locke walked around, coming in front of Jeffrey. He shook his head in pity. “Poor lad…”

•~•

Meanwhile, at Mercia Middle School, Mighty and the others returned in time for the show. The three boys rocked on stage, with Manic on drums, Gadget on bass, and Mighty leading the vocals while playing guitar. The reception seemed to be relatively good. They had a large crowd bouncing around their stage, jamming out to their upbeat rock music. Rouge watched from the sidelines but was interrupted by Chloe tapping her shoulder. “Hey, have you seen Jeffrey anywhere?”

Rouge grimaced, knowing the news she’d have to tell her. “Chloe, let’s talk somewhere where we can both hear,” she shouted over the loud concert music.” Rouge placed a hand on the skunk’s back and led her out of the crowd to inform her of the whereabouts of her ex-husband.

Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and kept a solemn look out of earshot of others. “You need to head to the nearest hospital, Chloe.”

Her heart sank at her vague words. “Jesus, what happened to him?”

She shrugged solemnly. “I really don’t know,” she admitted. “I just got the text from the boys a few minutes ago. Head over there now.”

•~•

Chapter 9: The Funeral

Summary:

With Shadow as her chaperone, Amy returns to Tech City to attend Cosmo's funeral. The two hedgehogs begin to form a stronger bond on their quick getaway.

Amy pulled out a few outfits from her dresser and packed them in a backpack. Rouge halted by her open door when she spotted Amy packing clothes into a bag. Seeing her packing up like she was going away forever was a bit alarming. “Hey there, what are you doing?” Rouge asked curiously.

Amy looked over her shoulder at the white bat standing in the doorway. “Oh, I’m just packing some clothes for my trip.”

“Trip?” the bat repeated. “I don’t remember you telling me about taking a trip.” Rouge blinked a few times in befuddlement. Amy had not mentioned a trip as far as she was concerned.

“Yeah, that’s because I didn’t tell you. It came up on very short notice,” she explained, continuing to pack more belongings.

“Oh, well…where are you going?”

“I’m heading back to Tech City for my friend’s funeral,” Amy replied.

Rouge placed a hand to her mouth, instantly recognizing this instance. She remembered the morning Amy had told her of her friend’s passing. Amy had been quite distraught over the news. Even after weeks of news breaking her death, Amy still dealt with it roughly. “Oh, my…well, don’t you want someone to accompany you there?” Rouge offered kindly.

Amy moved the strap to her backpack higher up on her shoulder. “I think I can handle myself, Rouge.”

“When are you leaving then?”

“This afternoon,” she replied. “The funeral is tomorrow morning, but I should be back home by tomorrow evening.”

“Look, Amy, there’s no way I’m going to let you do this alone. Let me see which guy can accompany you to Tech City.”

Amy waved her hands out in front of her. “Honestly, Rouge. I’ll be fine, I swear.” However, it was too late. Rouge had already rushed downstairs to find a suitor to accompany her. Amy sighed. She knew Rouge had good intentions, but she’d instead do this alone. She knew she’d be safe visiting her hometown, especially since she knew exactly where her enemy was at the moment—here in Mercia.

•~•

In Mephiles’ mechanic office, the dark M.C president handed Shadow a hefty amount of money. “This should be enough for travel expenses and a place to stay overnight. Make sure you get all of the payment,” he instructed. “I don’t want to hear any bullshit I.O.U. from the clients.”

“Understood,” Shadow nodded before placing the money into the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

Their moment was interrupted when Rouge barged into the office. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I need to ask a favor.”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “What is it exactly? We’re talking business at the moment.”

“I’m going to need one of the guys to escort Amy to Tech City this afternoon,” she began.

Mephiles looked alarmed by the sudden news. “She’s leaving? Whatever for?”

“Remember her friend that died a few weeks ago?” she reminded. “Well, they’re finally holding a funeral, and I want someone to go with her just for moral support. Is there anyone free to go with her?”

The two brothers eyed one another, and Mephiles chuckled in amusement. “This is quite a coincidence, isn’t it, brother?” Mephiles began.

Rouge raised a brow, lost in their silent knowing moment. “Excuse me?”

“Shadow is making a pit stop in Tech City to shake out a stalled payment from one of our newer customers.”

Shadow groaned, knowing he was about to be cornered into this trip. “Hold on a second, why can’t Mighty go with her?” He needed to find a reason—any reason to avoid being trapped alone with her on some road trip.

“I’m already sending Mighty and Manic to Station Square to complete an errand for Finitevus,” Mephiles replied.

“Yeah, well, what about Locke? That guy has nothing better to do…” he huffed.

Mephiles shook his head in pity. “You know Locke can barely do anything on his own anymore. It’d be doing disfavor when Amy would look after him on her trip instead of the other way around. He’s retired for a reason, brother.”

“Hey, that’s my father-in-law you’re throwing shade at,” Rouge scolded the elder brother.

“I only speak the truth,” he muttered under his breath.

“Okay, fine, what about Rookie? Doesn’t he normally get handed these shitty assignments?” Shadow chimed in.

“Don’t you remember? Gadget is accompanying me to meet with Sam to oversee the construction of our new warehouse. It’s nearly done,” Mephiles reminded. “He’ll be busy taking notes.”

Shadow was genuinely starting to run out of options. He sighed in frustration. “Do I really have to? Why me?”

“I’ll leave this explanation to you, Rouge.” Mephiles sauntered out of the room, leaving Rouge and Shadow alone. He patted Shadow on the back. “Enjoy your trip, brother,” he chuckled again.

Once he was gone, Rouge looked back to Shadow with desperation. “Look, I know you two aren’t bosom buddies, but Amy has told me you’ve eased up with her. She’s confided in me that she’s even seen a slightly softer side to you.”

Shadow scoffed. “Yeah, right. Just what exactly have I done that’s been deemed soft?” he challenged.

Rouge tapped her chin with her index finger in thought. “Well, how about the time when you helped her come down from a panic attack at the gym?” she started. “Or how about the fact that you consoled her after discovering the tragic death of her friend? Oh yeah, and I also heard you caught her from falling off the side of the roof, and what about--”

Shadow growled in frustration as she had proved her point. “—Alright, alright, I get it, Rouge…sounds like she tells you a lot of stuff. So, why don’t you take her instead?” he countered sharply.

She placed her hands on her hips. “I totally would take her in a heartbeat,” Rouge countered. “However, Knuckles has already planned a day trip for the two of us tomorrow that he’s been planning for months. I can’t cancel this on him.”

Shadow rolled his eyes at her lame excuse. “She really needs someone to tag along?”

Rouge cupped her hands together, growing serious. “Remember, it’s for her friend’s funeral. They’re finally laying her to rest, and I really don’t want her going out alone. She won’t admit it, but she’s still pretty upset. You, for one, should know how lonely it can feel after losing a loved one,” she reminded.

“I see…” Shadow softened slightly after hearing the reason. It was apparent he wasn’t going to escape this chore. “Fine,” he groaned begrudgingly. “I’ll go, but you owe me big time in the future.”

•~•

Later that afternoon, Amy came downstairs with her packed backpack in hand. She spotted Shadow waiting at the bottom of the stairs with his duffle bag slung over one shoulder. “Shadow?” she repeated. “You’re the one coming with me?”

“Yeah, and I’m only doing this as a favor,” he said, pointing in her direction. “So, let’s roll, princess.”

Amy blinked a few times and walked towards him as he opened the door, and the two made their way out together. Knuckles and Rouge watched the two depart from the kitchen window. Knuckles took a sip of his coffee and shook his head. “This is going to be a hot mess…”

“I pray not,” Rouge replied. “However, despite them clashing, I think Shadow will be surprisingly the best fit for consoling Amy during this time.”

Knuckles eyed Rouge with uncertainty before casting his sight on their departing figures. “Chaos, I hope you’re right…”

•~•

Doing another one of his usual stakeouts, Zonic sat in his parked car across the street from the brother’s compound and observed the movements of the club members. He had been watching for a couple of hours today. He had tracked everyone else’s movements, but two people he had not seen made a sighting at all: Shadow and Amy. He had watched as Mighty and Manic had gone off on some trip with backpacks secured to their backs. He also had witnessed Mephiles and Gadget ride off together somewhere, and finally, he saw Rouge and Knuckles load into one of the pick-up trucks, looking like they were heading off on some date.

It was later in the afternoon, and it seemed like most people were out for the day. Growing bold, Zonic got out of his car and shut the door behind him, looking in both directions before crossing the street. He went to the main entrance and noticed the gate was locked again. No matter, he always had a way of infiltrating places seemingly meant for intruders to stay out. Zonic made a running start, grabbed onto the metal fence, and ascended it before hopping and landing in the dirt on the other side graciously. Remaining low, Zonic cautiously made his way toward the home, ducking behind automobiles.

He eventually made it up to the front of the house but was not bold enough to walk through the front door. Instead, he looked at the side of the house and noticed a drainpipe. He already knew exactly where Amy’s bedroom was located, so he shimmed up the drainpipe and got to the slanted part of the roof where he could crawl over to Amy’s bedroom window. Making his way over, he kept his back to the side of the house before taking a quick peek inside her bedroom, only to see it was empty. Zonic fiddled with her window before eventually getting it to open. He lifted it and climbed inside, surveying her bedroom before shutting the window behind him. As he walked around the small bedroom, he noticed her bed had been made, her laptop was still lying on her desk, and her schoolbooks were still left out and open.

Suddenly, he heard the phone ring inside the house. He heard footsteps coming up the hall and quickly hid inside Amy’s small closet with the sliding door. He slid it shut, leaving just a crack so he could watch from the shadows. Suddenly, the phone stopped ringing, and he could hear an older male voice had answered it. Who the hell had he forgotten to count? A moment later, Locke ambled into Amy’s bedroom with the house phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, you left it here on your desk,” he spoke into the phone.

Then, Zonic realized the elder echidna must be on the phone with Amy that very second. He continued to eavesdrop from the closet, hoping to get more clues about her whereabouts. “When does your train leave anyway?” Locke questioned as he picked up one of the books on her desk. “Maybe I could rush it over there to you before you—oh, I see you’re boarding the train now…”

Zonic looked baffled. She was at a train station, and she was leaving? What for and why? His thoughts spun around him as he desperately wanted more information. How had he allowed her to slip away from his view again?

Locke lowered the book back onto her desk. “Well, I have you in my thoughts, Ms. Rose. Stay strong, I know how tough it can be. I send you all my strength. Oh, and tell Shadow he better be on his best behavior,” Locke chuckled. “See you home tomorrow.”

Zonic gritted his teeth together. That black and red hedgehog was going with her? His fists clenched at the thought of the two traveling together. Locke eventually hung up and left the bedroom. Zonic waited a moment before departing from his hiding spot. If it was only for a funeral, he knew she’d be back eventually, so there was no point rushing back to Tech City—especially with his current situation. He’d have eyes on her again soon enough.

•~•

After getting to the train station, Amy and Shadow found their seats on the train together. It had been an awkward ride from the house to the station, and Amy needed to clear that awkwardness before arriving at Tech City. It was going to be a long four-hour train ride, after all.

She watched as the ebony-striped hedgehog loaded their bags above the overheard compartment where they were sitting. “…Hey, Shadow?”

Shadow continued adjusting their belongings above them. “Yeah?”

“I just wanted to thank you for coming to the funeral with me,” she started. “I know you didn’t want to, but I honestly appreciate it anyway.”

“Yeah, of course,” he shrugged before sinking into the seat next to her. “I’m sure I wasn’t your first choice to tag along anyway.”

“Obviously not,” she concurred, catching him off guard. He had expected her to respond with something more sugar-coated. Amy continued, not noticing his reaction. “Sure, it would have been nice to have Mighty join me, even Rouge or Gadget, but you’re not as bad as you think, you know.”

He tilted his head slightly. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she smiled assuredly. “I know deep down you’re a kind person. You try to hide that side of you with your rough exterior.”

Shadow seemed surprised to hear her give him such a high thought. “I didn’t realize you were suddenly a psychiatrist,” he noted passively. She may have been right with her analysis of him, but he didn’t need her to know she was right.

The conductor came down the aisle with his pocket watch in hand. “Next stop, Tech City!” he announced. “Please have your tickets ready.” Suddenly, they felt a slight shift as the train began slowly moving out of the station.

Shadow and Amy watched as the conductor went further down the aisle, repeating the same message. Amy cupped her hands in her lap and fiddled with her fingers. “So, I heard you have business in Tech City, and that’s why you joined me.”

“Yeah, I do. It’s just club business,” he shrugged.

Amy glanced out the window watching the trees and buildings whizz by as they moved. “If it interferes with the funeral, I completely understand. I can always go by myself and meet up with you later.”

Shadow kicked his feet up to rest on the empty seats directly in front of him. “No, it shouldn’t. My business takes place this evening anyway, so I should be available all of tomorrow.”

She glanced away from the window to look at him. “Well, okay…I just don’t want to force you to go.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, I’m just wondering how you feel about all of this?”

She glanced out the window again momentarily. “I’m nervous…”

Shadow looked perplexed at the comment. “Why? What is there to be nervous about?”

Her ears lowered, and her expression saddened. “…This is the first funeral I’ve ever attended,” she admitted.

Shadow’s mouth gaped. “Wait, but what about your parents? You didn’t attend their funeral?”

Amy shook her head. “No, my uncle and aunt thought I wouldn’t understand. I was very young at the time. I was only five or six years old.”

Shadow leaned his head back on the headrest and looked up at the rooftop of the train cart. “Hell…funerals are common in our business. I’m still unsure what to be nervous about, though.”

“The last time I saw Cosmo, I was at her house when—” she stopped herself before revealing too much. She had almost forgotten that Shadow didn’t know all the details of her past. “Well, anyway, I went to her for something important. I never had siblings, but Cosmo was like a sister to me. She always looked out for me even in the hardest times.”

“Sounds like she was a good person,” Shadow noted.

Amy nodded. “She was. She was an incredibly kind and gentle soul. She loved helping and healing people. Cosmo always radiated this gentle aura whenever I was around. It sounds crazy, but she was just the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“Did they ever find out who murdered her?” Shadow inquired curiously.

Amy shook her head. “Not according to what I heard,” she replied. “There was a thorough investigation, but they couldn’t find prints or DNA. Whoever did this was good at covering their tracks…” Amy’s fists tightened on her armrests as she grew angry at the thought of knowing who the true culprit was. There would be no way she could prove it was him even if she did go to the authorities. Zonic was always one step ahead and knew how to work the system flawlessly, just as he did with crime scenes.

“Again, my condolences…” Shadow frowned at the thought. He knew all too well how frustrating it was to be left with more questions about why a crime occurred. He still, to this day, didn’t know why Maria had been gunned down so brutally when she had equally been a kind soul who had done no wrong to others.

Amy leaned her head against the window as she thought back to the last time she had been in Cosmo’s presence.

~Flashback: Several Months Ago~

Late in the evening, Cosmo was cutting up vegetables in her kitchen for dinner when she heard frantic pounding knocks at her front door. Placing her cutting knife down on the counter, Cosmo quickly grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped off her hands before making her way toward her front door. Cosmo had no clue who could be at her front door. She knew for a fact she was not expecting any company or deliveries. She used the peephole to get a sense of who was knocking on her door erratically with a sense of urgency. Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw just who was standing at the other end of the door. She unlocked her door and flung it open, only to see Amy standing on the other side. Amy had a black eye forming around her left eye, a few cuts and scratches across her arms and her shirt was torn. She looked like she had been in quite the scuffle. She stood there, wobbling slightly in place. “Amy!” Cosmo beseeched.

“Cosmo…” With tears in her eyes from being humiliated being seen in this state, Amy bowed her head in shame. “Please…I need your help. I can’t do this anymore,” she croaked.

Feeling a pang of emotion overcome her, Cosmo ushered Amy inside her house, shut the door behind her, and locked it securely. She knew there was a possibility of another unexpected arrival showing up. “Does he know you came here?”

Amy shook her head as tears streamed down her face. “No, no, I don’t think so. I-I just ran and ran as fast as I could.”

She kept a guided arm around her back. “You can’t keep living like this, Amy. He’s going to kill you…”

Amy walked over to the nearest couch in the living room and sat down on it. “I know, I know, but this time I really want to be rid of him for good,” she sobbed.

Cosmo knelt before her and patted her knee reassuringly with her hand. “I’m going to call you out of work for the week. I want you to stay with me until we figure something out.”

Amy nodded and wiped at her teary eyes. “I just don’t want him to come here and hurt you, Cos…”

Cosmo shot her an assuring smile. “He won’t,” she promised. “Just no using social media or phones for right now, okay? I’ll keep you safe as long as I can, but the less he knows about your whereabouts, the better.”

Amy smiled, reached out, and embraced the seedrian. “Thank you, Cosmo. You’re the best friend a girl could ask for.”

Cosmo returned the gesture, holding her in a soft embrace for a moment. “You deserve someone who truly loves you, Amy. This guy is not your prince in shining armor. He’s the devil in disguise.”

Amy bowed her head in shame. “I know, it took long enough for me to figure that out...”

Cosmo rose from her seat. “Let me get my medical supplies and fix you up. I’ll be back in a second.”

~~End Flashback~~

Eventually, that afternoon, Shadow and Amy arrived in Tech City. The two departed the train station together and flagged a cab. The two from the Tech City train station were dropped off at a local hotel to spend the night. Shadow and Amy waited at the front desk waiting to be checked in. The concierge, a giant, red male walrus, typed away at the computer in front of them. “Name?”

Shadow leaned his arms across the countertop. “Shadow the hedgehog,” he replied. “I booked two connecting rooms.”

The concierge typed away on his computer, looking for the reservation. “Ah, yes. I see it right here…however, I noticed we only have one room reserved for you tonight.”

Shadow looked surprised by the notice. “What? I specifically booked two rooms online.”

“I’m sorry, sir. For whatever reason, the system only booked one room,” the walrus shrugged apologetically.

Shadow scoffed in annoyance. “Fine, just correct the mistake and give us two rooms then,” he waved.

“Um, my apologies, but I’m afraid we’re completely booked for the night.”

Shadow sighed in frustration. “You’ve got to be joking…”

“However,” they interrupted. “I may be able to alleviate the problem with an upgrade.”

Shadow raised a curious brow. “What kind of an upgrade?”

“I have one suite available that I can reserve for you, and you’ll still be paying the cost for one normal standard room. I want to make this up to you for the mistake on our system,” he smiled.

Shadow glanced over at Amy. “Still, it’s one room we’d be sharing…”

Amy placed a hand on Shadow’s arm. “Shadow, it’s okay. I don’t mind sharing a room.”

“The suite truly won’t feel like you’ll be invading each other’s personal space. There is a living space, kitchen, two bedrooms, and two baths. I doubt you’ll find any issues,” the concierge explained.

“See?” Amy smiled optimistically.

Shadow nodded. “Very well, we’ll take it.”

•~•

Once settling into their suite, Amy walked into Shadow’s bedroom and stood in the open doorway while he placed his duffle bag on top of his bed. “So, are you hungry by any chance?” Amy inquired.

He placed a hand on his stomach as he considered the question. “I am. Do you want to order something? You know, like takeaway?”

She tucked her arms behind her back shyly. “Actually, I was wondering if you’d be interested in heading out into the city and trying out one of my favorite restaurants while we’re here? I'm craving it right now.”

Shadow turned to face her and crossed his arms over his chest. “That all depends. What type of food are we talking about?”

“Ramen?” she suggested.

Shadow smirked, intrigued. “Alright, this place better blow me out of the water, or you won’t hear the last of it,” he forewarned.

Amy giggled at his comment. “So, you like ramen that much, huh?”

“Like?” he repeated in insult. “No, you mean love,” he corrected. “Asian cuisine is among my favorites.”

•~•

While driving to the restaurant in their cab, Amy pointed out her favorite places and hangouts. She showed Shadow the hospital she used to work at, her other favorite restaurants, her favorite public park, and her favorite places to shop. While they sat in the back of the cab, Shadow cracked a smile on every odd occasion as he found it amusing to see Amy become so excited and proud to show him all her favorite hang-out spots. From how she talked about Tech City, it seemed like a place she was proud to call home. It also seemed to hold a lot of lovely and sentimental memories for her, which only continued to make him wonder why she left this place behind in the first place.

Finally arriving at their destination, Shadow and Amy entered the infamous “Shimuja” restaurant Amy had recommended. Shadow noticed the upscale and trendy modern Japanese interior decor as they entered the facility. However, while Shadow sized up the place, some customers looked at Shadow and made comments under their breath, wildly since he was brandishing his notorious black biker jacket with his M.C’s insignia. Amy was very aware of the subtle whispers and looked in their direction. Shadow didn’t seem to pay much attention to or care about it. He just ambled behind the hostess leading them to their seats at the bar.

“You’re well known here in Tech City, too, huh?” Amy noted quietly as they took their seats at the bar.

“Huh? Oh, you mean because of my jacket?” he gestured. “Yeah, we’ve already made our mark on quite a few places in Mobius.”

Amy glanced around the restaurant, noticing a few customers giving them hesitant side-eye glances. “They respect you…”

Shadow lifted his menu, not seeming phased or overly proud by this gesture. “…Or they’re afraid,” he added. “Either way, it doesn’t make a real difference on what they think of me.”

The two hedgehogs sat side by side at the bar for the next couple of minutes as they glanced over the menu in silence. “Do you have any idea what you’ll be getting?” Amy inquired curiously, trying to break the silence.

Shadow flipped a page in his menu. “I think I’ll go for the spicy miso ramen. What do you normally get?”

Amy pointed to a particular photo on her menu. “I always stick with the classic Tonkotsu ramen,” she answered. “It’s my absolute favorite here.”

Shadow lowered his menu. “I was wondering if you wanted to share some sake, that is…if you drink?”

Amy smiled and nodded. “Sure, I’d love to.”

Just then, a waiter from behind the bar approached them. “What can I get you two?”

Shadow glanced at his menu again. “I’ll take a bowl of the spicy miso ramen with two hard-boiled eggs, please,” he specified.

The waiter jotted down the order. “Of course.” He then glanced over in Amy’s direction. “And for you, miss?”

“I’ll take the classic Tonkotsu ramen with extra menma, please.”

The waiter wrote down her order. “Good choices.”

“And we’d like to share one bottle of your plum sake,” Shadow added.

“Of course, sir.” The waiter finished writing their order, took their menus, and ushered them off to the back.

A moment later, a bartender walked over and placed two glasses and the bottle of plum sake in front of the two. “I heard you wanted to try our plum sake. Well, I’m going to give it to you at the house,” he said while bowing his head respectively.

Shadow stuck out his hand and shook the bartender’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, man. I appreciate the kind gesture.”

Amy watched on in awe as Shadow kindly accepted the free alcohol. Once the bartender walked off, Amy eyed Shadow as he calmly poured the two sake. “I don’t get it…”

Shadow handed her a small sake glass. “Don’t get what, princess?”

Amy accepted the glass of sake gratefully. “You wield so much power just from being a part of the M.C, yet you seem so unfazed, so indifferent to holding this over people’s heads,” she further elaborated.

“Look, there’s not much to get. I’ll admit…some of us like having this power. I, on the other hand, don’t care much for it. The way we earned it is nothing to be proud of,” he admitted.

Amy absorbed his words. She could only imagine some of the things Shadow had done in the past to gain this respect or, as others viewed it, fear. Clearly, he wasn’t pleased with his past doings. “I see…”

Shadow sighed. “Enough with bringing down the mood.” He lifted his sake glass to hers and showed a small smile. “Cheers, princess.”

Amy raised her glass and clinked it with his. “Cheers,” she replied, returning a small smile herself.

Shadow sipped his sake and relished the taste. “Very nice.”

“Yes, it is quite good,” Amy concurred. “Nice pick, Shadow.”

Suddenly, Shadow felt a tap on his left shoulder. He craned his neck only to spot a beautiful, busty, yet slender female black cat wearing a tight silver dress slithering her way into the empty seat to his left. She lowered her eyelids seductively as she batted her eyelashes at him. “Well, hello there, handsome…” she purred.

“Evening,” Shadow replied, looking uninterested as he kept his eyes straight ahead, barely uttering her a second glance.

Amy watched the interaction unfold in awe. This girl was hitting on him, and she was curious to see how he’d react. She had yet to see Shadow interact with beautiful females throwing themselves at him. She tried not to look as obvious to watching the spectacle as possible and instead kept her face forward and casually sipped on her sake. She also didn’t want to get in the way if Shadow were to want to partake in this any further.

The cat’s tail swished back and forth behind her, and she placed a hand on his forearm sensually. “I couldn’t help but notice you from across the restaurant. Just what is a handsome-looking guy like yourself doing over here by your lonesome?”

Shadow gently pulled his arm from under his grasp and refilled his glass of sake. “I’m not alone,” he corrected. “I’m having dinner.”

The cat stiffened a bit, alarmed that Shadow was so sharp and blunt with her. However, she refused to back down from a challenge. She glared over in Amy’s direction, leering at her sight. “My mistake. I did not know she was with you. She your girlfriend?”

Shadow finally looked her in the eyes, turning his head slightly in her direction. “Regardless of my answer, would it truly stop you from throwing yourself senselessly at me?” he questioned in a monotone voice.

The black cat blinked a few times. “But I thought you were known for--”

“—Well, you’re wrong,” he cut her off abruptly. “I’m not like that anymore. Now, scram,” he snapped.

The cat looked taken aback by his rejection. “Well, excuse me,” she seethed, standing up from her seat. She huffed in annoyance. “You’re probably lousy in bed anyway,” she muttered under her breath before sauntering off.

Shadow didn’t flinch as the disappointed female stomped off, feeling humiliated by the rejection. Amy was in complete awe of the whole spectacle. She looked at the retreating girl before looking back to Shadow, who calmly sat there, eying the sake bottle ingredients in boredom. Granted, Shadow was a very handsome-looking guy. He could have his pick of any female he wanted. The options were endless, yet his prior actions utterly confused her. “Shadow…I-I.”

“—More sake?” he offered, acting oblivious to the scene that had just taken place.

Amy offered out her glass, and he topped her off. “She was just hitting on you now, and you just--”

“—Rejected her?” he cut off, finishing her line of thought. “Yeah, so?” he shrugged.

Amy was taken aback by his mere indifference. “Gosh, she was gorgeous and interested. If you said no because I’m here, I wouldn’t have been offended if you wanted to—erm.”

“She’s not my type. Besides, I came here to eat, not to hook up in a bathroom stall with desperate females looking to claim they slept with the infamous Brothers of Chaos V.P,” he explained. “I’m over girls throwing themselves senselessly at me just for a one-night stand.”

The waiter came over and set down their bowls of ramen in front of each of them. The two bowls were hot with hot steam. “Spicy miso ramen and the classic Tonkotsu ramen,” he announced. “Enjoy!”

Shadow split the pair of chopsticks apart and put them in his right hand. The aroma of the spicy miso filled his nostrils. “Shit, this smells incredible.”

Amy mimicked his actions, and the two dug into their bowls. Several minutes later, Shadow lowered his chopsticks and rested them on the lip of his now-empty bowl. He dusted off his hands. “Alright, you win this time, princess.”

Amy looked up from finishing her final bite. “Hm?”

“The ramen, it was fantastic. You were right,” he clarified, leaning back in his seat.

Amy swallowed her bite and smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Like I said earlier, this is my favorite restaurant.”

The waiter came over and placed the bill between the two. “I hope you enjoyed the meal,” he smiled before walking off.

Both Amy and Shadow immediately placed their hand on top of the bill. Their fingertips gently grazed each other. “I’ve got it,” both said in unison.

Amy smiled sheepishly at the coincidence. “No, really, Shadow. I’ll take care of it. My treat,” she insisted.

“No chance in hell,” he stated sternly. Shadow reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet. He pulled out a couple of bills and clipped them to the pocketbook. “You picked the location, and you impressed me. Like I said earlier, you won this round.”

For some unknown reason, Amy couldn’t help but feel a slight blush graze her cheeks. It thankfully quickly subsided before Shadow took notice. Shadow glanced at his phone, noticing the time. “Fuck…” he cursed. “My meeting is at 11 PM. I’ve got twenty minutes to get there.”

Amy hopped off her seat. “I can always take a cab back to the hotel. You don’t need to head back with me first,” Amy suggested.

Shadow stood from his seat as well. “Are you sure?”

Amy nodded. “Of course, get to your meeting in time.”

“Alright, let me at least walk you out.” Amy felt a shiver run down her spine as Shadow placed a hand on her upper back and guided her out of the restaurant by his side. She could again feel all eyes of the patrons on the two of them as they made their exit. Once out of the restaurant, the two stood on the corner, and Shadow watched as cars and buses whizzed by on the street. However, when he saw a cab heading in their direction, he put his thumb and index fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp ear-piercing whistle. The cab obliged and halted directly in front of the two. Shadow opened the back passenger door and allowed Amy to enter the car.

In the meantime, the cab driver rolled down his window. “Where to, pal?”

Shadow bent down slightly to the cabbie’s level. “To the Hotel Plaza in the city center,” he ordered.

The driver nodded. “You got it, pal.”

Shadow turned to look at Amy in the back of the car. “I should be back in the next couple of hours. You don’t need to wait up for me, alright?”

“Okay,” Amy replied. “Good luck, Shadow.”

“Thanks.” With that, he closed the door and watched as her cab pulled away and drove off. As Amy sat in the back of the cab, she felt a weird pang hit her in her belly. Why was she suddenly getting these strange butterfly sensations? And for who, Shadow? The guy who had been a complete and utter jerk to her in the past? However, she had to admit, this newer side he had slowly been revealing to her over time was quite refreshing. But she had to question why he was suddenly being so nice to her, so charming, so gentlemanly.

At that same time, Shadow walked down the sidewalk with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets. He shook his head to himself as he feared the worse. There was a very particular reason he didn’t want to accompany Amy on this trip. He wasn’t purposely trying to, but he was beginning to open up around her and become vulnerable. It was hard enough to repress and refrain from being his true self around her, but the longer he remained in her proximity, he relaxed and lowered his guard. He scoffed under his breath, thinking about their day together, and couldn’t help but smile. Begrudgingly, he enjoyed spending the day with her, even doing mundane things like traveling and eating out.

•~•

At a loading dock in the city, Shadow met with his clients. As he stood there waiting for their arrival, he glanced down at his phone, where he saw a text message from his brother. It read: “Has it been completed?”

Shadow quickly typed back to his brother. “Not yet, I’m working on it now,” he wrote before sending it out. Shadow heard footsteps and saw his clients approach him at the docks. “It’s about time…”

A slender purple female wolf sauntered towards Shadow, with her crew following closely behind. Two other wolves escorted her. The most prominent member of her entourage was Canus, a large light blue wolf with blue eyes. He looked much older than the leader, Lupe, and was easily pushing his 50s, but he was clearly the group's muscle. On the other side was Diablo, a leaner brown wolf in his mid-20s. Finally, the third member tagging along was Marcos, a lighter brown wolf with dark brown locks and crystal-clear eyes.

“Forgive us for our tardiness, Shadow,” Lupe apologized.

She reached out and extended her hand to the dark hedgehog, who shook it amicably before parting from their handshake. “Nearly brought the whole pack I see,” Shadow noted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s just a precaution. However, I’m surprised you did not take your precaution,” she noted, eyeing his lack of backup.

“I don’t need it,” he shrugged calmly. “Now, let’s get down to business.”

Lupe clasped her hands together. “Of course, now this is regarding on installment of payments, correct?”

“That’s right. You all forked up twenty grand three months ago. We’re still waiting for the rest of the ten k,” he explained.

Lupe eyed Marcos with concern. “I was under the impression this matter had been paid off nearly three weeks ago. Marcos, you’re our accountant. Have we not paid the brothers as he claims?”

Marcos bared his teeth. “No, ma’am, he’s lying. We have already paid off our debt. These guys are just trying to trick us,” he pointed accusingly.

“I figured you’d try to pull some sly shit like that.” Shadow pulled out his phone and pulled up some screenshots on his phone. “Thankfully, I’ve got my receipts.”

However, Shadow froze when he felt a pistol pressed against his temple. “We can end our debt right here and now,” Marcos argued. “One shot, and we get outta here.”

Lupe looked enraged at Marcos’ bold move. “Marcos, what are you doing? Stop this!”

Shadow glared at the naïve wolf as he stayed still. “Sure, pull the trigger. You’ll only instill an entire war on your end.”

Marcos did not seem afraid of the prospect. “What, us against the Brothers? Easy. Our pack has only grown over the years.”

“So, you’re willing to have both charters come after you along with Mogul’s men?” Shadow challenged. “That sounds rather ballsy,” he countered.

“…Mogul?” Marcos repeated, startled.

“Stop being an idiot, Marcos!” Diablo shouted.

“Yeah, put down the gun,” Canus added.

Obliging, Marcos lowered his gun and put it back in his holster next to his hip. Lupe moved in closer to the rogue wolf. “Pay him now,” she demanded.

Muttering obscenities under his breath, Marcos pulled out his phone and logged into their online banking system. He typed away at his phone, and Shadow felt his phone vibrate. He glanced down and noticed a new alert from his online banking system showing the 10k depositing. “Nice doing business with you,” he smirked arrogantly, tucking his phone into his pocket.

“Once again, my apologies for my accountant’s behavior,” Lupe bowed.

Shadow eyed the bold male wolf. “I’d keep a tight leash on that one. He seems like the type to come for your throne,” he forewarned.

•~•

Later that night, Shadow unlocked the door to their suite and was surprised to see one of the lamps on in the living area. He was even further surprised when he noticed Amy curled up in her pajamas sprawled across the couch. He sighed quietly as he stared at her sleeping form. “I told her she didn’t need to wait up for me,” he thought.

Shadow moved over to her and carefully scooped her into his arms. Amy was completely knocked out and didn’t even budge slightly as he carried her into her bedroom. He was shocked to discover how light she felt in his arms. Amy was by no means fat, but she was pretty light—some could argue even too light. Shadow lowered her down onto her bed and draped the sheets over her.

Just as he was heading out, he heard her stirring. “Shadow?” she spoke quietly.

He craned his neck to look at her. “Yes?”

“Did everything go alright at your meeting?” she asked tiredly while rubbing her shut eyes.

“Everything went fine,” he assured. “I told you, you didn’t have to wait up for me,” he said quietly.

She settled back under the sheets. “I know, I know,” she droned. “But I was still worried about you.”

He chuckled lowly. “Night, doctor.”

“Night,” she mumbled.

With that done, Shadow closed her door a jar and moved into his room, where he began to get undressed for the night. He took his shirt off and tossed it on the floor before flopping face-first onto his bed. He kicked off his shoes and socks while he lay on his bed and became familiar and comfortable with the new bed. Glancing at his alarm, he noticed the time, 12:19 AM. He knew he’d have to get up relatively early to attend this funeral with Amy, so he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would overcome him soon.

•~•

The following day was like a blur. Amy was in auto-pilot mode for the day. She got up, showered, and got dressed. Shadow was dressed in a black suit and his best-dressed shoes in the other room. He knocked on Amy’s bedroom door to see if she was ready. “Come in,” she beckoned.

Shadow cracked the door and saw her standing in front of the mirror, checking her appearance one last time before heading out. She wore a black dress, stockings, heels, and a black coat. “We’ll be late if we don’t leave in five. Just a heads up.”

Amy stared at him in the reflection of her mirror. “I’m almost done here. Thank you, Shadow.”

A little later, she and Shadow shared a cab as they drove to the funeral together. Amy glanced out the window as they drove in silence. Eventually, the two arrived, and both emerged from either side of the car. The funeral was being held in Tech City Park. Hundreds of elegant floral arrangements were on display, and Shadow and Amy found their seats amongst the crowd.

A priest stood and gave Cosmo a powerful and emotional eulogy at the front and of the stage. Next to him, there was a large portrait of Cosmo smiling in her photo. Most audience members were crying, looking solemn, sniffling, or holding back tears as they listened to the eulogy. Shadow turned to look at Amy sitting there in complete silence with tears streaking down her cheeks. Frowning from her state, Shadow reached out and placed his hand over the top of hers, resting on her right knee.

Amy turned her head slightly and looked at Shadow as his hand rested on top of hers. Amy gave him a curt nod, appreciating his gesture. Later, Shadow stood next to Amy at the burial as they watched Cosmo’s casket get lowered into the ground. Amy carried a bouquet and placed it in front of her grave.

Shadow could still see Amy was visibly upset as she watched the grave diggers begin to bury her deceased friend. Placing a hand on her shoulder cautiously, Shadow cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt your moment, but we’ll need to get going if we want to catch the train on time,” he announced respectfully.

Amy nodded, understanding their situation. “Yes, of course. Just give me one more moment,” she pleaded.

Shadow watched as Amy walked over to Cosmo’s tombstone and laid her hand on it. Closing her eyes, Amy felt her bottom lip tremble. “Thank you for everything. I’ll never forget you…”

With that final farewell, Amy turned on her heel and approached Shadow. Shadow stuck out his arm, urging her to link arms as they walked back together. Amy linked arms with him, and the two made their somber trek back to the main street, where they could catch a cab back to the hotel. “If it’s for anything, it was a beautiful service,” Shadow noted. “I felt like I knew your friend by the end of it.”

“It was done quite well,” she agreed. “I can’t believe she’s really gone. Seeing her casket lowered into the ground really just hit me—you know..?”

The two stopped at a street corner together. “I completely understand what you’re feeling right now. Truly, I do,” he confessed solemnly.

Amy looked up at Shadow with tears still in her eyes. “How do you deal with this pain, Shadow? It feels like it’ll never go away…”

“Honestly, it just takes time,” he answered. “There will be days where you feel like you’ve overcome the emotions, and then you turn on the TV and see something that reminds you of them, and it all comes flooding back.”

“What did you do to get over your grief?” she questioned curiously.

“Me?” Shadow scoffed and looked irritated as he recalled some of the methods he had used to get over his death of Maria. “Nothing worth telling. I regret many of the things I did to grieve her death. Personally, I only think they extended the grief, not make them better,” he admitted. “Truly, the best way to deal with grief is to surround yourself with loved ones. Accept their love and guidance even if you don’t think you need it,” he advised. “You’ll never forget them, but you’ll learn to cope with it and move forward.”

A cab stopped before them, and Shadow opened the door for Amy. She walked towards the open door but stopped just before entering the vehicle. “You know, that’s pretty good advice,” she admitted. “I’m quite impressed.”

“I’m glad I offered something viable.”

Amy climbed into the car, and Shadow followed after her.

•~•

On the train back to Mercia, Shadow called Mephiles on the phone to update him on the business run. “It’s all sorted now,” he announced.

“Good job, brother. You’re heading back now?”

Shadow glanced at Amy sitting next to him and staring out the window. “Yes, we just left the station.”

“How is Miss Rose doing then?” he inquired curiously.

“It’s been an emotional day, but I think she’ll pull through.” Amy glanced at Shadow, realizing he was talking about her.

“Who are you talking to?” she mouthed quietly.

“I’m on the phone with my brother,” he replied to her.

“Can I talk to him for a moment?” she asked kindly.

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” He handed her his cell phone, and she placed it to her ear.

“Hello, Mephiles?” she asked.

“Miss Rose,” he chimed. “Has my brother taken care of you well?”

Amy glanced at Shadow, leaning further back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. “Surprisingly, he’s been great on this trip,” she replied. “It’s not been so bad having him accompany me,” she admitted.

“That’s good to hear, my dear. I have you in my thoughts. Now, if you don’t mind, can you put my brother back on?”

“Of course, thank you, Mephiles.” She handed Shadow back his cell phone. “Here, he wants to talk to you.”

Shadow accepted the phone and held it up to his ear. “Yes?”

“Sounds like she’s taken a fancy to you,” he chuckled.

Shadow scoffed. “Shut up,” he groaned.

“I only tease, dear brother. I’ll see you once you get home.

Author's Note: Remember to leave a comment!

Chapter 10: New Business

Summary:

The Brothers work with some new clientele that Locke recommends that ends up causing more trouble than good. Zonic works on removing the M.C. from Amy, and the A.T.F. interrogates Amy and Shadow. Meanwhile, Gadget deals with lousy plumbing back at the house.

A week later, Shadow took Amy to a proper gun range to get in more practice. He remained far enough back in the booth as he watched Amy practice on a paper target sheet far down the aisle. As he observed her, he had to admit, he could see she was significantly becoming more comfortable around handling a gun and getting better aim. After firing a few rounds, Amy placed her gun down on the counter and pressed a button to see her results. The button triggered a release, and the paper target came charging towards her on a rip line for better viewing. Shadow walked up behind her just as she took off her ear protection. He was also eager to see how she had done.

When the target arrived in front of them, Amy’s eyes beamed as she saw she had hit most targets in a reasonable range. She lifted her protective glasses and blinked a few times in disbelief before her expression turned to excitement. “Oh my gosh, Shadow, look!” she pointed ecstatically.

Shadow nodded while keeping his arms crossed in front of his chest. “You’re getting better,” he commented. He pointed to one of the targets in the top left corner. “Look, you even got one bullseye.”

Suddenly, Amy embraced the dark hedgehog and jumped up and down by her stellar results. “I did it, I did it!” she squealed in delight. Shadow’s eyes blinked in surprise by her reaction, but he gave her a small smile admittedly proud by her progress. It was also rather humorous and cute to see her so excited like a proud student showing off their C+.

Realizing her excitement had gotten the better of her, Amy removed herself from embracing Shadow so suddenly. She looked up at him with a now neutral expression. “Oh…Shadow, I’m so sorry I caught you off guard like that,” she excused.

“It’s alright,” he dismissed waving a hand. “You should be proud of your progress. Just think where you’ll be in a couple of more weeks.”

“Well, I couldn’t have done this without your help. You’ve been a great teacher,” she smiled sweetly.

He gave a curt nod of appreciation. “You’re welcome.” Shadow glanced at his wristwatch before becoming alarmed at the sight. “Crap, I’ve got a business run in an hour with Manic. I need to get you back home so I can get over there on time.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

•~•

After dropping Amy off home, Shadow and Locke stood deep in the middle of a forest watching their newest clients test out some newly shipped AK-47s. The two male clients were a grey echidna in his mid 40s, and the other was a young black wolverine somewhere in his early 30s. The echidna and wolverine stood several yards away shooting rounds off on some simple silhouette targets. “You sure it’s okay to sell these guys five AKs?” Shadow whispered discreetly to elder red echidna.

Locke nodded, fixating his watch on their clients. They seemed rather impressed with their weapons in the distance. Without bothering to look Shadow’s way, the green hedgehog nodded. “They’re just a bunch of survivalists. They spend most of their time up here deep in the woods away from most of society,” he explained.

Shadow raised a brow, looking back at the bunch momentarily. He watched as one of the clients sniffed the side of the gun. “They seem a little…out there.” Although only two were there, he knew their group was much more prominent.

“Trust me, Shadow we’re all good with them,” Locke assured. Suddenly he noticed the two guys heading back over. “So, fellas, how’d they work out? They’re quite good, aren’t they?”

The grey echidna nodded. “They’re beautiful. Your dealer sure knows how to make a gun,” he complimented.

Locke rubbed his hands together. “Well then, how many are we buying today?”

“Five,” the echidna answered before looking at his partner. “Blade, pay him.” The black wolverine walked over and pulled something out of his plaid shirt pocket. He handed Shadow a thick envelope loaded with cash and walked off, not uttering another word.

Shadow peeked inside the envelope and could easily see they were a bit short on their payment. “Looks like you’re about five thousand light,” he remarked.

“Hold on a second,” the echidna halted in offense. “I thought we were getting the family discount.”

“That’s right,” Shadow concurred. “You are—they’re ten thousand for five.”

Blade marched over to Shadow, insulted at the price gauge. He got up in Shadow’s face, but the ebony hedgehog remained calm. “I know damn well these things go for one grand on the street, pal.”

Shadow smirked, not the least bit fazed by the wolverine’s intimidation tactics. “And when was the last time you were on the street?”

Seeing this sale was about to go awry, Locke intervened. “Hey, I’m sure we can all come to a final agreement on price, isn’t that right, Husk?” he segued, looking to the older echidna.

Husk reached into his coat pocket and pulled out another envelope with the right amount of money. “Here,” he said handing the rest over to Shadow. He turned and extended out his hand for Locke to shake. “Thanks for doing business with me, Locke and sorry about the misunderstanding.”

The two exchanged a handshake and then departed. “Take it easy, old friend,” Locke waved as he watched the two get into a jeep and drive off.

•~•

Meanwhile back at the clubhouse, Knuckles finished using the toilet and was zipping up his fly. He reached over and flushed the toilet just when he heard a strange gurgling sound coming from inside the toilet bowl. He turned and gasped as he saw the toilet overflowing with water and other remnants. “Ah, fuck man!” He backed up as the water flooded and collected onto the floor making its way toward him. “Rookie, get in here!” he yelled. Knuckles reached for the doorknob to the bathroom and swung it open just as Gadget made his way into the bathroom.

“Oh my, that’s quite a mess,” Gadget said, grimacing at the sight.

“Wait a second…” Suddenly, Knuckles’ eye noticed something pink and silky coming out of the toilet. He unsheathed a dagger clipped to his belt and made his way through the dirty toilet water and used his knife to pick something up with the tip of his knife from within the bowl. He held his knife with the unknown object and brought it closer for examination, only to realize it was pink bikini underwear. “Now who in the hell would be flushing their panties down the toilet?” he surmised eying the red wolf.

“We only have two ladies currently living with us,” Gadget reminded. “Are those—”

Knuckles glared at the young red wolf and cut him off from finishing his sentence. “No, they’re not,” he shouted. “She is my old lady and I think I’d be the first to recognize them, besides she’s more of a thong type of girl…”

Gadget shifted uncomfortably from the unconsented information. “Uh, guess we have to ask Ms. Amy then,” Gadget surmised, feeling his face turn red.

Knuckles handed over the knife with the sopping wet panties still on the tip. “Here, that can be your job, rookie.”

•~•

Outside in the front yard of the clubhouse, Mephiles and Shadow walked side by side as Shadow arrived back home with Locke. “How’d it go then?” Mephiles inquired. “Any issues?”

“They seemed pretty weird if you ask me, but Locke swears they’re harmless.”

“Locke better be right,” Mephiles replied. “You know I’m iffy with dealing with new clients on such short notice. No one followed you, right?”

“Nah,” Shadow shook his head. “We doubled back a couple of times too, but no one is onto us.” Suddenly the two stopped when a pick-up truck pulled into the compound holding a bunch of metal barrels with the words oil on them. “Oh, looks like the rest of the AKs are here.”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll make some more calls to some of our other clients. I’m sure they’re looking to restock.”

•~•

In the kitchen, both Amy and Rouge went about their morning routines in silence. Amy drank coffee while she did some quick studying from one of her medical books, while Rouge finished plating up from a skillet. Gadget walked into the kitchen holding Knuckle’s dagger with the soaking wet panties still dangling on the tip. “Um, Ms. Amy, these don’t happen to be yours, are they?” he asked uncomfortably with a blush across his muzzle.

Amy stared at the panties in disgust, feeling a blush form across her own face from the on-the-spot question. “Um, no. Why do you think they are?”

“I don’t, but someone’s been flushing used panties down the toilet and now it’s backed up,” he explained.

Rouge made a look of disgust as she walked over with her plate in hand. “You’re going to make me lose my appetite, Rookie. Throw those nasty things away!”

Gadget obliged and tossed the dirty panties into the garbage. “My apologies Ms. Rouge, it’s just, Knuckles put me on the case to determine the mysterious panty flusher.”

“I don’t even know how to respond to that, but it’s not ours. Why don’t you ask Mephiles, Mighty, or Manic? They love to bring home trashy girls who’d flush their panties down the shitter,” she stated passively.

“Oh okay,” He turned to start to leave but then paused. “Oh yeah, one more thing…I’m going to need that number for the plumbing company.”

“Check my brown phone book in the mechanic office. It’ll be in there,” she instructed.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he saluted before charging out of there.

•~•

Meanwhile, off the outskirts of town, Espio and Vector were doing a prisoner escort along with a few other officers. With one patrol car in front of a prisoner transport and one patrol car behind, it was sure to be an easy trip. However, things were all about to change when a brown Sudan pulled up behind Espio’s vehicle at a red light. The side doors opened and Husk, Blade, and two other armed echidnas surrounded Espio’s vehicle. With guns aimed at both Espio and Vector, the two detectives raised their hands up realizing they were under attack. “Stay exactly where you are!” Husk ordered, holding up his newly purchased AK-47.

Espio’s window was already slightly cracked, to begin with, allowing him to communicate with the unstable male. “Whoa, we’re obliging here, pal. No need to shoot.”

Keeping his eyes on Epsio, Blade kept his gun aimed at Vector on the other side. Espio and Vector watched as the other two echidnas ran to the back of the van and yanked it open revealing a red wolverine handcuffed in the back in a prison jumpsuit. “Grab him,” Blade instructed. However, they suddenly noticed the other two patrol officers from the front making their way toward Husk and Blade with their pistols drawn. “Put the weapons down!” a young brown chimpanzee officer instructed.

Husk quickly withdrew his aim at Espio and shot a round at the chimpanzee. The bullets riddled his chest and neck, and he collapsed to the ground dead. Vector tried to act quick and swung his passenger door open, pushing the distracted wolverine down to the floor. He was startled temporarily and fell backwards from the door’s force but shot off an accident round at a young couple on a mo-ped, killing the two of them. Vector reached for his own gun hoisted on his hip, but Blade swatted it away with his own AK, knocking it far off.

The two echidnas leading the prisoner to escape rushed back towards their getaway car from which Husk and Blade had emerged. Husk and Blade kept their guns drawn on Vector and Espio and hopped into their car and drove off. Espio quickly hopped out of his car and dialed on his phone for a paramedic to call in the attack. Vector rushed over to see how the couple on the mo-ped was but spotted a flip phone in the dirt. He reached down and picked it up, believing it must have come from one of the assailants.

•~•

Now back to being quite busy in the mechanic shop, Mighty, Manic, and Knuckles worked diligently on some vehicles for repair. Shadow put away the new money in a wall safe they had just earned and stayed in the small accounting room. Mephiles was on a smoke break and stood on the front porch of their home, puffing away on a cigarette.

Gadget stood near the front gates, washing a few cars by spraying them down with a hose, however, he stopped when three slick black BMWs with tinted windows rolled into their compound. The three cars parked, and suddenly a bunch of very official-looking people began to pour out of the vehicles. They quickly looked like they could work for the C.I.A, F.B.I, or G.U.N. “Oh boy…” the red wolf mumbled.

Mephiles noticed the group and lowered the cigarette from his lips. “Shit…” he grumbled. He put on his best fake smile and sauntered over to greet suit entourage. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. How can I help you?”

A purple feline in her early 30s made the first move, making her way toward Mephiles. She was quite an attractive female with piercing yellow eyes. She seemed rather uptight. She wore very proper business attire: a black pantsuit, white button-up, tucked-in shirt, and black heels. She extended a hand for Mephiles to shake and used her other hand to reveal her I.D. “Greetings, I’m Agent Blaze, A.T.F. We’re here looking for a specific member of your motorcycle crew.”

Mephiles finished shaking her hand before tucking his arms behind his back. “And whom might that be, my dear?”

Shadow popped his head out from inside after getting word that they had visitors. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as his brother dealt with the officers on his own.

Blaze reached into her jacket and pulled out a small notepad and pen. Her eyes glanced down at the paper. “I’m looking for a Shadow the Hedgehog,” she said, reading off her notepad.

“That’s my younger brother,” Mephiles replied. “Why, what’d he do?”

“Where is he now?” Blaze inquired, intentionally ignoring his second question.

Mephiles turned to look for him just when Blaze’s two male officers on either side of her spotted the dark hedgehog near the entrance of the mechanic shop. Shadow was already making his way toward them. “Ma’am, we’ve located his whereabouts,” a brown male feline whispered, pointing in Shadow’s direction.

Blaze’s eyes followed their direction, spotting the similarly-looking hedgehog. “Detain him,” she commanded. The brown cat along with the other officer walked over to Shadow with handcuffs at the ready. Shadow shot them bewildered looks as the two of them grabbed either side of him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Sir, please refrain,” one of the officers spoke while getting his arms behind his back.

From all the ruckus outside, Amy walked towards her bedroom window and peered past the curtains on the house's second floor. She looked surprised as she spotted Shadow being detained below in the front yard by two official-looking officers. “Shadow…” Amy whispered in concern.

Back outside, Shadow shot his brother a “what the hell is going on?” look as he was escorted over to Blaze and Mephiles. In the meantime, Mephiles watched as they dragged him back over to their unmarked vehicles.

“Wait a second,” Mephiles barked. “Are you going to inform me of the charges you’re placing on my little brother?”

Blaze simply smiled pleasantly at the dark hedgehog. “No charges yet,” she replied, putting her notepad back inside her jacket pocket. “We just want to know his relationship with Mr. Husk Echidna.”

Mephiles felt his heart sink but refused to let that acknowledgment show on his expression. “Who now?” he questioned, trying to act dumb. The two officers placed Shadow in the back of the car with his hands cuffed. Shadow looked at his brother through the back window with a frown.

“Husk Echidna,” Blaze repeated. “He was involved in a raid with his survivalist group this morning. He had a few illegally purchased AK-47s and they managed to kill three people while rescuing a prisoner on a transport. One of the dead happened to be an officer,” she explained. “We found a phone at the crime scene, and his last call was to a Shadow the Hedgehog.”

The rest of the M.C. stood in the background looking at Shadow’s arrest. “Shit, what now?” Mighty mumbled quietly off on the sidelines.

Knuckles shrugged but made sure to keep his voice down. “I’m sure Mephiles has a plan. He usually always does.”

Back with Mephiles and Blaze, the cat strode back to the car with the dark hedgehog following after her. “Hold on a second. When am I going to get my brother back?”

Blaze opened the passenger door of the car Shadow was detained in. “Once he’s clear and completed his questioning,” she replied nonchalantly. “Now, excuse me, I have work to do.” Mephiles watched in awe as the three black BMWs drove out of the compound with Shadow.

The rest of the M.C. came running over to find more information after having eavesdropped on some of the conversations from afar. “Bro, what happened?” Manic questioned.

Growling, Mephiles spun around and spotted Locke looming in the background. Eying him in anger, he stormed over and grabbed Locke by the collar hoisting him off the ground. “You old fool,” he shook. “Thanks to your looney friends, my brother has been taken for questioning by the A.T.F!” he shouted irately.

Knuckles tried to intervene. He placed a hand on top of the ones currently gripping his father’s collar. “Watch it, Mephiles!”

Mephiles shot the younger echidna a glare and released one hand, detaining Locke and using it to shove Knuckles back. “Stay out of this!”

Locke glared back at the president. “Friends? Hold on, what are you talking about?”

Mephiles chucked him backward into the dirt, causing him to hit it with a thud. Knuckles quickly scurried to his feet. “Dad!”

Mephiles watched as Knuckles assisted his father to his feet. “Your survivalist friends killed three people with our new AK-47s and stupidly left their last call on my brother’s phone, tying him to the crime!” he bellowed in anger.

“Chaos…” Mighty groaned, placing a hand on his forehead.

“I don’t understand, they didn’t use the burner number?” Locke looked amongst the group, seeing them all shaking their heads in disappointment. “I apologize. I didn’t think they’d do something like this! Most of the time, they’re in the woods playing capture of the flag or practicing on targets. They’re survivalists, not murderers!”

Mephiles began to pace in vexation. “This is why I don’t do business with outsiders until I can get a good read on them!”

“Hey, you guys don’t have to be so hard on him,” Knuckles jumped in. “My dad was trying to help the club with business. This could have happened in any scenario,” he defended.

“But it didn’t,” Mephiles countered. “It happened with new clients that we didn’t do enough research on. This is such a goddamn mess…”

“Well, Locke, you know what this means, don’t you,” Manic interjected, looking at the older echidna.

Locke sighed. “What?”

“You’re going to have to reach out and find them before the feds do,” Manic finished.

Locke looked in Manic’s direction. “Fair enough, and then what?”

“Then we’re going to kill them before they can ever reveal that we made a transaction with them,” Mephiles answered.

Locke shook his head, horrified at the thought. “Wait, Husk would never rat us out. We’ve been friends for years now,” he assured. “I fought in a war with him for Chaos’ sake!”

“We can’t risk it,” Mephiles snapped.

“He’s right,” Mighty added. “It’s just a matter of time before they connect that you and Husk have an ongoing friendship, then we’re screwed.”

•~•

Once arriving back at police headquarters, Shadow was taken into an interrogation room. The ebony-red striped hedgehog sat at a metal table in a metal seat and kept his fingers entwined with one another over the table as he waited for his interrogation to begin. Finally, the door opened, and Agent Blaze walked in, carrying a manila folder. She plopped it down in front of Shadow, and he slowly lifted his head, looking bored and indifferent to his circumstances.

“I don’t believe we had a proper introduction. My name is Agent Blaze, A.T.F,” the cat introduced, sticking out a hand for him to shake.

Shadow merely stared at her outstretched hand and huffed in response. Seeing he wasn’t as forthcoming and friendly as his brother, she retracted her hand and sat across from him at the table.

“I noticed you haven’t yet called a lawyer to come and represent you,” she segued.

Shadow leaned back in his seat and sighed. “I don’t really see the purpose. I’m innocent here. I can represent myself.”

“Good, you might as well save your money because even the best lawyer wouldn’t be able to get you out of here,” she stated arrogantly. “So, what do you know about the murder of one cop and two innocents thanks to Husk Echidna?”

Shadow scoffed. “I don’t know who that is or what happened,” he replied. “Sounds tragic, though.”

“Yet the last phone call was to your cell phone,” Blaze countered.

“Just because some crazed gun fanatic made a call to my phone doesn’t make me an accessory to a crime,” he argued.

Blaze opened up the manila folder and went through it. “Yes, but your rap sheet says otherwise. You belonged to a syndicate crime organization dealing illegal arms. You’ve spent your fair share behind bars as well. That’s why this incident flags you as a source of their weapons.”

Shadow rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Brothers of Chaos is a motorcycle club,” Shadow responded. “And just for your information, I haven’t been charged with a gun-related crime or otherwise in the last five years. I’m a mechanic and a motorcycle enthusiast, lady.”

Blaze calmly shut his file and stared long and hard at Shadow, not feeding into his bullshit. “You are a criminal and a gun runner, and in my book, you are responsible for the death of three innocent people,” she said with a serious expression.

Shadow only smirked and shrugged, not bothering to give another type of response.
Blaze stood up from her seat, taking Shadow’s file with her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. In the next couple of hours, I’ll have the warrant to search the premise of your compound and raid your little motorcycle buddies. Let’s see how enthusiastic you are after that,” she smiled sweetly in his direction.

Shadow watched as she opened the door and left. “Shit…” he muttered while dragging a hand down his face.

•~•

In the junkyard a few miles away, Mephiles met with Espio to find out any information regarding his brother and the A.T.F. agents. “Chaos, Meph, I knew Sanders for fifteen years. We grew up together, and now he’s dead.”

Mephiles kept his arms crossed over his chest. “My sympathies for your loss, dear friend.”

“So, those were your AKs, weren’t they?” Espio questioned.

“They were,” he confirmed.

He shook his head in frustration. “God damn it, Mephiles…”

“They took my brother, Espio,” Mephiles continued. “They traced a call back from Husk Echidna back to Shadow. Please tell me how much information they have against us. What is their next move?”

“They’re currently looking for those jackasses,” he mumbled. “It won’t be long before they find them.”

Mephiles paced a few times as he contemplated their next move in silence. He stopped as it dawned on him what they’d have to do. “…We have to get to them first before the feds.”

Espio sighed. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

Mephiles nodded before walking back towards his bike. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

•~•

Back at the police headquarters, Blaze got off the phone with her superior back at home. She hung up and walked out of her makeshift office. She stared at her assistant Nicole, a brown lynx, coming out of the copy room. “Any news on our warrant?”

Her associate shook his head solemnly. “Sorry, ma’am, a traced phone call is not enough for a warrant.”

“Shit,” she cursed.

“—Maybe I could be of some help,” another voice piped in behind the two. Blaze turned around and spotted a handsome blue hedgehog with dazzling green eyes approaching her. He reached into his pocket and flipped out his I.D. “Agent Zonic, A.T.F,” he introduced with a smile.

She refrained from returning a smile as a thought crossed her mind. “…I wasn’t aware there would be another A.T.F agent here in Mercia,” she said, looking at him suspiciously. “Where are you normally stationed?”

Zonic’s smile dropped, and he put his I.D. away calmly and poised. “I’m from Tech City, and you?” he segued.

“Soleanna,” she replied, continuing to eye him. “Why are you here? You’re quite far from your district.”

He shoved his hands into his pant pockets smoothly. “Oh, I can’t really discuss the—”

“—Who’s your superior then?” she abruptly cut off, eyes narrowing. “Maybe I can get in touch with them.”

“Hold that thought.” Zonic completely ignored her question and walked back over to his desk. “Here, let me show you what I’ve already gathered on the brothers.” Blaze and Nicole shot each other questionable looks. There was something strange about this A.T.F agent. Zonic opened up his briefcase and pulled photos he had taken on his many stakeouts. “I followed the Brothers on a trip out of Mercia where they met another subsection of their organization,” he explained.

“Really, and what’d you find?” Blaze questioned with intrigue losing interest in her previous questioning.

Zonic handed her a photo. “Here’s one with them clearly holding drawn automatic weapons. They got into a little fight with some rival biker gang.”

Blaze analyzed the pictures of Mephiles, Knuckles, and Manic shooting off rounds in the photo—a clear indication of their crimes. However, something hovering in the background of the photo caught her eye. “Hold on. This pick-up truck,” she pointed. “That same truck was in their lot today…”

He shrugged. “Yeah, it has oil barrels in it, so what?”

Blaze handed the photos back, keeping her thought process to herself. “Nothing…”’

Suddenly, Silver walked over with his file in hand. “Look what I found,” he smiled triumphantly. He opened the folder and handed it to Agent Blaze. “After researching, I discovered that Locke was good friends with Husk Echidna. Look here, Manic and Husk spent time in a war-fighting together.”

Blaze smiled sinisterly. They were slowly beginning to build their case. “Good job, boys. I think we have a warrant on our hands.” The group moved into the conference room to set up the next stage of the plan. Unbeknownst to them, Espio had been eavesdropping in on them during their whole conversation from the copy room. He went to his desk and picked up his cell phone.

•~•

Back at the compound, Locke arrived in the dining room along with Mighty and Knuckles, where Mephiles stared out the window with his cell phone up to his ear. He lowered it from his ear and hung up with a sigh. “Good news,” Locke started. “I got a hold of Husk and the others. They’re at another bunker up in the hills a few miles away from their normal station.”

The dark hedgehog tucked his phone into his jacket pocket. “Yeah, well, I just got off the phone with Espio, and I’ve got bad news. They’ve got a warrant to search our compound.”

Both Knuckles and Mighty groaned and shook their head, feeling the anxiety poor in. “Shit,” Mighty cursed.

“God damn it,” Knuckles huffed.

However, Locke wasn’t as pessimistic. “Come now. It’ll be alright. We’ll get through this,” he stated optimistically.

Mephiles gripped Locke’s collar and pulled him close to his face. “They’ve got proof that you have a friendship and connection to Husk, you old buffoon,” he bellowed. “They have photos of us with our shoot out with the Suppression”

Locke glared at the darker hedgehog. “I’m getting sick of you treating me like an old man losing his mind. You’re supposed to treat your elders with respect!” he snapped.

“He’s right,” Knuckles seconded. “He’s doing the best he can! Besides, bickering amongst us will not help this situation.”

Mephiles exhaled a sigh, somewhat agreeing with them. “My apologies…I’m just rather stressed at the moment. He glanced out the window, staring at the oil barrels stationed by the garage entrance. “Once the A.T.F. come in and raid this place, it’ll be only a matter of time before they go through those barrels. Our new home will undoubtedly be Prison Island…”

Mighty stared at the sewage truck parked in front of the leading garage. Gadget was assisting the plumber in clearing out the sewage from their septic tank. His eyes widened as a sudden realization hit. “Hey guys, I think I know where we can store our guns where not even the A.T.F. will look, but we’re going to have to move quickly.”

“How can I help?” Locke questioned.

Mephiles guided Locke out towards the back door of their garage. “You can help by getting the hell out of here for a few hours. If they bring you in for questioning, we’re done.”

Locke nodded, understanding the dire circumstances. “Alright, I understand.”

•~•

Twenty minutes later, the feds arrived in incredible fashion. Several black SUVs rolled into the compound with S.W.A.T teams present. Mighty, Manic, and Gadget were working on fixing some automobiles when the authorities arrived. They lifted their heads, acting surprised by the arrival. In the meantime, Knuckles and Rouge emerged from the house's front door. Rouge kept her arm linked with Knuckles as she spotted several armed officers making their way towards them with guns drawn. “Knuckles, what the hell is going on?”

“It’s alright, babe. Just play it cool,” he whispered and unlinked his arm from hers.

Mephiles came out from the primary mechanic office with his arms raised above his head, looking unfazed.

Amy peered her head out her bedroom window after hearing all the racket again.

Outside, Blaze, Nicole, Silver, and Zonic got out of a black BMW with black jackets. Zonic and Blaze wore A.T.F. jackets with bulletproof vests, while Silver wore his Mercia Patrol jacket with his bulletproof vest.

Blaze put on her black shades. “Alright, Officer Silver, you take upstairs in the house. I’ll stay downstairs. Zonic and Nicole, you take the garage. Do not leave any stone unturned, and remain vigilant,” she instructed.

The leading commander on the S.W.A.T team raised his carbine at the motorcycle crew as they lined up. “I need you all to keep your hands above your head and lay flat on the ground.”

The group of males obliged raised their hands above their heads and knelt before laying on their bellies. A few spare officers walked over and handcuffed each one while they were surrendered.

Two officers came over and escorted Rouge to do the same as they pulled her off the front porch. However, the two officers escorting her over weren’t being too friendly. “Hey, ouch, you’re hurting me!”

Knuckles lifted his head to see what all the commotion was. “Hey, that’s my old lady, you’re man-handling!” He shifted slightly to the point he was on his knees, but an officer used the butt end of their gun to jab him roughly in the back. “Keep down!”

Knuckles groaned and bared his teeth as he reeled from the pain throbbing down his backside.

It was Mighty’s turn to react when he heard a familiar female struggle. Mighty lifted his head and spotted another two S.W.A.T officers carrying out Amy as she struggled in their grasp. “Let me go!” she shouted. “I didn’t do anything!” They began to bring her over to where they had detained Rouge on the ground.

“Amy, relax!” Mighty shouted. “Don’t fight with them,” he urged.

Amy began to lose her urge to resist them as she heard Mighty’s words until she caught sight of a familiar person. Walking towards her was none other than Zonic the Hedgehog in his whole A.T.F getup. Her heart sank, and her adrenaline spiked. “No, no, no!” she shouted frantically. The two officers struggled to keep her detained, and finally, she managed to break her right arm free and grabbed ahold of the visor covering one of the other officer’s faces, still holding her. She pulled them down, kneeing them in the face. The officer grunted and fell backward, but thankfully, the other officer grabbed her around the waist, slammed her upper body against the hood of a vehicle, and secured her arms behind her back.

“Amy!” Mighty shouted, fearing her repercussions.

Mephiles shook his head and sighed. “Oh, shit…”

Zonic calmly made his way to the car, where she was now being handcuffed. He bent down next to her head, the closest he had been to her in months. “Assault against an officer,” he tsked. “That wasn’t very smart now, was it?” he whispered only loud enough for her to hear.

Amy glared up at him and spat in his face. “Fuck you,” she whispered back.

His brows furrowed as he wiped her spit from his face. His green eyes sharpened from the venom in her voice, and he looked at the officer, still keeping her restrained. “Put in the back of the car," he instructed. "We’ll be bringing her in for questioning and possible charges.”

Mighty watched in horror as Amy was escorted to the car's back seat and placed inside. The car door was shut, and Amy looked out the window at the other lying face down on the ground.

•~•

Meanwhile, inside the house and mechanic shop, the S.W.A.T team tore up their place, looking for evidence of guns. They did not hesitate to upturn parts of the house. Inside it was a complete mess. The shelves were left open and empty of contents. The fridge was emptied, with fresh food spilled all over the kitchen floor. Pictures were strewn over the floor as the teams searched for any hidden entry or hiding spots. The bedrooms were just as disastrous. Mattresses were flipped, ripped open, and tossed. The closets and drawers were raided entirely, but still, no one could seem to find anything.

“Check every crevice,” Blaze ordered as she remained in the dining room, watching her boys sweep the house.

Silver came downstairs after helping search the bedrooms. He joined Blaze by her side, and the feline eyed him. “Any luck upstairs?”

He shook his head solemnly. “Nothing, not even a trace.”

A few moments later, Zonic arrived from the garage. “How about you? Anything?” Blaze questioned.

“Unfortunately, no,” he replied.

Blaze scowled. “They're hiding them somewhere…”

•~•

A little bit later, Shadow was still locked up in the interrogation room at the police station. He sat at the table with his feet kicked up on the table and leaned back in his seat. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Officer Silver walked in, holding a cup of water. “Here, I figured you might want something to drink,” he offered.

Shadow removed his feet from the table and took his normal seated position as the cup of water was placed before him. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

However, his ears perked up when he heard a familiar female voice in the distance. Shadow stood upright and walked over to the opened door, but Silver blocked his path. Shadow remained inside the interrogation room as he peered over Silver’s shoulder and watched two officers escort Amy into another holding room. His eyes widened in alarm. “What is she doing here?”

Amy heard Shadow’s voice, halted her feet, and craned her neck to look in Shadow’s direction. “…Shadow?” she mumbled.

Shadow glared in Blaze’s direction as she sauntered into the office, removing her black shades. “Hey, she has nothing to do with this!” Shadow shouted. Blaze did not respond and only smiled smugly before returning to her office.

“She assaulted an officer, Shadow,” Silver mumbled. “Now sit down,” he instructed.

Shadow walked over to the large window and placed his hands against it as he looked through the other large window to the holding room. In there, he watched as Amy was placed down in a seat and unhandcuffed.

•~•

Sitting inside the other holding room, Amy looked around the room's bleak and barren white walls. Inside was a steel table, a couple of steel chairs, a large viewing window, and a camera in the top right corner of the ceiling. The door opened, and Agent Zonic calmly ambled in, carrying a styrofoam cup in one hand and a notepad and pen in the other.

Amy kept her hands braced on the table's edges as her ex approached her. Zonic placed the cup down in front of Amy. He smiled at her before taking a seat, but Amy’s response was merely a glare. “I got you your favorite. Light roast coffee with two sugars and a splash of vanilla creamer,” he gestured towards the cup.

Amy didn’t even bother to look at the kind gesture and kept her eyes focused on her enemy. Zonic walked over to the window and closed the blinds, giving them privacy. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair defensively. “What do you want, Zonic?”

“First of all, where were you a week ago?” he questioned.

Amy blinked a few times and furrowed her brows. “What are you talking about?”

He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I swung by your place, and you were apparently out of town…”

She looked away. “I attended Cosmo’s funeral…”

His brows furrowed at the thought. “And you just happened to go alone with that black and red delinquent?”

Seeing the thought of her traveling with another male ground his gears, Amy decided to take it one step further. “That doesn’t classify as alone then, does it?” she smirked.

He frowned at her snarky response. “Stop trying to be smug here!” Zonic clicked his pen and placed the tip down on the notepad. “Now, for real…Why are you still here in Mercia, babe?” he asked quietly. “Why have you surrounded yourself with these dangerous biker guys?”

“You think they’re dangerous?” she scoffed. “Clearly, you haven’t looked in the mirror lately…”

His brows furrowed at her comment. “Hey, I’m just looking out for you. I want to protect you from them. They could seriously hurt you, Amy…You have no clue what you’re getting yourself involved in.”

“Shut up!” she spat. “You’re insane if you think you’re going to protect me. You never protected me when we were together!” she pointed accusingly, feeling tears prick the corner of her eyes.

Amy noticed Zonic’s hands beginning to clench up, a clear sign she was getting him riled up. He wouldn’t dare to make such a move in a place like a police station, would he? Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room opened up, and Zonic was quick to compose himself before Blaze could pick up on the tension in the room. She was holding a manila envelope, eyed the blue hedgehog suspiciously, and sauntered to the other available seat beside him. “Good afternoon, I’m Agent Blaze, A.T.F,” she introduced, sticking out her hand to shake Amy's hand.

Amy hesitantly offered her hand out and shook the cat’s hand. “Amy...Amy Rose,” she mumbled apprehensively.

“Agent Zonic, have you begun the questioning without me?” Blaze inquired.

“Yes, ma’am, she’s been rather stubborn so far and hasn’t given much detail yet,” he lied smoothly.

Blaze opened up her folder. “Hmm, perhaps Ms. Rose would be more comfortable speaking female to female?”

Amy’s ears perked at the suggestion. She needed a reason to get Zonic away from her. “I’d love that, actually,” she smiled passively, irking him further.

He quickly hid his grimace and got up from his seat. “If you need me, I’ll be at my desk,” he sighed, leaving the room.

Once alone, Blaze focused on the subject in front of her. “So, Ms. Rose, I’ve done a little digging on your background and noticed you have quite a clean record.”

Amy nodded. “And why wouldn’t I? I have nothing to hide.”

Blaze shook her head. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just rather surprised to see you associating yourself with this, erm, rather rough group you’re living with. Mind telling me why you decided to reside with the infamous Brothers of Chaos M.C?”

“Well, I moved away from my hometown, and I’m working on my doctoral degree. I needed a place to live while I focused on my studies, and I saw them renting out a room,” she began explaining.

Blaze took down some notes while Amy explained her story. “I see…I noticed you haven’t applied to any local hospital jobs around here. Is there a reason for that?”

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Well, I work part-time for the club.”

Blaze’s right ear twitched. “What exactly do you do there?”

“Housework most of the time,” she lied. “They needed someone to do cleaning up, and I figured I could do that on the side while I work on my online schooling,” she justified.

Blaze eyed her for a moment before jotting down more notes. “Right, well, have you seen any members wielding or storing A-rank weaponry?”

Amy blinked a few times, taken aback by her forward questions. “Excuse me?”

“Guns? Automatic rifles,” she specified.

Amy shook her head. “No, not at all. I mostly see them working in the mechanic shops,” she lied. “They do car repairs.”

Blaze lowered her pen temporarily. “So, you’ve never seen any sketchy business going down between the MC and any other clientele?”

Amy straightened up her sitting position. “No, ma’am, not at all.”

Blaze sighed. “Ms. Rose, girl to girl, you don’t have to lie to me. I know you are lying to my face right now.” Amy froze up. Was it that obvious? Amy had thought she was a much better liar, or perhaps this was a scare tactic to get her to confess. Blaze’s yellow eyes glanced at her file. “I noticed you have an ongoing restraining order in place.”

“Uh…” Amy swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, I do…”

“I’m assuming that this person was someone you knew back in your hometown. " You have moved many times in the past months before you wound up here,” she continued.

She glanced down at the table. “Yeah, I was just trying to find the right place.”

“Have the authorities back home been much help with keeping on top of this active R.O.?”

Amy shook her head meekly. Blaze nodded, trying to look empathic. “You know, I could always assist you here, but it’ll come with a deal.”

Amy gulped nervously but seemed curious about the offer. “What kind of deal?”

“You provide enough incriminating evidence to prove that the Brothers M.C. is harboring, mulling, and selling A-grade weapons. I’ll make sure that pesky person on your restraining order disappears for good,” she promised with a smile.

Amy thought about it for a moment. Perhaps Blaze could be the person who could finally help her put an end to Zonic’s stalking. However, she couldn’t betray the Brothers. They had been nothing but kind to her so far, and who was to say if she betrayed them that they wouldn’t become her new stalker and stalk her down and end her life for ratting on them? Amy shook her head. “I can’t accept that offer because the Brothers are innocent. They’re just a bunch of guys that repair automobiles and ride bikes,” she shrugged nonchalantly.

Blaze calmly rose from her seat, seeing Amy would be playing differently. “Very well then. If you change your mind, my offer will always be on the table.”

Amy watched as the cat walked towards the door. “So, am I free to go now?”

Blaze opened the door and paused, looking back at the hedgehog. “Not any time soon, I’m afraid. Remember, you did assault an officer. Therefore, you’ll spend the night in jail until you receive a bond.”

With that said, Blaze shut the door. Amy crossed her arms over the table, laid her face across her arms, and groaned.

•~•

Outside her holding room, Blaze walked back towards her office. Agent Zonic and Officer Silver joined her on either side. “What’s going on? Did she say anything?” Zonic questioned, trying not to appear too eager.

“She denied any recognition of their type of business, but I think I’ll manage to crack her eventually,” she stated optimistically.

“So, what do we do with her now?” Silver questioned.

“Put her in a cell overnight. I think once she spends her first few hours behind bars, she may come around on my deal…”

“Yes, ma’am,” Silver saluted. The grey hedgehog walked over to the holding room to get Amy.

Two other officers walked over, and Blaze glanced at them. “You two,” she spoke, causing them to halt. “Shadow the Hedgehog is free to go. See to it.” The officers nodded curtly and walked off.

Zonic crossed his arms over his chest. “What kind of deal did you offer the girl?”

“She’s having issues with a stalker despite having an active restraining order. I told her if she helps me gain evidence on the Brothers, I’d help her put away her stalker once and for all.”

Zonic cleared his throat and nodded. “That sounds like something viable.”

“Mhm,” she mumbled before walking into her office.

Zonic exhaled a sigh of relief once she was gone. His expression remained calm, but internally, he was panicking hard.

•~•
AN: Please remember to leave a review!

Chapter 11: New Truths

Summary:

The Brothers M.C. take care of a dangling threat while Amy spends a night in jail. The following morning, Shadow and Amy reconcile their differences and officially become friends. Shadow deals with a threat from Amy's past, and Amy decides she needs to tell the club the truth about her history with Zonic.

The door opened in the other holding room, and an officer stood in the doorway. He signaled Shadow to get up. Shadow obliged and rose from his seat. “What’s happening?”

“Sir, you’re free to go,” one of the officers instructed.

Shadow was escorted out of the room but suddenly halted when a thought crossed his mind. “Wait a second, what about the doctor?”

“Sir, you’re going to have to leave now,” the other officer said, placing a hand on his back.

He jerked himself away from his touch. “No, I want to know what you’ve done with her. Where is she?” he shouted.

“—Shadow, calm down,” another voice piped in. He turned only to spot Deputy Silver approaching him. “You can come to pick her up tomorrow morning. She’s going to be spending the night with us.”

Shadow looked alarmed by the news. “You’re holding her overnight?” he repeated in astonishment.

“A.T.F.’s orders,” he clarified with a shrug. “Besides, she struck another officer,” he reminded. “Speaking of which, her bail is not going to be pretty,” he warned, cringing slightly.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. “…How much?”

“About 50k,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“You’re joking,” Shadow spoke in disbelief.

“Normally, assault on another civilian is 25k, but when it comes to an officer, resisting or assault bumps it up to 50k. You’re lucky the guy didn’t press any further charges,” Silver explained. “But don’t worry, she’ll be in good hands over here and away from you,” he pointed.

Shadow narrowed his eyes at Silver’s last little comment and huffed. “Can I at least see her for a few minutes? I want to make sure she’s okay.”

Silver glanced at his watch briefly, checking the time. “Fine, but only for three minutes.”

Silver gestured for Shadow to follow him to their jail cells, where they were keeping her.

•~•

Inside the jail cells, Amy sat on a bench that had a thin mattress, a small cheap pillow, and an itchy blue blanket. All she had was the bed, sink, and toilet. She kept her knees up to her chest and stared at the concrete floor as she contemplated her next step. Should she really consider that deal Blaze had offered her, or should she remain loyal to the guys she had only known for a few months now? Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard keys jingling, and the creak of the main door leading to the cell room open up. She lifted her head and turned it to her right as she heard footsteps approaching her cell.

Suddenly, Shadow appeared and stood in front of her cell. “Shadow?”

The ebony hedgehog gripped the bars to her cell as he peered inside. “Hey, are you doing alright, doctor?”

She moved off her bed and stood to walk in front of her cell door. “I’m okay, what about you? I saw them take you away earlier this morning.”

“I’m fine. I’m actually being released,” he replied.

Her ears folded back. “Lucky you…”

“What did they do that made you think it’d be acceptable to hit an officer? Don’t you know any better?” he lightly scolded. “It seems rather out of character for you.”

Amy’s ears drooped even more, and she looked away momentarily. Her eyes shifted towards the ceiling, where a camera aimed straight into her cell. She could only fathom who might be watching at that moment, so she didn’t dare risk it. “I can’t explain that while I’m here,” she said quietly. “I’ll tell you about it later…”

Shadow nodded, understanding her cue. “Right, well, you’re in here for the night, but I promise I’m going to come back for you tomorrow morning and bail you out,” He placed his hand over hers, gripping the cell bars. “You understand, right, doctor?”

She could tell he was being frank and genuine with his words. She felt those familiar flutters in her stomach again. “Yes…” Amy smiled weakly, feeling comforted by his gentle touch. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He removed his hand covering hers, and he backed away. “Stay strong, princess.”

Amy pressed her face against the cell bars, gripping them simultaneously as she watched Shadow exit the room and spotted Silver close the door behind him, leaving her by herself in the large jail cell room.

•~•

Back in the central police lobby, Shadow finished his paperwork and was officially checked out. As he stuck his hands in his leather jacket pocket and sauntered towards the door, Vector caught up and walked beside him. “You don’t have a ride back to the compound. Want a lift?”

Shadow glanced at him, then looked behind and around him discreetly before turning his attention back to the enormous crocodile. “Sure,” he shrugged.

Vector led Shadow to his black suburban, and the two got in the car. Once the doors were shut, Shadow eyed Vector. “Don’t you think it’s risky to be seen giving me a ride home?”

Vector placed his seatbelt on. “Naaah, they know you’ve got no ride. I offered to take you back and keep an eye on you,” he winked. “Anyway, I figured you’d want an update on what’s happening.”

Shadow clipped on his seatbelt. “I do. Tell me everything.”

•~•

Later that night, when the coast was finally clear, Mighty, Gadget, and Knuckles put on yellow dish gloves and rain boots and wore makeshift garbage bag smocks. Mighty led them to the back of the sewer truck, where the release lid was located. “This is it, boys. Alright, step back and hold your breath.”

Both Knuckles and Gadget nodded, preparing themselves. Mighty opened the release valve, and a godly amount of dark brown liquid came pouring out of the back tank of the truck and onto the blacktop. Knuckles and Gadget backed up as the liquid came flooding their way, and they screamed and coughed in horror, gagging on the terrible stench of feces stewing in the hot sun that day. Large chunks came out of the valve now and then, and they could feel the heat of the crap wafting in their direction. Mighty felt his eyes water and bent over, nearly retching but holding it in.

Knuckles, on the other hand, was the most vocal about it. HE screamed in horror and could practically taste the poop. He placed his hands up to his mouth and nose to shield the stench from violating him. “God, it fucking stinks!”

Gadget, unfortunately, was the weakest of the three and did manage to throw up a bit. He wiped the back of his arm over his mouth after a good upchuck. Eventually, they saw what they were looking for. Three poop-covered garbage bags came pouring out onto the blacktop. Knuckles pointed at the bags. “There they are. Let’s get the guns and get the fuck outta here!” he shouted, holding back another retch. Mighty, Gadget, and Knuckles each took turns and grabbed a bag.

•~•

In the police station, Silver returned to his office only to find Blaze inside, sitting on top of an oil barrel. He blinked in surprise at her current and unexpected state. “Oh, Agent Blaze, I-I didn’t expect you--”

“—We found these inside their garage. They were empty, but I think this is how they manage to get the guns in.” She hopped off the barrel and paraded around a somewhat confused Silver who watched her encircle him, and her tail grazed his arm sensually. “You know this is putting your little motorcycle club on at least half a dozen watch lists. I will call my supervisor and inform them of all the evidence we’ve gathered. We’re going to put this club down once and for all.”

Silver watched as Blaze walked towards his open door. “Wait a second, did you brief Agent Zonic on this?” he questioned.

She halted in her tracks. “Oh, about that,” she began. “You know, I called Agent Zonic’s supervisor in Tech City, and he seems to believe that he’s on vacation in Babylon...” Silver blinked in surprise at the reveal. “Let me know if Agent Zonic stirs anything else up with the Brothers, and keep this info between us,” she winked before departing.

Was Agent Zonic not to be trusted, as implied by Blaze? Silver couldn’t fathom it. Zonic had been nothing but dedicated and helpful to taking down the Brothers. Did he perhaps have other motives?

•~•

Meanwhile, on their drive back to the compound, Vector caught Shadow up with everything he overheard at the station. “How’d their raid go?” Shadow asked.

Vector kept his eyes on the road as he drove. “They came up empty. I don’t know where your brother hid their guns, but he hid them well,” he complimented.

“We’ve always been quite crafty, but not on such short notice,” he chuckled. “Which reminds me, did they ever find Husk and his men?”

“No, we’ve still got patrols out searching. They’ve also apparently been real good at hide and seek.”

“And as for our doctor,” he segued. “What did they want with her?”

“Oh, your new doctor?” Vector smiled. “Oh boy, you’re going to love to hear this. So apparently, that feline A.T.F agent offered her some deal that she rejected.”

Shadow raised a brow. “What kind of deal?” Shadow inquired, hoping to gain more details.

“Basically, she wants Amy to be a mole and snoop on you guys and get enough incriminating evidence to book you guys,” he specified.

Shadow turned to look at Vector thoroughly. “And what the hell was the deal to entice her to do this in the first place?”

“Erm, your doctor got some restraining order or somethin’, and she’s had a hard time getting the cops to help her keep the R.O. active and running, I think,” Vector explained, scratching his head momentarily. “Either way, she declined the offer. Not really sure why though, 'cause Agent Blaze was quite serious on helping the girl out to take you guys down.”

Shadow didn’t look surprised at the reveal. He knew about this mysterious R.O. from his snooping and background check. However, he was surprised to hear her turn down such an offer. “Interesting…”

“Based on all your questions, it sounds like you don’t trust the girl much, huh?” Vector suggested by his tone.

Shadow stroked his chin in thought. “I’ll admit, I haven’t much, but I’ve started to come around on her a bit. She and I spent some time in Tech City together when I attended a funeral with her. We grew a little closer, and I started to trust her more,” he admitted. “She’s definitely done enough at this point to earn my trust.”

Vector kept driving and kept his eyes on the road. “So, what’s going through your head right now, pal?”

“She could have easily thrown us under the bus at that moment for her benefit, yet, she didn’t. Perhaps I have been too paranoid about her motives all along,” he surmised.

Vector stopped his car at a stoplight and glanced over at Shadow. “Well, there’s only one way to find out. Just ask her!”

He glanced out his passenger window. “It sounds easier than done, but she doesn’t owe me any answers with how I’ve treated her in the past…”

Vector cocked a brow. “And why’s that?”

“I wasn’t very nice towards her when she first showed up,” he admitted. “Everyone else in the club took her in with open arms, I, on the other hand, have always been wary of the girl and have distanced myself from her.”

“Why’d you act like that?” Vector questioned.

Shadow grumbled to himself, unsure of how to answer that question. “I don’t know…it’s complicated.”

The light turned green, and Vector began driving again. “Sounds like you’ve got some work on your part, pal,” he chuckled.

•~•

At the police station, Amy remained alone in her cell and lay on her bed. Suddenly though, the door to the room opened up, and Zonic sauntered inside. Amy sat upright from her laying position to glance at the visitor. Zonic appeared around the corner and stood in front of her cell door, glaring at her. Amy furrowed her brows towards him and scoffed. “What do you want now?”

“Is it true that another agent offered you a deal about your R.O.?” he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

She shrugged. “Yeah, so?”

He raised a brow. “And you declined it?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well, I didn’t really say yes or no,” she replied, looking at him with a glint in her eye.

Zonic gripped her cell bars and moved in closer. “You know what happens if you accept that deal, right?”

Amy smirked and made a head nod, gesturing to something behind him. “You do know there’s a camera in here, right? I’d be careful with what you say out loud,” she warned.

He glanced at the camera momentarily before returning his gaze to her unfazed. “I tampered with it. No one knows I’m in here. Right now, it’s on a loop of you lying in bed,” he explained. “So, I can say whatever the hell I want,” he barked.

Amy shook her head and turned her back on him. “Of course, you did…”

His brows furrowed at her knowing tone. “Now, you listen good and well, you little slut,” he hissed, making Amy’s head snap back in his direction by his slur. “If you take that deal, I’ll fucking kill that hedgehog and all the rest of them, too, you understand?”

Amy laid back on her side and pulled the blanket over her. “You think I’m stupid? Leave them out of this and get the hell away from me. You got what you wanted, alright? You always win…”

He released his tight grip on her cell bars and backed up while he kept his eyes locked on her figure. “You’re not getting away this time,” he mumbled. He walked towards the exit. “But first, I have to destroy that biker club…”

•~•

Finally returning home, Shadow walked inside the front door only to be greeted by his family. “Brother, you are home,” Mephiles smiled and approached him. Mephiles patted him on the back, and the two walked further into the living room where the other resided.

“They finally cleared me,” he noted.

Mighty couldn’t help but wonder why he returned alone. “Where’s our dear doctor?”

Shadow looked at the armadillo. “They’re keeping her overnight. I’m going to bail her out tomorrow morning,” he answered.

Mighty rubbed the back of his neck, and he sympathized with her. “Poor kid. I hope she’s hanging in there.”

“She should be fine. She looked solid when I last saw her,” Shadow added.

“Staying on the topic of Ms. Rose,” Mephiles segued. “Did she--”

“—Rat us out?” Shadow interrupted, cutting him off. “No, surprisingly, she didn’t. I guess she is loyal after all…”

“Told you we don’t have to worry about her,” Mighty chimed in proudly.

“Switching topics, we’ve got another issue to deal with,” Knuckles jumped in. “The guns we hid from the feds, our normal buyers got wind of where we hid them and no longer are in for sale.”

Shadow looked at the echidna in curiosity. “I was wondering about that while in holding. Where did you guys end up stashing the guns?”

Mighty began to chuckle to himself. “We hid em’ in the sewer tank of the plumbing truck,” he smirked.

Shadow shook his head and grimaced at the thought. “Chaos…why won’t they buy?”

Mephiles turned his head towards the kitchen entrance. “Rookie,” he called.

The young prospect walked out of the kitchen and looked in Mephiles’ direction. “Yes, sir?”

“Bring over one of the AKs,” he ordered.

“Right away,” he said before hurrying off and returning with an AK.

“Here, give it to Shadow,” Mephiles instructed. Shadow was handed the weapon. “Give it a sniff, brother.”

“Eugh, I don’t have to. I can smell it from here,” he grimaced, returning the weapon to Gadget. “You dumbasses didn’t cover it in something before submerging it in shit?”

“We did,” Knuckles interjected. “We wrapped them in garbage bags, but even with just a couple of hours, the smell penetrated through them…”

“This is why they don’t want them anymore,” Mephiles confirmed. “So now we got two problems—Husk and his men and selling these weapons before our deadline.”

After contemplating the steps to resolve their problem in silence, Shadow finally glanced over to Locke, who sat in the corner quietly. “And did you ever manage to reach your friends?”

Locke eyed Shadow solemnly. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

He smirked in thought. “I think I know who might be interested in those rancid-smelling guns…”

•~•

The following day, Amy was woken up by a gentle shake on her right shoulder as she slept in her jail cell bed. “Psst, Amy, wake up,” a male whispered.

Amy’s eyes fluttered open, and she only saw Silver standing next to her cot. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the lights. “Oh, Deputy,” she said tiredly while rubbing the sleep out her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Your bail has been posted. You’re free to go,” he explained with a smile.

After getting her paperwork completed, Silver escorted Amy out to the main lobby of the police station, where she spotted Shadow standing there in wait for her. He looked relaxed as he stood with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets. “Morning sleeping beauty, you ready to get the hell out of here?”

Amy ran a hand over her quills, trying to smooth out any bedhead she may have been suffering. “Please.”

Silver watched as Shadow and Amy exited the building and walked down the steps to the parking lot. Shadow stopped in front of his bike and handed her the spare helmet resting on his bike. “Here.”

Amy accepted the helmet and suddenly felt awkward, knowing she’d have to ride the bike home with Shadow. “Oh, you didn’t bring Knuckle’s truck?”

Shadow straddled his bike and put his helmet on. “Obviously not. Now hop on.”

Amy placed the helmet on her head, clipped the strap in place, and then climbed behind him. Shadow waited patiently for her to hold onto him before taking off. He glanced over his shoulder at her meek stance to placing her arms around him. Finally, he felt her place her hands gently on his shoulders. “I’m not going to burn you,” he chuckled. “You’ll need a much stronger grasp if you want to stay on for the ride.”

“Uh, sorry…” Amy couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burn up. She wrapped her arms around his waist, getting a more secure hold. Driving into the parking lot just at that moment was Agent Zonic himself. He was coming into work when he spotted Amy with the dark male hedgehog. He pulled into a parking spot around the corner as they didn’t notice and observed them from his parked car.

He watched as Amy wrapped her arms around Shadow’s waist and pulled her body flush against his. Zonic’s hands gripped his steering wheel tighter with jealously. Suddenly Shadow was revving his motorcycle handles and took off from the parking lot. With quick thinking, Zonic quickly reversed his car out of the parking lot and chased after them down the road.

While Shadow drove them home, he stopped at a light and idled there, waiting for it to turn green when he noticed a red car whizzing around cars in his side mirror before halting two cars behind his bike. He didn’t overthink it before noticing the light turning green again, allowing him to continue.

Eventually, after driving for several minutes, Shadow pulled into a small diner's parking lot. He pulled into a parking spot, turned off the ignition, and took off his helmet as he put up the kickstand for his bike. Amy released her hold around his waist and watched Shadow in confusion at their strange destination detour. “Um, I thought we were going home?” she questioned while taking off her helmet.

Shadow took off his helmet, too, and shook out his quills. He ran a hand over them after to smooth them. “I figured you might want some breakfast,” he suggested calmly.

Amy’s stomach growled loudly at that moment, making her smile sheepishly. “Well, yeah, I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon…”

“Let’s go then,” he gestured, leading her into the small diner.

Meanwhile, Zonic parked his car in the same parking lot but parked several spots away from Shadow’s to remain undetected. As Shadow and Amy walked through the diner's front door, Shadow paused at the door as his eyes caught sight of the same car he had seen weaving in and out of traffic on their journey to the diner. While driving, he noticed that the car seemed to be heading in the same direction for some time now, but he wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence. Perhaps it was just his paranoia, but he decided he’d keep alert for the time being until otherwise.

Once seated, both Amy and Shadow glanced at the menu in silence. Amy expected to hear some long speech of reprimand from him about assaulting an officer, but he had not even mentioned the situation. She was pleased it was Shadow who had decided to bail her out and come pick her up from jail that morning. The two of them had grown quite close over a couple of weeks. Since their weekend trip to Tech City, she had noticed their bond increase. They may not have been best friends, but they respected and cared for each other.

Looking at the prices on the menu, it suddenly dawned on her that she had no wallet. “Oh, I-I don’t have any cash on me now. Is there a limit to what I can spend?” she questioned. Shadow lowered his menu and stared at her in bafflement from across the table. Amy blinked a few times at his strange reaction and decided to clarify. “You know, can I get something over $5, or what?”

“You can get whatever you want. Money is no issue here. I’ve got you,” he assured with a smirk before lifting his menu again to browse.

She smiled weakly, feeling slightly stupid at the moment. “Oh, thanks…I hope you
don’t mind me asking, but how bad was my bail?”

“Don’t worry about it. I got it covered,” Shadow assured calmly.

Amy bowed her head. “That bad, huh? Is Mephiles going to fire me when he finds out?”

“He doesn’t know and doesn’t have to know,” Shadow replied. “I paid for it out of my pocket, and that’s that,” he shrugged.

Amy stared at the dark hedgehog across from her, feeling utterly indebted to him. She bowed her head. “Shadow, thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“You don’t need to,” he replied. “Just don’t get yourself involved with the police like that again, okay?”

“I promise I won’t,” she avowed.

Before Shadow could utter another word, a waiter came over to take their order. Their waiter was a brown female cow with blonde short hair. “Good morning. My name is Bell. I’ll be your waiter this morning. Are you two ready to order?”

“Yes,” Shadow confirmed. “First, we’d like a pot of coffee—the strongest you’ve got.”

Bell began writing down his order. “You got it.”

He looked over at Amy. “Do you want to go first?” Shadow offered kindly.

Amy looked up from her menu at Shadow before looking to their waiter. “Yeah, sure. Um, I’d like the breakfast sampler, please.”

“How’d you like your eggs, ma’am?” Bell asked while jotting the order down.

“Scrambled,” she specified.

“Pancakes or French toast?”

“French toast,” Amy replied.

“Bacon or sausage?” she continued.

“Bacon,” Amy smiled while handing her the menu.

Bell glanced over to Shadow as she finished writing Amy’s order down. “And what about you, sir? What would you like?”

“Sunny side-up eggs, toast, hash browns, and crispy bacon,” he answered while handing over his menu to the waitress.

Bell took his menu and tucked it under her armpit along with Amy’s menu. “Alright, you got it,” she said while smiling at the two. “I’ll bring you over your pot of coffee along with some fresh orange juice on the house,” she winked.

Once she walked off, Shadow folded his arms over the table and looked at Amy. “You know, I appreciate a girl who isn’t afraid to eat in front of a guy,” he noted.

Amy leaned back into her seat and blushed slightly for some reason unbeknownst to her. “What do you mean?”

“Most girls try to act cool in front of guys. You know—they order salads, yogurt, and shit like that,” he laughed. “They don’t like to be seen eating a lot of food. This is the second time I’ve eaten out with you, and both times you’ve proven you’re not afraid to eat what you desire,” he stated in admiration.

Amy laughed at the thought. “No, I enjoy food too much to do that.”

“So,” he segued, seeing she had relaxed a bit. “I don’t want to seem like I’m interrogating you, but what exactly happened back there?” he questioned, alluding to her time at the station.

“Oh, you mean with that agent questioning me?” she said quietly.

He nodded, trying to word his questions carefully in fear of eavesdropping. “Yeah, you didn’t—you know…”

She shook her head, understanding they couldn’t explicitly say what they wanted to in such a public setting, but it was apparent Shadow was eager to talk about it. “No, I didn’t say anything,” she assured. “I promise.”

Shadow seemed perplexed at the thought. “I don’t understand, though. You’ve only been living with us for a few months now. You don’t owe us any loyalty.”

“Perhaps,” she agreed slightly. “But most of you have been nothing but kind to me since I joined. There is no benefit of me throwing you guys under the bus.”

“Most of us have been kind to you, huh?” he repeated, emphasizing ‘most.’ “I know which of us haven’t been,” he sighed, recalling his horrible behavior. “I need to apologize to you about that. I know I’ve been an asshole towards you in the past, and it’s not excusable.”

The waitress returned and placed the two orange juices in front of them along with their pot of coffee before walking off towards the kitchen.

“You have improved a lot in the past weeks, though. Our trip to Tech City certainly lowered your guard. We even bonded a bit,” she noted. “However, I am curious to know why you initially were such an asshole to me.”

“Well, since my ex’s murder, I haven’t been the most trusting towards newcomers,” he explained. “I’m pretty paranoid, and I guess I assumed you’d be some sort of rat or something,” he shrugged.

Amy reached over for the pot of coffee and poured herself and Shadow a cup each. “I guess I can understand that, especially with your..er line of business.”

“Yeah, but you’ve earned my trust now, especially with what you did for our club back there. I can only now ask for your forgiveness…”

Amy smiled at him. “I accept your apology. It’s not easy admitting your mistakes, and I can tell you mean it.” She raised her cup of coffee and raised for a cheer. “Friends?”

“Friends,” Shadow smiled, raised his coffee mug, and clinked it with hers.

•~•

Meanwhile, at that same time, Mighty, Locke, and Gadget met Husk and his men up in the mountains at their other hideout. Husk, Blade, and the other males who had assisted in that prisoner escape examined a few of the other AK-47s to determine another purchase. Blade grimaced and held out the one AK-47 out and away from him. “Chaos, why the hell do these things stink?”

“It’s just the method of how they were smuggled in, is all,” Mighty explained. “It takes a lot to get these babies in.”

“The smell should go away in a few days,” Locke assured him. “So, what do we think, fellas? We gonna go for another purchase?”

While the males were busy examining the guns and testing them out, they were unaware of Gadget subtly walking over and placing some boxed devices underneath the rear of their trucks and other vehicles. Once he was done, the red wolf joined Mighty’s side and gave him a slight cough to confirm his task had been completed.

Mighty glanced at his comrade to the side of him and gave a discreet nod, allowing him to know he was aware of his signal. Back with Husk and Blade, the two whispered a few things back and forth to each other before coming to a decision. Husk walked over towards Locke, reached into his front jacket pocket, and pulled out an envelope. “We’re buying.”

Locke accepted the payment, glanced inside the envelope, and smiled weakly, knowing what would happen. “Great doing business with you, old friend.”

Husk patted Locke on the back and watched as his other men loaded up the back of their cars with the guns they had bought.

Mighty and Gadget walked over to their bikes and straddled them as they watched their clients load up into their vehicles. Feeling guilt begin to hit, Locke rushed over to the driver's side of Husk’s truck while his window was rolled down. “Before you go, I want you to take care of yourself, okay?”

Husk gave him a curt nod. “Of course, I will, Locke. You take care of yourself, too.”

With that, the cars drove off, heading back up the mountain. Once they were out of sight, Gadget pulled out some trigger device from his jean pocket. “Just say when, sir,” he stated, looking to Mighty.

Mighty paused for a minute before deciding. “Now, Rookie.”

With his orders, Gadget flipped a switch on the device, and suddenly a loud explosion was heard from where Husk and his men were driven off. An enormous billow of smoke rose above the trees, and the birds from that direction soared into the sky. Locke stared up at the cloud of smoke and frowned. Mighty walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. Their problem had finally been resolved, they had gotten rid of their latest stash of merchandise, rid of their enemy who had gotten them into their current situation, and had made a profit. “I’m sorry, man, but it was them or us.”

•~•

Finally returning home to the compound, Shadow pulled his bike into the front yard and stopped again. Once he turned off his engine, Amy got off the bike and took off her helmet. “Thanks again for taking me out for breakfast, Shadow. I appreciate it.” However, Amy looked perplexed as Shadow didn’t bother to respond. She glanced up at him, realizing his sight was fixed on something far behind them. “Uh, what are you looking at?”

“Someone has been following us,” he said lowly keeping his eyes on the parked car parked across the street just outside their fenced chain-length fence gate. He squinted his eyes, realizing it was that blue hedgehog A.T.F. agent he had seen around a few times. Shadow scoffed and cracked his knuckles. “Pff, it’s just that stupid blue hedgehog that’s been following me.”

Once hearing the description, Amy stared in the direction where he was looking. However, once she noticed the familiar car, she backed up hesitantly.

Shadow looked over to Amy noticing her strange reaction. “What is it?”

“Uh, nothing,” she urged, trying to head for the house, but Shadow softly grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

“Hey, you know something about this?” he questioned with concern laced in his voice.

She nodded meekly but kept her back to Agent Zonic’s car so he couldn’t see her talking. “You said you trust me now, right?” she spoke quietly.

“Yeah, of course?” he assured.

Amy took a deep breath and exhaled. “Then I need to come clean finally…”

Shadow felt a bit nervous about what she would come clean on. What exactly had she been hiding all this time, then? “Go on,” he encouraged.

“…You know that A.T.F agent that’s been looking into your club?” Shadow nodded, urging her to continue, but her ears dropped slightly. “I don’t think he’s fully here to investigate you guys…he’s here for me,” she admitted.

Shadow seemed stunned and also slightly confused by the reveal. “I-I don’t understand…”

She sighed. “Back in Tech city, that agent and I were dating, but a couple of years ago, he started to change and became quite possessive and abusive,” she explained. “I tried to leave him, but it got pretty violent. I got a restraining order against him, but it didn’t seem to matter because he continued stalking me.”

Now that mysterious R.O. was all starting to make sense. His features softened, sympathizing with her situation. “Wow, it all makes sense now…”

Amy blinked a few times at him. “Huh, what are you talking about?”

Shadow crossed his arms across his chest and exhaled. “I guess it’s time for me to come clean, too.”

“You’ve got secrets too?”

Shadow nodded. “Back when I didn’t trust you, I did a bit of digging on you myself. I found out you had some R.O. that was classified. I figured you had some run in with the law, which made me even more paranoid of you,” he explained.

Amy seemed surprised by the revelation. “Wow, you really didn’t trust me…”

“As I said, I’m paranoid,” he sighed. “Anyway, why didn’t you go to the police to help with the restraining order? That asshole could go away for a serious amount of time for refusing to acknowledge his limits,” Shadow pointed out.

She shook her head. “I did—countless times, but every time, he managed to manipulate the situation to make me look crazy. He’s with G.U.N, for Chaos’ sake. He has to pull where he needs it. The police have never been able to help me, and that’s why I finally left the city,” she explained exasperatedly.

Shadow turned around and glared in Agent Zonic’s direction. “I see…” He began to storm towards him.

Amy watched as he walked off but looked concerned and began to follow after him. “Shadow, don’t,” she warned. “He’s too dangerous!”

“He doesn’t scare me,” he scoffed. “I can handle him.”

“He’s the one who killed Cosmo,” she blurted out in exasperation.

Shadow paused and turned to look at her in shock. “This guy is the one who killed your friend back in Tech City? How do you know for certain?”

“He told me so…” She felt her nose begin to run and her eyes water. “She was trying to protect me and keep him off my trail. He killed her while trying to find me and got away with it. Please, I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt or worse by him.”

Shadow looked back to his parked car and huffed as he felt himself getting angrier at the thought. “Get in the house, doctor. I’ll deal with him.”

“But…”

“Trust me. I’ve got this.” Obliging, Amy quickly made her way up the front porch to enter the house.

Meanwhile, across the street, Agent Zonic tried to act innocent by keeping his head down and playing with his cell phone while Shadow approached his vehicle. The ebony hedgehog stood in front of his parked car, reached for a knife clipped to his belt, unsheathed it, and donned it arrogantly before stabbing it into the front ventilators of his car. A hissing noise came from the slit he had made, and Shadow quickly put his knife back in its sheath.

Zonic quickly emerged from his car, glaring at Shadow for damaging his vehicle as he rested his hands on his opened door. “Vandalism and a deadly weapon? That’s six months in county jail, asshole!”

Shadow chuckled. “Yeah, and violating a restraining order? You’ll be in a cell right next to me,” he smirked condescendingly. Zonic’s face dropped momentarily, making Shadow even more satisfied. “I’m sure we’ll become good cellmates.”

“You think you’re the badass biker, huh?” Zonic noted, trying to regain his composure.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. “You guys gave it your best shot. You’ve got nothing on us, and harassing Amy—that ends here,” he threatened, sauntering up to Zonic, standing intimidatingly in front of him. “Next time, it won’t be a shitty automobile I’ll be draining fluid from,” he warned.

Agent Zonic showed no intimidation as Shadow stood inches before him. “Are you threatening a federal agent?”

Shadow furrowed his brows. “No, I’m just threatening you,” he finished, pressing a firm finger into Zonic’s chest. Zonic swatted his hand away, and Shadow raised his hands before dropping them to his side. “Leave. It’s my last warning.” With that, Shadow backed up and walked back toward the compound. Zonic watched the dark hedgehog retreat indoors before eying his damaged car again. This was about to get a lot harder.

When Shadow walked past the gate, he was surprised to see Amy standing on their front porch waiting for him. “Hey, I told you to get inside. What gives?”

She watched as he walked up the steps. “You didn’t have to do that back there…”

“I owe you. You’ve done so much for our club and for me,” he justified. Amy looked touched by his reasons. “But once we get back inside the house, I need you to tell me everything so I can make sure this prick is gone for good and out of our hair.”

She looked down at the floor for a moment in thought. “Does everyone need to know about my past?”

“You’ve come to learn about what we’re all about since living with us. I think it’s time we all learned a little bit more about you,” he countered softly.

She nodded, agreeing with him. It was only fair; if she wanted their help, they deserved to know what was going on. “Alright. I’ll tell you everything, but what if they’re mad I lied?”

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve known these guys most of my life. They’re family, and once they hear the whole story, there’s no way they could be mad at you,” he assured.

She gulped nervously. “Okay…let’s go.”

AN: Remember to leave a review!

Chapter 12: New Beginnings

Summary:

Amy finally comes clean to the rest of the club with her past. The club makes a final decision on their stance with Amy. The M.C. has a scuffle at a local bar, and Zonic makes one last mark on the clubhouse.

Eventually, everyone returned home, and a house meeting was called. Amy sat on one of the sofas in the living room between Rouge and Mighty while Shadow and Mephiles sat across from her. Knuckles, Locke, and Manic, sat at the dining table in the background, and Gadget stood in the corner with his arms crossed. Shadow cleared his throat. “So, I’m sure most of you are wondering what importance this meeting has, but I believe it’s going to help us understand our A.T.F issue more,” he clarified.

“What exactly brought this on in the first place, brother?” Mephiles probed, raising a brow.

“When I bailed the doctor out from jail, and we returned home, she confessed some pivotal information regarding her relations to the A.T.F.,” he explained.

Manic turned to eye Amy and cocked his head to the side. “You tellin’ me she is a rat after all?”

Shadow shook his head. “Actually, it’s the complete opposite. I’ll let her explain.” His eyes returned to Amy, who sat nervously with her hands cupped between her legs. “Go on, doctor.”

Rouge placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder reassuringly. “Go on, hon. We hold no judgment here.”

“Well…” Amy exhaled a deep breath and began. “I-I was telling Shadow earlier that one of the A.T.F agents stationed here in Mercia is not really here investigating you guys. I believe they’re using your history of illegal activity as a ruse and explanation for their stationing here. They’re not here for you guys. They’re here for me.”

Everyone around the room glanced at one another, a bit alarmed. No one would have guessed she had some connection to one of the A.T.F agents. Mephiles was the first one to speak up for further understanding. “Which A.T.F agent are we talking about here, the feline or the hedgehog?”

“The hedgehog,” she answered, rubbing her hands together. “His name is Zonic, and, you see, he’s my ex-fiancé…” Everyone in the room looked aghast at the reveal. No one in their right mind had even fathomed their connection.

“So, why do you think this guy is here for you and not us?” Knuckles questioned, becoming more curious. “He seems to have done a lot of research on us not to be here to put us away.”

“As you guys already know, I grew up in Tech City. I met Zonic in college, and we fell in love—or what I thought was love…As the years went by, I began to realize how Zonic treated me was not normal in a healthy relationship. When I finally grew the courage to leave him, things got even more violent with him. I went out and got a restraining order placed against him, but it did nothing but keep me safe.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what was the last straw for you?” Mighty asked.

Amy looked up at the ceiling in thought. “When he forced himself on me at work…”

•~•

~Flashback: One Year Ago~

In Tech City, Amy Rose, dressed in her blue work scrubs, worked diligently during her shift at Tech Hospital located in the downtown south area. On the third floor of the hospital Children’s cancer wing, Amy and the rest of the staff were hard at work. Doctors in white lab coats walked up and down the halls and in and out of rooms. Behind the main counter on that floor, three female nurses typed away at the computers, answered phone incoming calls, or directed visiting guests.

Amy came out of one of her patient’s rooms with a clipboard in hand. Jotting down an important vital for her patient on their form, she nearly bumped into another nurse walking towards her. “Whoa there!” Another female voice exclaimed.

Halting in her tracks, Amy only saw Cosmo wearing identical blue scrubs. Amy shot her co-worker an apologetic expression. “Sorry, Cos. I guess I can’t walk and write as I thought,” she cracked lightly.

Cosmo stifled a giggle. “Your double shift is nearly over. I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting some shut-eye.”

Amy hugged the clipboard against her chest. “You bet,” she sighed. “With work, school, my sleep schedule, and my fiancé, things are getting harder to balance…”

“Oh, my!” Cosmo gasped in realization. “Speaking of fiancé, I saw him waiting by the front desk. He came here to speak with you about something. It seemed rather important,” she notified.

Amy glanced at her wristwatch. It was nearly 3 PM now. Usually, her fiancé was heading back to work after finishing his lunch break at this time. What exactly was going on that he needed to come here so urgently? “Oh…thanks for the message, Cos. I’ll see you around,” she waved before walking in the opposite direction back towards the front desk.

Once getting back to the main desk, Amy’s eyes scanned the perimeter, searching for her beau. She spotted him with his back facing her as he leaned his arms onto the counter, and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Why was he here? “…Zonic?”

The handsome blue hedgehog turned his head only to spot Amy standing a few feet behind him. He was also in his work attire and wore his standard one-piece spandex body suit, leather jacket, and bright, gold patrol badge holstered to his right hip, glistening proudly in the hospital's artificial light. In his right arm, he clutched his slick, green, yellow, and red biker helmet with a clear visor for his motorbike. “Babe,” he gleamed, seeing her in person after hours apart. “I was wondering if they would have to send out a search party,” he joked. “We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

She cautiously approached him, still baffled at his random appearance. It was rare for him to show up at her workplace unless it was to give her a ride home. His tone seemed upbeat and not dour in the least, which was all the more confusing. “I didn’t hear the notice initially, and besides, I was finishing some paperwork with a patient…” She placed the clipboard on top of the counter he waited at, and one of the nurses behind it took the filled paperwork. She looked up at him with concern. “Why are you here? Did something happen?” she questioned quietly.

Zonic placed his helmet on the counter and looked at the white bunny nurse behind it. “Mind if I leave this here with you for five minutes?”

“No problem, sir. “I’ll watch it for you in your absence,” she smiled sweetly.

“Thanks,” he winked. With that said, Zonic wrapped his free arm around Amy's shoulder and gently guided her down the hall past other guests, nurses, doctors, and patients going about their routines. “Let’s talk somewhere private about this, huh?” he whispered.

Amy blinked a few times. Still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. “Uh, okay.”

As they walked further down the hall, he noticed a door that read: “Authorized Personnel Only” and quickly led her toward it. Looking down both ways in the hall they were in, he waited for the coast to be precise. He reached for the door handle, opened it, and shoved her inside, quickly following behind her before anyone else could see. Amy stumbled inside by his rather urgent and sudden push. They were in the surgical supply room, where only doctors and nurses were allowed inside.

She spun around, looking displeased with his motives. “Zonic, you can’t be in here. I could get in serious trouble if anyone finds—”

She was silenced when Zonic walked over, smashed his lips against hers, and slowly backed her up against one of the aisle’s shelves. He moved them further behind it in case anyone was to walk in on them. Amy’s mind buzzed with confusion. Her fiancé’s hands were all over, feeling her up as he forcefully made out with her. Amy placed her hands against his shoulders, trying to pry him off to get answers. Eventually, she pulled her mouth away from his greedy one and glanced up at him, out of breath.

Her face was red, but not necessarily from being turned on. She was at work and in a potentially public setting. “Zonic, what the hell is going on? I thought you had some news or something?” she gasped for breath.

He kept his hands on her hips and his body close to hers. “You can’t figure it out, babe?” He smirked, and his eyelids lowered suggestively. “I’ve been thinking about you all day…I could barely keep you out of my thoughts.”

Suddenly, Amy’s nose twitched as she picked up on a familiar scent. “Have you been drinking?”

“What? Are you crazy? I’m still clocked in,” he grinned mischievously. He dove in for another kiss, capturing her lips with his. Amy gasped at his forwardness and clenched her legs together as his right hand sunk her scrub pants and dove into her panties. He fingered her against her will, despite her writhing in his grasp. Once again, Amy shoved him back and wiped her lips with her left arm. He shot her a glare as he was denied once again. “You’re lying. I can taste the alcohol on your lips,” she snapped.

Zonic slammed his hands against the shelf on either side of her head behind her, successfully pinning her. Amy flinched from his gesture momentarily and stayed still as she looked up at him. He inched his face near hers, looking at her in a deadly serious manner. “Amy, listen to me. I need this, okay? Don’t argue with me.”

She frowned as she stared at her fiance’ in pity, who now seemed like a complete monster to her. “You know I’m more willing at home. Why are you trying to do this here?”

He gripped her by the throat, making her gasp in surprise. “Shut your mouth. It’ll only last longer…” He spun her around violently, pressing her face against the cabinets. Amy froze as she felt him yank her pants and panties down before grinding his hardened member against her ass. His hands gripped her hips roughly, making her cry out. “Ouch, Zonic, that--”

Suddenly one of his hands grabbed the back of her head and pressed her face further into the cabinet. “Shut up,” he hissed.

Amy began to squirm and resist until she felt him force himself inside her. Zonic began to pump himself in and out of her, relishing the moment. Amy felt tears well up in her eyes but let her mind go blank as he had his way with her.

~End Flashback~

•~•

Everyone seemed shocked by her story. Most people stared at her in silence. Others fumed silently on the sidelines at her treatment. Rouge embraced Amy as she sat next to her. “It was when he’d come to work to harass me that it finally drew the line. The hospital was my one oasis. I was always safe there. No one had a clue about this, but I began to hear whispers here and there after a while.”

“What happened once you left him?” Manic asked.

“He continued stalking me. She elaborated he’d show up at my workplace, follow me on my errands, break into my apartment, and do whatever he could to scare me back into his arms,” she elaborated. “He did whatever he could to convince me that he was all I had…”

“Why didn’t you go to the police? He was breaking the law, hon,” Rouge asked.

“Trust me, I tried! Stalking is an incredibly hard crime to pin down and prove. Zonic is intelligent and manipulative and knows how to work the laws and system to his advantage. He was always a few steps ahead of me, and every time I’d go to the authorities for help, they couldn’t help me because I had no evidence to prove he was going against the R.O.”

Rouge frowned. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry…”

Amy nodded. “After several moves in an attempt to flee from him, I found your ad online and moved here,” she continued. “I did a little bit of research on you guys myself, and from what I could see, I knew you had a dangerous reputation. I figured I’d risk the chance of placing myself within a group of even more notoriously dangerous people if it’d keep me safe.”

“So, we acted almost like a shield for you,” Gadget noted, stroking his chin in thought. “Quite ingenious, I must commend, Ms. Amy.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Amy smiled weakly. “That was my thought process.”

“And all the training you’ve recently acquired, like the self-defense?” Mighty added. “It was so you could protect yourself?” he assumed aloud.

She nodded sheepishly. “Yep.”

“And how to shoot a gun?” Shadow added in thought as things began to come together.

“Mhm…” She looked at all the faces staring back at her. “I honestly didn’t mean to bring any more trouble your way. I just figured if he ever did find me, he wouldn’t want to mess with you guys. I thought with this last move. I’d lost him for good.” She bowed her head. “If you want to kick me out, I’d completely understand at this point. I’m probably just painting a bigger target on you guys.”

“There’s no way in hell we’re doing that,” Mighty spoke up. “You’re a part of this family now. You’ve earned your spot, and you’re not going anywhere,” he pledged.

“I agree with Mighty,” Locke added. “You’ve earned your spot here, lass.”

The motorcycle president rose from his seat. “I know we’re not at our normal voting table, but let’s have a vote,” Mephiles began. “All in favor of keeping Ms. Rose in our residence and under our protection, say aye.”

“Aye,” Knuckles chimed in, raising a hand.

“Aye,” Locke replied.

“Aye,” Manic mimicked Knuckles, raising his hand.

“Aye,” Mighty said next.

“Aye,” Mephiles added.

Everyone looked to Shadow for the final vote. Shadow raised his hand. “Aye.”

“Then that settles it. Ms. Rose will remain in our company and be under our guard and protection,” Mephiles declared.

Amy placed her face in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by the vote. There was no hesitation in the group of motorcyclists to keep her. They truly cared about her well-being. She felt her eyes well up with tears. Mighty wrapped an arm around her. “Hey, no more tears here, kid. We’ve got your back in this just like you proved you had our backs,” he grinned.

Amy lifted her face from her hands and wiped the tears that pricked her eyes. She looked around the room at her new family. “Thank you…all of you.”

Shadow rose from his seat and made his exit towards the front door. Mephiles watched as his brother fled the room. “Shadow, where are you going?”

Shadow opened the front door and paused for a moment. “To pay a visit to the police and deal with that prick. I won’t be long,” he stated.

•~•

A little bit later, Shadow headed downtown to the police station. The ebony red stripped hedgehog walked into the police station straight for Silver’s office. Thankfully his door was open, and he marched inside. The silver hedgehog was busy doing paperwork but glanced up and looked surprised to see Shadow return so soon after picking up Amy.

Silver lowered his pen down momentarily. “Can I help you?”

Shadow remained standing as he stood before the deputy’s desk. “You need to reel in that A.T.F boyfriend of yours,” he started. “He’s pushing his limits around these parts.”

Silver shot him a look, confused by his accusation, and continued to sort through some paperwork on his desk before shaking his head in amusement. “I can’t exactly control him like that, Shadow. He’s not even on our payroll. I don’t keep tabs on the guy,” he scoffed.

Shadow placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward. “Well, maybe you should because he’s not here to take us down as you think. He’s here for Amy,” he stated.

Silver leaned back in his seat, stunned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“He’s stalking her. He’s been stalking her since both of them lived in Tech City. She came here trying to escape him. This guy is nuts, and he’s going to hurt her…”

Silver slowly rose from his seat as he processed the information. A lightbulb went off in his head, and he placed a hand on his temple. “Chaos…so that’s who she had a restraining order against…”

Shadow cocked his head to the side. “Excuse me, you knew?”

“Not exactly.” Silver blinked a few times, coming out of his thoughts. “Amy…she pulled me aside one of the times I came to your place. She asked me about the rules regarding an R.O., but she didn’t tell me who she had it placed against. I had no idea it was Agent Zonic. If I had known sooner, I would’ve stopped this,” he clarified. “Don’t worry about it anymore, Shadow. I’ll deal with Zonic now,” he pledged. Shadow watched as he picked up his phone and began dialing a number. “I’m going to call and question him over this right now.”

“Good, because if you don’t, I will.” With that said, Silver watched Shadow saunter out of his office.

•~•

Later that evening, the group of motorcyclists went out to celebrate Amy’s new beginning with the club. They ventured into town at one of the most popular bars and got a large table where they ate and drank wings, fries, burgers, draft beers, and other assorted bar foods. At their table, the group of bikers at the large table and held up a beer bottle for a toast.

“I say we give a toast to this new beginning for Amy, and we want to welcome you to the family,” Knuckles introduced officially. “It’s been an amazing few months having you as our doc. You’ve done one hell of a job, and you’ve earned your place here.”

Amy couldn’t help but smile at the thoughtful words coming from the echidna. With that said, everyone said, “Cheers!” in unison and clinked their glasses together. Once the toast was made, everyone threw their heads back and took a chug of their drink.

Mighty slung his arm behind Amy’s neck, bringing her in close. “How’re you feeling, Ames?”

Amy smiled sheepishly at his flirtatious nature. “It feels like a weight’s been lifted, honestly, and I have to thank you guys for taking me in. I appreciate it,” she spoke sincerely, looking at everyone around the table.

“Alright, let’s enjoy the rest of our night before heading back,” Mephiles stated. “I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, so please eat, drink, and be merry!”

Manic and Mighty were stoked and reached across the table to high-five each other. Rouge and Gadget clapped their hands giddily, and Knuckles rubbed his hands together as he eyed more wings coming to the table. Locke began chugging beer. Shadow seemed the most neutral as he sat across from Amy next to his brother and quietly stared at her across the table. He wasn’t sure why but tonight, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She looked quite beautiful and— Shadow shook his head, coming out of his thoughts. He reached for his beer on the table and took another swig.

Later on, after the group had finished eating, different members separated and did their things in the bar. Knuckles, Rouge, and Mighty, played pool together in one section of the busy bar, Gadget and Locke played darts with Manic, and Mephiles sat at the bar with an attractive female hedgehog and flirted the night away. Shadow came out of the men’s room when he spotted Amy sitting at the other end of the bar with two male birds, one of them a grey hawk and the other a black crow surrounding her in conversation. Shadow could see they were also wearing motorcycle jackets with bird insignia symbols on their backs, reading: “Babylon Rogues.” He scoffed under his breath seeing the notorious jewel thief crew members. Shadow couldn’t quite tell from afar if Amy was happily engaged in this conversation or wished to depart from it civilly. Shadow calmly sauntered back over in her direction to investigate the scene. As he got closer, he eavesdropped on their conversation.

“So, why are you with these guys anyway?” the black crow asked, encroaching even closer into her personal space.

“They’re my friends and co-workers,” she answered truthfully, but she didn’t really want to give them much more attention.

“Heh,” the grey hawk to her left chuckled. “Those guys are losers,” he gestured with a thumb point. “We’re the ones you wanna hang with, sweetheart,” he smirked, leaning closer toward her face. “Now, come and dance with me.”

Amy uncomfortably brushed one of her loose bangs out of her face. “I’m sorry, I can’t…”

The hawk raised a brow. “Why not?” he questioned.

“—Because she already promised me a dance,” Shadow smoothly lied as he walked up behind them. Shadow extended his offered hand to Amy, ignoring the two seething birds next to him. He nodded his head slightly, signaling her to play along.

Feeling relieved, Amy smiled sheepishly, placed her hand in Shadow’s, hopped off the bar stool, and followed his lead. “It’s about time,” she played along.

The two males watched as Shadow led Amy off to the center of the dance floor. “Stupid punk…” the crow spat.

“Thanks for that back there, Shadow,” Amy whispered while they walked together.

“No problem,” he chuckled lowly.

The hedgehogs faced one another, and Shadow placed one hand on her hip and held her other hand out. Amy felt her body react in a way she had not experienced before. She felt butterflies suddenly from his touch but shook it off before he could notice the effect. She placed her free hand on his shoulder, and the two began to move slowly in a circle while the other couples danced around them. While the two swayed together to the slow music, Amy and Shadow stared into each other’s eyes.

It was once again that Amy was reminded of how attractive Shadow was. He was quite handsome, yet, she had always thought he was attractive with her first introduction. He was handsome until Amy witnessed how cold and detached his treatment was towards her. At that point, his attractiveness had significantly gone down in her eyes. Yet, now, their relationship was starting to change. Shadow had really begun to drop his tough act around her and showed a softer side to her that she appreciated.

Realizing that Amy had been staring at his facial features for an extended time while they remained silent, Shadow decided to whip up some conversation. “So, what do you think you’ll do from this point on?” he asked, trying to make conversation.

Coming out of her daydream, Amy blinked a few times. “Huh, what do you mean?”

“You know, now that Zonic’s been exposed and is being tracked down this moment. Do you plan to stay in Mercia or move back to Tech City?” he clarified.

“I’d rather stay with you,” she said before realizing how it sounded. “I mean, you guys,” she quickly corrected. Shadow caught the error and chuckled lightly, causing her to smile sheepishly. “I like working for you guys.”

“So, you’re happy working for us?” he inquired as they swayed together.

“Definitely. It’s been different, I’ll say that, but I like different.”

“I know I call you doctor, even though technically you’re not one yet. But once you get that degree, I know you’ll be a wonderful physician. After all, you’re intelligent, attentive, patient, kind-hearted, beautiful,” he listed, without realizing what he was saying.

Amy froze at his list of adjectives—one in particular that she hadn’t expected to hear him admit to. “You…you really think that highly of me?”

It suddenly dawned on him with what he had said. “Well, I think that--”

Before he could finish his sentence, Amy felt a sharp jab in her upper back from an elbow. She was shoved forward slightly, but Shadow stabilized her before she could topple over. “Hey!” Both of them looked to see who had caused the disturbance and were met by another couple that had been dancing behind them. The couple was two birds—more of the Babylon Rogue members. This time it was a red robin and a blue sparrow. The female blue sparrow wore tight white skinny jeans, a grey crop top, and gold bangles on her wrists. Her boyfriend or partner wore a black hoodie, baggy grey jeans, and black and white sneakers.

The female placed a hand to her mouth and feigned an apologetic stare. “Oops, my bad, girly,” she said before snickering lowly under her breath. The boyfriend blew some kisses Shadow’s way, clearly trying to initiate some fight as he smirked in his direction.

Amy just rolled her eyes and didn’t respond to the two. It wasn’t worth the effort. On the other hand, Shadow did not have any patience to let them get away with apparent disrespect. “Hey, you owe her a proper apology,” he demanded.

Amy placed a hand on Shadow’s chest and patted it lightly. “No, it’s okay, Shadow. I’m fine, don’t get riled up,” she assured quietly.

“Listen to the girly girl, bud,” the boyfriend smirked. “You guys ain’t as tough as you think.”

Shadow’s fists tightened by his side. He was itching to show this guy a lesson but did not want to cause a scene unless necessary. “Shadow,” Amy whispered, trying to keep him under control. Suddenly more voices began to join in on the commentary from the bar not too far behind them. More assorted avians in street clothes began to hoot and holler in Shadow and Amy’s direction.

Not only did this get their attention, but the rest of the Brothers of Chaos also took notice, stopping what they were currently doing. Mighty, in particular, was getting more and more triggered watching the group of birds surrounding Shadow and Amy. Some of the other random bar-goers also glanced at the rowdy bunch of birds—clearly drunk and wanting confrontation. You could feel the tension building in the room, and the other bar-goers began to disperse, moving away from the two feuding groups, some even leaving.

The red robin began sarcastically blowing kisses Shadow’s way, trying to provoke him. However, Shadow remained unfazed but kept his eyes locked on the surrounding group. Mighty stormed through the crowd and stepped in front of Shadow and Amy. He had had enough of watching the provoking and came face to face with the bird. They were practically nose-to-nose at this point, but both males refused to show intimidation.

“You think you’re big and bad, huh? If you wanted to dance so bad, all you had to do was ask.” Mighty barked.

“Mighty, don’t…” Out of nowhere, Amy felt a splash hit her in the back of the head. She spun around in anger only to see the blue sparrow holding an empty glass that used to contain beer. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Amy shouted, squeezing the beer out of her soaked quills. Knuckles lowered his pool stick and began to make his way toward the dance floor, sensing shit about to kick off. The other members, like Rouge, Gadget, Manic, Locke, and Mephiles, did the same, moving in slowly towards the dance floor.

The female sparrow dropped the glass allowing it to shatter, and put her hands in a fighting stance, gesturing for Amy to come at her. “Come on, girly girl. I wanna see what you’ve got!”

Amy glared at the blue avian. “I’m not fighting you. I only fight in self-defense.”

“Fine, you leave me no choice but to force yah into it.” The blue sparrow charged in toward Amy with a raised fist, and it was as if that was the signal for everyone else to jump in because they did. The bird’s friends leaped from their chairs and came running in to get into their brawl, and the rest of the brothers did the same. The whole bar erupted into true chaos and riot.

“Doctor!” Shadow tried to move towards Amy to assist her in her battle, but the grey hawk and black crow from earlier swooped in and tackled him to the floor. Bodies were being thrown around, falling to the floor, knocking into other people, or crashing across tabletops.

Back with Amy, she did her best to avoid being hit. She backed up, preventing every swing or kick the female bird brought her way. However, Amy wasn’t used to having other fights around her while trying to avoid her confrontation and missed a body on the floor and fell backward. The blue sparrow took this as her opportunity and dove in, tackling Amy mid-fall and landing on top of her in a straddled position. Amy kneed the girl in the crotch with a rough push making her fall back. Amy rolled over and got on her knees to crawl away but felt a rough yank on her quills dragging her backward. She cried out and used her left arm to elbow the sparrow in the face. “Get off of me!” Amy screamed.

The sparrow backed up, holding her face where Amy’s elbow had collided. She moved her hands away only to see blood dripping from her beak. “You bitch!”

Back with Mighty and the red robin. The two wrestled on the floor together, throwing punches and kicking each other’s way. Rouge was in her battle with another female bird herself, but she appeared to be winning, and she did a spin kick and made the other female bird fly across the room and crash into a vending machine. “Stupid bitch…”

Amy managed to divert herself from the resentful bird and navigated through the chaos of fights around her. However, she wasn’t aware that the other girl still hadn’t finished with Amy and pushed through the rowdy crowd to get to her with a wielded knife. Amy desperately looked around for some area to take shelter until this settled down but wasn’t aware of the sparrow nearly feet away from her. The bluebird raised her arm with her knife wielded above her head, ready to strike the unsuspecting hedgehog, but as she brought it down, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist firmly.

The sparrow cried out from the firm grasp around her wrist and dropped the weapon. Amy spun around, hearing the altercation behind her, and was happy to see Shadow in her defense. “Sneak attacks are low blows and pussy moves,” Shadow spoke, glaring down at the other female.

The sparrow narrowed her eyes at him. “Let go of me, you piece of shit!” Unbeknownst to Shadow, another male bird crept up on Shadow with his fist raised, ready to fight for one of his gang members. Shadow was so preoccupied with the girl; he wasn’t aware of the charging ostrich coming up from behind.

Thinking quickly, Amy grabbed a nearby barstool and swung it full force into the oncoming bird, making him scream in agony and knocking him unconscious. The stool shattered when it collided with the other guy from her mighty swing. “Get away from him!” she shouted.

Shadow looked surprised at Amy’s sudden move but was also rather impressed, to say the least. “…Thanks, doctor.”

“Just returning the favor,” she shrugged.

“I said let go of me!” the bird shouted again, reminding him he still had her in his grasp.

Shadow released her wrist, allowing her to crumble to the floor. “Get out of here!” he barked.

The girl quickly got to her feet and scurried off. Shadow turned to Amy, who stood in shock as fights erupted around them. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m—”

BANG. BANG.

Two loud shots erupted within the small bar. Everyone stopped their fighting and looked toward where the sound had come from. Amy screamed in surprise, but Shadow instinctively wrapped his arms around her and lowered them to a crouching position, shielding her body from any possible harm. The owner, his wife, and the rest of the waiters and bartenders had shotguns. The owner, a brown boar, snorted out a huff. “I want all of you out of my bar this instant before I call the cops!”

Everyone quickly hurried out of the nearest exits. Members of both gangs picked up their wounded and booked it out of there. Shadow looked to Amy with seriousness. “Time to bail.” Shadow and Amy rose upright, and he grabbed Amy’s hand and quickly escorted her out of there.

•~•

Once returning home, Amy and Shadow walked back towards the house together. Most of the group had a few battle wounds but nothing too much to worry over. However, Gadget and Manic helped carry Mighty to the nearby couch downstairs since he was the worst wounded. “He’s pretty beat, Amy. Mind taking a look over him?” Manic asked.

“Yeah, sure, just set him on the living room couch, and I’ll get my things,” she gestured.

The two males nodded and carried Mighty over to the couch. In the meantime, Shadow followed Amy into her office. “You kicked ass back there,” Shadow complimented. “I’m glad to see Mighty’s training has paid off.”

“I guess it was good practice,” she laughed lightly. “However, I really--”

“—Amy!” Rouge screamed from upstairs.

The two of them glanced at each other before heading out the door and rushing upstairs to where Rouge desperately called for her. Once they got to the second floor, they spotted Rouge standing in front of Amy’s open wide bedroom door.

The white bat turned to look at the two approaching her down the hall. “Shadow, don’t come any closer,” she suggested putting one hand out towards him.

Shadow halted in his tracks, baffled by her comment. “Why not?”

“I don’t think Amy will want you to see this or any guy for that matter…” Her eyes turned to Amy, who suddenly felt a gut-sinking feeling. “Amy…”

The pink hedgehog slowly made her way toward the doorway and felt her heart sink when she saw what had been done to the inside of her room. Inside her bedroom, on her left wall, was the word “WHORE” spray painted in red ink. Meanwhile, her belongings had been thrown all over the room in a rage. Her clothes were strewn all over the floor, her laptop was smashed to bits, and her books were tossed all over the place with pages ripped out. However, that was not the worst offense. On her bedroom window were hundreds of printed-out pictures of Amy doing lewd things that Zonic had forced her to take while in a relationship with him. There were photos of her nude body, her being forced to give oral sex, and photos of her having sex with Zonic.

Amy placed her hands over her mouth as she walked towards the photos, humiliated by the sight of them. She began to choke back tears.

In the hall, Shadow was eager to burst into her room to see what exactly had been done. He could hear Amy choking back sobs, making him more anxious to see inside her room. “What’s going on?” he growled, becoming irritated.

Amy entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her to conceal the destruction. She pressed her back against her shut door and closed her eyes. “H-he was here,” she explained in a shaky voice.

Shadow’s eyes widened, knowing precisely who "he" was. “What? How do you know?”

Amy bowed her head and looked to the floor, feeling shame. “Because he wrote ‘whore’ on my wall and put all the disgusting photographs he forced me to take while we were dating,” she answered in embarrassment. “He destroyed my personal belongings…”

Rouge wrapped her arms around Amy to console her as she broke further down. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’re going to report this to the police. They’ll come to take the evidence, and then I’ll help you clean up your room,” she assured.

Shadow’s fists tightened at his sides upon hearing the news. Had that bastard broken into their place again? And done this? “That fucking piece of--”

“Shadow, what’s going on up here?” Knuckles asked as he spotted Amy sobbing in front of her bedroom door with Rouge tending to her.

“That A.T.F. agent broke in again and fucked around with her room,” Shadow explained, heading past him and down the stairs.

The echidna watched the pissed-off dark hedgehog charge past him. “Hey, where are you going, man?”

“I’m going to deal with him one last time,” he stated, heading down the stairs.

Knuckles followed after him. “Bro, you don’t have to do that. We can call Silver to deal with him!” He got down the bottom of the stairs when Shadow opened the front door.

“No, he needs to get the message personally.” With that, Shadow slammed the door behind him.

Mephiles and Manic came out of the living room after hearing all the chaos. The two looked confused towards the red echidna at the bottom of the stairs. “Where did my brother run off to now?” Mephiles inquired.

“…To make a huge mistake,” Knuckles replied.

•~•

Early the following day in town, Agent Zonic sat in the same diner Amy and Shadow had visited a few days prior. He hummed to himself in the surprisingly quiet diner as he enjoyed his quiet time. It was early morning, and only a few other patrons were dining. Sitting in one of the lone booths in the diner, he read the newspaper and sipped on some freshly brewed coffee.

The door to the diner jingled as a new customer came in, but Zonic paid no attention to the mundane sound. However, he was surprised when he heard footsteps approach his table and stop behind him. He turned his head as he felt a presence and glanced up only to face a very annoyed-looking Shadow. It had taken him some time, but Shadow had finally managed to track him down. “Shit…” Zonic whispered, tensing up, knowing exactly why he was there.

Shadow smiled darkly. “Remember what I said would happen if you didn’t stay away from her?” He reached for Zonic by the collar, yanked him out of the booth, and chucked him over to another booth, making him crash into dirty plates and dishes on the other table nearby. The few other patrons that were there stared on at the display, interrupting their early morning. Even the one waitress and cook in the back watched in awe at the spectacle.

In the meantime, Zonic quickly recovered with a groan from impact. He had a few scratches and cuts but was ready to rebound. He reached into his pocket discreetly as Shadow came marching towards him.

“I told you to stay the hell away from her!” he shouted, grabbing him by the shirt again, but Zonic swiftly stabbed Shadow in the upper left thigh with a switchblade. Shadow screamed out as he felt the blade sink deep into his thigh and threw a punch towards Zonic’s face, making him fly towards the floor.

Shadow hobbled on one leg as he assessed his damage, gripped the knife, and ripped it out of his leg. Zonic, getting his bearings from the powerful strike to the cheek, staggered to his feet and charged toward Shadow. He was distracted, and tackled him to the ground. The two hedgehogs rolled around on the diner floor, punching, kicking, and jabbing each other. Somehow, Shadow managed to use his good leg to pry Zonic off of him and kicked him back. In the background, the cook quickly whipped out his cell phone and dialed 911.

Zonic slammed the back of his head into a table and was stunned momentarily. At that same time, Shadow groaned, rolled over onto his hands and knees, and lifted himself up. He slowly made his way towards Zonic as he sat on the floor, dragging his bad and bloodied leg. Zonic looked up and watched as Shadow grabbed him by the arm, lifting him to face him. “I told you I didn’t want to see your smug ass around her anymore. Now, get the hell out of Mercia!” he shouted, grabbing him and throwing him full force through the restaurant's front glass door.

•~•

Several hours later, sitting in Silver’s office, a bloodied and bruised Zonic sat in a chair across from Silver’s desk as the young grey hedgehog leaned his back against his desk. Sitting beside Zonic was Agent Blaze, who stared at the fellow A.T.F agent in disgust. Seeing the two officers staring at him with judgment, Zonic huffed as his fingers dug into the armrest leather. “This is some bullshit,” Zonic started. “He attacked me first.”

“Not now, agent,” Silver dissuaded.

“He attacked you after you stabbed him in the leg, right?” Blaze passively clarified.

“Yeah,” he confirmed in insult. “Before he threw me through a fucking glass door!”

Blaze glanced down at some paperwork in her lap momentarily. “I don’t think Shadow will be pressing charges.”

Zonic rolled his eyes. “Oh, wow, fantastic. I’m so lucky!” he mumbled sarcastically.

“Yes, but you will be facing charges in Tech City for violating a restraining order,” Blaze piped in, looking down at a notepad on her lap.

Zonic bit his lower lip in silence for a moment. He knew what they were both thinking at the moment. “Look, I’m not stalking Amy. I’m just trying to protect her,” he justified. Silver and Blaze exchanged looks in silence, and Zonic quickly picked up on their silent exchange. He scoffed in frustration. “Oh, come on, we all know what happens if she links herself with that group.” He looked between them. “You know I’m right. Guys, we’re all on the same team here.”

Blaze shook her head in pity. “No, Zonic, not anymore…You’ve breached half a dozen rules and made countless violations. I hope that the stalking was a good rush because it just killed your career.”

Zonic bowed his head in angst, and Blaze slowly rose from her seat. Suddenly, Zonic lifted his head, and his eyes followed after her. “Wait,” he called, forcing Blaze to stop behind him. She backed up to look down at him. “Amy came here because she was scared of me,” he confessed. “It’s my fault that she’s involved with these guys. Please, I can’t stop her from making this mistake, but you guys can.”

“So, is it true you broke into her residency last night and destroyed her room and left pornographic images you had taken of her as a threat?” Silver questioned sternly.

Zonic went to open his mouth to come up with some excuse but shut his mouth and looked away.

“It’s no wonder she’s afraid of you, agent,” Silver added. “Why would you think using these methods would win her back?”

He shrugged and sighed. “I-I don’t know. All I know is that I love her…”

•~•

A few minutes later, Blaze sat in an interrogation room with Shadow and Detective Vector. At the same time, she gathered more details about the incident earlier that day between him and Agent Zonic. The cat paced back and forth as she read from a folder. “Witnesses claim that Agent Zonic attacked you with a switchblade?” Agent Blaze questioned as she looked up from her briefing notes.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Shadow nodded as he sat at the table.

“And the witnesses also claim they saw you push him through a glass window?” she asked.

“Glassdoor, actually,” he clarified before shrugging nonchalantly. “But if that’s what witnesses saw, then that’s what must’ve happened.”

Blaze sighed and sat down on the other side of the table. Deep down, she knew this was a bullshit story. These witnesses were protecting him, but why? “Tell me, are they all just afraid of you to make these claims, or are you some type of hero in their eyes?”

Shadow folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat, unfazed by her frustration. “Are you charging me, ma’am?”

She shook her head slowly. “No charge, but one last question,” she segued. “Why does Agent Zonic hold such an agenda against you?”

Shadow shifted in his seat slightly. “You know already.”

Blaze smiled arrogantly. “You’re right, I do. It’s Amy Rose. She joins an infamous biker gang she knows would have no fear of putting a federal agent through a glass door, right?”

Shadow sighed and looked bored as he picked a bit of fuzz off his pants. “You done, lady?”

“Yeah, she is done,” Vector finally piped up, having seen enough. Vector gestured for Shadow to get up. “Come on, Shadow. You’re done here.” Blaze watched as Shadow rose from his seat. Vector walked over to the door and opened it up for the hedgehog. With that, Shadow hobbled out of the interrogation room.

•~•

Ten minutes later, Shadow sat on his motorcycle outside the police prescient as he waited patiently for Agent Zonic to be escorted out of the office. After what felt like an eternity, a few officers led the agent down the station's steps and towards a police car. Shadow turned on his ignition and placed his sunglasses on while he watched the officers get into the car with Zonic.

Moments later, the car backed up and headed out of the parking lot. Shadow revved his handles and followed closely behind the police car carrying Agent Zonic. As the police car drove down the road, Shadow followed it for its entire distance. He only stopped following the car once he saw the police car go past the sign that said, “You are now leaving, Mercia.”

“Good riddance,” he muttered.

•~•

AN: Remember to leave a review!

Chapter 13: Single and Ready to Mingle

Summary:

The clubhouse hosts a party for the upcoming boxing match between the two charters. Amy enjoys her new taste of freedom now that Zonic is finally gone. Shadow makes a move, and things get steamy between two party-goers.

Finally returning home later that afternoon, Amy and Mighty were stationed on the couch together watching TV. Amy had calmed down after the police collected evidence from Zonic’s latest break-in in the house. The armadillo was lying on his back with a pillow behind his head and held a bag of ice against his left eye, which had a sizeable discolored bruise around it. He had also helped console Amy while the police had talked to her, which she greatly appreciated. The pink hedgehog finished massaging Mighty’s legs and smiled, hearing his pleasured, exhaled moan. “Boy, those hands of yours are miracle workers, Ames,” he grinned flirtatiously.

Amy giggled at his charm. “Are you feeling better then?”

“Loads,” he smiled with a goofy grin. “I love having a beautiful nurse to look after my sorry ass,” he cracked, causing her to giggle again. “I hope you’re feeling in higher spirits, too…”

Her smile dropped slightly as she was reminded of what only had occurred hours ago. “You’ve definitely cheered me up, that’s for sure. I hope this endless nightmare with Zonic ends. I’ve been running away from my past for so long…I just want to be free,” she admitted.

He sat up slightly, wincing a bit in pain as he did. “Don’t you worry, sweetheart. We’ve got your back, and we’ll protect you from that creep,” he assured with a wink. Amy smiled at him, feeling her cheeks heat up from his charm.

Suddenly, the two stopped when they heard the front door opening. Amy looked behind her to see who was coming in. Shadow staggered inside, limping from his injured leg, and made a slight hiss. At that same time, Mephiles was walking downstairs when he spotted his brother enter through the front door. “Brother, where the hell have you been?” Mephiles interrogated, coming from downstairs.

Shadow dropped his keys on the small table by the entrance. “Wrapping shit up,” he responded dully.

“And by wrapping shit up, does this include getting arrested and held up at the police station?” he challenged passively.

Shadow smirked at his annoyed tone. “So, you did know where I was then,” he pointed. “If that’s true, then you’ll know I was dealing with that A.T.F agent,” Shadow started. “Thankfully, it’s done now.” Amy’s ears perked as she eavesdropped on the conversation from the living room over.

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest, staring at his brother in scrutiny. “Yes, I heard all about it. The deputy called over and informed us all about your little spat with the agent at the town diner.”

Shadow rolled his eyes at his brother. “Look, I wasn’t charged for anything, and the guy is long gone now,” he justified.

Mighty looked over his shoulder at the ebony hedgehog. “I hope you kicked that guy’s ass,” he shouted from the living room with a fist pump.

Hearing Mighty’s comment, Shadow slowly strode into the room, grunting from his injured leg, and eventually made it in the room. He rested his arm on the wall to support himself. “I did,” he smiled arrogantly.

Amy got up from the couch and wandered over to Shadow. “Is this true? You really got rid of Zonic for good?”

Shadow nodded slowly. “He’s out of your hair forever, princess,” he smirked playfully.

Amy’s expression began to beam until she looked down at his leg. He was wearing some dark wash jeans, but she could see a tear in his pants where a bandage was wrapped around his leg, oozing fresh blood. “Shadow, your leg!” she gasped.

“Yeah, that was him,” he gestured, hobbling slightly. “He got me with a switchblade. It doesn’t hurt too bad,” he lied.

Amy bent down to examine it further. “It looks like it needs to be tended to.” She looked over to Mephiles standing in the background. “Mephiles, do you mind helping me get your brother into the examination room?”

“Not at all, my dear,” he replied, walking over to assist. Amy got underneath one of Shadow’s arms, and Mephiles put his brother’s other arm behind his neck.

Together, Amy and Mephiles guided Shadow into Amy’s office. Wincing slightly, Shadow sat down on the medical examination table. Mephiles closed the examination room door, leaving the two alone. Amy snapped on clean gloves and used scissors to cut out the fabric surrounding his wound. “You know you didn’t have to do this…”

He watched as she pulled away the bloodied bandages. “Do what? Get rid of a corrupt agent that’s breaking the law? I’m pretty sure it was a given I had to do something,” Shadow justified. “He was a threat both to you and our club.”

After assessing the wound, she glanced back at his face. “You’ll need stitches.” Amy discarded the dirtied bandages and pulled out some fresh ones with a sterile needle. “It’s just—I know you and I officially became friends, but I’m still surprised you would go through all of this for me,” she explained.

“Well…” Shadow huffed at her comment, trying to pivot. “I’m just trying to pay you back for saving my life,” he shrugged. His eyes drifted away, not wanting to look at the curiosity in her eyes anymore. Even he didn’t quite know why he felt this urge to go this far in protecting her…or did he?

Amy smiled slightly and reached for a bottle with some clear liquid. “This is going to sting a little,” she stated as she dabbed up some liquid onto a cotton ball. She gently patted it around the wound, cleaning up dried blood.

Shadow bared his teeth hissing from the sting. “Fuck…”

Once the area was cleaned, she stitched and then re-bandaged it for him. “There we go, all finished.”

Shadow slowly moved off the side of the medical examination table. “Thank you, doctor.”

"Of course, Shadow," she nodded.

•~•

The following day, Amy came downstairs and was surprised to see Mighty and Manic carrying two large kegs of beer into the basement. As she got down to the bottom of the staircase, she spotted Knuckles and Gadget carrying a pair of speakers. Rouge came from the living room, watching the boys do the heavy lifting. “Don’t scratch the floors downstairs when you put them down!” she shouted.

Amy approached the white bat. “What’s going on?”

“Apparently, our fellow M.C. charter is coming into town for business prospects. We’re hosting a little party tonight, so the boys are getting everything set up downstairs,” Rouge explained. “Also, we’re hosting our annual boxing match tomorrow. It’s a gambling thing the club does occasionally,” she shrugged indifferently.

“Well, do you need any help with anything? I’m available for errands or cooking,” she offered sweetly.

“Do you mind helping Shadow and I whip up some appetizers in the kitchen? It’s going to be a pretty big crowd tonight, and there will be plenty of mouths to feed,” she alluded.

“Of course, I’d love to,” she smiled.

Rouge placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her toward the kitchen. “Thanks, hun!”

•~•

Amy created a homemade buffalo sauce for some chicken wings in the kitchen while Rouge worked on making up an appetizer platter of assorted cheeses. While the three worked in silence together, Rouge looked at Amy and hummed a thought through her mind. Shadow worked on his famous seven-layer dip in the other corner of the kitchen. He was meticulously assembling the layers while listening to music with his headphones. Rouge glanced over her shoulder at the dark hedgehog and noticed he had headphones on. This would be the perfect time to gossip with Amy while he wasn’t listening. “So, what do you plan to do now that you’re a free gal?”

Amy lowered her knife down from chopping to look over at the bat. “I’m not sure exactly. I don’t really know if I want to rush into another relationship so soon, but I am interested in dating again.”

Suddenly intrigued, Rouge turned fully to look at Amy at the counter behind her. “Then you absolutely HAVE to attend tonight’s party. If you want to do some window shopping, you’ll have plenty to look at, but if you’re interested in just some good old-fashioned fun, you’ll find it here tonight, too,” she smirked with a wink.

Amy smiled sheepishly at the thought. It had been some time since she had done any dating. She had been stuck with Zonic for quite some time, and he refused to let her talk to another male without his presence. “Heh, I’ll guess we’ll see tonight. There is someone I might be interested in,” she considered thinking about the red and black armadillo.

“Let me guess, Shadow?” Rouge questioned with a grin causing Amy to gasp. “Don’t think I didn’t spot you two sharing a slow dance last night at the bar. You into tall, dark, and handsome hedgehogs now?”

“…Rouge,” Amy groaned quietly, glancing in the dark hedgehog’s direction. She felt her cheeks heat up as they talked about him while he was in the same room with them.

Rouge scoffed without hesitancy. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He can’t hear a thing with that music blasting in his ears,” she assured with a hand wave. Amy watched as Shadow continued working on his dip, not turning around to acknowledge their conversation. It seemed safe enough to talk with him presently there. “Now, as I was saying,” Rouge continued coyly. “What do you think about him?”

“He’s not into me at all. I mean, he has been nicer towards me, but we’re just friends.”

“Mhm…” Rouge continued organizing the platter she was working on. “I know this sounds weird, but I think you are totally his type. Honestly, I think you guys would be such a good match if he got his act together, but he’s been so weird around you. I just don’t get it.”

Amy couldn’t fathom why Rouge would think Shadow would be a good fit for her. Sure, he was handsome and had displayed some charming moments now that he had lowered his guard. However, thinking back to the night before, he had told her that she was beautiful. He was also explaining his comment to her when they were rudely interrupted by the bar brawl. Maybe Shadow did have feelings for her. Also, there was the fact that she felt the same butterflies in her stomach around him at times as she did around Mighty. Was it possible she had some attraction for the dark hedgehog as well?

“Well, anyway…” Rouge segued while she placed the finished and wrapped platter in the fridge. “I’m going to head downstairs and make sure the boys are done cleaning downstairs. Come downstairs and lend me a hand when you wrap up here,” she reminded.

“Got it,” she smiled.

Rouge walked out of the kitchen, leaving the two hedgehogs alone. Shadow removed his headphones from his ears and turned to look at Amy, who was now in the process of tossing the wings in her homemade buffalo sauce. Unbeknownst to the two girls, he had been eavesdropping on their conversation the whole time. He wasn’t surprised that Rouge had seen them the other night getting closer. However, he was curious to know if Amy had felt any feelings toward him.

He cleared his throat as casually as possible. “Ahem, doctor?”

Amy was slightly startled and jumped slightly, hearing his voice. She placed the bowl down she had been tossing the wings in. “Huh?”

“I was wondering if you could taste this dip I’ve been working on. I want advice from another expert cook before I finish here.”

Amy wiped her hands off on a rag and laughed lightly, and approached him. “Expert cook?” she repeated in amusement.

“You’re the only other person in this household I’d hold in higher regard with cooking. I’ll admit it. You can cook. Take it as a compliment,” he shrugged. “I just want to know if it’s good or needs more seasoning, alright?”

Amy moved some of her quills over her left shoulder. “Sure, alright then. Um, so what exactly is in this dip anyway?” she inquired curiously.

“It’s not too complicated, but it’s always been a hit when we host parties. It has refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, tomatoes, and a bit of siracha,” he explained.

Amy stared at the glass casserole dish he had placed it in. She admired the perfectly layered and beautifully aesthetic layers. “Wow, it sounds pretty yummy, but I don’t want to ruin it by digging in.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got extra over here,” he gestured over to a smaller container where he had a mini casserole dish with the remains.

She placed her hands together giddily. “Great, well, I’d love to dig in.”

Shadow reached over to his left on the counter and popped a bag of fresh tortilla chips open. He then extended out the open bag, allowing her to reach in and take a chip. Amy reached into the bag, pulled out a large chip, and then dunked it into the dip, getting a bit of each layer. Shadow leaned his back against the counter and watched as Amy ate the dip, waiting patiently for her input.

Amy finished her bite and swallowed. “Wow, Shadow. It’s delicious.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you think it needs anything else?”

She shook her head adamantly. “Not at all! It’s got a great depth of flavors.”

“Thanks,” he said, giving a small smile. “It’s always a tradition to serve this around here.”

“I can see why,” she smiled back. “Oh, want to try my buffalo sauce and give me your recommendations?”

“Of course,” he nodded.

Amy walked over and dipped a clean spoon into the sauce, and walked over for him to taste. She held the spoon out towards his mouth, and he leaned forward and tasted the coating off the back of the spoon. He licked his lips as he mulled over the flavors. “Mmm, it’s got a smooth texture but has that kick near the end.”

“Do you think it needs anything else? Should it be spicier?”

Shadow shook his head. “Not at all. You nailed it.”

Amy smiled in accomplishment. “Gee, thanks, Shadow. That means a lot.”

Shadow walked over and wrapped up his dip. “Want me to take it from here? I can clean up.”

“Are you sure? I’d be glad to help out.”

He shook his head. “Not at all, I’ve got it. Go and help Rouge with whatever errand she has tasked for you next. You want your sauce wrapped in the fridge to chill with the wings, right?”

“Yes, that’d be great.” Amy took off her apron, hung it on the wall, and quickly washed her hands. “Okay, well, again, thanks, Shadow.”

•~•

Later that evening, things were in full swing. The Brothers of Chaos: Southside arrived, and motorcyclists were all over the compound. Outside in front of the house, club members and associates of both sections gathered together, smoking cigarettes or joints, while others lounged on the front porch enjoying a beer. However, downstairs in the entertainment basement, things were quite busy down there as well.

Partygoers were surrounding the pool table, enjoying a game of pool and socializing. Others kept themselves busy at the main bar, hitting back shots and talking with old friends. Subtle rock music played in the background.

Amy came downstairs meekly with Rouge by her side. Both of the girls were dressed up in casual party wear. Amy was wearing a blue off-the-shoulder crop top that showed an inch of her toned belly. On her bottom half, she wore a matching blue flared skirt that just hit above her knees and a pair of white heels. Rouge had put a bit of dark eyeshadow and mascara on to glam her up, even though Amy was opposed to makeup. However, she had to admit she looked lovely.

Conversely, Rouge wore a tight dark blue satin camisole, matching mini skirt, and thigh-high black heels. Rouge went for a smoky eye and dark red lip to complete her full face of makeup. Getting down to the bottom of the stairs, Amy held onto the bottom of her skirt and looked around at the new group of rough-looking bikers. There were a few guys she spotted amongst the crowd who happened to be attractive, but overall, she felt overwhelmed by the thought of attending a party full of people she didn’t know and would have to socialize with.

Rouge could sense Amy’s dread and nerves and gave her assuring pat on the back. “Relax, these guys won’t bite,” she whispered. “Unless you want them to,” she cracked with a light elbow jab.

Amy placed her right hand on her left arm. “Are you really sure it’s okay for me to attend this party? Isn’t it for M.C. business?”

“I mean, yes and no, it’s for business, but it’s also for fun!” Rouge exclaimed. “Besides, there are plenty of hot guys here to choose from. Go have some…fun,” she encouraged.

Amy glanced around the room again once more, already noticing a few eyes on her. “Yeah, but what about--”

“—Hold that thought,” Rouge cut off as she spotted her husband chatting up a familiar female pink echidna at the bar. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Amy watched as she marched off towards the two, already feeling tension building in the air.

As Rouge finally got over to where Knuckles was, she impatiently tapped her foot loudly enough to draw their attention. Knuckles’ eyes widened as he spotted his wife glaring in his direction. He already knew what had made her upset. “Rouge!” he exclaimed.

“Knuckles, what are you doing talking to her?” she seethed.

Julie-Su, on the other hand, seemed surprisingly calm at the moment. “Look, Rouge, you don’t have to feel threatened here,” she assured. “Knuckles and I were just catching up,” she explained. “I’m not here to try to nab him,” she chuckled lightly.

Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and looked between the two echidnas. “I don’t care what people say. Exes cannot remain friends.” Her eyes locked on the red male. “Knuckles, let’s go.”

Knuckles looked peeved by her demandingness. “Babe, you need to calm down. Julie and I have done nothing wrong. We ran into each other a few months ago and--”

“—Excuse me?” Rouge cut off after hearing they had previously met without her knowing.

Knuckles blinked a few times. “Yeah, when we went to Finitevus’ place to stash our merchandise. Julie was there, so we caught up and decided to keep in touch.”

Rouge scoffed in utter disgust and looked like she had just witnessed the biggest betrayal. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this right now. I can’t believe it!”

Julie-Su could see things were only getting worse with the more Knuckles spoke. He really wasn’t helping the situation despite the fact they really hadn’t done anything to warrant her paranoia. She reached out and touched her arm gently. “Rouge, I can promise you. Girl to girl, Knuckles has not done anything. We’re just good friends, is all…”

Rouge swatted her hand away and backed up, feeling even angrier—believing Julie was being condescending at the moment. “Screw you, screw both of you!” she bellowed, drawing some attention toward the three. Members of both clubs watched as Rouge stormed off, wiping tears pricking at her eyes.

Knuckles groaned and quickly followed after her. “Rouge, Rouge—babe, come back!”

Amy cringed, watching the scene unfold, and slowly approached the pink female echidna. “I’m sorry about Rouge’s behavior,” Amy apologized. “I had no idea she’d react like that.”

Julie-Su eyed Amy and shook her head. “No, no, don’t apologize for her actions. The three of us have a long messy history. This isn’t your fault…erm,” she struggled for a name.

“Amy,” the pink hedgehog offered with a sweet smile. “Amy Rose,” she introduced with an outstretched hand.

Julie-Su shook her hand and smiled slightly. “Nice to meet you, Amy. I’m Julie, Julie-Su.”

Amy eyed her up and down. “So, do you work with the Southside charter or…”

Julie nodded. “Yes, I’m one of their top escorts,” she informed proudly.

Amy blinked a few times. She wasn’t sure how to react to her response. “Oh, wow…uh, that’s great! I’m the medic here,” she explained.

“Ah, right. I think I’ve heard a bit about you already,” Julie smiled.

Shadow leaned against the wall with a drink in hand near the pinball machines, casually watching Rotor, a large purple walrus, try his luck at one of the pinball games. Rotor banged his hand against the side of the machine as his last ball was sucked into one of the holes. “Damn it! I was so close…”

“Better luck next time, right?” Shadow commented.

“Yeah, I guess…” Rotor fished around in his pockets. “You got another 75 cents, man?”

Shadow placed his left hand into his pocket and searched for loose change until he noticed a pink figure in his peripheral vision. He looked over and spotted Amy Rose standing off in the corner, talking to Julie-Su. Amy looked absolutely gorgeous tonight, but she was always pretty and put together on most days. However, tonight she looked stunning in her formal party outfit.

“—Shadow, Earth to Shadow!” a voice called back near the dark hedgehog.

Shadow came out of his prolonged gawking and turned to look at the voice owner. Rotor stood there impatiently after having called his name several times. “What?” Shadow mumbled.

“I was asking if you had any change, remember?” he reminded.

“Right,” Shadow realized before handing over whatever loose change he had in his pocket to the walrus. “Here.” Rotor watched as Shadow pushed himself away from the wall and made a beeline in Amy’s direction. Rotor wasn’t familiar with the girl but was confused by Shadow’s behavior. However, he shrugged and went back to playing his game.

As Shadow made his way over, he downed the rest of his Old Fashion and placed the empty glass on one of the nearby empty high-top tables. He wanted to approach Amy, but he wasn’t quite sure how to do that naturally. “Doctor, Julie,” he began, gaining their attention.

Julie and Amy paused their conversation as the dark hedgehog crept towards them. “Oh, hey, Shadow,” Amy waved pleasantly.

“Yeah, hey there,” Julie smiled. “Haven’t seen you around in a while, stud,” she cracked.

“I know. I haven’t been to the Southside charter in some time. I’m due for a visit, I suppose,” he shrugged until his eyes looked back to Amy. “You’re looking lovely tonight, doctor,” he complimented.

Amy smiled appreciatively and suddenly felt those butterflies in her stomach again. Settle down, she thought to herself. “Thanks, Shadow. I was afraid I might have overdressed.”

Julie smirked as she picked up on the subtle flirting from Shadow. She had known Shadow long enough to pick up on the cues. She raised her eyebrows suggestively before looking for an excuse to leave the two alone and let the flirting blossom. “So, I’m going to mingle with some other guys. Nice meeting you, Amy,” she said politely, leaving the two alone.

Amy waved at Julie’s retreating figure. “Same here.” She then looked back to Shadow as he looked like he wanted to say something else.

“Ahem.” Shadow cleared his throat with a subtle cough. “So…”

Amy smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, so…”

“Well, I was wondering if you--”

“—Ames!” another voice cut off. The two looked only to see Mighty rush over and interrupt their conversation. The armadillo grabbed Amy by one arm and spun her around to get a good look at her attire. “Hot damn, Ames, you’re looking smokin’ tonight,” he complimented, checking her out from head to toe. “You do this all to impress me?” he teased flirtatiously.

Amy blushed slightly at his comment. “Thanks, Mighty,” she replied, eying him herself. Mighty always had this confident swagger to his persona when she was around him. It was always attractive in her eyes. “You’re looking good too…”

Mighty glanced down at his attire, not as sure. “Meh, this what I always wear,” he shrugged. “But, uh, want to come and hang with me? I can introduce you to some of my friends from the other charter,” he offered.

Amy nodded, accepting the kind gesture. “Sure, that’d be great, but just hold on a minute.” She turned to look back at Shadow. “What were you going to ask me before, Shadow?”

Shadow shook his head, dismissing the thought. It was apparent she was more interested in hanging out with Mighty than potentially hanging with him. “Nothing important. Go enjoy yourself, doctor.”

Amy seemed uncertain as she suspected he had wanted to ask something important. Mighty slung his arm behind her back and guided her further into the room. Amy glanced over her shoulder to look at Shadow one last time before returning her focus to the front of her. Shadow watched her retreating figure, cursing internally that he hadn’t been more forward. He was a bit rusty with this.

“Hey, Shadow!” Manic called, causing him to turn his head. He spotted the green hedgehog sitting at one of the high-top tables with an attractive orange female echidna in an all-black latex ensemble. He approached their table. “I wanted to introduce you to Shade,” he started.

The pretty female echidna lowered her eyelids at him seductively and stuck out her hand for him to shake. “Hello there,” she smiled.

Shadow shook her hand formally. “I’m Shadow,” he replied politely before quickly averting his gaze to see where the other two had gone. He spotted Amy and Mighty at the bar together ordering drinks but quickly looked back to Manic and Shade.

“Yeah, I met Shade a couple of months ago when we went down to their headquarters to stash our supply. Shade and I, uh, had a lot of fun together, and I know you’ve been pretty tense lately, so I figured I’d introduce you two, yah know?” he said with suggestive eyebrows.

Shadow glanced back at Shade, who appeared to be entirely down for getting busy later. He remembered hearing the long-winded kiss and tell Manic had bragged about once returning home that time. Shade was legendary in entertaining male guests and lived up to her career. Shadow glanced at her while she made bedroom eyes with him. Then and there, he could see she was clearly checking him out and interested. As nice as the thought was, he was not attracted to her in that way—especially not now with this current feeling brewing inside him with Amy. However, he would not have hesitated to leap at the offer at any other time. “I appreciate it, Manic, but maybe some other time.”

Manic seemed bewildered that Shadow would decline such an offer. “Fine, maybe Mighty will be more interested. Your loss, man.” Shadow watched as Manic hopped off his bar stool along with Shade and walked her over in Mighty’s direction.

At the bar, Amy clinked her dirty martini with Mighty’s Moscow Mule, and the two cheered to each other before taking a drink. Mighty turned around when he felt a tap on the shoulder. “Hey, Mighty,” Manic called from behind. Both Amy and Mighty turned only to spot Manic with a female echidna by his side. “I wanted to introduce you to Shade,” he began. “She’s the one that I couldn’t stop talking about—you know, the one,” he hinted, using his hand to block his mouth from Amy overhearing.

Amy stared at the girl, utterly oblivious to this story. Mighty contemplated it before a light bulb went off in his head. “Oooh, right,” he smiled eagerly. He stuck his hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you, Shade. I’ve heard A LOT about you,” he emphasized while smiling charmingly.

She giggled. “All good things, I hope,” she smiled while shaking his hand back.

Mighty pressed his back against the bar as his eyelids lowered suggestively. “Oh yeah, plenty of good things,” he chuckled.

“Really,” she purred. “Well, did you hear that I can--” She leaned in closer and whispered something into his ear. Amy felt like a complete third wheel as she stood between the two having a private conversation and awkwardly took a sip of her drink. Mighty focused on Shade’s private comment, and his eyes practically bugged out of his head.

He took hold of her hand and moved forward. “Uh, excuse me, Amy,” he apologized. He leaned in towards his friend. “Manic, keep Amy entertained. I’ll be right back,” he said before leading Shade away.

Amy looked slightly disappointed as she watched Mighty flake off on her. “But…”

“He gets pretty sidetracked,” Manic noted but saw Amy had no response and instead frowned. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “You wanna go play a round of pool or somethin’?” Manic spoke, trying to get her mood up.

She glanced up at him and smiled weakly, not focused on his compliment. “No thanks, Manic. If you’ll excuse me…”

At the bar, Mephiles and Finitevus had a couple of beers while conducting their business meeting. “So, you managed to get rid of the A.T.F for the time being?” the white echidna questioned.

Mephiles nodded. “For now, as it seems. However, there’s no doubt they’ll be back. The agent that was directed to investigate us, I can tell, will be a future problem. She seemed rather gung-ho on finding us guilty.”

“What’s happening with the storage situation, then?” Finitevus segued. “You promised this would be a temporary deal. We’ve been holding your merch for three months now. We’ve got our agents sniffing around our place, too.”

“Of course. I’ve been keeping tabs on our new place. Our newest warehouse is nearly complete in construction. We can transfer our goods over this next weekend, how’s that?” Mephiles offered.

Finitevus nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

The two clinked glasses together. Mephiles threw back his glass of whisky, downing the remnants left before slamming the glass down on the counter. “Round two, bartender!” he ordered. The bartender behind the bar scurried over to quickly refill his glass. While he waited, Mephiles craned his neck to look behind him and check out the party's atmosphere. From a glance, it appeared most people were enjoying themselves. His eyes stopped on a familiar figure talking to one of Finitevus’ guys. It was none other than Amy Rose looking as enticing as ever in her party wear. She had her backside facing him, so he couldn’t help but check her out.

Seeing his prolonged ogling, Finitevus turned to see what he was looking at. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled before staring at the white polar bear she was talking to. “Who’s that guy over there talking to our dear doctor?”

Finitevus adjusted his black spectacles to get a better look. “Oh, that’s just Bark. He’s recently been patched into the club,” he explained. “We don’t normally take his kind in, but he’s proved himself.”

“He looks rather interested in our doctor,” Mephiles observed.

Finitevus chuckled at his comment, clearly amused by his misjudgment. “I doubt that. He swings the other way.”

Mephiles turned to look at his friend in surprise. “He’s gay?”

Finitevus nodded. “As I said, we don’t normally take in his kind. However, he’s earned his position in our club.”

Before turning back around, Mephiles also noticed that Amy and Bark seemed to have another spectator close enough. Huddled near one of the walls, Mephiles spotted Shadow watching the two like a hawk. “What are you up to now, dear brother?” he questioned internally.

Shadow made his way towards the two with another old fashion in hand. Amy was now talking to another guy from their charter—this time, it was a male Polar bear. He had no clue if he was even interested in Amy that way, but he couldn’t risk it. He wanted to hang out with Amy tonight and get to know her better.

“So, how’d you become a part of the Brothers?” Bark asked curiously, holding his beer in hand.

“I’m their medic,” she explained. “I found an ad online, and they hired me.”

“Ah, pretty cool,” he noted with a smile. “Do you like working for them?”

“Yes, I love it here. Everybody, for the most part, has been welcoming and friendly,” she explained. “And—”

Amy felt a bump behind her and accidentally spilled the remainder of her martini all over Bark’s white t-shirt. Bark backed up, feeling the splash of liquid drench his shirt and the floor beneath them. Amy looked at the empty glass in her hand and at Bark’s drenched shirt apologetically. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!”

Bark batted at any loose liquid lingering on the surface of his shirt with his hand. He smiled sheepishly. “It’s alright. It was an accident, right?”

Amy turned to see who had bumped into her strongly enough to make her lurch forward and spill her drink. She noticed a yellow female cat with black hair, one of the other charter’s many escorts. She had backed up hard enough into her to cause her to spill her drink. She turned around, clearly drunk. She innocently looked at her. “Sorry, sweetie, I didn’t see you there,” she slurred.

Bark turned on his heel. “I’m going to clean up real quick,” he stated before turning on his heel and heading upstairs.

The same drunken cat now stumbled straight into Shadow’s arms. She purred as she nuzzled under his neck and pressed her body against his. “I thought this body felt familiar. You feelin’ lonely tonight, handsome?”

Shadow grimaced, feeling her hot drunk breath hit his nostrils. “Honey, I’m not in the mood for that tonight or anytime shortly,” he noted, setting her upright.

She gave him her best bedroom eyes. “Are you sure? You’re looking awfully sexy tonight…You remember when you, me, and--”

As Amy went through the crowd again, she suddenly remembered that Mighty had said he’d be back to see her. She wondered if he had gotten side-tracked and began to search for him. Eventually, she found him in one of the far-left corners of the basement, where some lounge chairs and couches were. It was there she found him among plenty of other couples making out. Mighty and Shade were planted side by side in a heated make-out session. Mighty’s hand was firmly on Shade’s right hip as they were kissing each other. One of Shade’s hands roamed up his chest while the other lingered near his crotch.

Amy stared at the scene, feeling her heart sink before backing away and starting to grow upset. She passed a table with two empty shot glasses filled with clear liquid and snatched both of them, not caring if they belonged to someone else. As she walked away, she took both shots one after the other and then placed the empty glasses on another nearby empty table. She looked at the other members of her club engaged in conversation, playing pool, drinking, or dancing on the dance floor. Hell, even Shadow looked busy as that girl who had bumped into her earlier was cozied up to him. She felt so out of place, so suddenly incredibly lonely.

“Hey, what gives?” a female voice asked from behind. Amy turned around only to see Julie-Su. She looked concerned in her countenance, seeing Amy so flustered. “…Are you okay?” she continued.

Amy shook her head. “No, not really…”

Julie placed a hand on her shoulder. “What’s up then?”

“It’s just stupid boy drama,” she sighed.

She cocked a brow. “Which boy?”

“…Mighty,” she replied.

Julie-Su seemed surprised. “Oh, you like Mighty? I thought you…” She glanced over to the ebony-striped hedgehog momentary on the other side of the room, who was still busy trying to shoo away Honey. “…Nevermind.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and felt her ears droop. “Yeah, but he keeps sending me all these weird mixed signals. I don’t understand…”

“Sweetie, I get it. Mighty is a handsome fella, but he’s not the boyfriend material kind of guy,” she explained.

“What?” Amy shook her head in embarrassment. “Chaos, I feel like such an idiot!”

“There are not any other guys here you might like?” she urged, trying to shift the mood.

Amy’s eyes glanced over to Shadow momentarily. The yellow feline with long black hair still had her arms thrown around his neck. Julie followed her gaze and smiled softly, happy to see the confirmation. “I-I, it’s not possible…I don’t even know what to think.” Huffing in frustration, Amy rushed upstairs to get out of the basement.

“Amy, wait!” Julie called after her.

Just then, Shadow approached Julie after finally getting rid of Honey from clinging to him. “What happened?”

“Ooh, well, she’s not having a good night. It has something to do with Mighty,” she worded carefully. “You should go talk to her. You probably know her better than I do,” she urged. Shadow nodded and headed upstairs.

Once Amy was upstairs, she passed partygoers lingering in the living room and headed for the outdoors. Shadow followed Amy out of the basement. Looking for the pink hedgehog and eventually found her standing on the front porch by herself. She had her back to him as he approached her. “Are you alright, doctor?”

Amy glanced behind her and spotted the dark, red-striped hedgehog. Amy rubbed at her nose, feeling her emotions begin to build. She did not want to cry in front of him again, but her anxiety was starting to grow. She was also beginning to feel a little bit drunk from the alcohol consumed. She had always been a lightweight. “I’m-I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine,” he observed. “Do you want someone to talk to?”

She turned around to face him, leaned her back against the railing, and crossed her arms over her chest. “You want to listen to my problems right now?”

“Hey, I’ve done it before,” he reminded her of their rooftop rendezvous.

“Well…” She mulled on it for a moment before caving in. She did want to vent a bit. “I-I thought I was going to hang out exclusively with Mighty tonight, but he blew me off for some other girl.”

“Yeah, I happened to notice that,” Shadow noted. “Sorry, he let you down. I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow when he’s sober and coherent.”

Amy sighed. “I just thought it would be exciting and different tonight now that things have changed…” she stated, alluding to her new freedom status.

Shadow leaned his right shoulder against the post. When he glanced at her, he felt a tinge of disappointment. “…Do you like Mighty that much?” he questioned curiously.

Amy glanced at Shadow as she considered the thought. “I-I don’t know. I’ve only known him for a short time. I’d say we’re good friends,” she admitted. “But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’ve had a crush on him,” she admitted shyly. “I think he’s shown some interest, but I can’t read him. Especially with how he bailed on me so easily. Was I just wrong about his intentions?” she questioned aloud. “Gosh, I’ve been out of the dating world since I was with Zonic…”

“I can’t say you’re right or wrong because I don’t know,” Shadow admitted. “He flirts with you a lot, but I don’t think serious relationships are his top priority,” he explained.

She blinked in surprise. “So, Julie-Su was right then?”

“Well, what did she tell you exactly?” he questioned.

“She said he’s not boyfriend material kind of guy,” she answered sadly.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think he does like you, but as long as I’ve known Mighty, he’s been kind of a womanizer.”

Amy groaned even further, disappointed, and dropped her head. “Oh great,” she deflated. “I always fall for the wrong guys…”

Shadow moved in a bit closer, growing bolder by the minute. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t let this get you down. You’re beautiful, and the right guy will come along sooner than you think.”

Amy’s ears perked up in surprise, and she lifted her head to look at him. She inched in closer and stared up at him—their eyes locking. “That’s the second time you’ve said I was beautiful…” she noted, thinking back to the time he had mentioned it at the bar.

He smiled weakly at her with a chuckle. “Well, it’s the truth...” The two stared at each other for a moment in silence, each mentally begging the other to make a move unbeknownst to the other’s thoughts. Looking down at her, Shadow’s eyelids lowered sensually. He gently grabbed her face, leaned forward, and kissed her. Amy’s mind went blank the moment his lips melded with hers. Their lips moved slowly in sync, and suddenly a warmth overcame her whole body. Amy closed her eyes, reeling at the moment. However, just as she started to get into it, he pulled away, looking at her lovingly before realizing what he had just done. His eyes widened in terror. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath. He released his hold of her face and backed up.

Amy watched in utter confusion as he backed away from her and hurried off the front porch and back into the house. "Wait..." Amy quickly headed back inside the house after him, getting her bearings on what had just happened. She looked in the different rooms downstairs, making her way around the lingering guests. Eventually, she went upstairs and found Shadow sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands covering his face. She pushed his door open further, making the door creak to get his attention. “…Shadow, what happened?”

He lifted his face from his hands and craned his neck over his shoulder to look at her standing in the doorway. “Look, I didn’t mean to do that so abruptly,” he tried to excuse. Amy walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind her. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I forced myself on you. It just came over me--”

Amy smiled sympathetically when she realized why he was so upset. “—Shadow, you don’t need to apologize,” she cut off. She slowly made her way toward him, stood directly in front of him, and sat on the edge of his bed. “It was…nice, and I wanted you to kiss me just then.”

He stared up at her—surprised by her response. “What?”

“I-I had no idea you liked me like that,” she admitted shyly, feeling a faint blush.

“Honestly, I didn’t realize it for a while,” he admitted. “I only recently started to come to terms with these feelings I’ve had when I’m around you.” Shadow felt his hair rise on the back of his neck as he felt her hands rest firmly on both his shoulders.

Amy brought her body closer to him as he sat on the edge of his bed. “I know this will sound crazy, but can I request you to do something, Shadow?”

He looked up at her standing before him. “Of course.”

Her fingertips danced along his shoulders. “Kiss me again,” she whispered.

He studied her facial expression for a moment. “…Are you sure?” he asked, confirming he had heard correctly.

She nodded, blushing slightly. “Yes…”

Shadow did not even bother to reply. His hands reached up and gently grabbed her by the waist. Amy slowly sunk into his lap. Her knees rested on either side of his hips, and she made sure not to sit in his lap and hurt his already still-healing upper thigh. Amy pressed her lips against his as they began to make out. Slowly, Shadow began to lean back, eventually lying flat on his back with Amy on top. Amy’s entire body grew hot from his gentle touch and great kissing. Shadow’s right hand grazed up Amy’s left hip. His fingers barely brushed underneath her shirt, but enough for him to get skin-to-skin contact. His other hand gently traced circles on her thigh, causing her skin to grow goosebumps.

As much as Amy was enjoying Shadow’s touch and kisses, the ebony hedgehog was thoroughly enjoying his point of view too. Amy lifted herself above him with one arm but used her free hand to stroke the side of his neck. Her fingers brushed against the side of his neck before sweeping up the curvature of his muzzle. Their lips smacked together in unison, and eventually, Shadow sat up somewhat, rolling them over, so now he was in the dominating position. He broke away from kissing her lips and began leaving soft kisses across her muzzle and eventually down her neck. Amy wrapped her arms around Shadow’s neck, closed her eyes, and panted as she felt his lips work down the side of her neck, suckling softly. She let out a subtle moan and tugged on the back of his quills, begging for more. “Sha-shadow,” her breath hitched.

Carefully, Shadow ground his hips sensually in a rhythm into her pelvis. Amy wasn’t sure why—but she had never believed herself to be very sexual. She had never felt sexually empowered, but her body seemed to have a mind of its own tonight. Her hips thrust forward, meeting his, begging for his crotch to meet hers. She could feel the bulge behind his pants, begging to be let free. He completely turned her on. It was thrilling to be entangled in his arms, making out with him and rolling around on his bed. She loved his enticing scent of leather, smoke, cologne, and bourbon. She knew Shadow was incredibly dangerous, but it was enthralling to be underneath him.

On the other hand, Shadow was enjoying his make-out session with the doctor. It had been some time since he had spent quality time with a female, and he was pleased to have it be Amy. The girl’s lips were pillowy soft, and her lily-scented perfume drove him over the edge. He loved how her soft and delicate body molded against his hard and lean muscular body. Her soft gasps and sounds of ecstasy drove him crazy. All he wanted to do was hear her excitement grow louder from his touch. He could feel his cock straining against the inside of his pants--he wanted to take her right there and then.

•~•

As much as things were looking like paradise for some people upstairs, a few rooms down, Knuckles and Rouge were still arguing over Rouge’s jealousy of Julie-Su. The two had been arguing and trying to come to terms for over an hour and had yet to enjoy the party.

“You don’t respect me,” Rouge continued to drill. “You may think it’s no big deal, but it is to me!”

Knuckles stood at their bedroom door, looking at Rouge brooding while sitting on the edge of their bedroom window. “Rouge, why don’t you trust me? I would never do anything like that to hurt you. I love you, for fuck’s sake!” he exclaimed.

“You were engaged to her once, were you not?” she challenged.
He sighed. “Yes, but that was a long time ago, and then I met you,” he reminded. “The two of us have moved on and don’t hold an ill will towards each other—like adults.”

She wiped at her nose. “If this isn’t such a big deal, why didn’t you tell me months ago that you two met in person at the other charter? Why’d you hide that from me?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “All we did is talk and have a few drinks. I didn’t think I needed to tell you that.”

“Fine, the next time I bump into my ex I won’t tell you a damn thing,” she huffed.

Knuckles walked towards her. “Rouge, I’m sick and tired of talking in circles.” He knelt in front of her. “Just know that I’m sorry that I pissed you off and gave you some doubt. Right now, I only have eyes for you. I love you, Rouge…”

Rouge looked down at him practically on his knees and begging for forgiveness. In her heart, she knew he was being genuine in his apology. She sighed. “Alright…I forgive you.”

Knuckles smiled and got up to his feet and embraced her. Rouge embraced him back, feeling tears stream down her face. She hated arguing, but she knew she needed to vent and get her side across otherwise this would just happen again. Knuckles rubbed her back. “I promise not to keep a secret like that again from you, okay?”

Rouge nodded. “Thank you.”

He pulled back from his embrace and gave her a charming grin. “Want to have make up sex?”

Rouge wiped at her wet eyes and laughed. “Obviously!”

•~•

Later that night, Shadow opened his eyes tiredly as they adjusted to the darkness. Within the blackness of his room he could see the alarm clock on his dresser. The bright red font read 5:55 AM. Shifting over in bed he realized that Amy was still in bed with him—fully clothed along with himself. The two must have fallen asleep together after their long make out session. It hadn’t gone any farther than kissing and a bit of touching, but it was a nice moment he had shared with her. As much as he had wanted it to go farther, he had held off on letting it get there. Shadow sat up, sitting on the side of his bed and rubbed at his eyes. Quietly, he moved off the side of the bed, opened his bedroom door, and peeked down the hall. Looking both ways within the darkened halls it was ridiculously quiet. Everyone must have gone to bed at this point. He walked down the hall and opened Amy’s bedroom door before returning to his own bedroom.

Once he returned, he approached his bed and gently hoisted Amy up into his arms bridal style. Amy didn’t even wake up from the movement. Carefully, Shadow carried Amy back into her bedroom and placed her in her own bed. When she was laid down, he took off her heels and placed them next to the side of her bed. Shadow grabbed a blanket near the end of her bed and threw it over her body, He tucked her in before departing from her room. He was anxious to see what tomorrow would bring now that he and Amy had elevated their relationship. He just hoped it wouldn't make it awkward from here on out.

•~•

Chapter 14: The Boxing Match

Summary:

The next day Shadow and Amy come to terms with their new status at the party. Knuckles trains Mighty one last time before the big boxing match. Finally, Mighty and Amy hash out their problems and come to a new understanding.

The next morning, Amy woke up in her party clothes from the night. She glanced over to the clock on her wall that read 9:32 AM. Tiredly, she sat up, walked over to her desk, and sat down. She glanced at her face in the mirror and gasped. She had fallen asleep in her makeup and hadn’t taken it off the night prior. Quickly, she rummaged through her drawers and found some makeup removal wipes. Gently, Amy wiped away all her old makeup from her face and discarded the wipes in a bin in her room. She dressed in simple navy nurse scrubs and headed downstairs to see what the day held. However, as she walked downstairs, she was a little startled to see a few remainders of partygoers from last night’s party still lingering around the house, quite hung over.

In the living room, a couple of nearly nude females sprawled out on the couch and floor passed out along with some of the guys. Not to mention the living room looked a mess. There were beer bottles, cigarette ashtrays, and food crumbs all over the couch and floor. Amy stared at the hung-over bunch for a moment before maneuvering around the bodies and entering the kitchen. Once there, she spotted Rouge sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal and fruit. “Morning,” the bat smiled politely.

“Oh, morning, Rouge,” Amy replied before heading to the coffee pot. She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a clean mug before pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I didn’t see you much last night at the party. Was everything okay?”

Rouge scooped up some milk and cereal on her spoon and repeatedly dropped it back into the bowl. “Oh, yeah, we just had a little fight,” she shrugged.

Amy poured milk into her coffee before turning around to face the bat. She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “That’s good to hear. I was worried because I saw you rush out of the party last night.”

“Yeah, it was just me being overdramatic as usual,” she chuckled. “I caught Knuckles talking to his ex and it just ticked me off, you know?”

“Is everything good now or…”

Rouge nodded. “Oh, yeah, yeah. Knuckles and I cleared the air last night, among other things,” she tagged on suggestively with a coy smile. “But, enough about me. What about your night? Did you meet anyone?”

Amy cupped her coffee mug in both hands as she contemplated spilling the real tea of what happened between her and Shadow. “I, uh, talked to a few guys last night, but nothing much happened,” she shrugged casually.

“That’s a shame,” Rouge leaned back in her chair and smirked when she caught sight of something. “But from the looks of that love bite, it looks like you had some fun.”

Amy looked at the bat in confusion at her comment. “Huh?”

Rouge used her right hand to point at her neck while keeping her eyes locked on the pink hedgehog. “Your neck,” she gestured. “It looks like you got a little hickie there,” she chuckled.

Amy’s face grew grave. “What?” she gasped, turning around and looking for something reflective to analyze the “Hickie” in question.

Rouge seemed amused by her flustered nature. “Calm down, Amy. There’s no judgment here. I’m just curious to know who it came from,” she said with a sly eyebrow raise.

Amy found a shiny enough pan and used it as a makeshift mirror. She held it up and turned her neck to look at it. Her fingers grazed at the medium-sized red-purplish bruise. “Oh, no, that’s not a hickie,” she laughed uncomfortably. “It’s just a burn I got when I used my straighter yesterday,” she justified.

Rouge crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side slightly—not in the least buying the claim. “Right…”

Amy placed the pan back on the stove and grabbed her coffee cup. “Look, I’m going to start cleaning up. It’s a mess in there.” With that said, the frantic female hedgehog rushed out of the kitchen, barely able to hold eye contact with Rouge for a second longer.

•~•

Before cleaning, Amy figured she’d do one pit stop before starting. She wandered out of the house and made her way over to the mechanic shop, where she could hear drills and other loud tools being used. She needed to talk to Shadow about what had occurred between them last night anyway. Once she entered the garage part of the shop, she spotted Mephiles busy in the accountant's office typing away at the computer. Gadget and Locke were rotating a pair of tires on a white vehicle while Knuckles was working on an oil change on another car.

Manic and Mighty were having a break in the corner near the tool station. Mighty chugged some water as he recounted last night’s events to Manic. “She was incredible, man. I’ve never been with a female that had a sex drive matched to my own,” he reminisced.

Manic leaned on a countertop with some tools hanging on the wall. “Trust me, bro, I know. I hooked up with her first, after all. I actually offered her up to Shadow first—he looked like he could use it, but he bounced.”

Mighty smirked triumphantly. “His loss my win then,” he sang triumphantly.

Just then, Mighty caught Amy walking past them a little distance away. He smiled when he spotted her. “Hey, Ames!” he waved, trying to greet her.

Amy heard Mighty’s call and pretended she didn’t hear him over the loud tools in the shop. Instead, she approached Shadow, who was currently busy with his hands working on the engine of a red truck. She stopped just on the other side of it, and he glanced up at her when he heard her footsteps. “Morning,” he stated naturally.

Amy tucked her arms behind her back. “Morning,” she replied calmly.

Shadow pulled his arms out from the engine, covered in filth-like oil residue. “Sorry, I’m a mess right now.” He reached for a rag on the side view mirror and used it to clean up his hands.

At that same time, Mighty and Manic stared at Amy as she held a conversation with Shadow. “I don’t think she heard you, man,” Manic noted quietly.

“Nah,” he dismissed. “Ames!” He called once again, but this time louder.

Back with the two hedgehogs, Shadow glanced behind Amy before his eyes settled back on her again. “I think your attention is wanted.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to acknowledge the person in the background trying to call for her. She huffed, “How convenient for him to want my attention now,” she mumbled bitterly.

Shadow sensed some annoyance on her part and his eyes shifted back and forth uncomfortably. “Uh, do you need something, doctor?”

“Yes, I was hoping to have a word alone with you. Do you have a minute?”

Shadow nodded. “Yes, of course.” Shadow gestured for her to follow, and the two entered the empty waiting room of the repair shop.

Mighty and Manic continued to watch, even more, confused by the apparent silent treatment Amy was giving him. “Bro, she’s totally ignoring you. You piss her off or something?” Manic asked.

“I don’t know, man. I can’t really think of anything I might have done.” Mighty rubbed the back of his head as he tried to recollect last night’s events. Did he say something to her last night that ticked her off? He couldn’t really remember much. He had drunk quite a bit and had plenty of fun with Shade. He remembered most of what had transpired between the two last night when they had gotten freaky. However, he was struggling to remember things before sleeping with the echidna.

Back inside the waiting room, Shadow stood before Amy, eager to hear what she wanted to discuss. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, first of all,” she started sweetly before using her hand to gesture to the bruise on the right side of her neck. “Was this really necessary?!”

Shadow moved in closer to get a look at what she was speaking about before chuckling uncomfortably. “Shit, sorry about that. I must’ve gotten a little carried away last night.”

“Well, that’s not the only reason I came to talk to you. I wanted to talk about what happened last night...”

He nodded. “Sure, shoot.”

“I didn’t drink much, but I will admit I was a little buzzed,” she began. “Anyway, all we did was make out, right?”

“Correct,” he answered.

“So…” Amy shifted on her feet. “Um, I don’t know if this was just entirely me here, but I was surprisingly really into you last night, and I felt like you were, too. So, I’m just wondering why it didn’t go any further?” Shadow chuckled in amusement only making Amy grow more confused. “Huh, what’s so funny?”

Shadow grinned boyishly. “Call me old fashioned, but I usually tend to want to at least take a girl out on a date first before moving that fast. Especially, one I happen to really like,” he alluded.

Amy felt her cheeks heat up and smiled. He truly respected her. She wasn’t just a one-night stand to him. “Oh, wow, well, I wasn’t expecting that.”

He nodded with a coy smirk. “Yeah, well, despite my appearance I do try to treat the girls I like with respect.”

“Yeah, last night…was a surprise.”

Shadow’s eyes diverted to the right, feeling awkward with how the circumstances played out. His signs of interest were not as evident and natural as most other couples were trying to signal to each other. “Yeah, it’s been brewing a bit…”

She stepped closer to him. “How long have you felt this way towards me? It just seemed like it came out of nowhere.”

“Since you had your panic attack—I started to feel things. I saw how vulnerable you were then, and I could relate to what you were going through. I’ve also learned we have many things in common.”

She cocked a brow, seemingly surprised. “…And yet, you continued being an asshole to me?”

He sighed in frustration. “Look—that was my fucked up way of repressing my feelings for you, okay? At first, I didn’t want to like you, but I couldn’t force myself to stop as much as I tried.”

She placed a hand on her forehead, trying to process everything. “I-I just don’t understand why you were so hostile towards me from the very start. It’s all very confusing...”

“You want the truth?” he said before walking around her. “Because the moment I laid eyes on you, you reminded me of Maria. She was beautiful, sweet, compassionate, and honest. However, when she was involved in our world, it did no good for her. This place, my job, and our club is why she was taken away from me,” he explained exasperatedly. Amy watched as he circled around her during his explanation. “Then you showed up, and you’re beautiful, intelligent, stubborn, and way too good of a person to be involved with us lowlifes. I didn’t want and STILL don’t want to see the same thing happen to you that happened to the love of my life. I figured if I could bug you enough, you’d come to your senses and leave the club for your own good,” he admitted feeling a colossal relief lift off his shoulders. He had been holding this in for so long he hadn't realized what it had done to him mentally.

“Wow...” Amy looked rather touched by the admittance. “So, this, right now, is the real Shadow the Hedgehog, then..?”

He sighed in defeat. “…Yes.”

“I’ve always thought you were quite attractive, Shadow,” Amy admitted shyly. “However, how you treated me initially was a huge turnoff. Yet, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed you started to be a little nicer toward me. Not to mention, you’ve done countless things you didn’t have to go out of your way to do for me—and for that, it all makes sense now.”

Shadow smiled weakly. “Well, I don’t really know what you want to do at this point. I don’t want it to get awkward between us, but I’d like to get to know you more.”

“We can date for now and see where it goes,” Amy suggested.

“Sure, that’s fine by me,” he concurred.

She began to turn towards the door. “Great, well, I’ll see you around then.”

Amy exited the waiting room and made her way out of the garage. Shadow stepped outside the waiting room and watched her depart. As he kept his eyes fixated on her, he wasn’t aware that another individual was watching him. “Well, well, well,” a sickeningly cheerful voice sounded nearby. “It looks like someone finally decided to try the vanilla after all...”

Shadow grimaced, immediately recognizing the voice belonging to his older brother. He turned his head as he spotted his brother leaning his back against the doorframe of his own office, looking smug in expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mephiles.”

Mephiles pushed himself away from his door and sauntered over. “Oh, don’t be coy, dear brother. You don’t recall your infamous comment about the girl. She’s so boring—so vanilla,” he reminded with air quotes.

Shadow huffed, trying to play off the accusation. “What makes you think I was involved with her in any way?” he challenged.

Mephiles placed a hand on his brother’s left shoulder, tapping his fingers. “Oh, perhaps the fact that I watched as you could barely take your eyes off of her at last night’s party. Or how about how you could barely avoid stalking her every move as well,” he listed triumphantly.

Shadow eyed his brother. “You were watching me?”

Mephiles’ eyes brightened, seeing his confirmation. “Ah, so it is true. How was she in bed then? Do tell,” he rubbed his hands together eagerly.

Shadow shook his head and walked off. “First of all, we didn’t sleep together.”

Mephiles watched as he marched back to the truck he had been working on. “Oh, so you received a blow job, then? Or did you go down on her? What about a hand job?” he tried to guess.

Shadow leaned down, reached into his toolbox, and grabbed a socket wrench. “You know I never kiss and tell.”

Mephiles rolled his eyes in annoyance. “You’re such a prude regarding this type of locker talk. Boring.”

Shadow shrugged indifferently. “Yeah, well, that’s what makes us different.”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “Does anybody else know?”

Shadow began working on the engine again. “No, so keep it under your hat, you pervert. We’re not a couple or anything.”

Mephiles nodded before turning and heading back into his office. “…Sure,” he mumbled.

•~•

Moments after Amy left the repair shop, she heard that familiar voice calling again. “Amy, hey, Ames!”

Amy exhaled an annoyed sigh and rolled her eyes while walking as the running footsteps approached. Soon enough, Mighty was panting as he kept up her pace and walked by her side. “Ames, didn’t you hear me calling your name earlier?”

Amy didn’t bother to look at him as she focused on the house in her path. “Uh, no, I didn’t actually,” she lied.

“Well, I was trying to get your attention back there. I wanted to see how you enjoyed the party last night.”

Amy stopped just before the steps to the house's front porch and finally turned to look at him. “You know what? It’s a pretty long story.” She glanced at her wristwatch quickly. “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I’m pretty busy. I got a lot of schoolwork to get to,” she explained.

Mighty sensed she seemed a little distant from him but brushed it off. “Oh, right. I understand. I’m pretty busy with work too, so um, I’ll get back to that,” he gestured with a thumb wave. “Oh, before I forget. You’re coming to the gym with the rest of us later this afternoon, right? I’m trying to get in some last-minute training before the big match tonight.”

Amy walked up the front porch steps and reached for the door handle. “Uh, yeah, probably,” she stated dully.

Mighty watched as she opened the door, not even bothering to look at him again. “Alright, well, see you later…”

•~•

That afternoon at the gym in town, everyone was doing their intense workouts. Rouge and Locke were jogging on the treadmill, Manic was using the leg press machine, Gadget was working on the chest press machine, Shadow was doing upside-down crunches on one of the pull-up bars, Mephiles was on one of the arm machines, and Amy was doing a high-intensity workout on one of the mats in the corners by the mirrors.

Knuckles had on some punching mitts in the boxing cage while he did some last-minute training with Mighty before the big boxing match later that night. Mighty did short sharp jabs and walked in a circle as Knuckles moved in the opposite direction holding out his covered-mitted hands. With every strike, Knuckles would move his hands higher, lower, and to the sides to keep up his agility. “Yeah, that’s right. Keep it up!” Knuckles encouraged.

Mighty dropped his arms to the side. “I think we’re good on the warmup, man. How about a little spar between you and me?”

Knuckles dropped his arms to the side and nodded. “Alright, good idea.”

Mighty watched as Knuckles walked to the far corner of the rink and put on some boxing mitts. “Alright, I’m not going easy on you. I’m going hard as if I was your opponent for tonight.”

Mighty reached down and took a quick sip of water. “That’s what I want.”

Back in the far corner with Amy, she finished doing some dolphin planks on her matt before sitting up on her knees and panting. She wiped some sweat off her forehead with the back of her arm and tried to catch her breath. Amy reached up, adjusted the scrunchie for her ponytail, and checked herself out in the mirror when she caught a glance of Shadow working out in the reflection behind her. She turned around and watched as Shadow, now shirtless, easily remained in his upside-down position on a pull-up bar, moving upright into a tight crunch before lowering himself upside down again.

Amy was quite impressed to watch him maintain a solid position while doing a basic crunch. Suddenly, Shadow caught her staring at him from across the room and locked eyes with her. Realizing he was staring back at her, she smiled as a faint blush crossed her muzzle. Shadow smirked at her reaction before reaching up, grabbing the bars he was suspended from, and flipping back into an upright position on the ground.

On her mat, Amy got up from her knees and dusted herself off as she watched him approach her from the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, in the boxing rink, Knuckles and Mighty danced together. Mighty remained quick on his feet as he dodged and ducked at coming blows from the red echidna. Knuckles was pretty impressed. He had only managed to slug him a few times, but Mighty’s stamina remained strong. However, that was all about to change when Mighty saw Amy talking to Shadow in the far corner of the gym. He only watched for a few seconds as Amy laughed at something Shadow said to her. He didn’t realize that Amy was close enough to Shadow to have him make her laugh.

BAM!

Mighty flung to the left, landing on his left side with a loud thud. Knuckles stood over the armadillo, looking disappointed. “Don’t do this to me, Might. We can’t be getting distracted now.”

Mighty sat up, and Knuckles helped lift him to his feet. “Sorry, man. I got shit on my mind.”

“The only thing you should have on your mind right now is winning—winning!” he emphasized passionately. “After all, I’ve got $100 bucks on you winning this thing tonight. Don’t let me down, man,” he chuckled.

Mighty smiled weakly. “Yeah, well, it’s just—I think Amy’s mad at me or something.”

Knuckles turned for a moment and glanced at Amy, who was now back on the mat doing Russian twists. Shadow was back at his station doing pull-ups. He turned to look back to Mighty. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, ever since the party last night, she seems so distant,” he explained.

Knuckles facepalmed and sighed. “Oh, chaos, did you sleep with her?” he groaned.

“Nooo!” he exclaimed in a hushed voice, hoping the others wouldn’t hear.

Knuckles shrugged. “I don’t know. Have you tried to speak to her?”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t seem like she’s in the mood to talk.”

“Look, man, girls are weird and moody. Sometimes you gotta give them their space till they blow off their steam. Trust me, I know with my personal experience,” he explained, glancing at Rouge now by the water station filling up her water bottle.

“…I guess,” Mighty shrugged, still feeling upset. “I just don’t like having drama—especially with close friends.”

“Don’t focus on that right now. Keep your eyes on the target. Once the match is done, you can focus on what the heck is up between you two,” he stated. Once Knuckles had finished training Mighty one last time, the motorcyclists began heading out of the gym. Mighty watched as Amy walked out of the locker room with her gym bag and headed toward the others waiting near the exit.

Taking this as his opportunity, Mighty sauntered to Amy, who was busy zipping up her bag. “Hey,” he waved.

Amy glanced over at him. “Hey,” she replied, keeping it short and brief.

“So, uh, I was wondering if you’ll be there for the big match tonight. You know—be my lucky charm,” he emphasized smoothly.

Amy shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “Well, I’m only going to be there for medical purposes. Mephiles informed me they’d need a medical professional on location. You know I don’t like fighting as a form of entertainment. I only employ it for self-defense.”

Mighty looked deflated by her response, especially because she wasn’t going for the typical fun, social purpose but merely as a job. “Oh…”

“And as for lucky charm, I’m not sure where you’d get the idea that I am one. It’s not like I’ve been present for any of the other fights you’ve won,” she shrugged.

He shook his head. “Nah, I realize that Ames, but I can just feel you give off lucky energy. That’s why I want you in the crowd watching me fight and cheering me on,” he explained with a smile.

She shrugged indifferently, making his smile fade. “Yeah, well, I’ll be there, I guess.”

Shadow walked over, breaking up the already forced and awkward conversation. “We’re rolling out,” he announced to the two lingering in the background. With that said, the two walked out following the ebony-striped hedgehog.

Amy and Shadow walked ahead of the armadillo, and Shadow glanced over his shoulder at Mighty, noticing he seemed a little more down than usual. He turned to look at Amy as they continued to walk. “Are you still upset with Mighty from last night?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she replied sharply.

“Does the poor guy even know why you’re mad at him?” he questioned quietly.

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed again. “Hmph, he’ll figure it out eventually.”

•~•

Later that evening, the original Brothers of Chaos and the Southside charter joined for the big boxing match hosted at a rented warehouse on the city's outskirts. Inside the warehouse were some bleachers on the rink's right and left sides. There were two refreshment tables set up where people could get a drink or snack to eat before the match started and two private tents for the contenders to get ready.

Down on the main floor around the boxing rink, Misty-Re and Rouge both walked around collecting bets before the big event went down. Misty-Re grabbed wads of cash from raised hands in the crowds and jotted down names from individuals. Rouge did the same thing on her side of the rink, collecting as much money as possible.

In the meantime, Knuckles stood inside one of the tents in the back of the warehouse with Mighty as he prepared him for his fight. Mighty did some simple triceps and shoulder stretches while he listened to music to pump him up. Knuckles came up to him and pulled out one of his earbuds. Groaning in annoyance from his loss of music, Mighty turned to glare at the echidna. “What, man?”

“I want you to give me fifty push-ups right now,” he demanded.

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Mighty dropped on all fours and did the pushups as requested.

While Knuckles watched him perform his last-minute warm-up, he crouched to his level. “Now, I’m not trying to scare you or anything,” he began in a low voice. “But I got a glance at the new guy they’re putting up against ya.”

Mighty continued pumping himself up and down off the floor. “Yeah, so?” he panted.

“Well, he’s this massive water buffalo, and he looks pretty intimidating, but I’m going to guess your one strength in this is going to be your speed. So be quick on your feet and do not get distracted out there,” he forewarned.

Mighty got back up to his feet and dusted off his hands. “Nothing scares me. You got that? We’ve gotta be positive here to get positive results,” he countered.

Knuckles rose to his feet too. “I get it, but I’m just trying to be realistic. This guy looks more like someone I could take on if you catch my drift.”

Mighty took off his shirt, remaining only in his black boxing shorts and sneakers. “It sounds like you have doubts about me winning this, so I’m going to prove you wrong.” Knuckles watched as he left the tent and headed straight for the rink.

On the bleachers, Shadow, Amy, Manic, Gadget, Locke, and Mephiles sat together as they waited for the fight to begin. Amy looked over to Manic, who was currently chowing down on a bucket of popcorn. “Why do people like this anyway?” she questioned curiously.

The green hedgehog turned his head to look at her. “What, boxing?”

“Yeah,” Amy clarified. “It’s just watching two guys throw punches at each other. What’s so exciting about that?”

“It’s brain-numbing entertainment, lass,” Locke chimed in. “Don’t overthink it too much.”

Amy shrugged. “Okay, I guess…”

Overhearing the conversation, Gadget popped his head forward on the other side of Manic to interject. “I think perhaps it’s because people are fascinated by the body and want to understand and explore its dimensions, capabilities, and limits by any means possible through sheer violence.”

Amy stared at Gadget with a deadpan expression from his intense explanation before Manic tossed in some more popcorn munching down and shrugging nonchalantly. “I just like watching people get bodied, so what? It’s a guilty pleasure of mine.”

Before Amy could challenge any further argument, Finitevus took center stage of the rink with a microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the annual Brothers of Chaos Knock Out Championship!” he announced excitedly. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause of excitement and enthusiasm before settling down. “Tonight, both charters have selected their member of choice to fight in tonight’s big event. So, let’s get started on the introductions.

Finitevus gestured to the back-left corner of the rink. “Standing at three feet tall and weighing eighty-five pounds is Mighty Armadillo!” Mighty lifted one of the ropes to the rink and came running in with his arms lifted in the air and a charming smile plastering his face. His charter roared into cheers, applause, and chants, showing their praise. Amy couldn’t help but notice several girls from the other charter establishing their support. Among them were Julie-Su, Shade, Misty-Re, and Honey. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, knowing why they were rooting for him.

Manic stood up, holding his popcorn bucket in one hand, and used the other to cup around his mouth. “Go, MIGHTY!” he shouted. “Love you, bro!”

Mighty merely smiled and waved to his adoring fans before locking eyes with Amy momentarily. Clapping her hands slowly, she quickly averted her gaze to her lap, causing Mighty’s smile to drop slightly on stage.

Once the crowd settled down, Finitevus gestured to the back-right corner with his outstretched hand. “And now, representing our charter and standing at six feet tall and weighing in at two hundred and thirty pounds is our very own Axel Buffalo!”

Mighty looked down at the mat as he felt the floor slightly rumbling. When he turned to look at his opponent, he was stunned when he spotted the large buffalo throw himself over the rink rope before landing on the mat with a decisive thud. Mighty wobbled slightly from the impact of his landing and stared at the large brown and intimidating water buffalo towering over him in height and width.

The southside charter all rose to their feet, pumping their hands into the air and hooting and hollering as their representative came out onto the stage. Axel pounded his two gloved fists together and snorted out a big cloud of water vapor. He grinned impishly at his smaller opponent behind him in the corner.

“Boy, Knuckles wasn’t kiddin’ about you, huh?” Mighty cracked lightly.

Standing by her husband near the rink, Rouge also seemed to doubt Mighty’s win tonight. She turned to look at Knuckles. “Does Mighty really have a chance against this guy?” she questioned skeptically.

Knuckles remained behind the rink where Mighty stood. He watched as the buffalo continued to soak up the admiration from the cheering crowd. “I mean, he can, but he’s going to have to be quick on his feet and be real strategic here,” he answered. “Either way, he will not come out of this thing untouched.”

Back on the bleachers, Amy and the others were astounded at the size and monstrosity of Mighty’s opponent. “This can’t be fair, can it?” Amy asked, looking at Shadow on the other side of her.

“It’s perfectly fair, I’m afraid,” Shadow confirmed.

“This guy is going to crush Mighty tonight,” Amy exclaimed. “You really expect me to sit here and watch this.”

“Hey, hey,” Manic butted in sharply, overhearing her conversation with Shadow. “Don’t put my boy down and out already. I’ve seen Mighty fight guys as big as this fella here, and he always comes out strong. He might surprise you tonight.”

“I must agree with Manic on this one,” Locke added as he leaned forward to look at Amy down the bench. “Mighty may be small, but he packs a mighty punch,” he said, clenching his fist.

“I hope you guys are right. Otherwise, I may be heading to the emergency room with him tonight,” Amy mumbled, putting her focus back on the rink.

“Don’t worry too much.” Shadow placed a hand on top of hers. She glanced down at it before looking up at him. “Mighty is one of our best fighters, especially in hand-to-hand combat. He’s got this,” he stated confidently.

Back on stage, Finitevus proceeded to explain the rules. “As always, there will be twelve three-minute rounds with one-minute breaks. The first opponent to knock out their opponent will win the game.”

Mighty got into his corner, and Axel did the same. Mighty placed his mouthguard in his mouth, and Axel mimicked his actions on the other side of the rink. Nack, a purple weasel wearing a referee shirt and whistle around his neck, stood center mat. “Remember, boys, no hits under the belt. If you get knocked down, you have ten seconds to get back up before you’ve lost.”

Suddenly, Misty-Re came strolling across the stage wearing a white bikini and a pair of white heels. A bunch of the male crowd-goers hooted, cat-called, and whistled at her attire of choice, showing off her body. She was holding a big white sign that read: “ROUND ONE” in big capitalized letters. The moment she finished crossing the stage, Nack grabbed his whistle and placed it in his mouth, blowing it. “Begin!” he shouted.

Once that signal was given, the two came bounding toward the rink's center. Nack stepped back to observe from the sidelines for any disqualifications. The crowd watched intently as the two males did boxer shuffles on stage and kept their hands in front of their chest or face. Sizing up his competition, Mighty agreed with Knuckles that size would come into account with this opponent. He’d have to try to tire him out in the earlier rounds before going in for the knockout.

Axel made a few attempts at some quick right and left jabs, but Mighty was hyper-aware of his moves and made sure to jump back, dip or dodge the oncoming attacks. The crowd continued to yell and cheer as they watched the battle unfold. Mighty was doing an excellent job at evading, but it was getting tiring, even with remaining on the defensive. With the seventh attempt to strike him, Axel finally made contact, used a right hook, and successfully made contact with Mighty’s left cheek, snapping it to the side. The crowd gasped, hearing the powerful smack.

Mighty staggered slightly as he tried to recover quickly from the blow, but it wasn’t enough as Axel managed to inflict a left hook now, hitting him on his right cheek and making his body lurch in the opposite direction. Mighty groaned from the impact but managed to duck down just as Axel went in for another jab and managed to do a swift uppercut onto Axel, hitting him just beneath the chin.

Just then, the whistle blew, announcing the end of round one. Heading back to their corners. Mighty took out his mouthpiece quickly to get some water. Coach Knuckles remained on the floor beneath the lifted rink. “I see what you’re doing there, Might. Keep it up, and I think you can manage a win. Just don’t get distracted,” he emphasized strongly.

Mighty quickly placed his mouthguard back in his mouth and turned around, knowing his minute break was reaching its end. Across the rink, he watched as Axel nodded as he looked down at his coach, a red chameleon who looked a bit more severe in his coaching management. The buffalo took a big squirt of water in his mouth, swished it around, and spit it out before placing his mouthpiece back in.

Once again, Misty-Re walked across the stage in a sexy stride while holding up another white poster that read: “ROUND TWO” in thick black text. Nack blew his whistle again, indicating the start of the next round. “Begin!” Pounding his fists together, Axel came hustling in towards the center stage. Mighty did the same, and the two boxers shuffled in a circle, keeping their fists high up in front of their faces.

This time, Axel did not hesitate to make the first move. He did rapid jabs at Mighty’s chest, shoulders, or face. Mighty had to be even higher on the defensive as he blocked his shots. Feeling inclined to take a few shots back, Mighty also threw a few short jabs at Axel. He managed to get in one uppercut and a right hook. The large buffalo staggered and stumbled slightly from impact, but it wasn’t enough to take him down. Glancing to the audience, Mighty spotted Amy watching, practically on the edge of her seat. She actually looked quite tense as she kept her hands clasped together, watching intently.

POW!

Mighty felt his world begin to spin as his body twisted in the air before violently slamming down onto the mat. He remained on his stomach, stunned temporarily. Nack rushed over to Mighty’s side, crouched down, and began doing the countdown for his elimination. “Ten…nine…eight,” he counted.

Knuckles hopped up and down on the floor below, feeling the tension and anxiety build. “Come on, get up, Mighty!”

Amy cupped Shadow’s hand instinctively on the bleachers as she feared for Mighty’s wellbeing from above. She may have been ticked off by him from the night before, but she still cared about his welfare. “Shadow, is he going to be okay?” she asked quietly.

“He’ll pull through,” Shadow assured, trying to remain optimistic.

Back on the mat, Mighty tried to push himself up as his vision adjusted and the world stopped spinning. He grunted, still reeling from that last hit. He had to admit Axel had some strength in him and knew he’d feel that hit in the morning. His ears perked as he heard a familiar voice calling his name from the crowd. He glanced up and spotted Amy standing and holding her hands around her mouth. “Mighty, you gotta get up! Come on, Mighty!” she screamed.

Feeling a sense of hope, Mighty turned to look at Nack by his side, who was counting down the last seconds. “Three, Two…”

Mighty hopped to his feet, and the crowd went wild, seeing his tremendous rebound.

Nack remained between the two and blew his whistle, signaling that round two had ended. The two opponents returned to their respective corners, where Knuckles eagerly waited. Mighty took out his mouthpiece and began chugging water.

“What did I tell you about getting distracted!? Stop looking at Amy and focus on the big buffalo in front of you, ya dummy!” he implored.

He rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. I got it; I won’t make that mistake again. Alright, coach?”

Mighty cracked his neck on each side, placed his mouthpiece back in his mouth and turned around. For the third time, Misty-Re walked across the stage holding the white poster board that read: “ROUND THREE.”

Nack whistled, signaling for the third round to start. “Begin!” he shouted.

This time, Mighty was going to change up his strategy. He was going to go on the offensive. Mighty went hard with his jabs at Axel and realized that the buffalo had a more challenging time evading his hits. He got several jabs on his shoulders, chest, and jaw. Mighty could evade hits a lot faster due to his slight build. Seeing an opening, Mighty crouched down, pushed himself upward, and did a solid uppercut right under Axel’s jaw. Everyone heard the impact of the hit and watched as the giant water buffalo tilted backward before ultimately landing flat on his back with a loud thud.

The floor resounded in a SMACK, and Mighty remained back as he watched Nack fly over and kneel to Axel’s level to begin the countdown. “Ten…nine...eight,” he counted. Practically winded from his fall, Axel panted as he tried to get up but struggled severely. “Seven…six…five,” Nack continued counting down. “Four…three...two…one.”

With Axel unable to get up in time, Mighty was officially declared the winner. Nack walked over, grabbed Mighty’s right wrist, and raised it in the air. “The winner of this match is Mighty Armadillo!” The crowd erupted into applause for the winner. Mighty’s mouth slowly turned into a smile as he stared at the audience. His eyes wandered over to his friends, where he spotted them standing and clapping for him in excitement for his victory.

•~•

After the match, Mighty was back inside his tent to cool down. He sat on a crated box, took off his gloves, and dropped them into a gym bag. He began to unwrap the bandages around his hands just when the curtains parted, and Amy wandered in. Mighty glanced over his shoulder at her arrival, surprised to see her approaching. “Hey there,” he smiled with a sense of uncertainty with their current standing.

She gave him a small smile. “Congrats on the big win tonight.”

Mighty watched as she walked over with a medical bag in hand. She set it on the floor before crouching and fishing inside its contents. “So, uh, you here to check out my vitals?”

“Pretty much,” she responded while snapping on some gloves. “I just finished working on your opponent in the tent next door, and he’s all clear.”

Mighty watched as she pulled out a pen with a flashlight on the butt end. She stood up and flashed the light in his right eye, observing his pupil before going over and doing the same to the other eye. “So, I wanted to talk to you now that you seem in a better mood…”

Amy reached for his wrist and placed her index and middle finger on a point on his wrist to read his pulse. “Go on,” she stated, trying to remain professional. Her eyes glanced at her wristwatch while she counted.

“What was up with you earlier today? You seemed pissed off at me. I just want to know what I did so I can apologize and move past this,” he explained. “I don’t like seeing you so mad at me.”

After counting his pulse, she removed her fingers from his wrist, and her eyes met his. Maybe he was utterly clueless about his faults. “…You truly have no idea why I was mad?”

He shook his head honestly. “Not at all. Please, tell me.”

“Last night at the party,” she started. “I thought you and I were going to hang out exclusively. I don’t know if you realized this—but thinking about it now, you must not have. Anyway, I-I liked you, Mighty. I thought you may have reciprocated those feelings, but I got the message once you bailed on me at the party for that other girl.”

Mighty frowned at the realization of her explanation. “Oh geez, Ames…I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I-I had no idea you had feelings for me,” he admitted placing a hand on his chest.

“I don’t know how,” she countered. “You flirted with me countless times. What kind of messages were you sending?”

“Chaos…” Mighty groaned to himself and dragged a hand over his face. “This is all my fault, so let me explain.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest, intrigued to hear his explanation. “…I’m listening.”

“Amy, I do like you,” he began. “I mean, you’re a cute girl, and I’ll admit I did flirt with you a lot, but that happens to be in my nature. I’m just not a relationship type of guy,” he continued. “I’m a free spirit. I could never go any further with you because I greatly respect you. I’m your friend and co-worker, and I wouldn’t want things to get awkward or weird between us if we just hooked up once.”

Amy’s ears fell slightly. “I see…”

“Hey.” Mighty placed a hand on her shoulder, seeing her mood shift. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he needed to set things straight. “Look, I’m really sorry if I led you on. That’s completely on me, and I’ll admit it,” he assessed. “But you’re gorgeous, and I’m sure there’s some other guy out there who will sweep you off your feet and treat you the way you deserve to be treated,” he encouraged sweetly. “I’ll try to cut down on the flirty stuff with ya, okay?”

Amy nodded. “Thank you for clearing that up for me, Mighty. I appreciate it.”

He grinned at her warmly. “So, friends?”

“Friends,” she repeated with a smile.

Mighty hopped up from his seat and hugged her, and she returned the embrace. “I’m happy to be back on your good side, Ames.”

“Likewise,” she concurred.

The two began to walk out together. Mighty parted the curtains and allowed Amy to step out first, and the pair walked towards the exit together. “…So,” Mighty sang playfully. “What exactly did you end up getting up to during the party?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, um, just mingled with a couple of people,” she replied. “Nothing exciting.”

“Any guys you have your eye on?” he asked, raising a brow curiously.

Amy laughed nervously and glanced at him while they walked together. “You’re starting to sound a lot like, Rouge right now.”

“Hey, I could totally be your wingman,” he chuckled, draping an arm over her shoulder. “Any guy you got your eye on, I can totally hook you up with, but only the serious ones, obviously not the fuck boys.”

She laughed at his last comment. “It’s okay. I think I’ve got that handled myself,” she assured. Amy glanced over to the front doors of the warehouse, where she spotted Shadow talking to Finitevus. She unintentionally smiled as she stared at the dark hedgehog.

Mighty watched her as she stared over at Shadow, noticing her uncharacteristic softer expression towards the vice president. His eyes went back and forth between the two hedgehogs before picking up on the discretion. He forced her to stop in her tracks with him as the pieces came together. “Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec, you and Shadow?” he whispered. Amy’s cheeks went red slightly, only confirming his theory. She and Shadow had promised to keep their fling a secret until they could establish precisely what they were. However, Amy had a terrible poker face. He tapped his chin and smirked. “Huh, it makes sense now.”

“Huh?” Amy scratched the side of her face and averted her gaze. “What does?”

“I noticed you guys starting to get friendly in the past couple of weeks. I thought you two hated each other, but I guess it’s true what they say about opposites—they do attract.”

“Please don’t spread this around,” she pleaded. “Shadow and I are just getting to know each other like that. We’re not at the point where it’s official. We’re just dating.”

Mighty smirked and lowered his eyelids when he saw how embarrassed she was. It was like watching two middle schoolers trying to date secretly. “It’s alright, I’ve got you. Your secret is safe with me,” he avowed with a hand over his heart.

Shadow wandered over to them, unaware of their current conversation. “It’s getting late,” he announced. “We’re heading home in two minutes.”

Mighty stretched his arms out in front of him. “Yeah, I want to get home and shower anyway. I stink.”

“I’m sure,” Shadow nodded. “You did our charter proud tonight,” he said, giving a curt nod.

“Thanks, man,” Mighty smiled. “Remember, it’s your turn next year.”

“Don’t remind me,” Shadow droned before he turned to look at Amy. “You want to ride back with me?” he offered.

“Sure,” Amy replied, trying to respond neutrally.

Shadow gestured for her to follow after him. “C’mon then,” he gestured with a head nod before walking off.

Mighty refrained from laughing and placed a hand over his mouth to conceal his smile. With that, the three of them headed out.

AN: Remember to leave me a review of your thoughts and comments. I appreciate them! :)

Chapter 15: Date night Part I

Summary:

Amy suffers from a foreshadowing nightmare. The M.C. finds out about Shadow and Amy's secret relationship, and the two hedgehogs go on their first proper date to Twinkle Park where things go awry.

Amy thrashed in her bed violently in the middle of the night as she experienced another all too terrible nightmare. Her head went back and forth against her pillow as she whimpered softly, reliving a terrible memory of her ex-fiancé Zonic.

**Nightmare**

Arriving at her new apartment, Amy dropped off her purse on the couch near the front door and kicked off her shoes. It had been two months since she had left Zonic and moved to a new apartment. With a long day at work, she was pretty tired. Stretching her arms over her head, Amy wandered into her bedroom to get undressed and into more comfortable lounge clothes. When she entered her bedroom, she was unaware that an unknown person was creepily watching her get undressed from her cracked closet door.

Amy reached into her pants pocket, took her cell phone out, and placed it on the dresser. Then she took off her nurse scrubs and tossed them in the laundry basket remaining only in her bra and panties. She walked over to the dresser and rummaged around before pulling out some lounge pants and pulling them up her legs. She then opened another drawer, pulled out a matching tank top, and pulled it over her head. Walking past her closet, the door slowly opened, and Zonic emerged behind her. Quickly, he used one arm to grab her from behind and clenched it around her neck, dragging her flush against his chest while his free arm wielded a knife in front of her face. Amy immediately screamed and clenched the arm around her throat as he dragged her back towards her bed.

He roughly tossed her onto the bed before climbing on top of her. Amy went to scream again, but he firmly clamped a hand over her mouth while holding the knife to her throat. “Uh-Ah,” he tsked. “We don’t want to worry the neighbors.” Amy stared up at his cold jade eyes, terrified as he straddled her. “Now, I don’t want to hurt you. I’m just here to talk. Are you going to scream if I take my hand away?” he asked sternly.

Amy shook her head to the best of her ability. Seeing she was complying with his demands; he removed his hand from her mouth. “How did you find my new place?” she asked.

“I followed you home from work, dummy. It’s not that difficult,” he growled.

She narrowed her brows at him. “Zonic, why are you here? What do you want?”

“I want you to end your lease and come back home with me,” he demanded.

“We broke up. I made that very clear to you.”

“You’re delusional,” he spat. “You need me, baby.”

Amy eyed the knife still near her throat. “Can you please take that knife away and let me sit up?” Obliging with her commands, Zonic moved the weapon away and tucked it back into its sheath on his hip. Taking the opportunity, Amy sat up and discreetly glanced over to her dresser where her phone lay. If she could get the chance, she’d knock him out and call the police, but she’d had to wait for her moment. “Look, Zonic, I know breakups are hard, but you need to move on,” she urged.

Zonic reached out and caressed her face with both his hands. “Babe, you know I never meant to hurt you. I made a mistake that day. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

She scoffed and turned her head out of his grasp. “I’ve heard that excuse too many times.”

He glared at her. “You don’t believe me?”

She glared at him. “No, now get off of me!”

He grabbed her by the throat with one of his hands, making her gasp in startlement. “Now listen here, you little slut,” he seethed angrily. “You don’t talk to me like that, you understand?!”

Amy spat in his face making him release his hold on her and stumble back, allowing her to go for the phone. “Ack!” He wiped the spit from his face and eyes just as Amy grabbed hold of the phone and darted out of her bedroom and into the living room towards her front door. He watched as she rushed out of the room and growled irately. “Oh, no, you don’t!”

Zonic managed to recover and sprinted after her, leaping and landing on top of her from behind. The two landed on the carpeted floor with a thud, and Zonic wrestled with her before eventually yanking her phone out of her tight clench and violently throwing it against one of the apartment walls making it shatter into pieces. Realizing her hope of calling the authorities was now out the window. She could only think of one other option—scream.

“HELP! HELP M--” Amy began to scream, but Zonic rolled her over to her front and slapped her hard, mid-scream making her stop. Amy felt the searing and scorching sting blaze across her cheek like a hot iron against flesh. Her eyes pricked with tears as she reeled from the assault.

He gripped her cheeks with one hand, forcing her to look at him. “You’re weak and pathetic, Amy. Stop being stupid. You bring this on yourself,” he reprimanded. Amy turned her head to look up at him and tried to punch him, but he merely moved his head to the side, avoiding every attempt. He looked down at her in pity at her attempts. “What the hell are you doing?”

Tears streamed down her face, practically blinding her vision. “Get off of me, get out of my house!” she screamed. “Just leave me alone!”

Growing even more irate, he lifted himself, brought up his right fist, and punched her hard in the stomach, winding her. Amy wheezed and began to feel dizzy and saw the world go dark. She had never been struck before to the point where her lungs were deprived of air. “I told you not to scream. All I wanted to do was talk!” he argued.

As her world began to fade around her, she felt him slowly pulling down her pants to her ankles. “…Stop,” she wheezed. “Please…”

**End Nightmare**

It was two in the morning and way later than he had thought. Heading back to his room after watching some TV downstairs, Shadow wandered upstairs shirtless and in his long pajama pants. However, his ears perked as he picked up on the sound of someone in distress coming from one of the bedrooms. As he finally got to the top of the stairs, he could distinguish that the voice belonged to Amy and was coming from her bedroom.

Shadow cracked open her door and saw her moving her arms around in the air as if she was fighting off some invisible force. “No, no, no!” she was shouting violently in the process.

Shadow flicked the lights on, rushed over to her bed, and placed a hand on her shoulder to wake her. “Doctor, wake up!” he urged, shaking her softly.

Amy did not wake initially and instead began to shout even more. “No, no, get off!” With her arms flailing about, Shadow leaned in closer and tried to move them down, but while doing so, he got in the path with one of her waving arms and received a hard slap to the jaw, making him grunt.

Just then, Amy’s eyes shot open, and she flung upright, panting, looking around the room. Glancing to her right, she spotted Shadow standing next to her bed and rubbing underneath his chin. “Shadow,” she panted, realizing what she had done. “I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know it was you,” she stammered as tears pricked her eyes. She felt so embarrassed that he saw her in this state; it only worsened her anxiety.

Shadow watched as she wiped at her eyes as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Frowning at her response, he knelt and embraced her. “It’s alright, you were having a nightmare, but it’s over now,” he assured.

She embraced him back, pulling him to join her in bed. “It just, it felt so real,” she sobbed.

Shadow sat down next to her in bed as he continued to embrace her. Amy hid her face against his chest as she continued to cry. Shadow held her with one arm while the other stroked the back of her head. “I know what you mean,” he concurred. “Just take a few deep breaths,” he coached. “Remember, this will pass.”

Suddenly, Rouge and Knuckles appeared in front of Amy’s opened bedroom door in their pajamas. They had heard Amy’s screams from down the hall and came to investigate. However, when the two looked into the room and spotted Shadow consoling Amy in her bed, their eyes nearly bugged out of their heads.

“Shadow?!” Rouge exclaimed in surprise.

Shadow remained calm and casually glanced at the couple, gawking at the unusual scene. “I’ve got it taken care of,” he replied.

“Yeah, but what happened?” Knuckles questioned, looking at Amy’s devastating state. She kept her face hidden, not wanting more people to see her weaker side.

“She had a nightmare,” he explained.

Rouge took a step inside the room. “You sure you don’t need us to--”

“—I said I’ve got it,” he said, a litter sharper this time, making her halt in her tracks.

Rouge put her hands up defensively, hearing his serious tone, and took a step back. “Well, in that case, we’ll go back to bed then. Night!” she waved before heading back down the hall. Knuckles glanced at the two before grabbing the door handle to Amy’s room and closing the door shut.

Now alone again, Amy lifted her head from Shadow’s chest. “…Thank you.”

He smiled at her. “Of course.”

“Do you mind getting me some tissues?”

Shadow released his hold, wandered over to her desk, brought back a box of tissues, and handed them to her. He watched as Amy took a few, blotted up the tears, and then blew her nose several times. “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

She brought her knees to her chest. “It was just a bad memory about Zonic. I don’t know why but I still can’t believe that he’s truly gone for good. It just doesn’t seem possible.”

“Well, he’s gone now, so don’t worry about him anymore.”

She sniffled a bit. “You’re right, I know I’m being irrational here, but I guess I never believed I’d be able to be free from his terror.”

“It’ll take some time, but eventually, your mind will rest at ease, and you’ll be able to move past that monster,” he promised. “Do you want me to stick around a little longer, or do you need anything else?”

She shook her head and smiled at him. “No, I’m okay now. I should be able to get to sleep in a bit. Thanks again for coming to my rescue, Shadow. It was sweet of you.”

He chuckled. “No problem.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Now get some sleep, doctor. It’s late.”

Amy watched as he headed for her door and placed a hand on her cheek where he had kissed her. “You know, now that we’re closer, you don’t have to be so formal with the ‘doctor’ nickname. It would help if you came up with something new for me. Especially since we’ve made out already,” she chuckled

Shadow stopped and turned to look at her after thinking about it. He leaned his left shoulder against the door. “What about my other one, ‘princess?’” he smirked.

Amy rolled her eyes at him. “No, that’s your sardonic nickname for me.”

He chuckled before thinking about it more seriously. “Alright, how about Rose, then?”

“Rose?” she repeated in thought. “I like that. It’s pretty.”

He reached for the door handle. “Rose it is then.” With that, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall before glancing in at her one last time. “Goodnight, Rose.”

“Night, Shadow,” she waved.

•~•

The next morning, Shadow and Amy ate breakfast together in the kitchen. The two had cooked eggs, toast, and bacon and were now enjoying the fruits of their labor. Rouge wandered into the kitchen just as Amy laughed at something Shadow had said. When the white bat appeared in the kitchen entryway, the two ceased their conversation and stared at her in unison.

“Oh, morning, Rouge,” Amy waved politely.

Rouge was still wearing her robe and clenched it shut as she looked at the two in speculation. “…Yeah, morning,” she replied uneasily. “You okay today, Amy?”

Amy finished chewing another bite. “Yes, I’m much better this morning,” she answered. “I just had a nightmare last night, is all.”

Rouge wandered over to the coffee pot. “Oh, I see. Glad to hear you’re doing better.”

Amy finished her plate of food and felt a strange silence overcome the room. She glanced at Shadow before moving out of her seat. “Well, I need to get to work. I’ll see you guys around.”

She went to take her plate to the sink, but Shadow stopped her. “I've got it,” he insisted.

Amy looked at him, startled. “You sure?”

He nodded. “Yes, go on. I can clean up.”

“Well, okay, thanks,” she smiled before heading out of the kitchen.

Rouge finished pouring herself a cup of coffee as she eavesdropped their conversation in curiosity. She had never seen Shadow be so nice toward Amy. She had been under the impression that Shadow still despised the girl. What had changed to make him act so nice toward her?

Once Amy was gone, Rouge turned around and leaned her back against the counter as she stirred her coffee with a spoon. She stared hard at Shadow as he scarfed down his buttered toast. After a prolonged silence, Shadow lifted his head and stared back at the bat, who kept a blank expression while continuing to stare at him.

Shadow shifted uncomfortably in his seat and swallowed his bite. “What?”

“It was you…wasn’t it?” she finally pieced together.

Shadow rose from his seat and stacked his and Amy’s plates. He could already feel an interrogation coming. He walked over to the garbage and scraped any remains of the plates into the bin. “What are you talking about, Rouge?” he asked calmly.

Rouge took a sip of her coffee and ambled over to the kitchen table. “The Hickie I spotted on Amy’s neck the day after the party. She tried to convince me it was a burn mark from a hair tool, but I knew she was lying.”

Shadow remained composed, walked towards the sink, and began washing off the plates. “I have no clue what you are talking about.”

Rouge scoffed at him. “Don’t be ridiculous, Shadow. If it’s not true, what was up with you and Amy last night? It’s so out of character for you, especially when you claim not to like her!”

He turned around from the sink, pressing his back against the counter, and crossed his arms. “We’re on better terms. You know, friends?” he lied. “I can tolerate her for now.”

“…Enough to fool around, perhaps,” another voice chimed in from the entryway.

The two glanced over only to spot Mephiles standing there looking smug in the know. Shadow grimaced at his older brother, knowing his secret was out the window for sure now.

Rouge draped her arm on the back of her seat. “Spill it, Mephiles.”

He tapped his fingertips together in delight. “Oh, how wonderful,” he mused.

The darker hedgehog walked over and placed an arm as a leaning post on Shadow’s shoulder. Shadow rolled his eyes at his brother’s mockery. “My baby brother apparently has the hots for Ms. Rose,” he chuckled.

Rouge cusped the sides of her face and gushed at the reveal. “Awww, Shadow!”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Mephiles,” he groaned. “I told you not to say anything.”

“Technically, I didn’t. We’ve all had our suspicions,” he reminded. “I just confirmed it is all.”

“Shadow, I don’t know why you wanted to keep this a secret. I always thought Amy was totally your type. That’s what baffled me when you told me you didn’t like her in the beginning.”

Shadow moved past the two and headed out of the kitchen. “I’ve got to get to work,” he grumbled.

Mephiles watched him retreat. “Where are you going?”

“To talk to Finitevus into loaning us some money so we can buy another stock of guns to sell,” he replied.

“Well, make sure you get a good deal. Don’t go soft!” he called.

•~•

Sitting on a table bench at a public park, Finitevus and some of his men waited for Shadow’s arrival as he wished to speak business with him. Children and their parents gathered in the jungle gym section at the park. Children played in sandboxes, hung from the monkey bars, and climbed the rope fences, and parents eagerly watched their children mingle with others. Parking his bike in the parking lot, Shadow shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered into the park. The white echidna watched as Shadow approached the park bench table and sat across from him. “Nice to see you again, Shadow.”

“Likewise,” Shadow replied calmly, crossing his arms over the tabletop.

“What can I do for you then?”

“Our charter is in desperate need of money to pay for our next re-stock of the armory. We were hoping we could ask you to lend us some money,” he said.

Finitevus eyed the dark hedgehog in surprise. “I haven’t yet returned the rest of your stock to you. You haven’t already sold that lot to a bidder yet, have you?”

Shadow shook his head. “We have not, but we know we’ll find a home and bid on that amount in no time. However, we are eager to put in our order but are short of money.”

“Wouldn’t it be smart to sell the half I have stashed before making another order?” Finitevus challenged.

“You’d think, but it’d only be half the amount,” he explained. “Once we sell the last bit of arms, we’ll only have half the amount—that’s where you come in.”

Finitevus crossed his arms over his chest. “I see. How much are we talking here exactly?”

“Thirty grand,” he replied.

“When would you need the amount?” the white echidna questioned.

“By the end of this week,” he answered.

“Well, the prostitution business has been booming lately.” Finitevus stroked his chin as he contemplated the thought. “I can give you the money, but I’ll have to charge a twenty percent interest, I’m afraid.”

“Make it fifteen, and we have a deal,” Shadow challenged.

“Eighteen,” Finitevus rebutted.

“Sixteen percent,” Shadow countered.

Finitevus outstretched his arm, Shadow placed his hand within him, and the two shook on it. “Deal.”

“Thanks.”

Finitevus rose from his seat, and Shadow mimicked his actions. “We’re bringing in your stash later this afternoon, so be on standby,” he announced.

•~•

Later that afternoon, Shadow returned home and wandered into the repair shop. In the back, Mephiles was in the accounting office on a phone call. However, when his brother appeared in the doorway, Mephiles wrapped up his conversation quickly. Shadow waited in the doorway while Mephiles finished his phone call.

Mephiles sat at his desk, holding his cell phone up to his ear. “Very well then. I’ll send out Mighty, Knuckles, and Gadget to get the shipment to you tomorrow morning,” he spoke. “Right, goodbye.”

Shadow watched as his older brother hung up the phone and turned to look at him. “Any success with finding a loan?” he questioned.

“Of course,” he stated arrogantly. “But who was just on the phone?”

“Oh, that was another client. I told him we have about thirty guns left, and they said they’re interested in buying. Speaking of which, Finitevus told me he’d get the shipment back to us by now…”

“He’s bringing them later this afternoon,” Shadow pointed.

“How do you know? He called you?”

“No, I met up with him just now,” Shadow explained. “That’s who I managed to get the loan from.”

Mephiles rose from his seat. “What was the interest he charged.”

“I was able to get us a sixteen percent interest versus the twenty percent he was trying to charge,” Shadow answered.

Mephiles looked stoked. “Wonderful, Shadow! With the money we won from the match last night, the payment we’ll get tomorrow morning from our client, and the loan we’re getting, we’ll be sorted for our next shipment!”

Shadow smirked and nodded. “It’s all business.”

“We should all celebrate tonight,” Mephiles encouraged. “How about the strip club? My treat,” he grinned.

Shadow looked uninterested in the prospect. “Nah, I’ll pass.”

Mephiles scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, yes, how could I forget? You’ve got the dear doctor on your mind. My mistake. Well, take the night off and have fun in other ways then,” he suggested.

Shadow turned on his heel. "I may take you up on that idea..."

•~•

A few minutes later, Shadow approached Amy’s open office door and knocked on the side of the door to get her attention. She was busy re-stocking necessities in the drawers when she turned to see who had knocked. She smiled, seeing Shadow leaning his arm against the doorframe. “Oh, Shadow, you’re back already?”

“Yeah, it was just a quick business errand, but it’s done now.”

She finished shutting a drawer closed and dusted her hands off. “Well, what can I help you with?”

“I was wondering if you were busy tonight.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. “No, not at all. Why do you ask?”

He ran a hand over his quills. “Well, I wanted to take you out—you know, on a proper date.”

Amy’s eyes lit up in excitement, and a smile dazzled across her muzzle. “A date?” she repeated. “That’d be lovely. How should I dress for the occasion?”

“Casual and comfortable,” he replied with a smile. “I’ll pick you up at your room around…say, seven?”

“Sure, I’ll see you then,” she smiled.

•~•

Later that evening, as stated, Shadow showed up at Amy’s bedroom door at seven PM on the dot. Shadow decided to wear his black leather Brothers of Chaos jacket, a grey V-neck t-shirt, black jeans, and his grey Harley Davidson Axel motorcycle boots. He knocked three times and then took a step back as he waited. A few seconds later, Amy’s bedroom door opened, and she stood in the doorway smiling at the darker hedgehog.

Shadow smiled back and took a moment to check out her attire for the night. He had told her to dress casually, and she obliged, but she still looked gorgeous. Amy decided to wear a red plaid open long-sleeve shirt she had rolled up the sleeves to, a white cami tucked into blue denim shorts showing off her long pink-toned legs, and some brown laced-up combat boots. She had also decided to play around with her hair-do tonight. Instead of keeping her hair down like she usually wore, she now had her quills up in a high ponytail but left a few quills out to frame the sides of her face along with her bangs. She kept the makeup minimal and opted just for some lip gloss. Feeling the prolonged silence, Amy shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “Uh, am I dressed inappropriately?” she asked meekly, feeling her cheeks red.

Shadow came out of his daze and chuckled. “No, no, you dressed perfectly,” he insisted. “I was just checking you out, is all. You look beautiful as always, Rose.”

Amy chuckled lightly. “Thank you, Shadow, and you’re looking as handsome as always.”

Shadow offered her his bent right arm. “Shall we?”

Amy hooked her left arm with his right, and the two descended the stairs together. When they got down to the bottom of the staircase. Amy glanced around the house. She peeked into the living room and glanced out one of the windows, looking out into the front yard while Shadow rummaged for his keys at the entryway table. She noticed it was awfully quiet in the house. “Hey, where is everyone else?”

Shadow picked up his keys and reached for the doorknob. “Well, Mighty, Manic, and Mephiles went out to the strip club. Knuckles and Rouge are having their Friday date night, Gadget is in the shop working on some proto-type, and Locke went to bed,” he listed. “So, that just leaves you and me,” he grinned.

The two walked down the front porch steps together and headed for the parked vehicles. Amy was surprised when Shadow led them to a red pickup truck instead. “We’re not taking your bike tonight?”

“I thought I’d change it up a bit,” he replied before opening the passenger door for her.

“Thank you,” Amy nodded appreciatively before climbing into the passenger seat. Shadow closed the door for her and walked over to the driver’s side before climbing in.

While Amy was buckling her seatbelt, she glanced at Shadow, who was currently putting the key into the ignition. “So, will you tell me where you’re taking me tonight, or will this remain a surprise?”

“I’m going to keep it a surprise. Don’t worry, though. I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy yourself.”

Shadow’s car pulled out of the driveway and drove out of the compound and down the road. Meanwhile, a car’s lights parked down the street turned on, and the engine roared to life. The white car slowly began to follow after Shadow’s pickup truck.

•~•

Once arriving at their destination, Shadow led Amy up a ramp leading to Twinkle Park. The place was bustling with excitement as the sound of laughter from children, screams of joy, thrills from the rides, and the buzzing sound of games filled the air. Many families, children, teens, and even other couples mingled in different areas of the park.

“I never pictured you as a park type of guy,” Amy stated as the two walked together.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “My dad used to take Mephiles and me here when we were kids. Are you hungry?”

Amy nodded and placed a hand on her stomach. “Starving.”

“What are you interested in grabbing to eat? Hamburgers, corndogs, pizza, wings?” he suggested.

Amy glanced around as they stopped at the main food plaza section of the boardwalk. She looked at the food options before her. “Hm, pizza sounds great, if that’s okay with you?”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” He gently placed a hand behind her back, reminding her of the time he had done the same back in Tech City. She felt butterflies fill her stomach as he guided her inside.

Unbeknownst to the two, a figure loomed in the shadows next to one of the tents hosting a ring toss game. Shrouded jade eyes watched as Shadow and Amy got a booth in the restaurant together.

Amy and Shadow ordered a large cheese pizza to split inside the restaurant, a basket of garlic rolls, and two sodas. When the food arrived, the two dug in, but not while continuing to ask questions to get to know each other better. “So, what’s your favorite color?” Amy inquired while lifting another piece of pizza and placing it on her plate.

“Black,” he replied after chewing a bite. “Yours?”

“Red or pink,” she replied after swallowing a bite. “I can’t decide which is my favorite. Anyway, next question,” she smirked playfully.

Shadow finished taking another bite and couldn’t help but chuckle lowly at her mischievous expression. “Am I under investigation now?”

“Sort of,” she giggled. “What made you want to be a part of the business you’re currently in?”

Shadow used a napkin to wipe his mouth while he thought about the answer. “Well, my father started this M.C. when I was just a boy. Honestly, my brother and I just fell into it,” he answered with a shrug.

“Is it your passion?” Amy probed.

Shadow leaned back in his seat. “I’m not sure, but I know it’s the only thing I know how to do,” he answered honestly. To be frank, Shadow had never really questioned if he liked the profession he had committed to, but Amy’s questions were starting to get his gears going. “Well, actually, now that I think about it…”

“Go on,” Amy encouraged before taking another bite of pizza.

“When I was with Maria, she never really approved of my involvement in the club. She was aware of what I did, yet, she stuck by my side. At any rate, when we started to get more serious and discussed marriage and starting a family, that was the one time I considered abandoning this life and starting fresh with her.”

“So, why didn’t you go through with it?” Amy continued to question, becoming more curious. “I know you’re quite skilled with other things like repairs. You could go into plenty of other jobs with your skills that don’t involve—well, you know,” she worded carefully.

Shadow chuckled to himself and shook his head. “You sound just like her right now, but to answer your question, I never left because that’s right around the time when she was killed…”

Amy’s countenance deflated slightly, seeing his expression dampen. “Oh, geez, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down…”

“It’s alright,” he insisted. “When she died, I didn’t really see the point in leaving the only people I knew and who had my back. So, I just kept doing what I’ve been doing, and that’s that.”

Amy took a sip of her soda. “Do you think you’ll stick with the club for the rest of your life?”

Shadow shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’ll see where life takes me, but enough about me.” He intertwined his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands. “I think it’s time I start asking the questions,” he smirked boyishly.

Amy lowered the pizza she had been munching on from her face and used a napkin to rub her mouth. “Okay, ask away.”

“Do you see yourself moving on to an actual hospital to help good and sick people instead of us low lives?” he cracked.

“Well, in the future, yes, for sure, but that doesn’t mean I’ll abandon you guys. Right now, you and the club are all I have. You guys have been there for me and made me feel like a part of your family. I could never turn my back on you guys,” she answered honestly.

Shadow reached out and laid a hand across hers, resting on the tabletop. “You’re a good doctor, Rose. I don’t want to see your talents wasted placing band-aids on our paper cuts,” he laughed.

“I appreciate your blessing, but I truly don’t mind,” she smiled. “Becoming a doctor and helping people is my dream and passion. However, I have one final question for you,” she pointed out.

“Alright, go ahead,” he urged.

Amy reached for the basket of rolls and held them out. “Would you still make out with me later if I ate one of these garlic rolls?” she chuckled.

Shadow laughed at her question. “Hell, yes, especially if we both have garlic breath. It makes it all the better.” The two reached for a garlic roll and clinked them together in cheers before taking a bite.

After grabbing a bite to eat, Shadow and Amy went on the Ferris wheel together. As they reached the top of their basket together. The two looked up at the darkened night sky, observing the full moon and the few bright stars that dotted the night sky. Sitting next to each other, they enjoyed each other’s company in silence as they took in the beauty of the night. Amy flinched slightly when she felt Shadow’s right arm snake behind her back and rest on her shoulders. She turned to look at him and noticed him smiling warmly at her with a half-lidded gaze. Amy suddenly felt very bashful as he stared at her, prolonged silence with him so close in her vicinity. “What is it?” she laughed uncomfortably, moving one of her stray quills away from her face.

“It’s nothing,” he replied. “It’s just…I like spending time alone with you.”

Amy felt her cheeks heat up slightly from the compliment and smiled back at him. Amy inched in closer to him and locked eye contact. “Shadow, I want to thank you…”

“For what?”

“For letting me get to know the real you. I know it must’ve been hard, but I feel grateful that I get the opportunity to learn more about you.”

“And thank you for putting up with me for so long. You’ve got some patience, Rose. I’ll give you that,” he chuckled. “So…” he segued, moving in even closer. “You ever made out on a Ferris Wheel before?” he asked, raising a suggestive brow toward her.

“Not that I can recall,” she giggled.

He leaned in closer to her. “Then let’s make that a first for you.” Amy closed her eyes and felt his lips meet hers. She had always heard people claim to feel sparks or explosions when they kissed the right person, and right now, Shadow was ticking those boxes off. She couldn’t quite explain why, but she felt her heart flutter in her chest when he kissed her. Their lips melded together perfectly. Slowly parting and opening their mouths as the kiss intensified, Shadow ran his tongue over her lips, signaling her to allow him entrance. Amy felt her body grow hot as her tongue gently explored the interior of her mouth, grazing her tongue. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her chest against his side as she desperately tried to get closer to him.

The rest of the night was like a dream. Shadow and Amy cruised the park. They went on the bumper cars together, on one of the wooden roller coasters, and did go-karting. Finishing off the evening, the two stopped at one of the carnival-like games when Amy spotted a unique-looking gimmicky carnival game prize dangling from one of the ceilings of the booth. Shadow saw that something had caught her eye as they walked, and he halted in his tracks. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing,” she waved off.

He looked to see where she had been staring and eyed a white stuffed rabbit wearing a flower crown. “You want that?” he asked, jutting his head toward the toy.

“It’s okay, Shadow. I was just looking,” she shrugged.

Wanting to show off his skills in dominating carnival games, Shadow approached the stand. “Give me one minute.”

“Hold on. You don’t have to!” Amy followed him to the booth where a male purple armadillo waited behind the counter for customers in boredom.

“You interested in playing?” the worker questioned dully.

Shadow eyed the type of game he’d have to win to win a prize. It was one of those shooting games where you had to shoot the targets with a Bebe gun that’d pop up and disappear periodically. “I’m in,” he concurred. “How much for that white rabbit dangling from the ceiling?” he questioned.

The armadillo glanced up. “Ten targets with eleven shots,” he replied.

Shadow reached his hand into his pocket for his wallet. “How much?”

“Ten bucks, sir,” he replied disinterestedly.

Shadow handed him over the money and was instructed to pick up one of the Ryder Model 1938 BB shotguns provided on the counter. The worker pressed a switch to activate the bullseyes targets. Shadow raised the gun and closed one eye as he aligned his vision with his target. He kept his finger hovering over the trigger while waiting for his move. Amy stood to the side, watching intently as Shadow collected himself before taking aim and firing. The moment his first target came into view, Shadow pulled the trigger. The target clinked as he hit the bullseye in the center, knocking it backward. Shadow hit each target in the next couple of moments without missing a beat.

CLINK. CLINK. CLINK. CLINK.

While Amy watched on excitedly, she suddenly shifted uncomfortably when she felt a weird sensation. It was almost like a sixth sense- a figure wearing a shrouded red hoodie grazed directly behind her as he walked in the opposite direction. Amy turned to watch the figure as she got a whiff of their cologne—one she was very familiar with. Feeling her hair rise on the back of her neck, she watched the individual disappear into a crowd before shaking off the heebie-jeebies and focusing on Shadow’s game in front of her.

He had now hit five targets on his ten limits to win the prize. The armadillo leaned against his post, not even looking impressed as he chewed on his bubble gum and blew a giant pink bubble that burst along his muzzle just as Shadow shot his sixth target.

CLINK. CLINK. CLINK.

Amy smiled when Shadow hit his tenth and final shot. Shadow lowered the gun and closed his eyes, looking quite pleased with himself. “Hmph.”

Amy hugged Shadow, proud of his achievement of winning the game. “Shadow, you won!”

“Easy,” Shadow smirked and dropped his crossed arms.

The armadillo moved from his post and stood in front of the two again. “Congratulations, sir. You won,” he stated in a scripted, monotone voice. “What do you want for your prize?”

Shadow eyed the rabbit with the flower crown. “The rabbit, right there,” he pointed.

The armadillo sluggishly made his way over, reached for the rabbit, and retrieved it before handing it over to Shadow. “Here you go, sir.”

Shadow accepted the prize before turning and handing it over to Amy. “For you,” he smiled.

Amy leaned up, kissed him on the cheek, and accepted the precious stuffed white rabbit. “Thank you, Shadow. You’re so sweet.”

Next, the two passed a photo booth, and Amy could not resist. It was just something the two had to do on their first date together. Amy dragged Shadow into the booth and placed the money in the slot before selecting all the settings. The screen began the countdown, and the two got into various poses together.

They made a few silly face poses, one of Amy sitting in Shadow’s lap with her arms around his neck. One of them with Amy kissing Shadow’s cheek, another with Shadow kissing Amy’s cheek, and finally, one of them traditionally kissed each other. The two came out of the booth to see the photos develop. Two slips came out each for them to cherish as a keepsake. “I love them!” Amy grinned. The two examined the photos together, laughing at their silliness and cuteness. Amy glanced at Shadow as he cracked a smile and stifled another laugh. It was genuinely nice to start to see the REAL Shadow come out of his shell. She had always thought Shadow was serious, moody, apathetic, and rude, but his guard had dropped once he had admitted his true feelings for her.

Shadow smiled at her. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight, then?”

“Definitely,” she confirmed.

The two passed a funhouse, and Shadow looked intrigued. “Want to go through?” he asked.

Amy nodded. “Sure.”

The two got in line together and eventually reached the front. The worker at the front of the line placed his hand up as Amy and Shadow began to enter together. “Stop right there,” he said, causing them to halt. “Only one person at a time. We don’t like it to get too crowded in there.”

Amy glanced up at Shadow, who nodded, understanding the circumstances, before turning to address the worker. “Oh, okay.”

With that stated, the worker allowed Amy to enter first. Amy glanced over her shoulder as she looked at Shadow waiting at the front of the line. “I’ll meet you at the end of the fun house,” he waved.

Amy gave a weak smile and ventured into the fun house alone.

•~•

At the police station, Silver was in his office doing paperwork when Blaze entered his room. “Do you have a moment? It’s urgent.”

Silver finished writing some notes and lowered his pen seeing Blaze’s solemn expression and tone. “What is it, agent?”

She walked further into the room, clutching onto a clipboard. “I just got off the phone with Agent Zonic’s supervisor in Tech City. He informed me that Zonic never got off the train in Tech City, nor did he report to his headquarters. He’s gone AWOL.”

“Shit…” Sensing the severity, Silver swiveled in his black chair, reached for the phone behind him, and began dialing.

•~•

At the boardwalk, Amy walked further into the fun house. She passed a couple of distorted mirrors—one that made her look fat, one that made her look short, and finally, one that made her look tall and thin. She chuckled at the images and walked deeper into the funhouse. She walked through a hallway where clown faces popped out at her for jump scare effects which were quite amusing, but eventually, she stumbled across a mirror maze. Each wall on either side of her had a standard wall-length mirror. She looked at the plentiful reflections of herself and tried to figure the way out.

She stumbled with finding her directions a few times by bumping into walls with her reflection but was starting to get the hang of it. However, everything came to a screeching halt when she rounded a corner, only to see another figure's reflection come into view. Amy felt her heart sink into her stomach as she stared at the reflection of Zonic. She had felt like someone had been tailing the two, but she shoved her paranoia aside for the night.

Zonic did not utter a word and merely kept a hardened expression on her as he stared back at Amy. “You’re not really here…” she told herself. Amy felt her fists tighten at her side; she hated that his presence brought fear. She couldn’t allow him to have this power over her anymore. “Leave me alone!” she screamed before kicking her left heel into the mirror. The glass shattered, and Amy kept walking, clutching her rabbit tightly to her chest as she continued to navigate the maze. Eventually, she came into another room but faced multiple reflections of Zonic. She gasped and dropped her toy rabbit on the floor.

Zonic began to chuckle, revealing that he was indeed an actual entity and not a fabrication of her mind. “You’ll never get rid of me, baby. You belong to me.”

“I’m not your property, you sicko!” she shouted back, looking at the many reflections.

“Keep telling that to yourself,” he chuckled darkly. “You’re weak and need someone like me to keep you safe.”

“I don’t need anyone to keep me safe. I can take care of myself!” Getting further irritated, Amy ran up to each mirror and destroyed it with a kick or a punch. She was determined to locate the real Zonic and handle him herself.

With one of her punches to the mirror, Amy cried out and gasped as she slit open the tips of her knuckles. “Aaah!” she hissed. She no longer saw Zonic’s reflection and finally spotted the exit to the crazy maze. She ran out, holding her injured hand, just when someone came up from behind and hit her in the back. Her body lurched forward, dropping onto her stomach, completely unconscious.

Because the exit to the funhouse faced the parking lot, Zonic quickly scooped up her limp body, slung it over one shoulder, and rushed into the parking lot with her to escape.

Meanwhile, with Shadow, the dark-striped hedgehog navigated the maze on his own and enjoyed the absurdity of it. He shook his head in annoyance at the clown that popped out of the wall, but he was surprised when he felt his phone ringing in his pocket. Rummaging his hand into his pocket, he whipped out his cell phone and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Shadow?” a male voice asked on the other end.

Shadow continued walking the maze as he recognized the voice all too well. “Deputy? Why are you calling?”

“It’s regarding Amy's safety,” he answered. “I just got the news that Agent Zonic never returned or turned himself into his unit back in Tech City. He’s missing and could still possibly be in Mercia stalking her this very moment.”

Shadow’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“Now, we don’t know for sure if he’s here. We have no evidence, but we’d have to assume he is since he’s been adamant about keeping in close range of Amy. Now, is she with you at the moment, or is she out? I couldn’t get ahold of her over the phone.”

Shadow continued walking. “She’s with me at the moment in Twinkle Park.”

“Good,” Silver sighed on his end. “Keep an eye on her, and don’t let her out of your sight. I don’t want to startle her, but call me if you suspect Zonic might be near, and I’ll deal with him myself.”

Shadow nodded. “Of course, deputy.” With that, he hung up his phone.

However, things took a sharp turn when he came across the first shattered mirror Amy had destroyed. He bent down and looked at the shattered pieces of glass scattered across the floor before quickly moving on to the next room. However, it only became more concerning when he noticed ninety percent of the mirrors had been destroyed, and to make things worse. He spotted her white rabbit and fresh droplets of blood leading their way out to the exit.

His heart sank, fearing the worse. He bent down and picked up the prize toy before looking around in the darkened room. “Rose?” he called, rushing towards the exit door. When he bolted outside, he looked in both directions but did not see her. “ROSE!” he shouted louder, hoping to hear her call for him.

When he got no response and saw no trace of her, he began to panic. “Shit, shit, shit…” he cursed.

AN: Please remember to leave me a review. Your comments, thoughts, and theories are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 16: Date Night Part II

Summary:

Amy is captured and taken to a secluded location with Zonic, where they hash out their past. Shadow and Gadget search for Amy after she is kidnapped and try to find clues about her location. Things escalate between Amy, Zonic, and Shadow, and they come to a resolution. Finally, Amy and Shadow take their relationship to the next step.

Back at Twinkle Park, Shadow made his way to the security headquarters. Thinking quickly, he called back home for assistance, and thankfully the person he was looking for answered. Luckily, Gadget was ready for anything and had arrived relatively fast. He walked with Shadow at a brisk pace while getting caught up on everything that had happened before the call. “You’re sure, Zonic took her, sir?” he questioned as they approached a white building with blacked-out windows.

“Positive, it makes the most sense at this point,” Shadow said before stopping just in front of a building with a metal door.

Knocking on the door, the door parted open as a grey rhino security officer peered out through the crack. “Can I help you, sir?”

Shadow and Gadget stared up at the giant rhino. “We saw two men wearing all-black hoodies armed with AK-47s,” Shadow lied.

The officer tensed up. “Where were they last seen?” he questioned, looking concerned.

“By the Ferris Wheel on the pier,” Shadow pointed, continuing to lie.

The rhino pulled out his walkie and brought it up to his mouth. “Code silver, I repeat, code silver in progress on the pier,” he radioed to the other officers on patrol. Suddenly the door opened, and another officer came running out to join the rhino. “Thanks for the information, sir.” He turned to look at his partner. “Let’s go.”

Shadow and Gadget watched as the two officers fled for the alleged armed and dangerous individuals on the scene. Looking back to the door, Shadow spotted it slowly closing but used his foot to catch it before it fully closed. “Come on,” he gestured, encouraging Gadget to follow him. “We’ll only have a couple of minutes before they figure out I lied.”

The two entered the building, walked further into the room, and spotted many monitors plastered on one wall of the boardwalk along with the control mainframe. Gadget approached the control center and sat in a spinning chair in front of the computer panel. “Where was Ms. Amy last seen?” he questioned.

“We were at the fun house. She went inside, but I never saw her come out,” he explained.

Gadget pushed his black-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose as he began to hack into the system to locate footage. “Hold on a second.” He typed something away on the keyboard before suddenly live camera footage came up in front of the fun house and directly behind it. “Here we go, V.P. I found it.”

Shadow looked impressed by his efficient quickness. “Great, can you rewind the footage for the camera aimed at the back of the funhouse to fifteen minutes ago,” he questioned.

“Yes, sir. I can,” Gadget informed.

“Good. I want to see what happened when she exited the fun house.”

The footage rewound and stopped right at the fifteen-minute mark. Both he and Gadget watched and waited patiently to see what would occur on the footage. Nothing much happened in the footage until a few minutes in. They both watched as Amy staggered out of the exit holding her injured hand, and a hooded figure came up from behind her and knocked her out. The figure then picked her up and threw her body over their shoulder before walking out of camera view.

Shadow cursed under his breath. “Shit…”

“She was attacked just like you said,” Gadget noted. “I can’t tell if it’s that agent, though.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “I know it’s that creep…” Shadow pointed at the screen where the figure had gone out of view. “This area where the guy went out of the camera’s shot. That’s in the parking lot directly behind the chained fence, correct?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Gadget nodded.

“Can you find footage of the parking lot around this time, too?” he questioned.

Gadget began typing away in search of the footage. “Yes, I can do that.”

“Bring it up,” Shadow commanded.

The red wolf typed away on his keyboard, and this time four screens came into view of different parts of the parking lot. He rewound the footage to the time when Amy was kidnapped. They waited patiently and watched as the hooded figure came into view on camera three. “There he is,” Shadow pointed. The two males watched as Amy’s body was placed in the back of a white BMW. “Pause the footage,” Shadow demanded. Gadget paused the footage. “Is there any way you can focus on the license plate number?” Shadow asked.

“Yup, sure can, V.P.” The rookie moved his mouse, selected a part of the screen, and then double-clicked to zoom in. The two squinted their eyes as they read the plate numbers. “YL23G”

Shadow whipped out his phone and took a photo of the license plate. “Thanks, rookie, that’ll do. Now let’s get out of here.”

•~•

When Amy finally woke up, she felt someone holding her hand and wrapping a piece of cloth around it. Her head was throbbing, and her vision was slightly blurred and darkened. Based on how her body felt, she knew she was lying on something soft—most likely a mattress. She grumbled as her eyes fluttered open and she spotted Zonic knelt next to her bed, holding her injured hand with one of his own while the other bandaged her knuckles. Amy gasped and went to move but realized that her other hand was handcuffed to a bedpost. Zonic shushed her, seeing her face grow panicked at his sight. “Shh, shh, babe. It’s okay. You’re safe now,” he assured in a soft tone with a kind smile.

Amy felt herself begin to hyperventilate as she tried to take in her surroundings. She looked all over the room, trying to identify her whereabouts. However, she soon realized she was in some cabin-looking bedroom, but she did not recognize it as her own or any other bedroom she had been in recently. “W-where am I?”

Zonic finished wrapping her hand with bandages and patted the top of it. “We’re at my new place,” he stated.

She blinked a few times in surprise. “You brought me back to Tech City?”

“Not quite, we’re still in Mercia, but we’re just really far out in a secluded area,” he explained. “We’ll continue our travels tomorrow morning.”

“You…you kidnapped me?”

Zonic reached towards her face and caressed the side of her cheek lovingly. Amy flinched from his gentle touch. “I’m sorry I had to do it this way, baby, but I just needed five minutes alone with you to explain myself.”

“Zonic, you’re already in a lot of trouble. Please just let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone you did this,” she pleaded.

His hand pulled away from stroking her face, and she could see the frustration creeping in as his expression suddenly hardened. “I need five goddamn minutes, Amy. JUST FIVE GOD DAMN MINUTES!” he bellowed.

Recoiling from his booming voice, she backed off on her plea. “Okay, okay. Five minutes, sure...” Amy tried to move her other hand to the headboard, still cuffed by the handcuffs. “Um, but can you please uncuff me, at least? This thing is uncomfortable.”

He placed his hands on his hips and cocked a brow. “No way. You’ll try to run like always,” he countered with criticism laced in his tone.

She scoffed and shook her head. “Why would I? I have no idea where the hell I am right now—and you just said we’re in a remote area. It’d be pointless even to bother. You’d always catch me in the end,” she tried to justify.

He stared at her long and hard after she made her point. He tilted his head to the side suspiciously. “…You really won’t try to run?”

She shook her head adamantly, and he paused as he thought about it before caving in. He reached into his right pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked her from the cuff. Zonic helped sit Amy on the side of the bed so she could face him. Amy watched as he walked over to the corner of the room, grabbed a chair, and plunged it down directly in front of her, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Alright,” he started. Amy watched in awe as he reached for both of her hands and took them in his own. He bowed his head before her and closed his eyes. “I know my behavior has been less than chivalrous lately, and I’m working on that. First, I want to apologize for everything I’ve ever done to you to make you afraid of me,” he stated sincerely. “But sometimes love, or passion can make a guy do crazy things,” he insisted with a chuckle.

Even at this moment when he seemed sincere, she had heard this speech countless times before in different variations. He’d suck her in with his promises and then immediately go back on them the next day. However, with her current situation trapped with him in an unidentified location with no means of contact, she knew she’d have to play along until she could plan her escape. “Zonic, you didn’t just make me afraid; you scared the shit out of me, and you hurt me…”

He nodded, listening to her side. “Yeah, I know, babe, but what made it worse was that restraining order you put against me,” he pointed out. “I mean, come on, was it really necessary? It made me feel like a psycho, you know? It only brought the worst out of me,” he laughed uneasily.

“I’m sorry, Zonic,” she spoke softly. “I just had to do it to make myself feel at ease,” she tried to explain.

“So, I, uh, saw you with that Shadow guy in Twinkle Park,” he segued. “It seemed like you two were kind of intimate,” he observed passive-aggressively. “You and him—you know that can never happen, right?”

Amy nodded, trying to comply with him, fearing him lashing out at her again. “Yes, I-I know that. I was stupid to think something could happen between us. He’s dangerous, just like you said.”

He shot her a smile seeing her agree with him. “That’s okay, water under the bridge, babe. All that matters is this moment right here—you and me, Amy. We have the chance to work things out together. Start fresh.”

“Yeah, of course,” she agreed as she continued to lie straight through her teeth.

Zonic released his hold on her hands and smiled optimistically. He rose from his seat and moved next to Amy, sitting beside the bed. He placed his right arm behind her back and leaned closer, looking at her lovingly. “Let’s discuss our fresh start to our relationship. Why don’t you go first?” he pressured.

“Um, okay…” she said hesitantly while she rubbed the side of her arm. “Uh, what exactly do you want me to say?”

“Tell me everything that you think doesn’t work in our relationship. I want to fix it,” he smiled. “Be straight with me—brutally honest.”

Amy brushed one of her bangs as she contemplated addressing it. She wanted to be brutally honest with him, and she had done so in the past—which always resulted in some physical assault from his denial. What was so different about stating it for him this time? “Well, back in Tech City, I was very concerned because you were very possessive over me…”

Zonic placed a hand on the small of her back, making her shudder. He cocked his head to the side as he absorbed her words. “Not sure what you’re talking about here, Amy.”

Her eyes shifted to the carpet floors momentarily. “Don’t you remember that guy I worked with at the hospital? Y-you saw me talking to him while I waited for you to pick me up f-from work a few times. You said I needed to stop talking to him because I looked easy…” she reminded.

“Of course,” he laughed as he slapped his forehead in his ah-ha moment of clarity. “That loser fox guy who was always hitting on you at work.”

He may have thought the guy was hitting on her, but he was just good friends with Amy. However, Zonic did not see it that way. “Yeah,” Amy continued. “And then he disappeared and was found dead in his apartment from apparent suicide…” she said with a suggestive tone.

Zonic blinked in befuddlement. “You think I had some part in his death?” he asked, insult present in his tone.

“You admitted you killed Cosmo,” she reminded. Amy shut her eyes and looked away, expecting to be struck at any moment. “He was so happy. He had a fiancé and was getting married in two months, and suddenly he was dead. What was I supposed to think?” She cracked open one eye to look at his reaction.

His expression suddenly turned dark. “You want to know the truth? I did kill him because you were acting like a dirty little slut around him. You were tempting him. I needed to take care of the guy before he took advantage of you,” he pointed venomously. “I was just trying to protect you!”

Amy leaned back as he wagged a disappointed finger in her face. “But Zonic, that’s exactly why I placed the restraining order against you in the first place. You hurt me, killed two of my co-workers, and worst of all, you raped me several times,” she listed.

“Raped?” he repeated in confusion. “You think I raped you?”

“Zonic, when I told you no, that didn’t mean I wanted to have sex with you. When you forced my clothes off after I did not give you my consent, that was rape,” she explained, tears streaming down her face. “There were so many times I told you no…”

Seeing tears streak down her cheeks, Zonic wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Amy trembled in his arms while he tried to console her. She placed her hands to her face as she wept and felt terrified to be consoled by such a loose cannon. “Aww, I understand. I’m an intense guy, and you’re just not used to being loved so deeply by someone like me. You misinterpreted the situation.”

Amy leaned back out of his embrace, and he looked down at her as she wiped her tears away with the back of her arm. He still didn’t get it? Zonic wiped away a few stray tears from her muzzle and smiled at her. He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Amy, with all my heart.” He leaned in to kiss her, but Amy jolted backward, making him look at her strangely. He lowered his outstretched arms sadly. “Oh, I guess I’m moving too fast, huh?” he chuckled uncomfortably. “Okay, that’s alright. I’ll let that pass for now. But is there anything else you need to tell me? You know to clear your conscience…”

“Like what?”

“…Like our baby?” he hinted with hurt.

Amy froze at the mention of baby. He knew of that secret, too? “…You, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Zonic rose from the edge of the bed and stood before her with his arms crossed and brows furrowed—looking incredibly ticked off. He cracked his knuckles. “So, tell me about it, Amy,” he pressed.

“I-I had an abortion at six weeks, so it was never really a baby, Zonic,” she clarified.

“So, you had an abortion and didn’t bother to ask me how I felt about it? It was my baby, too,” he pointed accusingly.

“Zonic, it was never a baby,” she reiterated strongly.

Feeling his anger rise, Zonic stood there for a moment, looking at her with a hardened expression before he quickly raised a fist and slugged her across the face. Amy flew off the side of the bed and onto the carpeted floors with a cry. She could already feel the bruise forming on her cheek. Amy crawled along the carpet toward the door, trying to gain her bearings, but Zonic walked over the top of her, grabbed her by the back of her long quills, and yanked her up to her feet. “You never gave that baby of ours a chance,” he berated.

Amy lifted her right foot and slammed it down onto his right foot. Zonic screamed in agony and released his hold on her. Amy tried to run for the door, but Zonic leaped out and wrapped his arms around her body in a bear hug. Amy remembered Mighty’s self-defense lessons and utilized one of her learned moves. Before he could drag her backward, Amy hooked her right leg directly behind his, preventing him from moving backward. She then slapped her free hand hard against Zonic’s crotch. Feeling her searing smack, he cried out again and loosened his hold on her. Amy moved the leg she had hooked behind his and then used her other leg to kick him in the stomach, sending him hurtling backward.

Zonic’s back crashed against the bedside table, making the lamp crash on top of his head, stunning him temporarily. In the meantime, Amy desperately looked around the room for her phone as he tried to recover from her attack. She looked on counter surfaces and inside drawers of the bedroom, trying to find a cell phone.

Zonic chuckled as he lay on his side, slightly winded from her blow. “You’ve got some new moves, huh? Your new friends teach you that?” he chuckled with a grunt.

Amy ignored him and kept searching everywhere, but Zonic gained his bearings and quietly approached her as he reached for something attached to his hip. Amy heard a click and recognized it as the sound of the safety release on a gun. She felt the cold metal press against the back of her neck, and she raised her hands in surrender. “You’re not going to find your phone. I threw it out the window on the highway while driving us here. I’m not taking the risk of your new pals pinging your location,” he snickered.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Please, I-I don’t want any trouble,” she avowed, raised her arms, and remained still.

He kept his gun aimed at the back of her head. “For someone who doesn’t want trouble, you sure like to put yourself in it when you try to make moves against me,” he countered.

“I-I just want to go home, Zonic.”

“You are home, baby. You and I will start our relationship fresh and create a family as we dreamed of. Starting right now, actually,” he smirked. “Now, get on the bed,” he instructed. Amy did as he instructed and walked over to the bed. She knew what was coming next. She sat down on the edge, finally facing him and seeing him hold his gun towards her face. “Lie down, beautiful,” he continued.

Amy sighed, laid flat on her back, and watched as he maneuvered himself and crawled on top of her, straddling her hip area. Usually, she would use her self-defense in a stance like this—she knew exactly how to escape now, but with a gun in her face, it made everything more challenging. She could not risk getting shot with her method of running away. Keeping one arm wielding the weapon towards her face, Zonic used his free hand to unzip his one-piece suit to expose his chest and belly. “Alright, Amy, I know you think I’m wrong, but I know this is the right thing to do in my heart. So, I will make sure you and I have a baby together. It’ll bring us closer.”

She watched as he took his cell phone out of his pocket, laid it down on the opposite side of the bed on the nightstand, and placed his loaded gun there too. If she could find a moment to get to those two items, she’d be in a position of power, but it’d be tricky. She’d have to play along a bit longer to lower his suspicion. Suddenly his hands tore at her white cami shirt, exposing her bare stomach and bra. She screamed, seeing him start his act so quickly. “Wait, wait, Zonic!” she cried out.

He stopped and looked down at her. “What now?”

She reached up and held his face. “Please don’t be so rough with me,” she begged. “Be gentle like I know you can be. You said this was a fresh start for our relationship, so make love to me, okay?”

He reached down, stroked her face, and lowered his eyelids seductively. “So, you finally want me, huh?”

She gulped and tried to play along. She smiled wryly. “Oh, yes…but I want you to do it nice and slow,” she explained.

He smirked down at her. “Oh, I can do that.” He leaned down and caught her in a kiss. Amy kissed him back, and they kissed for a long moment moving their lips against one another. Unlike earlier, Amy felt absolutely nothing when she kissed Zonic. It just felt cold and detached or more like a chore. Zonic’s right hand moved up and grabbed her breast, still covered by her bra. He fondled it for a bit, and Amy pretended to moan and be into it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to move against him so he’d roll over so she could be on top while they continued to make out. He obliged as they continued to kiss, and eventually, they rolled over together until she sat on top of him. Zonic stopped kissing Amy and looked up at her as she sat beside him. “You’re so hot, Amy,” he whispered hungrily.

She lowered her eyelids at him and ground her pelvis into his playfully. “You think so?”

He groaned, feeling his member stiffen under her grind. “Mhm, oh yeah…” Amy leaned down and began kissing his neck while eying the gun off to the side. She could reach it if she could get them closer to the other side of the bed.

Zonic closed his eyes as Amy’s hands wandered up his chest and her lips trailed up his neck and eventually met his lips. His hands, in the meantime, groped at her ass and tugged at her denim shorts, begging for them to come off. Amy made fake moans of pleasure to keep him believing this was real. “Oh, Zonic,” she gasped, feeling him squeeze her ass through her jean shorts. “This is the Zonic I like.”

“I’m going to get you so wet,” he said huskily into her ear.

She smirked down at him. “Close your eyes,” she instructed. “I want to give you something.”

He stared up at her and grinned slyly. “You do, huh?”

She traced a finger down his chest, sensually making his skin crawl. “Mhm,” she nodded with a wink.

He purred at her. “Do your thing then, babe.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, but only if you close your eyes. It’ll make it way better.”

“Fine.” Zonic closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head as he waited for what he believed to be a blow job. Smiling internally, Amy knew this was her opportunity. First, she leaned forward towards his chest and began kissing down his chest and belly towards his groin. Zonic’s expression already looked more than pleased as he eagerly waited for his dick to be in her mouth. Amy pulled on the zipper of his one-piece suit and teasingly pulled it down slowly. However, before she pulled it down completely, she reached over him and successfully grabbed ahold of the gun just as Zonic opened his eyes, feeling something was ‘off.’ Both of them locked eyes before Amy went to bring the weapon back towards her. Zonic sat up, reached for the gun, and fought in a battle of tug-o-war for possession of the firearm.

BANG.

Zonic looked down in horror as a large hole in his stomach began oozing blood. Amy was still holding the gun aimed right in that direction and was even a little surprised herself by it. Zonic released the hold of the barrel his gun aimed towards his stomach and pressed his hands against his bloodied wound. Amy used the opportunity to ease off him and the bed and wielded the weapon out toward him. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Amy!” he screamed in annoyance. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Amy backed towards the door, holding the gun out in front of her, and aimed at him. Zonic staggered out of bed, continuing to hold his wound with one hand. “Tell me where the hell we are!” she shouted.

He scoffed at her. “Don’t be a fucking idiot. Come over here and tend to this gunshot wound.”

Amy remained vigilant. “No,” she snapped. “Tell me where I am, or I’ll shoot again!”

Zonic smirked at her arrogantly. “Babe, it’s adorable that you think you’re all tough now, but there is no way you have the balls to shoot me aga—"

BANG.

Zonic looked down at his right shoulder, where she had shot him. He glared in her direction, reeling from the pain. “FUCK!” Blood seeped down his arm. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

She kept the gun aimed at him. “Toss me the phone and tell me where the hell we are!” she shouted more demandingly.

•~•

Meanwhile, Shadow and Gadget drove together, trying to determine how they could locate Amy’s whereabouts with the bit of information they had. “Just where the fuck would this psycho take her?” Shadow questioned. “I feel so helpless right now.”

Sitting in the truck's passenger seat, Gadget typed away on his smartphone. “The closest thing I can do now is track her phone data. I’m assuming the agent was clever enough to toss her phone in fear of us tracking them. However, if we can at least find the phone in the direction they were heading, that’s a good enough start.”

Shadow took a glance at the wolf. “How much farther until we reach it?”

“We’re closing in on it in approximately two minutes,” he answered, looking at his phone with the tracking screen.

Shadow gripped the steering wheel anxiously while he kept his eyes on the road. He could only fathom what Amy was going through right now. He had heard enough stories and details about Zonic to know what he might get up to now that she was in his possession.

Gadget stared at Shadow while he drove as a thought crossed his mind. “Who would’ve thought I’d see you this stressed about Ms. Amy? I thought you despised her after all,” he commented.

“It’s a complicated story that I’ll fill you in on later,” he started while he kept his eyes on the road. “But you’re right. Not even I would have believed myself if someone had told me I’d care this much about the girl,” he admitted.

Gadget smiled weakly. “You really like her then, huh, sir?”

He smiled weakly in return. “I do…”

Gadget looked back out towards the road before glancing at his phone. “Stop the car!”

Shadow hit the brakes, and the car halted on the empty highway. The two got out of the car and looked around the roadside for any form of a phone. “It should be somewhere here, according to the coordinates,” Gadget elaborated.

“Over here,” Shadow waved. Gadget rushed over and watched as Shadow knelt and picked up Amy’s cell phone from the side of the highway in some tall grass. “Now what?” Shadow asked while holding onto her phone.

Gadget glanced up at the streetlights and noticed cameras attached to some posts or electric lines. “Perhaps I could hack into the cameras and search up footage for the white BMW,” he suggested. “It’ll take some time, though, and I know time is of the essence in this situation.”

Shadow ran a hand over his quills, trying to keep his calm. “We need a miracle at this rate…” Suddenly, Shadow felt his pocket vibrating and reached into it and pulled out his cell phone. He noticed the number on his screen was not a number he recognized, but he answered it anyway. “Hello?”

“Shadow? Thank Chaos you picked up,” a relieved Amy Rose said on the other end.

“Rose!” Shadow’s eyes beamed. Gadget looked over to Shadow and looked relieved that Amy had managed to get in contact with them. “Are you okay? Where are you?” he rambled.

“I’m fine, Shadow,” she replied. “But I need you to get here immediately.”

He glanced at Gadget and waved for him to get back in the car. “I’ll get to you as fast as I can. Tell me your location.”

•~•

Ten minutes later, Shadow showed up at the secluded cabin that Zonic had taken Amy to. Amy waited in the living room area of the cabin and paced back and forth, waiting for Shadow’s arrival. Two loud knocks resounded against the door, and Amy flocked towards it and opened it, forgetting what her current appearance looked like.

Shadow stood in the doorway with Gadget by his side and stared at her appearance. Her white undershirt had been torn, exposing her entire belly and bra-covered chest. She had a bruise forming on her left cheek and was holding a gun in her right hand. “Gadget, turn away for a moment,” he ordered. Gadget turned his head to avoid looking in Amy’s direction. Shadow wanted Amy to have some modesty, so he took off his black Brothers of Chaos jacket and draped it over her shoulders to shroud her slight nudity. Amy grasped the jacket and smiled appreciatively at the dark hedgehog, having forgotten about her current appearance. She felt her cheeks go red slightly. “Thank you, Shadow. Thank you for coming to save me.”

He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Of course, but it looks like you took care of things here yourself, princess,” he noted proudly. “Now, where is the bastard?”

She turned to look towards the bedroom. “He’s in there, and Shadow, I-I shot him, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with him,” he stated. She watched as Shadow and Gadget stormed towards the bedroom together.

In the bedroom, while Amy was in the living room waiting for backup, Zonic dragged his injured self closer to the edge of the bed. He knew he had a spare gun loaded under there in case things went south. Luckily, he managed to grab it and hide it behind his back just as Shadow walked into the bedroom. Zonic locked eyes with the dark-striped hedgehog and frowned. “Shit…”

Shadow looked at all the blood soaked into the carpet. There was even some blood splatter on the wall directly behind Zonic that he now leaned against. Amy stood in the doorway of the bedroom as Shadow weighed their options. “Shadow, what do we do? I don’t want to get in trouble for this.”

Shadow walked back towards her. “We can turn him in to the authorities and claim this as self-defense, but I must be honest. He’ll probably serve a few years for assault, but then he’ll be back out on the streets and possibly do this all over again,” he stated.

Amy shook her head, fearing the idea. “No, no, I can’t do this again!”

His eyes drifted to the left in thought. “Well, the other option is…”

“—To kill him?” she said, completing his thought process.

He nodded slowly. “Yes…”

“…That doesn’t feel right either.”

Gadget walked past Amy and into the bedroom. He walked around the room, assessing all the areas where D.N.A. might be lingering in the room to eliminate them in a clean sweep. He and some of the other members of the club were used to clean up evidence of crime scenes—especially ones they were responsible for. “I could clean this up if that’s our option, sir.”

Zonic looked amongst the three and growled as they decided his fate aloud. “You all disgust me.” He glared in Amy’s direction. “Call a damn ambulance, you stupid biker slut.”

Shadow felt his hair rise and stormed towards him angrily from his slur. “Don’t you fucking talk to her like that, you piece of shit!" he shouted while slugging him. Zonic grunted as he landed on his side, then sat up and spat out some blood.

“Shadow, enough!” Amy shouted. “I don’t want to see any more violence. Let’s call Silver and see if we can get him in for more time.”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Alright, it’s your call here.” Shadow turned his back on Zonic and walked towards Amy. However, just then, Zonic reached behind his back and grabbed his hidden gun. Weakly he brought his good arm out from behind his back and aimed the gun straight at Shadow’s back. Luckily, Amy spotted Zonic pointing the firearm at Shadow and quickly reacted by drawing her weapon.

Gadget spotted it, too, as he reached for his weapon. “V.P., look out!”

BANG.

Shadow stared at Amy in bewilderment before turning around and seeing that she had shot Zonic between the eyes. His lifeless body fell backward as a large puddle of blood collected behind the back of his head and along the wall.

Eyes wide, Amy slowly lowered her arms, wielding the gun, and stared at Zonic’s body in awe and shock. Her eyes were welled with tears as a flood of different emotions overcame her—relief, fear, denial, and thrill. Was her nightmare indeed over?

Shadow approached her as she trembled and choked back sobs. He carefully reached for the gun in her hands, took it away from her, and handed it off to Gadget. Within seconds, Amy fell into Shadow’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Shadow embraced her as he stroked the back of her head to console her while she shook. “It’s over now. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“Shadow, what have I done? I didn’t want to kill anyone!” She pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him. “I-I don’t want to go to jail for this,” she cried.

She was hysterical. “Look at me, Amy.” He held her face in his hands and locked eyes with hers. “I promise you I won’t let you go away for this. We’re going to clean this up and make it look like he disappeared, got it?” he tried to explain calmly.

She nodded apprehensively and wiped at her eyes. “I-I’m so s-sorry, Shadow. I messed up, didn’t I?”

Shadow shook his head. “No, you just saved my life again,” he emphasized. “This was survival.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hid her face in his chest as she started to cry again. “I want to go home.”

He stroked the back of her head. “I’ll take you home, I promise. Just let me just make a few calls.”

•~•

Thirty minutes later, Knuckles and Mighty showed up at the cabin. The two got out of another pickup truck and approached the sketchy-looking cabin. As Mighty got closer, he noticed Amy sitting in Shadow’s truck with her head propped against the window holding a pack of ice to her one cheek. “…Ames?”

He rushed to the car to see how she was doing, but Shadow was standing near the side of the vehicle. Knuckles caught up to Mighty and stood next to him. Shadow raised a hand, causing the armadillo to stop getting closer to the car. “What happened to her, man?”

“Zonic attacked her, and she ended up killing him. Just leave her be for tonight. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s still a bit shaken,” he explained.

Mighty frowned at the news. “Shit, man, did he--”

Shadow shook his head, knowing what he was about to question. “—Not this time, thankfully,” he answered.

“Thank Chaos,” Mighty said while he breathed a sigh of relief. “How can we help?”

Shadow turned to look back at the house. “Gadget is already there assessing how to destroy the evidence from the crime scene. I’ll need you and Knuckles to help get rid of the body and then help Gadget in whatever means necessary for covering up D.N.A traces.”

“What about you?” Knuckles questioned.

“I’m going to get her back home. She needs to rest,” he answered. “However, if you need any more help, I’ll return the moment I drop her off back at the compound.”

Knuckles exchanged a look with Mighty momentarily. “I think we’ve got it covered here. Get her home and take care of her.”

Shadow walked over to the driver’s side of the car. “Call me if you need anything. I mean it,” he emphasized.

Mighty waved to him as he climbed into his truck. “Tell Amy I’m thinking about her and wishing her a speedy recovery.”

“I will,” he said. The two watched as Shadow turned on his car and drove back down the trail.

•~•

Once returning home, Shadow walked Amy back into the house but was ambushed by the club's other members. Mephiles, Locke, Rouge, and Manic all stood in the home's entryway, asking a hundred questions a minute to get more details on the event. Amy stayed close to Shadow, still shrouded in his oversized motorcycle jacket, and hid her face in his left shoulder. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and her mascara had run a bit down her face.

“Amy, oh my gosh. Is she okay!?” Rouge asked, looking concerned at Amy’s dismal state. “What happened?”

“Did you kick that freak’s ass, Shadow?” Manic asked, stepping closer. “I hope you got one good hit in.”

“Did he hit you, lass?” Locke questioned, squinting his eyes to assess the damage to her face.

“Is it true the agent is dead?” Mephiles questioned, eying his brother suspiciously. “How did you choose to finish him?”

“Will you all shut the fuck up!” Shadow hollered, eying them individually. “I get that you have many questions, but can we deal with them tomorrow? Amy’s been through a lot and is not ready to address them. She just wants to get to bed, okay?” The three remained silent and watched as Shadow guided Amy upstairs.

Once upstairs in her bedroom, Shadow sat her down on the edge of her bed. While she sat in shock, he stood in front of her, lifted her chin towards him, and turned it slightly from side to side to examine her face for injuries. He noticed the bruise on her cheek was becoming more prominent in color, but for the most part, her face was intact. He took her one hand that was already bandaged and sighed. “Looks like he got a few licks in, but other than that, you look like you’re in good shape, princess,” he noted with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood.

She touched her cheek and winced slightly. “Yeah, he got me once,” she answered solemnly.

“Why don’t you take a shower and get cleaned up,” he suggested. “I’m sure you’re exhausted. I’ll put you to bed afterward.”

•~•

Heading back upstairs twenty minutes later, Shadow knocked on Amy’s bedroom door. “Come in,” he heard her say softly from inside. Obliging, Shadow opened the door and saw Amy taking off a towel from the top of her head. She was already in her pajamas for the night: a pair of blue pajama shorts and a matching cami top.

“All good?” he asked while walking towards her.

She dropped her towel off in her dirty hamper bin. “Yeah, much better,” she replied.

Shadow pulled her bedsheets down for her on her bed. “Well, you’ve had a pretty hectic day. Best to get some rest.”

“Yeah…” She climbed into bed, and Shadow pulled the covers over her. Amy sat up and stared at him. “Hey, Shadow?”

He pulled up her rolling computer chair and sank into the seat beside her bed. “Yes?”

“…Zonic’s really dead?”

“Yes, he is,” Shadow confirmed. “How do you feel?”

“I probably should feel sad since I killed someone for the first time, but honestly, I feel relief. I can’t believe that I’m finally free of him. It feels like a weight has been lifted. Is that messed up to say?”

He shook his head. “Zonic was not a good person. Our justice system would not keep him locked away long enough to keep you safe. His destiny would always end in some death—the only question is, would it be him who met his fate, or would his own hands lead to someone else’s?”

Amy sighed. “Wow, I never really thought of it that way, but you’re right.”

“Killing is always at its core wrong, but I would justify this killing as self-defense. You killed your inner demon tonight.”

Amy smiled weakly at him. “Thank you, Shadow. I appreciate all you’ve done for me.”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled.

“Despite everything that happened tonight—I just want to say that I had a great time with you on our date,” she smiled.

His mouth formed into a reassuring smile. “Really? I guess I did pretty well then,” he laughed lightly.

“Any chance we can continue where we left off?” she asked, feeling her cheeks go red slightly. “I-I don’t want it to end yet.”

Shadow’s ears perked, and he looked at her in surprise at her request. He hadn’t expected her to want to move so quickly, especially with tonight’s circumstances. “A-Are you sure? It’s just you’ve been through so much tonight. I-I don’t want to rush you. I can wait, honestly,” he assured.

Amy swung her legs off the side of the bed and rose. Shadow watched as she approached him and sank into his lap, facing him while he sat in the computer chair. He felt his body freeze at her sudden move. Her hands cupped his muzzle as she stared into his red eyes with her jade ones. “Please, I’ve never had control over my wants and desires in a relationship. I need this tonight.” She leaned her face closer to his, closed her eyes, and kissed him softly.

Shadow closed his eyes and mimicked her actions, kissing her back and holding her steady. He allowed his hands to roam her backside, softly caressing the most intimate parts. Amy felt her body growing hot as their kissing began to intensify. She thrived as she felt his hands roam down her back and gently stroke her ass tenderly. Amy gently ground her pelvis into his, securing a soft moan from Shadow. Suddenly, Shadow pulled his lips away from hers and lifted her into his arms. Amy kept her hands on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved them over to the bed to continue their actions. Amy released her hold around his waist once he laid her down on her back. She watched as he sat up, took off his shirt, and discarded it on the floor. He glanced down at her as she stared back up at him. “Let me know if this becomes too much. I can always stop,” he assured.

Amy smiled up at him for being so sincere and caring. “It’s okay, Shadow. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Nodding, he lowered himself above her and kissed her neck softly while gently grinding himself against her core. Her hands ran up his chest and down his arms, feeling his toned upper body. She could feel his bulge through his pants, pressing against the thin fabric of her pajama shorts. “Shadow,” she gasped softly.

•~•

Back with Knuckles, Mighty, and Gadget, the three had found an excellent location right off the highway to hide Zonic’s body. After digging a large ditch, Knuckles and Mighty each held an end of the clothed body and tossed it into a large dug ditch. Knuckles stared at the wrapped-up body using a flashlight while Mighty walked over and got some lighter fluid out of the back of their truck. He unscrewed the lid and began dunking the liquid all over the body. “Hey, Rookie, get me a lighter,” Mighty called.

Gadget patted one side of his utility belt until he found a lighter. He walked over and handed the armadillo the tool. “Here you go.”

Mighty ignited a flame and held the lighter over the body in the ditch. “One A.T.F nuisance down, one more to go,” he said before allowing the lighter to fall into the pit.

Within seconds, the body combusted into flames, and the three stepped back slightly as they watched the flames lick the sides of the ditch and slowly consume the body wrapped in cloth.

•~•

Meanwhile, both completely nude, Shadow faced Amy while she lay in bed. Her right leg draped over his left hip while his hand caressed her most sensitive opening. With one hand gripping his shoulder, Amy closed her eyes and panted while Shadow’s hand gently trailed over her folds, stroking, rubbing, and teasingly dipping into her core. Occasionally the tip of his middle finger would prod at her opening, driving her wild. She could already feel herself soaking, and he had yet to finger her. Shadow watched as her hips bucked in his direction as his fingers traced her clitoris. He could feel the immense heat emanating from her entrance; he knew she wanted it.

Hell—she was ready for it, but he wanted to get her a little hotter before he moved in for the final stage. While his middle finger finally sunk into her core, Amy gasped sharply from the unexpected move. He had teased her for so long, so feeling his finger deep inside her felt amazing. Suddenly, his head leaned forward, and he began to kiss down the side of her neck before kissing down her breast. He continued to pump his middle finger in and out of her while his tongue trailed around her left nipple. Amy’s hand that gripped his shoulder then trailed her fingertips down his arm and chest and eventually found and stroked at his erection. His hair stood on edge as he felt her fingertips brush down his length and squeeze gently at parts of it. She was familiarizing herself with it and gasped slightly in delight as she rubbed at his head with her thumb.

While he fingered her, he could feel her vagina walls tightening around his fingers, and the slickness as his fingers glided in and out of her with ease. He pulled his fingers out of her and rolled them over so she was on her back, and he was hovering over her with her legs spread. “Are you sure you want this? We can stop now,” he whispered.

Amy shook her head, agreeing to it. “I want to experience this,” she stated. “I’ve never been with anyone else other than Zonic. I want to know what it’s like to be with someone else…”

He reached down and stroked the side of her face. Amy relished in his caress of her right cheek. So far, Shadow had been incredibly gentle and slow with her, ensuring she was taken care of in all the right places.

Shadow leaned down, kissed her slowly, and began to sink closer to her, bringing her lower half closer to his. Amy kissed him back and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth. Gripping his hardened shaft, he rubbed it over her folds, coating it in her sweet juices. Amy felt her body grow even hotter in excitement and anticipation as it rubbed up and down in a vertical fashion. Finally, Shadow slowly sank his entire member inside of her. Her heat encapsulated his whole being, and he shuddered, feeling her warmth and tightness consume him. He pulled his mouth away from her lips, kissed down her cheek, and left hot throat kisses down the side of her neck while he began to thrust in and out of her. Amy wrapped her arms under his arms and secured them around his back as he made love to her. Amy felt her toes curl as his length pushed in and out of her.

She moaned softly and gasped, wondering to herself if this was what made sex so magical. She internally reprimanded herself for staying with Zonic as long as she did. Sex had never felt like this for her. It had always been painful, uncomfortable, and not enjoyable. She had always thought she was to blame for it not being something she had wanted, but Shadow had changed her perspective tonight. Sex could feel wonderful if it was done with the right person. Hearing her satisfaction, Shadow continued to pump in and out of her and began to intensify the speed, picking it up a bit. Amy could feel something building within her she hadn’t felt before. Whatever it was, she wanted it to be reached. She arched her back, allowing her breasts to meet his chest as her grip on him tightened. “Oh, I-I.”

He lifted his head to look at her expression. Her head was tilted back, and her eyes were shut. He could see by how she bit her lower lip that she was just at her peak. He went a bit faster, making her voice lilt an octane as he hit the sweet spot. "Ah..." Suddenly he felt her inner walls spasm around his shaft and came to a slower pace so she could savor the blissful moment of her first orgasm with him. Amy felt herself panting heavily as she came down from her high. Shadow pulled out and flopped down next to her in bed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her flush against him while spooning her from behind. “That was…that was,” she breathed, unable to complete her sentence.

“I aim to please,” he chuckled as he rested his chin on her shoulder from behind.

“Shadow—wait a second,” she said, stopping herself. She turned over in his grasp and looked down between them. “You didn’t, did you--”

He rested a hand on her hip. “It’s okay,” he assured. “Don’t worry about me. Tonight was all about you,” he smiled sincerely.

Her ears lowered slightly, unsure if he genuinely meant it. “…But I want you to feel good, too.”

“Just because I didn’t finish doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself. Taking care of you tonight was good enough for me,” he pledged. “I can always get my shot next time,” he winked.

Amy smiled in relief and pecked him on the lips. “Are you staying with me for the rest of the night?”

“Of course,” he confirmed. “Let’s get some sleep.”

AN: Please remember to leave me a review! Again, they are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 17: The Failed Attempt

Summary:

More information comes to light with Zonic's scheming ways that affect the club in the future. A business associate is injured in a staged hit against Shadow. Meanwhile, Zonic meets with an old associate with past devious business ties.

~Flashback One Day Before the Events~

Agent Zonic sat waiting at the main bar on the outskirts of Mercia. He had a backpack in the seat next to him at the counter as he patiently waited for his client to arrive. Sitting there, he stared at the TV above the display wall of alcohol and sipped casually on a scotch bourbon. Zonic glanced at his wristwatch, briefly noting the time. It was 3:00 PM on the dot. His guest was supposed to show up at three.

However, when he heard the door jingle open, he craned his neck and noticed a male, black jackal in his late 20s saunter into the bar without urgency. He wore traditional motorcycle gear like a grey leather jacket, black jeans, sunglasses, a silver chain dangling from one side, and black boots. His jacket had “Jackal Squad Mercenaries” written on the back, with two pistols as their symbol. The jackal removed his sunglasses, and he noticed his two different colored eyes—one blue and one yellow. The jackal’s eyes wandered the bar before settling in on the blue hedgehog stationed at the bar staring back at him. Zonic glanced away from him and settled for looking straight ahead instead.

The jackal made his way toward the agent and parked himself a seat away on the other side of him, making sure to keep a space between them. “Zonic?” he questioned lowly, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

“That’s right,” Zonic replied, mimicking his actions to keep their business meeting as discreet as possible.

“I’m Zero, but most people call me Infinite,” he introduced. “However, I’m sure you know my background if you've done your research.”

A female white bunny bartender approached the jackal interrupting their conversation. “What can I get you, handsome?”

“Whiskey sour,” he replied. “Heavy on the sour,” he instructed.

“You got it, handsome,” she smiled before walking off to the other side to make his drink.

While the bartender was out of earshot, Infinite continued his conversation. “So, what type of business are we getting up to today?”

“Assassination,” Zonic made sure to keep hushed.

Infinite crossed his arms across the tabletop and leaned forward, his face looking ahead. “Who are we taking out?”

“The Brothers of Chaos—specifically their V.P.,” he answered.

The bartender returned and set down Infinite’s drink with a cocktail napkin. “Here you are, hun.”

Infinite dragged the beverage closer to him. “Thanks, doll.” The female bunny walked away again as another client at the other end flagged her for service.

Infinite watched her wander off before continuing his conversation. “I’m curious as to why you’re aiming for the low-lying fruit. You want to get rid of their V.P., but most of my customers would easily go for the top and eliminate the president first. You’ve piqued my interest.”

Zonic took a sip of his drink and rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter why I want him gone. All that matters is you accepting my job and successfully pulling through.”

“Of course, I’ll take on the job. You should know I have pretty good accuracy when completing a hit. Ninety-eight percent are completed without fault,” he bragged arrogantly, glancing at his clawed fingertips.

Zonic nodded. “Right, right…well, this time it’s going to be a little different. I don’t exactly want you to get your hands dirty—but instead blame the hit on another group,” he explained.

Infinite hummed in thought. “Now you’re starting to lose me…it sounds like this job may be more complicated than I’m willing to take on. It’s one thing if I do it. I know I won’t miss. What is all this messiness worth to me? Because your price is starting to increase.”

“Price is no concern for me.” Zonic reached into his backpack and pulled out a manila folder. “Inside this, I have all the information you need to determine who, how, where, and when the Brothers get their shipment for their merchandise. I know that your group is eager to jump into their industry.”

Infinite eyed the folder with intrigue. He reached for the manila envelope on the counter, but Zonic pulled it out of his reach. “Ah-ah-ah, not so fast. We haven’t made a deal yet,” he tsked.

Infinite scoffed in annoyance and felt his fist tighten. “Lay out the plan, and I’ll decide if it’s worth the risk, hedgehog.”

“You’re going to convince a few members of the Babylon Rogues to take out the V.P. and bribe them with this manila folder’s information to get them to go through with the deal. Once the V.P. is terminated, the Brothers will retaliate against the Rogues and more than likely take each other out. During this process, you’ll eliminate two competitors and lead the industry in the arms trade with the actual coveted information.”

“Sounds like a worthy plan, but won’t the authorities get involved and try to investigate this matter? Sounds like quite the massacre,” he countered.

Zonic shook his head with a grin. “Not at all. If anything, they’ll be happy to have the Brothers and the Rogues out of their hair. Two birds, one stone, you know?”

For the first time during their conversation, Infinite stared hard and long at the blue hedgehog. “How can you be so certain on all of this…Just who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he rebutted. “Are you in or out?”

Infinite stroked his chin as he absorbed the information. “You seem to have accurately planned this all out…I’ll accept.”

Zonic stuck his hand out quickly, and the two shook on it before returning to their neutral position. “Fantastic.”

“Now, as for payment and scheduling,” Infinite segued.

“I’ll wire you the money tonight. I want this done in two days,” he instructed explicitly. “First, there’s someone I need to get out of the way in their group that I don’t want to be involved in the crossfire,” he explained.

~End Flashback~
(PRESENT DAY)
•~•

The next morning, Shadow woke up still spooning Amy in bed. The pink hedgehog was asleep in his arms as he lifted himself slightly to get a better look at her. He removed his arms from around her, rolled over to his other side, leaned down, and rummaged for his cell phone in his pants pocket on the floor. Flipping it open, squinted and noticed the time, and quickly resituated to sitting on the side of the bed. Feeling all the shifting in bed around her, Amy stirred slightly and glanced over her shoulder to see what Shadow was doing. “Huh, what’s going on?” she asked groggily.

Shadow stood upright and finished putting on his pants. “I have to get to work,” he informed her. He reached down and picked up his shirt, and slipped it on. “Sorry that I woke you,” he apologized quietly.

Amy settled her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. “It’s okay,” she mumbled. “Thanks for spending the night with me. It was great.”

“Likewise,” he smiled. Shadow grabbed his leather jacket off the ground and draped it over one arm. He reached for the covers and moved them up higher, past her bare shoulders. After, he bent down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you later, Rose,” he said quietly.

She smiled while keeping her eyes shut. “See ya…”

•~•

Later that morning, Shadow was working on another client’s vehicle when Mighty, Gadget, and Knuckles approached the dark hedgehog. Shadow had yet to speak to the three about their assignment last night, and he was eager to hear how everything had gone. The boys had been gone most of the night cleaning up the crime scene, so they were pretty tired. Shadow glanced up from working on his engine as the three walked into the garage. “Hey, how’d everything go last night?”

“Perfectly,” Gadget said, giving a thumbs up.

Shadow leaned one of his arms over the car's hood as he eyed the three. “So, it’s done then?”

“The body is buried, and the home is thoroughly cleaned,” Gadget replied.

“Good,” Shadow breathed in relief. “And again, thanks for helping me out last night,” he thanked graciously.

The group dispersed and went to work, either starting a new job or continuing to work on a previous one. Shadow returned to working on his car's engine when Mephiles approached him. “Shadow, remember I scheduled that meeting with Mogul this afternoon at 6 PM at The Tavern in town.”

“Thanks for reminding me. It almost completely slipped my mind. I should be done here in time, and then I’ll get cleaned up before we head out.”

He turned to look at the clock on the wall for a second. “Make sure you’re ready so that we can leave on time. You know he hates tardiness.”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “I know, know…”

•~•

Back inside the main house, Mighty spotted Amy just as she headed into the kitchen. She looked like she had just woken up and was now fully dressed but still rubbing at one of her eyes as she walked. “Aye, Ames!” he grinned and waved.

Amy paused in the doorway and lowered her hand from rubbing her eyes. She smiled in his direction. “Oh, hey, Mighty.”

He caught up with her, and the two entered the kitchen together, where Rouge was already at the sink washing dishes. She smiled as Amy walked over and sat down at the kitchen table. “Well, good afternoon, Amy. Finally woke up, I see...”

“Heh, yeah…” Amy smiled sheepishly at the white bat. “Good afternoon, Rouge.”

Mighty sat down beside Amy at the table. “I, uh, just came to see how you were doing,” he informed. “I want to ensure you’re okay. That is, if you’re fine talking about it. I was worried sick about you last night.”

“That’s sweet, Mighty. I’m better today, so that I can talk about it,” she replied.

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I noticed you’ve got a gnarly bruise on your cheek,” he said, pointing to his own for reference. “How’d my training hold up then?”

“Honestly, if it wasn’t for your coaching, I think I’d be in a lot worse shape today,” she replied. “I’m very fortunate this is the worst damage he did to me because I’ve experienced a lot worse from him in the past…”

“Shadow pretty much filled me in on everything that happened last night this morning. The only thing he continues to leave out is the details of your date night,” Rouge groaned in frustration. “Any chance I can get some deets?”

Amy felt her cheeks redden at the thought of their date night. So much for trying to keep their dating on the down low. She was sure everybody in the M.C. knew about them at this point. “Well,” she began. “It was great…Shadow was lovely, and our date was surprisingly romantic,” she answered.

“Awww…” Rouge sighed like a hopeless romantic. “To be honest, you two remind me of Knuckles and myself.”

“What do you mean?” Amy inquired.

“Oh, you know. We couldn’t stand each other at first—couldn’t see eye to eye, then we both realized we liked each. We’ve been inseparable ever since,” the bat explained.

Amy leaned her chin along her hand resting on the table. “How long have you been together?”

“Almost four years now. It’s crazy to think about…Our anniversary is only in a couple more days…” Amy blinked in surprise before Mighty segued the conversation.

“Are you guys doing anything to celebrate it?” Amy inquired curiously.

“Eh, I’m not sure,” Rouge shrugged. “We’ve been kind of busy to plan anything.” Amy hummed to herself as an idea crossed her mind—one she’d save for later.

“So…Where’d you two get your chow on?” Mighty questioned curiously, shifting the conversation.

“He took me to this pizza place just at the beginning of Twinkle Park, and I must say the pizza was fantastic,” she praised.

“Oooh, I love that place!” Rouge exclaimed. “Sometimes Knuckles and I swing by there and grab a calzone. They’re really good, too.” She placed a hand on her hip. “I’m so happy Shadow finally came around on you—he’s in desperate need of a nice girl like you, Amy. He’s been out of the dating field for some time. I think you’re the first girl he’s dated since…well, Maria.”

Amy’s ears perked in intrigue. She was surprised Shadow hadn’t dated in some time. After all, he was quite handsome, and she had to assume plenty of girls would go after him. “Really? He hasn’t dated anyone else?”

Mighty shook his head, leaned back in his seat, and put his arms behind his head. “Nah, I wouldn’t count one-night stands as dating,” he chuckled. The room went silent, and Mighty glanced between the girls feeling the atmosphere shift from his comment.

“…One-night stands?” Amy repeated, a little alarmed by the remark.

Mighty cringed slightly, realizing he may have made Shadow appear a little less respectful in Amy’s eyes from his statement. Even Rouge was side-eying the armadillo for revealing too much of Shadow’s history. “Oh, uh, you know what…never mind. I gotta get back to work—loads of cars to repair, you know.” He quickly got out of his chair and jetted out of the room to avoid further discussing Shadow’s past.

Amy turned to look at Rouge, who was now drying off plates with a dish towel. “Is it true? Did Shadow have a lot of one-night stands before dating me?”

Rouge lowered the plate into the dish rack. “Honestly, Amy, I don’t think I have a right to talk about Shadow’s sexual history. If this is something that you truly want the truth about, then I’d talk to Shadow about it. I’m sure he’d be forthcoming with you.”

Amy rose from her seat. “You’re probably right. Thanks for the advice, Rouge.” She began to exit the kitchen but grabbed an apple on the way out. She wasn’t sure why she’d allow something like this to bother her so suddenly. They had only just started dating. Obviously, Shadow had slept with other females before. She shook her head, pushing it to the back of her mind. She didn’t need this to be an issue so soon until it became one. “…Anyway, I need to work on some of my classes.”

•~•

Noon – The Tavern

Sitting in a rounded booth in the back corner of the restaurant, Shadow, Mephiles, and Mammoth Mogul, a large set brown mammoth elephant in a purple suit, conducted business together. There was a smoky haze in the air from all the cigar smoke coming from Mammoth’s large cigar held between his index and middle finger. Manic sat in another booth directly behind him and watched while the business meeting went down. There were no other customers in the restaurant, and the “closed” sign had been flipped on the front door to prevent innocent civilians from entering their private domain. The only other person in the restaurant was the bartender—a gray male coyote, a good friend of Shadow’s who was cleaning a glass with a rag and minding his own business.

Mammoth Mogul, leader of the Order of Ixis, was delighted to hear that Shadow and Mephiles had managed to get enough money again to buy a new order of guns. He puffed out a large cloud of smoke from his cigar and glanced at the two brothers sitting across from him. “This is excellent news and will continue to keep our business afloat. I’m glad you managed to get the money in time,” he commented.

“I am too, Mr. Mogul,” Mephiles nodded. “How is your side doing?”

“Well, I’m saddened to say we lost Charles yesterday,” he spoke solemnly.

Manic’s eyes widened in alarm, and he turned around in his booth. “Wait, as in my uncle Charles?”

Mammoth turned slightly to address the green hedgehog peering over the side of their booth. “That’s correct. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. We were trying to deal with the matter yesterday, and time passed. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Manic ran a hand through his bangs as his breath hitched. He shook his head in denial. “No, man, this can’t be true. I was talking to him a few days ago.”

“One of my rival competitors, Amadeus Prower, beat him to death on one of the piers in Metropolis.” He sighed. “I’d do anything to get justice for Charles.”

Manic turned back around and sunk into his seat. “Oh, Chaos, Uncle Chuck…”

Shadow frowned, seeing his comrade so distraught, and began to rise out of his seat to console him. “Manic, I’m so sorry…”

However, two male birds suddenly entered the building despite the closed sign dangling on the front door. One was a brown owl, and the other male was a silver falcon. Both were dressed all in black hoodies and trousers. Shadow stared at the visitors feeling something was off based on the vibe. At that same time, the bartender glanced up from organizing the alcohol rack when he spotted the intruders looming in the entryway scoping out the room. “Sorry, we’re closed. You’re going to have to leave.”

Quickly composing himself, Manic hopped out of his booth and reached for his pistol strapped to his side, sensing something was off with their new unannounced guests. He was devastated and eager to take out his anger on the next person asking for trouble.

However, the two unnamed birds pulled out their guns and aimed them in Shadow, Mephiles, and Mammoth’s direction. The bartender rushed to the back of the store, but Shadow immediately caught a glance of their guns aimed in their direction and shoved Mephiles down and under the booth just as they began to shoot toward them. “Get down!” he shouted.

Manic pulled out his gun and began shooting at the two assailants. The two birds ducked behind some upturned tables they had kicked over to use as shields as they waited for another moment of attack.

Mammoth did his best to get out of the booth in time, but due to his large size, he was unfortunately clipped by a bullet in the shoulder. He bellowed and fell to the floor with a tremendous thud, but Manic leaped in front of him, kicking down a table nearby to shield Mammoth and himself from any more attacks.

Meanwhile, Shadow loaded his gun under the table while the two hid. “Don’t,” Mephiles reprimanded. “Allow Manic to handle it.”

Shadow shook his head. “No way, it’s two against one out there.” Mephiles watched as Shadow popped back above the table, laid his arms with his gun aimed at the tabletop, and took a few shots at the silver falcon who had popped his head out behind the side of their makeshift table shield. He managed to get a clean headshot and watched the bird crumble to the floor. Leaving just the owl left, he came barreling out behind the table and began shooting rapidly at Shadow and Mephiles’ booth, but both Manic and now the bartender emerged from the kitchen with a shotgun managed to hit the owl dead. The brown predatory bird dropped face-first into the carpet.

Seeing the clear coast, Mephiles and Shadow emerged from their hiding spots. Shadow rushed over to Mammoth and crouched down to assess his damage. “Mr. Mogul, where are you hurt?”

“S-shoulder,” he gasped.

Shadow moved the hand he had pressed against his shoulder and saw the large hole oozing blood. “Fuck…” He looked over to Manic with urgency. “Manic, call Mighty and tell him to bring Amy over here, stat!” he ordered.

Manic nodded. “You got it.” He reached into his back pocket and began dialing his phone.

Shadow glanced over to the bartender. “I need some fresh rags to apply to the wound in the meantime to prevent any more blood loss.”

The coyote nodded frantically. “I’ll grab some from the back,” he said before rushing off.

Shadow looked down at Mammoth, whose breathing hitched. “Don’t worry, sir. We won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised.

In the meantime, Mephiles took the time to examine the now-deceased bodies of their attackers. He looked at the dead falcon’s arm and lifted it, noticing a prominent tribal tattoo. “These were Babylon Rogues who attacked us.”

Shadow watched as the bartender came back and handed Shadow some clean rags. He accepted them and pressed them down firmly against Mammoth’s wound, warranting a pained grunt from him. He focused on Mammoth’s wound while listening to his brother. “Well, they are birds of prey,” he noted. “They were probably after you.”

Mephiles flipped over the falcon and patted him down, going into his hoodie and pants pockets before stumbling across a crumbled picture. He uncrumpled the image and stared, surprised, before glancing at his younger brother. “They weren’t after me, brother.”

Shadow looked at him over his shoulder. “How do you know for sure?”

“Because you were their target,” he announced, holding up the picture of Shadow.

•~•

1:30 PM – Deerwood Lodge Motel, Mercia

Meanwhile, at the Deerwood Lodge Motel, Infinite and a few of his men spent their last day in Mercia at a local motel. Inside their hotel room, Uno, a brown jackal with a green bandana, lounged on the sofa with a beautiful female grey jackal in his lap. The two made out passionately while Slade, another male white jackal, watched TV from his bed.

Infinite emerged from the bathroom and looked at the sickening display. He stared at Uno making out with the slutty girl before setting his site on Slade, mindless, watching TV like a zombie. “How pathetic…”

He headed for the front door, and Slade caught him heading out. “Where are you going?”

“To grab something to eat from the vending machine. I can’t continue to watch this sickening display any longer,” he explained, gesturing to the other two.

“Eh, you just gotta learn to tune them out, boss,” Slade shrugged.

Infinite scoffed and headed out, leaving the door cracked so he could quickly enter when he returned. He sauntered down the hall, turned the corner of the building to the vending machine, and stared at his food choices. However, at that same time, two ski-masked male birds wearing all black kicked open the hotel room door Infinite was staying at.

Down the hall, Infinite waited patiently as his bag of chips dropped in the vending machine and reached in to grab them just as he heard loud gunshots coming from his room’s direction. He quickly rushed over, peered his head out down the hall, and saw bright flashes from automatic rifles. Screams of agony were heard until it was silent. He remained hidden as he watched two masked birds flock back to their getaway vehicle with Zonic’s manila folder in hand—the same one that had all the information of how, where, and when the Brothers of Chaos got their weapons into Mercia. That was his to keep, and they had just stolen it. He ran back to his room, where he saw the bloodshed the two birds had left behind. All three of his friends were dead.

•~•

1:30 PM – The Tavern

After being called, Amy and Mighty finally emerged into the building. Amy carried a case full of medical supplies as she approached Mammoth, who was now laid on top of the table to use as a makeshift examination table. “Over here,” Shadow waved.

Amy rushed over with her medical supplies, laid the case on the floor, and opened it up. She looked around the empty restaurant and noticed two bloody spots on the carpet where two bodies once lay. Tables were knocked over onto their sides, and broken glass was everywhere. It looked like a warzone. “What happened here?”

“Two members of the Babylon Rogues attacked us,” Shadow explained. “Mr. Mogul wasn’t as lucky and got caught in the crossfire.”

“Oh my…” She looked alarmed by the news. She places a hand on his arm. “Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, were you?”

He shook his head and placed his hand over hers, resting on his arm. “Not at all. We’re all fine except for Mr. Mogul.”

“I’m surprised the cops haven’t shown up yet,” Amy noted, looking around the empty bar.

“I am too. I guess no one reported any heard gunshots,” Shadow deduced. “It’s better if they never show up…”

Removing her hand from his arm, Amy snapped on a pair of fresh gloves. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.” She walked over to the table he was sprawled across, lying on his back. “Hello, Mr. Mogul. My name is Amy Rose. I’m their on-sight doctor, and I’m going to tend to your bullet wound.”

“Of course, that’s right,” he gasped. “Shadow told me all about you. He said you worked on him for his recent gunshot injury. It’s good to know I’m in good hands.”

She smiled slightly, flattered Shadow was talking highly about her. “Yes, I did. I’m going to take good care of you today, but I first need to ask you to remain very still while I examine your wound.” She looked over her shoulder at Mighty, standing by the doorway. “Mighty, do you mind assisting me?”

“Sure,” he replied as he wandered over.

“Grab a pair of gloves from my case,” she instructed.

Shadow walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you need anything else from us?” he whispered.

“No, I have it covered here,” she whispered back.

“Okay, Mephiles, Manic, and I will be outside if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” she smiled before turning her focus back on her patient.

A few minutes later, Manic, Mephiles, and Shadow stood just outside The Tavern as they tried to determine why the Rogues had placed a hit on them. “So, you think this shit was just about us or us and Mogul, too?” Manic questioned while he kept his hands in his jeans pockets.

Shadow exhaled some smoke from the corner of his mouth as he smoked a cigarette to calm his nerves. “I don’t know,” he shrugged with uncertainty. “How would Jet know about Mogul? Nobody knows he’s our liaison to our gun shipments.”

“Well, I say we make an attack tonight,” Mephiles stated. “After all, they were targeting you. When someone goes after our own, it's blood for blood.”

Manic cracked his knuckles, still reeling from learning about his uncle’s death. “I agree. I’m in the mood to fuck some people up tonight.”

Shadow shook his head in disagreement. “No, we’re not going to war with them. Right now, we have no cash, no weapons surplus, and not to mention we’ve still got an A.T.F agent in place breathing down our necks, waiting for our next move.”

“So, we already wired our money to the Order,” he shrugged, not seeming concerned. “We can always find cash and weapons with other methods,” Mephiles countered. “The question is, are you with us, brother?”

Shadow remained silent, and Mephiles and Manic exchanged concerned looks at his lack of response. “…Yo, Shadow?” Manic asked and waved a hand in front of his face.

Shadow closed his eyes for a moment as he contemplated the idea. He glanced into one of the windows and stared at Amy as she worked on mending Mammoth’s wounds. Manic and Mephiles followed where his eyes directed and noticed whom he was looking at. Shadow’s eyes parted from the window, and looked towards the sidewalk. “I’m not sure this is the right move for us. We need to be smart about this. Otherwise, there will be a lot of unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Why are you troubled by bloodshed so suddenly? It’s never bothered you before,” Mephiles pointed out.

“Things are changing, and I don’t want to be as reckless. We’ve lost too many good people over the years on our side from impulsive decisions,” he argued.

Mephiles cocked his head to the side as he observed his brother’s body language and wording. “I think you’re the one who is being a little impulsive, brother.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow and took another drag of his cigarette. “Why do you say that?”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest with judgment. “There’s a reason I favor getting what you need from female companionship and retreating afterward. I think our beautiful little doctor is distracting you from your commitments to our club,” he argued passively. “Don’t tell me your feelings for her are already that strong…”

Shadow looked entirely insulted by the idea. “You’re insane! I went out of my way to get a loan for these guns. When we stole back our shit from the Suppression Squad, and you were insistent that we steal some of their supply, I disagreed with it then, but I went with your decision and ultimately almost died when they retaliated the next day,” he reminded. “I’ve always had your back on decisions, but I have to put my foot down this one. This violence will warrant both of our sides being wiped out. We need to collect more information before attacking.”

Suddenly, the door opened, and the boys turned to see Amy standing in the doorway with a bit of Mammoth’s blood on her scrubs. She looked amongst the boys and smiled sheepishly with all their eyes upon her. She felt she had interrupted a pivotal moment in their conversation. “Oh, sorry to interrupt your conversation, boys, but I need to speak with Shadow for a moment.”

Shadow exhaled his last drag and flicked the butt of his cigarette out onto the curb, and stomped it out. “Be right back,” he told the two before following her inside.

With Mephiles and Manic remaining outside, they both felt a wariness in their stomachs from Shadow’s opinion on the matter. “I’m concerned about your brother, man,” Manic started. “He’s wavering…”

“I know, I’m seeing it too,” he concurred.

“I mean, if you ultimately decide we go to war with the Rogues, he can’t be halfway with us. He has to be fully committed.”

“You’re right.” Mephiles sighed. “I’ll continue to work on him to see our side of the argument. Now, let’s dispose of those bodies before morning.”

•~•

Back inside the restaurant, Amy walked Shadow back over to the table where Mogul was resting. Mighty was sitting in a seat nearby with a tube in his arm going into Mogul’s arm. “I managed to get the bullet out and patch his wound. His shoulder is shattered, though, and he’ll need to go in for surgery. We’ll need to move him in a few hours, but he should be out of the woods. He was fortunate the bullet missed any other part of his body,” she explained.

Shadow seemed relieved by the news. “That’s great to hear. Good job as always, Rose.”

“She kicked ass like always, Shadow,” Mighty piped in from his seat. “Rouge did a stellar job selecting her as our doc,” he grinned.

“Yes, I must agree. The more I see you out in the field, the more impressed I become with your skillset,” Shadow noted and placed a hand on her upper back. “Thanks for helping us again.”

She nodded with a faint smile before another thought crossed her mind. “So, what exactly is going on here? It seems like things are getting pretty serious.”

He looked hesitant at first. “I can’t explain everything right now. We’re still figuring out what exactly is happening, too,” he explained. “When I find out more, I’ll explain what I can discuss.”

•~•

Later that evening, at the compound, Detective Vector and Espio arrived at the house. After hearing a knock, Rouge opened the doors and glanced at the two, surprised by their unplanned arrival. “Oh, detectives, how can I help you?”

“We need to speak to Mephiles.”

“Right, come on in.” Rouge opened the door allowing the two detectives inside. “Mephiles, you got company,” she announced, walking into the dining room with the two.

Mephiles was sat at the dining room table reading the paper. The older dark hedgehog eyed the two with curiosity. He lowered his newspaper. “What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you, detectives?”

“We need to bring you down to the station for questioning,” Vector began.

Mephiles scoffed in annoyance. “Really now, why?”

“Someone went after a few members of the Jackal Squad Mercenaries earlier this afternoon,” he explained. “We know they’re not normally from around these parts, but a few were staying at a motel in town.”

Mephiles seemed baffled by the reveal. Another group of bikers had been attacked, too? His expression turned perturbed, hearing his doubtful tone. “…You think it was us?”

“Some construction workers stumbled across two dead Babylon Rogues buried in a ditch off exit 92 half mile out of town,” Vector added with suspicion. “They’ve only been dead for a couple of hours. Also, didn’t you say you got in a scuffle with them at a bar two nights ago?”

Mephiles cursed himself internally for not finding a better burial ground for disposing of the bodies. He shrugged without compassion, only further irritating both Vector and Espio. It was apparent they believed they were involved in some manner. Vector crossed his arms over his broad chest and disappointedly shook his head. “This is not funny anymore, Mephiles,” he scolded. “Five D.B’s…do you know what kind of heat that brings us on?” he asked.

“Look, detectives…the body count could’ve been a lot worse,” Mephiles interjected. “Last night, two Rogues came in and tried to take out my brother. Instead, they accidentally shot one of our dear business friends. Thankfully, our doctor was able to stabilize and save his life.”

“…Chaos,” Espio breathed, realizing this was becoming a bigger ordeal.

“We had nothing to do with the Jackal Mercenaries,” Mephiles avowed. “However, those bird-brains were the result of their stupidity,” he exclaimed in irritation. “I’ve ensured this shit didn’t land smack in the center of Mercia.”

“…Barely,” Espio noted passive-aggressively.

Mephiles snapped his head to the right, glaring at the purple chameleon. “…What did you just say, lizard?”

“Hey, cool it, Mephiles!” Vector snapped. “He’s frustrated because now it’s becoming harder to clean up your mess and keep you protected,” he explained. “You realize we still got that bossy A.T.F cat lady strutting around our office…”

“Like Vector pointed out, this mess will bring her circling back to your club. There is only so much we can do to keep you out of the fed’s eyes,” Espio reminded.

“Pff…we’ve always managed,” Mephiles said, rolling his reptilian eyes, not as concerned.

Vector placed a hand on his forehead and sighed at Mephiles’ attitude. “Alright, you’ve gotta come with us into the station. For real, no playin’ around.”

Mephiles shrugged, still irked with the whole matter. “Fine with me. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

•~•

In the other room over, Amy and Shadow sat together on the bottom of the staircase as they tried to listen in on the conversation. Amy nervously fiddled with her hands, fearing the worst scenario had come true. “Do you think they found his body, and that’s why they’re here..?” she whispered.

Shadow placed a hand on her knee. “Rose, if they were here for you, they would have asked you to talk to them first. They’re talking to my brother. You don’t have to worry. It’s probably just club business,” he assured.

“But Shadow…what if they found his body and they think Mephiles had something to do with it instead?” she theorized quietly.

“There’s no way. The others did an excellent job of disposing of the body.”

Amy placed her hands to her face. “I-I don’t know how you can be so calm in a moment like this.”

Shadow placed an arm around her and brought Amy’s head to rest against his shoulder. “You start to become numb to this type of stuff when you’ve been involved with it long enough…”

Vector, Espio, and Mephiles walked out of the living room and headed toward the front door. Amy lifted her head from his shoulder and moved her hands as she heard their footsteps. The two watched as the three emerged around the corner. Shadow stood and looked at the three when they walked past. “What’s going on?”

“Brother, I must go into the station for questioning. I don’t want you leaving the compound for any reason until I return. Do you understand?” he stated sternly.

“Okay, but tell me what’s happening first.”

Mephiles looked away. “I’m sorry. I can’t right now.” Shadow stared back at his brother in befuddlement before eying the two detectives.

Espio looked in Shadow’s direction. “We’ll inform you more when we can.” The three left the house, leaving Shadow even further confused. Amy rose from sitting on the staircase and approached Shadow. “What the hell is going on?” she questioned.

“Not a clue,” he confirmed.

Amy could see and hear the concern in his voice and body language. She reached out and grabbed his hand, and stood beside him.

•~•

At the police station, Vector and Espio were in their private office with Mephiles. Vector sat in his oversized computer chair behind his desk while Espio stood on the other side of him. Mephiles sat on the other side of the desk with his arms crossed and stared out the window. “Honestly, I didn’t see this thing coming,” Mephiles droned. “Us and the Rogues…we really don’t have much history. They’ve always done their thing, and we’ve done ours. Our paths haven’t crossed,” he explained.

“It does seem strange that they would come after your brother and the Jackal Mercenaries so suddenly,” Espio spoke. “It’s quite bold.”

“Well, Meph, you and us always had one deal when we chose to work together,” Vector began. “Keeping blood and greed away from our home.”

Mephiles pulled his eyes from looking out the window. “Yes, and we’ve done that,” he reminded.

“Until now,” Espio piped in.

“Why are you two so irritable today?” Mephiles questioned. “We’ve always been on the same page. Why is there so much doubt in our club suddenly?”

“Look, we fear that this little thing will not end here. We’re worried you will bring more violence into the city.”

Mephiles sat further forward in his seat. “I can’t promise you violence will not ensue; I can promise it won’t occur within Mercia. Just don’t get involved in my end of this game, old friend,” he warned.

“Well, your old friend is telling you this back-and-forth vengeance shit can’t go on. It’ll never end,” Vector argued.

There was a long pause before Mephiles sunk back in his seat and gave an uncomfortable but insincere response. “Fine…”

Espio and Vector picked up on his insincere tone and watched as the dark-striped hedgehog rose from his seat and looked out the window to his right past the blinds. Espio marched over to Mephiles as he observed the bustling of the police station parking lot. “You take out the Rogue’s leader, and you’ll trip a wire that sends this city into the history books,” he warned.

“You worry too much, Espio,” Mephiles replied with a pitiful head shake. “I’ve got it under control.”

Growing further frustrated by Mephiles’ indifference to the matter, Espio grabbed Mephiles by the collar. “No, you don’t!” he barked. “Next time, it’s not just gonna be a few of your guys getting hurt or worse…it’ll be friends, family members, innocent citizens of this city,” he countered.

Mephiles remained calm as he was thrashed about in Espio’s intense and passionate grasp. His reptilian eyes stared back at the chameleon with boredom. “Are you quite finished?”

“He’s right,” Vector said, rising from behind his desk. Espio released his hold on Mephiles and backed off. “Our deal was always outlaws live in Mercia, and shit happens beyond the border. You can’t change the rules, or shit goes to hell.”

Suddenly, Silver walked past their cracked office door and glanced in, seeing the three discussing. Silver scoffed at the sketchy sight and shook his head before walking off.

“And that, right there,” Vector said, pointing to where Silver once lingered. “Is exactly what Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes wants. He wants hell to break out in Mercia, so he can prove you guys are the problem and put you away for good.”

Rolling his eyes, Mephiles groaned in annoyance. “Alright, alright, I heard your goddamn plea already. There’s only one thing that’s going to make this thing work.”

“And what’s that?” Espio inquired. The two watched as Mephiles sauntered over to their cracked office door and placed his palm to it, shutting it closed from prying ears. He glanced over his shoulder back at the detectives. “Have Deputy-Goody-Two-Shoes pick up Jet the Hawk and bring him here for questioning.”

Vector stared at Mephiles in awe at his large request. “Oh, sure! Should I make sure we pick up take-out on the way back, too?” he replied sarcastically.

“Listen, bring in Jet, and if you can get your hands on Zero, bring him in too. I’ll talk to them and figure out who was responsible for this whole mess.”

Vector sighed as he contemplated the idea. “I dunno, man…”

“Hey,” Mephiles snapped. “In a couple of hours, I’m going to bring both charters together to vote on conducting a war. If I were you, I’d take my first request,” he hinted.

“Vector, we could let him talk to Zero in the meantime,” Espio suggested. “We do have him in holding currently.”

“You nabbed him already?” Mephiles questioned in surprise.

Vector nodded. “Yeah, we viewed the footage outside the motel and saw that he was present at the crime scene right before and after it occurred. He hasn’t said shit to us, though.”

“Allow me to do the interrogation then,” Mephiles recommended placing a hand on his chest. “We have worked together in the past,” he alluded.

•~•

As requested, Espio and Vector slipped Mephiles into the holding cells where he could privately talk to the black jackal. Espio unlocked the door to Zero’s cell and allowed Mephiles inside. Zero sat on the bench provided in his cell and glanced up from his hunched-over position as he stared at the dark-striped hedgehog walk over to him. They closed the door and locked both of them inside the cell. “If you need us, we’ll be keeping watch just outside the holding room,” Vector instructed. “You’re not supposed to be in here after all.”

“We should be fine, detectives,” Mephiles assured.

Vector and Espio nodded before departing and allowing the two males to converse. Once alone together, Zero sat more upright on the bench. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been face to face, hasn’t it, Mephiles?” Zero began.

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing your face anytime soon,” Mephiles rebutted.

“So, how is your brother?” Zero asked, trying to pry for information. He was eager to hear if the hit was successful, unbeknownst to Mephiles.

“He’s doing well—alive and kicking,” Mephiles replied before shooting him a judgmental glance. “So, what’s your deal with the Babylon Rogues?”

“They double-crossed me,” he admitted.

Mephiles raised a brow. “What happened exactly?”

Zero put his hands out defensively. “Now, just hear me out for a second,” he began. “This is all going to sound ridiculous…”

Mephiles already felt looming discouragement by his tone and setup. “I already don’t like where this is going…”

“The Rogues were supposed to do the hit on your brother for coveted information on my part, but they decided to go through with the hit, all while trying to take me out too and steal the information I promised them,” he explained calmly.

Hearing this revelation, Mephiles reached out and grabbed Zero by his collar, yanked him off his seat, and brought him inches toward his face. “You what?” he barked venomously.

He knew this sounded bad to him, and to be fair, it was. “If you let me explain, I’ll—"

SLAM!

Mephiles used all his strength and charged the Jackal’s backside into the bars of the cell. Zero grunted as he felt the metal slam into his backside. There would be bruising tomorrow. “You tried to kill my brother?!” he beseeched in anger.

“I have no quarrels with Shadow, Mephiles. Someone else hired me to do this elaborate scheme, I assure you,” he groaned.

Mephiles bared his fangs and kept his grip tightened on his collar. “Who exactly, then?”

“Some blue hedgehog—his name was Zonic, I think. He hired me to pin the hit on the Rogues so you would retaliate against your brother’s death and take each other out,” he explained. Mephiles’ eyes widened in surprise, and Zero could see he recognized or was at least familiar with the guy. “…You know him?”

Mephiles released his grip on Zero and backed up. “That A.T.F agent was responsible for all of this..?” he deduced in astonishment.

Zero smoothed out his wrinkled shirt and fixed his collar. “He was a part of the A.T.F?”

“It’s a complicated story,” Mephiles stated. “He harbored ill will towards our club, but we don’t have to worry about him anymore. He’s been dealt with as of yesterday…”

Zero ran a hand through his hair, not looking fazed by the notion that Zonic had been taken out. “That explains why he hasn’t answered my calls all day. At least my money came through beforehand…”

“You said earlier you had information on us that you bribed the Rogues to go through with the hit…what was it?”

“That agent gave me all the information about how you smuggled your weapons overseas. He gave me the people you deal with, their info, photos, locations, amounts, payments, everything,” he explained. “The guy knew a lot about your business.”

Mephiles felt panic strike his core. This was pivotal information that should not be shared so quickly and could significantly hurt their business. “Who has this information now?”

“The guys who attacked my motel room last night. They did a clean sweep and snatched it while I was out of the room,” he explained.

Mephiles placed a hand to his face and sighed. “I can’t believe this.”

“If it helps, I would like to help you in retaliation against the Rogues,” Zero added. “They also intended to kill my comrades and me last night.”

“Absolutely not,” Mephiles barked. “Allow my club to deal with handling the Rogues. You’ve done quite enough already,” he emphasized passively.

Zero looked ticked by his tone. “Come now, Mephiles. You can trust me,” he assured.

Out of nowhere, Mephiles punched Zero in the face, making his body lurch toward the ground. The jackal caught himself from his fall and landed on his hands on his knees. He shook his head and spat blood from his mouth before glaring at the dark hedgehog. “Like hell, I can…” Mephiles scoffed, un-fisting his hand that was once a fist.

Zero staggered upright. “I-I don’t understand.”

“You were willing to allow a hit to go through to kill my brother!” he countered. “I thought we were friends. How could I ever trust you again?”

“Friends?” he scoffed in amusement. “We were never friends. We just made a business deal a long time ago. You know what my type of business ensues, and this was strictly business,” he argued calmly. “And that agent paid me a hefty amount to complete it.” He wiped his bloodied mouth with the back of his sleeve. “And besides, you seemed to trust me an awful lot back then,” he reminded me with a knowing smirk.

Mephiles froze at the mention and growled. “We do not speak of that—especially not here.”

“What’s wrong? You’re afraid I’ll go and expose the truth that you hired me to--”

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH!” Mephiles snapped, cutting him off.

Zero chuckled mischievously, seeing him get so wound up. “You’re going to have to pay me to stay silent now. Especially for all my troubles.”

There was no way he’d allow Zero to reveal such a secret. If it ever got out, it’d unravel the club he’d strived to keep together for so long. His power would be diminished, and he would likely be ex-communicated or even killed. He’d do whatever it took to keep it protected. “I’ll give you eight percent of my cut for your silence,” Mephiles replied in annoyance.

“Twelve percent,” Zero wagered.

“Ten percent,” Mephiles countered.

“Eleven.”

“Ten,” Mephiles replied adamantly.

“Alright, deal,” Zero resigned while sticking his hand to shake. The two shook on it before parting.

“Okay, to summarize, our club will deal with the Rogues. I’m giving you ten percent of my cut to keep your big mouth shut. And I swear if I find out this information leaks, I’ll personally take you out myself,” he warned.

Zero put his hand out in front of him, not appearing threatened. “You need to relax, Mephiles. You know a payment will keep me nice and quiet. Perhaps, we’ll do business again in the future,” he smirked.

He grimaced at the thought. “I doubt it…”

AN: Please remember to drop a review. I appreciate it! <3

Chapter 18: A New Assignment

Summary:

Mephiles ties up loose ends with the Rogues, while Mogul enlists the Brothers for another mission, and Agent Blaze closes in on a plan to put the Brothers of Chaos away for good.

Meanwhile, back at the compound, Mighty, Rouge, Knuckles, Locke, Gadget, Manic, Shadow, and Amy all sat around the table enjoying their dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and mixed salad. Knuckles and Rouge discussed while Gadget and Mighty talked. Manic and Locke ignored all other conversations and focused on piling in the food. At the other end of the table, Amy sat beside Shadow, enjoying her meal until she noticed Shadow’s lackluster demeanor. Suddenly, the phone rang in the other room, and Gadget rose from his seat. “I’ll get it,” he informed, rushing into the other room.

Amy glanced over at Shadow’s plate and quickly realized he had barely touched his food and mostly moved it around with his fork. He looked upset and deep in thought as he stared down at his plate and twirled his fork. “Shadow, what’s wrong? Do you not like it?”

“That’s not it.” Shadow lifted his head and glanced over to her beside him. “The food is perfect. I’m just anxious about what’s going on at the station,” he answered. “My brother has been there for several hours now.”

Amy laid a hand on top of his, resting on the table for comfort. “I’m sure he’s fine, Shadow. If he’s still with the police in their custody, nothing bad should happen to him,” she assured.

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed. “I just wish I knew who placed that hit on me. I’ve been trying to connect the dots all day, but I can’t figure out why the Rogues wanted me dead in the first place.”

“What’s going to happen once you find out who was responsible?” she asked quietly.

“Not even I know right now, but a decision will be made in a council vote,” he replied.

Suddenly, Gadget stuck his head out of the kitchen entryway while holding onto the phone. “Hey, uh, V.P. You’re wanted on the phone.”

Shadow’s ear perked. “Is it my brother?”

Gadget shook his head. “No, sir. It’s Mr. Mogul. He says it’s rather important.”

•~•

~Mercia Police Department~

Vector and Espio escorted a rather resilient Jet, the Hawk, towards the back of the holding cells. Jet had his hands cuffed behind his back as the two detectives walked on either side of him, holding onto his arms as they led him to his cell. “I thought I was just coming in for questioning?” Jet squawked in disapproval. “No one said anything about holding me overnight!”

Espio released his hold on Jet’s left arm and unlocked the cell in the back. In the meantime, Vector took the time to unlock Jet’s handcuffs from behind his back.

Espio finished unlocking the cell door, opened it up, and gestured for him to enter. “Just shut up and get in.”

Jet felt Vector’s firm hand press against his back as he was shoved inside the cell. He stumbled forward and turned to glare at the two detectives as they walked off. He opened his mouth to curse them out one last time until he heard someone clear their throat from within the cell. “Ahem.” Jet walked further and looked around the corner of the cell, where he spotted Mephiles lounging in the one-provided cot. The M.C. president had his hands resting on his stomach as he eyed the green hawk. “Nice to see you finally arrive,” Mephiles announced.

Jet eyed the dark hedgehog with suspicion. “And just what the hell are you doing here?”

Mephiles chuckled. “I’m here to resolve issues before things wind up being a bigger massacre,” he replied simply. “Although I do enjoy a good bloodbath from time to time.”

Jet crossed his arms over his chest. “Is this about last night?”

Mephiles swung his legs off the side of the bed. “Of course, it is, which is why our club will need retribution and the information you stole from Zero last night.”

“First of all, I had nothing to do with those attacks. A few of my guys thought they’d surprise me with this stolen info, and I was pretty livid when I heard about everything they did.”

Mephiles scoffed at the idea that Jet was entirely clueless about last night’s events. “How could you not know? You’re their leader. You expect me to believe this nonsense?”

“They were greedy and felt like the thief life was growing stale for them.” Jet rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes. “You know me. I don’t want anything to do with the gun industry. I prefer to stick to what we know—robberies on art museums, jewelry stores, and banks,” he listed. “I don’t want to get sucked into the arms trade business. It’s too risky for my liking.”

Mephiles furrowed his brows. “Then why did you allow your men to attack last night?”

Jet shook his head in annoyance. “As I said, old man, I wasn’t aware until they returned. That’s when I realized they went behind my back. If I had known what they were up to, I would have stopped it immediately.”

“That’s good to hear, but unfortunately, my club and the other charters will want to see vengeance for what took place last night. Your boys may have failed in their mission, but they did manage to injure one of our dear acquaintances.”

Jet walked over to a nearby wall and pressed his back against it to lean on. “So, how do you want to handle this whole thing then? I’m open to coming to a compromise to clean the slate. I’m already pissed at the guys who went against my orders.”

“First of all, I want that manila envelope back with the information on our gun trade,” Mephiles stated firmly.

Jet shrugged calmly. “Sure, done.”

“Next, the people involved in the hit last night…We killed the two who came after us in self-defense, but the other two who went after Zero need to be dealt with.”

“Wait a second. I heard he was the one that set this whole stupid thing up in the first place. Why should I do anything to benefit him? He was the one that ordered the initial hit on your brother,” he countered sharply.

“That’s what I thought too, but it turns out an A.T.F agent hired him to hire your guys to do the hit so that we’d end up going after each other,” Mephiles explained.

“That is some 3D chess move strategy shit right there,” Jet replied, somewhat impressed. “What about the agent? Shouldn’t we deal with them, too?”

“Already handled,” Mephiles smirked deviously.

“Well, shit…” Jet chuckled slightly. “You guys work fast.”

Mephiles rose from sitting on the edge of the cot. “I like to deal with matters quickly and efficiently.”

“How’s this? I’ll deal with my guys myself, allowing you to witness just to show good faith. I can’t let the other guys think they can get away with shit behind my back again. I’ll also get your envelope back to you at no charge,” he offered.

Mephiles tilted his head slightly, surprised by how forthcoming the green hawk was. “You’ve made this easier than I thought you would.”

He pushed himself away from the wall and walked towards Mephiles. “Our group is different than yours. We work in the shadows to get what we want. I don’t like to be as showy and dramatic as you bikers. I mean, we are thieves, after all.”

“Perfectly understandable,” Mephiles noted before sticking his hand out. Jet stuck his hand out, and the two shook on it.

•~•

Finally returning home, Mephiles called for a meeting among the club members. Together, they all sat at the main dining room table as Mephiles informed them of his time spent in holding. He told them about Zero’s involvement and who was the culprit behind the elaborate scheme. Finally, he told them about his deal with Jet and how everything would be handled for retribution. Shadow hadn’t seemed very surprised when he realized that Zonic had been behind the whole thing, but he was happy to know Zonic would no longer threaten him or Amy.

“When will Jet deal with the guys that went after Zero?” Mighty questioned from down at his end of the table.

“Tomorrow morning,” Mephiles replied. “Speaking of, I’ll need two of you to accompany me there and witness the act.”

“I’ll attend,” Shadow volunteered, raising his hand.

“I’ll go too,” Mighty added.

Mephiles nodded his head. “Good, well—that ends our meeting. If anyone else has anything to--”

“—We’re actually not quite done yet,” Shadow interrupted.

Mephiles looked to his vice president with intrigue. “Go on then.”

Shadow glanced at the other boys at the table before looking back at his brother. “While you were gone, we received a phone call from Mogul. He gave us a proposition that he believes we can’t refuse.”

Mephiles looked intrigued by the prospect. “Do tell, brother.”

“Remember the guy he was telling us about who killed Chuck?”

“Yes, of course,” Mephiles nodded.

“He wants us to take him out and said he’ll give us our next shipment of guns completely free of charge, plus return the 200k we just forked over as payment.”

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. “Our warehouse is so close to being rebuilt; this is definitely a deal we cannot decline.”

“Free guns and cash? That’s one hell of a deal,” Mighty smiled eagerly as he rubbed his hands together.

“Yes, but we’re not like the Jackal Mercenaries. We don’t do hits,” Shadow countered. “We could see jail time before anything else if this isn’t done correctly.”

Knuckles leaned back in his seat, not comfortable with the idea. “I gotta agree with Shadow on this one, man. Murder for hire? That’s a dirty business, and I don’t know if we should get involved in it, no matter how good the deal sounds.”

“Yeah, but it’s not about money,” Manic piped up. “This dude killed my uncle!” he said, slamming his fist down onto the table. “That guy was like a second father figures to me. We can’t let that asshole get away with this.”

Mephiles glanced back to his younger brother, who still wavered at the thought. “What do you think, brother?” he asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“I understand where Manic is coming from. Jules was once a part of this club,” he said, glancing over at the wall of past members' pictures. “He was a part of this family, and, by extension, Charles was. The deal is too good to pass on, and we are currently strapped for cash. I’m fine with this as long as I’m not a part of the hit—someone else will have to handle that.”

“I’ll go with the others for backup,” Knuckles volunteered.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Knuckles?” Locke asked, eying his son warily.

“I can do it as long as I don’t have to do the hit,” he replied.

“Don’t worry, man, I’ll do it. I intend to get it done myself,” Manic avowed, cracking his knuckles.

Mephiles nodded and continued. “Alright, so what’s our plan?”

“According to Mogul, the guy goes to this seedy apartment just on the outskirts of town every Sunday to have an affair with some girl,” Shadow started. “His wife doesn’t have a clue about the whole thing.”

“Perfect, we’ll take him out there at the complex,” Mephiles said. “Make it a nice and clean hit and get out of there immediately. We can blame it on the crime rate in that vicinity.”

“Gadget,” Shadow called.

The red wolf came into the dining room from the kitchen, eating a second plate of spaghetti. “Yes, V.P?

“Call Mogul and tell him we're going through on his offer.”

Holding his plate in one hand, Gadget placed his fork down on the plate and saluted. “Yes, V.P. Right away.” He then hurried off into the kitchen.

Mephiles looked amongst his men. “Alright, since tomorrow is Sunday, our plan goes as follows. Shadow, Mighty, and I will meet with Jet to witness our retribution. Knuckles, Gadget, and Manic will conduct the hit on Amadeus.”

“What about me?” Locke questioned from the other end of the table as he stared at the president.

“Why don’t you visit Charlie and see how our warehouse is coming along,” he suggested.

Locke scoffed and shook his head. “What a bullshit errand…”

Mephiles rested his hand along one of his cheeks. “You wanted something to do. I gave you something. Be thankful it’s not too much work.”

Locke groaned as he rose out of his seat. “I’m getting too old to put up with this bullshit,” he cursed before exiting the room.

Knuckles watched as his father left the room in irritation. “Dad…”

“—Don’t,” Mephiles cut off and waved a hand. “Leave him be.”

•~•

The next day, Mighty, Shadow, and Mephiles showed up at Never Lake. They met up to see the Rogues. After parking their bikes in the parking lot, Shadow, Mighty, and Mephiles sauntered towards the lake, where they spotted the leader of the Rogues, Jet the Hawk, with some of his backup—a sizeable grey albatross, a female purple swallow, and a male eagle.

“Mephiles, it’s about time,” Jet announced, watching them approach.

“Forgive me for being a few minutes late,” Mephiles apologized before noticing a lack of members from the Rogues. “I was under the impression we’d be witnessing the retribution in action today.”

“We were supposed to, but I lost my temper last night. He turned his head to the right. “Bijou, show them,” Jet said, snapping his fingers.

The giant eagle walked over and handed Shadow two polaroid photos. Shadow, in turn, handed them over to his brother. Mephiles accepted them and glanced at the images. Shadow and Mighty looked over Mephiles’ shoulder to get their own peek. Both photos had pictures of the two birds that had been involved in the attempted assassination of Zero. Both members had their throats slit in the photos.

Mephiles lowered the photos from his view. “Very well then. I hope this won’t happen again.”

“It won’t,” Jet assured. “Oh, one last thing.” He turned his head to his left. “Wave, give them the envelope.”

The female purple swallow walked over with the manila envelope and handed it over to Shadow. Shadow accepted the envelope and proceeded to open it up. The three looked inside to see what information and contents Zonic had accumulated on their group. There were photos of Mammoth Mogul at the docks where they delivered their shipments. There were payment wires and addresses for drop-offs and pick-ups. Mephiles shook his head in annoyance. “Thank Chaos. We got rid of that pesky agent. He appeared to be more of a thorn in our side than I thought.”

Shadow glanced up at the hawk. “Thank you for being honest and forthcoming on your end. We are eternally grateful,” Shadow noted with a head bow.

“We owe you, that’s for sure,” Mighty added.

“You’re welcome,” Jet replied. “We criminals have to have each other’s backs sometimes. We can’t always throw each other under the bus,” he smirked.

•~•

Meanwhile, at that same time, Knuckles, Manic, and Gadget were preparing to go through with the hit. The three remained in the parking lot outside of the Hideaway Apartment complex. All three of the boys wore black pants, shirts, and beanies.

“Alright, this is how we will accomplish today’s mission.” Knuckles turned to glance at the red wolf. “Gadget, I want you to stay back here and keep the car’s motor running. The moment we’re done, we’re booking it, and we need the car ready for transport.”

Gadget saluted. “Yes, sir.”

Knuckles looked to Manic, who was currently adjusting his black leather gloves. “Manic, you’re taking the shot. If, for whatever reason, you can’t go through with it, or we’re outnumbered, I’ll be your backup.”

Manic finished putting on both gloves. “I won’t hesitate. I know that for sure,” he stated firmly.

Gadget tapped away at his smart tablet bringing up blueprints of the apartment. “I must advise that according to my research, there are cameras in their parking garage, so make sure to avoid that section. As far as I can see, there are no cameras in the complex's hallways, so you’ll be safe there.”

“Good to know.” Knuckles put on his gloves. “Alright then, let’s move out.”

Gadget rushed back for the car, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. In the meantime, Knuckles and Manic discreetly made their way toward the apartment complex. Eventually, they climbed the stairs to the second floor and screened for any innocent apartment dwellers lingering in the halls. Thankfully, there were none in sight, which meant no witnesses.

Knuckles and Manic crouched down against a wall just around a corner. Knuckles peered out from around the side and looked for the door number where they’d find Amadeus. His purple eyes eventually stumbled across door number 225. That was their target.

“Psst, eyes are on target, three doors down,” Knuckles instructed quietly before pulling his head out of sight.

Manic took his turn to peer around the corner and spotted the door. He moved back into hiding. “Got it.”

Now they’d play the waiting game. The two stayed crouched down in the hall by the corner as they waited. After a few minutes, they heard a door unlocking. While they waited, Manic installed the silencer onto his gun. The green hedgehog popped his head and noticed that the doorknob for apartment 225 was beginning to move. “Move out, target on the move,” he instructed quietly.

Manic stood upright, placed his black hood over his head, and reached for his gun hoisted on his hip. He undid the safety button and held his gun ready. Knuckles mimicked Manic’s actions and stayed directly behind him for backup.

Just as they got close to room 225, Amadeus, a blue business suit-wearing male, brown fox in his 40s, opened the door and stepped out but had his back to the two as they crept up on him. He closed the door and locked it just when he felt a presence behind him. He spun around and backed up in alarm when he spotted Manic drawing his gun toward him. “This is for my Uncle Chuck,” he whispered before taking his shot.

He shot directly where Amadeus’ heart was, and the male fox grunted before falling backward, dead. Manic turned on his heel and made a beeline for the stairs, and Knuckles took a quick moment to take a snapshot of Amadeus’ body with his phone before following after Manic for their escape.

However, unbeknownst to them, Amadeus’ mistress had seen the entire thing go down from the window directly next to her front door. She had watched through the blinds without them knowing.
•~•

Later that evening, another round table meeting was held at the house. Mephiles sat at the front end of the table, and Shadow sat to his left. The rest of the boys sat on opposite sides of the table. “Have we all completed our missions then?” Mephiles questioned.

Knuckles pulled out his phone and slid it down the table towards the president. “Here.” Mephiles reached for the cell phone and examined the photo of the dead fox. “It went effortlessly. There were no witnesses, and we got in and out quickly,” he explained.

“Excellent.” Mephiles handed it off to Shadow to look for himself. Shadow nodded and returned the phone to the table. “Now, let’s address our side of the business.” Mephiles looked at his younger brother. “Show them,” he instructed.

Shadow reached into the inside of his leather jacket and pulled out two polaroid photos. “These were given to us upon arrival,” Mephiles continued as he watched his brother lay the images on the table. “Although we did not personally get to witness firsthand their execution, they do suffice.”

Knuckles picked up one of the photos and looked at the gruesome slit throats in the photo. “Man, that guy doesn’t play around,” he noted before tossing the graphic picture back onto the table.

“I’m satisfied it was dealt with, and we were returned our information,” he stated.

“So, now what?” Manic asked as he leaned forward to look at the president.

“Now, we inform Mogul we’ve completed the mission, get our money wired back to us, and wait for our new shipment,” he informed. “I’m going to visit Charlie tomorrow and see how construction is faring for our new warehouse.”

“So, basically, we’ve got a bit of a break for the time being for selling, huh?” Mighty noted.

Mephiles reached for his gavel. “In theory, yes. We won’t have to rush to get our newest shipment sold as quickly. It’s a bit of a vacation period for us until the next batch arrives, so enjoy your time off, boys.” Mephiles brought his gavel down, commencing the end of the meeting. “Meeting adjourned.”

•~•

Parked along a deserted road, Silver’s patrol car rocked back and forth from side to side as it got steamy inside. “Fuck, Blaze,” Silver hissed in pleasure as she rode his lap in the back of his car. He held her hips steady as he watched her bounce up and down in his lap. The two had hit off working late nights together and found the time to break up the monotonous workload by having mutual fun to blow off some steam.

“Just shut up,” she commanded. She kept her hands on the headrest behind him to steady herself and continued riding. “I-I’m almost there.”

“That’s a good kitty,” Silver smirked.

Blaze rolled her eyes at him as she continued to bounce. “Shut up! You might have a good dick deputy, but your bedroom talk just takes me out of my mood.”

Suddenly another voice broke through their radio. “—Agent Blaze, Deputy Silver, over?”

Blaze groaned in frustration. “Chaos…why now?”

“They can wait!” Silver grunted, feeling her hot walls tightly clamp up around him.

Once again, the radio crackled to life. “—Hello? Agent Blaze, Deputy Silver, over? We’ve got a nasty murder down here.”

Panting, Blaze dismounted Silver and plopped down in the seat next to him. The moment had been lost. “Actually, they won’t…”

“Shit…” Silver handed Blaze a tissue to clean herself with and one of his own. “It always happens when we’re getting close.”

Blaze cleaned herself up and buttoned up her open blouse. “We can pick up again after we resolve this issue.”

•~•

~Hideaway Apartment Complex~

The apartment complex's parking lot was swarming with police, forensic officials, and detectives. The whole upper floor was completely taped off with yellow caution tape. Nicole, Agent Blaze’s assistant, was already gathering details of the crime event. Finally arriving, Agent Blaze and Deputy Silver walked over to join Nicole. The purple feline glanced over at her. “Any more news on our deceased?”

“Ah, there you are, Agent. Where were you? We’ve been trying to get a hold of the two of you for a while now.”

“Uh, it doesn’t really matter at this point,” Silver dismissed. “What’s going on?”

Nicole shrugged off their excuse. “Oh, well, I ran some scans and found out the guy has had a few domestic charges, a few speeding violations, and one charge for money laundering,” she listed as she looked at her notes. “He’s not as clean-cut as we thought.”

Blaze scoffed at the idea. “You think this guy would be some angel spending time in this dump? Right…”

“Well, what would you like me to do with the witness? She’s still a bit rattled and wants to get out of here,” Nicole questioned.

“Hold on, Nicole,” Blaze paused. “Why exactly is the A.T.F being involved in this crime scene in the first place?”

“Well, according to my findings, the witness believes the person who committed the murders may belong to the Brothers of Chaos.”

Blaze’s expression turned to delight. “How very convenient…” She glanced at the police car, where she spotted the young, female, brown raccoon before turning to Silver. “Alright, take her back to the precinct for now. I’ll need to do further questioning. Oh, and find her a room at a nicer hotel in town and keep two guards posted outside her door. I don’t want anyone interfering with this case,” she made explicit.

“Yes, ma’am,” Silver nodded and walked off.

•~•

The next day, Mephiles decided to have everyone take Monday off for the start of their new vacation. Shadow and Amy decided to hang out at home. The two sat on the couch together and watched T.V. Shadow draped one arm behind her while they cuddled together. Knuckles and Rouge were washing dishes together while Gadget sat at the kitchen table and worked on another proto-type drone he had been working on for months. Manic and Mighty were upstairs getting ready to hit the gym together, Locke was in the bathroom as always, and Mephiles was busy cleaning the basement.

At the dining room table, Gadget looked for a screwdriver in his equipment. “Damn, I must’ve left it in the shop.” He got up, wandered out of the living room, and headed towards the repair garage.

In the meantime, Amy and Shadow watched some sort of biker TV drama together. Amy seemed captivated by the drama unfolding in the episode. “Is this accurate to what you guys deal with?” she questioned, glancing up at him.

He scoffed. “No, this is exaggerated and has more drama than we deal with. For starters, everyone in this show is way too attractive.”

Amy couldn’t help but chuckle. “Are you trying to say bikers are all ugly in real life? Because I have to say, after seeing both sides of this club, there are plenty of good-looking guys.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m just saying that this show is trying to depict that all bikers are celebrity status handsome, and that’s just not realistic. We’re a little rougher around the edges,” he smirked.

She rested her hand on his chest. “You’re probably just jealous because I think the main character is cute,” she stated playfully. “He kinda reminds me of you too. He’s broody, a bit mysterious, has a troubled past, but has a soft yet romantic side,” she listed.

Shadow huffed and rolled his eyes at the comparison. “We’re nothing alike, and that guy is no competition to me.”

Rouge popped her head out of the kitchen, interrupting their conversation. “Hey, love birds, mind giving us a hand with mopping and sweeping?”

“Sure,” Shadow replied, removing his arm from around Amy.

“Thanks, hun!” she said before heading back into the kitchen.

Shadow reached for the remote on the coffee table directly in front of him. He paused their show and moved off the couch. Then he reached for her hand and helped lift her off the couch. “Come on, Rose.” The two began walking around the side of the sofa just when Gadget barged through the front door. “COPS!” he yelled, alerting the others.

Mighty, Locke, and Manic had just come downstairs to head to the gym when they saw Gadget run for the living room. Mephiles came up from the basement after hearing the scream.

Suddenly, a group of S.W.A.T members burst into the house, aiming their guns at everyone. “On the ground, on the ground!” the group leader shouted.

Everyone immediately dropped onto the floor, keeping their hands over their heads as they lay down. Amy dropped onto the living room floor by the couch, and Shadow dropped by the window near her. Gadget knelt by the kitchen table, and Rouge and Knuckles dropped down in the kitchen. Mephiles and Manic were in the house's entryway, and Mighty and Locke dropped near Amy’s office door.

Shadow glanced at Amy nearby, who looked quite confused about why a team was swarming the building in the first place. “Stay calm,” he instructed quietly as officers moved around them. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

She nodded, remaining silent, and understood his instructions. Once all the S.W.A.T team officials had swarmed the building, a couple stationed themselves near the bodies sprawled on the floor and kept their weapons drawn at each individual. “CLEAR!” the commander shouted once everyone had been detained.

Agent Blaze waltzed into their home along with her assistant Nicole. She looked for the specific individuals she wanted to take in. She glanced at Mighty and Gadget near the entrance and shook her head. As she continued roaming the house, she eventually spotted Manic. She walked over to him and pointed at the green hedgehog. “This is the one, boys; arrest him,” she commanded. Manic lifted his head when he heard her command.

One of the other officers walked over and immediately hand-cuffed Manic. “Manic the Hedgehog, you are under arrest for the murder of Amadeus Prowler,” the officer stated while lifting him to his feet.

Manic acted confused. “Who?” he questioned, working as if this was news. The officer led him out of the house, reading his Miranda Rights on the way out. Amy’s eyes widened in alarm. Murder?

Blaze continued to search the house for the next person she wanted to be arrested. She entered the kitchen, glanced over to Knuckles, and snapped her fingers, directing two officers to the red echidna. “This one, too, boys,” she pointed.

Knuckles was hand-cuffed and lifted to his feet by the two officers. “What the hell am I being arrested for?”

Blaze didn’t even blink as she wasn’t buying into his innocent act. “You were present and an accomplice in the murder of Amadeus Prowler,” she explained.

“I don’t even know who that is, man!” he shouted as he was dragged out of the house. Locke watched with worry as his son was dragged past him and out the door.

Rouge watched in horror as her husband was taken out of their home. She lifted herself slightly when Blaze noticed her moving. “And here’s the other one I was looking for,” Blaze spoke while crouching to eye level with the white bat. “I want Rouge the Bat taken in as well.”

Rouge glared up at the feline. “I didn’t do shit, you bitch!”

“Watch the language, Ms. Rouge.” Blaze rose upright, brought her right leg back, and kicked Rouge in the side. Rouge cried out and huddled into a fetal position just as two officers came over and detained her. “Fucking bitch,” Rouge groaned as she was taken out of the house.

“Rouge too?” Locke mumbled under his breath.

Blaze walked back into the living room and looked behind the couch, where she noticed Amy lying on the ground with her hands over her head. “Miss Rose, the last lady I was looking for,” she said, faking a smile. Amy looked up at Blaze and watched as her smile dropped suddenly and turned to a serious expression. “Boys, grab Ms. Rose for me as well.”

“Hey!” Shadow lifted himself to intervene. “Leave her out of this!”

Two S.W.A.T officers tackled Shadow back onto the ground as Amy was handcuffed. Amy looked over her shoulder as she was escorted out of the house. “It’s okay, Shadow. I’ll be alright,” she tried to assure calmly.

Once she was gone, Shadow continued to struggle under the officer’s detainment. “Why are you taking her again?” he questioned with a scowl. “She hasn’t done anything!”

Blaze crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. “I just want to catch up with her. Is that a crime?” She looked back at the other S.W.A.T officials who still had guns pointed at the remaining individuals sprawled out on the floor. “We’re done here. I’ve got everyone I need. Let’s roll.”

•~•

Back at the police station, more of Agent Blaze’s associates began to arrive and took over the police station. Vector and Espio were especially annoyed by the new arrivals hogging their building. Vector watched as more A.T.F lackeys walked in and out of rooms and clogged the halls. Vector walked into his office and noticed piles of file boxes stacked in his room, and strange A.T.F workers sat at his desk. “Uh, what the hell is going on in here?” The workers stared back at the crocodile in silence, not bothering to respond.

He marched out into the hall and spotted Blaze walking in his direction. “Agent, why are your co-workers in my office? That’s my space!”

“Well, you’re just going to have to get used to this. Things are about to be a little more cramped for the next couple of months.” Espio came out of the break room with a cup of coffee. He walked over and stood next to his partner.

“Couple of months?” he repeated in alarm.

“That seems extensive,” Espio noted and took a sip of his coffee.

She nodded with an insincere smile. “Perhaps, but it’s my job.”

Silver walked out of his office to observe the spat going on between Agent Blaze and Detective Vector. Vector glared at the silver hedgehog. “You knew about this?” Silver did not respond and remained neutral.

“Nobody did,” Blaze clarified. “I love surprises.”

Vector crossed his arms over his chest. “And what’s your business here, lady?”

Silver glared at the crocodile for his interrogating question. He had no right to question a higher-ranking official so critically. “Detective,” he reprimanded.

“No, it’s alright, deputy. I’ve got this handled,” she assured, placing a handout. She looked back at the crocodile. “You know exactly why I’m here. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already called Mephiles to warn him.” Vector stared back at her, speechless but refrained from showing any expression to indicate otherwise. Blaze smirked knowingly at him. “Your professional and personal relationship with the Brothers of Chaos is well-documented,” she stated.

Vector raised a brow, challenging her claim. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it is,” she nodded. She snapped her fingers, and two male subordinates walked over to her. “Boys, escort both Detective Vector and Espio out. They pose a risk to my investigation.”

Vector and Espio were immediately seized and escorted out of the office. Vector looked over his shoulder back at Silver as he walked out. “You’re really going to let this happen?”

“Her orders override mine,” he simply replied.

Once they were gone, Blaze walked into Vector and Espio’s old office. Silver followed behind her and closed the door. “You know, I may agree, but you didn’t have to humiliate them on the spot like that,” he noted.

Blaze didn’t flash an ounce of sympathy in her expression. “Hey, you want to help me take down the Brothers or not?” she argued.

He watched as she opened a file box on the desk and rummaged for something. “I do, but I don’t think embarrassing my co-workers is a necessary step.”

“We have different styles, is all, I guess.” She handed him a file that he accepted. “Now, let’s play catch up.” Silver opened up the folder and began skimming the material and documents inside. “So, we know that they get their guns in through oil barrels from the Mobotropolis docks,” she started.

“That’s Order of Ixis territory,” Silver observed as he flipped through the papers.

“Correct,” she concurred. “Now, check this out.”

“Charles the Hedgehog.” She opened another file and pulled out a picture of Chuck, Manic’s uncle. “This guy was a big play for the Order. Sadly, he was found beaten to death on a pier two days ago.”

Silver stared at the picture of the older blue hedgehog male, seemingly lost on how this was connected to the Brothers. “You think this was Mephiles’ doing or something?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. I think it was this guy.” She then pulled out a second photo and laid it next to Chuck’s. “This is Amadeus Prowler,” she introduced. “This guy was a super dirty politician, and I think a deal went south, and he killed Charles.”

“Okay…so who killed Amadeus?” Blaze smiled and tilted her head, signaling him to think about the connections. Silver’s eyes dropped down on the picture of Amadeus. “The Brothers, huh?”

“Chuck was a friend, and Amadeus was an obstacle. He was found gunned down in a rougher part of town.”

“You think this is going to take them down?” Silver questioned with skepticism.

She sighed. “I know, Silver, it’s all circumstantial evidence. Which is why we need to prove that the Brothers of Chaos is an ongoing criminal enterprise.”

“…Right, so how does bringing in Rouge and Amy play into all this exactly? They had nothing to do with their crimes.”

She reached into another folder, pulled out surveillance images of Rouge and Amy, and laid them on the table. “We’re going to go after the ones who have the most to lose,” she explained. “These guys are very protective of their ladies.” Her finger pointed to Rouge’s picture. “Loss of husband.” Her finger then pointed to Amy’s photo. “Loss of potential dream job and certification.”

He glanced up from the girls’ photos, seeing where Blaze was going with this. She was planning to blackmail the girls into ratting the boys out by any means necessary. “Amy doesn’t deserve this,” Silver countered.

“Don’t go all soft on me, Silver,” she sighed. Blaze sunk into the seat behind the desk. “I think Zonic was right all along. He pushed her straight into their arms. She may be new to their group, but I know she knows much more than she’s letting on.”

AN: Remember to leave a review!

Chapter 19: Interrogation

Summary:

Amy, Rouge, and Knuckles are interrogated by Agent Blaze and pressured to snitch on the M.C. Meanwhile, the A.T.F agent, has more plans on the horizon to dismantle the biker club.

Amy sat at a metal desk inside the interrogation room while she waited to be questioned. She stared at the mirrored window to her left, wondering just who exactly was watching her from the other side at that very moment. She also wondered just precisely why she had been brought in for questioning in the first place. Her worst fear was that they had found Zonic's body and were there to accuse her of his murder. She tried to push the worst fears out of her mind. Maybe it had to do with whatever happened last night with the boys. She thanked Shadow for not letting her in on the details of their evil deeds. He was right; the less she knew, the better.

Suddenly, the door opened to the interrogation room, and Agent Blaze stepped inside carrying a folder, a pad of paper, and a pen. Amy watched as the purple cat shut the door behind her, leaving just the two of them alone together. "Ms. Rose, it seems the universe keeps bringing us together," Blaze grinned triumphantly as she walked over and sat across the table from her.

Amy seemed slightly unamused by her comment. "You believe the universe keeps bringing us together? More like you enjoy bringing us together."

Blaze organized her folders on the table, sensing a more confident hedgehog sitting before her from before. "Well, it's lovely seeing you, too," Blaze replied, previously hearing the hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Why am I here in the first place?" Amy asked sternly.

"Because I'm concerned about your welfare, Ms. Rose. This is a serious matter I cannot ignore. Previously I offered you a deal to help with your past R.O. It seems that matter has become more complicated."

Amy scoffed at the idea that she gave an ounce of concern over her wellbeing. She knew exactly what type of person Blaze was. She was an agent paid well to do her job and get the bad guys put away. "You expect me to believe you care about me?"

Blaze intertwined her fingers and rested them on the tabletop as she tilted her head at Amy. Her eyes shifted to look at her left cheek. "When did you get that bruise, Ms. Rose?" she asked calmly.

Amy reached up and touched her face, completely forgetting about the fading welt. She had been using makeup to cover it, but of course, the one day she chose not to wear makeup, she was now being questioned over it. "Oh, it happened a few days ago," she answered.

Blaze looked intrigued to learn more about its origin. "What happened?" she continued to probe.

With quick thinking, Amy remembered when the gang had taken her to a local bar. A group had gotten into a fight with the entire crew. She could scapegoat the bruise on that fight—even though she hadn't received the bruise there, it was a good enough cover story. She would not let Agent Blaze know she had last contacted Zonic. "I was at a bar in town, and we ran into a rowdier bunch. Things got a little heated, and I got caught in the crossfire of a fight."

"My goodness," Blaze replied, trying to sound concerned. "Did you report the fight to the local authorities?"

She nodded, continuing to lie. "Yes, it was reported."

Blaze reached for her pen and clicked down on it. "Mind if I get the name of the bar it occurred at? I want to cross-reference the incident with my report."

Amy froze as the name of the bar completely slipped her mind. "Um, I'll have to get back to you on that. I forgot the name of the place…"

"Of course, I understand. You are still new to Mercia after all," she brushed off. "Tell me, did Deputy Silver inform you that Agent Zonic never returned to Tech City correct?"

She nodded. "…Yeah, he did."

She jotted down some notes on her notepad. "And you still have not crossed paths with Agent Zonic since that notice?"

She shook her head, continuing to lie. "No, thankfully, I haven't seen him again."

Blaze lowered her pen and chuckled. "It's funny. He risked his entire career because he was so deeply in love with you. Strangely, he hasn't attempted to make contact with you again. I mean, what's stopping him? The Brothers of Chaos certainly didn't stop his attempts to reach you," she noted.

Although she wasn't saying it, Amy knew Blaze implied much more. She had a feeling the feline had suspicions that he had indeed come in contact with Amy since his M.I.A. status. However, she had to remain composed to keep her from thinking otherwise. "He's probably halfway around the world at this point. Knowing Zonic, he won't want to go down for his crimes. He's always been proud."

"…Perhaps," Blaze shrugged. "It'll be quite interesting to see where he turns up," she emphasized knowingly before transitioning topics. "Now, back to why I've brought you here today. You've been living with the Brothers of Chaos for at least five months now, correct?"

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. "Yes, that's right."

"A while ago, you told me you had never seen or witnessed any illegal activity in their household. Is that right?"

"That's right," she nodded.

Blaze cleared her throat and leaned in closer. "Are you still standing by your claim that they harbor no ties to illegal activity?"

Her brows furrowed in annoyance. "I'm telling you the truth when I say I have never seen them do anything illegal. All they do is hang around the compound fixing vehicles," she replied sternly.

"You know, Ms. Rose, you're knowledgeable, and I've done a lot of research on your past," she began. "Your parents died in a car accident when you were very young, am I correct?"

Amy felt her ears droop at the thought of her parents. "Yes…"

Blaze lifted her file and allowed her eyes to skim the documents. "You attended Acorn University and graduated top of your class; then you got your first job at Tech City Hospital as an RN. You then lived with your Cousin Rob O' Hedge and his wife Mari Ann for some time before you went to college."

Amy's eyes shifted uncomfortably down towards the floor, but Blaze continued probing. She felt herself growing frustrated with her beating around the bush. "Just what exactly does any of this have to do with your questions regarding the guys I work for?"

"You don't belong with these people. What exactly do you expect to gain by loitering around these hardened criminals? You could be at any hospital of your choice making money, helping people, and living your dream," Blaze tried to explain.

"I have nothing to gain living with them," she answered. "As for working at the hospital, I fully intend to return to my practice once I finish earning my doctoral degree," she explained.

"Speaking of practice," Blaze pivoted. "I know you claimed you're working as their alleged housekeeper, but our surveillance evidence suggests otherwise."

"Excuse me?" Amy's ears perked in alarm. "What are you talking about?"

Blaze pulled out three photographs and laid them on the table before her. "We've been watching the Brothers for a couple of weeks, trying to monitor their movements. However, I couldn't help but wonder why you were dressed in nurse scrubs if you're currently not practicing as a nurse, nor are you working at any local hospitals."

Amy stared down at the three images and felt her stomach drop. One of them was her standing on the front porch talking to Mighty and Manic. Another was of her walking around the compound alone, and finally, the third image was of her returning home from the night she had been asked to help save Mammoth Mogul's life. Amy sat back in her seat and looked away, unable to find a good excuse. "I-I refuse to make any further comments."

"I know you desperately want to be a surgeon doctor, Ms. Rose, but that dream may be long gone at this rate. Think about it…you still have that nasty misconduct demeanor from assaulting an officer on your record, and now you may have a nursing malpractice on your hand. Are you licensed or registered to work in that practice without being in a hospital setting?"

Amy bowed her head down. "No comment."

"You know, it could be even worse if we find evidence that you were in collaboration from not filing a gunshot wound," she hinted.

"No comment," Amy replied once again.

"I could make this all go away for you, Ms. Rose, if you just helped me with any evidence to prove that these guys are doing illegal activity," she pledged. "I could make your record squeaky clean again and look the other way with your current position in aiding the Brothers medically." She reached into her pocket and slid over her card. "Just contact me when you think of something," she winked. Amy watched as Blaze rose from her seat and headed for the door. "I know we'll be in touch again."

•~•

The group held an emergency meeting with the remaining crew to discuss their latest situation at the compound. The two detectives stood by the table a part of the meeting. Mephiles sat at the head seat at the end of the table while Shadow, Mighty, Locke, and Gadget sat on each side. Vector and Espio dropped by the house to catch them up with what little information they held.

"The bitch booted Esp and me out the door because of our connection to you guys," Vector stated. "She knows we have a relationship with you and said it'll interfere with her investigation."

"So, you two have no idea why she brought in the girls?" Mephiles questioned.

"The only thing I could fathom is her using scare tactics to get them to spill intel," Espio deduced. "Agent Blaze will do whatever it takes to take this M.C. down. Her supervisor is on her case for this to be achieved."

"…Shit," Mephiles cursed. "The only one I'm concerned about is the doctor. She's seen a lot of shit lately, and I don't know if she knows our protocol."

Shadow looked over to his brother. "She's already been put in a situation where she was pressured to rat, and she didn't then. She's proved her loyalty to us, and I trust her. She won't betray us."

"Yes, perhaps so, but imagine what dirt this A.T.F will pull to get her to do what she wants," Mephiles argued.

"I'm with Shadow on this one," Mighty piped in. "Ames is one tough chick; I don't think she'll budge."

"Very well," Mephiles sighed. "That leaves Rouge. Do we have any concerns with her potentially ratting us out?"

"I highly doubt Rouge would do anything to jeopardize this club. She's been with us practically from day one. She knows what to do in this scenario," Shadow reminded.

"Yeah, but they've got Knuckles to threaten her with. Anything that could happen to him can be used against her," Mephiles reminded.

"My son will not rat," Locke stated firmly and pounded the side of his fist on the table. "I don't even like the fact that you all are even speculating that he would."

"He's right," Mighty cut in. "Let's not worry about people ratting us out; I have faith in both girls. We need to worry about what evidence they have against our boys," he stated. "Do they have enough shit to put Manic and Knuckles away for good?" he asked, looking to Espio and Vector.

"Both of us were at the crime scene last night. We missed them on surveillance, but an eyewitness saw and identified Manic take the shot," Vector explained.

Mephiles glared down the table at Gadget in disappointment. "How is this possible, Rookie?"

Gadget shrugged and gulped nervously. "I-I don't know, sir. I was the getaway driver. I wasn't there when it happened. They both informed me they had no witnesses as we exited."

Shadow looked over to the detectives. "Do you guys know who the witness is?"

Vector and Espio eyed each other. "We don't, unfortunately," Vector replied. "Bitch A.T.F kicked us off the scene before we could get all the details. She's also excluded us from any of the files or paperwork on the case."

Mighty bowed his head. "Damn it…"

"Well, then there's nothing we can do exactly now," Mephiles stated. "All we can do is wait."

•~•

At the police station, it was now Rouge's turn to face Blaze's interrogation. The white bat sat in the same room Amy had been stationed in for questioning. Rouge kept her arms crossed over her chest and bounced her leg draped over the other. She had been sitting in the room for some time now and was getting anxious from the wait. She wanted to get the questioning over with to get out of there.

Eventually, the door opened, and Agent Blaze strolled in with the same material she had when doing Amy's questioning. "Good afternoon, Ms. Rouge," she announced. "I don't think we've ever had a proper introduction, but I'm Agent Blaze, A.T.F." Rouge watched as the purple cat gracefully sat down across from her and opened up her case file. "So, according to your file, you've had your run-ins with the law once or twice."

"Excuse me, but are you charging me of a crime or not?" the bat questioned sharply.

Blaze looked up from the file and shook her head. "Not at all, Ms. Rouge."

"Then release me!" she demanded, slamming her hands down on the table.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that." Blaze remained expressionless as the bat tried to jolt her. "I'm simply just trying to review your history." Her eyes glanced back at the document. "You were imprisoned for jewel theft for a couple of years."

Rouge looked away. "I don't do that type of stuff anymore. I'm a reformed gal, sweetheart," she said venomously.

Blaze's finger stopped on some information. "Yes, it turns out that you stopped all acts of criminal activity the same year you and Knuckles the Echidna met."

"If that's what it claims, so be it," she shrugged with a hand wave.

"You and Knuckles dated for three years before tying the knot. You've been with each other for five years. That's quite outstanding," Blaze noted.

"Are you trying to say you're surprised we were able to remain faithful to one another for that long? How rude," she grimaced.

"My apologies. Allow me to move on," she dismissed. "You have quite the outstanding debt here. You still owe 150k in lawyer fees. You must have had quite a prodigious lawyer to help keep your prison sentence to a minimum of three years. Normally people with this crime get around twelve years."

"As you suggested, I knew the right people to help me."

"I'm sure debt is quite stressful to linger over your head. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were all to disappear?" Blaze smiled coyly.

Rouge's ear perked. "You're trying to buy me off, so I'll rat, aren't you?"

She chuckled lowly. "I'm just trying to scratch your back if you'll scratch mine, Ms. Rouge."

"Oh, I'll scratch something alright—more like your face." She shook a finger in her face. "Don't even bother with that move. It won't work on me, sweetheart!"

Blaze ignored her comments and continued. "So, what do you know about your husband's involvement in the murder of Amadeus Prowler?" she questioned.
"Absolutely nothing," she replied.

She reached for her pad of paper and dragged it closer to her. "Do you know where he was between the times of 8 PM to 9 PM yesterday?"

"He was out at the bar with his friends. They always go drinking on Sundays," she stated calmly while lying through her teeth.

Blaze jotted down her comments on her pad of paper. "Ah-huh, I see, and when did he return that night?"

"Around 10 PM," she replied.

"Right…" Blaze lowered her pen down and laid it on the table. "Ms. Rouge, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"I doubt you'll mind even if I tell you to go fuck yourself."

"Manners, Ms. Rouge," Blaze tsked. "Do you want to start a family with your husband?"

"Of course I do," she snapped.

"Well, at this rate, it won't be happening anytime soon," she foreshadowed. "Knuckles will go away for a very long time if proven he was responsible for killing Amadeus Prowler. Do you want your husband to go away for up to twenty-five years?"

Rouge shook her head. "Hell no, I don't, but I know he didn't do it."

Blaze intertwined her fingers together. "Ms. Rouge, I know you know much more than you're letting on. If you help me out, I assure you I can help make sure your husband receives a lesser sentence, but at this rate, he'll be in prison for a while," she emphasized.

Rouge rose from her seat and leaned both hands on the table as she stared at the cat. "This M.C. is my family, and I will not throw anyone under the bus to aid my husband," she stated sternly. "I know what you're trying to pull here, and it won't work."

Blaze remained calm and rose from her seat, and gathered her belongings. "Very well, Ms. Rouge, good day." With that, she walked out of the room, leaving her alone.

Outside in the room hall, Deputy Silver strolled out from the observation room as he watched the entire thing unfold. "Looks like Rouge was a bust, too. What's your next step?"

Blaze placed one hand on her hip confidently. "I don't think Rouge will be a bust at all. I have another idea in mind with her outstanding debt…"

•~•

Next to interrogate was none other than Knuckles the Echidna himself. Once again, he was stationed in the same interrogation room in which Amy and Rouge had been held. Blaze sat across from the red echidna as he calmly remained across the table from her seat. "Why am I here exactly?" Knuckles questioned.

Blaze pulled out a rendered drawing of his mugshot and slid it across the table from him. "Well, a witness at the crime scene said they saw two males. One echidna and one hedgehog. This is the one they had drawn of you. Doesn't it strike a close resemblance?"

Knuckles looked down at the image of himself and studied the details of the picture. He had to admit that whoever had seen him had definitely been in close enough range to see his face accurately. He leaned back after eying the picture. "Looks nothing like me," he shrugged, denying any connection.

Blaze smirked, knowing well he couldn't deny the identical similarities. "Well, I suppose it could be subjective from your point of view. However, it won't be difficult to convince the jury in court with the witness there."

"I didn't do anything wrong," he stated adamantly.

"Perhaps you didn't pull the trigger, as our witness claims. However, you were an accomplice to the crime, which makes you guilty," she reminded.
"I want a lawyer," he demanded.

Blaze chuckled. "If you can afford a lawyer," she rebutted. "You've not got the best credit report based on your bank account."

Knuckles draped one arm over the back of his chair. "Do you feel pleasure looking at my shitty finances?"

"Not at all, Mr. Echidna, but I need you to trust me."

Knuckles scoffed. "No way in hell would I ever trust you, lady."

"That's funny," she noted. "Your wife seemed to trust me perfectly well earlier today," she blatantly lied.

Knuckles perked up, at first, surprised to hear the possibility of his wife making a deal with the feds. "What are you talking about?"

"Rouge also had outstanding debt in her corner. I offered to rid all her debts if she would testify against the Brothers of Chaos in their illegal arms trade. She told me she'd only accept if I cleared the debt and kept you out of jail and placed the two of you in the witness protection plan," she explained.

Knuckles blinked in surprise as he absorbed all the information. Could Rouge have pulled something off like this? No. There was no way she would do it. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "No, you're bluffing straight through your teeth," he hissed.

Blaze pulled out some paperwork and slid it over the table for him to look at. "As you can see right here, I've already wired the money to her account to clear all debt. I'll be moving you into W.P.P. within the next hour or so."

Knuckles rose from his seat, clutching the paperwork in his hands in disbelief. "Rouge would never do something like this. This can't be happening..."

Blaze remained in her seat and smiled. "Well, it is, Mr. Echidna. The M.C. will be finally dealt with as planned."

•~•

A few hours later, Amy was taken home and dropped off by some A.T.F officials. She walked back up the steps to the front porch and opened the front door. "I'm back!" she called, shutting the door behind her. Just as she entered the house, Shadow quickly rushed into the room and embraced her when she entered the door. Amy blushed, feeling enclosed in his arms, smiled appreciatively at his concern, and returned his hug. "…Shadow."

He held her tight, relieved to see her back safe and sound. "Shit, Rose, I was worried sick." He pulled back from his embrace, and Amy watched as he cupped her face softly as his red eyes trailed over her in concern. "What the hell did they want with you?"

She looked up at him and placed one of her hands over his. "Um, let's discuss it with the others in the living room."

"—Not yet," another voice intervened, causing the two of them to look over at the dark MC president standing at the entrance to the living room. Mephiles snapped his fingers assertively. "Rookie!" he commanded.

Amy blinked in confusion at his glaring gaze—why did he look at her with such suspicion, as if he didn't trust her? "Excuse me, what's going on?"

Shadow glared back at his brother. "Yeah, what are you talking about?"

Suddenly, Gadget rushed from around the corner carrying a metal box with wires, lights, and some sort of sensor device. "Pardon me, Ms. Amy, for a bit of invasion of personal space," he apologized profusely.

Amy watched on, completely confused, as she observed him wave the device slowly around different parts of her body. "Hey, what the heck is going on?"

Gadget did not respond and popped upright and gave a thumbs up to Mephiles. "She's clear, sir!"

Mephiles nodded slowly, pleased with his findings. "Very good."

Shadow tilted his head towards his brother as he realized what was happening. "You thought she was wired?"

"You can never be too sure, brother," he shrugged nonchalantly before walking off.

Amy looked at Shadow. "That's what that was all about?"

"Sorry about that, Rose," Shadow apologized before taking her hand in his. The two walked into the living room, where the others were waiting. Shadow and Amy sat on the couch together while Mephiles, Mighty, Locke, and Gadget hung out on the other sofas, eagerly awaiting more information.

"You were gone for quite some time, Ms. Rose," Mephiles noted with his fingertips pressed against each other.

"Yeah, they threatened me to reveal information about you guys."

"What type of threats did that agent throw at you?" Shadow asked curiously.

Amy frowned, thinking back to the agent's words. "She's threatening to take away my nursing certification or prevent me from becoming a doctor," she explained. "She said they've been surveying you guys for a few days. She knows I'm using illegal medical practices to help the club."

"…Damn it," Shadow cursed. "I never wanted you to be targeted for our crimes."

"She could just be bluffing, though," Mighty chimed in. "She was probably pressing all of you guys down at the station. I wouldn't worry too much about that threat."

"Speaking of which," Locke segued. "Where the hell is Rouge? Manic is the most in danger out of the four of you, but Rouge shouldn't be in as much danger."

"Oh, I saw her and Knuckles before I was dropped off here," Amy replied. "They were both loaded into two black SUVs and drove off in a different directions. I tried to speak to them, but the officers refused to let me converse."

Everyone looked at each other with concern laced across their expressions. "That doesn't sound too good," Shadow noted gravely.

"Indeed," Mephiles replied, stroking his chin in thought. His paranoia began to kick in. "Rookie," he ordered, making Gadget sit up straighter. "Do some online reconnaissance on both Knuckles and Rouge. Monitor bank accounts and such."

Gadget nodded, hopped off the couch, and rushed into the other room to begin his task.

Locke's fists tightened. "Are you kidding me? You don't trust my son?" he bellowed after hearing Mephiles' request for Gadget.

"It's just a precaution, old man," Mephiles snapped. "Don't get your panties in a twist."

"My son and daughter-in-law would never snitch. Never," he pointed adamantly.

"We have to cover all our bases," Mephiles emphasized. "I would do this same protocol for any other club member in the same scenario!"

All eyes focused on the older echidna, who was still fuming. "Ever since your old man died, this club has drastically changed. It's going in a direction I disagree with," he noted. Locke scoffed and fled the room, shaking his head in disappointment. "This is such bullshit!"

Mephiles rolled his eyes at the echidna's retreating figure. "Foolish old, man."

"You're pretty hard on the guy. You know that," Shadow scolded.

"He's so irritable. I'm just trying to do my job and keep the rest of us out of jail," he justified. "If he doesn't like how I run this M.C., then there's the door," he gestured. "Meeting adjourned."

With that said, the president stormed out of the room, leaving Mighty, Shadow, and Amy alone.
"…Um, so now what happens?" "I know I'm supposed to remain in the dark about your business ventures, but this seems like it's starting to involve me…" Amy asked, turning to look at Shadow.

"I'd rather continue to keep you out of this," Shadow opined. "I think the agent is targeting you because you have something more of value to threaten. She knows if she threatens your job, you're more than likely to squeal," he explained. "I can assure you this ordeal has no connection to you whatsoever."

Amy's ears went flat against her head, and she looked down and fumbled with her hands nervously. "Yeah, but Shadow…I think she knows about Zonic."

His ears perked up. "What did she say?"

"She noticed my bruise and questioned me about it. I lied about it, but then she said it was weird that Zonic hadn't tried to contact me again since going AWOL. She knows. I just know she does…"

Shadow placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're just being paranoid. Zonic could have flown to the other side of the world for all she knows and is scrambling into hiding. This is just one of her many threat tactics."

Mighty placed both arms across the couch's back, kicking back into a more relaxing pose. "Yeah, she doesn't have shit on Zonic. Gadget, Knuckles, and I made sure to hide his body well," Mighty assured proudly.

•~•

Meanwhile, later that evening, Knuckles was left in another waiting room in an undisclosed location. He had wondered just where the hell he was being transported to. The officers escorting him didn't give him information during the entire journey. Wherever he was now, he knew things were getting majorly serious. He could only imagine what they were putting Rouge through right now. His mind wandering to the worst possibility was distracted when the door opened to the waiting room. Knuckles looked relieved when the door opened, and Rouge was allowed inside. The white bat rushed over to Knuckles and embraced him immediately. "Knuckles!" she called.

He embraced her with his broad arms and kissed the top of her head. "Rouge, baby. Are you okay?"

She pulled back slightly from his embrace to look up at him. "I'm fine, but I'm more worried about you. Have you been charged with anything?"

He shook his head. "No, they haven't charged me with anything. But is it true you took a deal from the feds?"

Rouge blinked a few times, shocked that he would even entertain the idea that she'd do such a thing. "No, not at all!"

He released his hold on her, starting to lose trust in her. Was she lying straight to his face? "That agent showed me that your outstanding debt had been cleared. She's wired money over to clear it and everything. She said you agreed to a deal if it kept both of us safe."

Rouge could see just by his body language and tone that he had doubts. "Knuckles, you have to believe me. I did nothing as crazy as you think. I kept my mouth shut," she explained, exasperated.

"Then why the hell are we both here in witness protection?" he shot back accusingly.

Rouge looked around the room in confusion. "Wait, that's where we are? Witness protection?"

He nodded. "The deal was you'd have testified against the M.C if your debt was cleared, I stayed out of jail, and we were put into the W.P.P."

"Knuckles, hun, you've got to believe me. I-I didn't agree to this at all!" she emphasized strongly. "This has to be some sort of mistake."

Knuckles stared at Rouge's desperation for her to believe him until something else dawned on him. He turned around, looking deep in thought. "Wait for a second…"

Rouge watched as he had his back turned to her. "What?"

"I think this might be a setup," Knuckles deduced. "I think that agent wants us to lose trust in each other. I mean, just look at the two of us. If I don't trust you now, just think what the others will believe when they discover what happened to us."

Rouge covered her mouth with her hands, realizing Agent Blaze made them look like the fall guys. "She can't do this to us!"

"She can, and she already has. I'll give her that. She's pretty clever. She wants the club to lose any trust in us. She knows they'll retaliate against us if they find out we ratted, which will just reveal their cards to the feds from our sudden and unexpected deaths."

"She's made us nothing but pawns to take down the M.C?" Rouge gasped.

"Yeah, and we have no means of contacting the others to let them in on their plan. We'll hope they can figure out this is all a big scam.

"Can't we just convince them we're innocent once we're out of here?" she countered.

"We can try, but with all the smokescreens and evidence she's built against us, it's going to be very hard to convince them. Even I'd have my second guess if this happened to any other one of our members," he explained.

Rouge sunk to her knees, feeling sick to her stomach. "Fuck that bitch," she croaked.

Knuckles knelt to her level. "Don't worry, babe. I'm going to figure out a way out of this. Just you wait," he promised.

From the other side of the mirrored glass, Agent Blaze and Deputy Silver had been eavesdropping in and listening to them the entire time. She chuckled lowly and shook her head in pity. "Turns out Knuckles isn't as slow as I thought. He's caught right onto my plan, but it'll be challenging to get his way back into the good graces of his club."

Silver stood next to her, having also observed their private conversation. "I don't like this, Blaze. What if this plan backfires?"

Blaze shot Silver a look of incredulousness. "There's no way anything can go wrong. I've pinned this plan down perfectly."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just worried someone is going to hurt, and it won't be the intended person you're hoping for," he theorized.

"You're overthinking it, deputy." She glanced down at her watch, noticing the time. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to visit Prison Island to speak with Manic about his sentencing."

•~•

Prison Island – Holding Room

Manic sat in handcuffs in his new orange jumpsuit at a round metal bench table as he waited to speak with Agent Blaze. The purple cat entered the holding room, where two guards stationed themselves in either corner behind Manic to keep watch. She sauntered over to the table and sat down across from him.
"Well, Manic, you killed a high-ranking businessman," Blaze said.

Manic remained calm as he stared across the table at her. "I didn't kill anybody, and whoever the hell said I did is lying straight up. If you want to talk to anybody else, contact my lawyer."

"Hm, if my witness' statement is a lie, then maybe you should hear all of it," she tempted coyly.

Manic shrugged and smiled charmingly, deciding he'd play along. "Sure, yeah, I like a good make-believe story sometimes."

"Very well," Blaze replied before she opened her file. Her eyes glanced down into the manila folder, and she began to read. "Amadeus left the motel room where he turned only to see you with a gun. You aimed your gun at his chest and fired one round." Blaze took a quick peek from her file to assess Manic's expression. He looked as if he struggled to maintain a neutral expression, telling her the statement was accurate. "Amadeus fell, and you and Knuckles fled the second floor and scene of the crime where you met Gadget as the getaway driver," she finished, making up the last bit about the getaway.

"…Wow." Manic did a slow clap and tried to act like the whole thing was a fabrication to the best of his ability. "That is some great fan fiction. Who's the author, lady?"

Blaze narrowed her eyes at the green hedgehog, not appreciating his sarcasm. "Eyewitness non-fiction," she corrected. "Thankfully, the witness' identity remains confidential for now." She rose from her seat and collected her belongings. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, but I'll see you in a few days. It'll allow you to brew on this witness's testimony."

Manic watched as Blaze strolled out of the room. The two guards standing post walked over, lifted him out of his seat, and escorted him out of the room and back to his cell. While walking around, he couldn't help but wonder who the witness was. No one on the second floor of that motel could've known that crucial detail. Whoever it was sure learned a lot of critical information that happened that day. However, the one thing that continually bugged him was that whoever witnessed this knew precisely who the getaway driver was. Which made him wonder, did Knuckles snitch?

AN: Please remember to leave a review!

Chapter 20: Loyalty & Tragedy

Summary:

Knuckles and Rouge return from the police station, but suspicion is still growing about their loyalty to the club. A celebration is thrown for Rouge and Knuckle's anniversary when suddenly tragedy strikes.

The next day, Knuckles and Rouge were escorted out of the Witness Protection headquarters after demanding release. Under the law, they had no right to be held in such a facility against their will and were allowed to leave after finishing their questioning. Knuckles kept one arm around Rouge as they walked down the long halls together. Agent Blaze and Nicole walked on either side of the couple as they were escorted to the front of the building. “You’re making a big mistake here, Knuckles. You know I can’t protect you when you walk out those doors,” she warned.

Knuckles glanced over at the cat. “I can keep myself safe,” he mumbled.

“What about your wife? Can you keep her safe?” Blaze challenged.

The white bat glared at the cat beside her. “Of course he can!” Rouge chimed in. “Stop trying to use scare tactics to keep us here. It won’t work.”

“You realize that your M.C. believes you’re the one that ratted out Manic. They won’t believe you,” she added.

“They’re my family. They HAVE to believe me,” Knuckles emphasized. “Now, leave us the hell alone!”

Blaze and Nicole stopped just before the entrance of the building. They watched as the couple left the building and headed straight for the parking lot.

Blaze glanced over to her assistant. “You planted them, correct?”

Nicole nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Their phones have been bugged.”

“Good,” Blaze smiled sinisterly.

•~•

Back at the house, Mephiles sat on the couch watching TV with Shadow and Mighty. However, Gadget came running into the living room after making a startling discovery. Locke came out of the kitchen holding a plate with a sandwich in one hand just as he overheard the young wolf’s claim. “Sir, you’re going to want to see this!” Everyone glanced at the frantic red wolf as he walked further into the room.

“What is it, Rookie?” Mephiles glanced at the red wolf and watched as he hurried over with a laptop. Locke quickly placed his plate at the dining room table and ambled over to get in on the conversation.

Gadget handed the laptop over to the dark hedgehog president. Mighty and Shadow rose from their seats to better look themselves, just as Locke joined behind them. “As you can see here,” he said, pointing to the screen. “I’ve been monitoring both Knuckles and Rouge’s financial accounts. Both of them received deposits in their accounts. Money was wired from G.U.N and has cleared all debts they’ve held for the past couple of years,” he informed.

“…Of course they did,” Mephiles sighed, fearing the worst.

“Nah, I don’t believe this horse shit. Knuckles is no rat!” Locke exclaimed.

“This has to be a scam. Perhaps this is what the feds want us to think,” Shadow deduced.

Locke nodded and looked in Shadow’s direction. “Exactly!” he agreed.

Mephiles, on the other hand, wasn’t as forgiving. “You heard Knuckles the other night. He was not confident about the idea of murder for hire. He’s trying to cover his ass now that he’s been caught.”

“He’s innocent until proven guilty. We’ll have a meeting until we reach our conclusions,” Locke argued. “And if you have a problem with having a fair meeting, then you have a problem with me!” he threatened, holding up a clenched fist towards Mephiles’ face.

Mighty’s cell phone rang during the heated conversation, and he quickly left the room to answer it.

Mephiles rolled his eyes at his threat. “Locke, I intend to have a fair hearing for your son. Now lower your fist out of my face before I destroy you,” he warned coldly, without batting an eye.

Locke obeyed and dropped his fist, and took a step back. “You better…” He walked out of the room afterward.

“Come on, brother. You have to have more faith in him!” Shadow barked. “I understand why Locke is getting so visibly upset.”

In the meantime, Mephiles handed the laptop back to Gadget. “Believe me, I’m trying, but it’s becoming harder and harder to do so with this evidence presented before me,” he justified.

Just then, Mighty re-entered the living room. “Sorry to interrupt, guys, but I just got info that Knux and Rouge have been released. They’re heading back home as we speak.”

Shadow turned to look away from the armadillo and toward his brother. “We give him a fair chance to explain everything to us,” Shadow commanded calmly.

Mephiles rose from his seat and glanced at the clock. “Yes, yes, of course. Now, I have a meeting with Manic’s lawyer. I’ll be back in twenty minutes after I gain some intel.”

•~•

A bit later, Mephiles met with Manic’s lawyer as promised. Mephiles and a male Zebra named Zed walked down the sidewalk together in the neighborhood after getting some ice cream from a local ice cream truck. With the sound of the ice cream truck’s iconic melody looming in the background, the two sauntered back towards their parked vehicles off the side of the road.

Mephiles put a scoop of his ice cream in his mouth with the small spoon. “So, what do we know so far, then?”

Zed continued to walk with him. “Well, the feds won’t disclose any information on this witness, but when I talked to Manic, he claims that Blaze knows there was a third guy involved in this hit.”

Mephiles seemed surprised. “You’re saying she knows Gadget was involved too?”

“Yeah,” Zed confirmed. “Manic told me that anyone who saw him could have never I.D’d Gadget since he was in the car.”

The dark hedgehog’s hand crushed the empty carton of ice cream he had finished. “Only one other person could’ve known Gadget was there,” Mephiles grumbled, suddenly realizing.

Zed nodded, agreeing with his theory. “Yeah, that’s my guess, too. Maybe Knuckles is turning on you guys after all.”

The two stopped just in front of their parked vehicles near the sidewalk. “Why the hell are they releasing Knuckles then? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Zed mulled in thought. “Well, if I were to guess, I’d say that Knuckles is trying to make a cushy deal. He may need more evidence to get witness protection.”

Mephiles tossed his trash into a nearby garbage can. “You think they’re going to wire him?”

“If he gets anyone, specifically Gadget, to talk about the alleged Amadeus killing, it’s locked,” Zed confirmed.

“…Fuck,” Mephiles muttered, seeing the severity.

•~•

Once returning home, Mephiles spotted Gadget lingering outside the mechanic shop watering the pavement to clean up any left-over oil residue. “Rookie,” he called as he walked over.

Gadget rushed over and shut off the hose just as Mephiles neared him. “Yes, sir?”

He glanced at his watch momentarily. “Knuckles should be back any moment now. I’ll need you to do a few things for me.”

“Of course, sir, anything,” he nodded eagerly.

“When Rouge and Knuckles return, I’ll need you to do a wire and bug check. Do it as discreetly as possible, and do not inform them of your snooping. Report to me your findings afterward.”

Gadget nodded, understanding the explicit instructions. “Understood, sir.”

•~•

Soon enough, Knuckles and Rouge were dropped off by a taxi. The couple entered the house, where the rest of their family greeted them. Shadow patted Knuckles on the back in exchange for a welcome. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks,” Knuckles smiled, patting him back in return.

Knuckles repeated this action with the rest of the guys, smiling at them and happy to be back in their presence. Locke opened both arms, and Knuckles embraced his father just as he did in return. “Dad,” Knuckles smiled.

“I was worried about you, son.”

“You don’t have to anymore; I’m fine,” he assured as he pulled out of his embrace.

Amy welcomed Rouge’s return with a big hug that she appreciated. “I’m so happy to see you home again,” she exclaimed.

“Likewise, I thought I’d never get back,” Rouge laughed lightly.

Gadget watched as Rouge took off her jacket and draped it on the coat rack by the front door. She then plugged her phone into the charging station on the table by the entryway.

Mephiles clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Time for a meeting; let’s head to the dining room,” he announced. All the boys headed for the living room together.

Rouge glanced at Amy and gestured towards the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll tell you everything that happened.” Amy nodded and followed the white bat upstairs to give the guys privacy during their meeting.

Gadget followed after the others and quickly grabbed the basket in the kitchen. He returned to the dining room, holding the basket in front of him. “Phones, phone collection!” he called, reminding everyone of the protocol.

The basket was passed around, and everyone placed their cellular devices into the basket. Gadget was handed the basket back with all the phones and brought into the kitchen for keepsakes. While in the kitchen alone, he proceeded with the assignment Mephiles had given him earlier. He whipped out a TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures device) and picked out Knuckle’s cell phone. He waved the device over the phone and watched for the light to change colors. Its original green light suddenly turned red. He paused the device over the back of the phone before quickly opening up the back and finding a bug inside the phone. Frowning from the discovery, he removed the bug and crushed it in his hand, destroying it.

Walking past the meeting and through the living room, Gadget headed for the house entrance to check out Rouge’s phone. Shadow watched curiously as the red wolf hurriedly rushed for the front door. He could only wonder what he was up to but focused on the meeting. Sitting around the table again, Mephiles cleared his throat. “Thank you for returning so soon,” Mephiles began. “We appreciate your time.”

“It shows that he’s not a rat,” Locke mumbled.

Knuckles glanced over to his old man. Was it true, like Agent Blaze had said? Did the group already lose trust in him from this staged attempt? “Dad…”

Near the entrance, Gadget spotted another cellphone plugged in by Rouges’. It must’ve been Amy’s. He took his TSCM and hovered them over both phones, starting with Amy’s. When he approached the device over hers, the lights on the TSCM remained green. However, the lights turned red when he glided the device over Rouge’s phone. Frowning again at the grave discovery, Gadget quickly dissembled the back and found an identical bug to the one he had seen in Knuckle’s phone. He took it out and destroyed it.

Everyone was looking at Knuckles to hear his explanation in the dining room. “Look, I know how this appears—that agent has set me up to look like a rat. It’s all a lie,” Knuckles avowed. “I don’t know who the witness is, but it isn’t me.”

“What exactly happened, Knuckles?” Shadow questioned.

“She tried to turn Rouge against me and offered her some big payment to clear her debt,” he explained with a scoff. “What a joke….”

While Knuckles went on a tirade of his explanation, Gadget kept the TSCM hidden in his pocket from the others and made his way over to Knuckles. He walked behind Knuckles, looked at Mephiles, and gave him a curt nod and cough. This signaled to him that Knuckles was confirmed to be bugged.

However, Shadow had spotted the subtle signal and eyed Gadget and his brother suspiciously. What exactly were those two up to anyway? His thought process on the matter shifted when Knuckle’s voice cut him out of his rumination.

“—Thankfully, Rouge isn’t stupid. She turned it down straight away and kept her mouth shut,” Knuckles added. “Everything you’ve seen that may have turned your belief in me into doubt was that agent trying to turn you guys against me.”

Mephiles couldn’t allow Knuckles to know he was onto him. So, he proceeded to put his best acting forward. “You’re a good person, Knuckles,” he stated. “You did well.”

“Does that mean I’m good with you and the rest of the M.C.?” Knuckles inquired cautiously.

Mephiles nodded. “Yes,” he confirmed. “We’re all good here.” With that, he grabbed his gavel and ended the meeting. Everyone rose from their seats, happy about the news. Mighty walked over and gave Knuckles another brotherly hug.

Locke smirked triumphantly at the president. “See, told you,” he said before walking off. After returning all the phones, Gadget turned his head towards the president and stared in his direction. While waiting for everyone to clear the room, Mephiles instructed Gadget to follow him into another room with a nod. The two slipped off when the coast was clear and went upstairs together.

Once they were in Mephiles’ bedroom, the dark-striped hedgehog turned to look at the wolf. “What did you find then?” he asked lowly.

“His phone was wired, sir,” Gadget explained. “But I destroyed it.”

“…I see,” he sighed. “What about Rouge?”

“She was wired too—same deal, however. I killed the bug there as well,” he answered.

Mephiles shook his head in disappointment from the betrayal. “Chaos…”

Suddenly, Mephiles’ bedroom door opened, and Shadow entered the room and eyed the two of them suspiciously. He could hear them having a private conversation as he approached the bedroom door. However, the two kept their voices low enough so he couldn’t make anything out. “What’s going on here?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just filling Rookie in with everything he missed,” he replied calmly.

“Yeah, thanks for that, sir,” Gadget said before casually walking around Shadow and leaving the bedroom.

Shadow closed the door behind him and turned to look at his elder brother. “Everything Knuckles said earlier—you believe him, right?”

Mephiles walked towards his bedroom door. “Of course, brother,” he lied. “I love Knuckles too, you know.”

Shadow watched as his brother opened his door, gesturing for him to leave. Shadow stared at him for a long moment before surrendering. “All right…” Shadow escorted himself out. “See you later then.”

Once he closed the door again, Mephiles pulled out his cell phone and searched his contacts. As he went down the list, the selection tool hovered over the name “Zero.” There was a pause as Mephiles considered calling him to complete this task. However, involving himself with that psycho again made him grumble in annoyance. Zero may have been good at his skill set, but he could find other people to hire. He ended up on a different name and quickly dialed. Mephiles waited for the other line to pick up, however. He didn’t bother to wait to listen to their voice once he heard the line pick up. “I’ve got an assignment for you. Hopefully, Finitevus doesn’t have you too busy right now….”

“Not at all,” the male voice responded. “Why, what’s up?”

“I have a rather messy assignment I will need your help with. I can’t involve my guys with it—it’s too personal. They wouldn’t understand,” he explained.

He heard a small chuckle before the other voice said, “Sounds fun.”

•~•

Meanwhile, at the police station later that evening, Nicole walked into Agent Blaze’s temporary-makeshift office. She watched as her superior sat behind the desk and typed away on the computer. “Oh, sorry to interrupt you, ma’am, but we’re not getting anything from the bugs on the phones,” she informed regretfully.

Blaze halted her typing as she considered a theory behind it. “I’m guessing Mephiles or one of the others must have found them,” she surmised in disinterest.

Nicole seemed alarmed that Blaze’s tone wasn’t as worried as expected. “You’re…you’re not concerned, ma’am?”

Blaze shrugged nonchalantly and turned around in her computer chair to face her assistant. “The pre-trial for Amadeus’ murder starts in two days, which means the witness’s name will finally be released. The Brothers will soon realize that Knuckles wasn’t the snitch after all. Instead, we will make our case to tie him to Amadeus’ killing. All we must do is keep Knuckles--”

“—I know she’s here. I want to see her!” an aggressive and agitated male voice said from the halls.

Blaze and Nicole turned to look at the cracked open office door, where they saw Mephiles approaching them. Silver was in quick pursuit of him, trying to prevent him from bursting in and disturbing Blaze’s work. “Hey, get back here!” he hollered.

Silver managed to reach the door before Mephiles and blocked him from entering by placing his arms in front of the door frame.

Mephiles pushed against him to break through. “Let me in!”

“You’re not allowed,” Silver bellowed, pushing back.

Blaze stood from her seat and raised a hand. “It’s okay, deputy; he can come in.”

Silver looked over his shoulder at Blaze before dropping his arms and moving to the side. Mephiles brushed past the officer, glaring at him before sauntering into the room. Blaze oversaw the biker. “What do you want to talk to me about, Mephiles?”

“You kicked down my doors, you hurt my family, and now you lock up one of my guys for a crime he didn’t do,” he began.

Blaze crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the hedgehog with a deadpan expression. “Well, we’ll let a jury decide on that.”

“Yes, well, what you did to Knuckles and his old lady proves that you’re desperate because you have nothing on us,” he smirked victoriously. He moved in a little closer, trying to intimidate her. Silver watched closely just in case he needed to interfere. However, Blaze didn’t even flinch at his move and instead stared back at him. Mephiles’ eyelids lowered slightly. “It must kill you, doesn’t it? You hate to see us roam the streets just like every Mobian citizen,” he chuckled darkly.

“You make me so proud to be a Mobian,” Blaze mumbled sarcastically.

Mephiles grinned before he backed up, holding his arms up by his sides, and headed for the exit. “You won’t take us down. I promise you that, kitten.” Blaze, Silver, and Nicole watched as the eerie dark president fled down the halls with no urgency after saying his piece.

Blaze shook her head at his retreating figure. “That guy is such an arrogant creep.”

“Aren’t you worried about his threats?” Silver chimed in. “He just laid out that he’s onto your plans.”

“He’s bluffing,” Blaze dismissed. “He’s terrified and knows that if he doesn’t come up with some plan, he’ll lose this time. I’ve got him right where I want him. It’s only a matter of days.” The two ladies walked out of the office, shutting the door behind them. However, unbeknownst to them, Espio un-camouflaged himself from inside the office. He had heard everything, and now he needed to document this and let Mephiles know as soon as possible.

•~•

Two days later, a big celebration was held in the basement of the Brother’s compound. The whole Brothers of Chaos, plus a few members from the southside charter, gathered in the basement bar area. With a loud “Cheers” proclaimed in unison, the bikers clinked their beer glasses together.

Rouge and Knuckles were among the group of cheering bikers who had been surprised with a party to celebrate their fourth anniversary. The couple smiled at their fellow family and friends, appreciative of the party and support for their anniversary. “Thank you all. This truly surprised both of us,” Knuckles stated as he kept an arm around Rouge’s waist.

Rouge nodded, agreeing with her husband. “I still remember the day I met this knucklehead,” she reminisced, elbowing him in his side. “I couldn’t stand him then, but now look at us—we’ve come such a long way,” she laughed, causing others to laugh with her.

Mighty placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “You gotta thank Ames on this one,” the armadillo gestured. “This party was all her idea. She worked super hard last minute to get everything pulled together. We ought to give her a round of applause for this one.”

Everyone clapped as they stared at Amy, the hostess who was now the center of attention. Amy smiled sheepishly as all eyes flocked to her. “Oh, it was nothing,” she assured with a hand wave.

Everyone gathered around and dispersed, and Amy noticed a familiar female pink echidna make her way over. “Hey there, long time no see.”

“Oh, hey, Julie!” Amy waved politely.

Julie leaned forward, and the two girls exchanged formal pecks on the cheeks. “So, what’s new with you, girl?” she inquired curiously.

Amy placed a finger to her lips in thought, and her eyes darted back and forth. “Oh, well….” She felt a hand land on her right shoulder, and a presence appeared behind her.

“There you are,” a familiar voice stated. Amy craned her neck only to see Shadow by her side. She felt the hand that was once on her shoulder slide around her back, keeping her close by his side. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Julie-Su smiled as she took a sip of her drink concoction from her red cup. As he noticed how the dark hedgehog looked at Amy lovingly. “Okay, say no more; I can see what’s new with you,” she sang playfully.

Amy blushed slightly as she glanced at Shadow. “Yeah, Shadow and I are dating now.”

“You two look so cute together,” she noted. “It’s about time you found yourself another nice girl, Shadow. I approve!”

Shadow nodded with a slight chuckle. “I appreciate that, Julie, but it’s more like she found me,” he countered playfully.

Julie giggled at his comment. “Well, anyway. Nice party you threw together last minute, Amy. See you two lovebirds around,” Julie-Su waved before mingling further into the room.

Once she was gone, Amy looked at Shadow again. “So, why were you looking for me?”

“It’s about a cake that was just delivered. I didn’t know where you wanted to store it.”

She nodded. “Oh right, Knuckles and Rouge’s congratulatory cake.” She began walking away from him as he watched her. “I’ll deal with it. Be right back.”

Meanwhile, lingering at the top of the staircase from the basement, Mephiles watched his members mingle and socialize with the other charter. However, his reptilian eyes drifted to his right when he noticed a figure smoothly leaning against the wall downstairs from the staircase with a beer in hand. It was Khan, a brown monkey part of the southside charter. He wore a red bandana around his forehead, pushing his luscious brown locks back. His blue eyes didn’t lock with Mephiles’ but instead focused on the partygoers around them walking from room to room. Mephiles watched as Khan calmly moved away from the wall and took a few steps up the staircase to meet him partway. “So, you said you got a messy assignment to hand out?” Khan questioned quietly.

“Yes, I’ve heard you handle them well. Finitevus has told me in the past that you are a good applicant for these missions,” Mephiles replied, keeping their conversation as discreet as possible. “However, this assignment is just between you and me.”

Khan shrugged indifferently. “Fine with me, so who’s dying tonight?”

Walking towards the basement staircase, Amy slowed her pace when she heard two people conversing. However, she only caught the tail-end of it.

“—Good, then you’ll know I need this done tonight. Quick and painless.” Amy halted completely where she’d been hearing the two’s conversation. It was clear as day. One of them was Mephiles’ voice. However, she had no idea whom he was talking to. It sounded rather serious based on the bits she heard. She stayed still and continued to eavesdrop.

Khan nodded. “Sure, you’ve got it. Just give me the signal, and it’ll be done.”

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course.”

Khan extended his hand out for Mephiles to shake. “You’ve got it.” Mephiles reached out, and the two shook on it.

Amy heard them making their way down to the basement in her direction. She still had no clue what this deal was about that Mephiles had just finalized, but she’d act like she hadn’t heard anything. She turned in the opposite direction when Mephiles walked down the stairs and eyed her suspiciously. “Oh, hello there, doctor,” he purred coyly.

Amy froze and tried to compose herself. She slowly turned around to face him, acting oblivious. “Hey, Mephiles. Enjoying the party?” she asked casually.

He kept his hands shoved in his leather jacket pockets as he ambled closer in her direction. He lowered his eyelids towards her. “It’s splendid,” he grinned. “You’ve done a wonderful job as always, Ms. Rose.”

“Well, gee, thanks.”

Suddenly, she felt him drape his arm over her shoulder, pulling her flush against his side. “Were you, by chance looking for someone just now?”

She felt an uneasy shiver run down her spine. Did he know she had overheard some of his conversations, or did he just suspect it? She’d have to play it cool until otherwise. “Uh, yeah, I was looking for Shadow, actually….”

Mephiles’ hand snaked down from around her shoulder and cupped her left hip. Amy squirmed at his unwanted touch. “Let’s find him then. He should not leave an enticingly beautiful female alone at this party,” he chuckled. The two of them wandered further back into the party together. Perhaps Mephiles hadn’t realized she had eavesdropped after all.

Meanwhile, Knuckles headed into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers. He reached into the cooler and grabbed one just as he spotted his ex-flame Julie-Su standing in the kitchen doorway. “…Julie?”

She leaned her right shoulder against the doorframe. “Hey, Knux, great party,” she smiled in his direction.

“Yeah, it sure is,” he smiled a little uneasily. “Well, uh, I gotta get back to Rouge now,” he politely excused.

He tried to move around her, but she blocked his path. “Hey, wait, are we not allowed to be in the same room anymore?”

Knuckles didn’t dare even try to look her in the eye. “You saw how Rouge reacted the last time we interacted; I don’t want to risk it.”

“Knuckles, I would never put you in a position like that. I’ve moved on…I just want to be friends,” she stated.

“I want to be friends too, but I don’t want to cause any more drama in my relationship. Rouge doesn’t like to see me around you. Knowing my past with you and all…It hurts her,” he explained.

Julie looked away sadly. “That’s her insecurities coming to the surface. Look, I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationship with Rouge. I wish she’d just give us a chance.”

Knuckles tapped his fingers around his beer glass in thought. “Maybe if we both talked to her, we could see if something could be worked out. But I don’t want to try tonight. After all, this is our night, and I don’t need another fight with my old lady.”

Julie-Su chuckled. “I get it. I guess I’ll see you around then?”

Knuckles walked around her and back towards the dining room. “Yeah, I better get going. They’re going to bring out the cake in thirty minutes, and I want to make sure—” he paused when a look of panic struck his features. Julie was quick to pick up on it.

She raised a brow at him. “What’s wrong?”

Knuckles placed his beer on the dining room table and began patting himself down, feeling for the pockets on his body. “Damn it…No!” he muttered.

Julie stared at him in bafflement. “Are you okay?”

“Shit!” he cursed. “I got Rouge a special anniversary gift at the jeweler, but I forgot to pick it up! I gotta get it quick!” Julie watched as he flocked for the front door, and she quickly followed after him.

“Wait,” she called after him. “Is the store even still open?”

He fumbled for his car keys on the hooks by the front door. “Yeah, it’s open till 8:00; it’s only ten minutes away. I should be able to get it in time and come back.”

In the other room, Mephiles overheard the entire conversation play out. He smirked before sauntering off to find Khan to employ the act.

Back with Julie and Knuckles, Julie placed a hand on his wrist. “Hold on, let me go get it for you,” she offered.

Knuckles shot her a bewildered look. “Huh?”

“You’re clearly under enough stress. Take it easy for the rest of the night and enjoy it with Rouge. Let me go pick up her present for you.”

Knuckles stared at her as he mulled over the idea. “Well…”

She extended out her open palm. “Keys, please?”

Knuckles lowered his truck car keys into her hand. “There’s no way I’m letting you take my bike, so take the green pick-up truck,” he instructed. “The shop is on main street and 5th. It’s called Chaos Emeralds Forever.” He rummaged into his pocket with the receipt. “And take this; you’ll need it.”

“Got it,” she smiled.

He leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Thank you, Jules.”

She felt a faint blush across her cheeks. “No problem…”

After being reunited with Shadow in the living room, Amy sat on the couch beside him, growing more uneasy by the moment. Partygoers around them drank, smoked, or socialized in all parts of the room. Shadow glanced away from people-watching and instead focused on Amy fiddling with her fingers anxiously. She had been relatively quiet recently. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Amy craned her neck to look at him. “What do you mean?”

“You seem antsy,” he noted with a shrug. “Something wrong?”

Amy turned slightly in her seat to face him. “Well, is there anything happening tonight with the club?” she worded carefully.

Shadow blinked a few times, clearly lost on her question. “With the club?” he repeated. “I’m not sure I follow.”

She sighed. “You know, like club business?” she elaborated.

Shadow shook his head. “No, we’re off duty. Tonight is all about celebration.” Amy watched as Mephiles and Khan headed towards the front door together. She still had no clue what Mephiles was up to tonight, but she knew it wasn’t good. Shadow reached for one of her hands resting in her lap, brought it up towards his mouth, and kissed the back of her hand. “Why the concern anyway, princess?”

“Oh.” Amy smiled at him, coming out of her paranoia. “I-I just want to spend more time with you,” she shrugged bashfully. “I figured you might be whisked away again on another last-minute mission.”

He shot her a charming grin and slid closer to her on the couch. “No, I’m not going anywhere tonight.” He leaned down and kissed her left shoulder softly, causing her to blush. “It’s just you and me tonight.”

Amy looked at him lovingly as his face neared hers. “Sha-shadow…”

On the empty front porch, Khan got down low from Mephiles. “I overheard everything. This is your opportunity. He’s heading to the jewelers on Main Street and 5th. Make it look like a drive-by and get out of there fast. Got it?” Mephiles instructed quietly.

Khan pulled on his black fingerless leather gloves. “I got it.” He reached into his pocket and put his cell phone on silent.

The two stared at Knuckle’s green pick-up truck, pulled out of the driveway, and headed out. “Get going,” Mephiles pointed. Mephiles watched as Khan made his way down the porch’s steps, tucking in the 9mm with the silencer into the back of his pants. He ensured his plain black hoodie concealed the weapon and headed for his bike. Placing the black helmet over his head, he straddled his bike, turned it on, and took off the compound.

A few minutes later, Khan had caught up to Knuckles’ truck. The truck was making its way down a lone suburban neighborhood. Khan plotted the perfect place to take him out, keeping two cars distanced between them.

Unbeknownst to the fact that she was being stalked by one of her club members, Julie-Su drummed her fingertips along the steering wheel as she jammed out to some classic rock music while driving towards her destination.

Back at the house, Mephiles smoked a cigarette on the front porch while waiting for his plan to be completed. Tonight, he’d get rid of Knuckles, then get rid of Rouge next, but he’d have to space it out. He heard heels clicking behind him and spun around to see the bat standing behind him. “Hey, have you seen Knuckles anywhere by chance?”

Mephiles remained calm and blew out the smoke from the corner of his mouth. “I haven’t seen him in a while,” he lied. “Although, I don’t see his truck. Perhaps, he went out?” he surmised coolly.

Rouge kept her hands on her hips, looking peeved at the idea of Knuckles sneaking off on such a special night. “That Knucklehead…why would he leave during his party?”

“—I didn’t leave,” a voice said from behind her.

Mephiles choked out a cough, hearing his voice appear behind Rouge’s back. He wheezed as he beat on his chest with a clenched fist. It was as if he had seen a ghost.

Knuckles eyed his president with concern. “Hey, you all right there, Mephiles?”

Mephiles waved an assured hand as he tried to stabilize himself from his coughing fit. “I-I’m fine,” he continued to croak. “Damn smoke…”

Rouge turned away from looking at Mephiles hack up his lungs and back to her husband. She crossed her arms over her busty chest. “Where were you then? And why’s your truck gone?”

Knuckles rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes shifted back and forth uncomfortably. “I-I was upstairs in the bathroom, you know, taking a piss.”

Rouge eyed him suspiciously. “…And your truck, was it taking a piss as well?”

“Uh, I just moved it on the street for more parking,” he lied. He couldn’t tell Rouge that Julie-Su had borrowed his car for an errand. It only would cause unnecessary drama.

Rouge grabbed his hand, buying his lie. “Come on; we’re heading inside. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. “Shade and Manic want to play a round of pool, and I said we’d play against them.”

Knuckles followed after her as she led him back into the house. “Yes, dear.”

Finally, having rid himself of his coughing spell, Mephiles fumbled for his cell phone in his jacket pocket. “If he’s here…then who the hell is in his car?” he quietly questioned. He dialed Khan’s phone to stop the hit.

The paid assassin rounded a corner with Khan and spotted Knuckle’s truck stopped at a red light. There were no other cars on the road at this time, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike. He reached behind him and grabbed his pistol before riding straight up behind Knuckle’s parked car. He aimed at the back window, where he could see the silhouette of an echidna. Pulling down on the trigger, he took two shots at the back of the head of the unsuspecting echidna.

Seeing blood splatter from his hit, he heard the horn sound off from Knuckle’s car. He revved his motorcycle handles and went around the side of the truck to the driver’s side to see his target, only to become alarmed when he realized it was not Knuckles but, instead, Julie-Su. Julie-Su was slumped over the steering wheel with the back of her head blown to bits. Bits of her brain and skull were splattered all over the windshield, and her lifeless eyes stared back at him. He grimaced at the sight. “Aww, shit!” he cursed in anger. He quickly departed, cursing to himself along the way as he sped off down the street.

Back with Mephiles, the president paced on the front porch as he was now in the third attempt to call off the strike. “Pick up, you bastard,” he mumbled in annoyance.

He felt another call trying to break through his dial tone. He looked at the caller and noticed it was Espio calling in. He hung up in his attempt to reach Khan and answered Espio’s call instead. “I’m kind of busy right now,” he hissed. “Can it wait?”

“It can’t,” Espio countered.

Mephiles growled irately. “Then what, might I ask, is so important?”

“It’s about Knuckles and your lack of trust in him,” he replied.

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and?”

“Agent Blaze is weaponizing your mistrust in Knuckles to get you guys to retaliate and kill him. She plans to use Knuckles as bait to lure you guys out and expose your homicidal club methods,” he explained.

Mephiles appeared stunned as he absorbed the information. “…What?”

“She’s been playing you like puppet master for weeks, stringing her plan along. I’ve been gathering intel for the past couple of days. I wanted to warn you if you were thinking of taking things into your own hands. Turns out Knuckles’ wasn’t the rat after all.”

Mephiles blinked a few times. “He-he wasn’t?”

“Nah, it was some chick Amadeus was having an affair with. She witnessed the whole thing from the hotel window. Agent Blaze has purposely made you think Knuckles was the rat to break the bonds between your club and draw in paranoia and mistrust….”

“Shit…” Mephiles closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Thank you for informing me of this. I appreciate it.” With that said, he hung up.

Just then, Finitevus walked out onto the front porch. “Have you, by chance, seen Julie-Su? I can’t seem to locate her anywhere.”

Mephiles glanced to the parking lot where Knuckle’s truck was once parked as sudden realization sunk in. Julie-Su had taken his car, hadn’t she? He turned to look back at the other president of the southside charter. “No…I haven’t, I’m afraid,” he lied.

Suddenly, Mighty came rushing out onto the front porch with the house phone. His expression appeared grave. “Guys, Deputy Silver just called. He needs to meet us in town.”

Finitevus looked concerned. “What’s happened?”

“…There’s been an accident. He believes the body belongs to one of our own,” he answered.

•~•

Most of the club rolled out to the crime scene several minutes later. Mephiles, Mighty, Shadow, Knuckles, Finitevus, and Khan parked their bikes on the street side. The group could see a sectioned-off part of the street with caution tape and a body with a sheet draped over it. There was an ambulance nearby and plenty of police officers taking notes of the murder. Knuckle’s parked green truck had the back window shattered to pieces. Detective Vector and Espio stood at the crime scene, jotting down notes as they spoke to a citizen who had found the state of the crime scene. Nearby the ambulance, Officer Silver talked to one of the paramedics before noticing the herd of bikers heading towards the sectioned-off crime scene.

He excused himself from his conversation and approached the tape. “Boys.”

Knuckles gripped the tape as he anxiously tried to squint and look for Julie-Su. They hadn’t explained much but told the group to arrive.

“Is s-she okay? Where is she?” Knuckles anxiously questioned. “Is she in the ambulance?”

Silver stared at Knuckles in surprise. “You know her then?”

“Yeah, she’s my ex,” he explained. “Now, where is she?” He tried to move past the tape, but Silver placed a firm hand on his chest, stopping him.

“Hey, you don’t want to do that,” he warned.

“Why not?” he shouted.

He frowned sadly. “She’s gone, Knuckles...”

Knuckles stared at the officer in disbelief. “…What?”

“She was killed on sight,” he elaborated. “This was a hit and run. Someone drove up behind her while she was driving and shot her.”

It was then he noticed two officers standing near something on the ground with a tarp draped over it—a body. Knuckles instantly crumbled to his knees, and he began sobbing. Tears flooded down his cheeks. “…Julie,” he wept. “Fuck…”

Mighty and Manic knelt to his level and patted him on the shoulders, trying to console his grieving.

Finitevus placed a hand to his mouth as he absorbed those words. He felt a whirlwind of emotions as he processed the death of one of his working girls and dear friends. “Julie…” he breathed.

In the background, both Khan and Mephiles carefully eyed each other in silence. Shadow felt his heart sink at the news. It brought on a bit of PTSD as a flash of Maria’s murder flashed before his mind. Similarly—he, too, had watched as Maria’s body was covered by a sheet at the crime scene. Shadow felt his fists tighten as he pushed those memories aside. Tonight Knuckles needed him, so he walked to the white hedgehog officer. “What do we know so far? Any sightings on who did this?”

Silver crossed his arms over his chest. “Nothing so far, I’m afraid,” he answered sadly. “Whoever did this must have had something against this girl,” Silver surmised.

Baring his teeth angrily at the idea, Finitevus strode towards the yellow tape. “That’s bullshit!” he spat. “Julie-Su was an escort and a mighty good one at that. She had no enemies!” he declared positively.

Silver pulled out his notepad and a pen. “You sure she didn’t have any clients that may have had a bad experience, animosity, or just, in general, act questionable towards her?” he questioned.

Finitevus shook his head. “I’m positive. Everyone loved Julie-Su,” he continued. “No one wanted to harm her. The clients we allowed were always cleared.”

Shadow watched as Silver jotted down those notes. “Interesting. Well, I noticed she was driving Knuckle’s vehicle. Is there a possibility this was a mistake and whoever killed Julie believed it to be Knuckles instead?” he theorized.

Shadow mulled over the idea for a moment before glancing over to his brother, who was now in the process of having a side conversation with Khan, another member of the southside charter.

At that same time, Mephiles was busy talking to Khan in the background with all the chaos. “Why didn’t you answer?” he whispered harshly, ensuring no one else was eavesdropping on them.

“My phone was on silent,” Khan replied quietly.

Mephiles narrowed his eyes at him and crossed his arms over his chest. “How could you fuck up like this?”

“How was I supposed to know she’d volunteer to do his errand and take his car?” he countered in annoyance quietly.

Mephiles shook his head and sighed. “Tonight was an absolute tragedy.”

“You know we can’t let anyone know of this because if you try to scapegoat this shit on me, I’m dragging you down too, old man,” Khan warned.

Mephiles eyed the monkey in anger. “Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m protecting us,” he replied. “I know what Finitevus will do to me, and I know what Shadow and the others will do to you if they find out,” Mephiles growled lowly. Khan was right, after all. If this got out, both would be stripped of their tribal ink, ex-communicated, and possibly killed for their wrongdoings. Mephiles could not risk losing all that power.

Another black car rounded the corner and pulled up to the crime scene. The car doors opened, and Agent Blaze and her assistant Nicole stepped out. They noticed a silver hedgehog making his way toward them as they got out of the car.

“I told you this shit would go badly,” Silver seethed towards the feline before storming away from her.

Blaze kept a neutral expression before glancing over to Knuckles, who was on his hands and knees, feeling devastated at the loss of Julie-Su. Nicole frowned at the sight. “An innocent girl is dead….”

Blaze exhaled a sigh and shook her head. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen….”

Espio watched Agent Blaze as she and her assistant approached another officer to get more details. His eyesight shifted to Mephiles across the street as the president walked over to his parked bike. Mephiles glanced up at one point and stared across the street, locking eyes with the purple chameleon. The two stared down at each other before Mephiles eventually pried his eyes away.

Espio knew this was Mephiles’ doing, and now he just had to figure out what to do with this information.

•~•

Later that night, the group returned home, and Shadow found Amy in the basement, trying to clean up on her own. He watched as she picked up paper plates, red plastic cups, and beer bottles and discarded them into a black bag. She looked eager to hear what had happened to cause the party to halt completely. She released the hold of the garbage bag, set it aside, and dusted off her hands. Shadow slowly approached one of the couches, looking grave in expression. Amy watched in curiosity as he slowly sunk onto the couch and placed his face in his hands in anguish. “Shadow, what happened?” Amy tenderly placed a hand on his shoulder and sat beside him when he didn’t respond. He looked like he was in a fragile state. “…Shadow?”

He lifted his face from his hands and turned to look at her. “Someone murdered Julie-Su tonight,” he replied sadly.

“What?” Amy placed a hand to her mouth and gasped. “Oh my...” She leaned in to give him a hug which he returned. “Do they know who did it?”

Shadow shook his head, resting his muzzle on her left shoulder. “They don’t know enough information yet,” he replied.

Amy bowed her head sadly. “This is horrible…I didn’t really know her that well, but she didn’t deserve this. Why would someone do this?”

“I’m not sure….” He patted one of her hands on her lap and helped lift her to her feet. “Don’t bother continuing to clean up. We can finish this in the morning.” He took her hands in his. “And Amy, I need you tonight…” One of his thumbs stroked the top of her hand.

She looked down at his hands in hers before looking back up at his broken expression—knowing precisely what he meant. “…This brought up bad memories for you, huh?” she suspected.

He nodded. She took her hands away from his and instead embraced him again. Shadow felt comfort in her arms as he rested his chin against one of her shoulders. Amy rubbed his back reassuringly and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’ll take care of you, I promise,” she whispered.

Chapter 21: The Push

Summary:

Knuckles deals with his guilt over the death of Julie-Su. Amy contemplates telling Shadow her theories about Mephiles' involvement in Julie's death, and Shadow tracks down answers for who is responsible. Meanwhile, the gang gets intel on the witness' location and plans to take them out.

After spending the previous night with Shadow, Amy woke up with him in bed that morning. Shadow was only in a pair of boxer briefs, and Amy wore one of Shadow’s oversized t-shirts. They lay awake together, staring at the ceiling in Shadow’s room, reliving last night’s tragic events. Julie-Su was there one minute and gone the next, bringing back old fears Shadow had once experienced. Like Knuckles had felt responsible for Julie’s death, he also felt accountable for Maria’s death. This was another reason he opposed entering another relationship in fear of developing feelings and going through a tragic loss again.

Amy had her ruminations, too. Last night she and Shadow had made love and had spent time cuddling as she consoled him. Amy softly stroked the white tuff of hair on Shadow’s chest as she dwelled on revealing her suspicions of Mephiles’ involvement in Julie-Su’s murder. She didn’t want to stir up drama or create mistrust between the brothers, but he had always told her to stay out of club business to keep her safe.

Amy stopped her caressing momentarily. “How are you feeling this morning?” she spoke softly.

“Mentally exhausted, but a little better,” he replied. “Thanks for spending the night with me. I appreciate it.”

“So, what’s the plan for today? Are you going to get answers for Julie-Su’s murder?” she inquired curiously.

Shadow shifted in bed, pushing himself upright to sit with his back against the headboard. Amy mimicked his action, sitting up slightly to face him. “That’s the plan. We need to find out who is responsible and get justice.”

Her ears twitched slightly. “Shouldn’t that be left to the police, though?”

“Normally, yes,” he agreed. “But we do things a little differently around here, as you know,” he reminded.

Amy’s eyes drifted to the side. “Right…Um, Shadow…I need to tell you something,” she began.

Shadow’s ear perked in intrigue as he listened. “What is it?”

“Well, last night at the party, I--”

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Mighty stood in the doorway but instantly panicked when he realized what he had just walked in on. He immediately stared at Amy’s toned pink legs and her ass barely covered by Shadow’s oversized t-shirt. “—Ah, shit!” He slapped one hand over his eyes, grabbed the door handle, and closed it slightly with the other.

Amy squealed in embarrassment and pulled her oversized t-shirt down, trying to conceal her lower region from being exposed as it barely covered everything. Shadow, however, was quick to shield her with a blanket. “Fuck, Mighty! You don’t know how to knock first?” he berated.

The armadillo kept his eyes concealed. “Sorry, man. I didn’t expect Amy to be in here. My apologies to you too, kid,” he directed at the pink hedgehog.

“Um, it’s o-okay,” Amy mumbled, still hiding under the blanket. She didn’t mean it—she could only hope Mighty hadn’t seen anything too intimate.

Shadow moved out of bed, leaving Amy to hide under the sheets. He walked over to a drawer and opened it, reaching for a new pair of pants. “What’s so important that you had to bust in here in the first place?”

“Mephiles is initiating an emergency meeting right now. You’re needed downstairs.”

“I’ll be there five,” he replied.

“Got it,” Mighty nodded before closing the door and leaving them in privacy again.

Shadow dressed quickly as he watched Amy peek from underneath the blanket. “What were you saying before he interrupted us?

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she dismissed with a shrug. “Get to your meeting. It sounds important.”

•~•

At the police station, everyone was busy with workloads. Secretaries were taking calls, officers were flocking back and forth into different rooms with paperwork, and others diligently filed reports at their desks. Silver had a rough night, and it still didn’t sit right with him about last night’s events. He didn’t like that he had to sit alone while injustice went unserved. There was no way of proving that Mephiles was behind the failed Knuckles assassination, but he knew he was behind it deep down. After spending hours all night looking for street footage, eyewitness accounts, etc., he had come up with nothing. It was looking like it was going to be an unsolved homicide.

Suddenly, the deputy spotted Vector and Espio saunter casually into their office, not seeming fazed by last night’s tragic event. Silver could feel his fists clench together, staring at the partners. He knew they were involved with the brothers in some way or another. Striding into Espio and Vector’s office, Silver shut the door behind him. “How the hell can you continue to serve those psychos?” Silver berated.

Espio and Vector stared at each other, confused and bewildered by Silver’s explosive accusation. “Pardon, deputy?” Espio questioned.

“Oh, don’t play coy,” Silver pointed, irate. “I know you two bozos are working with the brothers. I don’t understand how you can let this shit slide. An innocent person was killed because of them!”

“Whoa, sir, I think you need to go home and get some rest with all due respect. It’s been a long night for us,” Vector stated.

“Stop trying to change the subject,” Silver snapped. “You all know deep down that this is messed up and wrong. How do you sleep at night?”

The door opened, and Agent Blaze stood in the doorway. After hearing all the racket out in the hall, she looked at the three with concern. “What’s going on in here, gentlemen?”

Silver spun around, pointing accusingly at the purple cat. “And you…” he seethed. “You’re the worst out of all of them. You used me to get to the brothers, and you used them to get this whole tragedy to occur.”

Blaze remained neutral as accusations were slung her way. “That’s enough now, officer,” she said with a raised hand.

“No, it’s not. This is all your fault!” he shouted. From all Silver's yelling, a small audience of other officers had gathered outside the office room to watch the spectacle.

Blaze glanced over her shoulder, spotting the spectators. “Silver, I’m going to have you take the rest of the day off so I can finish my assignment. You are causing too much of a disruption.”

“You can’t do that!” Silver glared. “This is my headquarters.”

Blaze snapped her fingers, and two of her agents walked over and seized Silver by each arm. Silver thrashed in their grasp as he was escorted off the premise.

“Hey, hey! You can’t do this!” he shouted as he was carried off.

Vector and Espio stared at their boss’ retreating figure. The two then gave each other a concerned look before returning to their menial tasks.

•~•

Meanwhile, in another part of the house, Amy came downstairs after getting dressed and spotted Rouge glancing out the living room window and looking out onto the front porch. She came up behind the white bat joining her by her side. Amy stared out the window to see what Rouge was looking at, only to realize it was her husband. Knuckles was standing on the front porch leaning his arms on the railing and staring into oblivion.

“…Rouge?” Amy said, trying to break the silence.

The white bat jumped slightly, startled by Amy’s sudden appearance. “Oh, Amy. Geez, I didn’t see you there,” she apologized.

Amy gave a weak smile. “It’s okay. How are you holding up?”

Rouge exhaled a deep sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that. You know Julie and I were never ‘friends.’ We had a rocky history, we both were with Knuckles, and now she’s gone,” she began.

“It’s still devastating that this tragedy occurred,” Amy noted. “I didn’t know her well, but she was lovely towards me.”

“Of course,” she agreed. “I never would wish anything like this to happen to Julie, but watching my husband out there—looking devastated is painful. It almost feels like how I’d expect him to react if I had died,” she admitted sadly.

“How long have Knuckles been like this?” Amy questioned.

“Since he heard the news last night,” Rouge confirmed. She felt her eyes well up with tears. “He hasn’t wanted to talk to me at all. It’s like I don’t even exist…”

Amy watched as Rouge placed her hands to her face, covering it as she began to sob. Amy quickly embraced Rouge, patting her on the back to console her. “Give him time, Rouge. This is probably how he grieves. When he’s ready to talk to you, he’ll open up. I’m sure of it.”

•~•

In the meeting room, Mephiles, Shadow, Mighty, Locke, Finitevus, Khan, and Bark gathered into the room. Once they all sat down at their respective seats, Mephiles began their meeting.

“How is he then?” Mephiles questioned, referring to Knuckles while he looked towards the armadillo.

Mighty looked grave in expression. “Not good,” he answered. “He’s not taking it well.”

“How the hell do you think he is?” Locke snapped at the audacity of the question. “He’s devastated…”

There was a moment of silence before the president turned to the other echidna in the room. “And you, Finitevus?” Mephiles segued.

Finitevus sighed, looking like he hadn’t slept much from the night before. “I’m doing the best I can,” he admitted.

“When is the funeral going to be?” Mephiles continued. “I want to have a good amount of people there in support.”

“In two days,” the white echidna answered. “We might as well have it while we’re all in town.”

“I never expected to get any blowback from our enemies like this,” Mephiles began. “Whoever is responsible for this will not get away with it,” he avowed.

“Nobody would have seen this coming,” Khan added, drifting his eyesight to the left.

“Yeah, but it happened, so how do we handle this?” Locke urged. “My son is out there grieving over his ex. He feels personally responsible for her death when he sent her out on his errand.”

“As I said,” Mephiles continued. “Whoever is responsible will be dealt with accordingly. We must ride this out and support Finitevus and Knuckles until we gather more information. Meeting adjourned.” Everyone stood from their seats and headed out of the dining room.

Finitevus walked beside Mephiles. “I appreciate your support,” he commented. “The moment we get more information, I’ll call you. I have Bark and Rotor scouring the town for witnesses who may have seen or heard something.”

Mephiles nodded. “We’ll find the bastard who did this, and we’ll give them a rightful punishment,” he avowed. “We always do.”

The two made it onto the front porch of the house together. “I’m going to head back to the hotel and try to get some rest.” He turned to look at Khan. “You coming, too?”

Khan shook his head. “Nah, I’ll stick around here for a bit longer and see how I can help.”

•~•

After everyone had gone their separate ways, Locke found Knuckles in the same place he had seen him last—outside on the porch. The older red echidna ambled towards his son, staring off into space—still catatonic feeling from last night’s tragedy. “Son…”

Knuckles turned his head slightly to glance over at his old man. “Hey, dad,” he said tiredly. The red echidna had barely gotten any sleep last night and cried all night.

“Again, I’m sorry about Julie-Su,” he apologized. “This was all collateral damage. I still hold the belief that she was not the intended target.”

Knuckles sighed. “Yeah, I know, I was, which makes me feel all the shittier,” he mumbled.

“The three of us need to leave the club immediately. It’s too dangerous for us. We’re expendable,” he noted.

Knuckles raised a brow and stared at his father in disbelief. “What the hell are you talking about, dad?”

Locke turned and looked to his left, right, and behind him. He was cautious about speaking too loudly in case anyone was listening. “We can’t trust Mephiles,” he theorized quietly.

Knuckles scoffed and shook his head. “Come on now.”

Before Locke could further explain, he heard a cough from behind them. “Ahem, do you mind if I have a word with my husband?”

“Oh, Rouge. Not at all.” Knuckles watched as his father walked off the porch and headed towards his parked motorcycle near the fence. Now left alone with his wife, Rouge approached him and stood beside him.

“I know this is still very painful for you…I wish I knew what to do to make the pain disappear.”

“Rouge, don’t feel responsible for this,” he sighed. “I’m sorry I’ve been distant all night. I just needed some time alone to process it all.”

She placed a tender touch on his arm. “I love you, Knuckles. I’m sorry I was so insecure and jealous whenever Julie was around. I know that you love me too. It’s my one regret with how I handled being around her.”

His purple eyes stared back at her crystal ones. “I’d never do something to hurt you, Rouge. I just wanted to be amicable with her—that’s all.”

“I realize that now.” She reached out and embraced him, to which he slowly returned. “Rouge, I love you so fucking much. If something like this had happened to you, I don’t know if I could live with myself.”

She squeezed him in her embrace. “I don’t know if I could either.”

•~•

While Locke went to talk to his son after the meeting ended, the rest of the group dispersed and returned to their work. However, a little later, Shadow, Mephiles, Locke, Khan, and Mighty spotted a black BMW pull up into the compound. The car door opened up, and Zed, their trusted lawyer, emerged from the car.

The group flocked towards the lawyer just as he shut his car door. “I hope you’re bringing us good news,” Shadow announced as the group approached.

Zed rubbed the skin between his eyes, looking grave in expression. The motion immediately made people feel pessimistic at the subtle gesture. “I cannot lie to you. I didn’t come here to tell you guys good news.”

“What’s going on then?” Mighty questioned, eager to hear the news.

“Well,” the lawyer sighed. “The attorney is releasing the details on the witness at 5:00. At 5:01. The A.T.F. will present their case against Manic and Knuckles for the murder.”

Locke shook his head in frustration. “Shit…no!”

Zed continued. “From what I’ve surmised, Manic’s not coming back home. They’ll be coming to round up and arrest Knuckles, too.”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. “So, what do we know about this witness?”

“Not much. They’re probably a resident or frequent customer of the motel. Officials offered them wit-pro, which means they’re in lockdown,” the zebra explained.

“We can’t let this happen to Manic or Knuckles,” Mephiles grumbled. “I refuse to see more of us enter prison!”

“I’ll do what I can to drag my feet and see that they don’t bring Knuckles in too early,” Zed promised. “I’m so sorry…”

Mephiles placed a hand on his shoulder and patted it lightly. “Thanks.”

With that said, the group of bikers walked back toward the shop. Zed watched the retreating bikers before returning to his car and heading out.

“Quick meeting in the mechanic shop,” Mephiles announced.

Mighty, Shadow, Locke, and Khan shut down the garage doors to give themselves more privacy. Once they were alone again, Mephiles formed a plan. “The whole case against Manic and Knuckles is because of that witness,” the president began. “Without him, they have nothing. Therefore, we’ll need to get to him,” he emphasized.

“Yeah, and then do what, kill him?” Mighty scoffed.

“Yeah, obviously,” Khan interjected. “He’s a rat, and rats deserve to die.”

“Right, but Wit-Pro means safe house,” Shadow reminded. “That means there will be twenty-four-hour protection around them.”

“Sounds like a dead-end,” Locke groaned.

“We can’t think that way!” Mephiles argued. “We have to get this done before the funeral. I refuse to lose any more members of this club.”

“What’s our first move then?” Mighty asked.

Mephiles looked devious in expression. “First, we’ll need some intel, and I know just where to start…”

“Well, while you plan, I’m going to the police station to find out if they’ve got anything new on Julie’s case,” Shadow noted.

Mephiles felt his stomach drop at the thought of Shadow realizing his involvement. “You heard Finitevus. He’s already got Bark and Rotor on her case.”

“They don’t know the police here as well as I do,” he justified. “I’m out.” The president watched as his brother departed—he couldn’t make too much of a scene, or it’d imply he did have some connection. He could only hope he wouldn’t have any leads pointing to him. Hopefully, Espio would have his back.

•~•

An hour later, Sam was working out front on his lawn. He had just finished mowing and was getting ready to trim the hedge when he heard the roar of motorcycles approaching. It wasn’t until he spotted three figures on Harleys that he realized who they were. He craned his neck to the left, where he spotted his daughter Veronica swinging on her swing set. “Veronica, go inside,” he urged.

She looked at her father, confused. “Why?”

“Just go,” he instructed a little more sternly. This time, Veronica obeyed, halted her swinging, and headed back indoors just as the M.C. members parked their bikes in front of their white picket fence.

Sam watched as the Mobians Mephiles, Mighty, and Gadget approached his front lawn. “Mephiles, I didn’t expect to see you here today,” Sam spoke, uneasy. Every time the hedgehog showed up, it always meant bad news for him.

Mephiles smirked cunningly. “Can’t an old friend stop by unnoticed to pay a dear friend a visit?”

Sam lowered his cutting shears. “All right, what are you here for?”

Mephiles’ reptilian eyes studied him carefully. He tilted his head to the side, staring at him coyly. “I need your help, and if you refuse, I will turn that murder weapon over to the police…”

Sam remembered oh too well when Mephiles had used the weapon they had used against that rapist as blackmail against him. They were already using it to get a free warehouse out of him; now, they were using it again. He knew there would be no point in trying to fight them. “…Fine,” he frowned in defeat. “What do you want?”

“I assume you’ve got attorney friends. Maybe a couple of judges you play golf with,” he conjectured.

•~•

Meanwhile, at the police station, Shadow dropped by to get more information on Julie-Su’s murder. He walked into the busy police station, where he spotted Espio and Vector conversing at their desks while they reviewed the paperwork. He walked up to the two detectives, eager to hear some news. “Hey, where are we with Julie-Su’s murder?”

Espio and Vector eyed each other in silence before Espio spoke up for the two of them. “Nowhere…”

Shadow raised a surprised brow. “Really? No leads, suspicions, or motives?”

Vector shrugged uncomfortably. “…No, sorry, man. If you’ll excuse us, Shadow, we’re pretty busy.” Shadow watched as the two practically jumped at the opportunity to get away from him and avoid any more questioning. He watched suspiciously as they walked down another hall together. The two were acting differently today around him. After trying to inquire with a few other officers, he was left with dead ends. Shadow left the station and turned into the parking lot when he spotted Silver hiding around the corner of the building.

“Psst,” Silver whispered discreetly.

Shadow’s ears perked up, and he followed the deputy into the alleyway. Why exactly was Silver out here instead of in the station?

“Why are we out here?” Shadow questioned.

“It’s a long story, but that’s not important right now,” he informed quietly.

Shadow huffed. “Might as well spill it instead of wasting my time.”

“Right…well,” Silver started. “Agent Blaze set up Knuckles as a rat during that whole raid at your compound. She wired both him and Rouge, and I believe Mephiles found the bugs, thought Knuckles was working with the A.T.F, and then tried to kill him last night,” he explained. “I believe Julie-Su was a mistake…”

The ebony hedgehog felt his heart sink at the idea. However, it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibilities. After all, even he had his suspicions. Yet, hearing this theory still made him sick to his stomach. “Why are you telling me this shit?” Shadow glared defensively. “Do you think I’ll give up my brother or something?” he countered.

Silver put up his hands. “Look, Shadow, we might be on opposing teams here. We might not even like each other that much, but seeing an innocent female get gunned down, I think, falls on the wrong side of the fence for both of us,” he argued softly. “Even I know you guys have a code when it comes down to it. He glanced at his wristwatch. “Now, I have to go, I’m not even supposed to be on the premises today, but I just had to let you know. I do have a conscience, after all.”

Shadow watched as Silver went into the parking lot, leaving. Left alone, he paced back and forth as the idea that his brother was behind this hit started to make sense. He ran his hands through his quills before kicking a trash can in rage. “Fuck!”

•~•

At that same time, at Prison Island, sitting in his orange jumpsuit, Manic waited patiently in an empty visiting waiting room for an unannounced visitor. He sat at a small round table with his hands cuffed in front of him. The door suddenly opened, and he spotted the uptight purple cat A.T.F agent saunter into the room. He watched as she gracefully sat down at a table across from him and formally crossed one leg over the other. There was a long silence as she stared at him and said nothing, looking grave in her expression.

Manic couldn’t take the awkward silence much longer. “You got something you wanna say to me, lady?”

“…Julie-Su was murdered last night,” Blaze began calmly.

Manic froze up instantly as those words left her mouth. She had to be fucking with him. “What-what are you talking about?”

“She was gunned down in a car,” she continued.

Manic put his hands to his face and shook. His breath hitched slightly. He knew Julie-Su rather well and considered her a good friend, someone he had even been intimately involved with occasionally—and now she was gone? His eyes began to water. “…Who the hell would want to kill Julie-Su?”

She cleared her throat. “I haven’t the slightest idea,” she confessed, lying boldly again.

His brows furrowed together. “…Why are you telling me all this now? Just to fuck with me mentally? To kick a dog while he’s down?”

“I just wanted to keep you in the loop. We’ll be charging Knuckles with murder along with you. The attorney will pick him up tomorrow, and they will seek the death penalty for both of you.” She stood upright. “Again, sorry about your loss.” Blaze headed for the exit, leaving Manic alone to mull over the shocking news.

•~•

Back at Sam’s home, he emerged from his house alongside Mighty and approached Gadget and Mephiles waiting outside his fence. The two had waited for some time now for him to accomplish his errand. “Well?” Mephiles probed, eager to see if the help had come through.

“He got us the case number,” Mighty informed. He handed over a piece of paper to the president.

Mephiles snatched it out of his hands and allowed his eyes to scan it. “Very good,” he grinned deviously.

Sam felt another sinking feeling in his belly. “What are you guys going to do with that information?”

He tucked it away into his pocket. “Depends. What’d you tell your judge buddy?” Mephiles shot back.

“That a councilman wanted the information because he didn’t want a safe house in his district,” he explained.

Even Mephiles looked rather impressed by the bold lie to get the intel. “Wow, I’m quite impressed. As for this information, we’re trying to get in contact with a new acquaintance,” he lied.

Sam watched as the three of them walked off. He could only fathom what trouble they would get into knowing their business. “Hey, when am I going to get that weapon back?”

Mephiles halted in his tracks. “Oh, I’m going to hold onto it a little longer. Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret,” he winked.

While the three mounted their bikes, Mighty had a probing question linger on his mind. “So, who exactly do you plan to do the hit?”

“Easy, I will have Khan do it,” Mephiles answered.

The red wolf mounted his bike and strapped it on his helmet. “Khan, sir?” Gadget repeated, a little surprised by the reveal.

Mephiles mimicked his action. “Yes, Khan has killed a few witnesses and has a surprising amount of knowledge on safe houses. He’ll be the perfect one to complete this task.”

“What does he know about safe houses exactly?” Mighty inquired.

“He said there’s usually a sheriff or two outside the house and one A.T.F agent inside. However, the most interesting aspect is they are usually rookies who get stuck doing the babysitting,” he chuckled darkly at the last bit. “It’ll take three people to complete this mission.”

“Anyone else you have in mind, sir?” Gadget questioned.

“I do,” he answered. “This time, it’ll be Khan, Mighty, and you, Rookie.”

Mighty didn’t look stoked about the idea but nodded. “Right.”

“Now, listen up, you two. I want this plan to go down flawlessly. Take out the witness, and nobody else gets hurt. No more fuck ups, understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Mighty replied.

“Of course, sir,” Gadget seconded.

•~•

Meanwhile, back at the house, Shadow finally arrived home, still reeling from the information he received from Silver. Rouge was mopping the kitchen floor while Khan sat at the dining room table in the other room, chowing down on half a sandwich. Rouge glanced up at the solemn-looking hedgehog. “Oh, Shadow, you’re back.”

“Do you know where my brother is?” he asked softly.

Rouge gripped the mop a little tighter. “No,” she replied. “He hasn’t gotten back yet. Why, what’s wrong?”

“I got some information about Julie-Su’s murder that I’d like to discuss with him,” he explained.

In the other room, Khan eavesdropped on the convo, interested to hear what Shadow had found out.

Rouge looked surprised. “Well, what is it?”

“Sorry, Rouge, I can’t discuss that with you yet—not until I get all the details cleared by my brother.”

Rouge’s ears drooped slightly. “Right…well, I’ll let him know when I see him.”

“Thanks, Rouge,” Shadow walked out of the kitchen into the dining room, where he spotted Khan eating his lunch. The two stared at each other before Shadow continued throughout the rest of the house, not giving Khan a second thought.

Khan quickly guzzled the rest of his soda, whipped out his phone, and dialed Mephiles. He then made his way outside and went by the mechanic’s shop. He held the phone to his ear, praying Mephiles would pick up soon. Eventually, he heard the click and was relieved. “Yo, we need to talk. It’s important.”

Mephiles was at a gas station with Mighty and Gadget filling their tanks. He moved away from the other two briefly so they wouldn’t overhear. “This better be important.”

“It’s about your brother,” Khan continued. “He knows…”

“Knows what?” Mephiles scoffed in annoyance at his vagueness.

“About what happened to Julie-Su,” he whispered on his end.

Mephiles groaned. “How can you be sure?”

“Trust me. I overheard him talking to Rouge about it. Just his tone and demeanor overall were enough of a giveaway. He’s adamant about speaking to you first before revealing details.”

Mephiles sighed in irritation. “Shit...thanks for giving me the heads up. I’ll deal with him when we get home. In the meantime, head out to the gas station on the 99th and 6th. You, Gadget, and Mighty will head out to the safe house. We got all the intel to make our move. Get it done before it’s too late.”

“Understood,” Khan replied before hanging up.

•~•

Finally, thirty minutes later, Mephiles arrived home. Parking his bike out front, he marched up the front porch steps and entered the house. He spotted his younger brother sitting in wait for him at the bottom of the stairs. The red-striped hedgehog appeared to be in a brooding type of mood. He could easily guess why. “Brother, were you waiting for me?” he inquired calmly as he shut the door behind him.

Shadow stood upright. “Let’s talk in the dining room,” he suggested, nodding in that direction. They made their way into the empty dining room, where they sat. Shadow laced his fingers together and rested his hands across the tabletop. “I visited the police station to get more information on Julie’s murder and got nothing there,” he informed. “Strangely, we have had no new leads since her death in the past twelve hours. No footage, no eyewitness accounts, nothing.”

Mephiles stared at his brother and looked like he was listening intently. “Go on,” he encouraged.

“I want you to be completely honest with me. No more bullshit, no more lies,” he emphasized sternly. “Did you try to kill Knuckles and accidentally get Julie killed by mistake?”

Mephiles bowed his head and exhaled. “Shadow, I love Knuckles and Julie-Su. I would never do anything to hurt them,” he lied boldly. “I want to find who did this and get justice just as you do.”

Shadow scrutinized his brother but eventually stood upright from his seat. He still couldn’t tell if his brother was being truthful then. Mephiles watched as his younger brother seemingly believed his lie. “It’s tough times for the club right now, but we must stay strong and united.”

Shadow began to walk out of the dining room but glanced at his brother over his shoulder. “…Yeah, you can say that again.”

“Oh, by the way,” Mephiles said, causing Shadow to halt again. “The info came in on the witness we’re taking out.”

Shadow turned back around again, intrigued. “And?”

“It’s a 17-year-old girl,” he replied. “Unfortunately, it goes against our code, but I'm afraid it has to be done,” he stated calmly.

“What..?” Shadow’s eyes widened in alarm at the news. Mephiles watched Shadow storm past him, grab his gun from the entryway table, and load it into his pants.

“What are you doing?” Mephiles questioned, following him. Shadow ignored his brother and searched for his keys on the coffee table before eventually finding them among the others.

Just then, Amy strolled down the stairs and spotted Shadow urgently trying to leave. He looked pretty distressed and anxious. “Shadow?” she called out.

However, Shadow also ignored Amy as he grabbed the door handle and opened the front door. Mephiles glared at Shadow’s backside as he watched his brother head out. “Where the hell are you going?” he shouted.

SLAM.

Both Amy and Mephiles were left shocked by Shadow’s sudden departure. Mephiles looked up at Amy, slightly annoyed. Amy felt uncomfortable under his angry gaze before watching as he stormed into the kitchen.

•~•

Later that evening, Mighty finished tying up the last cop guarding the safe house. It had taken some time, but Mighty, Khan, and Gadget had managed to round up the three patrol officers on guard outside. They gagged and tied them up behind their cars and out of sight. The next step was to infiltrate the building and kill the witness.

Mighty dusted off his gloved hands. “All right, that’s the three of them taken care of,” he whispered. “Now it’s time to move.”

Khan and Gadget nodded in compliance. All three of them adjusted their disguises. They all wore black hoodies, black ski masks, and gloves. Mighty directed the other two to go around the side of the house towards the back entrance while he planned the distraction in the front.

Mighty looked for a big rock on the front lawn, picked it up, and analyzed it before hurling it toward the front door, causing a loud bang. He quickly booked it out of there and ran around the side of the house to watch for the front door. He waited and pulled out his gun and cocked it. A few moments later, the front door opened, and a female penguin A.T.F officer opened the front door. “Officer Higgens?” she called out, expecting to see him standing on patrol. She reached for her walkie. “Officer Higgens, do you copy?”

Just then, another loud bang erupted from the back of the house. The back door flung open, and Gadget and Khan came storming in with their guns drawn on the female agent’s back.

“Oh, shit!” she cursed, wielding her gun and aiming it in their direction.
However, she was unaware that Mighty had now snuck up on her from behind and pressed his gun against her head. “Drop the gun, sweetheart,” he whispered.

She obliged and lifted both her hands up beside her head. Mighty snatched the gun from her hand, tucked it in his pants, and then put her hands behind her back, restraining her. “Take her and put her in the back room,” he instructed.

Gadget and Khan followed the instructions, placed zip ties and a gag in the agent’s mouth, and led her to another room. In the meantime, Mighty drew his gun again and continued to navigate through the house, looking for their witness. He moved through the dining room and kitchen and eventually found a backroom. He peeked inside the room, which happened to have the door cracked. However, he was stunned when he finally caught sight of their witness. “…Aww shit,” he cursed.

Khan and Gadget returned after placing the tied-up agent in another house room. They appeared behind Mighty and peered over his shoulder to look at the witness. It was then that they noticed why Mighty was distraught with the sight. Their witness was just a seventeen-year-old female. She cowered in bed, clutching her pillow tightly as she eyed the three terrifying intruders. Mephiles had not indicated what their witness would look like, nor had he disclosed the gender of the witness, whom they all presumed to have been made.

Gadget blinked in surprise. “This is our witness??”

Mighty sighed sadly. “Guess so…We’re okay with this, though? This goes against everything we stand--”

“--He said to get it done. You know he’ll be pissed if we don’t go through with it,” Khan interjected sharply, trying to stop any doubt of easing off the idea.

Mighty looked at the other two guys, feeling uneasy. His stomach twisted at the idea of killing a girl—no more minor than a child. This girl could be no older than his younger sister Matilda. “…Okay then, let’s tie her up and get this over with.”

The three males restrained and duck-taped the girl’s wrists and feet together. Afterward, they moved her into the kitchen and put a t-shirt over her face so she wouldn’t see the killer coming. They wanted to give her at least some type of peace. Gadget and Khan sat her down in a chair against the wall. The poor girl sobbed profusely, practically hyperventilating as she realized she was about to be executed.

Mighty touched her covered head, hearing her choking back sobs. He lifted his other hand with his gun and aimed it at her head. While he built the courage to pull the trigger, he groaned in frustration and backed up. “I can’t do this…it’s not right.”

Khan was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen and watched in pity. Mighty was a big softie when it came down to it, especially for females. “I told you I’d do it in the first place,” he reminded. I’ll do it,” Khan stated confidently. He knew he could handle the weight of the matter.

He grabbed Mighty’s gun and cocked it. Mighty turned his head away, unable to watch this scene unfold. Khan stared at the quivering girl sitting before him. “Sorry about this, kid. It’s just business.”

Fortunately, just before he pulled the trigger, another figure entered the room, startling them. The monkey’s eyes widened as he spotted the V.P. “Shit, man. You scared the shit out of me,” Khan stated, lowering his weapon.

Unlike the rest, Shadow calmly entered the kitchen, not even bothering to wear a disguise. “Put down the gun,” he ordered without hesitation.

“What?” Khan spat, ignoring his order.

“We don’t kill females or kids—she happens to be both,” Shadow stated. Seeing that he wasn’t putting his weapon down, Shadow pulled out his gun, marched up, and held it against Khan’s head. “I said put it down, or this bullet is going straight through your fucking skull,” he warned.

Mighty was immensely relieved but also nervous watching the two. “Come on, guys…”

Khan smirked. “You don’t have the balls to pull the trigger.” Shadow held his stoic expression, not faltering. Khan picked up his seriousness and placed his weapon on the kitchen table beside him. “Fine…you win.”

“As happy as I am about you stopping this, your brother’s not going to like this, man,” Mighty warned.

“I don’t care; I’ll take responsibility for his ire. However, I want you two to go home. Now,” he ordered, looking at both Mighty and Gadget.

“But what about him, sir?” Gadget questioned, eying Khan.

Shadow picked up Khan’s gun and handed it over to Mighty. “I want to have a little private chat with him. Just give me a couple of minutes.” The two nodded, obliged, and left the house, leaving Shadow, Khan, and the witness alone.

Once alone, Shadow put his gun away and tucked it back into his holster. Then he reached for a knife from his hip and unsheathed it. He used it to cut out the duct tape holding the girl’s wrists and ankles together. He yanked off the t-shirt, shielding her vision. “Hey,” he said, getting her attention. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and she still had tears streaking down her face. “You see this guy here,” he pointed towards Khan, still standing beside him. “He’s a bad guy, and he wants you dead. You know why?” he shouted venomously, trying to freak out the girl.

The girl shook her head, still terrified. “Nuh-no…”

“It’s because you’re going to rat on his two friends—his comrades!” Shadow barked, making her even more scared. “You can’t do that because he will find you no matter where you are. Do you understand?”

She shook her head up and down, understanding what he meant.

He helped lift her to her feet. “Next time, I won’t be there to save your life. The feds, the cops—nobody can protect you. You will die if you testify in court against his friends,” he warned.

“I-I won’t. I promise,” she croaked while she shook in place.

Shadow reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a thick wad of cash. “Now, I want you to get the hell out of Mercia tonight. Get a car, a train, a plane, or a boat. I don’t give a shit, but get out of here!” he urged.

The girl accepted the cash and ran out of the house past Khan, who watched angrily. He knew Mephiles would be furious and take it out on him for allowing Shadow’s coup to take place against his orders.

The brown monkey shook his head. “You’re a fucking idiot, Shadow,” Khan tsked. “You just majorly crossed the line.”

Shadow clenched his fist by his side. “You’re wrong. It's you who's crossed the line,” he countered, quickly slugging Khan across the jaw with a sharp hook. Khan staggered backward, his back slamming against the kitchen table as he recovered from the blow. He touched his jaw and wiped some blood along his jacket sleeve. “What the hell was that for?” he shouted.

“How can you kill an innocent female with no remorse? She’s just a kid.”

“It’s to protect Manic,” he shouted. “We have to do it.” Khan ran at Shadow, grabbed him by his jacket's collar, and slammed him onto the kitchen table. The two wrestled across the tabletop, throwing blows and jabs before the table collapsed beneath them. Shadow got in a few more hits, while Khan got in a few blows.

“Fuck you, Shadow!” Khan screamed. He straddled Shadow and began punching him in the face. “You’re an idiot!”

Shadow managed to grab one of his flying fists and leaned up, head-butting him. Khan flew backward and landed on his back with a thud. “Get the fuck out of here before I fucking kill you, you understand?”

Khan scrambled to his feet and looked around the room before grumbling in frustration and booking it. Once he was gone, Shadow pulled out a lighter in his jacket and lit it up. He placed it on a paper towel roll on the sink, igniting it into flames. Any D.N.A. lurking around may tie them into this ruse. He slowly walked out of the house as it ignited into flames.

•~•

A few hours later, Shadow finally returned home. Amy had crashed on the couch after realizing Shadow still had not returned. She worried for his safety and hoped he’d get home eventually; however, she had no idea where he was. Finally, she stirred when she heard the rumblings of a motorcycle engine stopping outside the house. A few moments later, the front door started to unlock. She sat on the living room couch, looked towards the front door, and watched as a shadowy figure entered the house. Bundled with a blanket around her, Amy rose to her feet and quietly ambled towards the entrance to see who it was. “…Shadow?” she asked quietly.

A light flicked on in the entryway, and Amy gasped at Shadow’s appearance. He had a cut lip, a large bruise around his left eye, and some scratches on his cheek and neck. Shadow groaned as he carefully removed his leather jacket and hung it on one of the hooks by the front door. Some hits Khan had managed to get on his back, sides, and chest were starting to sink in. He could only imagine the bruises forming at this very moment. “Shadow, what happened to you?” Amy asked quietly. She reached out and cupped his face causing him to wince from her touch.

“Don’t worry, Rose. It was just a business scuffle, nothing to worry about,” he assured.

She frowned. “But it looks like you got jumped.”

Shadow slowly headed for the stairs. “I’ll let you tend to me if it makes you feel better. Just let me take a shower first.” However, the moment he glanced up, he noticed his brother standing at the top of the stairs. He grimaced at his older brother’s sight.

“Brother, a word, please?” Mephiles stated calmly.

Shadow walked up the staircase and brushed past him. “It’ll have to wait till tomorrow.”

Mephiles snatched his brother by the shoulder with a firm grasp. “It can’t. We need to talk now,” he stated intently. Still, at the bottom of the staircase, Amy watched in awe at the two brothers, clearly in disagreement. She could feel the tension mounting.

Shadow shoved his brother’s hand off his shoulder like mere dust. “Not tonight,” he stated before heading for the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Mephiles growled lowly under his breath before storming off to his room.

•~•

Standing in the shower, Shadow allowed his mind to drift as he enjoyed the hot water beating down on his tired back. He stretched his arms before him, leaning against the shower tiles to stretch his back. He thought about tonight’s events carefully in his mind. He had gained much new information, which could be detrimental or extremely helpful depending on who collected it. On the one hand, his brother was willing to allow an underage girl to die to protect their own—Knuckles and Manic. He understood where the process came from. It was very noble that Mephiles would go to such lengths to protect their members. However, it still made Shadow feel sick, knowing Mephiles felt no empathy for her life.

Then there was the fact that Mephiles had doubted Knuckle’s loyalty just a day before and tried to take him out on an assassination attempt. Mephiles was a ‘shoot now and ask questions later type of guy. He had no concrete proof that his brother was responsible, but his gut told him he was. It would be an all-out war if the failed assassination hit information ever got back to Knuckles or even Finitevus. He’d have to think about how he’d handle this news carefully.

•~•

Shadow walked back into his bedroom with just a towel around his waist. He wasn’t surprised to see Amy sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for his return. He noticed a medical case lying to her left and sighed. “…Hey.”

Amy frowned, finally seeing the damage to Shadow’s body. There were quite a lot of bruises all over his back and sides. She approached him, encircling him to examine and assess his injuries. Her fingertips grazed down his backside, delicately tracing the bruising, causing him to shiver from her touch. “Geez, Shadow, who did this?”

Shadow craned his neck to look out into the hallway. He could only imagine who might be listening at that very moment. He got up, closed his bedroom door, and grabbed her hand, leading her back to his bed. The two hedgehogs sat on the edge of his bed. “It’s club business as usual,” he stated apologetically and quietly.

Amy could tell he wanted to tell her more but purposely held back. “I understand. I worry about you, that’s all.”

“I realize that,” he nodded with a small smile.

“You don’t need me to wrap or ice anything, do you?” she inquired.

He shook his head. “I’ve been hurt worse than this. It’ll heal in time,” he avowed.

“You look stressed right now,” Amy noted.

“I am,” he replied. “Tonight was no walk in the park.”

“Then let me help you unwind a bit.” Amy slowly sunk onto her knees and sensually placed her hands on Shadow’s thighs. Shadow watched her curiously, wondering what exactly she was doing. Amy reached up and began to undo the towel around his waist.

Shadow could easily see what she was insinuating. “Amy, you don’t have to--”

“—Shadow, it’s okay,” she cut off softly. “Let me do this for you. Just relax,” she smiled sweetly.

Shadow watched as she reached for his flaccid member and slowly stroked it up and down as enticingly as possible. Shadow’s hair stood upright on his neck, feeling her warm, soft hand encompassing his shaft. She squeezed softly at specific points and felt it twitch in her hand as it gained a steady rise. Feeling it firm up in her hand, Amy leaned down and enveloped the head of his member in her mouth. Shadow gasped and closed his eyes as he felt her take him into her hot mouth. She swirled her tongue around his head and gave it soft suckles.

Amy bobbed her head up and down, taking more of his girth into her mouth, all while continuing to stroke him from the base. She felt his hand rest on her head and stroke her ear as he enjoyed the experience. “Rose,” he moaned softly.

•~•

Location: Prison Island 5:30 AM

The following day, still in his orange jumpsuit, Manic sat handcuffed and alone in one of the holding rooms. He wondered why he had been summoned again but could only fathom that it had to be about his sentencing. The door eventually opened, and Agent Blaze strolled in, looking annoyed. She held a manila file in her left arm and slapped it in front of Manic on the metal table. He eyed the file before cautiously opening it up. “…What is this?”

“Release papers,” she began placing a pen before him. “Your lawyer has already looked through them. I need you to read them, initial them, sign on the dotted line, and we’ll have you home by the end of the day,” she ordered with an eye roll and scoff.

Manic put up his hands. “Whoa, lady, slow down a second. It’s way too early for you to be barking orders. What the heck is going on? I thought I was being charged with murder.”

Blaze sighed in frustration. “Unfortunately, the witness went missing, and the state attorney dismissed the case.” She turned her back and started to head back for the door. She was already angry that the club was about to get away again.

Manic chuckled. “That’s it, huh? You spent months and thousands of dollars trying to crush our club. What for, lady?”

Blaze came to a halt and craned her neck. “Peace of mind,” she replied calmly. With that said, Blaze opened the door and left the green hedgehog to finish his paperwork. Manic grinned victoriously, knowing that his club had pulled through with some devious plan.

•~•

That same day back at the compound, Shadow found Mephiles in the accounting office, going through some paperwork and paying off bills. He knocked on his open door to catch his attention. Mephiles slowly looked up, seeing his brother standing there. “Are you ready to talk?”

Shadow kept his arms crossed over his chest. “I am.”

Mephiles gestured for him to come inside. Shadow obliged and walked inside, closing the door behind him, then walked over and closed the blinds so no one working in the mechanic shop could see what was happening.

“I’m very disappointed in what happened last night,” Mephiles began, rising from his seat. “However, the witness has vanished; therefore, Manic will join us all again shortly. With no witnesses, they can’t prove their case.”

“Looks like it turned out okay then,” Shadow noted.

“Indeed…however, it could have gone awry,” he mentioned as his eyes drifted elsewhere.

“But it didn’t,” Shadow pointed out. “That’s all that matters.”

“Yes, but you went against my orders. My orders were to take out the witness, and you intervened and put us all in danger of being exposed to our ploy. If you had just--” Shadow suddenly walked around the side of the desk and slugged Mephiles hard.

Mephiles grunted, feeling the impact of the hit, and stumbled backward into one of the filing cabinets. He touched his lip, seeing blood on his fingertips. “…The fuck?”

“That’s for trying to kill a female last night—let alone a child. It goes against our code. I don’t give a fuck if it means losing one of our own to the system. We must take responsibility for our mess,” he shouted at his brother. “If you ever try to pull some shit like that again, I’ll do much worse than a mere punch,” he threatened.

Mephiles staggered to his feet. “Are you out of your mind right now?”

Shadow shook his head defiantly. “No, I think you are. I also think you’re responsible for Julie-Su’s death,” he accused.

Mephiles’ brows furrowed in anger. “I fucking told you I didn’t do it!”

Shadow headed for the door. “If I ever find any evidence or proof of it, I’m calling a meeting over this,” he pointed.

He slammed the door closed behind him, leaving Mephiles further annoyed. Mephiles flipped his desk over in a rage, sending papers and pens everywhere. He could not allow Shadow to put the pieces together.

Chapter 22: Secrets & New Plans

Summary:

The clues to Julie-Su's murder reach a stop. Shadow and Knuckles go on another business run but run into some old enemies. Meanwhile, Amy helps Locke go through some old storage boxes and makes an interesting discovery linked to Shadow's past.

It had been a couple of weeks since Manic was released from prison. Knuckles and Manic were no longer charged with murder, and all other charges had been dropped. Things were finally beginning to go back to normal. Julie-Su’s funeral was held, and both sides of the club showed up in support, and Knuckles eventually began acting like his old self again. However, he still felt unjustified for Julie’s murder. As for the rest of the club, they continued business as usual but remained cautious around any deals knowing that Agent Blaze was still waiting to strike again on any screw-ups they pulled.

Amy sat in her bedroom diligently working on her schoolwork as she got closer to finishing her doctorate. It’d only be a matter of time before she’d finally be a doctor and be able to intern at a hospital. After another long day of business runs, Shadow walked into her bedroom and sat in front of her laptop, typing away. Smiling at her sight, he strolled behind her and touched her shoulders. Giving her shoulders a few gentle squeezes, he massaged her tenderly. “Studying again?” he hummed, leaning down and kissing her head.

“You know it,” she giggled.

“You aren’t stressed? Every time I come into this room, all I see you doing is writing papers or studying medical articles,” he noted while massaging her backside.

Amy had to admit that it was nice to have a guy who doted on her, treated her correctly, and looked after her. It was the complete opposite of her relationship with Zonic. Shadow and Amy had grown quite close over the past couple of weeks.

Amy stopped typing and glanced up at him standing behind her. “I’m stressed, but I need to get this done. I’m so close.”

“Take a break for at least ten minutes and spend time with me,” he suggested. “With my hectic work schedule, I haven’t seen you all day.”

Amy chuckled at him and stood up from her seat. “Okay, okay, fine, but just for a few minutes.” Smirking, Shadow reached down and lifted her off her feet, carrying her bridal style, catching her off guard. “Hey!” Amy squealed as he rushed out of her room and down the hall into his bedroom with her in his possession. “Shadow!” she laughed.

He tossed her onto his bed and climbed over the top of her, pinning her gently to his mattress. Amy blushed as he leaned in and kissed her. He wasn’t forceful but remained soft and tender, kissing her as if it’d be his last time. Amy always felt like her breath was being taken away when Shadow made out with her. He was an excellent kisser, making her whole body feel like it was floating. Shadow released his hold on her wrists, and they instantly flew behind his neck, pulling him in closer. Shadow didn’t want to admit it, but he fell head over heels for her. Being with Amy reminded him so much of his high school romance back in the day. Everything just felt so natural with her. He could be himself around her and not fear being judged.

After making out for a minute straight, he pulled back and looked down at her in his bed as she cupped his face and looked up at him. Her lips felt swollen from their make-out session. “You must’ve missed me, huh?” she said breathlessly.

He nodded, lowering his eyelids sensually. “Of course, you’re always on my mind when we’re apart.”

Amy watched as he rolled off on top of her and lay flat beside her. She heard him release a giant, exhausted sigh as he sunk into the mattress. She had started to pick up on Shadow’s quirks and behavior over the past months. By his demeanor, she could tell his day must’ve been pretty difficult if he wanted to distract his thoughts by spending time with her. She turned over on her side and propped her head on one hand while staring at him. “So, how was work today?” she asked.

Shadow placed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling as his smile shifted into a frown. “Dangerous and difficult as always.”

Amy frowned at his response. “That rough, huh?”

He nodded. “Pretty much.”

“How are you and Mephiles doing? Are you finally back on good terms?” she questioned. Shadow hadn’t told her much about their temporary fallout, but whatever caused it, it set a tone around the house when the two were in the same room. It was so palpable that there was tension between the two brothers.

“It’s better, but I’m still disappointed in him.” He sighed again as his eyes drifted elsewhere. “What he did…I’ll never forget.”

Amy analyzed his words carefully. She was still sitting on that conversation she had eavesdropped on a while ago at the party. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was right—was Mephiles truly involved in Julie-Su’s death?

Amy tilted her head curiously. “Has the trail gone cold for Julie-Su’s case?”

His jaw clenched. “Sadly, it seems like it will be a cold case. It pisses me off, too, because she deserves to get justice.”

•~•

Later that evening, Amy and Shadow wandered downstairs to grab dinner. When they walked into the kitchen, Amy spotted Locke sitting at the kitchen table, eating some leftover meatloaf from the night before. “Hey, Locke,” she smiled sweetly.

“Evening, lass,” he said with a mouthful.

“I haven’t seen you around in two weeks, old-timer. What have you been up to?” Shadow commented as he opened the fridge and rummaged around for something to eat.

Locke stabbed another piece of meatloaf on his plate with his fork. “Aye, well, you know how I’ve felt about your brother,” he mumbled in annoyance with an eye roll. Locke still did not approve of the handling of Julie-Su’s murder. He felt that Mephiles had not done enough to help Finitevus and the rest of his crew track down the true killer. He still held a grudge on how Mephiles treated his son when he and Rouge were captured by the A.T.F. “I’ve also been busy trying to clear out my old storage unit,” he tagged on.

Shadow did not respond to Locke’s initial comment about his brother but instead grabbed a beer in the fridge and shut the fridge door. However, his interest was piqued by his last comment. “Cleaning out a storage unit, huh? What for?”

Locke finished chewing another bite. “I’ve been in this club for over twenty years now. The rest of you know retirement is not too far away. I’m thinking of moving back to Angel Island and sitting down there,” he explained.

“Well, if you still need help cleaning out your storage unit, I could always lend a hand,” Amy offered kindly. “I have some spare time here and there when I’m not doing schoolwork or mending wounds.”

“Really, lass?” Locke said, surprised by the kind gesture. “You’d help out an old curmudgeon like me?” he laughed, poking fun at himself.

Amy smiled. “Of course, I’d help out. Besides, I could probably help you sort through some junk and organize. It is one of my specialties.”

His bushy gray brows quirked upward. “You want to swing by tomorrow and help me out then?’

“Sure thing!”

•~•

The following day, another meeting was held for the club. Mephiles sat at the head of the table with Shadow to his left. Mighty, Locke, Knuckles, and Manic sat on either side of the table and stared down at their president, waiting for his announcement. In the meantime, Gadget stood in the corner of the room as he still was not an official member of the group yet.

“So, it’s come to my attention that we have a member close to retiring,” Mephiles began. His reptilian eyes were directed toward the elder echidna.

Locke stood up from his seat. “That’s right. It’s time I move on. I’ll still be here for a couple more weeks to phase out, but it’s time to pass the torch on to another contender.”

Mephiles couldn’t help but be slightly pleased with the idea of the old geezer leaving. He really couldn’t stand him and his old-fashioned ideas. Not to mention, Locke was his most prominent critic in this club. “At any rate, we’ll be down one club member because of this loss.” His eyes shifted over to Gadget standing in the corner. “Which means we’ll need to add on to our crew again,” he foreshadowed.

Gadget perked up at the allusion, and the other guys smiled as they stared in his direction. “Re-really?” he asked in disbelief. Gadget had worked for the club as a rookie for several months now. He honestly didn’t know if he’d ever earn a spot.

Mephiles rose from his seat and pulled out a new patch that read ‘Secretary’ to add onto the front of his leather jacket in replacement for ‘Rookie.’ “Yes, and I’d like to officially make you our newest member and give you the secretary position.”

Gadget walked over and approached the table while the other members clapped at the admittance of their newest official member. “No more lackey duty for you, bro,” Manic commented with a thumbs up.

Gadget shook Mephiles’ hand and accepted the new patch. “Thank you so much, sir. I won’t let you down,” he said, bowing his head.

“Welcome to the club,” he grinned.

Gadget looked down at his new badge proudly before another thought crossed his mind. “So, wait, who will be the new rookie then?” he questioned curiously.

“Don’t sweat it,” Mighty waved off. “My kid brother has been nagging me about joining for ages now. I think it’s about time he joins. He’ll be coming in and taking over as our new rookie from here on out.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Mephiles concurred. “Now, as we know, we have our new storage unit for our arsenal. We’ll be moving and assembling all merchandise over there. I believe Shadow and Knuckles will be making the rounds of our next business exchange with the Raiju Clan.”

Shadow nodded. “That’s right. We’ll meet them around 3 PM this afternoon for a deal.”

“Very good. Well, that’s all on the schedule today. Meeting adjourned.” Mephiles smashed his gavel on the table, commencing the end of the meeting. Everyone stood up and made their exit.

A few moments later, Shadow and the rest of the club exited the dining room, where they always held their meetings. Everyone casually approached the front door, and Rouge was carrying laundry up from the basement when she spotted everyone gathering. “What is the schedule for today then, boys?” she asked. At that same time, Amy came downstairs as well.

“Shadow and I have a potential sale to make, so we’ll be heading out,” Knuckles answered.

“And you, old-timer?” Rouge smiled playfully at her father-in-law.

“The lass is coming over to help me clean out the old storage unit,” Locke explained, glancing at the pink hedgehog.

All of a sudden, two rhythmic knocks sounded on the door. “Oh, that’s probably my kid brother now,” Mighty grinned. He walked over to the door and opened it up.

Standing on the front porch was a nineteen-year-old yellow squirrel with blue eyes and a tan muzzle. He also wore grey goggles and a blue scarf. He had two suitcases parked on either side of him but smiled wide when greeted by the black and red armadillo. “Mighty!”

Mighty grinned as Ray embraced him. “Ray, good to see ya, buddy!” Everyone inside stood in wait for the introduction. Mighty ushered him inside and closed the front door. “Guys, this is my kid brother, Ray,” he introduced.

Ray looked around the room at all the new faces. “Hello, everyone,” he waved timidly.

Manic smirked and placed a hand under his chin as he eyed him up and down. “So, you’re our new rookie, huh?”

“Yes, that’s right,” he nodded nervously, carefully eying the green-pierced hedgehog.

“Well, the name’s Manic, and I’m warning you right now, little dude, you’ll be doing a lot of errands to the pot shop for me,” he gestured.

“No problem,” he replied. “I won’t let you down, sir.”

Amy approached Ray and shook his hand politely. “Nice to meet you, Ray. My name is Amy Rose. I’m their medic,” she introduced herself.

He shook her hand back and gave her a soft smile. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Amy.”

She approached one of the hooks by the front door and reached for her purse. “I’m sorry I can’t talk to you any longer. I’m afraid I’m off to help Locke with a few things,” she apologized.

“No problem,” he excused. “I’m sure most of you are busy right now.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mighty placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder. “Hey, why don’t you head to my room upstairs and make yourself home? It’s the third door on the left. All of us are about to head out to do a quick mission. I’ll help you settle in when I get back, okay?”

“Sounds good,” Ray smiled.

“Nice meeting you,” Shadow acknowledged, passing the timid yellow squirrel. “We’ll all properly introduce ourselves when we get back.”

“I’m sure you’ll fit in quite well,” Gadget patted him.

Locke looked over at Amy. “Let’s get a move on. We’ve got lots of crap to sort through, lass.”

Amy nodded politely toward the older echidna. “One moment, Locke,” she excused before looking at Shadow. “Um, when will you be home tonight?”

Shadow shrugged. “I’m not exactly sure how long this job will take. Why?”

“I wanted to see if you wanted to catch a movie or something later. That is if you’re not too exhausted.”

Shadow nodded, intrigued at the idea. “Yeah, that sounds great. Just let me see how this goes first.”

Amy smiled sweetly at him. “Great, well, good luck today, and stay safe.” She quickly leaned and pecked him on the cheek before hurrying out to catch up with Locke, impatiently waiting for her outside. Manic witnessed Amy’s cute moment with Shadow and grinned boyishly at the two. Amy whizzed past him in a hurry, and he grinned teasingly and looked over to Shadow.

It all happened so fast that Shadow had barely gotten a chance to react. He placed a hand on his cheek and felt quite uncomfortable with all the eyes upon him. Usually, he’d reciprocate the gesture and even welcome it, but he wasn’t prone to everyone watching their P.D.A.

“Oooh, Shadow’s gotta girlfriend!” Manic sang mockingly and pointed with a haughty laugh. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G, ah-ah-ha!”

Shadow clenched his fist and bonked it on the top of the green-pierced hedgehog’s head. “Ouch!” Manic bellowed and clutched at the top of his sore head, which he believed had a bump.

“Stop being a juvenile, idiot!” Shadow berated.

“Bro, it was just a joke,” Manic continued. “Leave the few brain cells I’ve got left alone,” he whined.

“Aw, I think it’s just precious,” Rouge swooned, cupping her hands and sighing romantically. However, she straightened up and became more serious as a thought crossed her mind. She glared in Knuckle’s direction. “How come you don’t act all cutesy like that with me anymore, huh, Knucklehead?”

Knuckles put his hands up defensively. “Hey now, why do you always have to blame me?”

Rouge crossed her arms over her ample bust. “I miss when you used to be all romantic and cute with me when we first started dating.”

“We just had a date night a few weeks ago!” he reminded, throwing his arms up. “I bought you roses, chocolate, and everything!”

She huffed and placed a hand on her hip. “Yeah, exactly, too long ago!”

Shadow rolled his eyes and shook his head at the bickering couple. Ray also found it quite entertaining to watch all the interactions with the club members on the sidelines. “I think this is our cue to get going,” Shadow mumbled. He reached over, grabbed Knuckles by the arm, and led him out.

Everyone left, and the only two remaining were Ray and Rouge. “So, Ms. Amy and the black and red hedgehog are dating?” he surmised.

“That’s right,” she confirmed.

“And that big red echidna is your boyfriend?” he presumed.

“He’s my husband,” she corrected. “But yes, he’s my guy, and his name is Knuckles. You’ll quickly figure out all the dynamics around here,” she winked.

•~•

As Knuckles and Shadow headed into the van after loading some of their merchandise in the back, Gadget rushed over and knocked on their window. Sitting in the passenger seat, Shadow rolled down his window. “What’s up?”

“We’ve got some scouts hanging just outside the compound,” he explained, gesturing with a head nod behind him. Shadow and Knuckle’s eyes followed and spotted two white cars sitting on the street’s curb with black-out windows.

“Shit…” Knuckles mumbled.

“Let me guess. Agent Blaze has her goons staking us out again?” Shadow fathomed dryly.

Gadget nodded. “Your brother said we’ll need to make a diversion to get you guys out safely. Manic, Mighty, and I will follow you out and have them tag us instead of you guys,” he explained.

Shadow nodded, comprehending. “Got it. We’re ready whenever you are.”

•~•

Agent Blaze’s partner, Nicole, and another officer were inside one of those white cars lingering outside the compound. The female brown lynx watched with binoculars as the other brothers rounded up and got on their motorcycles. By the looks of it, it appeared that all of them were heading out. She had already spotted Locke and Amy heading out together but didn’t think anything suspicious of their departure. However, the other boys looked up to no good from her vantage.

Nicole lowered her binoculars and reached for her walkie. “This is Nicole, over. The Brothers appear to be rounding up in preparation to leave.”

Another female voice came over the walkie. “Agents, I want eyes on them at all times. Follow them to their location, over,” Agent Blaze’s voice was heard over the walkie.

“Understood, over,” Nicole replied. She glanced at her driver. “Once these guys head out, keep in close range.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the driver nodded and touched the steering wheel.

Nicole radioed over to the other vehicle. “Vehicle two, do you understand our orders, over?”

“Yes, ma’am, over,” a male voice replied over her radio. Now all they had to do was wait.

•~•

The fence to the compound opened, and Manic, Mighty, Gadget, and the white van holding Shadow and Knuckles tore out of the compound. Watching the group head down the road, Nicole watched them like a hawk. “Let’s get moving,” she ordered.

Nicole and her team’s vehicles pulled away from the curb and followed the group. Mighty led the charge while Manic rode to his left and Gadget rode to his right. Mighty glanced at his right-side view mirror and spotted the two white vehicles following them. “Looks like we got some groupies,” he shouted over the roar of their motorcycle engines.

“Too bad we don’t do autographs,” Manic cracked loudly.

“Remember to stick to the plan, fellas,” Gadget instructed.

An upcoming light turned green, and the boys took their speed off the gas, allowing Shadow’s van to quickly maneuver around them and take the front lead. In the meantime, the three boys on bikes stayed in a horizontal line, preventing the white cars from getting around them to pursue Shadow and Knuckles.

•~•

Inside Nicole’s car, she grumbled in annoyance, seeing what the bikers were up to. “They’re trying to block us out!”

“What do you want me to do, ma’am?” the driver questioned.

“Try to get around them!” she ordered.

Obliging by her orders, the driver steered into the oncoming traffic lane to gain speed and get around the M.C. members bocking their path. However, another car turned on an upcoming corner, and the two vehicles were now careening toward a collision. “Watch out, Matthews!” Nicole shouted.

Her driver gripped his steering wheel and tried to weave out of the way but crashed into an electric pole. Manic took a glance over his shoulder and laughed at their mishap. “Sucks for you, fuzz!”

That left them with only one patrol car that quickly gained speed around Nicole’s car, which had stalled and continued trailing the M.C.

“Don’t celebrate yet. We still got one more to go!” Mighty shouted.

The boys watched as the white car caught up and cut them off, gaining a lead. It now pursued after Knuckles and Shadow in front of them. “Damn it,” Manic mumbled as he saw them take off. “I got an idea, but it might be stupid,” Manic shouted.

Mighty eyed the green hedgehog with concern. “What are you going to do?” he shouted.

Manic didn’t respond and instead reeved his handles and quickly caught up to the other one and sped in front of it before slamming on his brakes, knowing their car wouldn’t be able to break in time. Manic flew off and landed on the hood of their car as his bike was destroyed in the crash. He kept a hold of the hood of their vehicle as they screeched to a halt before flying off and landing with a thud on the road.

Gadget and Mighty skidded their bikes to a halt, fearing the worst for their comrade. “Manic!” they both screamed.

Manic remained on his back, lifted one arm, and gave a thumbs-up, signaling that he was okay. “It’s okay; I’m okay!”

Mighty slapped a hand on his forehead. “What an idiot….”

•~•

After finally losing the agents, Shadow and Knuckles made their journey just outside of Mercia. With Knuckles driving the van, it had been quiet until he glanced over to the dark hedgehog staring out the window in a daydream. “Thinking about Amy?” he teased with a playful grin.

Shadow stiffened and scoffed at the quip. “Why is everyone being so immature about this whole thing? We’re adults here, aren’t we?”

Knuckles laughed playfully and did a quick elbow jab. “Relax, man. We’re just teasing you because it’s been a while since we’ve seen you like this.”

Shadow raised one brow and crossed his arms over his chest. “Like what exactly?”

“You know, all lovey-dovey with a girl,” he grinned. “It’s been ages.”

Shadow leaned his right arm along the car door windowsill. “I’m still the same person I’ve always been. I haven’t changed,” he assured.

“Suuuure,” Knuckles dragged out sarcastically. “It’s not like you’ve been more pleasant to be around, and you’re occasionally smiling. You have a beautiful girl to come home to every night and smash,” he winked.

Shadow covered his face with one hand. He had never been one to partake in male locker talk. “Stop,” he groaned in embarrassment.

Knuckles kept his eyes on the road and chuckled. “Anyway, I guess I’m trying to say that we’re all pretty happy for you,” he shrugged. “Amy is a great girl, and if she’s making you happy, then the boys and I are happy for you, too.”

Shadow felt a subtle warmth constrict his chest. It was nice to know the rest of the guys supported their relationship and feelings. “Thanks, man.”

“Oh, and don’t you go breaking that girl’s heart, or I’ll have to break your legs,” Knuckles chuckled.

Shadow smirked to himself and shook his head. “I don’t plan to.”

“Good, because I’m not joking.”

•~•

Meanwhile, Amy and Locke were now in the thick of it, going through all of Locke’s belongings in his storage unit. Amy had already labeled most of the boxes. She had a pile of donations, a pile to throw away, and a pile of keepsakes. Locke was rather impressed with how fast and efficient Amy was with her organizational skills. While moving a few boxes around, Amy came across a box labeled “M.C President.” She carefully opened the box and began rummaging through the items inside. Inside was a diary that looked worn and dated. “Hey, Locke. I found some sort of diary or journal. Do you want to keep it?”

Locke looked relieved at the news. “You found it? Wonderful!” he proclaimed.

He hurried over and accepted the journal. “I’ve been looking for this everywhere!” She watched as he flipped through the journal and walked away a few feet.

Continuing her organization, she also found an old photo album inside the box filled with pictures of what she could only fathom to be Shadow and Mephiles’ father. This hedgehog looked like the two boys. There were pictures of both boys in there with their father appearing much younger, a couple of images of Locke posing with the original M.C. president, and photographs of other club members she did not recognize.

Locke hobbled over to the corner of the storage unit as he spotted Amy sitting on the floor gazing at the photo album. “Boy, those were the good old days,” he reminisced.

Amy stopped her gawking and glanced over her shoulder at the older echidna. “You don’t mind if I glance, do you? I was just so curious to see what Shadow’s father looked like. He doesn’t talk about him much.”

“Not at all,” he chuckled. “Go through the whole thing. I don’t mind.”

Amy smiled and continued to flip through the pages. She found a picture of a teenage Shadow posing with his deceased girlfriend Maria and his father in front of their home. “Wow, she sure was pretty. Even in his teen years, Shadow was also quite handsome,” Amy noted.

Locke walked back over and stood behind Amy as she flipped pages. “Yeah, Shadow’s always had plenty of girls to choose from. He got most of his looks from his father, as you see,” he gestured, pointing to Shadow’s father in the background.

“What did you say happened to him again?” Amy questioned, trying to recall the information. She remembered asking him when she had first moved in.

“He died in a motorcycle accident,” Locke replied sarcastically, using air quotes. He scoffed at the idea before walking off again.

Just hearing his tone, Amy’s ears perked in intrigue. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

Locke stopped walking and realized he had implied too much. “Nothing, lass…nothing.”

Amy closed the photo album. “It sounded like you were implying that it wasn’t exactly an accident as you claim….”

Locke sighed, seeing Amy had caught on. “You’re one of those curious types, aren’t you? You pick up on things quickly.”

Amy smirked knowingly. “I guess you could say that, but back to my question. What did you mean?”

Heading back in her direction, Locke moved one of the boxes and dragged it to use as a makeshift seat in front of Amy. He plopped down onto it carefully. “If I tell you this, you need to promise to keep it a secret, and when I say secret, I mean you can’t even tell Shadow. Can I trust you, lass?”

“Of course, you can trust me,” Amy promised. “I’m a nurse and doctor in training. I’m great at keeping things confidential.”

Locke placed the journal in his lap and intertwined his fingers together. “I believe that Mephiles may have been behind his father’s motorcycle accident. I think he staged the whole thing to get his old man out of the way.”

Amy looked shocked at the idea. “You can’t be serious, Locke. Why would he do such a thing?”

“Because his old man was the only thing standing in the way of changing the trajectory of going from an M.C. that does charitable acts to selling illegal arms. His father was rather against selling guns to shady characters, and he was the current president then,” he elaborated. “Mephiles was the vice president and had a completely different direction in where he wanted to take the club.”

Amy blinked in surprise. “Wow, I had no idea….”

“Yes,” Locke nodded. “Anyway, his father confided in me and many other veteran members about opposing the vote Mephiles brought up to sell guns for profit. A couple of weeks later, his father died right before the vote.”

Amy covered her mouth in surprise upon hearing this shocking conspiracy theory. She had always gotten the creeps from Mephiles since living there. He always felt like he had a dangerous and bad aura when she was around him. Perhaps her intuitions were correct all along? “So, what ended up happening with the vote?”

“Mephiles moved up as president and held the vote. However, conveniently before the vote, a few of our original members departed the club for unforeseen circumstances. Some retired, and others left of their own free will. It left it open for the younger generation to come in and sweep the vote.”

“This is much speculation, but what exactly do you plan to do with all this information?”

“Well, as you know, I’m retiring for obvious reasons. I don’t trust the guy, and I’ve never liked him. We’ve always butted heads, and in the last couple of weeks, he did something that drew the last straw….”

Amy blinked in confusion. “What did he do?”

“Remember when you threw that surprise party for Rouge and Knuckles’ anniversary?”

She nodded. “Yeah?”

He dragged a hand down his worn face. “When Julie-Su died that night, I believe whole-heartedly that was Mephiles’ doing. I’m certain he put a hit out on my son and got Julie killed by mistake. He’ll never own up to it, but with the current circumstances, it all adds up in my mind.”

“You think he put a hit on Knuckles because he believed he was the one who betrayed the club and ratted out Manic?” Amy deduced.

“I was there at the meetings. Many people were skeptical about Knuckle’s betrayal. However, Mephiles was the most adamant that Knuckles had gone rogue.”

Amy’s ears lowered sadly as she digested all this newfound information. “…I-I believe you.”

Locke’s eyes widened. “…You do?”

“That night at the party, I was heading upstairs when I overheard Mephiles talking to another guy from the other charter,” she began. “He was telling him to go through with some sort of plan. Whatever it was, he wanted it done that night. When I heard about Julie’s death…it made me suspicious,” she admitted.

“Chaos,” Locke breathed. “This is pivotal information, lass….”

Amy shrugged uncomfortably. “I wanted to mention it to Shadow, but he always tells me not to get involved with club business, so I didn’t say anything.”

“Well, I tried to tell my son, but I doubt he’d believe me. He’s too loyal.” Locke reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shadow always looked up to Mephiles when he was a boy. I don’t know if he could stomach these truths. Don’t tell Shadow anything else, at least not until I get all the information to prove my case.”

“Okay,” Amy breathed. “But how will you get all this proof in the first place?”

“I’m documenting evidence. This journal you found,” he mentioned, holding it up. “This will be huge in my case.”

Amy tilted her head in confusion. “Huh, why?”

“Shadow’s father wrote a lot. And he used to diary entries about his thoughts and opinions about the club and its direction. I recall some information about him not trusting Mephiles, but I’ll have to re-read them again. It’s been a while.”

“How did you manage to get possession of this journal over his sons?” she questioned.

He looked down at it in his lap. “Their father promised it to me in his will. I was confused at first, too, but he specifically instructed not to allow Mephiles or Shadow to get ahold of it.”

“What’s going to happen once the rest of the club finds out about Mephiles if this all turns out to be true?” she probed.

“He’ll be impeached as president, kicked out the club…possibly killed,” he listed dully.

Amy quickly rose to her feet. “I-I don’t know if I want to hear more of this….”

“Lass, Mephiles is a danger to the rest of the club. If he keeps leading as he is, he will get other members hurt or worse,” he warned. “We’re expendable to him. I have to get him out of power. The time is now.”

“Wouldn’t that mean that Shadow would immediately become the new president of the M.C?”

Locke nodded. “Exactly, but I have more faith in Shadow’s leadership than Mephiles.”

Amy was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed carrying all this heavy information. “Shadow always tells me to stay out of club business, and I’m beginning to understand why now….”

Locke placed one hand on his chest and raised his other. “I promise you; I’ll keep you out of this mess. Keep my secret safe, and no one will suspect you being involved.”

•~•

Back with Shadow and Knuckles, the two finally arrived at their destination. They got out of their parked cars on the city's outskirts. They walked up a steep hill to an abandoned ranch where they were to meet their associates. “I hope this doesn’t take long,” Knuckles groaned. “Her highness is always particular with our weaponry….”

“Put on your best sales face and get over it, Knux,” Shadow scolded before stopping.

Knuckles mimicked Shadow’s motion but seemed confused about why they had stopped. “Hey, what gives?”

Shadow’s ears twitched. “…It’s too quiet,” he noted.

Knuckles scratched his head. “This is supposed to be on the down-low. What do you expect?”

Feeling a weird intuition, Shadow withdrew his Glock and extended it outward cautiously while he took the lead. Knuckles copied his actions, drew his gun, and aimed it out as he followed. The two got closer to the top of the hill, where they spotted a tan male ox slumped over in a camping chair just outside the ranch. Flies were buzzing around his body, and they could see a pool of blood dripping down behind his chair as they got closer.

“Shit, isn’t that Jun one of Storm’s guys?” Knuckles whispered.

Still keeping his gun outward, Shadow looked over the deceased Mobian. It appeared he had been shot in the face. “Looks like it…” he confirmed.

Suddenly, a group of Suppression members emerged from either side of the ranch with their guns drawn. They aimed their automatic rifles in Knuckles and Shadow’s direction and began shooting. “Fuck!” Knuckles exclaimed.

The two made their way behind the nearest shields they could find. Shadow’s guard of choice was a thick oak tree he had managed to dodge behind. He kept his back against it as he felt the vibrations of the bullets hit the other side of the tree.

Knuckles, on the other hand, ducked behind a tractor and stayed low to the floor. Knuckles looked over to Shadow. “Was this whole thing a trap?” he yelled.

Shadow peeked around from his tree in Knuckle’s direction. “Not sure, more like a retaliation.”

Suddenly, the two were ambushed as the Suppression Squad guys surrounded Knuckles and Shadow from behind with their guns drawn. Shadow and Knuckles glanced at each other before dropping their weapons simultaneously and raising their hands in surrender. This was not looking good.

•~•

A little bit later, Locke dropped Amy off at the compound. Amy hopped out of the passenger seat of his car and felt a little nervous facing Mephiles with all this newfound knowledge. Locke could sense her jitters as he remained in the driver’s seat. “Amy, don’t worry. Just act normal, and he won’t know any better. He has no inclination I’m onto him,” he assured.

She kept her arms wrapped around herself. “It just feels so weird…”

“As I said, it’d all fall back on me if anything happened. However, if you stumbled upon any other information, let me know. I’m trying to compile everything before I accuse him of his crimes.”

Suddenly, she heard motorcycle engines approaching the compound. She turned and looked as she spotted Mighty, Manic, and Gadget coming back. The two-spotted Manic rode on the back of Mighty’s bike with a sling around his arm.

“Oh boy, looks like you’ll be busy for the next hour,” Locke observed from Manic’s new injury.

“All right, well, I’ll see you around,” Amy said as she backed up.

“Later, lass,” he waved before heading out.

•~•

Back with Shadow and Knuckles, with their hands secured behind his back with zip ties, the two were taken back to the ranch house, where they were to meet Storm and her guys. However, as they were led back up the hill to the ranch, where it was evident that there had been some rather large shoot-out between Storm and her guys, Shadow looked on either side of the dirt road leading up to the ranch and spotted numerous dead bodies that the Suppression Squad members had killed. Pools of blood collected around the bodies as the blood slowly absorbed into the dirt around them. He could only fathom what Storm’s fate may have been. “Where’s Storm?” Shadow questioned one of their capturers.

“Good and dead. Serves the bitch, right….” the one guy holding Shadow replied. Shadow wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan of the girl, but she was a loyal customer of theirs. Not to mention, he never believed in any violence against females. Finally, the gang members led Shadow and Knuckles into the ranch and shoved them forward, allowing both to land and smack their chests against the wooden floors.

Shadow grunted and glared up as he heard footsteps approaching him from the other room. He saw a pair of black boots stop before him and glared up only to spot the president of the Suppression Squad, Scourge the Hedgehog, standing before him. Behind him were two other top members—his second in command, Sleuth Dog, a large brown canine, and Simian, a sizeable brown gorilla. Scrouge was wearing a black leather jacket with flames up the sides of both sleeves and bared his muscular chest, boring his notorious scar. He lifted his red-brimmed shades and rested them on his head as an arrogant smirk crossed his muzzle. “Stripes, it’s been a while, huh, buddy? Last I heard, you were in critical condition from that nasty hit and run we pulled off,” he chuckled. “Shame you’re not dead, though.”

“Fuck off,” Shadow growled.

Scourge walked over and kicked him hard in his side, causing Shadow to wheeze. Scourge bent down and glared at the darker hedgehog, seeing his enemy winded. “Aye, is that any way to talk to someone you haven’t seen in a while?” he snapped.

Knuckles narrowed his brows at the lime-green president. “Hey, stop it!”

Scourge’s icy blue eyes landed on the red echidna. “Oh, guess I forgot to address you, eh…what’s your name again? Is it Fists?” he scratched his head, genuinely lost on his name.

“It’s Knuckles, asshole,” the echidna barked.

Scourge snapped his fingers as he was reminded. “Ah, that’s right. What a dumb name,” he laughed. “Well, since it’s been a while since we’ve talked, tell me something. Is your old man dead yet?”

Knuckles felt his blood boil at the question. “What the hell did you just say?” he shouted.

Still wincing from Scourge’s powerful kick to his side, Shadow glanced up at the hedgehog. He hated seeing him try to get Knuckles all wound up, especially when mentioning his father. After all, Scourge did have beef with him. “What the hell do you want, Scourge?” he grumbled.

Scourge directed his attention back to the vice president. “Easy, we want your guns. The whole stock, in fact,” he declared.

Shadow scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding….”

Scourge shook his head. “Not a chance in hell, Stripes. This has been a long time coming. You fucked up our warehouse and snatched our supply, then some of my boys ran into you guys on the road a while back, and they said you ran them off. It’s long overdue for payback time. We’ve been patient enough,” he said, cracking his knuckles.

“What makes you think we’ll willingly hand them all over to you like this?” Shadow questioned.

“I’ve gotta feeling your brother won’t want to see any harm come to his little brother,” Scourge surmised.

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Okay, sure, but it’s not like we exactly have all our supplies nearby. It would take time to get it to you.”

“Guess your brother will have to work fast then,” Scrouge smirked.

•~•

Back at the compound, Mephiles was busy balancing budgets in his office. However, he was interrupted when Gadget burst into his office. “Sir, I’ve got Shadow on the phone.”

Mephiles sighed, glanced back at his paperwork, and continued to jot down numbers. “Can’t it wait? I’m rather busy,” he mumbled.

Gadget shook his head adamantly. “No, sir, it can’t. He said it’s important.”

Mephiles followed Gadget back into the house, where the phone was still off the hook. The red wolf rushed over, grabbed the phone, and brought it to his ear. “I’ve got him now, Shadow. I’m sorry for the wait,” he apologized.

Mephiles grabbed the phone as the red wolf offered it and placed it to his ear. “What is it?”

“For starters, Scourge and his guys are still pretty pissed off with us for stealing their guns several months ago,” Shadow began.

Mephiles’ eyes widened in alarm. “Excuse me?”

Suddenly, another voice came on the line. “Hey, dark and creepy, I’ve got Shadow and Knuckles here. I’ll return them unharmed once you and the rest of your jerk-offs bring the rest of your entire stock out here,” he demanded.

“Our entire stock..?” Mephiles’ eyebrows narrowed in anger. “You piece of shit, I swear to Chaos, if you hurt them, I’ll--”

“—Yeah, yeah,” Scourge interrupted. “I get the idea, yada, yada. Anyway, I’m giving you a timeframe to get this shit to us, or they’re dead.”

The dark president’s fist tightened around the phone held to his ear. “Fine, but arriving in time will take a few hours.”

“Too bad! You’ve got two hours.” With that, Scourge hung up Shadow’s cellphone and threw it with great force against one of the walls, causing it to shatter.

Back with Gadget and Mephiles, the president lowered their house phone back into its base. “Shit…” he breathed.

Gadget looked anxious, seeing how stressed his superior looked. “Sir, what just happened?

“…They’ve got my brother and Knuckles,” he replied.

“What do we do now?” Gadget inquired.

Mephiles mulled over his options before he eyed Gadget. “Round up our supply. We’ll head over there with the rest of the boys. Time is of the essence.”

•~•

Meanwhile, Manic sat on the examination table in Amy's office as Amy looked at his injuries. Amy wafted a cloud of smoke that lingered in the air near her. “You really shouldn’t be smoking that here, you know,” she coughed.

Manic took another drag of his blunt and blew out the smoke from the corner of his mouth. “It’s my pain relief,” he shrugged.

Rouge leaned her shoulder in the doorway and watched Amy clean any other scratches the paramedics had missed. “I can’t believe you were idiotic enough to pull that move,” the white bat scolded. “You could’ve been killed.”

“She’s right,” Amy concurred. “A sprained wrist and a few cuts and bruises were extremely lucky.”

“Well, I am a green hedgehog, and I’m pretty sure that automatically gives me good luck,” Manic shrugged.

Rouge shot him a deadpan expression. “I don’t think that’s how the universe works, sweetheart.”

Suddenly, Mighty popped in, looking urgent in expression. “Hey, you think you’re still able to hold and shoot an automatic in your current state?” he asked Manic.

Manic looked down at his injured arm in his sling before glancing at the blunt in his other hand. He flicked the butt end of his joint out the open window. “Hell, yes.”

“Good then, we need to get going,” he stated firmly.

“What’s going on?” Amy inquired, sensing an issue. She took off her gloves and discarded them.

Mighty hesitated for a moment. “The Suppression Squad captured Shadow and Knuckles. They’re being held hostage for our merchandise.”

“What?” Rouge gawked.

“I don’t have time to explain everything, but I’m going to have Ray stay with you two while we go on the recovery mission.”

“…Shadow,” Amy whispered with dread.

Mighty placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, kid. We’re going to bring them both back safe and sound.”

“Mighty, Manic,” Mephiles shouted. “Let’s go!”

Mighty and Manic rushed out. “Keep your spirits high, girls!” Mighty shouted with a wave.
•~•

An hour and fifty-five minutes later, Shadow and Knuckles were still firmly face down against the wooden floor of the ranch with their arms secured behind their back. Their heads were turned facing one another as they heard Scourge’s guys rustling around in the background preparing for Mephiles’ arrival with the guns.

Knowing how long it had taken them to get to their current location, Shadow wasn’t optimistic about their prompt arrival. Scourge had been very strict with the timeframe, and they were coming up to the second hour quickly.

“They’re never going to get here in time,” Knuckles mumbled pessimistically.

“…I know,” Shadow agreed solemnly.

“I should’ve stayed in bed with Rouge this morning,” Knuckles bemoaned. “She almost gave me head, but I told her I’d take a raincheck because I had to get moving for this. What a bummer.”

The two exchanged a chuckle together before Shadow’s mind wandered elsewhere. He sighed. “It’s a shame; I wish I could have spent more time with Amy. We haven’t been dating that long.”

“Shit, that’s right,” Knuckles replied. “You and her…have you told her you to love her yet?”

There was a long pause before he answered. “No…I-I mean, I don’t know if our relationship is quite there yet. However, I do enjoy spending time with her.”

Knuckles suddenly grew bold at the idea of their life being cut short. He felt a spike of adrenaline course through him. “I refuse to let us die here—especially you. We’re getting ourselves out of this mess,” he promised. “Maybe I could cause a diversion enough for you to get away and—”

“—Hell no,” Shadow snapped quietly. “I’m not leaving you behind. If we get out of this, we do it together, and both make it out alive.”

Knuckles went to open his mouth when suddenly they heard engines roaring in the distance. Sleuth ran into their detained room and approached one of the windows. He parted it with his gun to the lookout. “They’re here!” he called.

Scourge came out of one of the other rooms dusting off his hands. “Looks like it’s showtime, boys,” he laughed.

Two of Scourge’s other lackeys grabbed Knuckles and Shadow off the floor and stood them upright. Then they escorted them towards the front door and led them out. Shadow and Knuckles had a gun pressed against their temples as they were led just outside the door.
•~•

Outside, Mephiles, Mighty, Gadget, and Manic stood, appearing unarmed as they waited for Mephiles’ signal. The four males stood around a parked white van with black tinted windows. Scourge stepped outside the house on the ranch with his arms crossed. “It’s about time.”

Mephiles was in no mood to be civil. “We’ve got what you want. Now release them,” he demanded, cutting straight to the chase.

Scourge put two of his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Suddenly, Simon and Sleuth dragged Shadow and Knuckles to the front. Both Sleuth and Simon held each of them with one hand and had a pistol to their temples to keep them from doing anything daring. “Here they are, but I ain’t letting them go until I see the goods.”

Mephiles turned and signaled to Mighty. The armadillo walked over and opened the back doors of the van. Mighty then stepped back so Scourge could get a good look. Scourge could see a large display of guns on the van’s floor from his vantage point. “That’s all of them?” he asked in surprise. He had expected a lot more.

Mephiles nodded. “That’s our entire stash,” he replied. “This is all we have left this month.”

Scourge scoffed at the measly sight of perhaps twenty different automatic guns. “That’s it? That’s shit!”

Mephiles looked peeved by his entitled attitude. “You have the other half, I assume, from Shadow and Knuckles. What else do you want?”

“More guns!” Scourge bellowed in annoyance at the ridiculous question.

“These are high-quality guns,” Manic interjected. “They’re top quality!”

Sneering at the mention, Scourge groaned. “Sleuth, Simian,” he commanded. “Go check out the merchandise. Trade-off your positions with the rookies.”

Sleuth and Simian looked at each other and nodded. A rookie chimpanzee and coyote came over and restrained both Shadow and Knuckles in their place so they could investigate if the guns were even worthy of their claim. However, just as the two made their way toward the van, something whizzed in the air and shot the chimpanzee rookie straight between the eyes, killing him instantaneously. The same thing happened only seconds later to the rookie coyote keeping Knuckles restrained. Blood splattered onto the walls directly behind both dead gang members, and they slumped down against the wall.

Scourge looked all over the place, baffled at who had just shot and killed his two guys. He glanced back at the Brothers, who were none armed. Who the heck was shooting at them? “Over there, sir!” Sleuth pointed to a higher vantage point in the distance.

Scourge squinted and spotted an armed and disguised person on a hill in the distance with a sniper. “Scatter!” he yelled. He whipped out his pistol and took a few shots at Mephiles and the others near the van. Thankfully, Mephiles was prepared and leaped behind the truck, whipping out his hidden gun and taking aim at Scourge. Sleuth Dog and Simian ran back for cover as they took a few shots at Manic and Mighty, who had also grabbed their weapons and positioned themselves behind the van to shoot back.

With all the chaos between the shootout, Shadow and Knuckles ran through the turmoil as bullets whizzed around them. “I’ve got you guys!” Manic shouted as he spotted the two of them running towards them, still with their arms locked behind their backs. Manic aimed his gun with his good arm and shot at the other Suppression members trying to take out Shadow and Knuckles as they fled the scene. Bullets hit the dirt near their feet as they got closer and closer to the van.

Mighty pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it toward the ranch. “Time to pull out the big fella,” he smirked before releasing a rocket. They watched as it whizzed forward before hitting the house and exploding it. When the smoke began to clear, the Brothers watched as bikers whizzed away from the engulfed ranch and into the distance. They also noticed among the fleeing bikers Scourge himself. He glared at the group over his shoulder before getting out of there.

Once it was safe, Mephiles dropped his gun, ran over, and embraced Shadow. “Brother…”

“I’m okay,” Shadow assured. “Thanks for coming for us.”

Manic cut the zip ties restraining Knuckles and Shadow’s wrists. “We showed them. Pussies…”

Knuckles rubbed at his sore wrists. “For now, but I’m sure those fuckers will be back again.”

Shadow nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they will, like always.” His red eyes shifted to the left as another thought crossed his mind. “Wait a second, who was your sniper?”

“That would be me,” another male voice chimed in. Knuckles and Shadow turned only to spot Espio walking over carrying his gear.

“Espio…you saved us back there?” Knuckles breathed.

He wiped his sweaty brow. “Yeah, I did. Watch yourself better next time. I can’t always escape work to save your sorry asses.”

Shadow placed a hand on his injured side. “Trust me. We’ll be more careful next time.”

•~•

Finally returning home, the boys pulled up into the compound. Both Rouge and Amy patiently waited on the front porch in a desperate search for their boyfriends. Mighty and Manic were the first to park and take off their helmets. Manic shook out his quills, disembarked his bike, and returned to the house. The girls watched the truck enter the compound last and park near the fence. Both doors to the car opened simultaneously, and Knuckles and Shadow emerged from the vehicle.

Amy felt relief fill her as she spotted Shadow walking toward the house. He looked a little rough and worn, but he was all alive. Amy rushed down the front porch steps and sprinted toward him. He glanced up only to spot her rushing toward him with his hands casually in his pockets. It all happened so fast that he grunted in response when she leaped into his arms. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked her legs around his waist as she buried her face into his neck. Shadow grunted but held her upright, wrapping his arms around her as he felt her shake. “Rose…I.”

“I-I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she stammered. “Are you hurt?”

Shadow smiled weakly. “I’m fine, Rose. I’m just a little banged up,” he assured.

She pulled her face away from the side of his neck to look him in the eye sternly but lovingly. Her left hand cupped the side of his bruised left cheek. “Please don’t scare me like that again, okay?” She leaned in, closed her eyes, and kissed him deeply. Shadow returned the gesture feeling as if his soul had left his body. It was honestly incredible to have someone care so deeply about his well-being. It made him feel like he had a purpose for living again.

Eventually, their kiss ended, and Amy parted her lips from his. Shadow slowly lowered her down onto her feet. “I promise…”

Amy nodded with a weak smile herself. “Good, now let’s get you inside, and I’ll tend to your injuries.” She grabbed his hand, and the two walked back into the house. Mephiles’ reptilian eyes watched as Amy and Shadow departed the scene and returned indoors. The two had become quite loved up, which continued to worry Mephiles, especially regarding Shadow’s loyalty. Was it to the club or Amy?

At that same time, Rouge had also booked it straight for Knuckles. Rouge had no time to exchange words with him and had gone directly into her other love language—making out. Rouge pressed her body against Knuckles as they leaned against the truck and made out. Knuckles kept his hands on Rouge’s waist as she passionately kissed him. It was always the way Rouge showed that she deeply cared for him. She had never felt good with her words but had other ways to show she deeply cared.

Knuckles pulled away from kissing her. His purple eyes glanced down at her. “Rouge…sorry I scared you like that.”

“Don’t do it again. You scared the shit out of me today….”

“I know,” he concurred. “But if it makes you feel better, I had you on my mind the whole time,” he admitted.

She batted her eyelashes at him seductively. “Really now?”

He gave her an uneasy smile. “Yeah.”

She took his hand in hers and led him back towards the house. “Can I deposit that raincheck now?”

He laughed. “I’d love to.”

Chapter 23: The Romantic Getaway

Summary:

Once Amy gets news that she'll be a resident at Mercia Memorial Hospital, Shadow takes her away for a long weekend to spend some quality time together in Tech City. All the while, Shadow and Amy have some unwanted spectators following close behind: The Suppression Squad. Not to mention, Amy runs into some old familiar faces.

Opening up a letter from the mailbox, Amy’s eyes scanned the official letter carefully. Her eyes suddenly widened in excitement as she read the entire letter and reached the bottom of the page. Amy squealed in delight, practically jumping for joy. She just had to tell someone of the exciting news. Hurrying into the mechanic shop, Amy looked all over for Shadow. She finally spotted him repairing one of their motorcycles in the far-left corner. “Shadow!” she shouted as she hurried over with the letter. In his classic blue mechanic jumpsuit, Shadow looked up from working on the bike only to spot Amy rushing in his direction.

He lowered his torque wrench just as Amy arrived before his working station. He lifted his safety goggles. “What’s going on?”

Ecstatically, Amy held out the letter in front of his face. “I just got accepted to intern at Mercia Memorial!”

Shadow’s expression beamed at the news. “Amy, that’s fantastic!”

Amy leaped in his arms and embraced him joyously. “I did it!”

Shadow patted her back softly. “You’ve been working so hard to earn this. I’m proud of you.”

Amy pulled away from his embrace and looked up at him. “Thanks, Shadow. I also need to thank Deputy Silver for helping get that nasty arrest off my record. Who knows if I could get this internship if it weren’t for his help.”

After seeing all the celebrations from the other end of the room, Manic, Mighty, Knuckles, Mephiles, Ray, and Gadget approached the excited couple. Manic scratched the top of his head as he eyed the two. “Hey, what the heck is going on over here?”

Shadow placed a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “You should be the one to share the news,” he encouraged her.

Amy cupped her hands together. “Well, I just found out that I was accepted to intern at Mercia Memorial Hospital to complete my first year of residency,” she announced.

The rest of the guys looked rather pleased to hear the good news. They all began to clap in celebration of her. “Oh wow, congrats, Ames!” Mighty smiled as he patted her on the back.

“Yeah, congrats!” Manic seconded.

“Congrats!” Ray exclaimed.

“You’ll do wonderful, I’m sure,” Knuckles noted.

“I’m very excited about your news, Ms. Amy,” Gadget grinned.

Mephiles was the only one who eyed Amy with concern. “Does this mean we’ll lose you as our doctor then?” he questioned.

Everyone stopped congratulating and looked in Mephiles’ direction as if that thought had not crossed their minds. Amy shook her head. “Of course not,” she promised. “It will be a bit harder to have me on standby once I’m at the hospital, but I’ll do all I can to give critical care to any of you who need it once notified.”

He nodded slowly before turning on his heel and walking off. “That’s good to hear. We wouldn’t want to lose such an important asset to our club. Congratulations, Ms. Rose,” he said with a wave.

•~•

Later that evening, Shadow found Amy in her room and sat on the computer roller chair at her desk. She was reading up on one of her medical books. He knocked on her door to catch her attention. Amy lifted her eyes from reading the pages and smiled, seeing Shadow standing in her doorway. “Hey,” she smiled sweetly.

“Mind if I come in?” he inquired politely.

Amy shut her book closed to give him her full attention. “No, not at all.”

He walked inside and kept his right hand behind his back. “I have a surprise for you.”

Curious eyes blinked, and she turned around in her spinning chair to face him. “A surprise for me?” she parroted.

Shadow whipped his right hand behind his back and adorned two tickets before her. “I got us two train tickets to spend the weekend in Tech City to celebrate the next step in your journey.”

Amy accepted the tickets and looked down at them in her hands. “Oh, wow…Shadow, that’s wonderful! What made you think of this?”

He shrugged innocently. “I wanted to do something special and celebrate with you before you officially start at the hospital.” His eyes drifted to the side momentarily. “…That, and I want to spend as much quality time with you as possible. Who knows how often I’ll see you once you’re an official resident. I know our schedules will probably conflict with one another.”
Amy glanced up at him before rising to her feet. She sensed Shadow worried they might grow apart with her new job looming. She leaned up, pecked him on the lips, and rested her hands on his shoulders as she looked up at him. “Shadow, I know we’ve only been dating for a few months now, but I’m going to do the best I can to keep our relationship strong,” she promised.

He held her by the hips back and smiled. “I appreciate it, Rose.”

She watched as he turned and began to exit her room. She bit her lower lip nervously as a thought came across. There was something she had wanted to tell him for a while now—but she didn’t know if it was the right moment yet. It was now or never. “Hey, Shadow…”

Shadow stopped at her doorway and turned to look at her. “Yes?”

She gulped nervously and rubbed her left arm anxiously as her eyes drifted around the room. She couldn’t bear to look at him when the words left her mouth. What if he didn’t feel the same way back yet? “I just wanted to say that…”

He tilted his head curiously as he waited patiently. “Hm?”

“I-I just wanted to say that…I hope this brings us even closer!” She quickly made up on the spot. This was not what she intended to say, but she had chosen to avert her prior statement. Perhaps it was too soon.

Shadow stared at her for a long moment as he processed her words before giving her a small smile. He sensed she had also wanted to say something else but respected her decision. “Yes, well…I hope so, too.” He reached for her door handle to close her door on the way out. “I will let my brother know I won’t be in for work this weekend. He’ll need the heads up, so I’ll see you later, Rose.” He shut her door behind him, leaving her alone in her room.

Amy let out an exhale of relief. She thought she was ready to tell him how she truly felt then and there—that she loved him. However, her nerves got the best of her, and she scrapped the whole plan on the spur of the moment. She wondered if this is how it always felt for people when they first realized they might be in love with someone. Was it indeed this hard to say three little words?

•~•

A few moments later, Shadow headed into the basement, where he finally found his brother sitting at their bar and drinking some scotch. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Mephiles craned his neck over his shoulder as he spotted his younger brother descending the staircase. “What do you need now?” he asked before setting his eyes straight ahead.

Shadow made his way to the bar but already sensed some hostility. “Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Take a seat then,” Mephiles suggested, eying the empty barstool to his left.

Shadow shook his head. “No, it’s okay; this will only take a few moments.”

“Go on then,” Mephiles said before retaking a sip of his scotch.

Shadow leaned his arms over the bar counter. “I’m going to take a few days off work to go away this weekend with Amy. You’ll need to find someone to cover any planned shifts.”

He quirked a brow, clearly offended. “Excuse me? Who said you could do this in the first place? We just had time off,” he questioned critically.

Shadow seemed shocked by his brother’s response and attitude toward the situation. “No one. I decided this.”

Mephiles placed two fingers on his right temple and stroked them circularly. “Going off on some little romantic getaway is unacceptable now.”

Shadow narrowed his eyebrows in frustration. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m happy you’re finally getting some pussy, but I don’t like this split devotion,” he replied. “Your priority is always to this club first. Old ladies come in second place.”

Shadow glared at him from his comment. “Can you please stop referring to her like that? She’s not just a piece of ass to me. She’s a lot more than that…”

Mephiles scoffed and took another sip. “Chaos, you’re such a bore, brother!”

Shadow scowled at his comment. “Look, I haven’t been this happy in years—not to mention I haven’t had a break like this in some time. The past few years, my whole life has been dedicated to the club!”

Mephiles placed a hand on his forehead, already tired of this squabble. “Fine, brother, do as you will. I’m sure I’ll find someone else to complete your missions in your absence…”

Shadow could see he was turning to guilt-tripping—too bad it wouldn’t work on him. He had already made his mind up. He turned his back to exit but stopped at the bottom of the staircase and looked at his brother’s back. “It’s only for this one weekend. I don’t know when I’ll be able to have quality time like this with her again.” With that said, Shadow ascended the stairs.

“Yes, well…enjoy it while you can,” Mephiles muttered. “You’re going to be quite busy in the future months.”

•~•

Simultaneously, Amy went to Rouge’s bedroom to get advice from another female’s perspective. Amy sat on the edge of Rouge and Knuckle’s bed while the white bat folded laundry and put it away accordingly. “I wanted so badly to tell him how I truly felt, but I chickened out,” Amy explained exasperatedly and slightly embarrassed. She buried her face behind her hands. “What’s wrong with me, Rouge?”

Rouge placed a t-shirt in a drawer. “Let me ask you something serious. Did you actually love Zonic?”

Amy moved her hands away from her face and shot her a confused look. “What does he have to do with any of this?” She would instead not think of her psychotic ex-fiancé at a time like this.

Rouge placed a hand on her hip. “Just answer the question, and you’ll see where I’m going with this.”

Amy looked down at her lap as she contemplated the idea. “I thought I did, but it doesn’t feel the same way as it does with Shadow.”

“Did you feel euphoric around him? Did you feel anxious to see him even when he had just left? Did your heart flutter when he entered the room or when he gave you eye contact?” she questioned eagerly.

“Not really,” she shrugged. “However, all those questions apply to how I feel around Shadow.”

Rouge placed one of her bras in the drawer as she listened and gave a triumphant smirk. “I rest my case.”

Amy blinked a few times in confusion. “Huh?”

“You thought you were in love with Zonic when you were under his manipulation and mental abuse, but I believe Shadow is your first true love. That’s why it’s so difficult for you to say it,” she smiled. “Now that you’re in a healthy, loving relationship, you’re still dealing with the trauma from your last relationship and don’t feel worthy of his love,” she speculated.

“Wow…” Amy rubbed at her arm uncomfortably. “You think so?”

“Trust me, I know,” she assured.

Amy crossed her arms across her chest and grinned playfully in her direction. “Why does it sound like you’re a therapist right now?”

Rouge picked up the laundry basket and placed it on the bed. “I have a lot of free time to watch TV. I watch too many daytime therapists' shows,” she shrugged indifferently. “Tell Shadow how you feel on this romantic getaway!”

Her ears lowered nervously. “I’m scared. What if he doesn’t say it back..?”

“What if he does?” she challenged. “You’ll never know unless you try. Besides, I’m pretty sure Shadow feels the same way. He’s different now.” She strutted over to her closet and opened it up. “Ooh, do you have any sexy lingerie? If not, I could always let you borrow some of mine, although it may not fit…” she noted, eying her body type to Amy’s.

“Lingerie??” Amy repeated, feeling a blush cross her cheeks.

Rouge moved some clothes in her closet, looking for a particular set. “Yeah, you must be super sexy on this trip with Shadow. I bet he can’t wait to hit the sheets and make endless love to you.”

“Rouge!” Amy squealed in embarrassment.

She craned her neck to look over her shoulder and shrugged. “What? I’m just stating the truth.”

•~•

That Friday, Shadow and Amy ventured out to Tech City together. The two hopped aboard the train and went to the illustrious city where they’d spend the weekend together. Once they arrived, Shadow ushered Amy to the most excellent hotel in the town, where they got a grand suite for the weekend. The ebony hedgehog opened the door to their room, and Amy gasped at the sight. She had never seen such a luxurious room before in her entire life. It was huge and had one of the most breathtaking sights in the city she had ever seen. She walked inside with her rolling suitcase and parked it at the entrance in awe. “Shadow, you didn’t….”

He chuckled and watched her walk around their room in astonishment. “Do you like it?”

Amy stopped in front of the large window and looked at the view of the city. “I love it, but how much exactly was this room? Surely this cost an arm and a leg.”

Shadow strolled over and stood by her side, eying the view himself. “Don’t worry about it. This is for a special occasion, after all.”

Amy smiled up at him appreciatively. “So, what’s our day look like?”

He placed a hand on his hip. “Well, since this is where you grew up, I figured we could do whatever you wanted. You know this place a lot better than me, after all. You can take me to some of your favorite places.”

•~•

Amy dragged Shadow all over the city to her favorite locations as suggested. They had lunch al fresco at a little French bistro on the corner of 5th and main street. Shadow ate some of the best French cuisines he had ever had. Later that afternoon, Amy and Shadow wandered into a Farmers Market in the central park. The two explored some art tents and tried a few local vendor snacks. Shadow was thoroughly enjoying spending the day with Amy. He loved feeling regular and relaxed while he was around her. While in Tech City, he didn’t have to think about club business, deals, meetings, or murder. It had honestly been some time since he could return to a period of normalcy.

Amy walked over from a vendor selling fresh coffee and handed him a cup, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Here you go.”

He took the cup from her and took a sip, savoring the taste. “Thanks, Rose.” The two sat on a park bench together and enjoyed their coffee together, unbeknownst to a couple of figures riding bikes on the streets nearby behind them.

Drago Wolf, a large set white wolf, and Predator Hawk, a fierce-looking blue hawk, rode their bikes together through the city. They were passing through Tech City after another business deal of their own. The two stopped at a stoplight near the park when Drago caught sight of a familiar person in the distance. He lowered his sunglasses to see better as he squinted. “Aye, isn’t that the Brother’s V.P?”

Predator turned his head to look in the direction that Drago had suggested. Then he noticed Shadow leaning in and kissing the girl he was with—a pretty pink hedgehog. “Boy, sure, looks like it.”

“He’s got an old lady?” Drago questioned suspiciously while they idled at the light.

“That or someone to pass the time with,” Predator noted. “Either way, the boss might find this information handy,” he smirked.

“Let’s follow them for a bit,” Drago replied before revving his handles. The light turned green, and the two took off down the street.

•~•

That afternoon, Amy and Shadow walked down one of the opulent streets with high-fashion designer clothing. Shadow held her hand and watched Amy window-shopped, eying a few pieces in some shop windows. The ebony hedgehog coolly shoved his other hand into his jacket pocket when they stopped in front of a specific shop. He stared at her while she eyed a particular dress on display. “Why don’t you go in and try something that catches your eye,” he proposed.

Amy backed up from the window and shook her head. “No way, I can’t exactly afford this type of clothing,” she chuckled.

He tilted his head as an idea came to mind. Shadow led her toward the store entrance.

“What are you doing?” Amy asked as they walked towards the front door.

He lowered his eyelids seductively. “Just humor me and try on a couple of outfits.”

Amy rubbed her arm uncomfortably. “Aren’t these stores not exactly your scene, though?”

Shadow placed a hand on her lower back and began to escort her into the boutique store. “I’m not the one trying on the clothes. You are.”

Once inside the store, a few salesgirls came over to the couple. Some workers eyed Shadow uncomfortably as they noticed his infamous Brothers of Chaos jacket. Amy picked up on the mannerisms and wanted to leave before causing a scene. “We don’t have to do this, you know…” she whispered.

“Nonsense, Rose,” Shadow whispered back. Suddenly, an enormous brown female bear walked over to the couple. “…Um, good afternoon. How can we help you two on this lovely afternoon?”

Amy couldn’t even utter a sentence, so Shadow took the initiative. “She wants to try on a few of your best dresses—preferably something fancy for a night out.”

“Ah, yes, I see. Perhaps a date night cocktail dress, then?” the salesgirl offered.

Shadow shrugged. “Hell, if I should know. You guys are the professionals around here.” He walked to an available seat near the dressing rooms and plopped himself in it. “I’ll leave her in your hands. Take good care of her for me,” he instructed.

The female bear gulped and nodded. “Why, of course, sir.” She looked to the other available salesgirls and waved to them for assistance.

Within moments, Amy was whisked away by the other three salesgirls and led to a changing room. While in the dressing room, the sales associates brought Amy numerous cocktail dresses to try on. Amy came out and modeled a few that Shadow liked but she didn’t care for or some that neither of them agreed on. However, after several tryouts, Amy and Shadow found one that they both agreed looked beautiful on her. Amy stepped out in the complete outfit. It was a simple dark red, off-the-shoulder, body-con dress. The dress hit just above the knee with one slit on the side. It hugged Amy’s curves in all the right places and showed off her beautiful subtle bust and neckline. The salesgirls had even picked out a beautiful matching choker and pair of black suede ankle strap heels that showed off her toned pink legs.

Amy looked at herself in the trio of mirrors behind her, eying her body from every angle. She had to admit that she felt good about herself in this dress. It showcased a different side of her she never knew she had. She looked confident, sophisticated, and sexy. The pink hedgehog looked over at Shadow, who seemed utterly mesmerized by her new look. “Well, what do you think?”

He walked over, eying her from head to toe. “You look beautiful, not to mention incredibly stunning.”

Amy couldn’t help but blush at his comments. “Shadow…”

“Have we found our dress then?” the bear associate questioned, breaking up their moment.

“I believe we have,” Shadow confirmed.

“Wonderful. How will we be paying today?”

Shadow reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a large wad of cash. “Ring up the total for me. I’ll be paying in cash.”

“Of course, sir,” she smiled before hustling off.

Amy shook her head as she realized what had just taken place. “No, wait, we can’t—”

“—Of course, we can,” Shadow said, abruptly cutting her off.

Amy glanced down at the price tag of the dress alone and felt her stomach turn at a price. “But Shadow, this dress is too--”

“—Too gorgeous not to be worn by someone equally as captivating,” he quipped.

Amy could have melted on the spot from his little comment alone. He knew just the right things to say to her. “You’re sweet, but when will I ever get the opportunity to wear this dress?”

“How about tonight?” he suggested playfully.

She blinked a few times. “Huh?”

“The place I’m taking you for dinner is more upscale, and you were going to need something a little higher end to wear to it anyway,” he explained. “I said I wanted to make this weekend special and plan to do just that.”

Amy leaned up and pecked Shadow on the lips. “You’re too good for me. You know that?”

Shadow chuckled lowly. “I could easily say the same about you.”

Meanwhile, just outside the store window, Drago and Predator had been tailing the two to get more intel on the situation. The two were trying to determine if this girl Shadow was hanging around with was just a casual smash or perhaps something more permanent. However, by the looks of things, it seemed more and more that this girl was Shadow’s new old lady, which happened to be a big deal since he hadn’t had one in quite some time. “Scourge will eat this shit up,” Predator mumbled.

Drago continued to stare at Amy through the store window. “He sure will.”

After paying for the dress, Amy and Shadow walked out of the store hand-in-hand. The hedgehogs walked together down the busy sidewalk full of tourists and locals toward their hotel. Amy carried the bag with the dress in her other hand and smiled lovingly at Shadow. So far, it has been a busy and eventful day. Everything had felt magical as the day went on. However, Shadow couldn’t shake the feeling that something felt slightly off. He couldn’t explain it, but it was just this vibe he was getting as they navigated the city together. It almost felt like they were being followed. Shadow shook off the idea. He was probably just being paranoid.

“—Amy, is that you?” a male-accented voice asked from behind the two.

Amy froze, feeling the hair rise on the back of her neck. She forced Shadow to halt after hearing the familiar voice—one she hadn’t heard in years. She released Shadow’s hand immediately, allowing her hand to drop by her side. Shadow eyed her in puzzlement at her reaction and slowly turned around to see who had called her name.

Slowly, Amy, too, turned around and spotted an older male teal hedgehog standing a few feet behind her with a female companion and an infant in a stroller. “…Rob?” she uttered.

Shadow looked between the two hedgehogs, lost exactly who this other guy was. How did the two of them know each other? Could it be another ex-boyfriend of hers, he theorized? Shadow looked him up and down carefully in observation. He appeared to be a teal-colored male hedgehog wearing a brown hoodie and athletic sweatpants. He was probably in his early 40s. He was also accompanied by a female red echidna close to her late 30s. She was wearing a long blue sundress and was pushing a stroller with an infant echidna inside.

Within seconds, the teal-colored male hedgehog rushed over and embraced Amy, who still looked like she was in a state of shock. Shadow took a step back, almost as if he was in the way of this unannounced reunion. Amy reluctantly hugged the teal hedgehog back, feeling uneasiness sink in. “It’s been so long. I’m so happy to see you,” he beamed gleefully before releasing his hold on her.

The male hedgehog’s significant other pushed her stroller over, parked it, embraced Amy, and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Amy, darling. It’s been ages!”

Amy smiled sheepishly and patted the female echidna on the back. “Yeah, it sure has…”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Shadow uncomfortably stood on the sidelines. He was sure Amy would fill him in on who these people were momentarily, but he’d keep watching in silence until a proper introduction was given.

However, coming down from his high, the teal-male hedgehog suddenly remembered Amy was not alone. He eyed Shadow warily up and down, scrutinizing the other male. He spotted the biker insignia on Shadow’s jacket, and his eyes widened in alarm. He raised his hand to cover his mouth, hushed his question, and leaned toward Amy’s ear. “Cousin, who exactly is this fella you’re with?”

Amy’s ears perked up in alarm, and she walked back over to Shadow and linked her left arm to his right arm. “Oh, this is Shadow. He’s my…” she paused, realizing then and there that the two had never officially claimed the traditional labels.

“—I’m her boyfriend,” Shadow introduced, cutting off her thought process. However, once Shadow claimed his official title, her heart fluttered. He was her boyfriend.

Coming out of her thoughts, she continued the introduction. “Um, and Shadow, this is my older cousin Rob, his wife Mari-Ann, and my baby cousin Jon,” she introduced.

Now it all made sense to Shadow. They were related, and he felt relief sweep over him. He didn’t know if he could deal with another ex of hers. Shadow stuck out one of his hands, offering to shake respectfully. “Nice to meet you two,” he introduced politely.

Apathetically, Rob lifted his hand to shake Shadow’s hand. “…It’s a pleasure,” he mumbled.

Feeling his lackluster handshake, Shadow could easily deduce that her cousin was not entirely thrilled by his first impression.

Rob pulled his hand out of Shadow’s exchange and turned his attention back to his younger cousin. “I heard rumors that you moved out of the city. Is that true?”

Amy nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, I did. Shadow brought me back here to spend the weekend,” she explained.

“Where are you two staying now?” Mari-Ann questioned curiously.

“The Hotel Plaza in the city center,” Amy replied.

“Ah, I see. Uh, so where are you living then?” Rob inquired.

Amy began to open her mouth to respond, but Shadow was quick to do it for her. “—She lives with me in Mercia,” Shadow replied.

“Mercia, huh?” Rob stared back at the darker hedgehog and nodded slowly. An odd tension began to build in the atmosphere around them—it was palpable. “Well, it was lovely to see you again, Amy.” He handed her a business card with his phone number and contact information. “You should contact us sometime so we can meet up and reconnect. You know, it’s been quite some time.”

Amy nodded hesitantly as she looked down at the card. “…Yeah, for sure.”

Rob looked at his wife, who seemed equally uncomfortable as tension mounted. “Well, it appears you have places to be. So, we’ll let you two get on your merry way. See you around, cousin,” Rob waved kindly.

“…Yeah, see you around,” Amy waved with lackluster. With that, the two couples walked off in opposite directions. Shadow and Amy continued to walk down the sidewalk back toward their hotel. Although they still held hands while they walked, there was now an apparent awkward silence between them.

•~•

Once they returned to their hotel, Amy dropped her things on the kitchen counter. She had been quiet on the rest of their journey back to their hotel, and Shadow was eager to get filled in on that strange exchange back on the streets. “So, will you tell me what happened back there?”

Amy took off her jean jacket and draped it over the back of one of the dining room chairs. “Of course I will,” she said as she walked around the side of the couch and plopped onto it in the living room.

Shadow followed her actions and sat down on the other side of the couch. “I vaguely remembered you mentioning an uncle and aunt that you weren’t close to, but back there, you mentioned one of them was your cousin.”

“Yeah, I didn’t exactly tell the truth back then…Remember, I didn’t know you guys as well.” Amy rested her head on the headrest and stared up at the ceiling. “Anyway, let’s see,” she began. “Remember how I mentioned my parents died when I was younger? My older cousin Rob took me in and raised me like his kid since he was my last remaining family member.”

“He didn’t look that old,” Shadow speculated curiously.

“He was around eighteen years old when he took me in,” she shrugged, uncertain herself. “You know, just starting his life.”

“And you were how old exactly?” he probed. “High school age, right?”

“Not exactly…I was around six years old,” she replied. “Rob raised me pretty much as a father would.”

“I could also tell your cousin wasn’t my biggest fan,” he noted. “He was giving me the evil eye the whole time.”

Her eyes drifted off to the side. “Yes, well, when I entered high school and started dating, I didn’t necessarily date the best guys, as you know…Rob and I disagreed on many things, and I was sometimes quite rebellious.”

Shadow scoffed in amusement at the idea of Amy acting out that way. “You, rebellious, Rose?” he said with slight amusement. “I can hardly envision it.”

Amy snapped her head in his direction to look at him. “Hey! I used to sneak out all the time, go to parties, and hang out with the wrong crowd. Rob was always there to chase me down. He pulled me out of several stupid situations that I didn’t realize I was in at the time,” she explained. “That’s when our bond began to deteriorate before my very eyes. It was right around the end of high school. Once I graduated, I moved out and met Zonic at a club in college.”

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into the couch. “I can imagine what happened at that point.”

“Yeah…” Amy nodded sadly. “It got pretty bad, and Rob would check up on me occasionally. He was the first to tell me I had hit rock bottom when I was dating Zonic. Again, I was so naïve and didn’t realize I was in an abusive and toxic relationship. Rob was so frustrated when he’d see me after Zonic had roughed me. He tried to help me, but I denied it every time. I cut ties with him completely.”

“It got that bad, huh?” Shadow pressed.

“I was too proud to back then to admit that Zonic was, in fact, horrible like my cousin pointed out. However, when I needed Rob’s help the most, our relationship was too far gone. I didn’t want to return to Rob and Mari Ann for help and prove that he was right, so I turned to Cosmo to help me.”

Shadow frowned. “Chaos, Rose...”

“I know. I’m an idiot!” She rubbed her left arm. “That was the first time I’ve seen Mari Ann, Jon, and Rob in over five years. It was pretty uncomfortable, not to mention awkward…”

“Don’t you want to have any involvement with your family? I mean, you have family members left to connect with. For me, it’s just my brother. You shouldn’t cut those ties. You’ll come to regret it,” Shadow advised.

“You’re probably right. I need to contact him once I feel the moment is right again. Sorry, this whole thing brought the mood down, Shadow.”

Shadow scooted in closer to her. “Don’t worry about it. I was more concerned about how it was affecting you.”

“Well, thanks for listening to my sad, little, tragic back story.” She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “What can I say? I have baggage.”

Shadow placed an arm around her. “We both have our demons, princess,” he admitted. “However, we’ve had an amazing start to our first day here. I don’t want the mood to be brought down by this one setback. Our reservations for dinner are in a few hours. Let’s get cleaned up and ready to hit the town tonight,” he said with a wink.

She leaned in and pecked him on the lips. “You’re right. I can’t let that ruin our night.”

•~•

Later that evening, Shadow took Amy out to dinner in the city. The two took a cab to an upscale steak restaurant. Amy wore the beautiful outfit she had picked out earlier that day, while Shadow wore a dashing black suit and tie. The two of them enjoyed a luxurious upscale meal. After dinner, the two walked down the steps to catch a cab. Shadow looked up and down the street for the nearest cab. However, Amy suddenly realized she was missing something. “Oh no, my purse. I left it back inside the restaurant!” she exclaimed.

“I’m sure it’s still inside,” Shadow replied, not too alarmed.

“Yeah, I’m sure too. I’m sorry, I’ll be right back!” she quickly hustled back up the stairs to re-enter the establishment.

Shadow watched her head back inside before seeing something in the ally next to the restaurant. He spotted Drago and Predator eying him from around the corner of the ally way. Shadow narrowed his eyes toward them before making his way in their direction. He watched as the two casually slithered back behind the side of the building discreetly. Once he made it to the alleyway, the two Suppression Squad members casually leaned up against the side of the building with lit cigarettes in their mouths. “Wow, you clean up nice there, Shadow,” Predator complimented.

Shadow was in no mood for small talk. “How long have you been tailing me then?” he questioned, eying the two suspiciously.

“All day,” Predator replied.

His eyes hardened on the blue hawk. So, he wasn’t crazy when he felt something was off. “What the hell do you two want?”

“If we wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already,” Drago added.

He eyed them carefully. “I’m surprised you haven’t retaliated against us again since our last interaction.”

“Nah, Scourge hasn’t given us any orders on that yet,” Predator replied. “We’re a bit busy with other business right now. However, we’re wondering who that girl is you’ve been hanging out with all day. She’s pretty cute.”

“That’s none of your damn business,” Shadow snapped venomously.

“I don’t know. She looks pretty important to you,” Predator noted as he puffed his cigarette.

His brows narrowed, eying the two of them dangerously and threateningly. “She has nothing to do with our feud, so leave her out.”

“Relax, Shadow, we know old ladies are off-limits,” Drago smirked with a chuckle. “It’s just…we know it’s taken you long enough to find another lady after…”

Shadow suddenly grabbed Drago by the collar of his jacket, yanking him and slamming him into the other alleyway brick wall. “I swear if you fucking lay a finger on her, I’ll rip your damn tongue out and strangle you with it,” he threatened with malice through bared teeth.

Predator pulled out his gun and aimed it at his head. “You better take your damn hands off, my friend, before this gets ugly, Shadow.”

Begrudgingly, Shadow slowly released his grip on Drago and backed up, trying to recompose himself. He didn’t need to escalate the situation, but he did want to make a clear point.

Predator moved his gun away. “Aye, you better hurry back now, lover boy. Your old lady is looking for you,” he nodded. Shadow looked over his shoulder, where he spotted Amy with her now retrieved purse at the curb, looking for Shadow amongst the crowd of other patrons flagging down cabs.

Shadow turned to look at the two bikers one last time. “I’m warning you, stay the fuck away from her,” he pointed before heading back to Amy.

Drago smoothed out his wrinkled jacket. “Yeah, yeah, of course, Shadow. Of course…”

“Shadow?” Amy called out among the noise. Shadow approached her from behind and touched her shoulder, startling her. “Oh!” she gasped as she spun around.

“My apologies,” he panted. “I thought I could sneak in a quick smoke over there,” he lied. Shadow didn’t want to tell her that he had confronted their stalkers from today. He couldn’t worry her—not tonight.

She shot him a small smile, clearly believing his lie. “It’s okay. I was just worried when I didn’t see you out here. I thought you left me…”

“You really think I’d do such a thing?” He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned his muzzle next to her ear. “Especially when I’m not done with you tonight,” he said lowly, causing her to blush.

Finally, a cab pulled up for them, and Shadow opened the door, allowing her in first. While she bent down to climb in, Shadow looked over his shoulder to look at where Drago and Predator had been. However, they were no longer anywhere to be seen. Shadow gulped before climbing in behind Amy and closing the door.

•~•

Once they arrived back at the hotel, Amy was eager to see what Shadow had meant with his last comment. The two walked inside their room, with Amy leading the way. “So, what did you mean when you said you weren’t done with me tonight?” she inquired playfully.

“Let me show you.” Shadow walked up behind Amy and rested his head along her left shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Amy hummed in delight, feeling his body mold up perfectly against hers. She felt incredibly safe and secure within his arms—like nothing could hurt her. Sensually, Shadow moved his muzzle to the side and pressed his lips up against the side of her neck. He began to kiss down the side slowly.

Amy closed her eyes and let out a few soft moans. “Oh, Shadow…” she whispered.

Shadow slowly spun her around in his arm and brought her in for a more traditional kiss. Amy touched his shoulders and leaned upwards to meet his lips. The two of them kissed passionately as they stood in the living room of their hotel room. However, Shadow began to walk them toward the bedroom as they continued to make out. As Amy walked backward, following his lead, her back softly pressed up against the doorway of their room. Amy felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt his hand search for the zipper of her dress. He managed to find and unzip it slowly. Eventually, it gracefully slipped off her slender frame and landed like a puddle around her feet. Still, in her heels, panties, and bra, Amy felt completely vulnerable before him, yet excited. Shadow pulled his lips away from hers and looked Amy up and down lustfully, taking in her beautiful body displayed for him. His eyelids lowered seductively, and he bit his lower lip as his fingertips trailed down her sides slowly and stopped on her hips.

It wasn’t like this was the first time Shadow was getting to see her body, but there was something magical and invigorating about how he made her feel. She felt giddy as if it was their first time making love again. Amy’s face grew increasingly redder as she felt excited, thrilled, and nervous as his eyes swept over her body, taking in every detail. One of his hands came back up and cupped her face. “Do you realize how incredibly beautiful you are?” he asked lowly.

She let out a small chuckle. “Only because you know how to make a girl feel like it,” she smiled.

Shadow leaned forward and kissed her chest sensually, kissing each perky breast held up in her strapless bra before going further south. Amy’s skin crawled with goosebumps as she felt his warm lips brush down her bare belly, leaving tender, soft kisses. Once again, Amy closed her eyes, letting her mind wander as her body grew hot. He eventually sank to his knees, keeping her pinned up against the wall as his prisoner. His last tender kiss stopped just above the band of her panties. “Sha-Shadow…” she gasped. “Please, stop teasing me.”

Smirking, Shadow slowly rose upright. He placed his hands on her buttocks and guided her upwards so she hopped into his arms. Amy wrapped her legs around her waist, kicked off her heels, and secured her arms around his neck as he carried her into the bedroom with him. While he carried her, Amy gave him a few nips and kisses along the side of his muzzle and down his neck. He gracefully lowered her onto the bed so she was on her back. Then Shadow took the opportunity to unbutton his button-down long-sleeve shirt and discard it onto the floor, leaving him topless. Amy watched him disrobe for her and lowered her eyelids seductively as she admired his toned upper body and white chest hair. Despite all the scars on his body from stabbings and gunshot wounds, Shadow still looked incredibly sexy. He finally undid his belt, let his pants drop, and kicked off his shoes and socks, leaving him in his boxers.

Amy reached up and ran her hands down his chest. Her fingertips danced over his toned, muscular chest and the ridges and bumps of his scars. While she touched his chest, Shadow’s arms slid behind her back and unclipped her bra. Shadow tossed the bra off the side of the bed, and it landed near his pile of clothes. The moment her bra was off her body, she felt the cool breeze of the AC breeze graze her nipples, making them even further erect.

Shadow reached out and began to mold and grope at her breasts tenderly gently. He squished them together, trailed his tongue around one nipple, and then nipped gently at the other breast. Amy’s breath hitched, and she let out a soft moan enjoying his erotic touch. She unintentionally spread her legs apart, allowing him to move further between her legs. She reached up and brought his face closer to her breasts as she watched his tongue swirl around her right nipple before he took it into his mouth and lapped it more intensely. Amy arched her back, wanting to drive more of her breast into his mouth. “Aah…”

Shadow stopped his teasing and looked down at her panties that were riding up further into her crotch, showing the perfect outline of her pussy lips. He could already see she was turned on as a bit of moisture had collected in the cotton of her panties. Lowering his right hand, it trailed down her left side and found the strap to her panties. He carefully yanked them down, leaving her now entirely in the nude. “Fuck, I want to taste you so badly,” he growled primally yet seductively.

Amy placed the back of her hand against her mouth. Hearing those words really turned her on but also made her feel strangely embarrassed for some unknown reason. “Y-you do?”

His hands rested on her bent knees as he looked between her thighs. He felt a shiver of pleasure run down his spine as he smelled her arousal before him. He could feel himself growing harder down below. He took another deep inhale, gathering her pheromones and musk. “Yes, your scent is driving me crazy.”

“Well, I’ve never…I-I mean no one has ever--” she was at a loss for words.

“…No one’s ever gone down on you before?” he surmised based on her lack of clarity.

Amy felt her face grow redder, showing her inexperience. “…No.”

“You’re in for a treat then tonight. Just relax for me,” he instructed. “I’m going to show you what you’ve been missing out on,” he replied smoothly.

“Okay.” Amy obliged and got more comfortable as his face suddenly disappeared between her thighs. However, her face quickly heated into a full blush again as she felt his hot tongue drag across her open fold. Her voice hit a new crescendo, “Ahh!”

Shadow kept a hold of her legs, keeping them parted while he worked diligently to get her further off. Amy wanted to instinctively clamp her legs shut because the intensity of pleasure radiating within her core was almost unbearable. Shadow’s tongue dabbed inside and wiggled vertically, hitting just the right spots. Amy laid entirely on her back and gripped the sheets around her as her body writhed in utter pleasure at his mercy. Her head dug further back into the pillow. It felt like Shadow was an expert at navigating and exploring her with his skilled tongue. “Please, ah, Shadow, I-I…”

Shadow ignored her pleas and just continued at what he did best. He sucked gently near the top of her clitoris, which became increasingly swollen as she became more turned on. Shadow returned to lapping sensually at her opening, and suddenly another sensation was bestowed upon her body. Shadow’s hands crept over her belly and began to mold and softly squeeze at her breasts. It was all she could do to prevent herself from passing out from the immense pleasure Shadow was placed over her. She had never felt such euphoria in her entire life. She rested her spread legs over each of his shoulders as he buried his face further into her folds. “Shadow, how are you so…” her trail of thought died off.

Shadow could hear her voice growing delirious and intoxicated as he returned to focusing on her clitoris. Her lower body moved to the rhythm of his licks, and her back arched even further. Amy felt like her eyes would roll to the back of her head as she felt his skilled tongue deeply explore every inch of her core. She moaned deeply. “I’m about to…I-I.” Hearing she was near her climax, Shadow’s hands departed her breasts and now focused on caressing and squeezing at her ass while his tongue swirled inside her. He lifted her lower half so he could further dive in and go in for the home run. Shadow moaned in delight as he lapped at her core, causing a glorious vibration against her clitoris. He pulled his tongue away and slipped in one digit, which slid in easily, to send her over the edge. It was the final straw to making Amy reach her limit. “Aaah!”

Her entire body shuddered with excitement as she reached her climax. He felt her innards clamp and constrict tightly around his finger as he licked at her nub. More liquid was secreted from her opening. Her heart raced, and her body came down from its high. Shadow lifted himself to look at her body sprawled out on the bed, still in its rapture state. He smirked proudly at his hard work and licked at the finger that was once inside her. “How was I then?”

“You were…it was amazing…” she sighed heavenly.

He chuckled and stood upright. Shadow pulled Amy gently by the ankles, causing her to squeak as she drew closer to the edge of the bed. Amy watched as he spread her legs further apart and allowed them to dangle off the edge of the bed. He grabbed his hardened shaft and stroked it a few times before he aligned it to her opening. Amy felt him rub the head of his shaft against her wet lips, coating it in her love juices. Slowly he sunk himself inside her, sliding in with ease. Immediately, her warmth, wetness, and tightness immediately welcomed him, sending a shudder down his spine. Amy felt filled to the brim as he pushed himself entirely inside. Shadow began a slow and steady rhythm. Amy stared up at him as he made love to her slowly at first. He enjoyed starting it off slow to make it longer and more romantic. “How does that feel?” he asked softly and with concern. He wanted to ensure she was still feeling good.

She stared back up into his red eyes. “Great,” Amy replied softly. She watched as he lowered his face and brought her into a kiss while he slowly pumped himself in and out of her. Amy closed her eyes and kissed him back. There was something incredibly sexy about Shadow being so gentle and compensating regarding intimacy. Amy had heard stories and had even seen him in action when it came to his line of business. His reputation preceded him. Shadow was known to be dangerous and violent, yet he had never shown the slightest indication of hurting her. She felt incredibly safe and comforted by him, as if nothing could ever hurt her again, and she loved that feeling of security. She also loved how romantic and gentle he was with her.

Amy broke away from kissing Shadow momentarily as she held his face. “Can you go a little faster?” she asked. Shadow nodded and upped his stride at a bit quicker pace. In return, Amy shut her eyes as the intensity of pleasure washed over her body. “Mmm, yes…”

Shadow watched as her tiny breasts bounced with his every thrust, as even he could feel himself getting closer to his climax. However, he wanted to change their position to keep it exciting. Amy’s eyes shot open as she suddenly felt him pull out entirely and shift her body into a different position. She was maneuvered to lay on her side. He lifted her left leg and kept it propped with one hand before re-entering her. Amy gasped and turned to look at him. She moaned, feeling him hit a different spot from this angle. “Sha-shadow…”

He could feel her muscles squeezing around his cock from all angles. “Shit, you feel incredible,” he moaned. One of his hands grabbed her breast and fondled and squeezed it while thrusting deeper and faster inside her. Amy closed her eyes, relishing in the pleasure. With every thrust, she felt it get warmer between her legs. It was finally nearing the end. “Fuck, Rose, I’m getting close...”

Amy continued to pant heavily. “Me too! Please don’t stop.”

Suddenly, Shadow felt himself climax, and Amy did as well shortly after. Amy’s inner walls fluttered around his swollen member, squeezing him further. His pacing slowed down before he finally came to a halt. Amy could feel his cock pulsating as he released his hot load inside her. A few moments later, Shadow pulled out and flopped in bed beside her as he descended from his high. Catching her breath, Amy smiled and relished in their sexual act. She rolled over to face him and cuddled up next to him.

•~•

The following morning, Shadow and Amy continued to snuggle in bed together. The two were awake but enjoyed the peaceful silence as they remained close under the sheets. Amy rested her head against Shadow’s shoulder as she remained entwined in his arms. Their night had been magical, and Shadow wanted to linger at the moment for a little longer. This vacation so far had been unforgettable and only brought them closer. At this moment, Shadow could easily envision an everyday life spent with Amy. Although there still was something nagging at him in the back of his mind—his enemies. Even though the Suppression Squad had not made any targeted threat toward Amy, they now knew her true importance to him. She was his old lady. Shadow was sure this would make matters even more complicated now that the cat was out of the bag. He couldn’t bear the thought of anything bad happening to Amy—he couldn’t live with himself. He nearly hadn’t been able to survive after Maria’s passing.

“—What going on up there?” Amy asked softly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He turned his head slightly and looked to his left. “Hm?”

Amy’s eyes drifted upward, and she shifted slightly to look up at him. “You look like you have a lot on your mind,” she clarified. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. “I’ve just been replaying our time together in my head. I’ve had an amazing time with you,” he smiled softly.

“Really?” she giggled. “I’m glad. I’ve also enjoyed our time together.”

“What do you want to do today?” he asked softly.

Amy moved and crawled on top of him, straddling his lap. Shadow looked up at her as she placed her hands on his shoulders. Her eyelids lowered suggestively. “I’d like to take another ride and then grab something to eat?” she suggested.

Shadow smirked roguishly up at her. “Sounds like a plan.” Amy leaned down and gave him a long deep kiss. When she pulled back and looked down at him lovingly, he shot her a similar look. “…Hey, Amy?”

Her right hand stroked his cheek as she stared into his red eyes. “…Yeah?”

“I love you,” he said with utter confidence.

Amy was taken aback—never had she expected him to say it first. She felt goosebumps go all down her body. “Really?” He simply nodded at her with a loving smile. If she could cry at that moment, she would. Never had she felt such joy at hearing those words leave his mouth. “I-I love you, too.” She leaned down again and brought him into another passionate kiss.

Shadow broke away from the kiss. “And I meant it when I called myself your boyfriend to your family.” His left hand rested on her hip. “I want to be your old man if you’ll be my old lady—my girlfriend.”

She gave him another peck on the lips and smiled at him. “I’d love nothing more.”

•~•

Sadly, the long weekend came and went, and it was time to say goodbye to Tech City. Amy waited downstairs in the lobby with the luggage as Shadow returned upstairs after forgetting his wallet. They were preparing to check out and head straight to the train station afterward. While Amy waited, she was surprised to hear a familiar voice behind her again. “Cousin…”

She spun around only to see her cousin Rob O’ again, alone this time. “Rob, what are you doing here?”

He slowly approached her. “I wanted to see you before you left town, which appears to be right now as it seems,” he noted, spotting her luggage. “Lucky timing, I guess, eh?”

Amy glanced at her phone’s clock, anxiously wishing Shadow would come downstairs soon to end this encounter. This was already uncomfortable enough. “Well, we’re about to leave. Maybe we can hang out the next time I’m in town...”

“Look, I just really need to talk to you,” he urged. "It won't take long."

She sighed, shifting awkwardly on her feet. “Okay, fine, what is it then?”

“This guy you’re with…” Rob began. “Please, don’t make the same mistake as you did with Zonic.”

Amy looked insulted by his statement. “Excuse me? You think Shadow’s like Zonic?”

“Think?” he scoffed. “No, I know he’s like him. You’ve always had terrible taste in guys, Amy. You always go for these bad guys. I’m thinking in your best interest here. Drop him and come back home,” he pleaded.

Amy shook her head, getting further offended by his comments. “You don’t even know him! Shadow is nothing like Zonic! He’s sweet, caring, loving, and takes really good care of me,” she argued.

Rob crossed his arms over his chest. “If I recall, Zonic used to be the same way in the beginning before he completely brainwashed you,” he reminded. “Whatever happened to that guy, anyway? How’d you manage to lose him?”

Amy gulped nervously. “That’s…that’s not important,” she quickly shifted. “What is, is that I have Shadow now, and I love him. He treats me right, and you should be happy for me.”

“He’s in a notorious motorcycle gang, for Chaos’ sake! He’s a criminal!” He exclaimed, throwing his arms up. Some of the guests in the lobby all turned to look at Rob after his outburst. Amy wished she could crawl into a hole and hide forever. She hated that they had a small audience now. Rob realized they were gathering too many spectators and lowered his voice. “You honestly think this is going to have any good outcome? You see a future with him?”

“I’m telling you, Rob, this is going to be different from any other relationship I’ve ever had.”

Rob frowned in disappointment. “It’s not…He will hurt you or worse; I’m afraid I’ll hear about it on the news. That’s where this is headed. An older cousin knows best.” Amy stared at him, too stunned to speak. Seeing her speechless and their argument pointless, as she clearly would remain stubborn, Rob backed up with his hands in his pockets. “If you ever need me, you have my number. I’ll always have your back. Don’t ever feel afraid to reach out to me. I love you, cousin.” With that, he departed the lobby.

Once he was gone, Amy was left alone with her thoughts. His words penetrated her mind. Was her relationship with Shadow destined to be like hers with Zonic? Was it true that she tended to be attracted to “bad guys?”

Shadow finally arrived downstairs and approached Amy, who looked quite solemn in spirit. “Hey, what’s wrong, princess?” he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Amy did not want to tell him of her spontaneous visit from her cousin, so she lied. She turned to look at him. “Oh, I’m sad our weekend has ended—I guess it just hit me.”

Shadow nodded, buying her lie. “Yeah, but we’ll find another time to do this again,” he acknowledged. “I promise.”

“Of course,” she smiled weakly.

He took her hand in his, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Let’s go home.”

AN: Remember to leave a review!

Chapter 24: Tough Decisions

Summary:

Shadow learns that Mephiles wants to take the club's business in a new direction that he's not quite sure he agrees with. Shadow decides he wants to leave the M.C. for good but will only be allowed to do so under one condition that Mephiles suggests. Amy starts her first day at her residency and meets a new friend connected to the M.C. Finally, Locke decides to make his big move.

At the Mercia Police Station, Deputy Silver, Detective Vector, and Espio watched intently as Agent Blaze and the rest of her A.T.F agents packed their belongings into white vans, trucks, and other automobiles. Agent Blaze had been called back to headquarters in Soleanna by her superiors and was called off on tracking the Brothers of Chaos after months of no new leads or progress in disarming them. Vector and Espio found it incredibly satisfying to watch the agents pack their crap up and place it in their cars. They had felt like strangers in their workplace and were finally getting their office back. Vector scoffed at the slight and shook his head. “Hmph, good riddance.”

Espio kept his arms crossed over his chest as he continued to watch. “It’s like a weight has been lifted.”

Ignoring their comments, Officer Silver walked away from the two joyous detectives and approached Agent Blaze. He had noticed her struggling to get one final filing box into the back of her car. Silver walked up behind her and assisted in getting the last box shoved in. “So, this is it, huh?” he said casually as he closed the hood of her vehicle.

She stood off to the side, keeping her expression neutral. “Looks like it. I didn’t think it would end like this. I figured I’d have the brothers stopped and arrested for their crimes by now. It appears they are a lot craftier than I thought…”

Silver dusted off his hands. “What’s going to happen to you now?”

Blaze looked over to her assistant, Nicole. She was surveying some other agents on where files went in other cars. “Well, seeing as my supervisor is quite disappointed in my performance on this assignment, I’m sure I’ll hear plenty from him. I may even be demoted from my position. This was an utter dumpster fire after all….”

“Can’t say I blame him,” he shrugged. “You took some very unorthodox routes to get what you wanted.”

“I was under the impression that you had the same goal to take down the Brothers. Perhaps I was wrong about you all along.”

He placed a hand on his chest. “I did want that—I mean, I still do, but not under the methods you engaged,” he pointed.

She frowned in annoyance, and her yellow eyes hardened on him. “You realize you ruined the one chance we had to take them down when you warned Shadow. I would have had them all put away by now if it wasn’t for your morals getting in the way…”

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Sorry, I’d rather take them down the morally correct way and sleep better at night than do something cold and calculated. I care about the well-being of others, unlike you. They’ll get what’s coming to them, but I’ll be the one who gets them in the end, not you,” he stated confidently.

Her brows furrowed slightly towards him from his comment. “Kicking a cat when she’s down doesn’t seem like you, deputy. I thought I knew you better by now.”

“Guess you’re not as good at getting to know others as you thought.”

“Clearly,” she muttered. “You were a nice fuck occasionally, but that’s the only positive thing I can truly say about you.”

Silver refrained from giving her a reaction she’d revel in and instead kept a placid expression. “You know what, I’m going to be the better person and try to leave it on a positive note. It was nice meeting you, Agent Blaze. I wish we could have ended on better terms.”

Blaze walked over to the driver’s side and opened the door. She placed her sunglasses over her eyes and gave him one last look. “Goodbye, Deputy. Good luck taking down the brothers on your own. You’ll need it.”

•~•

It was the first day of her new internship at the hospital. Amy got up early, took a shower, got dressed, and headed downstairs to get a bite to eat before heading over to work. Once she got into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Shadow had beaten her to cooking, as he had already prepared her breakfast. On the kitchen table was a plate with scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and some toast already buttered.

Amy placed a hand on her chest, evidently touched by his kind gesture. “You made me breakfast?” she questioned in surprise.

He turned from the sink and continued wiping out the pan he had used to cook with. “I knew you needed to be at the hospital early for orientation, so I figured I give you a little breathing room.”

Amy walked over to the table and sat down. “Thank you, Shadow. I truly appreciate it.” She immediately began to dig into the food.

“Of course.” Shadow placed the pan in the drying rack and walked to the coffee pot. He eyed the white lab coat she was wearing. “You excited about your first day?” He poured her a cup of coffee before placing it before her.

Amy continued to chew a bite before swallowing. “Yes, but I’m nervous about being new and making friends, but I’m also really excited, to be honest.”

He sat down across from her at the table. “Don’t worry too much. I’m sure you’ll easily make friends, and I know you’ll nail this.”

“Thanks, Shadow.” She took a sip of her coffee and smiled his way. “Oh, is there any chance you can have someone drop me off at the hospital? I know you have a busy schedule today.”

“You think I’d miss your first day?” he chuckled. “Not a chance in hell.”

•~•

After breakfast, Shadow took Amy to the Mercia Memorial as planned. His bike stopped right at the curb of the entrance, and he turned off his engine. Amy removed her helmet and shook her quills to avoid helmet hair. She ran her hands through her quills quickly. “How do I look?” she asked as she dismounted the bike.

Shadow watched as she leaned over, looked in the small side-view mirror on one of his handlebars, and fixed her long high ponytail. “Gorgeous as always,” he complimented.

Amy smiled at him. “Good to hear.” She clutched the strap to her satchel bag, resting against her shoulder, and exhaled. “Well, this is it.”

“Take a deep breath and relax,” Shadow advised. “You’ve got this, babe,” he winked with encouragement.

Typically, she hated being called “babe,” but when Shadow said it, it sent shudders and chills of excitement down her spine. Amy leaned down and gave him a smooch on the lips. She pulled back and smiled at him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Amy backed up and looked over her shoulder at the hospital behind her. “I need to get going now, or I’ll be late.”

Shadow nodded. “I’ll try to come and pick you up later this evening.” He began to put on his helmet. “If you can’t reach me on my cell, call Mighty. He’ll be available to swing by and pick you up if need be.”

“Okay, good luck today. Stay safe,” she waved as she headed inside.

•~•

Later that morning, after dropping Amy off, Mephiles asked Shadow to join him on a new business venture and watch his back while they dealt with some new customers. Mephiles had explained on the way there that while Shadow and Amy had gone away for the weekend to Tech City, he had met some intriguing new clients. While the two waited in an empty junkyard meet point, Shadow and Mephiles stood silently as a probing thought crossed Shadow’s mind. “So, who are we dealing with today then?” the younger dark-striped hedgehog inquired curiously.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mephiles replied while lowering his sunglasses over his eyes. “Just follow my lead, and it’ll all go well,” he advised.

Suddenly, a black SUV pulled up and parked. A sophisticated and older suave red echidna in his 50s stepped out of the vehicle. He wore an elegant black and gold suit and even had a matching black cane with a 24k gold tip and handle to accompany it. Everything about this guy screamed elite business and someone you did not want to cross. Just who exactly was this guy anyway? “Wait…” Shadow began as confusion set in.

“—As I said,” Mephiles cut off abruptly. “Follow my lead,” Mephiles kept a hand cupped over his mouth to keep it private.

When the echidna approached the two brothers, a set of echidna bodyguards surrounded him. “Shadow and Mephiles, I suppose, correct?” the red echidna addressed cordially. He stuck his hand out to shake each of their hands formally. “The name is Enerjak. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Shadow shook the echidna’s hand recognizing his firm and a strong handshake—notable by most echidnas. “Nice to meet you too, sir,” he smiled pleasantly.

Enerjak also shook Mephiles’ hand. “Same goes for you as well. I look forward to possibly starting a business deal with you two. I’ve heard nothing but good things about your line of business.”

“That’s wonderful to hear,” Mephiles mused. “We do our best to make sure our clientele is pleased.”

Enerjak rested both hands over the handle of his cane in front of him. “Yes, I’d like to see your supply for today.”

Shadow turned on his heel leading the group over to a broken-down convertible. “Right here,” he gestured. Shadow popped the hood where he had stashed their display for now. Inside were various types of high-rank arms.

Enerjak whistled, clearly impressed with what they had to offer on display.

“We’ve got AR-15s, SIG 551s, AKs, KG-9s, Glocks, FN-57s,” Shadow pointed. “And we have two dozen of each local.”

“As we discussed,” Mephiles interrupted, looking at Enerjack. “Twenty percent off the street tag.”

“Do you mind if my boys test out a couple?” Enerjak questioned.

“Not at all. Choose your pick,” Shadow encouraged and took a step back.

Enerjak made a signal with his head, and two bodyguards walked over, each picking out a different weapon. One picked out an AR-15, while the other chose an FN-57. Once selected, the two aimed their guns at some piled-up cars in the distance in the junkyard. Shadow, Mephiles, and Enerjak watched as the two bodyguards shot at the vehicles to test and feel for the guns. They seemed impressed and gave a subtle nod confirming they were legit. The two bodyguards returned the weapons to Shadow, who placed them back in the car's hood.

“What about ammo?” Enerjak asked.

“Our southside charter supplies that for us now,” Mephiles answered.

“These are excellent,” Enerjak complimented. “We’ll take everything you have in stock. I’d also like to set up a shipment every two weeks.”

Shadow smiled, seeing that today would be a good day for business. He eyed his brother, and the two nodded. “We can make that work.”

“There’s more,” Enerjak continued. “I need much bigger.”

Mephiles raised a brow. “How much bigger are we talking about, sir?”

“RPGs, .50-caliber machine guns, and long-range sniper rifles,” the echidna listed on his fingers.

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. “Well…I’ll have to make a call, but I know we can get them for you.”

“Excellent, so if my math is correct, that’s seven hundred for your current stock.” Shadow was handed over a massive bundle of bricks of cash. He had never seen so much money in his entire life. Enerjak continued. “Give me 100k mixed ammo. 500k should cover half plus your transport payment,” he stated. One of Enerjak’s men carried a brown bag with even more cash and handed it over to Shadow.

“I’ll arrange a schedule for your stock,” Mephiles pointed.

Enerjak seemed satisfied. “Then this works out perfectly. Just send me the date and time, and I’ll make sure my boys load the drugs onto the trucks.” He snapped his fingers, and his guys collected the guns in the car's opened hood. “I’m glad you finally came on board with my new business offer.”

Mephiles grinned eagerly. “Yes, we’re very excited to start.”

Shadow was still taken aback as he heard those words leave Enerjak’s mouth. Why did his brother already seem to know what he was talking about? Was it true they were also getting involved in the drug business?

Mephiles bowed his head respectively. “Again, thank you for entrusting us with this line of business. We won’t disappoint you, sir.”

“I’ll be in town for the next few days,” Enerjak informed. “Call me if you need anything.” With that said, Enerjak and his bodyguards loaded back into their SUV and drove off.

Internalizing his frustration, Shadow walked with the money in hand to the truck they had taken over to meet their clients. Mephiles watched as his younger brother stormed off toward their tow trucks. Groaning in annoyance because he knew he’d get an earful from him, Mephiles begrudgingly followed him. He found Shadow sitting in the driver’s seat, brooding over what had happened in their meeting. Once he got to the car, he opened the passenger side door and climbed inside. There was prolonged silence before Shadow finally spoke, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

“…You lied to me,” Shadow mumbled in disappointment.

“Not exactly. I just didn’t tell you all the information yet,” Mephiles corrected.

With his arms firmly crossed across his chest and the money pushed to the side, Shadow’s judgmental red eyes darted to his brother. “So, we’re selling drugs now?”

“No,” he shook his head. “We’re just muling as a trial run. We’d have to have the club vote on it first.”

Shadow closed his eyes, shook his head, and pinched the skin between his eyes. “…Chaos, what are you fucking thinking?”

Mephiles grinned triumphantly. “We’re moving on up, brother. This will be huge for our club and us.”

He turned to look at his brother. “Who else knows about this?” Shadow questioned.

Mephiles leaned his arm along the windowsill of the car. “Nobody yet. That’s why I brought you here with me today.”

“Why? I’m completely against this whole thing. I thought we were only selling them guns—not helping them smuggle drugs. This is against everything we stand for!”

Mephiles glanced out the window. “They’re powerful people; if we work with them, they’ll help keep the A.T.F off our backs. They have people in high places. Everyone in the club will benefit from this in the long haul.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Shadow spat. “Don’t go pulling the whole "this is for the club," bullshit. This is about you wanting more,” he pointed accusingly.

Mephiles rolled his eyes at his comment. “I need you for this upcoming vote. This vote will split the ranks. I need you to back me because it’s the only way this thing passes. Whatever you want, I’ll grant you if you back me,” he swore.

“What about the Southside charter? What will they think of this new direction you’re taking the club?” Shadow challenged.

Mephiles chuckled lowly. “Well, it seems they’re already onboard for the idea. They voted on the idea two days ago. It all comes down to us now…”

There was a long pause as Shadow contemplated the idea. He couldn’t believe this was where it was coming to. All his life in the club, they had been opposed to bringing drugs into Mercia—having any connection to it. Yet, now they were here. The club had changed A LOT in the past years. Shadow sighed. “If I do this for you…then I’m out of here in the next six months.”

Mephiles shot him an incredulous look as his eyes widened in alarm. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Shadow shook his head sadly. “I-I can’t do this anymore.”

“You’re going to leave the club?” Mephiles inquired in disbelief. “What the hell are you going to do then?”

Shadow shrugged indifferently and shook his head solemnly. “It doesn’t matter to me, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life running or tip-toeing around the law. I have an old lady again that I care about. I see a future with her and want to get out of Mercia—there are too many bad memories linked here,” he explained. “I need to move on.”

Mephiles tilted his head slightly in annoyance. “…This whole decision is based on Ms. Rose?” he asked incredulously. “You’ve only been dating her for a couple of months now,” he scoffed. “Don’t you suppose you’re moving too fast here? Come on. You’re just in your honeymoon phase right now.”

“Look, I love her, Mephiles. Don’t act like this is the first time I’m asking for your blessing on this matter,” he reprimanded. “I wanted to do this years ago with Maria before she was taken away from me. Remember?”

He looked away again, hiding his annoyance. “…Of course, how could I forget?”

“I can’t let an opportunity to be happy like this slip away again. You have to understand that,” Shadow stressed.

Mephiles felt his stomach sink at the thought of him leaving the club—his only family. This was his brother—his blood. They worked together as a unit; he couldn’t imagine doing this without him. “Brother…you can’t do this. I need you with me—eventually, you’ll take my place as president.”

Shadow shook his head again. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. Please give me your word that if I do this one thing for you, you’ll let me walk away. No recourse,” he bargained.

“Who the hell is going to take your place then?” Mephiles challenged.

“Knuckles should be next in line for president, and Mighty can be V.P.”

Mephiles sighed deeply. There’d be no way to talk Shadow out of this. He hadn’t been able to the last time as well. Shadow had always been very stubborn. There was no chance in hell he’d allow Shadow to leave the club. He was family, and family always stuck together through thick or thin. Mephiles knew he’d have to figure out some way to keep Shadow in the club without realizing it. For now, he’d act like he accepted this decision. “…Very well then, it’s a deal.”

“Deal.” Shadow stuck out his hand, and the two shook. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

•~•

Meanwhile, at the same time, Amy and the other new residents finished doing a tour of the entire hospital. Ms. Vanilla Rabbit, one of the lead hospital administrators, led the group through the bustling halls. “And finally, here is the cafeteria, where I’ll be ending our tour for the time being for a short break. In a little bit, I’ll give you your assignments where you’ll shadow other hospital doctors this week,” she explained sweetly.

Amy went to an empty table and sat down just when another girl approached her table. “Mind if I have a seat with you?” she inquired.

Amy looked up and noticed she was a pale orange female echidna. She looked relatively close to her age and had a lovely face and a kind aura. “Not at all. Take a seat,” she gestured sweetly.

The female echidna graciously sat down next to Amy. “My name is Tikal,” she introduced, sticking out her hand politely for Amy to shake.

Amy reciprocated the action. “I’m Amy,” she introduced herself.

Tikal smiled warmly. “I couldn’t help but notice that we’re the only two female residents here. It seems predominantly male, so I figured we girls should stick together.”

Amy hadn’t even realized the discrepancy. She had been so focused on absorbing all the new information, trying to memorize the hospital's layout and everyone’s name, that she hadn’t realized the lack of female representation. She eyed the other tables where the other male residents were sitting, already conversing. “I guess you’re right.”

“So, what do you wish to specialize in?” Tikal inquired.

“Emergency medical services,” Amy answered. “And you?”

“Wow, that’s quite impressive,” she replied. “As for me, hospice and palliative medicine.”

“Your specialty is just as impressive,” she commended.

“How do you feel on your first day so far?” Tikal inquired.

“It’s not as bad as I thought. I was nervous coming in, but it’s not too bad so far!”

“Yeah, I felt the same way.”

Suddenly, Ms. Vanilla approached their table with a clipboard in hand. “There you two are. I hope I’m not interrupting any introductions, but I have both of your intern assignments today, ladies.”

Tikal cupped her hands together. “Oh my, I can’t wait.”

She glanced down at her clipboard. “Ms. Rose, we just got a car accident victim in the E.R. They have a spinal injury that I’d like you to oversee.” Her finger moved further down the list. “Oh, and Ms. Echidna, I’ve got a cancer patient in room 203 in the hospice part of the hospital that I want you to oversee. If you’ll both follow me,” she instructed.

The two girls stood from their seats in unison and followed the rabbit out of the cafeteria.

•~•

Later that afternoon, the bikers met to vote on muling drugs or sticking to the arms trade. Mephiles sat at the head of the table while Shadow sat to his left. Knuckles, Locke, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget sat on either side of the table, listening to Mephiles’ plea. So far, it wasn’t looking very promising.

“The Brothers of Chaos have never been in the drug trade,” Mighty noted warily.

“—And we never will,” Locke interjected.

“This is only a short-term thing. We work, and then we cash out,” Mephiles argued. “The contract would be for six months.”

“This is a cartel—there is no short-term!” Locke bellowed at the naivety of the comment.

“I think it’s worth the risk,” Shadow added, backing his brother. He stood up, holding a brown paper bag, and began to unload the money they had been given earlier today. He dramatically slammed thick stacks of cash that none had seen before. He laid down ten blocks of cash on the table. Manic’s mouth dropped in surprise, seeing so much dough. “And this is just a down payment for their first order,” Shadow mentioned, trying to entice them.

“Dude…” Manic gasped.

Gadget adjusted his glasses up the brim of his nose as he stared at the amount of money sitting before him. “Wow…that sure is a lot of money.”

“Yeah, sure it is, but aren’t we going to spread ourselves too thin?” Mighty questioned.

“We can handle the workload,” Shadow opined.

Mephiles looked around the table, glancing at each member to feel the room's vibe. “We should all think about this. We’ll vote later this evening.” Mephiles banged his gavel. “Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone got up and began to disperse from the room. Shadow and Knuckles exited first, leaving the rest behind. Locke got up slowly, feeling stiff from sitting too long, but he headed out and shook his head in disgust. Gadget collected the money off the table and carried it to the safe in the other room to put it away for safekeeping.

“So much money, man. The things I could do with that cash…” Manic mumbled under his breath while he rubbed his hands together greedily.

Mighty stood in the background, uncomfortable about joining this drug business. He watched as Mephiles slithered his way over to Manic.

Mephiles stopped the green hedgehog momentarily. He placed a hand on his shoulder. “I want this too. Do I have your vote?” he asked quietly.

Manic stared at Mephiles briefly before his eyes drifted to Mighty, who shot him a discouraging head shake. Manic gulped nervously. “I’m leaning it towards it, but we’ll see, boss…” he answered with a lazy grin.

Mephiles grinned and patted him on the back. “Good to hear.”

“Hey, Meph, you mind if I have a word with you for a moment?” Mighty asked from behind.

The president turned to look at the armadillo. “Of course.”

Mighty walked toward him. “Look, I love this club a lot, but I think if we do this, it destroys the club permanently, and I don’t want to see that happen. Besides, Manic has had a substance problem in the past—I don’t think it’s good for him to be involved in this line of business. I don’t want to see him relapse.”

“I understand your concern, but you do what you feel is right,” he advised. “At the end of the day, this is up to the club’s vote. Majority rules.”

Mighty nodded. “Trust me. I will.”

“—And as for Manic,” Mephiles added. “That decision is up to him too. He'll commit to that if he has the willpower to stay away from drugs.” Mighty watched as the president exited the room, looking confident in his stride.

•~•

Meanwhile, out in the mechanic shop, Knuckles hadn’t spoken to Shadow since the meeting had ended. The red-striped hedgehog eyed the echidna as he returned to working on his bike. “You have nothing to say then?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Not really,” Knuckles mumbled passively. “I don’t know who the hell I’m talking to anymore.”

Shadow scoffed and looked offended at the notion. “Really, Knuckles?”

Knuckles continued to tighten a bolt on his bike. “I can’t believe you’re even considering this, man. You’re normally the one with the stable head on your shoulders. What gives?”

“You’re right, I normally am, but lately, I’ve been changing,” he worded carefully. “All I’ve been thinking about is how I want to be able to take care of Amy. I want to be able to provide for the both of us.”

The echidna raised a skeptical brow. “So, pushing drugs is your solution?” he countered.

“No, earning big is,” he replied, even though that was a lie.

Knuckles shook his head at the idea. “I can’t commit to this. I don’t want to go behind bars and leave my old lady. I can’t do that to her again.”

“We’re not going to go away. This guy Enerjak is protected—he’s got politicians and law enforcement on his side. We’ll be fine,” he assured.

“It kind of sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself as much as me,” Knuckles noted.

Shadow clasped his hands together. “Just promise me you’ll think about it,” he pleaded.

Knuckles sighed and walked away. “I can’t, man. I’m sorry.”

Shadow watched as he retreated and felt his fist tighten by his side in frustration. “Shit…”

•~•

Right after his conversation with Shadow, the red echidna searched for Mephiles. He found the president in the kitchen eating some leftovers from the fridge. The dark hedgehog sat at the kitchen table alone but glanced to the entryway when he saw the echidna. “I need to talk to you,” Knuckles spoke.

Mephiles finished chewing his bite and swallowed. “Of course, have a seat,” he offered.
Knuckles obliged and pulled out a seat at the table, and sat down. “What do you wish to talk about?”

“Your brother,” Knuckles specified. “The way he’s talking right now is not normal. He’s pushing this cartel thing a little too hard—that’s not his style. What did you say to him to convince him this was a good idea?”

Mephiles sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He was not surprised Knuckles, of all people, had picked up on that. “All right, you want the truth?”

“Obviously, I do,” he countered.

Mephiles’ reptilian eyes glanced around the room, looking for any eavesdroppers before he continued. “Keep this information just between you and me…” Knuckles nodded as he leaned in closer. “My brother wants out of the club for good. He’s done with this life.”

Knuckles blinked in surprise. “…What?”

“He wants you to be next in line for president,” Mephiles explained. “He figures you’ll have the best idea for the direction to take this club.”

“I-I don’t understand. Why does he want to leave?”

“He’s got Ms. Rose, whom he’s in love with. He wants to start a new chapter of his life,” Mephiles elaborated. “I promised him that if he got your vote, I’d allow him to walk away from the club for good after six months.”

Knuckles’ expression softened as he pondered over the idea. His purple eyes drifted towards the table as he zoned out momentarily. “…So, it all comes down to me?”

Mephiles studied Knuckles’ vulnerable state as a Cheshire cat grin crossed his muzzle for a quick moment. He quickly brushed the expression away and went to a more neutral and indifferent expression. “Yes, you’re his best friend after all,” he emphasized. “This is all he wants in his life to be truly happy. Don’t you think Shadow would do the same for you?”

“He would…He’d do the same.”

Mephiles rose from his seat, collected his dirty dishes, and walked over to the sink. “At the end of the day, this is your vote. Vote the way your heart desires,” he encouraged. “This cartel business will only be temporary, I assure you,” he pledged.

“I’ll think about it,” Knuckles mumbled, feeling conflicted.

Mephiles placed his dirty dishes in the dishwasher, then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “At the end of the day, I know you’ll do the right thing. Oh, and remember. Keep this information just between you and me.”

Knuckles nodded. “I promise I will.”

•~•

The day had finally ended, and Amy and Tikal made their way toward the hospital's entrance. It had been a long day for both, but both girls felt they had learned a lot on their first day. Amy and Tikal caught each other up on what they had learned while waiting for their rides home.

“Sounds like it was quite the lesson,” Tikal noted after hearing Amy’s finished story.

“It was, but Doctor Lucas and Doctor Thomas taught me so much. I can’t wait to learn even more.”

Tikal smiled. “I know how you feel. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a doctor. It’s not been a common practice in my family. I’ll be the first one in my family.”

“What line of business does your family go into?” Amy questioned curiously.

Suddenly, Tikal looked hesitant to answer as she paused to think about how to respond. “Well…”

Thankfully, the roar of Shadow’s motorcycle drew both females’ attention away. Amy smiled as she spotted Shadow rolling up to the entrance curb. “Oh, there’s my boyfriend now.”

Tikal blinked a few times in alarm as she caught sight of the handsome dark hedgehog. She studied him carefully, observing the infamous Brothers of Chaos motorcycle club jacket. One she was all too familiar with. “…That’s your boyfriend?”

Amy nodded as she hurried over to him. “Yeah, come and say hi. I’ll introduce you to him.”

Hesitantly, Tikal walked over to the dark hedgehog, who was temporarily taking off his helmet. Shadow straddled his bike and pecked Amy on the cheek as she approached him. “Hey, how was it? Save any lives today?” he inquired.

Amy smiled warmly at him and linked one of her arms with his. “It was great. I’ll tell you all about it at home. Right now, I want you to meet my new friend.”

Shadow raised a brow. “Oh?”

She nodded before looking over at Tikal standing on the sidewalk. “This is my new friend Tikal. She’s an intern just like me,” she gestured. “We met today during orientation.”

Shadow looked at Tikal and shot her a respectful smile. “Nice to meet you, Tikal,” he said, sticking out his hand for her to shake.

Tikal accepted his extended hand and shook it politely. “Likewise,” she replied. “I’ve heard a lot about you today. Amy has said nothing but wonderful things.” The two released on their handshake.

“That’s good to hear,” he chuckled. He turned and picked up the spare helmet, handing it to Amy. “I’m sure we’ll speak again and get to know each other better in the future.”

Tikal watched as Amy placed her helmet on and climbed on the back of Shadow’s bike. “Oh, yes, of course,” she replied. “It’s getting late, and my ride should be here any minute now. Have a wonderful rest of your evening.”

“Same to you,” Shadow responded before putting his helmet back on.

Amy waved at her friend. “See you later, Tikal!”

Tikal waved back as Amy and Shadow sped out of the parking lot and down the street. Her smile dropped the moment they were out of sight. It was concerning that Amy was linked to a dangerous biker gang—one even she had connections to.

•~•

After picking up Amy from work, the two grabbed dinner at a simple burger joint in town. Shadow decided to announce his news to Amy while they had dinner together. The two sat outside at a table under an umbrella while they ate their burgers and fries. Shadow caught Amy up on everything that happened, other than leaving out the club business. “You plan to leave the club?” Amy asked, alarmed. Not even she had seen this announcement coming.

He kept his hands around his soda cup while staring at the table. “Yes, I’m tired of living this lifestyle. I want to slowly ween out of it.”

Amy popped a French fry into her mouth and chewed before swallowing. “What brought all this on so suddenly, might I ask?”

His eyes softened as he looked at her across the table. “Well, being with you,” he answered honestly. “When we spent the weekend in Tech City just doing normal routine couple things, I wasn’t even thinking about the club. I realized then how happy I felt, and I want always to feel that type of freedom.” He reached out and laid a hand on top of hers softly. “I want to start a life of normalcy with you.”

Amy looked touched that she had inspired him to make this move. “Shadow, I-I don’t know what else to say other than I fully support your decision. However, how does your brother feel about this? Does he even know?”

“He knows, and he’s not pleased with the idea,” he admitted. “Thankfully, I made a deal with him that will allow me to leave the club without strings attached as long as I helped him in our newest business venture.”

“Let me guess, something I shouldn’t know about, right?” she surmised dryly with an eye roll.

He chuckled slightly. “Pretty much.”

“How much longer will you be tied into the club?”

“Another six months at most—after that, I’m done,” he pledged.

She squeezed his hands reassuringly. “I’m in this with you for the long haul, okay?” she smiled. “I support you in whatever decision you make. I want you to be as happy as you want the same for me.”

He leaned forward, and the two pecked on the lips. “Thank you, Rose. I appreciate it.”

•~•

When Amy and Shadow arrived home, the other guys were hanging out in the living room, waiting for the meeting to begin. Amy hung up her purse by the front door as Shadow headed into the living room to meet with the other boys. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he said while walking away.

“I’ll be upstairs,” she replied and saw him smile at her before disappearing around the corner. In the meantime, Amy moved towards the staircase to head upstairs and get undressed for the night. However, Locke noticed a pivotal moment in making his move. He hoisted his satchel bag, got up discreetly from the couch while the others weren’t watching, and followed Amy.

Once she was upstairs, Amy heard someone trying to signal her. “Psst,” someone whispered from behind.

She turned around and spotted the older echidna as she stopped at her bedroom door. “…Locke?”

The elder red echidna looked nervous and on edge as he looked behind him in paranoia. “Mind if I have a quick word with you, lass?” he said in a hushed voice.

Amy shrugged indifferently. “Uh, sure, what’s up?”

“It needs to be in private,” he stressed.

Amy opened her bedroom door and allowed him inside. She followed him into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. “What’s going on? You’re acting kind of weird right now.”

Locke dug inside his satchel and handed her the journal. “I need you to keep this somewhere safe where no one else can find it. Do you understand?”

Amy accepted the journal and looked down at it for a moment. “Um…why, what’s happening?”

“A big decision is potentially about to be made within the club. If this move occurs, the club’s direction is about to become a LOT more dangerous,” he emphasized. “This is the only power play I have up my sleeve if I wish to stop it.”

Amy blinked a few times in confusion. “Okay, so why can’t you hold onto it? Why me?”

“Because when it affects Mephiles, he’s going to come sniffing around my place first to look for it,” he explained. “He’d never expect you to be involved—I want you to hold onto it for now. You know—in case anything happened to me,” he suggested ominously.

Amy looked at him with concern. She didn’t exactly want to be involved in this anyway. “…I-I don’t like where this is going, Locke. Just what the hell is going on?”

Locke bowed his head regrettably. “I-I can’t tell you right now, I’m afraid, lass. Please, I beg of you,” he pleaded with clasped hands. “You’re the only one I can trust right now.”

“Not even your son?” she debated.

He frowned. “I’m afraid not. He wouldn’t understand this. He’s too loyal to this club and Mephiles.”

Amy sighed in defeat. “All right, I’ll hold onto it for you.” She walked over to her closet, pulled out an old shoe box, and placed the journal into it.

“Oh, here, take these as well.” He held out his hand with a manila folder with some paperwork inside. “I did some digging on the death report on Shadow and Mephiles’ old man. I want that in there as well. I’ve made copies of everything, including the journal entries, but I’ll let you hold onto the originals.”

Amy accepted the folder and placed that inside the box as well. She then put it on the top shelf in the back of her closet. She moved a few purses in front of the box to hide its contents further. “This sounds like it's getting pretty serious.”

“It is,” he replied.

She shut her closet door. “And you’re sure he’ll never suspect me?”

“He’ll never find out,” he pledged. “And remember, keep this thing just between you and me. Don’t even let Shadow in on it,” he reminded.

She nodded with determination. “I won’t, I promise.”

He glanced down at his wristwatch, noticing the time. “Chaos, the meeting is about to start. I need to head back downstairs. See you around, lass,” he said as he quickly left her room.

Amy watched as Locke headed downstairs to join the others. She worried for him—anyone going up against Mephiles was bound to face trouble.

•~•

Downstairs, everyone gathered around the dining table to vote on the decision to mule drugs for Enerjack and his cartel. Mephiles had given everyone time to think; now it was time for a decision. Locke entered the dining room, walked over to the only available chair left, and sat down.

“It’s about time, old-timer,” Mephiles noted. “We almost thought you’d opt to be excluded from the vote.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Locke replied. “Let’s get this vote over with.”

“Very well…” Standing at the head of the table, the dark president kept his hand together. “We’ve all had time to think, so I implore you to vote with your heart. Do what you think is best. I will only vote if we need a tiebreaker,” he advised. “All in favor of muling, say aye,” he began. His eyes glanced over to Gadget.

The red wolf sat more upright in his seat. “Aye,” he voted.

“Mighty?” Mephiles inquired.

The black and red armadillo shook his head and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest. “Nay.”

Mephiles refrained from showing dissatisfaction and instead continued to go down the line. “Manic?”

Manic stayed silent for a moment before finally answering. “…Aye.” Mighty looked utterly disappointed in his vote in his peripheral vision, but he refused to acknowledge him. He kept his eyes looking forward instead.

“So far, so good,” Mephiles thought to himself. His reptilian eyes glanced to the next in line—Shadow. “Brother?”

“Aye,” Shadow confirmed without hesitation.

Now it was Locke’s turn to vote. Mephiles already knew what was going to come out of his mouth. “Nay,” Locke proclaimed loudly.

Finally, it was Knuckle’s decision. “Knuckles, your vote.”

The echidna’s purple eyes darted to the other end of the table, where he stared at Shadow, who pleadingly glanced back at him, hoping to have his vote. Knuckles sighed deeply. “Aye…” Shadow closed his eyes and felt an internal sigh of relief.

Locke did a double-take, glaring at his son. He hadn’t expected him to vote that way. “What?” he gawked.

Mephiles ignored Locke’s confusion and slammed his gavel down. “With a vote of four to two, we’ll officially be in the drug muling business. Meeting adjourned.

Mighty looked very disappointed with how the vote went. He got up from his seat and looked at Manic. “You just made a huge mistake,” he whispered before storming off.

“Might…” Manic mumbled. He hated seeing his best friend so angry at him. The green hedgehog dolefully got out of his seat and ambled out of the room with his head hung. A few moments later, Gadget walked out and headed upstairs.

At that same time, Knuckles and Shadow walked together and headed for the front porch. “I did this for you, Shadow. This better not be a mistake on my part.”

“It won’t be,” Shadow assured. “Thank you for your vote.”

The last two remaining in the dining room were Locke and Mephiles. The elder echidna sat across the table from the president, looking indignant. “I need to talk to you privately,” Locke demanded.

“Of course,” he replied, trying to act unfazed. However, he knew he was about to get an earful.

Mephiles slid the door to the kitchen entrance closed before he walked over and closed the French glass doors leading to the living room. They had some privacy for now. “What do you wish to talk about?”

“I don’t know what the hell you did to convince these guys to vote with you, but I know whatever you promised them will never happen.”

“I didn’t promise them anything,” he lied.

“Your father would have never touched drugs,” Locke began.

“He was a good businessman and would have seen the value in this,” he countered.

“Perhaps, but your father knew that anything that brought too much heat into Mercia was bad for the club,” he reminded. “That’s why he changed his mind about dealing guns. Remember?”

“Yes, of course. He talked about getting us out of the business…”

“No, he did more than talk. He reached out to Mogul and set a meeting with him to end their deal.”

Mephiles fingertips drummed along the tabletop as he stared back at him. “Sounds like you’ve been talking to ghosts, old man. Maybe your time is closer than you think…”

Locke smirked in amusement at his comment. “Not exactly…I stumbled across your father’s journal.”

Mephiles’ right brow quirked upward. “My father didn’t own a journal,” he scoffed.

“He did. Everything inside is written in your father’s handwriting with proof that he wanted out of this business. There’s also proof that he feared you’d do something to stop him.” Locke noticed that Mephiles remained relatively quiet as he went on with his explanation. Was he sweating right now? “However,” Locke continued. “Your father was murdered before any of his hopes and dreams could ever happen, and the letters paint a vivid picture of who did it…”

“A semi-truck hit my father. It was an accident,” Mephiles replied calmly as he looked away.

“We’ll never know,” Locke shrugged. “However, the only person who ever worked on his bike disappeared the week before his death. That’s rather convenient if you ask me.”

Mephiles rose from his seat in a relaxed manner—however, you could see the anger slowly starting to brew beneath the surface. “Just what exactly do you get out of this?” he inquired.

“It’s not about me,” Locke replied as he stood up. “You kill this drug-muling crap, or I’ll tell the rest of the club about the journal,” he threatened.

Mephiles narrowed his eyes at the old echidna suspiciously. “You don’t have shit against me…”

Locke made his way towards the living room and glanced over his shoulder at Mephiles. “Okay then. It doesn’t matter to me what you think. I’ll get what I want in the end.”

The dark hedgehog crossed his arms over his chest, irritated by his threats. “These guys we’re working with are bigger than us. We just voted it in. We can’t just walk away from this deal!” he argued.

Locke stopped at the entrance to the living room and turned around to look at him. “Sure, you can. You’ll find a way and have a week to figure it out.” Locke reached for his keys on the coffee table by the front door. “Oh, and if you’re thinking about killing me, I wouldn’t,” he warned. “I’ve got contingencies in place.” With that endnote, Locke left the compound leaving much for Mephiles to ponder.

•~•

Later that night, Mephiles met up with Vector and Espio at the local diner in town. The three sat in a booth in the far corner, away from prying ears. Vector and Espio sat across from the dark president as he sat across from them on the other side of the booth. “So, what’s the purpose of this visit then?” Vector questioned.

“It’s about Locke,” he began. “He claims he knows I was responsible for killing my father, and he’s threatened to tell the club.”

Vector raised his eyebrows, alarmed. “Are you serious? There’s no way he could know…”

“Yes, surely he must be bluffing,” Espio added.

“Only you two and I know the truth,” Mephiles reminded. “He alleged he’s found some journal of my father that lays out everything.”

Vector rubbed a hand behind the back of his neck and leaned back. “Well, shit, what do you need us to do?”

“He says he’s got contingencies in place, which means he has someone else to blow the whistle on us,” he explained.

“Perhaps Knuckles?” Espio deduced.

“I doubt it. It’s too obvious,” Mephiles answered. “If Knuckles had that type of information, he wouldn’t be able to sit on it and wait for the right moment. He was in on the vote tonight. It would make more sense if he opposed it like his old man.”

“Regardless, we’ll still have to clear him,” Vector suggested. “Rouge too.”

Mephiles sighed deeply. “Whoever else knows this information is hazardous. They can take all three of us down. If Shadow discovers all this, I’m as good as dead.”

“We need to find those letters first,” Espio deduced. “For all we know, Locke is stirring up rumors to spook you. He might not even have anything concrete.”

Mephiles shook his head, denying that idea. “No…the things he said were things only my father and I knew about at the time.” His grip tightened on his coffee mug. “He has some sort of legitimate dirt on me.”

“Maybe the best action plan is to have you go in Esp, and do some digging,” Vector suggested.

“Perhaps that is the best idea,” Mephiles concurred. “I’ll need you to sneak in and search Locke’s cabin.”

Espio closed his eyes calmly. “Very well.”

•~•

Later that night, Espio visited Locke’s cabin as requested. After picking the lock to his home, the chameleon slithered inside. The interior of his cabin gave off major old-people vibes. There was clutter all over the place. The kitchen table had dirty dishes left on the table. There was a reclining chair with a TV tray table to the side with old newspapers stacked upon magazines and mail. As Espio crept further into the darkened room, he was greeted with the smell of cigarette smoke that still lingered in the air.

In the one-bedroom, Espio could hear the loud snoring coming from Locke himself. He had to thank the higher beings that Locke was a deep sleeper. Once he was out—he was out like a light. It would take something drastic to stir him from his sleep, giving Espio plenty of time to rummage around his cabin.

Espio glanced at the elder echidna and heard his booming snoring from the doorway. Shaking his head, he reached his gloved hand and slowly closed the door, almost nearly shut, to prevent any noise he might make from entering his room.

Now able to entirely focus, Espio turned on the headlight on his forehead and began his search. After an hour of searching meticulously throughout the cabin, Espio finally stumbled across something noteworthy. He moved a picture of Locke and the O.G Brothers of Chaos off the wall and noticed a hole in the wall. Inside the hollowed-out part of the wall was a manila folder with a thick stack of papers. Espio grabbed it and opened the file flipping through its contents. “This is…” As his eyes scanned the document, he saw dates returning to when Mephiles’ father had been alive.

•~•

An hour later, Mephiles, Vector, and Espio met in Mephiles’ office in the mechanic shop. It was at least 4 AM at this point. Vector leaned against a filing cabinet while Mephiles sat at his desk after reading everything inside the file that Espio had stolen. The dark president had meticulously reviewed every entry and document to absorb its contents. Mephiles seemed grave in expression after reading the last entry.

The crocodile yawned, clearly exhausted. “How bad is it then?” Vector questioned.

“…Bad,” Mephiles simply responded.

“He’s got police reports on the accident that killed his old man,” Espio added. “There are entries that suggest his father knew Mephiles wanted him killed.”

“Geez,” Vector groaned. “I guess Locke wasn’t joking around then after all.”

“There’s even admittance that he wanted out of the gun business,” Mephiles noted.

“What now, then?” Espio questioned.

“These are only copies,” Mephiles noted, holding up a few papers. “The real journal and police reports are still out there. Someone has them…We need to locate and destroy them.”

“And you really think Knuckles or Rouge has this shit?” Vector challenged.

“We can’t be sure. It must be done,” Mephiles stated firmly.

“Keep everyone busy tomorrow morning, and I’ll sneak in and sweep through his room,” Espio suggested.

“Very well,” Mephiles agreed.

•~•
AN: Please remember to leave me a review! I greatly appreciate them!

Chapter 25: Duped

Summary:

Amy catches Detective Espio snooping around the house. The M.C. deal with stolen merchandise and must hunt it down before it's too late. Amy and Tikal have a disagreement at work, and Locke faces some health issues.

The following day, everyone went to work. Some boys worked on vehicles in the mechanic shop, while others went on missions for Mephiles. Rouge had gone to the grocery store, leaving Amy alone in the house. The pink hedgehog’s shift at work was later that afternoon, so she had decided to sleep in for the morning.

Snuggled under her bedsheets, Amy snoozed away softly, even with the sun peeking through the curtains. However, her sleep was disturbed when she was stirred by an unusual sound from the bedroom down the hall. Amy’s ears twitched as they focused on the sound of someone shuffling around down the hall. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Amy yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Tiredly, she stood up. She had to pee anyway. Amy slowly exited her bedroom and walked towards the bathroom when she noticed Knuckles and Rouge’s door in a jar. She stared at it momentarily until she saw a figure walk past the crack inside the room. The hair on the back of her neck rose when she realized it wasn’t Rouge nor Knuckles.

Amy froze in place as she felt her heart sink. Was there a home invader in the house right now? Clenching her fists together, Amy quietly walked over to the cracked door and peered in. Inside the couple’s bedroom was none other than Detective Espio. He seemed to be going through drawers in the couple’s bedroom. She watched him with his back towards her as he rummaged through clothing and other miscellaneous items, clearly searching for something. Suddenly his phone rang, and he picked up. “Hello?” he answered in a calm voice.

He suddenly turned around, facing her direction, but Amy quickly moved away from peering inside. She kept her back firmly pressed against the wall and desperately stayed quiet, hoping not to alert him of her prying. Whoever Espio was talking to, she couldn’t hear their end of the conversation. “Yeah, I looked everywhere. It’s clean. He doesn’t have them,” Espio continued. “I already did two sweeps and put everything back in place,” he explained. “All right, I’m out.” He then hung up his call.

Amy quietly shuffled back over to her bedroom. She moved the door open, praying it wouldn’t creak. She closed it almost all the way but left it open slightly so he wouldn’t hear the door shut behind her. Amy crawled back into her bed, placed the sheets over her body, and pretended to be asleep. Whatever that detective was looking for—clearly, he didn’t want Knuckles or Rouge to know he was sneaking around through their belongings. Who knows what would happen to her if he realized she had witnessed her going through their belongings? Espio quietly headed down the hall and noticed that Amy’s door was left slightly open. He hadn’t noticed any doors open as he had snuck up early. Cautiously, he approached her door and looked inside, only to see her body in bed under the sheets. It appeared like she was asleep, so he didn’t think much of it.

Amy let out an internal sigh of relief when she heard his footsteps descending the stairs but opted to stay in bed for a bit longer until she knew the coast was clear.

•~•

Moments later, Espio entered the mechanic shop and headed straight for Mephiles’ office. The dark M.C. president was sitting at his desk writing checks when the chameleon entered the room. “Absolutely nothing?” he questioned when he looked up.
It was apparent that Mephiles was the one he had been talking to on the phone earlier.

Espio shook his head dismally. “Nothing. I looked under the bed, in the drawers, the closet, and the floorboards. If he has it, he hid it damn well.”

Mephiles stroked his chin. “Yes, well, perhaps he has no involvement after all.”

“Who else is Locke close to?” Espio questioned. “There has to be someone he entrusts even more than his son.”

“Most of his close comrades are good and dead,” Mephiles replied. “He keeps to himself most of the time. He’s a hermit.”

“The fact that I couldn’t locate any hint of evidence leads me to suspect that he’s bluffing,” Espio stated.

“Maybe you’re right after all,” Mephiles concurred. “Perhaps the old bastard is bold enough to lie.”

“Keep me posted if you get any more inklings,” Espio said as he walked towards the exit. However, he stopped in his tracks momentarily. “Oh, one more thing before I leave,” he noted.

Mephiles picked up some paperwork and glanced at it. “What is it?”

“I thought you told me everyone would leave the house for now.”

Mephiles quirked one brow as he looked away from the paperwork. “They are.”

Espio shook his head adamantly. “You’re wrong. The doctor was still sleeping in her room when I was leaving. I had no idea she was even there.”

Mephiles looked alarmed. “Chaos…she didn’t hear you, did she?”

“I’m not sure. I peeked in on her and saw her asleep in her bed.” He shrugged indifferently. “I doubt she heard me. Should we be worried about her?”

Mephiles mulled over the thought. He already had a scare with Amy, possibly overhearing him in his previous devious ministrations. Yet, nothing had come of that according to his knowledge. He shook his head. “No, we’re fine for now,” he replied.

•~•

At a gas station, Manic and Ray were busy filling the truck with new guns for the cartel. Ray stood at the pump watching the meter run, and Manic rummaged through his leather jacket for a pack of cigarettes. He patted down his chest pockets and fished out an empty box. “Crap, those suckers are gone already?”

“Sir, is i-it really w-wise to be smoking at a gas station?” Ray questioned nervously.

The green hedgehog shot him an annoyed glare. “Yo, I’m not that dumb,” Manic pointed. “I was hoping to smoke one on our way outta here.” He scoffed and looked over at the gas station convenience store. “Be back in five. I’m going to buy another pack. Watch the truck, buddy,” he commanded sternly.

Ray saluted. “Yes, sir!”

At another pump, two members of the Deadly Six watched Ray as he manually pumped gas. One of the members was Zazz, a tall pink Zeti, with purple and black striped horns. “What do you think they’re carrying in that truck?” he asked curiously to his partner.

“Probably something quite valuable knowing them,” Zeena replied. Zeena was a green Zeti with one pink and black horn on top of her head. She had long, flowing green locks and bright pink fingernails. She kept one of her hands on her hip while she looked at her fingernails in boredom.

“Let’s jack the truck,” Zazz suggested while rubbing his hands together eagerly. “We can surprise Zavok with whatever is inside. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”

“We’re really going to mess with the Brothers? You think that’s a smart move?” Zeena challenged.

“Come on, we can take this pipsqueak,” Zazz gestured to the oblivious yellow squirrel in the distance.

Zeena eyed the male squirrel, utterly unaware of their plotting and scheming. “If you take the lead, I’ll follow you. You better have a good plan up your sleeve.”

Zazz chuckled sinisterly. “Don’t worry. I've got an idea.”

Moments later, Ray pulled the gas pump out of the truck and placed it back in its holder. “Excuse me?” a female voice called nearby.

Ray looked to his left, where he spotted Zeena strolling in his direction while she swayed her hips seductively. “U-uh, y-yes?” Ray stuttered nervously. He was not used to beautiful females approaching him out of the blue.

“I was just wondering if you had five dollars to spare for me to use at the pump? I lost my wallet at the last gas stop, and I need to get to Future City,” she explained, batting her eyelashes sweetly at him.

“O-oh, well. I think I-I could spare five dollars,” he smiled awkwardly. He patted his vest and pants pockets to look for his wallet. While distracted, Zazz slunk behind him and quietly peered inside the van window, noticing the keys still left in the ignition. He opened the car door and hopped inside. “Let’s go, Zeena!” he cackled maniacally from behind the squirrel.

Ray’s ears perked in alarm. “Hey, what now?” He craned his head over his shoulder only to see Zazz stick his head out the driver's window and grin mischievously at him behind the wheel of their truck. “Thanks for the new ride, sucker!”

“Sorry, kid,” Zeena apologized.

Ray turned his head back to look at the female-only to see her fist fly straight at his face. He felt her fist collide straight into his right eye, forcing him to land on his back. Zeena leaped over his body, ran for the truck's passenger side, and hopped inside.

At that moment, Manic came out of the gas station with his new pack of cigarettes and a soda for the road. “These damn things keep going up in price every month. Stupid capitalism!” However, he became distracted from his complaining when he spotted their truck careening out of the station like a bat out of hell. “…What the fuck?”

Suddenly, he noticed Ray knocked out cold on the road next to the pump. His eyes enlarged with dread. “Ray!” he shouted as he ran towards him.

“Later, losers!” Zazz laughed as he drove off and flipped Manic, sticking his hand out the window.

“Fuck!” Manic shouted as he watched the truck disappear down the road. Manic couldn’t worry about that right now. He instead rushed over to the fallen rookie and knelt by his side. He cupped Ray’s face in his hands. “Hey, buddy, you okay, man?”

Finally coming to, Ray lifted his head slightly as his vision adjusted. “The truck…” he mumbled.

Manic helped lift him into a sitting position. “Yeah, I know, it’s gone, dude. You okay, though?”

“I-I’m sorry,” he apologized, feeling tears prick his eyes. He felt a grave punishment coming his way from Mephiles and the others.

Manic gave him a weak smile. He was still just a young kid, after all. He didn’t need to give him a hard time. “Don’t sweat it, little dude. We’ll get that truck back,” he assured.

•~•

At the hospital, Amy walked into the official personnel section of the hospital to put away her personal belongings. She fiddled with her lock combination before it finally unlocked. Digging into her satchel, Amy placed the manila folder, journal, and other police work on the top shelf of her locker. Amy brought the letters and other paperwork to store at work after spotting Espio lurking around in search of it. It was no longer safe at home. Who knew when the chameleon detective would come sniffing around again? He would never suspect it to be hidden there if it were here at work.

Amy closed her locker door and gasped when she saw Tikal standing on the other side of the locker. She placed a hand on her chest. “Tikal, you surprised me.

“My apologies,” she said politely. “Did you just arrive?”

Amy adjusted her white lab coat. “Yes, and you?”

She nodded politely. “I just got here a few minutes ago.”

Suddenly Ms. Vanilla walked into the room and spotted the two girls. “There you are,” she smiled. “Ms. Rose, we’ve got appendicitis on floor three. I want you to shadow our doctors and watch the surgery progress.”

“Got it.” Ms. Vanilla watched as Amy rushed out of the room.

Tikal watched as she hurried out. “I’ll save us a table at dinner,” she called out to her retreating figure.

Amy stopped at the door momentarily to turn around and shoot her a smile. “Great, see you then!”

•~•

Back at the compound, news finally broke of the stolen merchandise. Shadow, Mephiles, Knuckles, Mighty, and Gadget stood around in the mechanic shop as Manic explained everything that happened. Ray sat on one of the oil barrels holding an ice pack against his bruised eye. However, Mephiles was not pleased to hear the news. “On the phone, you said this was a slight setback…not that someone had stolen the whole supply,” Mephiles spoke in disappointment.

“I didn’t want to freak you guys out,” Manic shrugged nonchalantly.

“The cartel is expecting all those guns within two days,” Mephiles shouted irately.

Manic placed a hand on the back of his neck. “I understand, pres, but we’ll get them back easy peasy.”

Mephiles grabbed Manic by the collar of his jacket and hoisted him angrily off his feet. “No, you don’t! How the hell can you ensure we’ll find them in time?” he berated venomously.

“Hey, cut it out!” Shadow intervened, ripping the two apart.

Mephiles glared at the yellow squirrel innocently sitting on the barrel, watching the spectacle. “This is all his fault…” He pointed sharply.

“Whoa,” Mighty interjected, raising a hand. “The kid is a rookie for a reason,” he reminded. “Give him a break. He made one mistake.”

“One majorly huge mistake,” Mephiles muttered.

Mighty’s brows furrowed. “He’s my kid brother. He’s still learning. All of us made stupid mistakes when we were all rookies once. Even you did, I’m sure,” he gestured.

Mephiles slowly approached the armadillo. “Get the guns back by the end of today, or I’ll send him to be dealt with by the cartel myself,” he threatened.

Ray gulped nervously and used his sizeable bushy tail to hide part of his face. With that, Mephiles walked out of the mechanic shop and slithered back into his accounting office, leaving the other brothers to devise a plan.

“We can’t panic yet,” Knuckles noted. “I doubt those idiots will hit the streets with them. They’ll probably try to sell them first. We'll be golden if we interrupt them before they make the sale.”

“Any ideas on where to find the Deadly Six’s location?” Shadow proposed.

Gadget raised a hand. “I may be of some assistance here,” he offered. “I can always run through the police database and search common hang-out spots where their criminal activity has been frequented.”

“Then let’s start there,” Knuckles suggested.

•~•

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, it was dinner time. Most interns took their dinner break, and Tikal was one of them. She carried her dinner tray, holding a salad, potato soup, and a water bottle, to one of the tables and sat down. Running her fingers through her dreads, Tikal searched the busy cafeteria for Amy. Amy had the same lunch break and figured she’d see her soon. Momentarily, Tikal spotted the pink hedgehog carrying a tray and searching the crowds for a familiar face.

Tikal stood up and waved a hand in her direction. “Oh, over here!”

Amy spotted her waving in her direction, smiled, and walked over. Tikal sat back down once Amy moved towards the table. “Boy, work has been crazy today, but in a good way. I feel like I’ve been all over the place,” Amy stated as she sat.

“That busy, huh?” she questioned before taking a bite of her salad.

Amy nodded. “For sure. I’ve watched an appendectomy, a lung transplant, and a heart valve repair all before 5 PM,” she listed before taking a bite of her food.

“My goodness, it sounds like it was quite busy,” she observed.

Amy finished chewing a bite of her sandwich. “You can say that again; the day is only half-finished!”

“My day was also pretty productive. I was helping two cancer patients in hospice, and I was with a kidney failure patient as well.”

“How’d it go then?” Amy inquired.

Tikal shrugged solemnly. “The best it could go, I suppose. I made them as comfortable as possible,” she smiled weakly.

Amy reached out and placed a hand over hers, feeling empathy for her position. She knew the line of business she was dealing with was no walk in the park. “I commend you for your line of work, Tikal. It’s tough out there.”

“Thanks, Amy,” she smiled appreciatively. “Oh…” she segued. “I wanted to talk to you also about your boyfriend.”

Amy’s ears perked in intrigue. “You do? What about?”

“About his line of business,” she worded carefully. “I assume you have some understanding of what he and his club partake in?”

Amy lowered her sandwich, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. “Well, yeah, of course I do.”

“…And you’re okay with it?” Tikal challenged carefully.

Amy sat up straighter in her seat. She didn’t realize this conversation would turn into an interrogation. “I’m sorry. Is there something you know that I don’t? This conversation is coming off a little judgmental here.”

“I’m sorry, Amy, but I don’t want to see you interact with the wrong people. That club—it’s dangerous,” she warned.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. “How do you know so much about them exactly, anyway?”

“Because most of the males in my family, at some time or another, have been a part of the club. My older cousin is a member right now. I’m sure you must know him.”

Amy blinked in surprise as the realization sunk in. “Knuckles is your cousin?” she said in startlement.

Tikal nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Wait, so that means that Locke is your…”

“—Uncle,” she cut off and finished her thought. “As I said, many family members have been linked to the club. My father was a member as well before his untimely death…”

She suddenly felt sympathetic. “Tikal, I had no idea…”

Tikal bowed her head. “I just had to warn you before something bad happened to you.”

“I appreciate looking out for me, but honestly, I feel quite safe within the club,” she explained. “Shadow has never made me feel threatened or afraid. Honestly, the club is like my family. They look out for me, and I do the same for them.”

“Your boyfriend seems quite nice based on my small interaction with him yesterday. However, it’s not him I’m worried about. You see, it’s complicated to leave once you’re a member. My father was completely loyal to the club and died for them… He left a broken family to pick up the pieces, and they used their members like chess pieces. Everyone is expendable to some degree, and if you cross the wrong person higher in the ranks, you’re as good as dead,” she warned.

Although this felt quite preachy, Amy couldn’t help but agree with a few points Tikal had made. Mephiles epitomized someone you did not want to cross. However, she believed Shadow would never allow harm to come to her, even if she did happen to make him angry. From this conversation alone, Amy lost her appetite. She picked up her tray and stood up. “Where are you going?” the orange echidna inquired nervously.

“I’m not feeling too hungry anymore,” she said passively. “This isn’t the first time someone has warned me about my relationship. I’m actually getting tired of hearing the same argument over and over again. I appreciate the concern, but this is my life and decision.” With that said Amy turned on her heel and walked off.

Tikal watched her walk away and dump her food into the garbage. “Amy, wait! Please don’t go.” Amy ignored her and walked out of the cafeteria as other doctors and nurses looked in Tikal’s direction as she had desperately called out to her to no avail.

•~•

That evening, the group continued driving around town. They hit many alleged hangouts spots the Deadly Six were known to frequent. Sadly, most of them were dead ends. The group stopped at a stop light and continued to their next stop.

“These fuckers know how to play hide and seek well,” Mighty noted as he leaned on the handlebars of his bike.

“We have to come across one of them eventually,” Knuckles opined.

Manic glanced down the right street at the four-way intersection they were stopped at. He spotted the familiar truck he and Ray had earlier that day. His eyes widened, and he sat up straighter on his bike. “Shit, that’s them!” he pointed. Everyone looked in the direction of where the green hedgehog pointed.

The red echidna reeved one of his bike handles. “Let’s roll,” Knuckled barked. The squad of motorcyclists ripped down the street and followed the two Zetis.

Still behind the wheel, Zazz looked in his left-side view mirror and could see the faint silhouettes of the bikes in the far distance. Zeena turned around in her seat and looked out the window only to see them approaching. “We’ve got company. Faster, Zazz!”

Zazz put his foot down harder on the gas. “I’m trying!”

Coming to a four-way stop, Zazz opted not to stop at the stop sign and drove straight through it, turning left. Two cars that had already made their temporary stop laid on their horns as they nearly collided with their truck but collided with each other instead, trying to avoid the large speeding truck.

The motorcycle squad swerved around the car collision and continued their pursuit of the truck. Suddenly, the truck sped past an officer just getting into their car. The police officer watched as the truck took a sharp right turn up ahead, and he quickly got into his vehicle and ran the lights.

Shadow spotted the officer racing after the truck as well. “Shit!”

“Now what?” Mighty yelled over the loud engines of their motorcycles.

“We can’t let the police search that truck if they get pulled over,” Knuckled yelled. “Otherwise, we’re fucked!”

The group stopped at the corner and looked down the street, where they saw the police had already pulled over the truck for a speeding violation. “Fuck!” Mighty exclaimed.

Manic observed the truck and saw the officer get out of his car with a paper pad and a pen. An idea suddenly struck him—one that could be risky. “I’ve got an idea,” he proclaimed.

Knuckles eyed the green hedgehog. “What do you have in mind?”

Manic quickly took off his leather jacket. He chucked it at Mighty, who caught it. “I’ll drive that officer away, and you guys corner the two assholes,” he explained. “Let me borrow your hoodie quick, Might.”

Mighty obliged, took off his hoodie, and handed it over in confusion. “Just how are you going to drive off the police?”

Manic finished zipping up Mighty’s hoodie and placing the hood over his head to shroud his identity. “Just watch me.” The group of males watched as Manic zipped off and quickly approached the stopped truck with the police officer.

As he got closer, Manic reached behind him with one arm and fished into the back of his pants, pulling out a Glock 22 and shot twice at the back of the policeman’s car. The glass in the back window shattered and startled the officer, who was just about to ask the truck driver to roll down his window.

The officer watched as the hooded figure on the bike ripped off down the street and took a left. He radioed in something over his walkie, ran back towards his car, opened the door, and hopped inside before chasing after Manic. The speeding ticket would have to wait for the other two.

Inside the truck, the two Zetis sighed a loud sigh of relief when the officer had opted to go after a new target. Zazz sat upright and prepared to turn the car back on just when he heard motorcycle engines encroaching. Zeena turned around and noticed the Brothers of Chaos squad completely encircling them.

Knuckles stood on Zeena’s side of the car, pointing a gun toward her. Mighty stood directly in front of the truck aiming his weapon at the two. Suddenly, Zazz heard a tapping on his window and turned his head only to see Shadow pointing his Glock in his direction. “License and registration, please.”

•~•

Standing on the curb of the hospital, Amy waited patiently to be picked up from work. She glanced at her phone and noticed Shadow was about ten minutes late to pick her up. Eventually, a car pulled up, and she watched it stop directly before her. She spotted Locke in the driver’s seat as he rolled down the window. “Evening.”

“Locke?” Amy said in surprise as she approached the car. She reached for the car door handle. “I didn’t expect you to be picking me up tonight. What happened to Shadow?”

He watched as she climbed inside the passenger seat and shut the car door. “Shadow and the others are a bit tied up with work, so he sent me to pick you up since I was in the area,” he explained.

Amy put on her seatbelt and buckled in. “Is everything all right? Shadow and the others aren’t in trouble, are they?”

Locke began driving them out of the parking lot. “No, they’re all fine—except you may have to check in on Ray when you get home. The boy received a nasty shiner from some encounter today,” he shrugged.

Amy turned to look at the echidna. “Ray got punched?”

“Yeah, there was a bit of a mix-up with a shipment, and it sent the rest of the boys out on some wild hunt. They’ve obtained the goods, so they’re all set.”

Amy turned and looked straight ahead. “I see…”

Locke continued steering the wheel as they drove down the street. “I saw you tried to call me earlier. I’m afraid I was busy moving some stuff and didn’t catch the phone ringing. Was the call important?”

Amy’s eyes widened as she was reminded. “Oh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me. Something weird happened earlier this morning back at the compound.”

Locke kept his eyes on the road but took a few glances in her direction. “What happened, lass?”

“I woke up this morning and saw Detective Espio lurking around Knuckles’ and Rouge’s bedroom. He was looking for something, and he was on the phone. Someone was giving him orders,” she explained.

Locke looked grave in expression when he heard her story. His stomach sunk, and he felt an ominous vibe sweep over him. “He didn’t see you, did he?” he asked with concern.

Amy shook her head. “I snuck back to my room and pretended to be asleep when he left,” she replied. “I got a weird feeling he was looking for that information you have on Mephiles. That’s why I took everything you gave me, brought it to work, and hid it in my locker. I figured he’d never find it there if he snooped around again.”

“Chaos,” Lock sighed in relief.

The car stopped at a stoplight. “My only question is, why is Detective Espio involved?” Amy pondered. “Isn’t he one of the good guys?”

The light turned green, and Locke put his foot on the gas. “Not exactly, lass,” he frowned. “Both Detective Espio and Vector are corrupt officers who work closely with Mephiles and the club. They usually help clear evidence we leave behind and point the blame in other people’s direction,” he elaborated. “That’s why the club has been able to avoid the law for so long. We have people in law enforcement that work on our side to keep us out of prison or charges.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest in disappointment. “Well, that explains a lot…”

“Espio was probably there because Mephiles ordered him to hunt for proof of my tangible threats. They probably assume that Knuckles is involved because he’s my son—too bad they’re way off,” he grinned victoriously.

“And you’re sure they haven’t hit your place for clues?” Amy challenged with a raised brow.

He shook his head. “Absolutely not. There’s no way. I would know.”

Amy’s ears lowered. “Well, double-check when you get home tonight. If they hit Knuckles’ room, they will snoop through your belongings next if they haven’t already.”

“Will do, lass.”

“And one more thing,” Amy segued. “I-I met your niece today at work…”

Locke turned to look at her briefly in confusion before putting his eyes back on the road. “Tikal?”

Amy nodded. “Yeah, she warned me about the club and the dangers of dating members.”

Locke picked up the tone in which she expressed it. He could fathom that she wasn’t entirely happy with how Tikal had probably presented this warning. “She’s right, you know. You may not like hearing it so bluntly, but this lifestyle doesn’t fair well for many.”

She shot him an incredulous look. “So, are you saying you agree I shouldn’t be dating Shadow?”

Locke shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll never tell you what to do, but you should know that this relationship can endanger you. My niece lost her dad to this club—another one of Mephiles’ doing, but that’s another story entirely,” he droned, shaking his head in pity. “You do what your heart desires; if it’s being with Shadow and he’s making you happy, stick with it,” he advised. “I know he loves you dearly; clearly, you feel the same way.”

Amy mulled over his words and stared out the window as they continued to drive. “Thanks, Locke.”

•~•

Finally returning home, Amy and Locke entered the house and spotted Ray sitting on the couch with a large black eye still forming. Rouge sat on the other side reading a magazine while Mephiles sat in one of the chairs watching TV. The pink hedgehog hung her purse on the hook by the front door and entered the living room. “Hey guys,” she greeted.

“Hey,” Rouge smiled, glancing at the pink hedgehog.

Amy turned to look at the yellow squirrel. “I heard about your incident earlier today. How are you feeling?”

He turned his head to look at her. He could barely open the eye that had been hit due to the swelling. “Not too bad, I guess,” he smiled weakly. “My eye is still throbbing like crazy, though.”

“Poor thing.” Amy put one of her hands under his chin and lifted it back to get a better look. “Have you been icing it?” she inquired.

“I did a little while ago, but I stopped,” he admitted.

“I told him he needed to keep the ice pack on his eye longer,” Rouge said as she continued to read.

“She’s right,” Amy agreed. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll get you a fresh ice pack,” she assured him before heading toward the kitchen.

She walked towards the kitchen and passed Mephiles in his chair, who hadn’t even bothered to look or acknowledge Amy or Locke. “Evening, Mephiles,” Amy stated as she passed him.

“Good evening, Ms. Rose,” he said, fixing his eyes on the television as he flipped channels aimlessly.

Locke walked further into the house but suddenly felt a strange dizzy spell overcome him. He stood in the entryway between the living room and leaned on one of the walls with his shoulder as he looked at the three. He considered sitting down, but the only available seat was next to Mephiles, and he’d rather not sit near him right now. “The boys still haven’t gotten back yet?” he noted, trying to fill the silent void.

“Evidently not,” Mephiles responded passive-aggressively.

“Hey, you don’t have to be so rude,” Rouge noted, hearing Mephiles’ condescending tone.

“How else am I to respond? He must be blind if he can’t see the others aren’t back. Did he not see any motorcycles parked in front? What an idiotic question!” he berated, throwing up an arm in frustration.

“What the hell is your problem?” Rouge snapped, lowering her magazine into her lap. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something today?”

“He’s always in a despicable mood, Rouge,” Locke interjected as he rubbed at his right arm, suddenly feeling like pins and needles. “Don’t mind him.”

Mephiles finally glared in Locke’s direction. “Just who the hell do you think you’re talking to, you stupid, old geezer?” he listed, rising from his seat.

Locke smirked confidently, seeing he had wound up Mephiles. He pounded his two giant fists together. “Looks like I hit a nerve.”

Ray sat uncomfortably between the three feuding adults, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do. He cautiously hopped up from his seat and moved towards the kitchen to stay with Amy.

Rouge quickly sprung to her feet, feeling the tension building. “Hey, knock it off, you two. This is not the place nor time!”

Meanwhile, Amy finished collecting ice into an icepack in the kitchen and turned around, only to spot Ray standing directly behind her. “Oh, there you are.” She handed him the ice pack. “You’ll need to keep icing your eye for the next few days to help the swelling decrease. Then we’ll switch to warm compacts later,” she advised.

Ray accepted the ice pack. “Thank you, Ms. Amy.”

“Is this your first time getting hit?” she inquired curiously.

He shook his head. “No, I’ve been jumped in the past and been hurt a lot worse. Thankfully though, I avoided a lot of other confrontations thanks to my big brother.”

Amy smiled as she envisioned Mighty standing up to a group of bullies, easily taking them all alone. “That sounds like Mighty, all right.” Suddenly, Amy’s ear’s perked when she heard Mephiles, Locke, and Rouge’s voices getting louder and louder from the other room. “Hey, what’s going on in there?”

“It’s why I came in here. They’re all arguing, but it’s mostly between Locke and Mephiles,” Ray explained. “I didn’t feel comfortable hanging around them.”

Seconds later, Amy heard Rouge scream in terror. Amy and Ray immediately rushed back into the living room only to spot Mephiles standing menacingly over Locke, lying unconscious on his back. Amy glared at Mephiles, assuming the worst. Her brows knitted together in anger as she got between Locke’s body and the president. “What did you do to him?” she shouted.

He glared at the female, surprised to see her standing up to him because of the accusation. “I didn’t do anything!”

“No, he’s right,” Rouge concurred. “The two were bickering back and forth, but then Locke clutched his chest and collapsed.”

Ignoring Mephiles’ glowering, Amy knelt on her knees and pressed her left ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat. She couldn’t hear one and quickly reached for his wrist to feel for a pulse—nothing.

Mephiles studied Amy as she checked on the older echidna’s vitals and scoffed. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “How pathetic, faking an illness to get out of a fight. What a pussy…”

Amy glared over her shoulder at Mephiles in disgust. “He’s not faking this.” She turned to look at the white bat with seriousness. “Rouge, call 911 now,” she instructed urgently.

Rouge immediately rushed into the other room for her phone. In the meantime, Ray watched as Amy began compressing Locke’s chest. “What’s going on?” he asked nervously, feeling the severity rise in the situation.

Amy continued to pump up and down onto his chest with the palms of her hands. “He's having a heart attack,” she explained while focusing on compressions.

“Is h-he going to be all right?” Ray stammered nervously.

Amy kept up the compressions, not letting up for one moment. She was entirely too focused on keeping his heart beating. “I’m not going to let you die. This can’t happen—not now,” she promised as she stared down at him. “Hold on, Locke…”

Mephiles tilted his head as he watched Amy desperately try to keep the old echidna alive. He hadn’t realized until then that Amy had grown closer to the old man. Mephiles couldn’t help but hope for the worst possible outcome. Perhaps, Locke would die, and his threats would die off with him. He could only hope.

•~•

After hauling off Zeena and Zazz, the brothers took the Zetis into a back alley with the truck. Manic had lost the officer. He had distracted and re-joined the others. Zeena, who was restrained, watched in horror as both Manic and Knuckles beat the absolute shit out of Zazz. The pink Zeti’s face lurched left and right with blood spewing all over the alleyway. His body collapsed on his side as he panted hard and spat up some more blood.

“Please, stop it!” Zeena cried out, unable to watch his beating go on any longer. She thrashed in Shadow’s firm grasp, but he refrained from letting her go.

“He’s taking on two punishments for the both of you. It’s almost over,” Knuckles explained.

Manic did one final kick, ultimately hitting and winding him in the abdomen. “That’s for trying to fuck us over today, asshole!”

Zazz felt his stomach buckle from impact and wheezed on his side. “Zee-na,” he croaked.

Gadget hopped out of the back of the truck with a clipboard and pen. “Well, everything seems to still be in place. I guess these two didn’t sell anything off yet as promised.”

Zeena glared over at the red wolf. “I told you we didn’t sell anything yet. We planned to meet with Zavok to surprise him with our haul.”

“You don’t cross our club, or you settle for a beatdown,” Manic warned, pointing a finger toward her.

Knuckles’ finished cracking his knuckles. “You’re lucky we didn’t kill you both. However, we narrowly avoided the A.T.F. We don’t need any more red flags in our direction. Take this as a warning, and fuck off, the two of you.”

Shadow released his hold of Zeena, allowing her to stagger forward. She rushed over and helped lift Zazz to his feet. The pink Zeti placed one arm over the top of her back and used her as a crutch as the two limped off. Suddenly, Mighty’s cell phone rang, and he looked at the person calling him: Ray. He picked up the line and brought the phone to his ear. “Hello?” he answered, walking off to talk privately.

Knuckles looked at Shadow and walked in his direction. “If we can handle bullshit like this, maybe we can handle the cartel after all,” Knuckles surmised.

“Hopefully,” Shadow agreed. “By the way, I noticed excellent leadership skills from you today.”

Knuckles looked surprised. “Did you?”

Shadow nodded. “I took the back seat and let you lead the directive. You did well, you know.”

Knuckles perked up, pleased to hear the compliment. “Really? Well, thanks, man.”

Mighty rushed over to the two, looking concerned and urgent in expression. “Guys, my kid brother just called me. We need to get to the hospital immediately.”

Shadow felt his heart sink. “Why, what happened?”

Mighty looked at Knuckles gravely and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Your father just had a heart attack.”

•~•

Now back at the hospital, the entire crew of bikers showed up in the emergency room. Knuckles rushed over to the front desk and got in line. In the meantime, Shadow and the others spotted Amy, Mephiles, Rouge, and Ray sitting in some chairs in the waiting room.

Shadow flocked over to Amy, who immediately stood up when she spotted him. “Amy…” He extended his arms, and she instantly flew into them, encapsulating her in a hug.

“Shadow, it all happened so fast,” she buried her face and breathed into his chest. “I did everything I could…”

Shadow kept her wrapped in his embrace as he consoled her. “I know you did, princess. We have to remain optimistic here.”

Rouge approached her husband as he waited at the front desk to be serviced. He was still in shock and hadn’t even seen her sitting in the waiting room when he rushed in. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, startling him. “Honey…”

Knuckles turned and embraced his wife when he saw her. “Oh, chaos, Rouge, my dad…Is he going to be okay?”

She pulled away from his embrace. “I-I’m not sure, sweetheart. The doctor hasn’t told us anything since we’re not related. They’ll only deal with next of kin.”

Finally, the two got to the front of the line, and a sweet-looking female kangaroo nurse glanced up from her computer when the red echidna came over. “Can I help you, sir?”

“My father, he was brought in here twenty to thirty minutes ago due to a heart attack,” Knuckles explained. “Is he in a room? Is he okay?”

“What is his name, sir?” she asked calmly.

“His name is Locke,” Knuckled answered.

The nurse typed away at her computer. “Ah, yes, he’s in room 203,” she located. “Are you his next of kin?”

Knuckles nodded. “Yes, I’m his son, and this is my wife,” he gestured to Rouge.

The nurse flagged over another nurse behind her in the cubicle. “Do you mind escorting them to room 203 to talk with the doctor?”

The other nurse nodded politely. “Of course, come with me,” she gestured. Knuckles reached out and took Rouge’s hand in his, and the two walked alongside the nurse as she ushered them off down the hall.

Mighty, Manic, and Gadget circled Shadow and Amy. “So, what exactly happened, Ames?” the red and black armadillo inquired. They all wanted to know what had happened to their comrade and brother.

“I was tending to Ray’s injuries in the kitchen when I heard yelling in the other room,” she explained. “When I got there, Locke was on the ground unconscious, and his heart wasn’t beating. I performed CPR on him until the ambulance arrived.”

“Wait, yelling?” Manic repeated. “Who was yelling?”

Amy frowned and turned around, looking at Mephiles, who sat in the corner of the ER with his arms crossed tightly across his chest. The rest of their eyes followed Amy’s direction and stared at the dark, brooding president. Mephiles eyed them and scowled at their judgmental glares. “Don’t give me that look. I wasn’t the only one yelling in this scenario. I didn’t do anything to the old man.”

“Why were you two yelling at each other in the first place?” Shadow pressed.

Mephiles huffed. “It’s not important, but he’s a pain in the ass. The old buzzard hates me and always criticizes everything I do. He came in wanting to get into an argument.”

Mighty narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the president. “Well, whatever you did, brought on a heart attack. You two must’ve really been going at it.”

Mephiles’ fists tightened as he refrained from letting loose on them in a public setting. “How dare you blame me for his lack of good health,” he hissed.

Shadow could see his older brother getting pushed further and further into exploding. He put up a hand to Mighty, signaling him to stop. “Cut it out,” he ordered. “At this point, what’s done is done. We all need to hope and pray the best for Locke. That’s all we can do for right now.”

•~•

Locke lay in bed in his hospital room with an oxygen mask over his muzzle. He had all sorts of wires and other tubes connected to different parts of his body. Rouge and Knuckles stood by his bedside as the faint sound of monitors beeped in the background.

Knuckles held his dad’s hand as he watched him breathe slowly and remain asleep. “Dad…”

“He’s going to pull through, hon,” Rouge assured. “Remember, he’s one tough son of a bitch.”

Suddenly, the door opened, and a male grey-wolf doctor in a white lab coat walked in with a clipboard. “Evening,” he addressed, his blue eyes scanning the two. “I’m Dr. Husky.”

“I’m Knuckles, his son,” the echidna introduced. “And this is my wife, Rouge.”

“Hello,” she waved.

“Nice to meet you both,” Dr. Husky nodded politely.

“Are you the one who treated my father-in-law?” Rouge inquired.

“That’s correct, ma’am,” he confirmed. “I’m here now to discuss Mr. Locke’s diagnosis.”

Knuckles gulped nervously, afraid to hear of the outcome. “How’s it looking then?”

“Your father suffered a major heart attack. However, the only reason he’s still alive right now is thanks to one of our hospital interns who was with him during his attack. If it weren’t for her performing CPR on him, he probably wouldn’t be alive right now.” Knuckles and Rouge looked at each other, noting they’d have to thank Amy once they got the chance. “Now, he’ll recover fully as long as he follows the protocols.”

Rouge blinked a few times. “What are they?”

“He must limit his alcohol intake and focus on a healthier diet. His cholesterol was a bit high, along with his liver enzymes. Not to mention, his blood pressure was pretty high as well,” the doctor explained. “Other than that, nothing too strenuous for him for the next couple of weeks and plenty of rest.”

“Does that mean he’s going to be all right?” Knuckles questioned.

“Yes, as long as he follows the doctor’s orders,” Doctor Husky addressed. “We’ll keep him here an extra day for observation.”

Knuckles breathed a sigh of relief, pleased and relieved to hear the news. “I’ll make sure he sees to it, doc. Thank you for everything.”

Dr. Husky smiled warmly at him. “Of course, my pleasure.”

•~•

In the ER waiting room, Shadow and Amy opted to stay behind to wait to hear the results while the rest of the boys went home. Both Amy and Shadow had fallen asleep together. Sitting in the chair with his arms crossed and his head pressed firmly against the wall behind him, Shadow kept his eyes closed in a light sleep. Next to him, Amy had her legs up to her chest and had her head leaning on his shoulder while she slept lightly.

Eventually, Rouge and Knuckles came back to the waiting room hand-in-hand. The couple spotted Shadow and Amy still waiting in the room's far corner. Rouge pointed in their direction, and the two smiled at the other couple before making their way back over.

Knuckles placed his hand on Shadow’s available shoulder and shook him lightly, causing him and Amy to stir simultaneously. Shadow’s eyes peeked open, and he saw Knuckles towering over him. “Knuckles,” he stated tiredly, trying to wake up more. “What happened? Is Locke okay?” he asked tiredly.

Amy rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. “Please tell me it’s good news.”

“Yes.” Knuckles gave the two of them a smile. “The doctor said he’s going to be okay.”

Shadow and Amy also looked relieved to hear the good news. “Thank Chaos,” Amy breathed, touching her heart. However, Amy was surprised when Knuckles suddenly leaned down, bringing her into a tight but heartfelt embrace. “Oh…”
Shadow stared at Knuckles’ kind gesture, also confused at first.

“Thank you, Amy. They told us you saved my father’s life. There’s no way I can repay you enough.” Knuckles finally released her from his embrace and bowed his head. Shadow smiled, feeling quite proud of Amy’s heroic effort.

“You’re welcome, Knuckles. You know, Locke is like a father figure to me. I would never let anything bad happen to him.”

“I realize that now,” he replied. “My father probably wouldn’t be alive without your quick thinking and medical training, so again, thank you.”

“When will he be able to return home?” Shadow inquired.

“Not for at least a day or so,” Rouge answered. “The doctor wants to keep him overnight for observation.”

Shadow nodded. “Well, that’s a relief. I say we all get home. It’s been a long day for all of us, and we have a long journey tomorrow. We’ll need to get some rest.”

“Agreed,” Knuckles chuckled.

“I’ll make sure to swing by tomorrow morning and pay him a visit, hon,” Rouge offered.

“Great,” Knuckles replied. “I’ll want someone to update me on his health.”

“I can also check in on him tomorrow,” Amy suggested. “I do have a shift tomorrow after all.”

With that said, the two couples slowly began to leave the ER.

Chapter 26: Suspicions

Summary:

The Brothers do their first drug mule, and things don't go smoothly. Amy looks in on Locke as he recovers at the hospital. Meanwhile, Mephiles gets closer to the truth with Locke and Amy.

The following day, Amy watched as Knuckles climbed into a truck along with Manic. The two had finished prepping and loading the truck with the other weaponry that Enerjak had requested. They would meet Enerjak distribute the guns, then take some drugs to mule back. In the background, Mighty and Gadget geared up on their motorcycles as they prepared for their long journey. Amy stood on the front porch hugging Shadow as if it’d be the last time she’d see him again. “How long are you going to be gone again?” she mumbled into his chest.

Shadow placed a hand on top of her head. “Only three days,” he reminded with a chuckle. “But I’ll be back, I promise.”

She glanced up at him with further doubt and suspicion. “And this is for a motorcycle convention?” she asked with trepidation.

He hesitated momentarily before answering as his eyes darted to the left. “Yes and no,” he wavered. Amy raised a brow and looked at him skeptically. “It’s just a merchandise run that we’re doing under the guise of a motorcycle convention,” he explained, going off her expression. “Nothing too serious.”

“…Okay,” she sighed and broke away from her embrace. “Just promise me you’ll be safe out there.”

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I promise,” he avowed. Amy smiled up at him sweetly.

Knuckles rolled down his window in the truck and looked at his wife standing on the front porch. “Rouge, check on my dad. Text me if there are any new updates on his health,” he yelled in the distance.

“Sure thing, hon!” Rouge called back.

“Love you,” he shouted.

“Love you too, Knucklehead!” she shouted back.

Shadow glanced at his phone and noticed the time. “Well, we must get on the road before the traffic gets bad. So, I’ll see you in a few days, Rose.”

Amy leaned up on her tippy-toes and kissed Shadow. Shadow reciprocated her gesture giving her one last long kiss and wrapping his arms around her waist. Standing at the front door, Mephiles watched the romantic display and scoffed under his breath at the display. He couldn’t stand seeing how loved up his brother was acting recently. Rouge couldn’t avoid hearing Mephiles’ disgust and raised one questionable brow at his reaction.

Amy finally pulled away from their kiss. “I love you,” she said quietly to keep it intimate between them.

“I love you too,” he replied before backing away from her.

Suddenly, Mephiles sauntered behind Amy, and slung one of his arms over her shoulder, startling her briefly. Rouge grimaced and shook her head at his sleazy ways. “Rest assured, brother. I’ll keep a good eye on her in your absence,” he promised. Amy couldn’t help but internally shudder from his unwarranted touch. The more she learned about Mephiles, the more she couldn’t stand the sight or touch of him. He was bad news all around and not to be trusted.

Shadow nodded and walked off before mounting his bike. Rouge waved to her husband from the front porch. A few moments later, the bikers drove out of the compound with the merchandise in tow. Mephiles waved to his departing members as they left the compound before they were out of sight. With his other arm still around her petite frame, Amy carefully removed his arm awkwardly. “Well, uh, I need to get to work now.” Rouge stared at the two watching Amy’s uncomfortable demeanor around the president.

Mephiles’ reptilian eyes followed her carefully as she began to head indoors. “Do you, by chance, need a ride to work? I could always give you a lift.”

“Oh, uh…” Amy froze and grimaced at the thought of riding to work with Mephiles. The idea of pressing her body against him and wrapping her arms around his waist while riding to work on his motorcycle grossed her out. She could only fathom what ideas that might give him.

“—Ray already said he’d take her in,” Rouge butted into the conversation.

Amy was thrilled Rouge had picked up on her social cues and saved her. She went along with Rouge’s lie. “Yeah, that’s right! Ray already promised he’d take me to work.” She hadn’t asked Ray, but she was sure he’d have no problem complying with the task.

He studied her for a moment before brushing off her bold lie. “Very well then. I’ll always be at your beckon if you need me, Ms. Rose,” he stated with a head bow. Amy watched as he exited the porch and walked towards the mechanic shop.

Once he was out of earshot, Amy turned to the white bat. “Thank you so much for helping me back there,” she said quietly.

“Of course, I could see you were visibly uncomfortable, and I don’t blame you,” she shrugged. “I wasn’t kidding when I said to steer clear of the guy,” she chuckled.

•~•

Later that morning, Amy showed up to work and was surprised to see Ms. Vanilla in the private doctor’s lounge waiting by her locker. She also spotted Tikal unpacking her belongings into the cubby at another locker. Tikal shot Amy a look of remorse before glancing away. Amy’s eyes drifted back to the rabbit as she approached. “Oh, Ms. Vanilla, good morning,” Amy commented.

“Good morning, Ms. Rose,” she smiled. “I just wanted to commend you for your honorable mention. I heard about what you did to save that patient last night.”

Amy gave a small smile. “Oh, you did? I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Ms. Vanilla placed a hand on her shoulder. “You should be so proud,” she complimented. “That’s the type of doctors we like to hire around here. Ones that perform heroically even when off the clock.”

“Well, again, thank you so much,” she replied respectfully.

Ms. Vanilla smiled before glancing down at her clipboard. “As for your duties today, I have you assigned for a heart transplant in room O.R 402,” she instructed. “You’ll be there most of the day since it’s quite a long surgery.”

“No problem.”

Ms. Vanilla left the room, leaving Amy and Tikal alone together. Amy uncomfortably and quietly placed her purse into the locker in silence. She still felt awkward around Tikal after her disagreement the day before.

“…Thank you,” Tikal finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Amy turned her head to look in Tikal’s direction. “Pardon?”

“Thank you for saving my uncle’s life,” Tikal elaborated. “I heard about what you did yesterday. Everyone’s been talking about it. So, once again, thank you.”

“Locke is my friend. I’d do anything to keep him safe,” she said nonchalantly.

“I see that now,” she nodded. “I also wanted to apologize for how I came across yesterday. I realized last night that it wasn’t right for me to reprimand you that way. It truly is none of my business.”

Amy closed her locker door. “No, it’s okay. You don’t need to apologize. I understand where you were coming from. You were thinking about me in my best interest. It’s just…As I said yesterday, I’ve already had other people express their concerns.”

“I see,” she nodded. “Well, I hope we can remain on good terms. I want to keep you as a friend.”

Amy smiled. “Of course!”

Tikal looked relieved. “Wonderful.”

Amy and Tikal began to make their exit from the doctor’s lounge together. “You should swing by with me and visit Locke later this afternoon,” she suggested. “I’m sure he’d be happy to see you.”

“That’s a lovely idea. I truly do need to keep in contact with him more.”

•~•

Driving for hours, the boys stopped at a gas station to fuel up. Shadow finished pumping gas and placed the pump back in its holster. Manic and Mighty came out of the convenience store together, and Manic was munching away on a family-sized bag of chips.

“Dude, that’s your second bag of those things today,” Mighty noted, pointing at the bag as they returned to their vehicles.

Manic threw another chip in his mouth, munching down on it. “Yeah, I’m still a little stoned, man. I hit two blunts before we hit the road,” he chuckled. “It’s a good thing Knuckles was driving this morning. You know I don’t condone being high behind the wheel,” he chuckled.

Mighty shook his head. “You’re hooked on that, man.”

“Hey, you’re addicted to girls, and I’m addicted to weed. Don’t judge my addiction, bro. We all battle our demons.”

Knuckles came out of the bathroom and hustled back over to the truck. “We must keep moving if we want to get there by tonight. We’ve got several more hours ahead of us.”

Manic groaned in annoyance. “I already feel like I’ve been in this lame truck for five hours. My butt fell asleep!”

“That’s because you have been in that truck for five hours, Manic,” Mighty confirmed with a deadpan expression and tone.

Manic looked bewildered at the realization. “Dude…”

While the two held their banter, Shadow couldn’t help but notice a strange-looking red cable van parked across the street with darkened windows. He had seen them on the road while they were driving and was getting a suspicious feeling from them. He made a mental note to watch for them when they continued their journey.

•~•

Meanwhile, at the hospital, both Amy and Tikal dropped by Locke’s room during their lunch break. Amy peeked her head in and spotted Locke sitting in a reclined setting in his bed while he watched the television plastered at the top of the wall across from him. “Knock, knock,” Amy announced with a smile.

Locke glanced at the entrance to his room and smiled at Amy’s presence. “Lass!”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a visitor with me,” Amy gestured to Tikal, pulling up behind her.

Tikal waved graciously at her uncle. “Uncle, it’s been a while…”

“Tikal, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you,” he stated, eying her up and down. “You’ve grown into quite the lovely young lass yourself.”

Tikal gave a curt smile as she approached his bedside next to Amy. “Thank you.”

“How’s your mom doing? Is she holding up all right?” Locke inquired.

“My mother is doing great,” Tikal replied. “She’s busy with business as usual.”

“That’s good to hear,” Locke nodded.

The orange echidna moved in closer. “How are you feeling today?”

“A little sore and tired, but otherwise not too bad,” he answered. He looked over to Amy. “I heard you were the one to save the day.”

The pink hedgehog crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a playful smile. “I wasn’t about to let anything happen to you. You know that.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard it enough, but thank you for saving this old curmudgeon’s life.”

Suddenly, Tikal’s beeper buzzed in her lab coat pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the alert. “My apologies, I’m needed back downstairs.” She glanced at the two of them. “I’ll pop in again to check in on you and perhaps hold a longer conversation. See you later, Amy,” she waved before exiting. Amy waved back.

“Bye,” Locke waved.

“I saw Rouge was written down on the visitor’s list,” Amy mentioned.

Locke tried to sit up a little straighter in his bed. “Yes, she popped in earlier.” His eyes glanced at a vase full of flowers on the table next to his bed. “She brought me those,” he gestured.

Amy’s eyes wandered over to the beautiful flowers on display. “That was nice of her,” she complimented. “But, now that we’re alone,” she segued. “What exactly happened last night? I heard you and Mephiles argued.”

“Yeah, he was in a pissy mood with me last night, and he was practically asking for a fight,” he explained. “I guess he’s still sore over my blackmail against him. It must be eating away at him.”

“That makes more sense now. When I came out and saw you on the floor, I feared that he had attacked you,” she admitted.

“The bastard wishes he could,” Locke chuckled to himself.

Suddenly a nurse strolled in with a rolling table holding a plate of food and a beverage. “Lunch is served.”

Locke rubbed his hands together eagerly. “About time. I’m famished.”

Amy glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh, I need to grab something to eat myself,” she noted. “I’m going to swing by one more time later this evening before I get off work, okay?”

The nurse lifted the lid and placed the food tray on a rolling table that hovered over his bed. The plate of food was boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, assorted vegetables, and green Jell-O for dessert. Locke grabbed his fork. “Sure thing, lass. See you later this evening!”

•~•

Location: Future City 6 PM

That evening, the boys finally reached their first pit stop. They pulled into a sleazy-looking motel where they’d spend the night. They planned to hit the road again the following day and hopefully make it to their destination by lunchtime. Shadow parked his bike in one of the parking spots in front of the rooms and took his hands off the handles. He flexed his fingers inward and outwards, having had his hands cramp up on the long ride.

Knuckles hopped out of the truck next to Shadow. He stretched his back out, hearing a crack. “Fuck, that was a long car ride.”

“You can say that again,” Shadow seconded.

Manic yawned as he walked around the side of the truck. “Man, I’m freaking beat. I need to hit the sheets.”

Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the green hedgehog. “How can you possibly still be tired? After we fueled up, you slept the whole second half of the trip.”

Manic rolled his eyes. “Hey, man, don’t hate on me because I can sleep sixteen hours daily, okay?”

Mighty and Gadget returned from the check-in lobby and walked to the other three holding key cards. “All right, we got our rooms.” The red and black armadillo handed each of them a key. “Manic, Knuckles, and Gadget will be sharing a room, and Shadow, you and I got the other room.”

Knuckles groaned. “Oh, come on! I had to listen to this guy blow up the truck with lethal farts. He practically gassed me out,” he bemoaned. “Can’t we switch?”

Manic shot Knuckles a glare at the accusation. “Yo, I wouldn’t be the one to talk. You’re the one who snores like a freaking freight train, my dude. I have no idea how Rouge gets any sleep with your mondo loud snoring,” he accused.

“I do not snore. I’m just a heavy breather,” Knuckles excused, getting offended.

“Bro, you’re in denial,” he pointed. “At least I didn’t deny my farting problem. I’m cool with it,” he shrugged.

Knuckles puffed up his chest, getting in Manic’s face. “I’m going to fart in your direction tonight and see how you like it, you little punk!”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’ll snore real loud next to your ear so you can hear the supreme-o percussions I have to suffer with,” he shot back. “I’m surprised you’ve never inhaled the drapes off the windows, dude.”

Shadow was tired of watching the two go back and forth in their childish nature. He couldn’t believe these two belonged to one of Mobius's most notorious biker gangs. The two had killed countless people like it was nothing, yet they argued like children over something neither could genuinely help. “All right, stop the bickering,” he snapped. “If this is going to be a huge ordeal, I’ll swap with Knuckles, and he can sleep in Mighty’s room.”

“Yes!” Knuckles cheered with a fist punch to the air.

Mighty forced a smile, unhappy he’d now have to be the one to share a room with Knuckles’ snoring. “…Yeah, all right,” he feigned excitement. He’d instead put up with Manic’s flatulence if he had the option now.

Manic seemed to be happy with the swap as well. “Booya!” he celebrated. He slung an arm around Shadow with enthusiasm. “Oh, you’re going to love rooming with Gadget and me. We’re the best roommates you could have!”

“Sir, I’d suggest wearing nose plugs to bed,” Gadget suggested to the dark hedgehog. “Luckily for me, I don’t have the issues of suffering through the foul stenches of Manic’s bowels. My constant congestion and allergies prevent me from breathing in the smells of his innards,” he explained succinctly and logically without a beat.

Shadow shot the red wolf a deadpan glare, which he quickly picked up before scurrying off to the room. Manic ignored Gadget’s comment before another idea crossed his mind. “Oh, yeah, and you know what the best thing about rooming with me is?”

Shadow grimaced at the possibilities. Chaos knew what was about to come out of his mouth. “Do I want to know the answer to this?”

“Well…” Manic snickered and cupped a hand around his mouth to keep it hushed. “If you wanna get a little freaky and sext with Amy tonight, I hold no judgment. I’ll even go in the bathroom to give you two a little privacy,” he whispered.

Shadow stiffened and broke away from the green hedgehog’s grasp. “Oh, fuck off!”

Manic shrugged and threw up his arms innocently. “What’d I say, man?”

Mighty and Knuckles couldn’t help but overhear his comment and chuckled at Shadow’s prude nature when discussing intimate matters between him and Amy.

•~•

Walking into the hospital lounge, Mephiles strolled up to the front desk and removed his sunglasses from his head, tucking them to rest on the collar of his shirt. The nurse behind the desk looked up at the dark hedgehog. “Good evening, sir. How may I help you?”

“Is visitation still ongoing?” he questioned, leaning his arms over the counter.

“They certainly are,” she confirmed. “However, only about fifteen minutes are left, so it’ll have to be a speedy visit.”

“That won’t be a problem on my end.”

“Very well, who are you seeing today?” she inquired with a smile.

“Locke Echidna,” Mephiles replied.

She quickly typed away on her computer to look for his information. “Ah, yes, Mr. Echidna is in room 203,” she informed. “I’ll need your I.D., please.” Mephiles handed it over, and she pulled up a tab on her computer to begin filling in the information. “If you’d just sign in your full name and the time on the sign-in sheet, that’d be great,” she instructed.

“Of course…” Mephiles reached for the chained pen on the counter and jotted down the date and time on the sign-in sheet.

Just then, the phone rang, and the nurse quickly answered it. “Hello, Mercia Hospital front desk. Oh, no, he’s not in today, sir. Can I take a message?” Seeing the nurse distracted, Mephiles began to plot a new plan. He didn’t necessarily want his information in the system and certainly didn’t want it to be known that he visited at a particular time. He pretended to write information on the sign-in sheet just when he heard a crash. He looked behind him and noticed an elderly female rabbit had collapsed out of her wheelchair while sitting in the lounge. The nurse behind the desk and a few other standing nurses quickly rushed to assist her.

Mephiles spotted his I.D. still on the nurse’s desk before the keyboard. She hadn’t entered his information yet. Quickly, he reached over the side, swiped it up, and quickly jotted down another name on the sign-in sheet. Then, discreetly, he slipped away while the nurses gathered around the older woman.

•~•

Walking down the hospital corridors, Mephiles scanned each side, desperately looking for room 203. He had determined that the room number must be on the second floor and was getting closer. His eyes stared at one room number he passed, “Room 199.”

He wasn’t exactly sure what his next step would be once he got to Locke’s room. However, he knew he would do anything to kill him. Finally, Mephiles stopped just outside room 203. To confirm this was the correct room, he eyed the file in the container outside the door, which read, “Patient: Locke Echidna.” Taking a cautious glance to his left and right before entering, Mephiles peeked inside the room and spotted the old echidna sleeping in his bed. Perfect. Mephiles slipped further inside and discreetly closed the door behind him, leaving them alone.

The dark president quietly walked to the side of his bed and glared down at him. Locke had an I.V. in one arm and some other wires under his shirt attached to his chest to monitor his heartbeat. He also had oxygen tubes in his nostrils to supply extra oxygen. Mephiles’ fists tightened by his sides in rage as he stared at the old echidna sleeping helplessly before him. How dare he threaten to expose him for his evil deeds.

“You’ve lived long enough. It’s time for you to move on,” he whispered.

•~•

Meanwhile, Amy was getting ready to check out for the evening. However, she promised Locke she’d check in with him again before returning home. Amy went to the front desk to sign in for visitation as earlier. While Amy signed her name down on the list, she couldn’t help but notice another name listed a few spaces above her. It read, “Knuckles,” and next to the time, it said he was visiting at 6:00 PM. The time now was 6:03.

“Excuse me,” Amy interrupted politely as the nurse behind the desk typed something. “Who was the last person to visit Locke Echidna?”

“Oh, well, that must’ve been his son. Although he didn’t look much like him,” the nurse rambled. “Speaking of which, if you happen to see him on your way down, can you remind him to stop by the front desk so I can finish putting in his I.D. information? There was a little accident earlier, and he left before I finished putting in his info.”

Amy’s mind began to race. There was no way Knuckles was here visiting his father in the hospital. He was miles and miles out of town, which meant someone was impersonating him—and she had a good idea who it was. Her heart sank, and she smiled sheepishly and nodded to the nurse. “Yes, of course.”

Amy began rushing down the hall in the best power walk she could muster. She could only hope she wasn’t too late. When she finally got to Locke’s room, his door was shut. She peered into the window on the door and spotted Mephiles standing with his back to her. Amy grabbed the door handle and opened it, ready to spring into action.

Mephiles craned his neck in her direction, eying her. “Good evening, Ms. Rose,” he practically purred innocently.

Amy lowered the blatant suspicion in her expression and relaxed her tension as she entered the room. She quickly looked at Locke, realized he was asleep, and appeared unharmed. “Oh, Mephiles, I didn’t expect to see you here so late.”

“Well, I wanted to pop in and pay him a visit and personally apologize to him for my behavior last night,” he lied smoothly.

Amy walked further into the room. “That’s very kind of you…however, it looks like he’s out for the evening,” she gestured to his sleeping state. “That heart attack took a lot out of him yesterday. He needs his rest.”

“That’s a shame,” Mephiles tsked. “I sure hope he recovers.” He glanced at the clock on the wall to his right. “Isn’t your shift over about now?”

Amy looked at the clock herself quickly, trying to avoid giving him eye contact. “Uh, yeah, I was about to clock out, but I wanted to look in on Locke one last time.”

Mephiles placed one hand on his hip. “How convenient! I can give you a ride home,” he suggested tilting his head to the side.

“That’s sweet, Mephiles, but one of my co-workers wanted to grab dinner after work. I’m meeting her in the lobby in ten minutes,” she quickly lied on the spot.

Mephiles began to walk towards the door. “You know, Ms. Rose, I can’t help but get the feeling that you’re avoiding me,” he noted playfully but deep down felt a strained divide between them. There was something off about her tonight.

Amy shook her head. “No!” she proclaimed. “You just keep catching me at bad timings,” she assured. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Mephiles. Honestly.”

He opened the door and stood on the other side of the door, still holding onto the doorknob. “If you say so,” he shrugged indifferently. “At any rate, have a lovely rest of your evening and get home safely, or my dear brother will have my head.”

She waved at him. “I promise I will. See you at home later.”

With that said, he closed the door behind him, leaving Amy and Locke alone.

After a few moments, the echidna finally spoke. “—Is that bastard finally gone?” Locke’s groggy voice asked.

Amy turned around and looked down at the bed where Locke kept his eyes closed as he remained in bed. “Were you awake this whole time?”

His eyes finally fluttered open. “No, but I began to stir when you two were talking. I thought it’d be best if I continued to pretend to be asleep to get him out of here for both our sakes.”

“Good thinking,” she commended.

“You did a great job with your little fib there,” he noted. “You came up with that dinner lie on the spot?”

Amy chuckled lightly. “You think he believed it? I’m terrified of being alone with him for a prolonged period. He gives me the creeps.”

“You have good instincts, lass. You don’t want to dwell around that creep,” he insisted. Locke sat upright in bed and grunted a bit. “Oh, and you know he was lying as well. He wasn’t here to apologize to me.”

Amy nodded and took a seat next to his bed. “No, I know,” she agreed. “Before I made my way down here, I had to check in through visitation. When I was signing in, I noticed he put his name down on the list as Knuckles. He somehow managed to bypass the security measure with his I.D.”

“Crafty bastard,” Locke muttered with a scoff.

“Yeah, clearly he wanted to slip in undetected and do something,” she conjectured. “Are you sure he didn’t do anything to you?”

Locke lifted his arms and looked himself over. “Not that I’m aware of, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he came to try to finish me off. I feel fine, though.”

“Is he doing this all because of your threat?” Amy questioned nervously.

“More than likely,” he answered.

“…Locke,” Amy sighed. “This is getting dangerous. How are you not afraid?”

“Because he knows he’s fucked either way,” he replied. “I’ll be the one who comes out victorious in the end,” he avowed.

“But you don’t know that for sure.” Amy reached out and placed a hand on top of his. “Your life is at stake here,” she stressed. “I know you think you’re doing the best thing for the club, but I truly worry about you. Is all this worth it?”

“Yes,” he breathed. “I have to take him down, lass. One way or another.”

•~•

Amy finally returned home and got ready for bed. It was nearing 11 PM, and she had just finished getting undressed and was in her pajamas. Amy stood before her closed bedroom door and looked at the calendar. She counted the days with a red marker noting the number of days left before crossing out the current day. Her eyes went over to the day circled in a bright red marker, “Shadow’s birthday.” She was excited to celebrate the special day with him and had a plan in store. Suddenly her phone rang, startling her momentarily. Sitting on her bed, Amy looked at the screen and noticed it was the dark hedgehog himself face-timing her. She smiled and quickly answered the call, eager to hear his voice. “Hello?”

The screen showed Shadow holding his phone out as he sat on a sidewalk's curb with some motel doors in the background. His face noticeably brightened when her face appeared on his phone screen. “Evening, princess.”

Amy felt her heart flutter at his once facetious nickname turned pet name. “Wow, I didn’t expect to hear from you tonight. This is a lovely surprise.”

“You think I’m going to miss the opportunity to check in on my girl on our first time apart?” he chuckled. “I at least have to tuck you in virtually.”

“You’re sweet,” she smiled back at him before realizing his scenery. “Uh, where are you right now anyway?” she squinted.

“We’re in Future City, well actually,” he stumbled. “More like just on the outskirts in a seedier part of the town,” he clarified. “We’re at a motel to spend the night. Tomorrow we’ll finally be at our destination.”

“I bet you’re exhausted from traveling all day,” she noted. “Anything eventful happen?”

Shadow shook his head. “No, thankfully, it was a smooth ride up here. More so, it was just long and grueling. How was your day, though?”

Amy leaned further back into her pillow. “Not too bad. I observed a few operations today and checked in on Locke twice.”

“Oh, how’s he doing then?” he inquired curiously.

“He’s doing well,” she responded. “I believe he’ll be discharged tomorrow. Speaking of which, send that info over to Knuckles.”

“Got it,” Shadow nodded. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear it.”

Amy couldn’t help but stare at Shadow lovingly as another thought crossed her mind. “I know it sounds silly that you’ve only been gone for several hours now, but I can’t wait to see you in person again. It’s lonely in bed without you here…” she flirted playfully.

Shadow couldn’t help but smirk slightly. “I’ll be back spooning you before you realize it. It’ll only be a couple more days,” he promised.

Amy brought one of her hands to her lips and blew him a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too, babe,” he smiled back. “It’s getting late there, and I know you have an early shift tomorrow. Get some sleep, okay?”

“You too,” she smiled. Do you think you could call me around the same time tomorrow night? I like having you virtually tuck me in. It's super cute.”

“Sounds like a date,” he smiled. “Sweet dreams, princess.”

She waved at him. “Night.” The two hung up.

•~•

The next day, Shadow, Knuckles, Manic, Mighty, and Gadget arrived at downtown Future City. They rode up to a large convention center with a banner that said, “Motorcycle Convention Expo.” The M.C. had decided to use their attendance at an annual motorcycle convention as a guise for their true machinations. The group parked their bikes and the truck containing the “goods” in the expansive parking lot filled with other motorcycle enthusiasts and guests.

Mighty and Manic couldn’t help but ogle at a beautiful girl wearing denim shorts and a bikini top pose on one of the motorcycles on display. Gadget shook his head before nudging the two back to reality as he spotted Shadow and Knuckles making their way back over. “Well, we’re all signed in,” Knuckles announced.

“Now that we’ve covered our alibi, all we do is wait, right?” Mighty questioned.

Shadow nodded. “Yes, Enerjak and his guys are supposed to meet us in the parking lot.”

Manic scratched at his head. “What time did they say again?”

“They said around 1 PM, and that’s in the next five minutes,” Shadow informed, glancing at his watch. The bikers walked around the busy parking lot with patrons heading towards the convention center. Meanwhile, they walked in the opposite direction, further away from the expo.

Suddenly, Shadow noticed a large black SUV with tinted windows in the far corner under some trees. He gave a subtle head nod in the vehicle’s connection. “Cartel is over there.”

The group surrounded the SUV, and the tinted window rolled down, revealing one of Enerjak’s right-hand men. A gruff purple echidna. “Where’s Enerjak?” Shadow asked.

“He doesn’t like to be watched,” the purple echidna replied.

Shadow quirked a brow, a little confused by his comment. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve got a narc following you,” he stated. “You’ll need to lose them before we deal.”

Shadow felt his hair rise on the back of his neck but kept a calm composure. He continued to look at the purple echidna in the face, refusing to make it evident to the officials that he was onto them now. “Where are they?”

“There’s a cable van at three o’clock,” he replied.

“Nobody else look,” Shadow ordered his group, who were listening in. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on the echidna. “We don’t want to make it obvious. Knuckles, locate it for us discreetly.”

Obliging, Knuckles looked over his shoulder cautiously and spotted the vehicle parked in the distance. “Shit,” he mumbled under his breath before turning back around.

“Let me guess. It’s a red van with darkened windows?” Shadow deduced, still not having turned around to look at it.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Knuckles confirmed.

Shadow sighed. “When we stopped at that gas station yesterday, I noticed it across the street. It had been on the highway with us for a while. I hoped it was a coincidence, but when I didn’t see it anywhere at the motel, I brushed it off,” he explained.

“Well, we don’t do business until it’s taken care of,” he warned.

Shadow nodded, understanding what they’d need to do. He knew Mephiles would be infuriated if this deal didn’t go through. However, he also knew the dangers of not following through with a promise regarding the cartel. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”

“You better. Call me back when it’s clear.” The diver beside him started the car's engine and rolled up the passenger side window. The Brothers watched as the SUV drove off.

“Any grand ideas then?” Manic piped up.

“We’ll have to create some sort of diversion,” Gadget gathered. “We need to make them think we’re supplying our merchandise at a new location but lose or hinder them along the way.”

Shadow began walking back toward their parked bikes, and the rest of the boys followed him. “Okay, let’s head to I-7, and we’ll figure something out. We always do.”
•~•

Meanwhile, that same day, Rouge and Amy helped get Locke back home to his cabin back in Mercia. The two females stood on either side as they helped walk inside for support. His body was still slightly feeling the effects of the heart attack. “Thank you two,” he praised.

The two girls escorted him to a reclining chair in the living room before a T.V. “Is this a good place to sit you down?” Amy inquired.

Locke nodded. “Yes, that will do.” The two girls helped lower him into the seat comfortably. “It’s good to be home,” he sighed.

Rouge walked towards his kitchen. “And you’re sure you don’t want to be closer to us? There is a spare bedroom at the compound, you know…”

“Nah, I’d rather be in my own home. Besides, I can take care of myself.”

Rouge looked through his cabinets and fridge, noticing they all seemed relatively barren. “It looks like you could use a run to the grocery store. You don’t have enough essentials here for food.”

“Well, I suppose I was getting lazy,” he admitted.

Rouge perked up at an idea. “I could always run to the store for you and grab some things,” she offered.

Locke looked appreciative of the idea. “Thank you, Rouge, that’d be great.”

Rouge smiled and walked back over towards the front door. “All right, I’ll be back in an hour or so. Amy, stay here until I get back, okay?”

Amy nodded and waved her off. “Sure thing.” With that said Rouge left the two alone again.

“Well, now that we’re alone, I think it’d be best to ensure Detective Espio didn’t find those copies you made.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he concurred. “I almost forgot about that whole ordeal with my heart attack.”

Amy walked around the living room, taking in his home décor. “Where did you hide them anyway? I’ll go to check that they’re still there.”

“Do you see the wall directly behind me?” he instructed.

Amy turned around and looked at the wall behind them. “The one with the dining room?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “There’s a bunch of pictures over there. Go to one of me with the old crew,” he directed. “Lift the picture from the wall, and a hole is directly behind it. I put all the info there.”

Amy followed his directions and walked over to the wall. She searched for the correct picture and found and removed it from the wall. However, her heart sank when she noticed a hole in the wall with no contents. “Um, Locke…”

“What is it, lass?”

“…They’re not here,” she stated gravely.

Locke looked concerned but tried to remain calm. “I guess Espio did find them after all, which means…”

“—That he’s probably already reported back to Mephiles and let him read everything,” Amy surmised aloud.

“Yes, which makes sense why he appeared at the hospital yesterday. He was there to either kill me or get answers out of me. It’s clear what he read truly frightened him.”

Amy returned to his direction and sat on the couch near him. “What do we do now?”

“I gave him a week to pull out of the newest business venture, and I doubt he’ll cave. It’s only been two days so far. Only a few more days, and then I’ll expose him to the entire club,” Locke insured.

Amy gulped nervously. “Do you think I should re-hide the hard copies?”

Locke shook his head. “No, he has no idea about your involvement which is all the better. Just keep acting normal around him, and don’t give him any ideas you may know about this,” he instructed. “You’ll be fine, I promise.”

•~•

Back in Future City, Shadow, and the others were in the middle of their decoy mission. Shadow led the front of the squad down a relatively empty highway with the others on either side. However, Knuckles and Manic drove in front of Shadow with the “goods.” In the far distance behind them, Shadow peered at his left side view mirror and spotted the red cable van following them but trying to remain inconspicuous.

“Any great ideas yet?” Mighty shouted over the roaring winds and engines.

“Not yet. Give me a little bit more time,” Shadow shouted back.

Suddenly a large truck carrying a bunch of oil barrels came up from behind them and quickly merged around them and Knuckles and Manic’s truck. Shadow’s red eyes followed the truck as he noticed large leather straps holding down the great oil barrels on the back of the open truck bed.

Shadow glanced at Mighty and Gadget. “I think I’ve found our decoy,” Shadow shouted.

Mighty glanced back at the oil barrels again, realizing what Shadow’s idea would be. “I’ve got your back,” he shouted back.

Gadget nodded eagerly as well. “Same here, V.P!”

“I’m going to tell Knuckle’s the plan,” Shadow instructed. “Give me two minutes.”

Shadow reeved his handles and raced up next to Knuckle’s side on the driver’s side. Knuckles glanced at him from his window and watched Shadow reach for a large hunter’s knife strapped to his hip. He brandished it and pointed toward the truck holding the oil barrels in front of them. Then Shadow tucked the knife back with one hand, pointed to his gun tucked in the back of his pants, and pointed back at the truck, making a shooting gesture.

Knuckles looked a little confused about what the plan was at first. Thankfully, Manic had also been watching Shadow’s charades from the passenger seat. “I-I don’t understand,” Knuckles mumbled.

“Don’t sweat it, dude. I’ve got it,” Manic assured very arrogantly.

Knuckles shot the green hedgehog a doubtful glance briefly. “You, of all people, understand what the hell is going on right now?”

Manic crossed his arms over his chest and nodded proudly. “Yeah, totally.”

Knuckles raised one brow. “Care to explain then?”

“So, like, Shadow is going to race up and cut those barrel straps off, so the oil barrels will fall off the truck. Then he plans to shoot them, so they cause a huge explosion,” he explained. “We’ll probably need to get out of the way since we’re directly behind the truck,” he surmised.

Knuckles glanced back over to Shadow, who eagerly awaited to get the go-ahead to enact their plan while riding beside them. Knuckles swallowed nervously. “You better hope you’re right on this one.”

Manic didn’t seem too concerned. “We’ll be fine.” He leaned over Knuckles and gave Shadow a thumbs up, confirming the understood nonverbal plan. Shadow gave a curt nod and took his pressure off the gas, so he fell back, appearing behind their truck.

Shadow, Gadget, and Mighty watched as Knuckles stepped on the gas and merged with the oil barrels in front of the truck. Now it was just the oil barrel truck, Mighty, Shadow, Gadget, and the red cable van behind them. The vice president looked over to Mighty and Gadget. “Let’s move!” The three ascended on either side of the oil barrel truck and began cutting away at the binds keeping the barrels restrained.

Inside the cable van, the three undercover officers watched in awe at the three motorcyclists. “What the hell are they doing?” the officer behind the wheel questioned. Within moments, six barrels rolled off and hit the road heading straight for them.

“Shit!” the officer shouted inside the cable van as he veered in a zigzag formation to do everything to avoid the barrels. While the cable van full of officers dodged the runaway barrels, Shadow reached behind him and grabbed the gun tucked in his pants. He aimed it at one specific barrel hitting it successfully. The barrels exploded, causing a chain reaction to make the other barrels explode. A massive fire broke out in a horizontal line, keeping the cable van from pursuing them.

One of the officers got out of the van and stared at the massive flames before them. “Damn it…”
•~•

Back in Mercia, Amy and Rouge finally returned home after helping Locke get settled back in. Rouge tossed her car keys and wallet on the table by the front door. She then made her way upstairs tiredly. “Boy, I’m exhausted. I’m going to shower quickly and then help you with dinner.”

“Sure, no problem,” she addressed. Suddenly, Amy spotted Ray walking upstairs from the basement. “Hey, Ray.”

“Hi, Miss Amy,” he smiled pleasantly with a wave.

She hung up her purse and coat by the front door. “How has your day been so far?”

“Busy,” he answered. “I’ve been doing loads of errands all day,” he explained. “I’m sure your day has been equally busy,” he assumed.

Amy walked further into the house. “Pretty much.”

However, the small talk conversation was interrupted when Mephiles walked in, holding his right hand as blood seeped down his arm. He looked at her calmly as blood droplets hit the wood floor. “Pardon the interruption, but I need your assistance, Miss Rose.”

From looking at his injury, Mephiles had seriously cut his hand. “Oh my!” She quickly rushed over and opened her office door. “Come in,” she instructed.

“I’ll clean up the blood,” Ray volunteered and headed for the utility closet to get a mop.

Mephiles took a seat on the examination table and held his bloody hand. In the meantime, Amy quickly washed her hands and wore clean gloves. Mephiles studied her from behind as she prepared. “What happened exactly?” she questioned while drying off her hands.

“I accidentally cut myself in the kitchen while slicing up some vegetables,” he explained.

Amy snapped on some gloves, turned around, and began to blot excess blood with some medical cloth. “Keep your arm elevated,” she instructed. Mephiles kept his arm raised while she assessed his injury. The cut was diagonal across the palm of his hand. As she examined his injury, she couldn’t help but notice it didn’t appear to be a wound he’d received from chopping up vegetables. “You said this happened when you were cutting some vegetables?” she asked, trying to hide her skepticism.

He nodded. “That’s correct, my dear.”

From her perspective, it almost seemed self-inflicted. She couldn’t even fathom what type of vegetable he’d be cutting to receive an injury in this fashion. She shrugged it off, not to draw suspicion from him. “You’ll have to be more careful next time.”

“Duly noted,” he pledged. He watched as she brought over a bowl of clean water with a sponge and began carefully cleaning it off. During the silence, Mephiles opted to fill it with some questioning. “So, you and Locke have been spending much time with one another,” he cautiously observed, trying to initiate small talk.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Amy shrugged. She removed hydrogen peroxide from the bottle and used a fresh cotton ball to clean the cut.

“You brought him back to his home today?” he inquired.

She disposed of the dirty cotton balls. “Yes, that’s right.”

Mephiles winced slightly, feeling a stinging pain. He continued to study her carefully as she tended to his wound. “So, you could say you’ve gotten quite close then?”

Amy turned around and reached for more supplies. She was starting to wonder where this conversation was going. She felt guarded with her answers to his questions. “I guess so. Why do you ask?” She turned her back and opened a cabinet, looking for fresh bandages.

He smirked knowingly while she looked away and then put on a neutral expression when she turned back to face him again. “No reason,” he shrugged. “I’m pleased you’re settling in and becoming part of the family. You do realize that with your loyalty to us, we’ll always be loyal in return,” he reminded.

She nodded. “I appreciate that, Mephiles. However, I already know that with all you’ve done with my past catching up with me.” Amy opened the box containing the wrapping bandage. “You’re lucky this cut isn’t as deep as I thought. I was ready to have to give you stitches, but it looks like you won’t need them. However, I will need to change your bandages periodically.”

“Since you helped Locke clean his storage unit, perhaps you could help me go through some old things from Shadow, and I’s storage unit? I do need to go through some of those old boxes. You never know what you may stumble across…”

Amy felt herself freeze up at the mention. Did he know about her involvement? She kept her composure and played along with him. If so, this was a dangerous game he was playing. “Sure, Shadow knows I love organization,” she replied.

She applied some healing ointment and then began to wrap his hand. “Oh, you’re an angel, Miss Rose. We don’t deserve your compassion and expertise,” he hummed delightfully. “My brother is blessed to have you as his old lady. Plenty of other males within our charter would have loved to have claimed you as their old lady,” he winked.

“…Heh, you don’t say?” She smiled sheepishly at his comment. It felt a little creepy, if not flirty coming from him. She finally finished wrapping his hand. “We’re all done here.”

He looked down at his bandaged hand and stood up from his seat. “Thank you, Miss Rose. I feel better already.”

“You’re welcome,” she nodded.

Mephiles exited her office and smirked as he headed back to the kitchen. He wanted to find a reason to be alone with her and question her over his suspicions, but he hadn’t seen the perfect opportunity. It had seemed like Amy had been purposely avoiding him at all costs. However, injuring himself intentionally seemed like the best method—one way she could not refuse.

•~•

After losing the authorities, Shadow and the rest of the gang met up with Enerjak and his two right-hand guys in a discreet location just off the highway. As they patrolled, his two bodyguards stood in the distance next to his parked SUV with AK-47s. Knuckles couldn’t help but feel it was a little overboard. “Do you guys always pack this much heat with meet-ups?”

Enerjak looked over his shoulder at the heavily armed men he was referring to. “It’s just a precaution.”

Knuckles crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Should we start taking up that precaution?”

“The Suppression Squad don’t know of our deal. We’re in the clear.”

Mighty did a double take. “Excuse me, did you say Suppression Squad? Since when did they get into the drug business?”

Enerjak directed his attention over to the armadillo. “Well, recently, our competition acquired another M.C. to help them mule and distribute drugs,” he informed them. “The Suppression Squad was onboard to make more profit.”

“Who’s your competition?” Shadow asked.

“Dr. Starline,” Enerjak answered. “He’s a drug kingpin that’s started to gain traction in this industry.” He suddenly snapped his fingers, and one of his other guys rushed over with a large duffle bag. “Here’s your payment for today, 700,000. This is half down for the next shipment.”

Shadow accepted the duffle bag, noting its hefty weight. “Great.”

“We’ll be back in a few days to check in on the operation,” Enerjak explained. “In the meantime, let’s help you load up your truck with the drugs. You’ll hold onto them for us in the meantime until distribution.” He clapped his hands together, and his guys began unloading large crates and carrying them to the back of the Brother’s truck.

Knuckles, Gadget, Manic, and Mighty helped load the drugs onto the back of the truck.

Chapter 27: Bad Girl

Summary:

Amy has been planning a surprise birthday party for Shadow for weeks now. However, things don't go smoothly when Mephiles purposely tries to sabotage the event and put a divide between the couple when he re-introduces an old "flame" of Shadow.

I do not own the rights to the song "Bad Girl" by Avril Lavigne Ft. Marilyn Manson

It was Shadow’s 28th birthday, and Amy had planned a big surprise party. Somehow and someway, everyone was in the loop except for Shadow. That morning, Shadow came downstairs tiredly in his mechanic jumpsuit. He yawned as he stretched his arms and entered the kitchen, only to be greeted by the delicious smell of fresh pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He stopped in the entryway and noticed a plate on the table with two pancakes, two sunny-side-up eggs, and three crispy bacon pieces. Amy was in the process of pouring him a cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice. She smiled cheerfully. “Happy Birthday!”

He watched as she walked over and gave him an embrace and a smooch on the cheek. Shadow smiled warmly and mimicked her action. “Wow, thanks, Rose.” He eyed the food on the table. “You did all this for me?”

She watched as he sat down at the table. “Of course!”

Shadow dug into his breakfast and savored the flavors. Amy chuckled, turned to the sink, and began washing the skillet. “So, how do you want to spend your birthday today?” she asked coyly.

Shadow continued to scarf down his breakfast. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe go out and drink with the boys later tonight. Then spend the rest of it with you, I suppose.”

Amy pretended his idea sounded valid even though she had a whole surprise party planned that he was not privy to. “Sounds good. Just a nice quiet birthday, huh?”

He nodded, swallowing another bite. “Pretty much.”

“How much work do you have today?” she questioned, drying off the skillet and placing it into the drying rack.

“One job or two. It’s just mechanic work—not club business,” he replied.

Mephiles walked into the kitchen and glanced at the two. “Good morning, Ms. Rose,” he addressed before glancing at his younger brother. “And happy birthday to you, little brother,” he said as he patted him on the back.

Shadow glanced over at his older brother. “Thanks.”

“Remember, you still have Mrs. Glady’s old minivan to work on. She needs it by 4 PM,” he reminded.

Shadow finished shoving in the last bite of his food. He chewed and swallowed it as he stood from his seat. “Right, well, I guess I should get to it.” He walked over and gave Amy a peck on the lips before moving out of the kitchen.

Amy approached Mephiles once he was gone. “You and the boys are still going to distract him for Rouge, Ray, Locke, and me to get the house ready for the party, right?” she spoke quietly.

Mephiles nodded. “Of course, Ms. Rose. We have the perfect plan as well,” he assured.

“Great, I can’t get everything ready with him hanging around here.” She went back to washing dishes.

He chuckled lowly, heading out of the kitchen. “He’s in for plenty of surprises tonight…” Mephiles walked out onto the front porch and whipped out his phone. “Speaking of which, I need to make one final call,” he muttered.

•~•

Later that afternoon, Mighty, Gadget, Manic, Knuckles, and Mephiles met in the mechanic shop's breakroom to discuss the plan's next stage—the diversion. Luckily for them, Shadow worked through his lunch break so the group could talk privately. “So, what does Amy want us to do to keep Shads preoccupied?” Mighty inquired before he took a bite out of his sandwich.

“She didn’t specify, but she wants him out of the house for at least two or three hours,” Mephiles explained. He glanced at the small window looking out into the mechanic shop, where he watched Shadow working on the minivan he had been assigned earlier.

“Any ideas then, fellas?” Gadget suggested before taking a sip of his soda.

“We should take him to the Pot Shop and get him mad blazed,” Manic opined with a chuckle.

Mighty shot him a glare. “That sounds like something you would do—not Shadow. You know he doesn’t smoke weed.”

Manic laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh, yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“I’ve already got a place in mind, and this is our gift to my dear little brother,” Mephiles grinned mischievously.

Knuckles quirked a brow. “…And what exactly is your grand plan?”

Mephiles smirked deviously before whispering it to Manic. Manic’s eyes widened in excitement after hearing the idea. “Whoa, gnarly idea, man!” A “telephone” whispering procession went around the table before reaching Knuckles.

Knuckles looked at all four males, who seemed pretty intent on the idea. “Am I the only one here who thinks this is a bad idea?”

“It’s an incredible idea, and it’ll be the perfect ruse for keeping him away from the house,” Manic interjected.

“I don’t think you guys know Shadow that well,” Knuckles sighed. “He loves Amy, and I don’t think he’d approve of this—even if it is a gift.”

Mephiles knew fully well that Knuckles was correct on this matter. However, there was more to this plan that the others weren’t aware of. “Nonsense, he’ll be thrilled!” he lied boldly.

Knuckles gulped. “If Rouge catches me there, I’m as good as dead,” he dreaded. “Do I have to go?”

“Yes,” everyone said in unison.

“She’s not going to find out,” Mephiles defended. “Only we’ll know.”

“Yeah, don’t sweat it, Knux,” Mighty assured.

•~•

Mephiles and the others had managed to get Shadow away from the house, which left Amy, Locke, Rouge, and Ray plenty of time to get ready. After working diligently for two hours, the house was completed with birthday decorations. Amy and Rouge admired their excellent decorating skills, and Locke finished sweeping some dust in the far corner of the living room. “Ray, I need you in here!” Amy called.

The yellow squirrel came bounding upstairs from the basement. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Is everything set downstairs?” she questioned.

He nodded eagerly. “I have all the tables set downstairs. The jukebox is ready, plenty of seats, and the bar is fully loaded.”

“Perfect,” Amy smiled before reaching into her pocket. “Now, I need you to go to the store and pick up all the catering food I ordered. Here’s the receipt,” she said, handing him the paper. “Get back as soon as possible. They’ll be back soon.”

He saluted. “Right away, ma’am!” he said before charging out.

•~•

Meanwhile, the guys took a taxi van to town to enjoy some drinks together at a local bar. Mephiles, Shadow, Gadget, Mighty, Manic, and Knuckles sat around a round table and cheered, clinking their beer bottles. At this point, they had a couple of drinks and mellowed out a bit. Shadow glanced at his watch, noticing it was almost 7 PM. He figured Amy would be upset if he didn’t get home soon. He assumed she had probably prepared a birthday feast. He rose from his seat. “I’m going to take a quick piss, and then let’s get back. Amy will want me home soon.”

“Sounds like she wears the pants, dude,” Manic cracked.

Shadow chuckled at the comment. “She’s my old lady, and I like to keep her happy.” The other boys watched as he walked off into the bathroom.

Mephiles eyed each of them, giving them the signal. “Let’s do this, boys.” They all stood from their seats and followed Shadow.

Meanwhile, in the men’s bathroom, Shadow finished washing his hands. He walked over and grabbed a paper towel to dry off his hands. As his back was turned to the bathroom door, he heard someone come in behind him but did not initially turn around to look at them. However, something went over his head, and darkness consumed him. “Hey!” A dark velvet bag was draped over his head, and he felt multiple hands restrain and carry him off. He tried to fight off his offenders but to no avail.

•~•

It was now close to the three-hour mark, and the house was ready for the party. Even Ray had returned with all the food prepared to eat. Amy glanced at the clock, noticing the time. No one had shown up yet from the Southside charter, which surprised and concerned the girls. Locke stood at one of the refreshment tables and continuously munched on chips and dip.

“Why is no one here yet?” Rouge questioned.

“No clue.” Amy tapped her chin. “I’m wondering what happened to the boys, too.”

“I tried calling Mighty, Manic, and Mephiles, but all of their phones went to voicemail,” Ray explained.

“What if they got wasted and lost track of time?” Amy theorized with concern.

“Locke, any idea where the boys took Shadow?”

Locke looked over his shoulder and shrugged. “Sorry, Rouge, they purposely kept me out of the loop. They said I have a big mouth,” he scoffed in annoyance.

Rouge sighed deeply. “This is so rude! We need to figure out where the hell they went. I swear if they ruin this party…”

“You could always track them through their phones,” Ray suggested. Amy and Rouge looked at each other. That wasn’t a terrible plan.

•~•

Shadow panted as the black velvet bag was ripped off his head, finally giving him fresh air. As Shadow sat in a seat, his eyes looked around the darkened room, trying to determine precisely where he was. Unfortunately, it was too dark to figure that out yet. When he moved his hands, he realized they were immobilized by handcuffs behind his back. “What the hell is this?” he shouted. Some lights finally dimmed on, allowing him to see better, and he spotted his crew at the bottom of the stage on the main floor.

“Happy birthday!” the entire room erupted. More lights lit up around the room, and he realized the whole place was filled with the Southside charter and his crew.

Shadow eyed his guys in annoyance. “You kidnapped me all for a surprise party?” he scolded. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder from behind and looked up.

“The surprise isn’t over yet, little brother,” Mephiles hinted before walking away. Just from the devious smile on his brother’s face, he knew he had something “big” planned.

“What did you do?” Shadow questioned.

Manic grinned like an idiot, eager to see the next part of his surprise unfold. “Man, you’re going to love this present.”

Shadow blinked a few times. “What are you talking about?” he struggled with his wrists behind his back. “And why do I need to be handcuffed for it?” However, it finally dawned on him where he was. He was so disoriented by everything else that he glanced at his surroundings again. He noticed all the scantily clad female workers walking around in bras and thongs, serving alcohol, and doing provocative lap dances in other corners of the room for the males of their two charters. Not to mention, three long silver poles were placed on the stage around him. “Shit…” he mumbled in realization.

Before he could interject, one lone spotlight shone directly on the left-center stage, where a red female echidna stood poised and ready to perform her exotic dance and song number. Everyone gawked in awe at Lien-Da’s outfit choice for her performance. The red echidna didn’t have many secrets to keep tonight as she wore a kinky black leather cage outfit. Her curvy and toned body was hugged in all the right places by strip pieces of black leather. She had black tape covering her nipples, shown through an opaque piece of lace cloth for her bikini top. Lien had a black thong on her bottom half that displayed her perky and toned buttocks. She was also rocking some killer knee-high laced stiletto boots, holding in her thick thighs. Lien-Da epitomized a sex symbol or femme fatale.

Shadow blinked in alarm seeing his ex-fling standing before him on stage. “…Lien,” he whispered.

“Ha, ha, told you we’d surprise you, man,” Manic boasted.

Mephiles adjusted his pants as he felt a stirring occur when he stared at Lien-Da in her provocative outfit on the main stage. “Oh my…”

Knuckles shook his head and sighed. He already knew Shadow was not into this at all.

Lien caught Shadow’s eye and lowered her eyelids seductively before batting her eyelashes at him. Moving her mic connected to her headpiece, she moved the mic a little closer to her mouth. “I heard we had a special birthday boy tonight, and I’m pleased to say I’m quite familiar with him…This one is for you, baby,” she practically purred in reminiscence. Lien-Da snapped her fingers and turned her head dramatically to the side stage to indicate she was ready for her performance. “Hit it!” she commanded.

The lights suddenly shut off, leaving everyone in complete darkness. Everyone looked around as a gruff male voice came over the speakers. “Go ahead and lay your head in Daddy’s lap…”

Suddenly, the three spotlights emerged, and Lien-Da held onto the main stripper pole center stage with one hand. Two backup scantily clad dancers accompanied her on the other two stripper poles. Lien and her backup dancer spun around their poles before pressing their backs against it and sliding down seductively into a squatting position. “Hey, hey,” she began to sing. “I let you walk all over me, me.”

The crowd cheered as they watched Lien and her dancers in action. Lien-Da rose back upright into a standing position and turned to face the crowd, showing off her glorious backside. Her hands gripped the stripper pole, and she bounced up and down in a squat position, pushing her ass out on display for them all to gawk at. The other two dancers mimicked her in the background. Lien’s ass cheeks jiggled in sync with the beat of the song. “You know that I'm a little tease, tease, but I wanna play it please, please…”

“Shake it, Lien!” a male shouted from the crowd.

Lien-Da placed her hands on her hips and walked down the steps while swaying to the song's beat. A male porcupine moved closer to the stairs and leaned his face forward for a kiss, but Lien-Da placed her palm against his face and shoved him back playfully into the crowd. “You know you, know you, know I'm crazy.” A few guys standing behind the porcupine caught him as he watched on in a lustful daze at the echidna. “I just wanna be your baby.” She stopped and tapped one of the other guys on the nose, winked at him, and rolled her shoulders in a sultry manner. “You can fuck me and then play me. You love, and you can hate me,” she smirked deviously.

•~•

Meanwhile, just outside the club, Amy and Rouge exited the taxi after paying their cabbie. The white bat still had her eyes fixated on her phone in hand. “According to the track my phone app, they should be here.” Rouge glanced up and noticed the building they were dropped off in front of. A sizeable light-up sign in neon lights read: “The Naughty Emeralds: Gentleman’s Bar & Lounge.” Rouge huffed in anger when she realized the location. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…”

“A stripper bar?” Amy realized, feeling slightly hurt at the thought. “This is where they all went?”

“They better hope not—if I find my husband in there ogling at some other half-naked girl, there’s going to be a big storm brewing.” Suddenly, she recognized quite a few of the motorcycles belonging to the South Side Charter. Rouge’s left hand tightened, and her phone shattered. “That’s it! We’re busting in there!”

Rouge stormed up to the front entrance, and Amy followed her but remained a respectful distance behind, feeling apprehensive. When Rouge reached the door, she spotted two male grizzly bear bouncers wearing sunglasses. “Can I help you?” The darker brown bear asked.

She placed her hands on her hips. “You can help by moving the hell out of the way, pal!”

“Rouge,” Amy whispered with a reprimanding tone. She knew how she was addressing the two bouncers would not help their case.

“Sorry, ma’am,” the other bouncer informed. “Unless you’re on the guest lists, no one is allowed inside. There’s a private party going on.”

“Well then,” Rouge cracked her knuckles, realizing where this was going. “I guess you leave me no choice.”

Amy watched anxiously as Rouge prepared to fight the two bouncers two-on-one. She reached out toward her. “Rouge, I don’t think this is a good idea…”

Rouge ignored Amy and leaped into the air, flapping her wings. She spun in the air quickly and came down at the two bouncers like a drill with great force. The two bouncers leaped out of the way just in the knick of time. One of the bouncers landed on his side and shielded his face from debris as Rouge continued spinning violently. “What the fuck!” he shouted.

Stopping her attack, Rouge rushed the one bouncer to the ground, keeping him occupied with a series of kicks. The bear tried to avoid her strikes and blocked a few with his arms. “The hell is your problem, lady?” he shouted.

The other bouncer rushed up behind the white bat as he planned to help defend his friend. “That’s enough!”

“Rouge, behind you!” Amy shouted.

Rouge heard Amy’s call and turned her head slightly, seeing the other bouncer coming up behind her. She did a backflip and landed a kick in his face, sending him backward. She gracefully landed on her feet, panting slightly. “Amy, go inside. I’ll keep them busy! If you see Knuckles, tell him he’s a dead man walking!”

Nodding, Amy quickly went to the unguarded entrance and allowed herself inside. Once she was in, she was met with instant darkness and the pungent stench of cigarettes and alcohol. However, she could hear booming music coming from the next room over. It sounded like a performance of some sort was going on right now. Amy couldn’t believe Shadow would want to come here. This didn’t seem like his scene at all. However, she was still terrified of what she might uncover.

In the next room over, the guys in the club continued to hoot and holler in affirmation. On the other hand, Shadow felt incredibly uncomfortable in his current situation. He was handcuffed to a chair and held hostage in this situation. Finally standing directly before Shadow, Lien-Da placed her hands above her head and shook her hips to the beat of the music before sinking sensually into Shadow’s lap, facing him. Her fingers danced along his shoulders. “Miss me, miss me, now you wanna kiss me,” she sang to him.

Shadow winced as he felt her warm body press up against his. She placed her hands on his shoulders and sensually gyrated her pelvis on his lap. He felt a shiver run down his spine. “Try me because I said so struck me within my ego.” She placed her hands around the side of his neck while seductively bouncing up and down in his lap and whipping her head around to the beat of the music. Her dreadlocks hit the side of his face making him grunt. “I've been a bad girl, don't you know?” she sang.

Mephiles watched from the sidelines and smirked, watching his brother act prudently during the provocative dance. He envied him at the moment. What he would give to have a sexy seductress like Lien-Da bounce about in his lap. He imagined what he would do to her if he had her for the night to himself. He pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures he’d use for blackmail in the future.

Amy finally made it into the main room, but there were so many male spectators in the way that she couldn’t tell exactly what they were looking at. She could hear that a female was performing some musical number. Carefully, Amy began moving through the crowd in her search for Shadow. “Excuse me, coming through,” she apologized while navigating the crowds. However, most males didn’t acknowledge her as their eyes were glued to the stage.

“Don't tell me, what's your deal?” the male backup singer sang.

Back on stage, Lien-Da spun around, allowing Shadow to view her backside while she temptingly jiggled her ass in his face. Shadow turned his head to the side, not wanting to look any longer; he could only imagine how Amy would react if she caught him at this very moment. He feared what she would think of him.

“Come get it now or never.” She dramatically whipped her dreadlocks to the side and placed her arms over her head to stick out her busty chest. Unfortunately, he couldn’t help but look up at her once she grabbed his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her. “I'll let you do whatever. I'll be your bad girl, bad girl.” He watched in horror as her face neared his, and she pursed her lips for a kiss.

Finally managing to push through the crowds, Amy got to the front just when she witnessed Lien-Da plant a passionate kiss on Shadow’s lips. Everything froze as she watched their lips lock, which felt like an eternity. Finally, Lien came for fresh air and smirked down at him, satisfied with her smooch.

Before Shadow could scold her, he caught sight of someone familiar in the corner. His heart sank as he spotted Amy standing in utter shock at the front of the stage. He realized this looked incredibly shady on his part. “Rose!” he shouted, panic in his voice. The music suddenly cut, and everyone in the crowd looked to where Shadow was looking.

Mighty grimaced at the sight of Amy present. “Oh…shit!”

“If Amy is here, then that means…” Knuckles looked around the room. He looked to the entrance, where he saw his old lady standing, huffing and puffing as if she had just run a marathon. “Fuck!”

“Knuckles!” Rouge cried out.

Knuckles gulped, and his face blanched. “Oh, Chaos…”

The two bouncers charged in behind her. “Grab her!” one of them yelled. The two successfully grabbed and detained her.

Rouge struggled in their hold, but still, she put up a fight. She lashed around in their grasp. “Get off me, you jerkoffs!”

Even Manic knew trouble was about to pop off. “Dude, this is not good!”

“Hey, get your hands off, my old lady!” Knuckles shouted. Knuckles and Manic rushed over to assist Rouge in her scuffle.

With all the drama, Amy quickly turned on her heel and stormed past the club's onlookers. The crowd parted for her like the red sea as she exited. “Amy!” Shadow thrashed his wrist behind his back, remaining contained to the seat. “Fuck!” he screamed in frustration.

Mighty got up from his seat and went after her. He needed to help Shadow in any way possible—even if that meant stalling her. “Ames, wait up!” he called.

Mephiles grinned triumphantly as he watched the flustered doctor exit the building. He hadn’t expected Amy to come searching for Shadow, but this new addition to his plan worked out wonderfully.

Back with Shadow on stage, the dark hedgehog jerked around in his seat as Lien-Da still had herself firmly planted in his lap. He needed to go after Amy and settle this matter before it was too late. “Get off of me, you whore!” he bellowed in frustration.

Lien-Da slapped him across the face causing him to winch slightly as he felt the sting. The audience gasped in reaction. “Hey, is that any way you talk to an old acquaintance?” she scolded.

Shadow’s fists tightened, and he puffed out his chest and bared his canines at her. “I don’t give a shit, now release me!” he barked.

•~•

Outside, Mighty managed to catch up with Amy. He was trying to stall her so Shadow could catch up and talk some sense into her. “Yo, Ames. I promise you this is not what it looks like, kid.”

She didn’t even bother to look at him and kept her eyes straight ahead. “It sure looks like my boyfriend is getting friendly with some exotic dancer.”

He kept walking by her side. “Hey, come on now, it’s his birthday. He just wanted to have a little fun with the boys; you know how it is?” he laughed uneasily.

Amy bowed her head and began to head out of the parking lot. “If he honestly thinks that’s acceptable to do while in a relationship, then I guess I don’t know him that well after all…”

Mighty continued to walk with her at her steady pace. “Hey, whoa, hold it, Ames. Where are you going?”

She clutched her purse strap resting on her shoulder. “I’m getting out of here. I’m already embarrassed enough.”

Mighty frowned, seeing how upset she looked. “This neighborhood is not safe to be walking through by yourself. At least let me give you a ride back, huh?”

“No, just leave me alone!” she shouted before sprinting down the sidewalk.

“Hold on, wait--” Mighty leaped out to grab her but landed face-first on the sidewalk as he missed catching her. He grunted from the impact and watched her sprint down the sidewalk and turn a corner. “Amy!” he shouted.

Finally freed from his holdings, Shadow caught up and rushed to Mighty, still on his hands and knees in the parking lot. He bent down and helped him up. “Where is she?” he panted.

Mighty dusted himself off. “She ran down the street and around that corner,” he said, gesturing with a nod. “She’s real upset, man, and she’s not listening.”

Shadow could completely understand why. She believed he had publicly humiliated her by “cheating” on her with Lien-Da. She was probably seeing red right now. He noticed Bark smoking a cigarette outside. “Let me borrow your bike,” he demanded. Bark reached into his pocket and tossed him his keys without question.

Meanwhile, Amy continued to march further down the sidewalk. She walked past bums, dealers, prostitutes, and catcallers on the street and wasn’t even phased by their comments or leering glances. Shadow revved the engine to the bike and turned a corner when he spotted her in the distance. He didn’t like thinking about her walking through those parts without a chaperone. “Amy!” Shadow called after her.

Amy heard her name being called but refused to address it. She ignored him and continued to walk. Finally catching up, he screeched the bike right in front of the crosswalk she was about to cross. Amy froze as he blocked her path, ultimately forcing her to acknowledge him. He turned off the engine and dismounted his bike. Amy turned her face away from looking at him and tried to walk around, but he softly grabbed her by the arm, stopping her. He could see she was visibly upset, practically fuming. “Please let me explain everything. It’s not what you think!” he proclaimed in desperation.

Amy glared at him before yanking her arm out of his grasp. “What am I supposed to think then?”

He could see the pain and hurt in her expression, and he hated seeing it. Shadow had never seen her so angry. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was dragged here against my will,” he explained. “The guys thought they’d surprise me with this…this strip tease dance. Please, I swear I didn’t want any part of it.” Amy eyed him skeptically, forcing Shadow to groan in frustration. “Please, Amy. You know I’d never do something so disrespectful. You’re my girl,” he emphasized passionately.

Amy hoped she wasn’t about to look like an idiot again, but something was telling her that Shadow was telling the truth. Maybe it was because he was calling her by her real name instead of her nickname, which was helping drive his case. She kept her arms crossed over her chest defensively, continuing to frown. “It upset me seeing you on stage with that girl and to make matters worse. She kissed you...”

He embraced her, but she did not reciprocate and remained stiff. “I’m sorry, but it was out of my control. Please forgive me.”

Amy relaxed her tense stance, dropping her crossed arms. “Okay, I forgive you…Can we please go home now? I just wanted to spend the day with you on your birthday,” she mumbled into his chest.

Shadow chuckled lowly, trying to lighten the mood, and stroked the back of her head. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

•~•

Once they finally arrived home, Shadow was greeted by the decorated house Amy, Ray, and Rouge had spent so long to surprise him. There were balloons everywhere and tables set out with food and alcohol. “Wow, looks like you guys were busy.”

Amy kept her arm linked around one of his. “…Surprise?” she asked with uncertainty.

Shadow walked inside, taking in all the decorations. “Shit, now I feel like an even bigger asshole. I didn’t mean to ruin your surprise party, but they did kidnap me against my will,” he countered.

Amy hung her purse on one of the hooks by the front door. “Whose idea was it, anyway?”

He shrugged. “Not sure. Manic said everyone was involved, but if I had to guess—my brother’s idea,” he said, rolling his eyes at the last part. Suddenly, the two heard the roar of motorcycle engines coming closer to the compound. Eventually, a few vans and some M.C. members pulled into the compound, parking their vehicles. “Looks like the rest of the party has shown up,” Shadow surmised.

“Well, it’s better than nothing,” Amy shrugged.

•~•

Finally, Mephiles returned home but had brought a guest along. In different attire, Lien-Da walked next to the president. She wore a short, black leather skirt, a white corset that squeezed her ample chest, a black leather jacket, and black boots. “You sure you want me here? Shadow didn’t seem excited to see me on stage.”

They approached the front porch. “I need your help to put a wedge between his relationship with his old lady,” he explained. “I’ll pay you whatever it takes. I need their relationship to end, and I believe you’re the key to doing that.”

Lien-Da looked slightly insulted at the idea. “So, I’m the homewrecker? That’s why you set up that birthday lap dance spectacle?”

“I’m afraid so, my dear,” he feigned sympathy. “Here’s what I’ll pay for you to help me.” He pulled a thick wad of cash from his jacket and handed it to her.

Lein-Da accepted the hefty amount and flipped through the stack, counting the bills. “Money talks, baby,” she smirked wickedly. “Thankfully, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ll help you out, sweetheart. Who exactly is his new girl anyway?”

“Her name is Amy Rose,” he answered. “Pink hedgehog.”

Lien nodded. “I think I saw her when I was doing my finishing number. Why do you want them broken up so badly, anyway?”

“That’s not important,” he dismissed. “I need you to seduce Shadow and get him into bed.”

Lien placed her hands on her hips. “That won’t be too difficult. I’m an expert at that, after all.”

•~•

The party was now in full swing. The other guys and some girls from the Southside charter settled into the house to enjoy Shadow’s birthday celebration. In the basement, Shadow was around the pool table with some guys playing a round of pool. After looking all over for him, Lien-Da finally spotted the dark hedgehog. Smirking victoriously, she strutted her way over to the pool table with her sights set on Shadow. She stopped just behind him and tapped him on the shoulder softly. “Hey, there, handsome.”

Shadow’s hair on the back of his neck rose, and he turned around, surprised to see her behind him. “Lien?”

“Long time no see, right, Shadow?” she smiled seductively.

He took a step back, noticing how close she was to him. “Yeah, not long enough…” he said with uneasiness. He kept his eyes focused on the game. “What are you doing here anyway? I doubt you were invited.”

“I wasn’t directly,” she concurred. “I just wanted to swing by and wish you another happy birthday,” she said, seductively batting her long eyelashes at him.

Shadow couldn’t help but notice her encroaching closer and closer into his personal space. He could practically feel her tits pressing up against his left arm. “Thanks, but I’m a bit busy right now.”

She frowned slightly as she noticed he did all he could to avoid looking at her. “You don’t seem very happy to see me,” she noted, observing his uncomfortable demeanor. “What happened, babe?”

He leaned on his pool stick. “I have an old lady again. That’s what happened,” he countered, finally glaring at her.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “A girlfriend, huh?” she droned. “I thought you were still single,” she said, placing a hand on one of his shoulders.

He backed up, swatting her hands from him. He moved around one of the guys from the Southside charter, trying to stay away from her. “I was for a bit, but I’m happily retaken.”

“Well, where is she?”

He kept moving back. “Using the bathroom.”

“Great, we can sneak away, and I’ll do my special, just for you. It is your birthday, after all,” she winked.

Rotor groaned as he watched Lien try to throw herself senselessly at Shadow. It was starting to become annoying. “Hey, Lien, cut it out, will ya? He doesn’t want you!”

Lien shot him an irate glare. “How about you mind your own business, you piece of blubber!” she snapped. “Nobody wants fatties either!”

“Bitch…” Rotor rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Manic also watched the whole scene go down before him and found it entertaining. “Hey, Lien, if Shadow doesn’t want yah, you’ve always got the Mac-Daddy,” he said suggestively, raising his pierced brows.

Lien-Da clicked her tongue in disgust. “Go jerk yourself off,” she huffed.

Manic cackled to himself at her quip. “I probably will, and it’s usually done in the shower!”

Rotor shot the green hedgehog a look. “…Too much information, man.”

“So, Shadow,” Lien continued. “How about it?”

Growing further annoyed, Shadow placed his pool stick down and walked off. However, Lien-Da was still in pursuit of him. It seemed like Mephiles was right. He was very committed to his old lady.

•~•

After using the bathroom, Amy was overwhelmed by how crowded it was. There were more people than usual. She moved through the crowd of bikers and escorts, looking for Shadow everywhere. She entered the kitchen, where many bikers were hanging out, drinking beer, and mingling, but Shadow wasn’t there. Eventually, she entered the basement and spotted Mephiles lounging on one of the sofas. He was busy watching Shadow do his best to avoid his old fling at the other side of the room, which was quite amusing. Amy walked over to the M.C. president. “Where’s Shadow?”

“He’s over there,” he pointed casually. Amy followed his pointed finger where she spotted Lien-Da with one of her hands-on Shadow’s arms, sensually stroking it upward while whispering something in his ear. Watching her so close to Shadow made her feel something she had never experienced before--jealousy. Mephiles studied Amy’s expression as she took in their interaction. He could see her gears going. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them together again,” he noted, dropping the subtle hint.

“Again?” she repeated.

Mephiles took a casual sip of his beer. “Yes, the two of them used to be quite close. They have a long history,” he alluded.

Amy could feel the jealousy boiling. “Excuse me for a moment, Mephiles.”

Mephiles watched as she stormed over toward the two. He chuckled to himself. His plan was working.

•~•

“Your girl doesn’t have to know,” she winked. “I’m good at keeping secrets. Besides, remember how I used to make you feel?”

“Lien, I’m done with that phase of my life.” He crossed his arms. “And I’m not disrespecting my old lady just for a cheap thrill.”

“Oh, come on,” she flirted. “You know I’m great in bed, and you were too.”

He moved out of her reach from her constant touch. “I’m sure plenty of my boys would be up for your offer, just not me.”

She watched as he returned to the pool table to rejoin the game. “I’m not interested in your boys,” she muttered before walking off.

On the other hand, Amy had had enough of watching Lien pester Shadow and made her way through the crowd to the bar, where Lien-Da walked over to re-evaluate her plan. “Hey you,” Amy called.

Lien-Da turned around and scowled at her sight instantly. “And you are?”

“Shadow’s girlfriend,” she said confidently.

Lien-Da blinked a few times before snapping her fingers. “Wait, weren’t you the one who walked in on my closing number for Shadow’s birthday lap dance?”

Amy scowled. “Yeah, that was me.”

“So, you’re his girl?” she repeated in disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking.” She allowed her eyes to fall up and down Amy in scrutiny. She wore a girly sundress and a jean jacket with some gladiator flats. “You’re the one Shadow wants to respect?” She began to laugh.

Amy remained calm with her goading methods. “Say what you want, but please don’t flirt with my boyfriend anymore. I find it incredibly disrespectful.”

“Why?” Lien-Da smirked with intrigue. “You worried I’ll catch his eye? I can see why you’d be nervous with me as your competition,” she arrogantly placed a hand on her hip. “What the hell does Shadow even see in you anyway? You don’t fit in with this crowd, little miss sunshine,” she pointed out.

“What are you even talking about?” Amy argued.

“Shadow’s more into the bad girl types,” she noted. “He may like you for now, but he’ll quickly grow bored of you, little girl.”

“—I thought trash pick-up was on Tuesdays,” another voice interjected. Amy looked over her shoulder only to see Rouge roll up on their conversation.

“I guess you would know, huh, Rouge,” Lien-Da clapped back.

“I don’t know who invited you here, but you better clear out before I put you on the curb myself,” she warned, holding a clenched fist.

Lien-Da wasn’t in the mood to fight Rouge. She shrugged indifferently, brushed past the bat, and went upstairs. Amy watched the echidna sashay off. Was she right? Would Shadow grow bored of her if she was not the “bad girl” type? Amy’s ears lowered, allowing Lien-Da’s words to play heavily in her mind.

“I saw you guys from across the room and figured I’d lend you a hand putting the bitch in her place. We must stick together to keep these skanks away from our guys.”

“…Who is she anyway?”

“Oh boy…” Rouge grabbed Amy’s hand and led her upstairs. “Come with me for a sec.”

Just as the two headed upstairs, Shadow was now in the process of looking for Amy himself. He navigated through the crowded basement and spotted his brother lounging on one of the sofas. “Have you seen Amy around?”

Mephiles had been watching Amy’s interactions with Lien-Da the entire time. However, he wanted to keep Shadow and Amy apart for as long as possible for his plan to work. “Yes,” he confirmed. “She told me she was busy re-dishing some appetizers upstairs. She’ll be back down here in a few minutes,” he lied.
“Oh, I see.”

•~•

Amy hung out in Rouge’s room upstairs while she updated her on everything regarding Lien-Da. Amy sat on the edge of Rouge’s bed while she watched the white bat pace in front of her. “The bitch sniffing around Shadow is Lien-Da. She’s one of Finitivus’ top escorts turned stripper,” she introduced. “She’s slept with almost every guy in our house if that doesn’t paint a picture for you.”

“So, why is she so set on Shadow?” Amy inquired.

Rouge leaned against the dresser. “That’s where it gets complicated…I think Shadow should be the one to explain that part to you. It’s not exactly my place to say.”

“She doesn’t think I fit in. And despite what you think of her, she does exude this sexy confidence that I don’t have,” she noted solemnly.

“Hey now, don’t let this bitch get into your head. She plays dirty like that,” Rouge warned.

“I can’t help it,” Amy argued. “She’s sexy; clearly, she’s had a history with Shadow. Then there’s me. I feel so ordinary and plain when I stand next to her.”

“Amy, you are gorgeous, kind, sweet, and intelligent. Shadow obviously finds you very attractive.”

Amy looked away sadly. “…But not sexy.”

Rouge glanced at her closet as an idea came to mind. “If you want him to think you’re sexy, we’ll give him sexy.”

•~•

A pair of toned, pink legs made their way down the stairs, drawing the attention of the male bikers by the staircase. Jaws dropped, and eyes widened as they stared at Amy Rose. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs in her new party attire and Rouge by her side. She leaned her right arm on the staircase railing, smiling sweetly at the guys looking her up and down.

She was now wearing a black crop top that went off the shoulder, showcasing a bit of her cleavage and a significant portion of her toned flat stomach. She accompanied her top with a mini black leather skirt and a black studded belt that hugged her slim waist beautifully. Fishnets on her legs fed into her black, high-heeled biker boots, while her hands adorned black fingerless gloves. She had more sultry dark eyeshadow makeup and a bold red lip. Her hair was in a high ponytail with a few face-framing quill pieces. Her fingers drummed the railing as she looked out amongst the men collected at the bottom to ogle at her new look.

The males continued to stare in awe and silence. Amy pushed past the lustful males as she searched for her boyfriend. “All right, pick your jaws off the floor and keep your hands to yourself,” Rouge warned as the two walked past the crowds.

Mephiles stared at Amy lustfully in her new outfit as he leaned in the doorway to the living room. He couldn’t help but stare at her ass in the black leather skit. It appeared that getting Amy jealous was easier than he thought.

Mighty was making out, yet again, with another girl from the Southside charter. Yet, when he came up for air from his make-out session in the living room, he did a double-take when he noticed Amy walk past him. His eyes practically bugged out of his head. “Ames…?” Amy did not hear him and kept walking. He politely excused himself from making out with Honey and jumped to his feet. Mighty caught up with her and Rouge and walked by their side. “Yo, what’s with the outfit change, Ames?”

“Don’t worry about it, Mighty,” Rouge intervened, answering for her.

“It’s just…I don’t know what you two are up to, but I can already tell it’s heading for nothing but trouble,” he forewarned.

“Keep your concerns to yourself,” Rouge dismissed. “We’ve got it handled here.”

•~•

Shadow sat on the couch in the basement, talking to some of his friends huddled around him. He laughed as one of the guys finished telling a joke but suddenly realized it had been a while since he last saw Amy. She mentioned she had wanted to spend the rest of the night with him, so where was she? He went to turn his head to look for her, but suddenly Lien-Da slithered her way by his side on the couch, blocking his view. “Looking for me, stud?” she asked flirtatiously.

Shadow grimaced at her sight. Would she ever learn? “No, now get lost.”

She placed her hand on his upper leg. “But I want to stay with you,” she whined coyly.

“—He said get lost,” another voice chimed in. Lien-Da and Shadow craned their necks only to see Amy and Rouge looming at the bottom of the staircase. A guy in the background wolf-whistled her way.

“…Amy?” Shadow asked, staring in utter surprise at her new appearance. He slowly stood from the couch and approached her.

Knuckles walked over to Rouge. “I can already tell this is your doing, babe.”

“Who me?” Rouge questioned innocently.

“She looks like a mini version of you,” he gestured.

Rouge huffed. “And is that a bad thing?”

Knuckles watched Amy and Shadow from afar. “I’m not sure yet. I’ll get back to you on that.”

Back with the pink hedgehog, Amy approached Shadow. “Do you like it?” she asked, seductively batting her lashes at him. Shadow’s eyes looked her up in down, taking in her new look. He was speechless. She looked hot nonetheless, but he had always thought she was hot whether or not she dressed the way she was.

“Uh…yeah,” he said with an uneasy smile.

“I knew you would!” Amy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

Shadow wrapped his arms around her waist and couldn’t help but notice all the other guys checking her out. He suddenly felt very protective over her. “Are you trying to get yourself snatched up by another guy?” he whispered in her ear.

“Nope, this is all for you,” she whispered back.

Lien observed the spectacle before her in amusement. Her words had gotten through to Amy, and she was making a sad attempt to be noticed. Lien-Da made her way over to the two. “How sad,” she noted, eying her clothing up and down. Amy remained stoic. “Afraid I’d take the spotlight away from you, huh?” she teased and shoved Amy back by the shoulder. Amy stumbled a bit but held her ground.

“Lien, quit it,” Shadow intervened and raised a hand between them. He felt a fight looming.

“Not now, Shadow,” Lien dismissed. More and more spectators slowly started collecting around them, intrigued to see what would happen. There was palpable tension between the two. “Why are you so quiet, Amy?” Lien continued to provoke.

“Stop,” Shadow emphasized. He knew what Lien was trying to do.

Amy remained silent, not wanting to give in to Lien’s goading. Lien-Da crossed her arms over her chest proudly. “Not gonna talk, huh?” She gave out a small laugh to fill the silent response. “You’re nothing but a pathetic, attention-seeking little slut,” she slandered.

Amy narrowed her eyes before moving around Shadow, lunging forward and punching Lien-Da. Shadow went to jump in, but some of the guys pushed him out of the way, knowing shit was about to go down. People hooted and hollered after seeing Amy take the first swing. “That little miss sunshine for you?” Amy growled with a clenched raised fist.

Rouge and Knuckles watched the entire thing go down from the other end of the room.
“Yep, definitely a bad idea,” Knuckles confirmed, shaking his head.

On the floor, Lien-Da rubbed her cheek in astonishment at her bold move. “You little bitch…” She snapped to her feet and went to smack her back, but Amy dodged her oncoming hit, then grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her onto the ground. “Aah!” Suddenly everyone else around noticed the fight breaking out and stopped to watch.

“Hey, catfight!” Manic hollered. A crowd of males and females formed around the girls as they clawed and punched at each other.

Shadow continued trying to break through the onlookers. “Hey, hey!” he shouted.

Manic cut in between the circle formed around the two girls. He watched as Amy straddled Lien and repeatedly punched her in the face. Watching two girls go at it in their current clothing options was hot. “Yeah, take your tops off!” he shouted eagerly. Lien-Da managed to overtake her and rolled them over, so now she was on top of Amy. She swatted and punched at Amy’s face, scratching and slapping her with her manicured nails, and then yanked at her long quills bundled in a high ponytail.

Rouge flapped her wings several times, hovering over the crowd to get a better look. “C’mon, girl. Show the bitch who she’s messing with!” she urged.

“Rouge, you’re not helping!” Knuckles berated down below.

Shadow broke through the crowd surrounding the two girls. “Let me through!” he shouted. When he got past, he gasped, seeing Lien huddled over Amy, attacking her face. However, Amy was doing an excellent job holding her off as she held one of Lien’s wrists. Shadow rushed behind Lien-Da. “Stop it!” He grabbed Lien from behind and hoisted her off of Amy, breaking up the fight. The males and females watching groaned in disappointment when the entertainment ended.

Lien-Da wiped her bloody lip and glared at Amy as she was handed over and restrained by two males from the Southside Charter. “You’re fucking psycho!” Lien shouted towards the pink hedgehog.

Mighty bent down and helped Amy to her feet, but all she could see was red as she stared at Lien across from her. She was not through with her. Mighty watched as she tried to lunge toward her, but he grabbed and held her back. “Ames!” he shouted, trying to keep her contained.

“Let go of me!” she cried out, struggling to break free from his grasp. Shadow had had enough of her behavior. He stormed over, grabbed Amy from Mighty’s hold, and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her out of the room past the partygoers. “Put me down!” she demanded, but he ignored her.

Once on the front porch outside, he set her on her feet. “Amy, what the hell has gotten into you?” he said, holding her firmly by the arms.

“I should be asking the same thing of you,” she snapped, shrugging her shoulders and causing him to retract his hands. “Why were you helping her and not me?” she accused.

“What?” Shadow stared at her, completely bewildered by the accusation. Were they really arguing for the second time tonight? “I wasn’t helping her. I was helping you!” he gestured with emphasis.

Her brows furrowed in anger. “No, you weren’t!”

“Amy, what do you think I was doing back there when I pulled her off you?” he questioned. “I didn’t want her to hurt you!” he countered. “I was trying to protect you!”

His words suddenly all started to make sense, and her anger diminished as she saw his point. Feeling incredibly guilty and embarrassed by the situation, she instantly embraced him feeling like a complete idiot. Shadow softened his demeanor and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t want to fight with her, especially on his birthday. It was apparent that she was feeling very insecure, and the least he could do was assure her.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I-I kept seeing her flirting with you, and I just snapped.”

Shadow rubbed her back to comfort her. “You shouldn’t have let Lien get to you. You’re better than that,” he reprimanded gently.

“But you’ve had a history with her.” Shadow looked hesitant to admit to it, but he didn’t want to lie to her, especially not now. Amy frowned, too, fearing the worst based on his reaction. “…You used to date her?” she speculated based on his silence.

Shadow shook his head. “…Not exactly,” he replied.

Amy stared at him long and hard but felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t know how to react and released her arms from being wrapped around his torso. “Is she normally your type?”

“Hell no!” he excused. “You’re my type,” he gestured dramatically. “But unfortunately, I lower my standards when it comes to just hooking up,” he admitted uncomfortably.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling disgusted. She almost wished she hadn’t asked him the question and instead been oblivious to his sexual conquests of the past. “Shadow…”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, already knowing what she thought of him. “But I can’t lie to you. You need to know the truth. I told you I was not proud of my past—here it is.” There was a long pause as he built the courage to tell her everything. “…Remember when we went to Tech City for Cosmo’s funeral?” he asked.

Amy nodded. “Yeah?”

“Well, when we went to that restaurant, and that girl was hitting on me, she suggested that she wanted to hook up. I used to have a big reputation for hooking up with random girls all over Mercia, Tech City, and Metropolis. I had just lost Maria. I was trying to fill the void. Unfortunately, I was using sex and alcohol to push away the pain. It’s a time in my life I’ve come to regret because I was having so much meaningless sex,” he confessed in shame.

Amy eyed him briefly, looking him up and down in scrutiny. “Just how many girls have you slept with?”

“…Rose,” he said with sternness. He didn’t want to hurt her anymore.

Amy raised a brow. “You said no more lies.”

He sighed, giving in. “Hundreds…Too many to keep track of.”

She felt her heart sink at the reveal. “…And this stripper, she’s different from all the others—how exactly?”

He placed a hand over his eyes and kept his head down. “She and I used to be friends with benefits. We hooked up countless amounts of times. She was always available when I needed her.”

Her ears lowered. “She said I wasn’t your type and didn’t fit in…”

“Not my type? What the hell does she know?!” Amy continued to doubt herself as she looked at the floor sadly. He tilted his head as another thought passed. “Is that why you’re dressed like this,” he surmised, gesturing toward her outfit. “You’re trying to impress me?”

She rubbed her arm awkwardly. “More so, I wanted you to think I was sexy…I didn’t want her to catch your eye again.”

Shadow lifted her chin to look at him. “Amy, you know I’d never disrespect you like that. You’re incredibly sexy in my eyes, and you’re my girl,” he said while stroking her cheek. “Don’t ever feel insecure about yourself,” he assured. “You’re perfect for me, princess.”

She blushed and gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Shadow.”

Manic came out onto the porch interrupting the two’s emotional conversation. “Dude, Amy, you did a number on Lien. It was hot!”

“Uh, thanks,” she laughed lightly.

“Next time, we should include a pool of Jell-o or something—you know, make it spicy,” he joked while rubbing his hands together.

Amy giggled. Shadow shook his head in disappointment and placed a hand on his face. Manic looked back into the house as he heard more commotion happening.

“Gotta go. It sounds like the shots are being handed out.” He waved at them, then sped back inside. “Seeya!” He left them, closing the door behind him to leave them in privacy.

“I hope I didn’t ruin your birthday,” she apologized. “I can’t believe I let myself get this worked up. I’ve never felt this way before over a guy…”

He chuckled lowly. “You didn’t ruin it, but it was pretty sexy seeing you stick up for me like that,” he admitted with a sly grin.

Amy smiled slightly with a blush. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

“I love you too, and apology accepted,” Shadow replied before looking back at Amy, noticing a cut along her cheek where Lien had managed to scratch with her fingernails. He grabbed her hand and led her back inside towards the bathroom. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Amy followed him as he brought her upstairs towards the bathroom. He opened the door leading her inside.

Eavesdropping by the front door, Mephiles believed he had almost succeeded. However, the two had made up over the misunderstandings. It was all right, in any case. The seeds were planted, and he was sure to get them driven apart the next time.

•~•

Meanwhile, Shadow brought Amy into the bathroom and grabbed her by the waist. He lifted and set her on the counter’s edge by the sink. “This is ridiculous. You don’t have to do this. I’m fine,” Amy dismissed.

“I’m just looking after you, babe. It’s my turn to take care of you.” He opened the medicine cabinet and opened a small first aid kit.

He cleaned her face and wound with alcohol before applying healing ointment to the cut. She studied his face as he tended to her in silence. “So, you’re not mad at me?”

He peeled at the back of a band-aid. “Not mad, perhaps a little disappointed, but it’s done now. All I care about is your well-being,” he said as he finished applying the band-aid against her cheek. Shadow helped her down off the counter and gave her a reassuring smile. “Come on, let’s go back to the party.” He took her hand in his. “You can stick with me for the rest of the night, and that’s a promise.”

Amy stared up at him, a sudden urge rushing her as their bodies remained closed. “…Shadow?”

“Hm?” She grabbed him by his jacket collar and pushed him back against the counter. Confused by her sudden gesture, he stared at her as she yanked him by the collar toward her face. “What are you--” he uttered before she pressed her lips to his and kissed him. Shadow didn’t fight it but closed his eyes and kissed her back passionately.

A few seconds later, she broke away and looked at him through a half-lidded gaze. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and she ground her pelvis into his, causing him to moan slightly. “Shit…Amy.” She was getting him so hard, and it only increased when he felt one of her hands slither down his pants and grope at his cock.

“I want you,” she whispered sensually. The fight had gotten her adrenaline rushing; all she wanted to do was have sex with him.

“—But…”

“I didn’t dress like this for nothing.” Her hand went down his pants and pawed at his stiffening member. He was getting turned on. She sank to her knees, unbuckled his pants, and allowed his starting erection to emerge. Shadow felt a shiver of pleasure run down his spine as she took his cock and stroked and pumped it a few times before taking it in her mouth. His breath hitched as she stared down at her bobbing her head back and forth, taking more of it into her mouth.

“Fuck…Amy, I…” Amy was so sexy and obviously wanted him to ravish her. He could feel himself getting harder and closer to climaxing. Her lips were tightly around his dick, and her mouth was hot, moist, and tight. He braced himself on the counter as he watched her. “Amy, I’m…” He couldn’t finish his sentence as he dumped his load into her mouth. Amy swallowed his load and then cleaned him up.

Amy rose to her feet and wiped her mouth. She went to open the bathroom door but felt his hands grab her hips and tug her towards him. “And where do you think you’re going? I’m not finished with you yet.”

Amy gasped as she felt his hands run down her sides and cup a squeeze of her ass beneath her skirt. “Shadow,” she gasped seductively. He brought her legs to wrap around his waist and began to kiss down her neck. Amy moaned as he made her body feel hot all over. “Y-You want me now?”

Soon enough, he turned her around to face the sink and reached between her leg under her skirt to move her panties out of the way. She could see the desire in his eyes in the mirror’s reflection as he rested his chin on her left shoulder. “Trust me. I want you badly.”

She bit her lower lip. “That feels good...” Amy braced herself on the sink’s edge as she felt his fingers stroking, rubbing, and dipping teasingly inside her slit.

Her face grew redder and hotter with each stroke. Shadow realized he wouldn’t have to do much foreplay as she was soaking wet. He chuckled, feeling her wetness and heat coat his fingers. “You’re a naughty girl, Rose.” He pulled his fingers out of her slit. He felt his dick begin to harden again and rise steadily. He was ready for round two.

She whimpered as she felt him lift one of her legs from behind while the other remained on the floor. The head of his cock pressed up against her moistened lips, ready to pummel her. He could feel her heat radiating over the head of his cock. “I’m going to fuck you senseless. You’ve been a bad girl tonight and on my birthday?” he pretended to scold in her ear.

“Do it,” she begged, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She liked this dominant side of him. The dirty talk was turning her on too.

Shadow obliged and shoved his hard cock inside her filling her up quickly. He used the leg he held as a prop to guide her up and down his dick. Amy moaned, feeling him pump himself in and out of her. Something about watching herself get fucked in the mirror made it even sexier. She felt like his personal porn star. “Ahh!”

•~•

A few minutes later, Lien-Da approached the bathroom upstairs to freshen her face. She opened the door and was surprised to see Shadow having sex with Amy. The two had changed positions, and now Amy was sitting on the sink counter while Shadow fucked her. The two were completely oblivious that they had a spectator. Amy had her fingers raking down Shadow’s back as he bucked himself into her. She moaned sensually as he kissed down her neck. “Yes, yes, harder,” she sighed. Amy opened her eyes and stared at Lien, still shocked at walking in on them. The pink hedgehog shot Lien a smirk over Shadow’s shoulder while she witnessed the two fuck. Typically, Amy would be embarrassed to have someone walk in on them, but for some reason, it felt very satisfying and empowering to see Lien-Da realize she’d have no chance with him.

In the meantime, Shadow continued not to realize someone had walked in on them. He was way too focused on pleasing Amy to notice. “You like that?” he growled seductively.

“Ah, yes, please don’t stop,” Amy moaned.

Lien slowly backed out of the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.

Chapter 28: The New Target

Summary:

Mephiles starts his investigation with his theory that Amy and Locke are linked together closer than he thinks. The clubhouse is attacked again by the Suppression Squad, and Amy reconsiders the danger she's around. Meanwhile, Locke finally comes face to face with a threat.

The next morning, Amy woke up naked in Shadow’s bed. Groggily, she sat on the edge of the bed, feeling sore between her legs. Carefully and quietly, Amy scrounged for her clothing scattered throughout the room and went into the bathroom to shower. After their romp in the bathroom upstairs, the two enjoyed the rest of the party with their guests. However, Shadow and Amy performed several more times to end the night and made love in countless positions. It was exhilarating, to say the least, and she was sure Shadow had thoroughly enjoyed himself last night, but exhaustion was now catching up with her. She looked over her shoulder at him, passed out naked on his stomach, and decided she’d let him sleep in.

Once she was thoroughly dressed in her scrubs, she came downstairs. Rouge cleaned up from last night’s birthday party in the living room while Locke sat in the dining room next door. Rouge had a garbage bag and placed empty bottles into the bag. Her large bat ears twitched when she heard footsteps approaching. She smiled when she realized it was Amy. “Hey, you. Where’d you go off to after your big clash with Lien-Da?” Rouge inquired.

“Oh well, Shadow and I were uh…making up,” she worded carefully with a faint blush.

Rouge smirked knowingly. “Good for you, girl,” she winked.

Amy walked around the living room and began picking up trash. “I’ll help you some before I go to work.” She picked up a few paper plates and helped toss them into a garbage bag.

Locke sat in the dining room and poured himself a shot of whiskey. “Locke, it’s nine o’clock in the morning.” Rouge shook her head at the sight and lack of support.

Locke glanced at his daughter-in-law with a neutral expression as he held the shot glass. “You’re right. It is.”

Amy walked over to see what Rouge was fussing at him about. When she saw him throw the shot back, she frowned. “Locke, you know you shouldn’t be drinking. Doctor’s orders remember?” she reminded in disappointment.

“I’m here for a good time, not a long time, lass,” he shrugged before pouring himself another shot.

Amy sighed solemnly, realizing he wouldn’t be taking his health seriously.

“Well, if you’re not going to be around for long, then you think you can pick your ass up and help us clean for the time being?” Rouge questioned the red echidna.

Locke dragged a hand down his tired face. “I’m exhausted, Rouge. I’m going to nap and then head back to my cabin,” he shrugged.

Just as Rouge was about to lay into him, they heard a pair of heels clunking down the stairs. Everyone looked toward the staircase, where a couple of toned red legs in black knee-high stilettos came walking down, only to reveal Lien-Da. She had a bruise on one of her cheeks but still looked pretty good. “Morning,” she said in a fake pleasant tone.

Amy narrowed her eyes in disgust at the stripper’s sight. “What are you still doing here?”

Lien-Da finished descending the stairs and placed one hand on her left hip. “I was a guest here,” she stated as if it were obvious.

Rouge crossed her arms over her busty chest and quirked a brow. “Whose?” she challenged.

Lien-Da scoffed and rolled her eyes at the bat. “Is that truly any of your business, Rouge?”

Rouge marched over to Lien-Da with clenched fists and an intimidating stance. “You should make it our business, sweetie.”

“Look, I was invited to spend the night by one of your boys,” she shrugged, acting like it wasn’t a big deal. In the background, Locke watched silently at the girls bickering with Lien-Da. He knew to keep out of it, or he’d get an earful from Amy and Rouge for trying to intervene.

“Well, the invitation’s over now. Please leave.” Amy walked over and stood beside the white bat, making it clear that she was no longer welcome in their home.

“Oh please,” Lien scoffed.

Rouge leaned forward, getting in the echidna’s face. “Now would be a good time to get your shit and get out,” she warned.

Lien-Da couldn’t help but smirk, seeing she was winding up both females. It gave her delight that her mere presence threatened them. She glanced at Amy, who still held a stoic but intense “don’t fuck with me” expression. Rouge turned to face Lien-Da once more. “Bitch, she will pop those tacky implants of yours if you don’t leave right now,” she threatened.

Just then, someone else came downstairs. Mephiles strolled down the steps and stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. He glanced at the three females in a standoff and could feel the palpable tension. “Ladies, is that any way to speak to a guest?” he spoke before walking up beside Lien-Da and wrapping one arm around her waist. “She is my lovely guest, after all,” he purred while giving her bedroom eyes.

Lien-Da giggled playfully back at his comment. “Aw, Mephiles.”

“She’s your guest?” Rouge gawked. “Why am I not surprised….”

The president ignored Rouge’s comment and instead focused on Lien. “I don’t know about you, but I had fun last night,” he whispered while running his muzzle against her shoulder.

Lien-Da grinned and gasped as Mephiles’ hand groped one of her ass cheeks. “Mmm, I did too, baby. It was my pleasure,” she purred.

“You’re always invited to visit again,” he smirked.

Lien fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Sounds like a plan.” Suddenly the two engaged in a heated kiss before the two girls. Mephiles cupped her ass cheek in his hand, soliciting an erotic moan from Lien as they shared saliva.

“Ah…”

Mephiles’ bold PDA took Amy and Rouge aback displayed before him. Rouge wanted to throw up in disgust. Rouge shuddered at the sight. “Suddenly, I’m transported to a bad porno.” Amy, in the meantime, could only grimace.

Mephiles and Lien broke apart from their heated kiss. He eyed the two girls. “Why are you girls being so rude to my lovely guest?”

“We aren’t. We’re just making truthful observations. However, she was leaving. Weren’t you?”

Lien-Da rolled her eyes again and scoffed. “Yes, I was.” Once again, another person walked downstairs, but this time it was Shadow. Lien-Da looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink and a flirty smile, seeing the next person. “Morning, handsome. I hope you had a good birthday last night.” Amy frowned in annoyance at her flirty nature, and Mephiles couldn’t help but enjoy seeing Amy irritated by Lien’s antics.

“Lien, you’re still here?” Shadow stopped at the bottom of the staircase, surprised to see her still there. He wondered if a confrontation would occur again based on everyone hanging by the stairs.

Mephiles sighed in frustration. “As I said, she was my guest, and I’m walking her out now.” Everyone watched as Mephiles kept an arm around her waist and walked her out the front door.

“Toodles,” Lien waved while blowing a kiss to Shadow.

Amy huffed and stormed off into the other room to recompose herself. She hated getting so flustered by her, but she couldn’t help it. Lien-Da just rubbed her the wrong way, and it made her angry. Shadow sighed, followed Amy, and found her brooding in the kitchen with her arms crossed and glaring down at the floor. “Why are you mad now? She wasn’t my guest,” he argued.

Amy closed her eyes shut while she kept her back to him. “That’s not the point, Shadow. She shouldn’t be hanging around here.”

Shadow slowly walked up behind her and placed one hand on her shoulder. “I thought I made it very clear last night that you have nothing to be worried about.”

Amy spun around to face him finally. “I know, but I still don’t want her hanging around and flaunting her body like it’s for sale. It’s disrespectful to me.”

“Amy,” he stated sternly. She looked up at him, hearing his serious tone. “If you can’t trust me even when I’ve been assuring you repeatedly, then this relationship won’t last long,” he warned.

Amy felt her heart sink at the idea of them breaking up. “…No, please.”

“I promise you,” he stated sternly. “I will never hurt you in that way.”

Amy lowered her head and felt incredibly immature—almost like she was back in middle school getting jealous of other girls looking at her guy. “I-I’m sorry.”

He softened his serious expression, seeing her so upset again. “I’m sorry that I make you feel like you can’t trust me around an ex,” he apologized. “Whatever you need me to do to help assure you I won’t make you feel that way, I’ll work on it, too,” he pledged. “But you also need to work on this jealousy issue you’ve got going on.”

Amy nodded, understanding. “I guess we’re not the perfect couple I thought we were…”

“Yeah, but there’s no such thing as a perfect couple,” he noted. “We’ve just had our first couple of disagreements or arguments—as all couples do. Look at Rouge and Knuckles, for instance. They bicker and have fights, but they communicate and solve their problems. That’s why they’ve been together for so long,” he explained.

“You’re right, you know,” she concurred. “I’m glad we had this talk, even if it was uncomfortable. I guess I’m so jealous because you’re the best guy I’ve ever been with. I don’t want to lose you—and lose this relationship.”

His hand caressed her face as he looked down at her lovingly. “You made me realize that I could find love again. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. You make me a better person, Amy.”

She blushed at his comment feeling the sincerity in his words. “Aww, Shadow.”

He leaned down and pecked her lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replied softly.

“And about last night,” he segued. “I don’t know about you, but I had a wonderful night with you,” he smirked. His arms wrapped around her waist, and his eyelids lowered sensually as he looked down at her in his arms. “Thank you for the birthday sex. You were incredibly sexy and giving last night, Rose.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Amy blushed even more. “It was amazing, exhilarating, and you were just as accommodating.”

He stroked her cheek. “I loved seeing that whole other side of you.”

“Same goes for you,” she giggled.

Shadow quickly looked over his shoulder to see if any spectators were nearby as a thought crossed his mind. He leaned down towards her ear. “I know you have to go to work, but is there any chance I could make an appointment to meet with the doctor?” he whispered.

She smiled sheepishly up at him as he rested his muzzle in the crook of her neck and nuzzled it. “Shadow, I’d love to, but I have to take a rain check. I’m already late for work.

Shadow nodded, understanding as he pulled back from her. He respected her decision. “That’s a shame, but I understand.” He leaned down and pecked her on the lips. “Let’s get you to work then, okay? The rest of us are going to be busy as usual. I’ll pick you up later today.” Amy and Shadow left the kitchen together and headed for the front door.

Meanwhile, outside near the cracked kitchen window, Mephiles stood with his back firmly pressed up against that side of the house. He had heard Amy and Shadow’s conversation about trust in their relationship. He was excited, realizing he had caused a few cracks to form. Introducing Lien-Da had done it. Now that he knew Amy had some insecurities around it, he’d drive the wedge further between them with some other tactics.

•~•

Later that morning, Shadow and the others visited their storage unit to secure the drugs Enerjak had supplied. Deep in a secluded part of the woods away from the mainland neighborhoods, Shadow, Gadget, Mighty, Manic, Ray, and Knuckles finished unloading all the drugs and stored them safely in the storage unit. The sizeable barn-like cabin is where they kept all their arsenal and was where they’d build and reconstruct S-Rank weaponry. However, it was now used to hold drugs until smuggling and distribution.

Knuckles dusted off his hands after unloading the final crate from the back of the truck. He had worked up a bit of sweat from all the weightlifting. “Well, that’s the last one.”

Shadow stared at the seven wooden crates they had unpacked. “Great, now we’ll need to have at least two of us guard until the distributors arrive. Enerjak made it clear to ensure that none of this goes missing in the meantime.”

“I can take the first shift,” Mighty offered, raising his hand voluntarily.

Manic glanced over to his best friend and raised his hand as well. “In that case, I’ll pair up with Might and keep him company!”

Shadow eyed the two of them. “Sounds good. We’ll rotate in pairs until further notice. Mighty and Manic, you’ve got the overnight shift tonight as well. " Two others will come and take over in the morning,” he instructed.

“Would you guys want me to swing by and grab you something to eat for lunch and dinner?” Gadget offered.

“That’d be great,” Mighty smiled. “I’ll text you closer to lunchtime when we decide.”

•~•

Back at the house, only Mephiles, Rouge, and Gadget remained. After helping Rouge clean up the house, Amy went to work. This left the perfect opportunity for Mephiles to snoop around her bedroom. After his conversation with Amy the other day, he grew suspicious that Amy may be involved with Locke’s grand plan to blackmail him into stepping down as club president and pulling out of the cartel business. Mephiles opened Amy’s bedroom door, walked inside, and shut the door behind him. He was thrilled that Amy was away at work, allowing him to carefully go through her belongings in search of those journal entries and police files regarding his father’s death.

Mephiles searched throughout her room, meticulously making sure anything he moved in the search was placed back in its place. After all, he did not want to alert Amy that he had gone through her room. He searched under her bed, in her closet, and looked for any secret stash locations in the floorboards or walls of her room that she may have utilized to hide private belongings. As he went through her dresser, he went through the many drawers and stumbled across her bra and panty drawer. He had to humor himself and see what type of lingerie she wore so he could fantasize about how she looked nearly naked. He held up a pair of red bikini underwear and was surprised not to see any thongs. Perhaps she wasn’t the thong-wearing type of girl. Growling in frustration at the lack of evidence, he returned the underwear and closed the drawer.

He glanced at her dirty laundry hamper near her bedroom door and walked over. He rummaged through the soiled clothing, looking for any sign she may have hidden the documents and contents, but once again came up short. However, he stumbled across a pair of her used panties and grabbed them. Closing his eyes, he lifted them to his nose and inhaled deeply, gathering her natural scent. He gave out a primal growl, excited and aroused by her natural pheromones left on the fabric. It was a shame that there was a possibility that she may be involved in Locke’s plan. Despite everything between them, he still wanted to bed her. He knew deep down he could easily please her better than Shadow ever could and make her cum countless times before wearing her out. He tossed her dirty panties back in the hamper and sighed. He considered keeping it for a keepsake, but he was sure she’d notice the missing item, and he couldn’t risk her knowing he was onto her.

Realizing he may have been in her room too long, he opened her door a jar. He saw no sign of Rouge or Ray, who may be lurking around the house. He couldn’t allow them to see him leaving her bedroom, which would only raise questions. He looked both ways and didn’t see or hear either of them. Mephiles slithered out discreetly before closing the door behind him.
•~•

Later, Mephiles went by the police station to visit Detective Espio and Vector. The two were busy doing paperwork at their desks when they saw the dark president saunter into the station. Mephiles strolled around the main lobby looking around inconspicuously. The crocodile glanced over to his partner and nodded to signal him. Vector ended the call he was in the middle of, figuring his sudden appearance may be necessary.

Espio nodded, and the two got up and made their way over to Mephiles. In his office, Silver watched from the large window into the main lobby, where he spotted the three converging at the main entrance. He shook his head, watching his corrupt detectives walk off with the seedy M.C. president.

Outside, Espio, Vector, and Mephiles grabbed some coffee at a food truck parked in the parking lot. They then convened at some set-up chairs and tables while drinking coffee. “What’s new then?” Vector asked before taking a sip.

Mephiles kept his hands cupped around his Styrofoam cup. “I’ve been desperately looking for Locke’s whistleblower, and I believe I may have found the culprit.”

Espio looked intrigued to know whom he had pinned. “Who do you suspect?”

“I believe it’s Ms. Rose,” Mephiles answered calmly.

Vector looked surprised by the idea and in disbelief at the thought. “Whoa, Shadow’s old lady? Why do you think she’s involved?”

“Well, she’s quite close with Locke. They’ve only grown closer over the past couple of weeks. When she’s not hanging all over my brother’s cock, she’s usually seen with the old buzzard,” he noted. “She would be someone Locke would least expect me to pinpoint.”

Espio leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Say you’re right with your speculation. Do you have any proof to suggest for sure she is?”

Mephiles shook his head. “Unfortunately, no,” he sighed in frustration. “I already scoured every inch of her room and couldn’t find evidence of the entries or police reports. If she does have it, she hid it somewhere else…clever girl.”

Vector looked at Mephiles with seriousness. “How much longer before Locke pulls the plug on you?”

“Tomorrow,” he announced. “And you know if he rats me out, you two are coming down with me,” he warned.

“If you have no proof that Amy is involved, we can’t do much about it. We’ll have to do something about Locke, however. Perhaps we could persuade him to stay silent,” Vector suggested. “We sort of have a relationship with the guy, don’t we, Esp?”

Espio mulled over it with his eyes closed for a moment. “Yes, we may be able to convince him otherwise.”

Mephiles rose from his seat with his coffee cup in hand. “Regardless, we must stop him before it's too late.”

“We understand,” Vector concurred. “Just don’t do anything rash. We’ll deal with him before tomorrow, all right? Remember, we’ve got your back.”

“Very well…” Mephiles merely glanced over his shoulder at the two detectives as he disposed of his empty coffee cup into the trash.

•~•

Back at the compound, Shadow, Gadget, Knuckles, and Ray worked in the mechanic shop on vehicle repairs. While Locke and Rouge remained in the house, continuing to clean up from last night’s party. Mephiles returned to the compound on his bike and parked it just in front of their home. When Mephiles took his helmet off, he saw his brother waiting for him in the shop. Shadow stuck his head out of the garage door, spotting his brother. He sighed, figuring he was about to be grilled on his whereabouts.

At that same time, Rouge walked out with two large trash bags and headed for the dumpster near the entrance to dispose of them.

Mephiles placed his helmet on one of his bike handles and walked toward the garage. “How’s it going so far?”

“Good for now. Mighty and Manic are stationed at the warehouse, and the rest of us are finishing up a few jobs,” he gestured with a thumb over his shoulder. “Where have you been all morning?”

“About that,” Mephiles began as he quickly tried to think of a lie on the spot. However, he’d be able to stall a bit longer when screeching wheels careening towards their compound drew their attention elsewhere. A giant monster truck sped into the compound, and two-armed Suppression Squad members, Drago Wolf and Flying Frog sat in the truck's bed armed with AR-15s and shot into the mechanic shop and the house.

Bullets whizzed in all directions, shattering the glass windows of their house and hitting the sides of vehicles in the shop. An oil tank was shot and blown up, causing a substantial fire. “Shit, take cover!” Mephiles yelled. Shadow and Mephiles quickly took cover behind some cars that helped block the bullets from hitting them. Rouge screamed and promptly hid behind the dumpster as bullets hit close to her feet. She was the closest to the opposing M.C. club as they purposefully targeted her out of thrill.

Drago grinned manically as he continued to shoot rounds near Rouge as she desperately tried to keep cover. “Not smart to be outdoors right now,” he cackled.

Rouge moved further back, trying to avoid being shot. “Stop it!” she shouted out of desperation.

Seeing his old lady in danger, Knuckles came out of the garage holding an AK-47 and began to shoot back at their assailants. Locke also heard all the commotion from inside the house, came out with an MP5 in hand, and shot back in defense.

Shadow wished he had been armed that day but could do nothing but stay hidden behind the vehicle. He glanced over his shoulder back inside the shop, where his gun lay on one of the workstations. However, he’d be in the range of being shot. Mephiles, on the other hand, drew out his Beretta .40 from the back of his pants, popped over the hood, and shot at the two males.

The driver did a donut in their driveway, leaving a large burnout streak. “Stay out of the drug business if you know what’s good for ya,” Flying Frog hollered while his long tongue draped out his mouth. “This was a warning from the Suppression Squad!” he shot a few more rounds into the air like a maniac.

The monster truck raced out of the compound and sped down the street. Ray hid inside the garage and covered his ears as the truck whizzed past the open garage. Once they were gone, everyone came out of their hiding positions.

Knuckles rushed over to his wife and helped her up. He did a quick examination of her, looking for any injuries. “Rouge, are you okay?”

Rouge trembled slightly as she was encapsulated in his arms. “I-I’m fine.”

He held her in his arms, hugging her. “Shit, that scared the fuck out of me. You’re okay, though, baby. I’ve got you.”

Shadow and the other boys convened in the middle of their driveway. “Those assholes probably woke up the whole damn neighborhood,” the vice president scoffed. “We’ll need a cover story once Officer Friendly shows up,” he said, annoyed.

“I’ve got one covered,” Mephiles assured.

Locke walked away from the conversation with a shake of his head. “Pathetic…”

Mephiles grimaced in disgust at the older red echidna's retreating figure. He was starting to get on his nerves.

•~•

A few minutes later, Deputy Silver, Detective Vector, Espio, and several other officers rolled up to the premise after getting calls from nearby neighbors. There were at least four different police cars parked just outside the broken gate.

The dark hedgehog vice president watched Deputy Silver and a few officers behind him walk into their mechanic shop.

“Let me guess. You smell smoke?” Shadow surmised, nodding to the charred remains still puffing billows of smoke in the background.

Silver slowly took off his black aviators and rested them on the collar of his shirt. “No, bullets, actually,” he corrected. “And based on all the calls and the damage to your house and mechanic shop, I’m guessing it was of the automatic variety, am I right, Shadow?” he assumed arrogantly.

Shadow nodded. “Yes, we noticed that as well. I’m thrilled you’re here, in any case. We feel safer already,” he said with facetiousness.

“Do you have any idea who it was?” Silver questioned as he pulled out a pad of paper and pen.

Mephiles ambled out of his office and walked up alongside his brother. “I don’t like to snitch, but the other General Motors Mechanic Shop on 7th Street has been pretty suspicious since we opened our custom bike business,” Mephiles interjected.

Silver quirked a brow. “So, you’re suggesting the people who did this is your competition? Other mechanics?” he questioned seriously.

“They’re very jealous of all the business we’ve pulled from them,” Mephiles added. “It’s a possibility, officer.”

It was evident they were going to be of no help. Silver glared at the two brothers at the apparent sarcasm they were playing right now. “Right, well, I truly appreciate your cooperation,” Silver stated sarcastically. “However, we’ll still have to investigate your property fully.”

Shadow shrugged indifferently. “Knock yourself out, Deputy.”

Silver placed his aviators back over his eyes and turned around, barking orders to the other officers on duty. Shadow and Mephiles walked off together back towards the inside of the mechanic shop. “Now what?” Shadow whispered to his brother.

“If we were attacked here, there’s a possibility our unit holding the drugs could be attacked,” Mephiles whispered back. “We’ll need reinforcements to back Mighty and Manic.”

“Do you think the Suppression knows where our new unit is?” Shadow questioned.

“We can’t risk it. It’s not like we heavily advertised our alignment with our new business partner,” he justified.

Shadow sighed as the thought crossed his mind. “Who can we send over there without making it obvious?”

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought before his eyes lit up. “I have an idea.”

In the background, Detective Espio and Vector spotted Locke loading up his old pickup truck. The two detectives walked over to join him. “Hey, old timer, it’s been a while,” Vector announced.

Locke glanced over his shoulder at the two. “Not long enough,” he mumbled irritably.

“Hey, now. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?” Vector tsked, noting his grumpiness.

“You consider us friends?” Locke scoffed in amusement.

“It appears you don’t seem thrilled to see us,” Espio observed.

“I don’t associate myself with people who kiss Mephiles’ ass,” Locke pointed as he threw another suitcase into the back of his truck bed.

“Kiss ass?” Vector repeated, feeling offended. “Ain’t no way we kiss anyone’s ass around here!”

“Sure, especially regarding a paycheck,” he cracked back.

“Look, we’re not here to fight with you, Locke,” Espio said, trying to remain civil. “You may disagree with our decisions, but we still consider you a dear friend. We used to be close back in the day. We only want to have a word with you.”

“Let me guess, does it involve Mr. tall, dark, and creepy?” Locke surmised as he walked over to the driver’s side of his car.

“If that means Mephiles, then yeah!” Vector confirmed. “Please, it’ll just take a few minutes,” he pleaded.

“Tell you what,” Locke started as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’ll hear you out on whatever you want to discuss tomorrow morning. Swing by my cabin, and I’ll listen as long as you hear my side of the picture,” he bartered.

Espio and Vector looked at each other uncertainly as they mulled over the idea. Vector rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. “Well, it can’t wait exactly…”

“Come to my place early tomorrow morning. 6 AM,” he ordered. “I can’t sleep much anyway.”

“Fine, we’ll be there bright and early,” Espio confirmed.

Locke closed the door to his car. “Good, that’s what I like to hear. If you excuse me, boys, I have places to be. I’m clear to leave, right?”

Vector nodded. “Yeah, you’ve got the go-ahead.” The two detectives watched as Locke started his car's engine and drove out of the compound.

•~•

Meanwhile, back at the storage unit, Mighty finished a phone call with Shadow to get updated on what had happened at the compound. He hung up the phone and looked concerned. “Shit…”

Manic came back around the side of the building after taking a piss. He finished zipping up his pants while he approached the armadillo. “Yo, what happened?”

“The Suppression Squad hit the compound in a drive-by,” Mighty explained. “Thankfully, no one got hurt, but they fucked up the place pretty bad. The cops are swarming all over the place to do an investigation.”

“Fuck, man,” Manic breathed. “But doesn’t that mean we could potentially be sitting ducks right now?”

Mighty nodded gravely. “Shadow and Mephiles want us to have a backup since they’re locked down back home. Shadow said he’s called in reinforcements.”

Manic scratched the side of his head. “Uh, okay, so who’s coming then?” They heard motorcycle engines coming up in the distance as if on cue. Both Mighty and Manic drew out their weapons in case it happened to be a couple of Suppression Squad members coming their way. The motorcyclists came into view, and it was none other than Khan and Bark. Mighty and Manic lowered their weapons in relief, seeing it was safe.

The two Southside Charter members parked their bikes and dismounted while removing their helmets. Bark placed his helmet on the back of his motorcycle. “Heard you guys needed backup,” he grinned.

•~•

Later that evening, Amy returned home via taxi when she was notified that Shadow could not pick her up from work. She walked into the compound after being authorized by a couple of officers at the front gate. She walked in and stared at all the police, detectives, and crime scene investigators collecting samples and taking pictures. There were some sectioned-off areas with caution tape, most notably the mechanic shop. She noticed some shattered windows and spotted bullet holes in the sides of the buildings and cars. She even saw a sizeable charred-off section of the driveway where a notable fire may have occurred.

As she approached the house, she spotted Officer Silver still on site, talking to another officer. She approached the grey hedgehog, who looked in her direction when she walked over. “Officer…what happened here?”

“Ms. Rose,” Silver addressed, walking toward her. “I’m surprised the others hadn’t filled you in yet.”

Amy shook her head and continued looking at the crime scene with concern. “No, Shadow just sent a text that he wouldn’t be able to pick me up, so I took a cab home. Did anyone get hurt? This looks bad.”

“Thankfully, no. No one was injured,” he answered. “However, this place was targeted in an attack. Shadow and the others won’t comply or give me any leads on who may be responsible, but I’m positive they know who did this.”

She figured as much. “…Oh, I see,” Amy replied.

He tilted his head to the side in curiosity. “You wouldn’t happen to know who might have done this, would you? Shadow hasn’t spoken to you about beefing with other biker gangs?”

Amy shook her head adamantly. “I’m sorry, deputy, I wouldn’t know either. He purposely doesn’t talk much about business around me.”

Silver sighed, seeing another dead end. “Damn it,” he placed his hands on his hips. “I wish the club would let me help them so I could put at least another crime organization to rest. I know why they won’t tell me, in any case. It’s because they want to retaliate and take care of it themselves,” he scoffed in annoyance.

Amy wasn’t sure exactly how to respond to that statement. She wasn’t supposed to know what was happening in the club but had her theories. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “Sorry, I couldn’t be of more help, officer.”

“So, are you with this group for good then? It doesn’t seem like you’re going anywhere anytime soon,” he noted.

“Well, as you know, I’m working at the hospital in town,” she informed. “And I’m dating Shadow now. Like it or not, this is my home now.”

Silver frowned at her response. She had no clue what she was getting herself involved in. “As I told you earlier when we first met, this is not where you want to be. Being connected to Shadow only leads to danger,” he advised gravely. Suddenly, in his peripheral vision, Silver noticed Shadow walking over in their direction. He could only fathom that he was coming over to break up any more conversation happening between them.

The dark hedgehog finally reached the other two and stood behind Amy protectively as he eyed the officer. “You’re about done here, right, deputy?” he asked passively. The police had been at the compound for over six hours now. They had overstayed their time.

Silver glanced at a few guys in the background packing up their belongings. “Seems like it. We’ll be out of your hair shortly.” He looked at Amy one last time. “See you around, Ms. Rose. It was nice to chat again. Take care.” With that, Silver walked off, leaving the two of them alone.

Amy felt Shadow place a hand on the small of her back as he guided her towards the house by his side. “He wasn’t bugging you about us, was he?” he asked quietly while they walked together.

“No,” she lied, not wanting to worry him. “But are you guys okay? You didn’t tell me you were put in danger today...”

They finally reached the front steps to the porch. “It was the Suppression Squad again,” he replied. “They’re pissed since we got involved in a new business venture.”

The two walked up the steps and lingered on the porch together. They watched as most of the police entered their vehicles and headed out. “And what exactly is this new business involvement?” Amy inquired cautiously.

Shadow leaned his arms across the railing. “You know that’s classified, Rose.”

“Of course, as always…” Amy crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. She was getting sick of being kept in the dark.

Seeing her annoyed expression by their secrets, he walked closer and touched her shoulders. “Look, all that matters is that nobody got hurt, right?”

Amy stared up at Shadow skeptically. “Should we be worried about this other M.C. returning in the middle of the night to do more damage?”

Shadow shook his head adamantly. “No, we’ll have more protection tonight from our new employer. He’ll have his guys stationed outside our compound just in case,” he assured.

“Protection?” she repeated in alarm. “Whatever you’re involved in is getting pretty serious,” she observed. “You never had this type of protection with your original line of business…”

Even Shadow could tell she was picking up on much more than he’d let on. It was evident she knew that whatever they were involved in was a lot more dangerous than just selling illegal arms to gangs and other crime organizations. He kept his face neutral to avoid letting her read into the situation. One of his hands stroked her cheek as he studied her inquisitive expression. “I won’t let anything happen to you, princess. I promise.”

She gave him a weak smile, only confirming her fears and assumptions. She hugged him and felt him return the embrace. “I know you won’t,” she replied but was glad Shadow couldn’t see her concerned expression as she said that.

Suddenly Knuckles and Mephiles popped onto the front porch, where they spotted Amy and Shadow retracting their embrace. “Hey, have either of you seen my dad?” he asked.

“Locke went back to his cabin several hours ago,” Shadow answered. “He said he would spend a few days relaxing at the cabin.”

“Oh, okay,” Knuckles nodded. “I hadn’t seen him and was just wondering. I’ll check in on him in a few days, then. I don’t want to bother him.”

“He was here this morning,” Amy chimed in. “Rouge and I were getting on him for drinking again.”

Knuckles shook his head with a smile. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I’ll get on him too about taking his health more seriously.”

“Dinner is ready,” Mephiles addressed the group. “Rouge said to get inside before it gets cold.”

“Yeah, we should probably do that A-SAP. She made her famous chicken noodle casserole, and I know she worked hard on it,” Knuckles added with a grin.

The group chuckled as they walked inside together. Mephiles was the last to step inside as he mulled over a drastic decision. He couldn’t help but think about the fact that Locke was all alone in his cabin, where he may be able to take care of some loose ends.

•~•

At the storage unit, Mighty, Manic, Bark, and Khan hung out outside the unit, chowing down on some Chinese takeaway. “Boy, do I love me some chow mien,” Manic stated giddily while shoving another spoonful of noodles in his mouth. The boys had been on patrol all day, guarding the storage facility, and had no issues with the Suppression Squad coming into sight.

“I enjoy Chinese food from time to time, but it always makes me so gassy,” Bark noted as he finished his container.

Suddenly, two black SUVs appeared and pulled up to their headquarters. Everyone quickly stood from their sitting positions and drew their weapons.

The doors to the cars opened, and Enerjak and four of his most trusted bodyguards stepped out. The four M.C. members lowered their weapons when they realized they were not facing a threat. “Oh, Mr. Enerjak, it’s just you,” Mighty sighed in relief. “Sorry about drawing our guns on you. We can never be too sure.”

Enerjak approached them as he walked with his elite-looking cane in hand. “Nonsense,” he assured. “You can never be too safe. I was checking in to ensure everything was going well here.”

Mighty shook his head. “No sir, everything has been good here. You’re the first people we’ve seen today besides Shadow and the others.”

Enerjak nodded. “I see. Well, my guys have done some intel, and it appears you may have a mole in your club,” he addressed. “The Suppression Squad was notified of your involvement with me because the information was leaked from one of your two charters,” he explained.

Manic looked stunned by the news. “Whoa, we’ve got a rat?”

“Unfortunately, so,” he concurred. “I’ve already passed this message along to your VP and president. You must remain vigilant and open your eyes and ears to any red flags. If they leaked that we’re working together, then I wouldn’t be surprised if they leaked the information about where you’re holding our merchandise,” he noted.

Mighty nodded adamantly in agreement. “You’re right. We’ll do our best around here to gather any other information and pass it along to you,” he assured.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Enerjak replied. “My boys and I will be back here tomorrow for distribution. Make sure all 90 bricks are intact.”

“Of course, sir,” Khan nodded.

With that, Enerjak and his boys loaded into the SUV and drove off. Mighty placed his container of food down and stood up. “Where are you going?” Manic questioned as he eyed his friend.

Mighty stretched his arms over his head. “I’m going to take a piss. I’ll be back in five,” he gestured.

Manic watched as the armadillo walked into the woods to look for a secluded area to pee. “Oh, okay…I’ll watch your food.”

Mighty glanced over his shoulder at the green hedgehog. “My eggroll better still be there when I get back,” he warned.

Bark and Khan stifled a few chuckles at Mighty’s comment while Manic huffed. “Okay, okay!” he whined in annoyance.

Once he was gone, Manic glanced at the warehouse's back door as a thought crossed his mind. He closed his container of takeaway and stood to his feet. Khan and Bark watched as he dusted off his pants and walked around the side of the warehouse with his food in hand. “I’m going to throw my stuff away and take a shit myself. Be right back,” he mentioned to the other too.

Bark nodded. “Sure thing.”

Manic walked over to the trashcan outside the warehouse's bark entrance. He tossed his garbage away and looked over his shoulder hesitantly to ensure Mighty was nowhere in sight. When he saw he was nowhere in sight, he quickly peeked his head around the side of the building to make sure Khan and Bark were still in the same spot where they had been prior. The two Southside charter members sat in the dirt before their campfire, eating dinner. It was now or never. Manic exhaled a sigh and reached for the door handle of the warehouse.

•~•

Later that night, Mephiles took one of the white vans to Locke’s cabin. Despite what Espio and Vector had told him, he had managed to sneak out in the dead of night and drive over and deal with Locke. Once he arrived, he exited the van and placed on a pair of black leather gloves. He turned and looked at the Glock-17 lying on the passenger seat. He reached for it and checked to ensure it was loaded with bullets. Looking at his surroundings, he cautiously tucked it in the back of his pants before heading toward the cabin. He was thrilled that Locke’s place was hidden away in the forest. No neighbors meant no witnesses. The less that people knew, the better.

At the same time, Locke lounged in his retractable chair inside the cabin while having a beer and listening to the radio. However, when he heard two loud knocks on his door, he became alert to the unexpected guest.

Locke quickly sat upright, lowered the leg part to his lounge chair, and reached for his shotgun next to his chair. He stood upright and cocked his shotgun as he made his way to the front door. Locke cautiously unlocked his front door with one hand and held his gun in the other. When the door swung open, Locke looked startled to see Mephiles standing on the other side of the door. Mephiles had one of his arms pressed against the wall, holding him upright and looking indifferent. His reptilian eyes glanced at the gun barrel casually pointed toward his face before looking back at the old echidna without fear. He sighed in pity. “Either pull the trigger or let me in, you old fool.”

Locke reluctantly lowered his weapon while looking behind Mephiles in the distance as he tried to gauge if he had come alone or with backup. He decided that Mephiles must have shown up by himself. “Fine,” he sighed. “But give me the gun,” he demanded.

Rolling his eyes, Mephiles begrudgingly pulled out the Glock he had tucked in the back of his pants and handed it over to Locke. “Are we good now?”

Locke accepted the weapon and placed it in the back of his pants. “And the one in your boot,” he reminded with a point downward.

Mephiles growled in annoyance, bent over, lifted his pants legs, and handed him a 22 Magnum. With what he believed to be all of Mephiles’ hidden weapons, Locke moved to the side and allowed the president inside his abode. Mephiles sauntered inside the cabin and closed the door behind him. All the while, Locke continued to hold his shotgun, ready for anything. He knew Mephiles wasn’t here for a friendly visit. The feuding members kept a few feet apart as they eyed one another for any sudden movements.

“Is there something you want to tell me since you came out all this way?” Locke questioned as he eyed the president cautiously. “I’m sure a phone call could have sufficed.”

“Well…” Mephiles leaned his back against the wall next to the front door. “I was hoping you’d be able to give me more time before I pull the club out of this cartel business. The shit that went down today complicated things,” Mephiles explained.

“More time only means more death,” Locke countered.

Mephiles scoffed at his comment. “Look, I’m trying to do the right thing here. Give me a break.”

“The only right thing you’ve ever done is what's best for you. You lead by greed,” Locke stated, clutching his shotgun.

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest and glared in his direction. “If you hate me so much, why did you patch me back in the day?” he challenged.

Locke smirked. “Because back then, when you had no power, you could be trusted.”

The dark president tilted his head to the side with skepticism. “Oh, and so now I’m supposed to trust you? These journal entries you have…what’s to stop you from showing them even when I cut ties with Enerjak?”

“That’s a risk you’ll have to take,” he shrugged.

Mephiles sighed in frustration and pushed himself away from the wall in defeat. “Very well, I’ll call Enerjak, but if there’s retaliation, that blood is on your hands,” he warned.

Locke nodded, continuing to eye him carefully. “So be it then. I’ll take on that burden.”

Mephiles opened the door and let himself out. Locke watched as the dark president closed the door behind him. The echidna ambled towards the front door to lock it when suddenly it burst open again by Mephiles from the other side.

Startled, Locke fell backward, landed on his back, and dropped his gun. Still slightly winded from the fall, Mephiles took this opportunity to kick his shotgun further out of his reach. Locke groaned and grumbled as he tried to roll over on his side to get up, but Mephiles leaned down and slugged him across the face several times with his gloved fists.

Locke remained on his side and spat up some blood as he panted. The president kicked him harder in his side, making him gasp for air. While he was down and out, Mephiles took the time to collect all the weapons that Locke had taken. He retrieved his 22. Magnum strapped it back on his ankle, along with recovering his Glock-17.

Mephiles walked around the living room of his house and flipped things on their sides, like trunks, tables, and chairs. He scattered papers around in desperation in his search. He tore open drawers and dropped the contents inside on the floor. “Where are they? Where are my father’s journal entries?” he barked.

“They’re not here,” Locke gasped as he lifted himself upright as remained on his hands and knees.

Growling, Mephiles grabbed a lamp and threw it against a wall until it shattered. “Where the fuck are they then!” he shouted.

At this point, Locke had managed to crawl towards his shotgun in the corner of the room. Mephiles spotted what he was going for and quickly headed toward it. Both their hands reached for the weapon, but Mephiles was victorious in the end, grabbing the barrel of the shotgun just out of his reach.

Locke stood up and wobbled on his feet and kept his hands up in surrender. Mephiles studied his features as he aimed the gun at him. “I read the copies that Espio stole from your cabin. I know the originals are somewhere, along with the police files. Where are they?” he demanded sternly.

Locke kept his hands up. “I don’t know,” he lied.

Mephiles narrowed his eyes as he cocked the shotgun. “You’re lying. I know you know where they are.”

“No, I-I--” Locke stammered.

“—Shut up!” he snapped venomously. “They’re with Ms. Rose, aren’t they?”

Locke shot him an incredulous look trying to play off the correct suggestion. “What are you talking about? Why would the lass be involved in this?”

“Because she’s the one that helped clean out your storage unit when you found them,” he reminded. “You don’t think I put those pieces together, you old fool? I’ve seen how close you two have gotten.”

Locke continued to back up with his hands held up until his back hit a wall in his living room. There was no denying it at that point. Mephiles had figured it out. Now, what could he do to prevent her from facing his wrath? He knew Mephiles would do everything he could to take out anyone or anything threatening his reign. “Please, just leave her out of this,” he pleaded. “I’m the one who got her involved in this, not her.”

Mephiles pressed the gun barrel against Locke’s chest, making him grunt. His frustrated expression turned into a malignant grin. “You shouldn’t have involved her then.” He pulled the trigger blasting Locke in the chest with no remorse.

Locke gasped and made guttural noises as smoke came out of his open mouth and blood splattered in all directions from his chest and back. Mephiles watched as the echidna’s body slowly slid down the wooden walls of the cabin, leaving a smear of crimson blood with it. Blood oozed out of Locke’s open mouth and even more, secreted from the large wound in his chest. Eventually, Locke’s body fell on its side, dead.

Mephiles crouched to his level and took his index and middle-gloved fingers to scoop up some fresh blood from a puddle near his body. Mephiles walked over to a wall of family photos of Locke and his family members and found a photo of Locke with the OG Brothers of Chaos posing in a picture. He took his bloodied fingers and wrote S.S. on the image. If he wanted to get away with this murder, he’d have to blame someone else, and the Suppression Squad was the best scapegoat at this time. He took the shotgun and made random shots at different parts of the house. He wanted to make it appear that there was some shoot-out between Locke and an enemy.

He glanced at a newer photo of the bikers with Amy posing in the shot. He shook his head and tsked it. “Ms. Rose, you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.” He quickly scrolled around the room to ensure there was nothing to indicate his presence before leaving Locke’s body behind. His next target was clear—Amy Rose.

Chapter 29: The Good Liar

Summary:

With a missing piece of merchandise, club members' lives are at stake. Manic tries to get himself out of a bind and only causes a tragedy. Finally, a threatening note is left to the club.

Notes:

I've finally caught up to all the chapters posted on Fanfiction.net. So, I have officially caught up to have much I've written of the story. I'm still determining when I'll post the next chapter on Fanfiction.net or here. I'm not getting much feedback or engagement on my stories, so I haven't felt motivated to continue. Thank you to those that bother to leave a comment.

Vector and Espio woke early the following day and headed to Locke's cabin. When they arrived, they parked the car and strolled up to the cabin. However, both became alarmed at the sight of the open front door. Vector and Espio drew their guns, cautiously approaching the front entrance. Something was off.

"Locke?" Vector called while keeping his gun at the ready. It was deadly silent while they got closer.

There was no response, and Espio kept Vector's back covered as he looked at their surroundings from multiple angles. The chameleon didn't see anyone or any signs that people were still on the premise, but someone had attacked the home. Once the two detectives stepped inside the house, they were disturbed to see the inside state. They saw bullet holes scattered across one of the walls. Flipped seats, tables, and papers were strewn all over the floor. They noticed a shattered lamp in one corner of the room, a pool of blood from around the side of the table, and a body.

"Shit!" Vector quickly retracted his gun and rushed over to the other side of the table, where he found Locke's cold body on its side with his chest blown out. Espio kept his gun still drawn as he looked around the house's interior while Vector kneeled and pressed a finger against Locke's neck to feel for a pulse. He didn't know why he bothered; the old echidna had been dead for several hours. Vector sighed solemnly and stood upright. "…He's gone."

After casing the entire house, Espio exited the bedroom and put his gun back in its holster. He looked solemn in expression. "Who the hell did this?"

Vector walked over to the picture wall that had been damaged in gunfire. His eyes scanned the pictures before stopping at one photo. "If I had to guess, the Suppression Squad," he surmised.

"What makes you think that?" Espio questioned.

Vector pointed to a photo on the wall with the markings "SS" in blood. "This."

Espio walked over and analyzed the calling card. He studied it for a long moment before backing away. "It doesn't make any sense, though."

Vector crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What makes you say that? They're the sworn enemy of the Brothers of Chaos, and they've been more active lately, especially now…"

Espio shook his head in disagreement. "This all feels too forced. They attack Locke and don't take anything or leave any message for why they targeted him?" he rambled.

"Well, who else do you think is responsible?" Vector challenged.

He turned to look at his comrade as the pieces started to come together. "It isn't that obvious?"

Vector raised a brow, still confused. "Enlighten me, Esp."

•~•

Back at the compound, Mephiles was busy in his office. The dark hedgehog sat at his desk doing some filing when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller's I.D. and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Why did you do it?" Espio's voice on the other end questioned.

Mephiles stood from his desk, walked over to his office door, and closed it for privacy. "I'm not sure what we're talking about here."

"You killed Locke," Espio accused sternly.

Mephiles feigned ignorance. "What?" he gasped. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb," Espio snapped. "I'm not an idiot."

Mephiles rolled his eyes and scoffed under his breath in defeat. "Fine, yeah, I did it."

"I'm going to ask again. Why? Vector and I told you we'd handle it. We were very explicit in our instructions."

Mephiles glanced out the viewing window into the mechanic shop, where he spotted Knuckles working on a repair for a bike. The echidna was still oblivious to the fact that his father was dead. "I didn't mean for it to go that way," he lied. "I went there to work out a deal—an extension. Things escalated out of nowhere."

"Yeah, well, Locke didn't deserve that," Espio sighed. "And once again, Vec and I are cleaning up your mess…You tried to pin it on the Suppression Squad but did terribly with pointing the finger. You're messy, Mephiles."

Mephiles hummed. "Yes, well, I'll leave that in your hands. You are quite good with forged evidence, after all. Where's Vector now?"

"He's inside helping work staging the crime scene," he replied. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Espio continued to probe. "It looks like you ransacked the place."

Mephiles grumbled irritably. "Unfortunately, no. However, I do know where to look in the future."

"And what does that mean?"

Mephiles sat down on the edge of his desk. "It's been confirmed on the whereabouts of those journal entries and police files. Amy Rose has them," he grinned victoriously.

Espio felt his stomach drop at the thought. "What? How are you for certain?"

"The old bastard told me himself right before I killed him," he replied. "I told you I had a feeling she was involved. It's a shame."

"Look, Mephiles. Don't go and do anything stupid now, you understand?" he stated sternly. "Let Vector, and I handle this, for real this time."

Mephiles chuckled when he heard the urgency in Espio's stern voice. The chameleon was concerned he'd pull a similar stunt regarding Amy. "Of course, detective. Scouts honor," he pledged while crossing his fingers.

Espio walked further away from the cabin, feeling fired up more than usual. "I'm not fuckin' around here anymore, Mephiles. I'm putting my ass on the line to protect you, but I won't allow you to hurt any more people. This is your brother's girl."

"I realize that," he replied. "You better remember, though, that if she drags me down, I drag you two down with me," he warned before hanging up.

Espio looked at his phone and exhaled a sigh. He felt nothing but trouble coming his way.

•~•

Amy had the day off, so she opted to help Rouge with some housekeeping chores. She stood in front of the kitchen sink doing dishes. Shadow came in for his lunch break, stood at the kitchen entrance, and watched Amy meticulously wash dishes by hand while her back was turned. Quietly, he walked up behind her, placed his mechanic-sleeved arms around her waist, and rested his chin against her left shoulder. Amy jumped, startled at first from his unannounced presence, but smiled bashfully at his affectionate nature. "Shadow, you scared me," she tsked.

"Sorry about that, princess," he apologized, lowering his eyelids suggestively. "I couldn't resist sneaking up on you."

While Amy took off her rubber gloves and laid them on the edge of the counter, she couldn't help but catch a whiff of his masculine musk and the pheromones he was emitting. Shadow was dirty and sweaty from working in the mechanic shop, but there was something incredibly alluring and sexy about his musk and the testosterone that lingered in the air. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt him sensually kissing down the side of her neck from behind. Her face grew redder by the minute. "Um, do you want me to make you something to eat?"

He smirked knowingly. "Does that offer include you?" he teased.

"Sha-shadow," she gawked in surprise, feeling embarrassed and coy.

He chuckled lowly at her response. "Don't act all shy now. You know you love it when I—"

"—We're back," a groggy voice announced. Before she could respond, Mighty and Manic entered the kitchen, looking utterly exhausted.

Shadow released his loose hold on her and pulled back, giving her a little pat on the butt, making her squeak in surprise. It appeared their flirty moment would have to wait for now. She watched Shadow smirk in response as he walked over to the fridge, acting like nothing had just happened. He rummaged in the refrigerator and pulled out some leftovers before sitting with them at the kitchen table.

"Oh, um, good morning," Amy composed herself. "Did you guys just get back?"

"Yup." Mighty pulled out a spare chair at the kitchen table. "I'm exhausted," he sighed. "We were up all night guarding the storage unit."

"Geez, that would take it out of me, too," Amy concurred. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

They were utterly oblivious to the two hedgehog's moment. Instead, Mighty laid his head on the kitchen table with tired eyes. "I am hungry but just too tired to eat." He yawned. "Honestly, I should probably just hit the sack for now."

Manic could barely keep his eyes open at this point, too, as he sat there. "Same here, bro…"

"Are Knuckles and Gadget over there now?" Shadow questioned.

Mighty stood up, and Manic mimicked his actions. "Yeah, they swapped with us already."

"Go get some rest, you two. You deserve it," Amy encouraged.

"Thanks, Ames," Mighty waved as they two headed out.

•~•

Once upstairs in his room alone, Manic closed his bedroom door behind him. He unzipped his black leather jacket and laid it across his dresser. He stared at his tired expression in his mirror as he thought about what he had done earlier in the night.

**Flashback**

While Mighty had gone off alone to relieve himself and Manic had lied to do the same, the green hedgehog snuck into the warehouse while Bark and Khan consumed their Chinese food. Manic quietly closed the door behind him and approached the wooden crates containing the cocaine. He lifted the lid and eyed the bricks laid out perfectly before him. He lifted one of the bricks to his nose and wished desperately to do a line right there and then. It had been several years since he had done hardcore drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and crack, and he was eager to get another high.

As of now, the only substances he touched were weed and alcohol—something he could manage to control. It'd be too risky, so he'd have to plan to do it later. Carefully, he tucked it inside his leather jacket and zipped it back up. He placed the lid back over the container and snuck out before anyone noticed he had gone inside.

While Manic crept further into the woods, he found an area where he'd hide the brick and return later when it was safe. Kneeling under a tree with some brush, Manic dug a small hole and placed the brick inside. He then carefully collected nearby large rocks and put them over his buried hole to keep other creatures from digging it up. Once he was done, he stood upright and dusted off his hands. Mighty was right. This new line of business was too tempting for a recovering drug addict. As far as he was concerned, Enerjak and his crew would never know about the missing brick. He'd only have to worry about getting caught high from the others.

**End Flashback**

•~•

Later that evening, in the living room, showered and clean, Shadow sat upright on the couch while he and Amy watched TV. Amy lay on the sofa with her head planted in Shadow's lap. The dark-stripped hedgehog softly caressed the top of Amy's head and ran his fingers down her quills as they spent their time together in silence. Amy thoroughly enjoyed Shadow's gentle strokes and caressing as it made her eyes heavy. Shadow focused on the program they watched together but occasionally glanced down at his girlfriend curled beside him with her head in his lap.

Mephiles walked into the living room and spotted the loved-up couple on the sofa together. He made an expression of disgust at the sight and shook his head. Recomposing himself, he sighed and walked up beside them. "Brother, we're needed at the storage unit at once," he announced.

Amy lifted her head slightly to look at Mephiles while Shadow did the same. Both seemed surprised Shadow was being called out this late in the evening. "What's going on?" Shadow inquired.

"I'm not exactly sure," Mephiles replied. "Enerjak informed us to head over with Mighty and Manic. It sounded rather serious."

Amy moved upright into a sitting position allowing Shadow to stand up. "No need to wait up for me tonight," he suggested. "I don't know how long this will take."

Amy nodded. "Oh, okay…"

He leaned down and pecked her on the cheek before departing. She watched her boyfriend follow his older brother out of the living room.

Meanwhile, upstairs, someone knocked on Manic's door. The green hedgehog opened his door and peeked out the crack with droopy eyes. It was Shadow on the other side. "Huh, what's up?"

"Sorry to wake you. I know you were sleeping. However, Enerjak just called. He wants the first people on shift, along with Mephiles and me, back at the storage unit," he explained. "We need to leave now."

Manic felt his stomach sink at the possibilities. "…Wait, right now?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes, it sounded rather urgent. We're leaving in five."

Manic rubbed at one of his eyes. "Right, I got it, dude. I'll be downstairs in two minutes."

Shadow walked back downstairs as Manic shut his bedroom door closed. Had Enerjak already discovered the missing item?

•~•

At the storage facility, Enerjak waited in front of the storage unit along with his guys. Standing in the background were Knuckles, Gadget, Khan, and Bark. Shadow, Mephiles, Mighty, and Manic were confused about why everyone had been urgently summoned there. When the four dismounted their bikes, they saw Enerjak's serious and disappointed expression.

Mephiles approached the drug lord. "What's going on, sir?"

Enerjack rested both his hands firmly over the handle of his cane. "It appears we have a thief among us," he accused.

"A thief?" Shadow repeated in alarm.

"Yes, the boys swung by to do another check on the merchandise, and we discovered that one of the bricks was missing from our stock. We've only had a few people on guard, which limits our number of suspects."

"Mr. Enerjak, this must be some mistake," Mephiles assured. "No one in our club would ever be so stupid to steal from you," he defended.

"Well, someone beneath your reign is a liar," Enerjak corrected. "Now, I will give you two options to fix this situation before it gets rather ugly."

"We'll do whatever we can to alleviate this situation," Shadow interjected.

"I'm glad to hear it," Enerjak nodded stoically. "Option one, I leave your group alone for three hours to find the person responsible for stealing the brick from me and take care of the matter yourself."

Knuckles gulped nervously. "And option two?"

Enerjak snapped his fingers, and his guys whipped out the same automatic weapons he had purchased off their club and aimed them in their direction. Shadow and the other club members raised their arms above their heads in surrender. They were outnumbered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You don't have to go that far, dude," Manic pleaded nervously.

"Shut up, Manic," Mighty berated while trying to remain calm.

"Enerjak, this is not necessary," Mephiles stated while trying to remain calm with guns pointed in their face.

"It is, actually. Option two is to have my guys kill everyone after we discover the culprit ourselves. Afterward, I cut ties with your charters for being unfaithful, return to both compounds and wipe out both M.C.s as retribution."

Shadow's eyes widened at the thought. "We're going to figure out what happened to that missing brick and take care of matters ourselves," he stated. "I promise you we'll find it, sir."

Enerjak snapped his fingers again, and his bodyguards lowered their drawn weapons. Everyone lowered their raised arms in response. "That's what I like to hear, Shadow," he grinned. "Well, I'll be back in three hours to hear your findings." The bikers watched as Enerjak and his men loaded into their SUVs and drove off down the dirt roads before eventually being out of sight.

Once they were gone, Shadow stormed over to his brother and grabbed him by the collar. "This is exactly why I said this was a bad idea," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Calm down, Shadow. We'll figure everything out," Mephiles assured.

Shadow released his grasp on his brother's collar and backed up. "We better. I refuse to go out this way."

"What do we do now?" Knuckles questioned.

"We're going to have to figure out what happened to that missing brick," Mephiles reminded. "Speaking of, did you take it?"

Knuckles looked insulted at the idea. "Me? Why the hell would I?"

Mephiles shrugged. "Perhaps you were looking to make a little side change yourself," he surmised.

"Hell no," Knuckles scoffed. "If you don't remember, I barely wanted to be a part of this business in the first place."

Mephiles sighed. "Very well, and what about you, Mighty?"

The armadillo crossed his arms over his chest. "Similar to what Knuckles said. I was also not keen on joining the drug business. Stealing from a drug lord is a death wish."

"How about you, Bark?" Shadow questioned.

"Not a chance in hell, sir. I was doing my job keeping watch—however, apparently not good enough if this managed to occur."

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the brown monkey. "And you, Khan, what's your excuse?" He already didn't trust the guy with his history. He seemed like the type to do something devious.

Khan just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "The fact that you're even questioning me over this is enough of an insult. No, I didn't take it."

"Gadget, do I have to ask?" Shadow questioned.

"My loyalty is to this club. I would never do something so despicable and conniving, sir!" he pledged as he bowed his head.

Mephiles' eyes landed on the last person who had taken watch. "And how about you, Manic? Did you take the drugs?"

Manic remained composed on the outside even though he was sweating bullets on the inside. "Nah, dude. I would never be that stupid."

Mephiles frowned. "How interesting all of you allege you did not take it. However, one brick is missing, and as Enerjak stated, we have a liar among us."

•~•

Back at the house, there was a knock on the front door. Ray walked over to the door, opened it up, and was surprised to see Detective Vector and Espio at the door. "Evening, mind if we come in?" Vector asked cordially.

Ray looked up at the giant alligator with intimidation, not as familiar with the two. "Oh, well…"

"Detectives," Rouge announced from behind him. Ray looked over his shoulder at Rouge, who clutched the front of her pink bathrobe to keep up her modesty. "I didn't expect to see you two here so late," she smiled.

"We just wanted to pop in and check on you ladies," he explained.

Rouge opened the door wider to allow both inside the house. "Sure, come on in, boys."

Amy poked her head out from the living room, hearing the familiar voice. She watched as Vector and Espio entered their home and followed Rouge into the kitchen with Ray. She couldn't help but stare at Espio anxiously as he followed the group. He momentarily locked eyes with Amy as he headed to the kitchen, causing Amy to freeze in place.

Vector sat down at the kitchen table. "So, I assume you've had no other run-ins with the Suppression Squad, hm?"

Rouge shook her head. "No, thankfully, it's been quiet here. I know we have some extra bodyguards from the latest business partner—although I'm not sure who that is."

"I've also been monitoring surveillance, and we've been clear," Ray said.

Vector eyed the juvenile squirrel. "Who's this kid?"

Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh, this is Ray. He's the newest rookie in training. He's also Mighty's kid brother," she introduced. "And Ray, you've never been properly introduced. These two are Detective Vector and Espio," she motioned. "They work closely with the club."

Ray waved awkwardly. "Oh, hello there."

Espio directed his eyes to Amy, who lingered in the background in the kitchen doorway. "And how are you doing, doctor? Is everything well on your end?"

Amy pointed to herself. "Oh, me? I'm doing fine, thanks for asking."

Espio gave a curt nod. "That's good to hear."

Amy returned a slight but uncomfortable smile his way. She had never had much interaction with the detective in the past. She wondered why he wanted to start small talk with her now.

Vector rose to his feet. "Well then, if everything is okay here, we'll be on our way. We wanted to check in on you girls and ensure everything was good here."

Rouge smiled pleasantly. "That's sweet, Vector, but we're managing fine here."

Vector, Rouge, and Ray began heading back toward the front door, and Amy and Espio followed behind until the chameleon pulled her to the side. "Mind if I have a quick word with you, doctor?"

She stopped in her tracks, and the two lingered in the dining room. "Oh, sure."

"I know we've never properly spoken, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm always available if you have any questions or concerns regarding your safety," he advised. He reached into his pocket and handed her his phone number on a card. "If you ever feel unsafe or need to talk, you can always reach me here. Shadow cares deeply for you, so I wanted to extend my assistance."

Amy accepted the card with his phone number and felt anxious. "That's very kind, but what brings all this on suddenly?"

"Things are starting to become busier for the club. Shadow won't always be readily available when you need him. I want you to feel comfortable contacting me if you need someone for protection," he explained.

She smiled weakly. "Well, again, I appreciate it."

"Wonderful," he nodded. "Goodnight, doctor."

Amy watched as Espio departed from the room, leaving Amy even more apprehensive and nervous than before. Was there something else grander going on that she was not privy to?

•~•

Back at the warehouse, the bikers were still in the process of eliminating suspects. "Let's investigate the crime scene," Shadow proposed. Everyone entered the warehouse and approached the large wooden crates containing the drugs. Shadow lifted the lid, and they spotted the one missing brick that should have been stacked in the third row.

"This is ridiculous. None of us took it," Khan scoffed while he leaned his shoulder against the doorframe of the warehouse.

Shadow lowered the lid. "We have to eliminate all possibilities. Right now, everyone here is a suspect, and I refuse to let the cartel take all of us out for one person's greedy mistake."

"Fine, get it over with then," Khan challenged as he moved away from the wall. He spread his arms out horizontally. "Go ahead and frisk me. I don't have it!"

Shadow glanced at his brother. "Help me frisk all of them," he ordered.

Mephiles nodded, and everyone stood with their arms and legs spread apart. Shadow went ahead a frisked Khan, patting him down to feel for any oddities. However, Khan was right. There was nothing suspicious. Mephiles went down the line and started with Knuckles and felt nothing strange or unusual. This process continued until it ended with Mighty and Manic as the final frisks.

Mighty eyed Manic beside him as Mephiles patted him down. He couldn't help but get this weird gut feeling that there was something off with Manic since they returned. Manic, on the other hand, continued to keep his expression indifferent as Shadow patted him down. Once he finished bending over to pat Manic down, the ebony hedgehog stood upright. "He's clean too."

"How do we know whoever stole it didn't stash it elsewhere?" Mighty conjectured.

"That's a good point," Mephiles pondered. He reached for his gun holster and whipped out his revolver. "However, we're running out of time, and right now, time is of the essence."

"What are you doing, sir?" Gadget questioned, eying him cautiously.

"One of you has it and is lying to me," Mephiles stated. "At this point, our lives are more valuable than anything else. I'll give you the rest of the time to 'look' for wherever the brick is."

"What if the person flees the scene, sir?" Bark noted.

"Then it looks like we have our suspect," he replied. "I challenge them to try to flee from Enerjak and his cartel. I guarantee you won't make it very far." There was a moment of silence as the bikers looked at each other, eying each other cautiously. Right now, there was not much trust between the members.

"Everyone spread out in search," Mephiles commanded. "Shadow and I will wait here."

The warehouse was in the dense forest of Mercia, far away from any suburbs. Everyone began moving in different directions in pairs. Bark and Khan walked off in a different direction, Knuckles and Gadget in the opposite direction, and Manic and Mighty towards the east.

While Mighty and Manic walked together into the woods with their phones as makeshift flashlights, there was a palpable silence between the two friends. The prolonged silence ended when Mighty grabbed him by the arm. Manic stopped in his tracks and glared at his firm grasp. "Yo, what gives, dude?"

Mighty's blue eyes hardened on him. "I know it was you, Manic," he accused.

Manic shot him a bewildered expression to play off his innocence. "What are you talking about, man?"

Mighty narrowed his brows. "Drop the act, man! Where the fuck did you hide it?"

Manic yanked his arm out of Mighty's grasp, further irritated by the accusation. "It wasn't me, dude!"

"Stop lying to me! I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me the truth," he begged. "Come on. I'm your best friend."

"If you were my best friend, you'd know I was telling the truth," Manic said.

Mighty shook his head adamantly. "Best friends also call out their friend's bullshit, and that's what I'm doing right now. I know you better than anyone else. I was the one who helped you get into rehab and settle your substance abuse, remember? I was with you through thick and thin…"

Manic listened to his words and turned back, refusing to let Mighty see his guilt-ridden expression. "I appreciate that, man, but I'm not lying…I swear."

Mighty's stern expression softened as he stared at the back of his best friend. "Please, Manic, let me help you." He reached out a laid a hand on his shoulder from behind. "We'll find it together and devise an excuse to get minimum punishment, okay? I promise I'm here to help you."

Manic sprung forward, breaking away from his touch. "Fuck off, Mighty! I didn't take it! I'll prove it to you and find the real person who did," he pledged before running off into the woods.

Mighty watched as the green hedgehog ran through the darkened forest. He tried to keep up and ran in the same direction. "Manic, wait!" Unfortunately, he tripped over an uproot and crashed into the dirt. He grunted and lifted himself from the ground. "God damn it…"

Nearby, behind a tree, a figure watched the armadillo attempt to chase after his friend. He had heard their entire conversation and continued to pursue Manic quietly.

•~•

Meanwhile, with Shadow and Mephiles, the two brothers waited for the rest of the boys to get back with the missing brick. Shadow paced anxiously back and forth in front of the campfire the group had made earlier. Mephiles sat on one of the logs before the fire and watched his younger brother endlessly pace. "Will you stop your incessant pacing already? It won't help you any," he snapped.

"Forgive me, brother. I'm worried we're all about to be slaughtered," he snapped.

"It'll be found, trust me," Mephiles proclaimed calmly.

Shadow shot him a puzzled look. "How can you be so sure? Lives are at stake here."

"One of them took it and had plans for it. However, when they realize their mistake, they're going to 'find' it again miraculously," he explained coolly.

"Or perhaps they've already gotten miles and miles away from here on foot to save their ass," Shadow deduced pessimistically.

"Even if they did, we'd know they were guilty. Besides, the cartel would manage to find them before they could get far enough away. You know how these organizations work. It's nearly impossible to escape them."

"I'm worried about them taking their wrath out on our clubhouse," Shadow noted. "The others don't deserve our retribution—leave them out of this."

Mephiles rested his face against one of his hands bent across his knee. "You know, brother, for someone who worries so much about Ms. Rose and her safety, I find it rather hypocritical that you formed a relationship with her in the first place. Just attaching that label is enough of a detriment to her wellbeing with our line of business and your ranking…."

Shadow glared in his brother's direction. "You don't think I considered that already?"

"So why did you opt to get into a relationship with her then? I thought after Maria died, you had sworn off relationships for good for that very reason?"

"…I-I did," he confirmed. "I tried to talk myself out of getting into a relationship with her for a good period. However, my feelings grew too strong once I started to get to know her. I did everything possible to prevent that, but I still failed. Why do you think I was so vile towards her initially?"

Mephiles raised a brow, alarmed as he processed the timeline of events. "Hold on, that's how long you fancied her?"

Shadow nodded hesitantly. "I thought she was beautiful when I first saw her. She's the whole package deal, beautiful, caring, stubborn, intelligent, and completely my type."

"I know you're quite content in this relationship, but what we're doing now is threatening her life more than ever. You already told me that the Suppression Squad knows of her existence and importance to you, and now we've joined this line of business. Who knows what other threats that are out there even you are unaware of," he foreshadowed. "Wouldn't it be best to just-"

"—No," he abruptly cut off. He knew what his brother was going to imply. "I'm going to do everything I can to keep her safe and fulfill this promise to you so I can leave for good. I won't allow anything bad to happen to her, mark my words."

Mephiles sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a perilous balancing act to play, brother, but suit yourself."

Another thought crossed Shadow's mind. "What do you plan to do if it turns out to be one of our own that stole those drugs?" Shadow pressed, curious to hear his brother's response.

Mephiles' eyes drifted up to the night sky. "I'll take care of that matter personally and ensure it never happens again…"

Shadow cocked a brow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Mephiles gave out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry about it, brother. The burden will only weigh on me."

•~•

Simultaneously, some distance away, Manic finally found his hiding spot for the cocaine brick. Panting, he fell to his knees in the dirt next to the tree with shrubbery where he had hidden the drugs. The green hedgehog glanced around his surroundings, being cautious of any witnesses. He didn't want any others to see him uncover the item. Once the coast was clear, he carefully removed the large rocks and other shrubbery before digging underneath and unearthing the goods. "There's my baby…" He purred victoriously. The green hedgehog held up the brick and studied it for a moment. "It was going to be just you and me, but plans have changed," he said, talking to the brick as if it were living.

Manic placed the brick inside his pants and put his t-shirt over the bulge. He then strategically covered the bump with his black leather jacket to conceal its hiding spot. Manic dusted off his dirtied hands and began to pace back and forth, trying to devise a good plan or excuse for finding the brick without it pointing back to him. "Think, Manic, think," he mumbled under his breath.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar click from behind and spun around, only coming face to face with Monkey Khan and his gun drawn. "You won't have much time to think for long," he warned.

Manic stared at his drawn pistol and backed up nervously. "Khan? Why are you pointing that thing at me, huh?"

Khan approached the green hedgehog slowly with his gun extended toward him. "You're going to play the dumb game, huh? I saw and heard everything, you idiot. You have the brick on you right now." He pointed. "You're the one who took it and put all our lives in danger!"

Beginning to panic, Manic raised his hands above his head in surrender. "Please, man. Please don't turn me in. I-I'll be killed. Help me come up with a lie to spare my life."

"That was your choice, and now you'll have to face the consequences. Besides, I refuse to die today because of your greed and need for a quick fix. Once an addict, always an addict."

A million thoughts were running through Manic's mind as Khan got closer and closer to him with his gun. He was not going to go down for his selfish mistake. "All right, all right. I give up," he admitted. "I'll turn over the brick…"

Khan kept his finger on the trigger of his gun. "Fine," he mumbled. "Take it out and lay it down before you nice and easy now. Oh, and don't get any ideas. I won't hesitate to kill you."

Manic carefully reached for the front of his pants and lifted his shirt with one hand revealing the brick tucked inside his jeans. He went for the brick, removed it, and bent forward to lower it slowly on the ground. However, with quick thinking, he quickly chucked it straight for Khan's face to make a run for it. Trying to dodge the oncoming brick, Khan moved his arm with the gun, pulled the trigger, and grazed Manic's upper left thigh. Manic cried out and dropped to the ground.

Khan looked at the brick that had nearly missed hitting him in the face as it lay in the dirt behind him. He glared at the spikey green hedgehog writhing in the dirt from pain, bent over, and grabbed the brick. "You, fucking idiot…" he seethed. He marched over in Manic's direction, planning to finish him there.

Manic scooped up a handful of dirt, gravel, and debris as he got closer and hurled it right in Khan's eyes. "Ah fuck!" The monkey staggered backward, stunned momentarily, trying to get the debris out of his eyes. "You piece of shit, traitor!" he cursed.

Manic took the opportunity and lunged for Khan, tackling him to the ground and knocking his gun out of his hand. The two bikers rolled around in the dirt, kicking, punching, and hitting one another. Manic straddled Khan and punched him a few times in the face. Still temporarily blinded, Khan used one of his hands to feel up Manic's injured leg and jab his thumb into his open wound.

Manic screamed in agony, feeling his finger forcibly jam deeper and deeper into his wound. Khan uppercut him and knocked him backward him. Still reeling in pain, Manic watched as Khan clumsily felt around for his missing pistol in the dark. Manic groaned, dragged himself through the dirt, and got it just as Khan's fingers grazed the handle. He took control of the weapon and aimed it at Khan as he stood upright, towering over him. "I'll do it, I'll fucking do it," Manic trembled with his outstretched arm.

Khan wiped his eyes one final time as he looked down at Manic in pity. "You're a coward and a traitor to this club. To think what lengths I went to get your ass out of jail back then," he recalled, thinking back to his arrest. Discreetly, Khan reached behind his back, reaching for his spare gun while Manic held his other weapon aimed at him.

Manic swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "They can't know…please, don't make me do this…I don't want to have to kill you."

Suddenly, Khan whipped out his spare gun, but Manic's finger was already on the trigger. He shot Khan through the forehead several times while he cried out in terror. Blood exploded from the back of his head and onto the ground. Khan's head craned back as he stood momentarily before collapsing backward, feet away from Manic in the dirt. Manic hyperventilated and tried to calm himself down. Shaking, he felt his face and noticed a wet substance on his fingertips: Khan's blood.

Suddenly, Manic saw flashlights approaching and heard the others calling his name in the distance. "Manic! Khan?!" Scrambling to his knees and still in pain from his injury, Manic did his best to stage the scene to sell his innocence. He placed the brick of cocaine in the inside of Khan's pants and ensured Khan's other gun was still in his hand. He quickly moved back to his victim position and tried to wipe Khan's blood off his face with the back of his sleeve.

"Help me!" Manic shouted with desperation.

Eventually, Shadow, Knuckles, Mephiles, Bark, Mighty, and Gadget stumbled across the crime scene. All of them looked stunned when they saw the outcome.

"…Oh fuck," Knuckles breathed as he stared at Khan's body.

Shadow shone his flashlight over Khan's body before directing it to Manic, still bleeding from his upper thigh. "What the fuck happened here?"

"It-it was Khan," Manic pointed shakily. "I followed him and found him digging it up behind some bushes. I tried to tell him to come clean to the rest of the club, but he refused," he lied. "He tried to kill me, so I fought back, but he shot me once in the leg. I-I had no other choice…"

Mighty looked at Khan's deceased body bleeding out the door as he absorbed Manic's story. His eyes drifted back to his best friend as he studied his expression and body demeanor. He frowned as he feared the worst.

"I-I don't understand. When the hell did Khan manage to steal it? I never saw him leave his post," Bark argued. Manic looked at a loss for words and opened his mouth to reply, but someone else quickly cut him off.

"—I saw him leave his post once," Mighty interjected.

"When?" Bark questioned.

"It was when you took that quick stretch break," the armadillo answered. "He said he had to use the bathroom. I didn't think much of it at the time." Manic stared at Mighty in surprise—was he really covering for him right now?

Shadow took a long hard look back at Khan's deceased body and spat on it. He already had reservations about Khan and his morals from recent experience. He ultimately bought into Manic's lie. "I never trusted that son of a bitch in the first place. He was a scum bag."

Mephiles looked at both Mighty and Gadget. "You two, get Manic into the truck and back to the compound. Have Ms. Rose attend to his injuries immediately." The two nodded and helped Manic to his feet. He grunted, still in agonizing pain. He put one arm over each member as they helped him walk back on foot. While Mephiles watched the three disappear, he turned to Knuckles and Bark. "You two, bury Khan in a deep grave unmarked. I will call Enerjak and update him on our thief."

"Understood," Knuckles nodded.

Bark looked down at Khan's body one last time and shook his head in shame. "Why'd you do it?"

Shadow and Mephiles walked back together towards the warehouse. Mephiles mulled over this situation. "It doesn't make sense…Khan was so loyal."

"Pff, yeah. Maybe to you," Shadow scoffed under his breath.

Mephiles raised a brow at his brother. "And what does that mean?"

"The guy was a ruthless scumbag. He was willing to do whatever for the highest bidder," Shadow explained. "The fact that he'd kill a female, let alone a child, is enough for me not to trust him. I bet he had someone interested on the side that he could make some extra cash with that brick," he theorized.

Mephiles mulled over the thought. "Perhaps you're right, brother. Still, something doesn't feel right…"

•~•

Amy and Ray had already prepared her office for Manic's arrival at the house. Mighty and Gadget helped carry Manic to Amy's office and laid him on the examination table. Mighty stayed behind to help assist Amy in any way while she worked on fixing him up. The black and red armadillo leaned against the counter with his arms crossed across his chest while he stared disappointedly at his best friend. Mighty hadn't said another word to him the entire ride back home. It concerned Manic; he was dying to know what was happening in his head. Right now, all he could feel were Mighty's piercing blue eyes burning a hole in the back of his head while he was on the examination table.

The green hedgehog lay on his stomach with his lower half bare so that Amy could properly clean, assess, and tend to his wound. Manic puffed on a fresh blunt and blew out a puff of smoke from the corner of his mouth as he mellowed out. "Sorry about giving you a free show, Amy. I usually try to wine and dine a girl before she gets to see my goods," he cracked, trying to break the uncomfortable tension.

Amy was too focused on sewing Manic's bullet hole entry up to comprehend his joke. "It's okay, Manic. You have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. I'm a medical professional, after all. I've seen everything in the E.R."

He winced slightly, feeling her dig the needle under his flesh again. "Oh, good to hear that I don't disappoint."

"How'd this happen again anyway?" she questioned, trying to fill the silence.

"Yes, explain it again," Mighty added, still holding suspicion in his tone.

Manic glanced over his shoulder and momentarily caught Mighty's eye contact before pulling his eyes away nervously. "Uh, without giving too much info away about our business…basically, someone stole something. I caught them in the act and got shot for exposing them," he lied.

Amy wiped some alcohol around the wound, cleaning up the blood. "Sounds like you were kept busy tonight. This injury could have been much worse. You're very fortunate."

"Heh, you can say that again," he smiled sheepishly. "Thanks again for patching me up, Amy. You're a legend."

She finished the final stitch and smiled sweetly at him. "No problem, Manic." She picked up dirtied bandages and cloth and cleaned up the area. Mighty watched as she began to sanitize the area she used to work on.

There was a knock on the door, and Shadow cracked the office door slightly and popped his head. "You decent in there?"

"Ouch!" Manic tried to push himself up to cover up, but moving was still excruciating. "No, man! Get out!"

Amy removed her bloodied gloves as she turned to look at her boyfriend lingering in the doorway. "We're all done in here, Shadow. Excuse Manic's nudity, though," she said as she began to wash up.

Shadow avoided looking in Manic's direction to keep his modesty. "It's not like I haven't seen it before," he shrugged indifferently.

Manic narrowed his eyes at the vice president as he finished pulling up his boxers. "Damn, how many of you have seen my junk anyway?"

"Mighty, help get Manic back to his room," Shadow ordered.

"Sure," Mighty nodded. The armadillo walked over and placed one of Manic's arms over his shoulder to assist him in walking. The two strolled out of the makeshift-medical office, leaving Amy and Shadow alone.

"Sorry about the late call. I know you have an early shift tomorrow," he apologized.

"I'm used to being on standby," she shrugged with a smile.

Shadow cupped her face in his hands while he stared at her lovingly. "You continue to impress me, you know." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I don't know what we'd do without you. Thank you, Rose."

Amy felt her cheeks go red and smiled up at him. "I'm just doing my job," she shrugged innocently.

He held her hands in his. "Still…you do so much for this club and me."

"That's because you're like my family."

Shadow leaned in and kissed her. It started innocent and chaste but slowly grew more heated. Amy moaned slightly into the kiss as Shadow tilted his head, deepening it. Amy wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck, leaning into him as her body grew hot. Suddenly, Shadow lifted her by the waist and set her on the counter as he continued to kiss her more intensely. His hands traveled down her sides before he felt Amy pull back. "…Shadow?" she panted, out of breath.

"Yeah?" he replied, a bit breathless himself.

"C-can I deposit that rain check now?"

The ebony hedgehog smirked knowingly. "The bank is always open for you, my love." Shadow scooped her up into his arms bridal style and carried her upstairs with him.

•~•

A few moments later, once Manic had settled back into his room with Mighty's help, the armadillo closed his bedroom door. Manic shifted upright in his bed, undressed for the night, and Mighty walked over to his bed and looked down at him with disappointment. "All right, enough lies. What really happened back there, bro?"

Manic's pierced ears drooped. "You were right. I was the one that stole the brick…"

"Did you kill Khan in self-defense back there?" he asked.

There was a long pause before he finally spoke. "Yeah, he was the one who saw me recover the missing brick. He was going to tell everyone, and I panicked."

Mighty frowned in disappointment. "Fuck, man…I told you this was a mistake."

"Are you going to snitch and tell the truth?" Manic questioned.

Mighty shook his head adamantly. "You're my best friend and my brother. Besides, you know what would happen if I did, right?"

He nodded gravely. "I'd be killed for lying and trying to steal from the club…"

"Exactly," Mighty confirmed. "I can't do that to you. You made a mistake."

Manic heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, man…"

"And besides," Mighty added. "I never liked Khan anyway."

Manic ran a hand through his bangs. "Heh, you can say that again, dude."

"The guy was fucked up, but it still wasn't right that you killed him," he added.

"I-I know it wasn't, but at that point, it was him or me," Manic argued.

The armadillo shrugged solemnly. "No point in going back and forth now. What's done is done, and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life."

Manic nodded slowly, absorbing his comment. "I know."

Mighty moved closer to him and sat on the edge of his bed. "If you feel like you're going to cave and relapse, you need help."

"It was just a temporary slip," Manic dismissed quickly. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"Trust me, I know it won't," Mighty added sternly. "You need to come to me when you get that urge again," he reminded. "I'm not letting you fall into this trap again. I'll help you if you get that itch."

Manic nodded slowly. "Fair enough, dude. I promise."

"I knew getting into the drug trade was a bad idea," Mighty sighed. "You were the first to come to mind when this vote came to the table."

Manic's ear perked. "Wait, I was?"

"Yeah, I even mentioned my concerns to Mephiles when the vote was first brought up. I worried it might be too tempting for a recovering drug addict, and I was right."

Manic frowned. "I won't disappoint you again, M. I promise."

Mighty shot him a weak smile. "I sure hope so." The green hedgehog watched as Mighty got up and walked towards his door. He placed his hand on the doorknob. "All right, get some sleep, man. You'll need it."

Manic leaned back into his pillows, getting comfortable. He lifted the covers and placed them over his body. "Right-o. Night dude."

•~•

Later that night, a figure approached the compound. The figure avoided all exterior cameras as they got closer to the house. They walked up the front porch steps and pulled out a piece of paper. Carefully and quietly they taped a typed-up letter and pasted it on the front door. The letter had a very straightforward message to the club.

It read: "We're going to kidnap and kill your doctor bitch. Stay out of our line of business."

The unknown figure quickly exited the front porch before anyone saw them.

•~•

A few hours later, Manic rolled back and forth in bed as he relieved what had taken place prior that night with Khan. He whimpered and shook slightly beneath the sheets as a cold sweat formed on his forehead. "No, no," he mumbled.

"I'll do it, I'll fucking do it," Manic trembled with his outstretched arm.

Khan glared at him in disgust. "You're a coward and a traitor to this club. To think what lengths I went to get your ass out of jail back then."

"They can't know…please, don't make me do this…I don't want to have to kill you."

BANG. Blood exploded from the back of his head and onto the ground. Khan's head craned back as he stood momentarily before collapsing backward, feet away from Manic in the dirt.

Suddenly, Manic shot upright in bed, hyperventilating, and looked around the room. He hadn't realized how heavily this matter weighed on his subconscious. The green hedgehog placed a clammy hand on his forehead as he slowed his breathing. "Shit…" he muttered. It appeared that Mighty was right. He would have to live with this guilt for the rest of his life.

•~•

Downstairs, Ray was up early, at around 5 AM, working on cleaning the kitchen. He was always an early riser and enjoyed the peace in the morning. He heard someone grunting as they made their way downstairs and noticed Manic limping down the stairs, still evidently in pain from his gun injury. "Oh, hey," he said quietly, rushing to assist him. "Let me help you there."

"Thanks, little dude," Manic praised. He placed one arm over his shoulder as Ray helped get him to the kitchen table.

Manic plopped down at the kitchen table, hissing slightly from the pain. "Shit, this sucks…"

Ray walked over to the coffee pot. "I didn't expect to see you up so early. You don't seem like the type to get up early."

"I'm not," Manic confirmed. "I love sleeping but didn't get much of it tonight."

"Because of your injury, I suppose?" Ray surmised as he poured him a cup of coffee.

"Uh, yeah," he lied through his teeth. "I guess you could say that…"

The yellow squirrel placed the coffee down in front of him. "Here you go."

He placed a hand around the handle of the mug. "Thanks, Ray."

"I'll be right back. I'm going to get the newspaper," the young squirrel announced.

Manic stared at his reflection in the coffee as guilt still rode heavily in his mind. He didn't like Khan as a person, but the fact that he had still killed him when he remained innocent really bugged him. There was also the fact that he was very close to relapsing into his addiction. Manic sighed as he tried to move the evil thoughts away.

"Um, Manic..?" Ray asked nervously as he returned.

The green hedgehog turned to see him standing in the kitchen entryway after returning from retrieving the newspaper. "What's up?"

The squirrel hesitantly entered the kitchen with two paper items in his hand: a newspaper and a folded piece of paper. "I found this outside on the front porch." He handed one of them over to Manic, who glanced down at the letter.

After his eyes skimmed the note, Manic looked very serious in expression. "Wake up, Mighty, and tell him to come downstairs. We're going to have to wake up the others as well."

•~•

Upstairs, Shadow and Amy were sound asleep together. However, when a knock at the door occurred, Shadow's left ear twitched, and he raised his head from the pillow. Squinting his eyes at the time, it was nearly five-thirty A.M. Amy's bedroom door cracked open, and Mighty peered inside cautiously, hoping not to intrude. He could see Amy was asleep next to Shadow, so he did not want to disturb her. "Psst," he whispered. "Shad, I need to speak with you," he urged quietly.

Shadow carefully moved out of bed, ensuring he didn't wake her up. Only in his long pajama pants, he placed the covers higher past Amy's shoulders and walked towards Mighty, still waiting outside in the hallway. Shadow made his way out of her room and softly closed the door behind him. He turned to look at the armadillo and noticed Ray was also in the hall beside him. "What's going on?" he asked in a hushed voice while rubbing at one of his eyes.

Mighty looked nervous and kept his hands together. "Ray found something on the front porch this morning, and it's pretty serious," he began.

Shadow looked eager to hear the news as his ears perked. "What is it?"

Mighty reached into his pocket and handed him the folded-up letter to examine. Shadow accepted it, and his red eyes went back and forth as they scanned the letter. Looking grave in expression, Shadow momentarily looked back at Amy's closed bedroom door before making a final decision. He lowered the letter and looked at the two with determination. "Emergency meeting downstairs. Now," he ordered.

•~•

AN: Please remember to leave a review. They do mean a lot to me and are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 30: The Note

Summary:

With a note left behind at the compound threatening a member of their home, Shadow and the others must deal with how to handle this moving forward. Meanwhile, Shadow deals with business involving the Suppression squad, and Knuckles finally learns his father's fate.

Thank you to those who left me a review or comment on my last chapter. I appreciated reading all your thoughts! I'm also incredibly sorry for taking so long to update the next chapter. I'm a teacher, and I'm completing my Masters right now, so I was waiting until I finished school for the summer, along with completing some assignments before I posted. Other than that, enjoy the new chapter!

•~•

That morning at seven AM, Amy went downstairs to start her day. She had another shift at the hospital for later that morning and quickly ran into the kitchen for a bite to eat. Although, she wasn’t expecting to enter the kitchen and see every member waiting for her. Mighty, Manic, Knuckles, and Gadget sat at the table. Ray and Rouge sat on the counter, and Shadow and Mephiles sat beside the table. She stopped at the entrance as all the member’s eyes fell upon her when she appeared in the doorway. “…Oh, good morning, everyone,” she stated, feeling wariness.

Shadow approached her, looking serious in expression. “Rose, we need to talk to you,” he stated cautiously.

Amy walked further into the kitchen as her ears twitched nervously. She sensed terrible news looming. “Sure, uh, what’s going on?”

“Take a seat, sweetheart,” Rouge gestured.

Shadow guided Amy to sit at the kitchen table and sat her at one of the available seats. “We found something this morning that’s brought some concern. We want you to be aware of it.”

Shadow moved the letter in front of her for her to read. Amy’s jade eyes read the note: “We’re going to kidnap and kill your bitch doctor. Stay out of our line of business.”

Amy’s stomach suddenly dropped as she finished the last word. Her face paled noticeably. “Is this…real?”

Shadow placed a hand on her shoulder, seeing she was visibly shaken. “We’re not sure yet,” he replied. “However, we’ll find out and ensure nothing happens to you.”

Amy looked up at Shadow nervously. “I-I don’t understand. Why would someone want to hurt me?”

“They probably don’t have anything against you,” Mighty interjected. “There are people who know about your connection to Shadow. They’re trying to hurt him by coming after you,” he explained.

“We’ve already informed Vector and Espio. They’re coming over now to investigate for us,” Shadow informed.

“But I have to go to work,” she argued.

“—Unfortunately, that won’t be happening,” another voice stated. Everyone turned only to spot Espio, and Vector entering the kitchen as if on cue.

Amy turned around in her chair. “Why not? I’m a resident intern. They need me there.”

Espio crossed his arms over his chest. “The hospital director Ms. Vanilla has already put you on a temporary leave for the time being until this can be cleared,” he explained.

“Wait, the hospital already knows?” Amy questioned.

Espio nodded. “Yes, there was some form of a threat left at the hospital regarding you. Ms. Vanilla wants to take all precautions for your safety and the hospital. We just finished coming back with that intel.”

“…This is just great,” Amy sighed sarcastically. She stood and stormed out of the kitchen.

“Amy!” Rouge called after her.

“I’ve got her,” Shadow stated before heading after her.

Once his brother was gone, Mephiles turned to address the rest. “For the time being, we’re on lockdown. The only ones allowed to leave the compound are those assigned for our next afternoon mission,” Mephiles informed. “Shadow will have some of you stationed here at the compound if anything happens,” he announced. “We’ll talk to Enerjak and get to the bottom of this threat.”

“Understood,” everyone said in unison.

“Well, I need to check on my dad,” Knuckles announced. “He hasn’t answered any of my calls or text messages.” Espio, Vector, and Mephiles exchanged subtle glances before looking away. The three watched as Knuckles exited the kitchen while he looked down at his phone.

“Hey, mind if I tag along?” Gadget inquired, following the echidna. “You know, just as a precaution?” he offered.

“Sure thing, man,” Knuckles smiled.

•~•

Meanwhile, upstairs, Amy was on her bed, curled up and clutching a pillow to her chest. Shadow opened the door and spotted her lying in bed facing the wall. He frowned, seeing her current state. “Rose…” He walked over to her bedside, sat on the edge, and touched her waist softly.

“I-I don’t understand how this could’ve happened?” she mumbled while she turned over to look at him. “I thought we kept our relationship under wraps well enough.”

Shadow’s ears went back apprehensively. “About that, I have a confession to make…”

The rose-colored hedgehog sat upright, still clutching her pillow to her chest. “What?”

“When we were in Tech City, some Suppression members passed through during our visit. They spotted us while we were there and were tailing us for most of the first day,” he explained.

Amy looked stunned to hear this revelation. She had no idea, which bothered her since she hadn’t felt the instinct that they were being followed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to be worried or have it ruin our trip. You were already dealing with your cousin. It would have added to that,” he tried to justify.

She leaned forward, eager to learn more. “What did they want?”

“They were there mostly to gain intel…on you,” he worded carefully.

“Wait, how do you know for sure?”

“Because…after we had dinner that night. I wandered off and told you I was having a cigarette break, but I lied. I confronted them about following us. That’s when I learned why they were there and hadn’t made any moves. They saw you and were trying to figure out if you were someone important to me.”

Amy felt her stomach drop, and her eyes began to water. “I’m tired of being kept in the dark, Shadow. I don’t like being lied to...”

He stared at her apologetically. “Trust me. I get it, babe. All I want is for you to be safe. I do everything to keep you from knowing about the club business. The less you know, the safer you are.”

“You keep saying that, Shadow.” She closed her eyes. “But apparently, it’s not working…”

He frowned at her comment. She did have a point. “Look, Amy—”

“It’s true!” she snapped. “Go ahead and leave! I’m stuck in here for the foreseeable future anyway…” He watched her flop on her side, facing away from him again. She buried her face into her pillow. He could tell she was angry—maybe not with him directly, but with the whole situation, mainly since it affected her career.

“I have another mission, so I’ll be out most of the day. I’m leaving Mighty and Manic here to keep watch over you. Don’t leave their sight,” he instructed. He stood and closed her blinds before he walked back toward her door. “I’m going to take out this threat, I promise.” He reached for the door handle and opened it, looking at her one last time with a frown. “I love you, Amy.”

There was a long silence before he heard, “…I love you too.”

He displayed a small smile before closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, Amy allowed the tears to stream down her face. Her body shook as she cried. She was scared for her safety…perhaps this was what everyone had warned her about.

As Shadow made his way downstairs, Mighty was heading upstairs. The two stopped on the staircase. “How’s she doing, man?” Mighty inquired.

“Not good. I filled her in on what happened in Tech City,” Shadow admitted. “She’s scared.”

“Poor kid,” Mighty sighed, shaking his head. “Who knows what’s running through her head right now.”

“I’m assigning you and Manic to guard her today. Please take good care of her. Keep her company and get her mind off this matter,” Shadow urged. “I’m worried about her.”

“Don’t worry, Shadow. She’s in good hands with us,” Mighty pledged. “I’ll do my best to distract her and bring up her spirit.”

Shadow nodded curtly. “I appreciate it.” He walked around them and went downstairs. “Text me if anything changes.”

•~•

Later that morning, Shadow, Mephiles, and Ray went out to see the distribution process of the drugs. Enerjak wanted them to be fully involved in seeing how everything was processed. They met at a seedier part of Mercia and entered an abandoned apartment building with construction caution tape and fencing. Finitevus, Thrash, and Bark were there as well. When Shadow, Mephiles, and Ray strolled up, they heard the butt end of a conversation from Finitevus. “Again, I apologize for his deception on all of us. It won’t happen again, sir.”

Enerjak nodded. “I know it won’t,” he replied. “We’re lucky we caught it early before it could worsen.” His eyes turned to the newest arrivals. “Gentlemen, lovely to see you again.”

“Morning,” Shadow stated while he coolly shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Well, now that everyone is here. Let’s begin our tour.” Enerjak and his four bodyguards guided the Brothers into the apartment building. Shadow looked at the scenery before a thought crossed his mind. “How do you manage to hang out in this place? No one calls in complaining of Mobians loitering?” Shadow questioned.

“That’s a good question,” Enerjak noted. “We do get some calls into the authority. However, the police department for this district is under our thumb. They look the other way for us,” he smirked.

Mephiles eyes widened. “You have that much control over the police department?”

“Of course. How do you think we’ve been able to be in business for so long,” he chuckled. Suddenly Enerjak snapped his fingers as they entered the laundry room. “Boys.”

Shadow, Mephiles, and Ray watched as his bodyguards moved the washing machine and dryer to the side and lifted a secret door under a rug. They observed as they lifted the secret door open that showed a staircase leading to a downstairs cellar.

“Fascinating,” Mephiles mumbled.

“Follow me,” Enerjak encouraged with a wiggled finger. The three M.C. members followed Enerjak down the stairs, followed by his four bodyguards. Once down there, they stared at Enerjak’s distributors, who were most of Finitevus’ working girls. They all worked diligently at their stations, measuring, weighing, and storing the individualized baggies of drugs.

“Wow, you’ve got it down to a T,” Shadow noted as he stared around the room. However, Shadow saw someone familiar in the corner of the room and noticed it was Lien-Da. She also caught his eye and gave him a flirty wink in his direction. Shadow quickly stiffened and looked away to avert all attention in her direction. Mephiles also picked up on it and chuckled before he eyed someone of interest.

“Yes, he certainly does…” Mephiles hovered behind one of the working girls, eying her enviously. She looked gorgeous from the backside. The girl grimaced as she looked over her shoulder and huffed under her breath at his leering gaze.

Finitevus snapped his fingers, catching Mephiles’ attention. “Leave my girls alone,” he ordered. “They’re too busy to entertain you right now.”

“He’s right, you know,” Enerjak seconded. “You’ll have to request their other talent at night. Drug distributors by day, sex workers at night.”

Mephiles backed away. “My apologies.”

“How many dealers do you currently have?” Mephiles questioned.

Enerjak rested his hands on his cane handle. “As of right now, twenty-two. However, we’re still expanding.”

The group headed back upstairs through the secret door. Enerjak and his bodyguards led the group back outside into the parking lot. “I’m quite impressed with your operation,” Mephiles commended. “You seem to be in the know for everything in this industry.”

He grinned arrogantly. “I’ve been around for some time and know a thing or two.”

“Speaking of which,” Shadow segued. “I was hoping to discuss something with you regarding the other cartel,” he worded carefully.

“What is it?” he inquired curiously.

“I’m concerned for my old lady’s safety. We found something today, and we were wondering if you could identify and validate it for us.”

Before Enerjak could question further, everyone was drawn to the apartment's entrance and parking lot. A car sped into the parking lot, crashing through the sliding metal mesh gate, and hurtled towards the group at full speed.

“Look out!” Bark shouted.

Enerjak’s bodyguard quickly shielded and ushered him to safety while two withdrew their guns, ready for battle.

Everyone dispersed in different directions as the car rolled down its windows, and two members of the Suppression Squad appeared from the backseats of the vehicle on either side. They positioned their automatic rifles out of the car and began sporadically shooting at the group. Shadow and Mephiles ducked behind some dumpsters and whipped out their weapons. “Not again,” Shadow cursed.

In the meantime, Ray cowered under a parked car and kept his hands over his head as he shook, completely terrified. He still wondered why he wanted to join this line of business. Finitevus, Bark, and Thrash did their best to fend off their attackers as they shot back, hiding behind one of the walls of the building. They ducked out from their hiding positions and attacked the vehicle several times, hitting it and shattering the back window. Enerjak hid behind in his parked car, which had bulletproof glass.

One of his bodyguards jumped out in front of the oncoming vehicle and heroically shot straight at the driver. The driver ducked, missing a bullet that shattered the front windshield. However, when that occurred, the driver did not stop driving and ran over him.

“Ken!” Enerjak shouted.

Everyone watched as the other echidna’s body rolled over the car's hood before landing with a hard thud on the pavement. Enerjak left the safety of his car just as the other vehicle passed by. “Sir, don’t!” another bodyguard with a weapon shouted.

One of the shooters aimed at Enerjak’s bodyguard near the car and took two shots. One hit the bodyguard straight between the eyes, blowing his brains out. The debris hit Enerjak in the face and chest, and the second bullet hit Enerjak in the arm, causing him to stumble backward into his car.

“Shit!” Mephiles cursed.

“Damn it!” Finitevus breathed as he and his men came out from their hiding position.

The vehicle drove off laughing maniacally, leaving destruction in its wake. Everyone reconvened except for Shadow, determined to follow the car to find out where they were stationed. He ran towards his motorcycle, hopped on, and raced after them.

“Brother, wait!” Mephiles called after him, but it was too late. Shadow disappeared down the road on his motorcycle.

•~•

Mighty, Amy, and Manic sat on the couch together in the living room and watched television. Manic sat to Amy’s left while he munched on a bowl of greasy potato chips with his eyes fixated on a crappy sitcom re-run. Meanwhile, Amy sat in the middle with her knees up to her chest as she stared at the TV ahead of her. She tried to block out all her worries and concerns, but they plagued her as she stared at the TV. Mighty sat on the right side with one arm draped over the back of the couch behind her. He glanced over at Amy and saw her face was void of expression as if she was disassociating.

“Hey kid, how you holdin’ up?” the armadillo whispered.

“You have to ask?” she mumbled, not bothering to turn to look at him.

Manic began laughing with a mouth full of chips as he pointed at the TV, making their moment feel insincere. The other two glared in his direction, thinking he was laughing at her last comment. Manic coughed up bits of chip debris before glancing at the other two beside him. “Sorry, guys,” he apologized. “This show is actually funny, and I’m not even stoned. Who would’ve thought this humor still holds up in today’s age?”

Mighty reached for the remote and turned off the TV. Manic deflated when the screen went black. “Hey, what gives? I was watching that,” he whined.

“Screw your stupid sitcom, you idiot! Amy needs us right now, and you’re not helping!” Mighty berated.

The green hedgehog snapped his fingers in realization. “Ohhh, right. Gotcha.” Manic offered the bowl of chips to Amy. “Chips, milady?” he asked in a forced middle age accent, trying to make her laugh.

Amy shook her head, not bothering to look at him. “No thanks, Manic.”

His pierced ears dropped at his failed attempt. “Right-o then.” He placed the bowl of chips on the coffee table in front of him.

Mighty rolled his eyes at Manic’s idiocy before wrapping his arm around her and bringing her closer. “What can we do for you, sweetheart?”

Amy shook her head before closing her eyes and bringing her hands up to hide her face as she wept. Manic cringed, hopped up, and took this as his cue to exit. He winced from his injured leg. “Imma get her some tissues,” he gestured with a thumb wag. “You’re up, Might.” The green hedgehog limped out of the room to give them a moment. Mighty was much better at consoling people when they were down than he was. He knew he could handle it by himself.

“Get it all out,” he encouraged. Mighty embraced the pink hedgehog as she sobbed in his arms. “Sweetheart, you’re safe here with me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, kid,” he pledged while he stroked her quills soothingly. Amy continued to cry and shake in his arms, remaining silent. “Ames, talk to me…Tell me what’s going on up there.”

Amy finally lifted her head from his shoulder and sniffed. “This isn’t normal, Mighty. How can you promise me safety?” she challenged. “Are you and the others going to guard me for the rest of my life?” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her arm. “Everyone just expects me to be calm and not to worry, but I can’t stop thinking about it!”

Manic returned to the room, holding out a tissue box. Mighty accepted it and handed it over to her. “I get it, and I honestly don’t know how else to ensure you on this. You’re just going to have to trust me,” he grinned sincerely. “And to answer the other part of the question, we won’t have to guard you for the rest of your life because right now, we’re working on finding the threat and eliminating it so you can rest easy for good,” he explained.

Amy took one of the tissues and wiped her eyes and nose.

Manic staggered to the coffee table, sat on it, and winced slightly. “Doc, I know it’s hard to hear us tell you to be calm in this situation, but we’re a family. We don’t let enemies fuck with our family. We go to war to protect them,” he pointed out. “And you’re a part of our family.”

“He’s right, you know,” another voice chimed in. It was Rouge as she carried a load of laundry into the living room from downstairs.

Amy looked over to the white bat. “Rouge…”

“Let me tell you a story,” she began as she sat beside her. “A few years ago, I was in a position like you were. There was a threat made against me. I felt like how you’re feeling right now: vulnerable, scared, helpless, and paranoid. Knuckles assured me that no harm would come my way, and I didn’t believe him either.”

Amy sniffled. “What did you do?”

“Cry mostly, but Knuckles was right. They found the threat and took him out. The whole time Shadow, Mighty, and Manic had my back. They protected, checked in on me, and made me feel safe.”

“Thanks for the testimonial,” Manic winked.

Rouge chuckled. “These boys aren’t lying when they tell you they’d put their own life down to keep you alive,” she added.

“Besides…We already lost someone before we came to this new procedure,” Mighty alluded.

Amy blinked a few times as she came to the realization. “You mean…”

The three nodded unanimously as the pieces came together. They had come up with this new plan after Maria’s demise. They no longer took any threats as a joke. Everything was taken seriously to keep females in the club safe.

“I told you this when we promised to keep you safe from your ex. We’ve got your back, kid,” Mighty winked. “Now, let’s see that gorgeous smile of yours.”

Amy couldn’t help but blush and turned away as a small smile crept up. “What did we talk about when it came to you flirting with me?” she scolded playfully. He brought her into a good-natured headlock and gave her a nuggy. “Hey,” she whined with a laugh.

“Sorry, it’s difficult when you’ve got a gorgeous girl sitting there. I hate seeing pretty girls cry,” he chuckled.

She pried her head out of his hold and swatted at him lightheartedly. “Oh, shut up.”

Rouge smiled, seeing Amy come out of her funk. She knew the flirting was just harmless fun between the two. The white bat got up and left the room with the laundry basket to head upstairs.

Mighty grinned mischievously. “Make me!” he shouted, pinning her on the couch and tickling her sides.

Amy cried out into a fit of giggles as she tried to break free. “Mighty, stop, ah! Stop it!” she laughed while wiggling underneath him.

“Ooooh,” Manic sang with a pointed finger. “If Shadow saw this, he’d be pissed,” he teased.

Mighty let up his jestful nature and sat upright, releasing his hold on Amy and allowing her to sit up. “Oh, calm down. She’s practically my kid sister.”

Manic scratched his head in thought. “I dunno. Do brothers normally tickle their sisters like that? Because I sure don’t with Sonia. She’d punch me in the face if I ever tried that,” he thought as he stroked his chin.

Mighty grimaced at the idea. “Okay, shut up. You’re just making it weird now.”

Manic was about to add another comment when his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out and brought it up to his ear. “Yo,” he answered casually. The other two stared at him as he listened to the conversation on the other end. “Right, okay then…See you in fifteen.” He hung up the phone and lowered it from his face.

“What happened? Who was it?” Mighty questioned.

“That was Mephiles. One of our business associates was shot. They’re bringing him over here for Amy to patch up.”

Amy rose to her feet, returning to work mode, and headed for her office. She felt thankful she could focus on something else for the time being. “I’ll prepare the office,” she announced.

•~•

At that same time, Knuckles and Gadget finally arrived on Angel Island to check in on Locke. Knuckles closed his car door as the two approached Locke’s cabin up the road. The echidna looked down at his phone one last time. This was the eighth time he had called, and still, he had not answered. “Come on, what gives, dad?” he mumbled in frustration.

Gadget walked next to him. “If I had to make a guess, Locke lost the charger to his phone again,” he tsked. “You know how he is regarding organization and technology.”

“You’re probably right,” he concurred. “The old man is always—” He stopped walking midsentence, causing Gadget to stop, too.

“Sir?” Gadget questioned, looking at his face. He looked like he had gone sick.

Knuckles did not respond as he stared straight ahead. He felt his stomach drop when he saw the front door was left wide open. “Dad..?”

Gadget looked in the same direction and saw the state of the front house. “Oh my…”

Suddenly, Knuckles raced off into a sprint toward the house. Gadget followed closely behind him, feeling nervous about what they’d find inside. Once inside, Knuckles frantically looked all over the living room when they both got inside. However, they were both greeted by a familiar stench—decaying flesh. “Oh, fuck…” Knuckles covered his nose with one of his large hands as he rushed around the room. He could see bullet holes in the walls, blood smeared on the floor, and his father’s personal belongings strewn all over the room. It looked like a tornado had gone in and destroyed the place. “Dad!” he yelled, hoping to find his father, but he stifled a cough. The smell was pretty unbearable.

“Locke?” Gadget pulled a bandana around his neck to cover his muzzle and block out the putrid stench. He headed toward one corner of the room. He coughed himself, suppressing from throwing up.

“Dad!” Knuckles cried louder. He scrambled over to his father’s body, lying on its side in a dried-up pool of blood. His father’s body was already in the process of decaying as flies buzzed around his corpse. It was evident that he had been dead for a couple of days at this rate. “Oh, no, no, no,” he croaked. “Dad…” Tears streamed down Knuckles’ face as he was inconsolable.

“Shit,” Gadget cursed as he whipped out his phone. “We have to let the others know.”

Knuckles bowed his head and wailed loudly in agony.

•~•

At that same time, back at the compound, Amy was busy tending to Enerjak on her examination table in her office. Mephiles, Finitevus, Bark, Thrash, and Enerjak’s last two bodyguards brought him back. Inside the office were Enerjak, Amy, Mighty, and Mephiles. The president loomed in the office's doorway, carefully studying Amy’s every move while she worked on their superior.

The older echidna groaned in pain and gritted his teeth together as Amy worked on pulling out the bullet from his shoulder. Once again, Mighty played the nurse role, helping Amy in surgery. Enerjak yelped as Amy finally removed the bloody bullet from his shoulder. “Fucking hell…”

Amy’s ears went back nervously as she stared at her patient. Just from her first introduction, she could tell he was well respected. She didn’t want to get on his wrong side, especially since she knew little about him. “My apologies. I know that wasn’t pleasant to feel.”

“Sir, I can assure you, you’re in the best hands,” Mephiles avowed.

Enerjak huffed and puffed as he came down from the pain surge. “No, no, it’s quite all right. I know she’s doing her job.”

Amy nodded her head, gesturing for Mighty to come over. She held some surgical cloth against his bleeding wound. “Hold this for me and keep pressure on it, okay?” she instructed.

Mighty shifted over and placed his gloved hands against the cloth to hold in position while Amy strolled around the room for different supplies.

Mephiles’ eyes glanced at Enerjak, who was still in plenty of pain. “What would you like us to do about the men who attacked us? It’s your call.”
Amy couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation. She was surprised Mephiles chose to have club conversations right before her. She pretended to be focused on plunging her syringe into some pain medication. “We need to locate them. They wanted me dead after all,” Enerjak replied.

“Very well,” Mephiles responded. “My brother is tracking them down this very moment.”

“You’re very fortunate,” Amy commented, breaking into their conversation. “Two or three more inches, the bullet would have hit an artery, and you would’ve been dead.”

“Thank you for patching me up,” he commended. “I appreciate your help.”

Amy gave him a small smile. “No problem.” She injected the syringe into his arm while Mighty kept holding the cloth against his arm. “This is just a pain medication. It should ease your pain some.”

He hissed, feeling a burning sensation in his arm after she finished her injection. “Pardon me, but I don’t believe I caught your name initially when they brought me in.”

She disposed of the syringe. “Oh, my name is Amy Rose,” she introduced herself. Mephiles’ eyes drifted from the female hedgehog to the echidna, listening to their interaction.

Enerjak gave a curt nod. “I wish I could properly introduce myself in a more natural setting than this,” he excused. “However, my name is Enerjak,” he replied, extending his good arm for her to shake.

She smiled pleasantly and shook his hand in return. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

Enerjak watched as Amy walked over to the counter to grab some gauze. “Are you one of these gentlemen’s old ladies by chance?”

She turned around to look at him for a moment. “I’m Shadow’s girlfriend,” she answered. She glanced at the black and red armadillo. “I’ve got it from here, Mighty.”

The armadillo backed off, removed his bloodied gloves, disposed of them, and walked to the sink to wash up. Amy compacted the wound and then began to wrap it accordingly. “Shadow seemed worried about you earlier when we met. He was in the process of telling me about it when we were attacked. It appeared he wanted my assistance, so I must ask. What happened?”

Mighty cautiously glanced over his shoulder while washing his hands at the sink. He was eager to hear what would be said. Amy finished wrapping his wound and appeared uncomfortable. She did not know how to respond to his question. Was she allowed to talk about this? Did this classify as club business even though she wasn’t technically involved? “Um, ask them.” She took off her bloodied gloves and threw them away. “I’ll be right back,” Enerjak watched her exit the room quickly past the hawkish president.

The echidna sat upright and stared directly at Mephiles. “What’s going on?”

Mephiles sighed. “Ms. Rose received a death threat today. It was left on our front porch. We believe it may be linked to Dr. Starline and his business.”

“Death threat?” Enerjak repeated, alarmed.

Mephiles nodded again. “Yes, we checked security footage and could not catch any suspects on camera to rule them out.”

“Do you still have the letter by chance?” he inquired curiously.

“We do.” Mephiles quickly fetched the letter and handed it to the echidna.

Enerjak studied the letter calmly before looking back at Mighty and Mephiles, eager to hear his thoughts. “This is not a threat from any cartel I know of.”

Mephiles raised a brow. “You’re certain?”

“One hundred percent.”

“But isn’t that what cartels do? You know, targeting loved ones or family members?” Mighty challenged.

At that moment, Amy had walked by the doorway behind Mephiles just as she heard those words leave his mouth. Everyone froze when they spotted the pink hedgehog lingering by the door. She stared at the three, who all looked away in shame before she backed away and headed in the opposite direction. It was apparent they didn’t want her to hear that.

Mighty cringed internally for accidentally allowing that information to slip. He rested a hand on his forehead. “Fuck…”

“She was bound to find out the truth eventually,” Mephiles dismissed nonchalantly.

Enerjak looked at the two males. “At any rate, yes, cartels normally target family members, but they don’t write up letters warning them about doing it. They brutally kill them first, then write up letters in their blood to explain why,” he explained gravely. “We’re not the type to warn ahead of time with a letter.”

“Who do you suppose this is from, then?” Mephiles inquired.

“I can’t say, but this is not something Starline would utilize as a threat,” the echidna explained while mentioning the head of the other cartel. “If he wanted to threaten you into cutting ties with me, she’d be dead already as warning one.”

Mephiles stroked his chin as he mulled over the information. “Interesting…”

“Maybe it was another outlaw gang?” Mighty speculated.

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest as he dwelled on who had threatened Amy. The threat had come out of seemingly nowhere and at the most opportune moment—a time when he was beginning to conspire on how to rid of her himself. Espio flashed through his mind for a minute before his phone rang abruptly. Mephiles pulled out his phone and noticed who was calling: Shadow. He quickly answered. “Brother, I’ve been worried. What’s happening?”

“I managed to track down the guys who attacked us. They’re located at 8th and main,” he explained.

Mephiles walked further into the room and put his phone on speaker so everyone could hear. “I’m here with Enerjak and Mighty now. He wants to make a move against those who attacked him.”

Enerjak leaned closer to the phone in Mephiles’ outstretched hand. “Shadow, I will have Mephiles send out some of your guys to join you. Do not engage until backup arrives,” he instructed.

“Understood, sir.”

With that done, Mephiles hung up. “Send Bark, Thrasher, and Mighty out to aid Shadow,” Enerjak instructed.

“But I’m supposed to watch after Amy,” Mighty interjected cautiously to remind him of his post.

“I’ll ensure she’s protected here at your home base,” Enerjak informed. “I still have my last two guards with me. They’re standing outside on watch anyway.”

“He’s right,” Mephiles concurred. “I’ll be here with Manic as another form of backup.”

Mighty rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. “All right, then.”

“We’ve got this all handled, sir,” Mephiles pledged. “We’ll leave you here to rest in the meantime.”

“Kill those bastards,” he instructed sternly before he laid back down on the examination table to rest.

However, Manic limped down the hall just as Mighty and Mephiles left the office. “Guys, we’ve got another issue.”

“For fuck’s sake, now what?” Mephiles groaned.

“Deputy Silver is here and wants to talk to Amy.”

Mighty and Mephiles exchanged glances at one another. “…Perfect timing,” Mephiles droned.

•~•

Amy spoke to Deputy Silver outside on the driveway about her death threat. Mighty, Manic, and Mephiles stood in the background. Mephiles leaned against one of the posts on the porch while his eyes watched Amy intently. He was eager to see if she’d say the wrong things only to cause more headaches for them. He knew she was scared. Would there be a chance she’d ask for Silver’s help causing more officers to come sniffing around? Mighty leaned his arms along the front porch railing while watching Amy. Manic and Rouge, on the other hand, sat on the bench and smoked a cigarette.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke to the silver hedgehog. “Honestly, I’m fine, officer,” she lied.

“Are you sure?” Silver questioned with skepticism. “I just finished talking to Ms. Vanilla at the hospital. She’s unsure why anyone would want to threaten a sweet, caring, talented resident. She’s concerned.”

Amy’s ears drooped momentarily. “I-I don’t know why anyone would want to threaten me either,” she agreed. “But Detective Vector and Espio promised me they’d handle this.”

Deputy Silver placed a hand on his left hip. “Hm, I see.” If Amy were relying on them to uncover the truth, she’d be gravely mistaken for putting her trust in them. He glanced to his left, where he spotted the bikers watching his conversation with Amy like a hawk. They were like her personal guard dogs waiting for the signal to attack. Shaking his head at them, he turned so his back faced them. Silver didn’t want them to hear or read his lips. He purposely made sure to block Amy so that they couldn’t see or hear her response as well. “Look, I don’t know how many more times I need to keep saying this, but I can help you. I’m sure they’re telling you the same thing, but I’m the one that won’t go against my promise.”

She looked into his eyes and could genuinely hear the honesty in his voice. He did want to help her, but the M.C. also had her back. If she asked for his help, it would only cause more issues. Internally, she struggled with the idea of rejecting his offer. “That’s very sweet, deputy, but I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s just some sick practical joke to scare me.”

Silver looked disappointed in her answer. It appeared that this M.C. had brainwashed her already. They had complete control over her actions. “It’s your call, Amy.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t hesitate to call me day or night if you need anything.”

She nodded as she watched him walk off. “Of course.”

Amy approached the group of bikers anxiously waiting for her on the front porch. She walked up the steps just as Silver entered his car and drove off. Mephiles slithered over to her side as his reptilian eyes bore into hers. Mighty and Manic hung out in the back, continuing to listen. “What did he want?” the president probed.

“An anonymous tip told him about my death threat,” she explained. “He was questioning me about it. Then he asked if I wanted his help.”

“And what did you say to him?” he pressed.

She gulped, feeling like she was under scrutiny. “I-I told him that I wasn’t concerned that it was real and that I felt safe,” she answered.

His eyelids lowered sensually, and he smirked charmingly at her, pleased by her response. “That’s a good girl, Ms. Rose.”

Amy and Rouge shot him a funny look at his comment once he wasn’t looking at the pink hedgehog. His statement made them both oddly uncomfortable.

“Hopefully, he won’t be back sniffing around here for clues,” Rouge added.

Mighty headed for the steps off the front porch. “I guess we should get going then.”

Amy’s ears perked. “Wait, you’re leaving too?”

Mighty stopped near the steps. “Shit, that’s right. I forgot to tell you. Shadow called. He needs backup, so a few of the guys and I are meeting with him.”

She frowned and rubbed at her right wrist nervously. “Wait, what about protecting me?”

“Manic and Finitevus will stay behind to watch over you with both of Enerjak’s bodyguards.”

“Not to mention, I’ll also be here to keep you safe, my dear,” Mephiles added from behind.

Amy couldn’t help but replay Deputy Silver’s words in her mind. I’m sure they’re telling you the same thing, but I’m the one that won’t go against my promise. She feigned acceptance of this decision. “Oh, well, stay safe.”

Rouge stood from her sitting position and approached the pink hedgehog. She placed a hand on her shoulder while they watched the boys leave. Mighty, Finitevus, Thrash, and Bark collectively climbed onto the back of their bikes and geared up. Amy, Mephiles, Manic, and Rouge watched from the porch as the boys rode out of the compound and down the streets. The subtle roar of their engines died off once they were out of sight.

The group began to head back inside and scattered amongst different parts of the house. Amy followed behind the white bat as another thought crossed her mind. “Rouge,” she whispered from behind her.

The white bat paused and turned to look at her. “What’s up?”

“Can I talk to you in private?” she asked quietly.

Rouge nodded. “Of course, hon. Follow me downstairs,” she instructed. Rouge led Amy to the basement, where they could talk in private. Once downstairs, Rouge turned to face her as she hopped on the pool table. “What did you want to talk about?”

“How much do you know about club business?” Amy interrogated.

Rouge shrugged. “Not much, hon. Knuckles tends to keep me in the dark.”

“Shadow does the same thing with me,” Amy concurred. “But you must know what they really do for a living…” she surmised.

Rouge glanced down at her nails while crossing one leg over the other. “Of course! They sell illegal guns to other gangs and high bidders. I’ve pretty much been able to figure that out.”

She looked away nervously. “What if I were to tell you I believe they’re now involved with a cartel…”

Rouge shot her an alarmed look. “No way,” she dismissed. “The one thing I know about this club is that they don’t mess with drugs. They’ve always been very adamant on keeping drugs out of Mercia.”

Amy rubbed her left arm. “I don’t know, Rouge. I think they’ve gotten involved in something serious.”

“I-I don’t understand. What’s brought on all this speculation?”

“That guy they brought in for me to patch up,” she started. “He and Mephiles were discussing the death threat left this morning and whether it involved anything with their opposition. I heard Mighty mention a cartel; I had just walked by when they discussed it. They all went silent when they realized I had overheard them.”

Rouge looked concerned by the news. “This has to be some mistake…”

Before Amy could say another word, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Ray, and he glanced over the railing at the two girls. “Excuse me, ladies, but you are wanted upstairs.”

“Why?” Rouge asked.

“Detective Espio arrived and has some news for the group,” he informed. Amy and Rouge returned upstairs and spotted Espio surrounded by Mephiles and Manic. Manic had a gutted expression, while Mephiles shook his head in pity. The atmosphere suddenly shifted, and Amy and Rouge could tell something big had happened.

“Espio, what’s going on?” Rouge inquired.

Manic, Mephiles, and Espio turned to look at the two girls approaching them. Espio looked somber in expression. “I have unfortunate news to bring your way,” he began.

Rouge felt a chill run down her spine from his tone, and Amy felt the white bat grab her hand for reassurance.

“…Locke was murdered,” Espio announced.

•~•

Meanwhile, with Shadow, the vice president hid in wait behind a large dumpster outside the run-down-looking apartment complex. With his gun drawn and ready, he looked over his shoulder behind him as footsteps approached. He looked relieved when he spotted Mighty, Thrash, and Finitevus arrive as backup. “It’s about time,” he scoffed.

The group huddled down behind the dumpster near Shadow. “Apologies for the delay,” Finitevus apologized. “I’m afraid we were tied up with the authorities without notice.”

“Same shit, different day,” Shadow tsked while rolling his eyes. However, he did a double-take when he realized Mighty was there. “Hold on. What are you doing here? I thought I gave you orders to guard Amy,” he whispered harshly.

The armadillo put his hands up defensively. “I know, but your brother ordered me to be your backup. Besides, Manic, Mephiles, and Enerjak’s two bodyguards are back at the house keeping watch. She’ll be fine,” he assured.

Shadow sighed. “Fine, you’re here now. I guess that’s all that matters.”

“What’s the plan?” Thrash questioned.

“I surveyed the group heading into that apartment complex. Only two Suppression members left the vehicle I tracked,” he gestured with a nod towards the building. “We need to infiltrate, get answers, and eliminate the threat,” he explained.

The others pulled out their weapons of choice, various handguns. Mighty undid the safety lock on his gun. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

The group managed to approach the complex sneakily. One by one, the members made their way by crouching or running to their newest hiding position: whether it was a parked car, tree, or another dumpster. Eventually, everyone went to the apartment's front door, where the opposing M.C. members were stationed. Shadow made a countdown on his fingers to his crew behind them as they prepared to kick down the door. He held up three fingers and slowly put them down before he held one finger in the air. He raised his left foot and kicked it into the door, kicking it wide open with great force. The Brothers M.C. infiltrated the apartment as they heard screams of horror from inside the apartment.

With their guns drawn, Shadow, Finitevus, Mighty, and Thrash entered the living room part of the apartment. They spotted a confused and terrified family of chipmunks huddled on the couch together. The father, a grey chipmunk, kept his arms wrapped around his wife and his daughter protectively. “Please don’t hurt us,” he pleaded. His family shook in terror in his arms.

Shadow kept his gun pointed at the father. “We don’t want to hurt you, but tell us where those Suppression members are,” he demanded. The others quickly scoped the area out, checking other rooms for the hiding members. Unfortunately, all the rooms were clear for now and were nowhere to be found.

“I don’t know. I-I don’t know w-where they are,” the father stammered.

Mighty and the others came back to the living room. “It’s clear, Shadow,” Thrash announced, keeping his gun ready.

The dark hedgehog placed his focus back on the father. “Who are you to them anyway? What is your affiliation?” Shadow interrogated.

“I’m the driver,” he stated. “That’s all they hired me to do. Honest!”

“You must know where they might go at this point. I didn’t see them leave the premise since you got back,” Shadow continued.

“I swear, I don’t,” he assured. “They said they’d kill my family if I didn’t help them. Please, I don’t want them to get hurt.”

Shadow eyed the crying chipmunk daughter, burying her face into her mother’s chest. He softened momentarily, knowing he’d never let harm come to an innocent child. “I can promise you. We’re nothing like them. We want to know where those guys went.”

“Okay,” the father replied in defeat. “I’ll tell you…”

Shadow looked at the mother for a moment, who held his gaze. “You,” he pointed. “Take the girl and get out of here. We don’t want to have to hurt anyone.” The wife looked at her husband apprehensively before he nodded. The wife ushered her terrified daughter out of the apartment and past the other M.C. members. Now alone, Shadow lowered his gun. “So, where are they?”

The father eyed a closet behind them. “There’s a secret door to another apartment next door,” he said quietly. “They’re in there,” he pointed.

However, before anyone could act, the Suppression members returned through the front door with hostages. “Not so fast, or we’ll kill the females,” one of the Suppression members announced.

Mighty’s eyes widened in alarm as he recognized one of the members. “Jeffrey?”

Jeffrey St. Croix, an ex-Brothers of Chaos member, stood with the mother captive. He had one arm under her neck while his other hand pointed his pistol at her temple. The other member, Patch D’ Coolette, had the girl in his grasp by the back of the hair and his gun pointed under her chin. “Good to see you again, Might,” Jeffrey smirked arrogantly. The husband looked anxious as he saw his family in the gang’s possession.

Shadow narrowed his brows and aimed his weapon in the skunk’s direction. Mighty, Finitevus, and Thrash mimicked Shadow’s actions. “You joined the Suppression?” Shadow seethed.

Jeffrey shrugged. “I told you I missed the respect I had when I wore that leather cut. You kicked me out, so I found a new club to take me in.”

Shadow eyed the daughter and mother they had managed to grab on their way out. “Let the females go,” he ordered. “They have nothing to do with this.”

“And why would I do that,” Jeffrey challenged. “You’re here to kill us, aren’t you? These two make perfect shields. I know how the M.C. operates.”

“Why are you doing this?” Shadow questioned.

“Because you joined the drug industry—that’s Suppression territory.” Jeffrey cracked a grin. “Ain’t it funny? Remember when I suggested entering the drug business at that school charity event? You all shot it down back then. Now, look at you. Bunch of hypocrites…”

Shadow grimaced, still disgusted with how they had ended up like this. “Times have changed.”

“I can see that now.”

“Did you leave that threatening message on our front porch this morning?” Mighty questioned.

“Message?” Jeffrey repeated, confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Based on his response, it appeared he had nothing to do with it. “Never mind, just let them go already. You would never hurt a female, Jeff,” Mighty reminded.

Jeffrey lifted an amused brow. “I wouldn’t?” He casually fired off one round, blowing out the wife’s brains. The daughter screamed in terror as she watched her mother fall to the ground, dead. Some of the wife’s blood splattered onto Shadow’s shirt and jacket. The father began to sob as he fell to his knees, clutching the carpet beneath him. He wailed in terror.

Shadow’s eyes widened in horror as he prepared to pull the trigger. “You fucking piece of shit!” he screamed.

Patch suddenly shoved the daughter over to Jeffrey, whom he secured in the same grip. The daughter squirmed in his grasp while she continued to sob uncontrollably. Jeffrey kept a hardened and unfazed expression. “As Shadow said, times have changed. Try me again, and I’ll show you what I’m truly capable of.”

Mighty stared at the deceased female lying on the carpet as her head oozed blood. His blue eyes landed on the skunk again. “What the fuck, Jeffrey!”

Finitevus clenched his teeth as he glared at the skunk. “What the hell do you want?” he shouted.

“Put your weapons down and surrender.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Shadow barked. “Who’s to say you won’t end up killing the girl as well?”

“That’s a risk you’ll have to take.” Suddenly a bullet whizzed past Jeffrey’s head, hitting the wall behind him. He glared at the culprit, the husband on his knees, holding out a hidden gun he had found under the couch. His arms shook as he aimed it in Jeffrey’s direction. “You killed my wife,” he sobbed.

Jeffrey growled. “You son of a…” He moved his gun away from the daughter’s head in his direction and shot the husband in the gut.

The girl screamed as Jeffrey released his hold, allowing her to flee. He took a few shots at the other members but missed. A shoot-out occurred within the building. Shadow ducked behind a kitchen counter as bullets whizzed past him. Realizing they were outnumbered, Patch shot at the girl, hitting her in the chest, and fled. Mighty’s eyes widened as he saw the young girl collapse. “No!”

Jeffrey was quick behind him. Finitevus and Thrash ran after them, taking shots but missed. Shadow looked at the daughter and husband bleeding near the deceased wife. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Urgently, he looked at his men. “We need to help them!”

The husband stared at his daughter as she bled out and took her last few breaths. “Sarah…”

Finitevus ran towards the door. “We can’t. We need to get out of here. The police will be here soon.”

Everyone ran out of the building except for Shadow. He glanced at the father, who had just watched his wife and daughter perish. His breathing slowed down as he took his final breath. Shadow frowned at the sight. He was utterly helpless. “I’m so sorry…”

•~•

While lying in bed, Amy could hear the roars of the engines coming into the compound. She sat in bed and wiped her eyes as she peeked from behind her window’s curtains. She noticed Shadow, Mighty, and the others had returned home. She crept out of her bedroom and knelt by the upstairs staircase to eavesdrop when they came in. When Shadow entered, Mephiles was the first to greet him at the door. He noticed his clothes were covered in splattered blood. “What happened?” he questioned.

Shadow looked exhausted as he placed his keys in a dish on the table by the front door. “A lot happened,” he confirmed. “We’re all fine.”

“That’s good to hear,” he nodded slowly.

Shadow walked further into the house as Mephiles followed behind him. “How’s Amy?” he inquired.

The two ended up by the staircase, the perfect area where the pink hedgehog could hear their conversation. “She’s okay, I suppose,” Mephiles shrugged. “However, I must warn you, brother. She knows the truth now.”

Shadow eyed his older brother, puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

“She knows about our involvement with the cartel,” he clarified.

Shadow closed his eyes, sighed, and dragged a hand down his wary face. This was another problem he’d have to deal with. “Shit…”

“It wasn’t me,” he defended. “She accidentally overheard it.”

“I’ll go talk to her, but I need to clean up before she sees me,” he explained, gesturing to his filthy appearance. Hearing him approaching her, Amy quickly and quietly scampered back into her bedroom as she heard him ascending the staircase.

He didn’t see or hear her as he passed Amy’s cracked-open bedroom door. Unbeknownst to him, Amy peeked into the hall, where she spotted his blood-stained clothes. She gasped at first, wondering if he had been injured, although it appeared he was in good health, so she could conclude it was not his blood. However, she was able to quickly piece together that whatever his mission was today ended in bloodshed. Shadow entered the bathroom to take a shower first.

Amy walked back over to her bed and sat down on the edge. After today’s events, everything had been a whirlwind. First, she received a death threat and learned that Locke had been brutally murdered. Things were starting to accelerate around here, and not for the better. She had spent much of the day crying in fear for her safety, but her tears had shifted to losing her dear friend. Not much had been said about what exactly had happened to Locke, only that he had been murdered and dead for a few days. However, Amy had to wonder if the opposing cartel had some link to his demise. At this moment, she felt completely numb, like she could shed no more tears. She flopped backward onto her mattress and stared at the ceiling in thought.

Her bedroom door cracked open several minutes later, and Shadow appeared in the doorway. He was clean and shirtless from his shower and wore long pajama pants. He stood there for a moment in the dark, trying to determine if Amy was asleep. “Rose, you still awake?” he asked quietly.

The pink hedgehog rolled over on her side, reached for the lamp on her nightstand, and turned it on. “Yes.”

Seeing her sitting in her PJs in the center of her bed, Shadow closed the door behind him and entered her room. Amy kept her head down, unable to even look at him as he sat beside her on the bed’s edge. He could tell she had a lot on her mind from her body language alone. “Amy, about Locke…” he began carefully. “I am so sorry. I know you two grew close recently,” he apologized sincerely.

Amy kept her hands in her lap as she stared at the floor. “He didn’t deserve to go out that way.”

Shadow sighed. “I know, which is why I vow to get retribution for his death,” he said, feeling his fists tighten at his sides.

Amy closed her eyes, disappointed by his response. “How is more violence going to solve this problem exactly?” she challenged, feeling her tone edge. “It’s only a matter of time before this comes in my direction.”

Relaxing his tense stance, Shadow rested a hand on her knee as he looked at her sincerely. He shook his head slowly, adamantly disagreeing with her previous comment. “I’d never let that happen.”

Amy swiped Shadow’s hand from resting on her knee, and her brows creased. “You promise me this time and time again but look what happened to Locke,” she challenged. “And to make matters worse, I find out you’ve gotten the club involved with a cartel. Are you insane, Shadow?”

He grimaced. “It’s not true…we--”

“—Stop lying to me. I know what I heard,” she snapped.

Shadow sulked in defeat. “Fine, I’ll give you the truth. I didn’t realize drugs would be part of the guns’ deal we made,” he began.

Amy scoffed under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. “Let me guess. This was Mephiles’ decision?”

Shadow bowed his head in disappointment. “Yes. The deal we made was complicated. He promised me if I helped get the votes, he’d let me leave the club with you.”

Amy sighed in disappointment. “Shadow, your brother…He can’t be trusted. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it's true.”

“He’s helping protect the club,” Shadow challenged.

“No, he’s protecting himself,” she snapped back. “You guys are only three weeks into this, and look what’s happened so far. What’s this going to look like in a month?”

Shadow pondered the question. She had a point. “I thought I knew what we were getting into, but as it turns out, we’re in over our heads,” he agreed.

“And what about today’s mission?” she probed.

“What about it?”

She fiddled with her hands. “I saw how you looked when you came home. You had blood all over your clothes…Did you kill someone today?”

There was a moment of silence before he answered. “No, I didn’t kill anyone but failed to save someone...”

“Guns, cartels, drugs, and murder,” she listed. Amy rose from sitting on her bed and walked to her bedroom door. “I love you, Shadow, but I-I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

Shadow felt his body freeze at her words. Her insinuation made his stomach sink. “You want to end our relationship?”

Amy couldn’t bear to look him in the eye and instead looked off to the side. “I don’t know yet…I can’t imagine life without you. There’s just a lot of danger around.” She reached for the door handle to her bedroom door and opened it. “I’d like for you to sleep in your room tonight. I’ll need time to think.”

Shadow stood and made his way out of her room. He stopped outside her bedroom, feeling the world's weight on his shoulders. “Amy, I know this isn’t much, but I’m sorry. I never wanted this to happen.”

“I know that.” She rested her head against the doorframe. “I guess I finally understand why you were so resistant to starting a relationship with me. It’s like what everyone has tried to warn me about. This lifestyle is dangerous, right?”

Mephiles had been eavesdropping in on the couple’s dispute outside her bedroom door. He smirked victoriously, hearing their disagreement. It looked like more cracks were finally forming.

Chapter 31: His Double Edged Sword

Summary:

Shadow and Amy finally confront the looming issue in their relationship. The two M.C.s attend Locke's funeral and wake until tragedy strikes yet again. Finally, Mephiles decides to take matters into his own hands while Shadow makes a tough decision.

Notes:

Hey guys, I've been diligently working on the following three chapters for this story. I'm trying to tweak things and ensure everything is perfect with the direction I'm taking this story. Again, thank you to those who have commented on my story. I work really hard to make sure they're good. I only want to put out hight quality work!

The following week and a half was a blur. Shadow and the others continued to be busy with work for the cartel, and Amy was back at the hospital again once Ms. Vanilla cleared her. Amy still had a few of the guys from both charters acting like her bodyguards escorting her to and from work. Shadow ordered a few of them to be stationed outside the hospital, looking for suspicious individuals who may wish to harm her. For the most part, though, the apparent “threat” had seemingly died off. Amy and Shadow didn’t see much of each other during that time as both were busy with their jobs. When one or the other returned to the house, the other was already in bed or still at work for the night. They barely had conversations and kept busy with their work.

Amy started to feel like her relationship with Shadow resembled two passing ships at night. Amy had wanted to talk to Rouge about her strained relationship with Shadow but hadn’t found the opportunity. Rouge had been busy arranging Locke’s funeral with Knuckles and consoling each other on his sudden passing. She didn’t want to burden her further. However, by that Sunday, an official funeral was being held in town. Everyone from both charters was expected to be there, which would give the perfect opportunity for Amy and Shadow to have a proper sit-down and assess their relationship.

That Sunday, Amy stood in her room and reused the same funeral outfit she had worn to Cosmo’s funeral. She looked at herself in her mirror when she heard a knock on her door. “Come in,” she responded.

The door cracked open, and Shadow, also in his funeral attire, peeked cautiously inside, unsure how she’d feel seeing him. He, too, had felt the strain but was uncertain how to approach their situation. He wanted to give her the space she requested but was dying to talk to her. His ears lowered slightly. “Hey…”

Amy spotted his reflection in her mirror and slowly turned to face him. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to see if you were ready. Everyone is getting in the limo in five,” he gestured.

Amy walked to her desk and picked up her black purse. The tension was palpable in the room. “I’ll be down there shortly,” she stated.

He studied her for a moment before hesitating to move on. “Right, well, I’ll be downstairs waiting.”

She turned her back on him. “Okay.”

Shadow grabbed the door handle, preparing to leave, but stopped. He closed the door but remained inside the bedroom with her. “Amy, we need to talk.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “About?” Her tone was still cold.

He sighed at her shortness with him and walked towards her. “Come on. You know exactly what I want to talk about.”

Amy sat down on the edge of her bed. “Enlighten me.”

She watched as Shadow began to pace before her. “We’ve barely spoken a word to each other all week. We haven’t shared a bed and hardly have seen one another. I’ve given you plenty of time to think, but I want to know your thoughts. It’s driving me crazy!”

Amy frowned. She could see that not knowing the state of their relationship was affecting his mental state significantly. “I want to be with you, Shadow.” Her eyes drifted off solemnly. “Truly, I do. I’m just scared, is all…”

“You don’t think I’m scared as well?” he challenged. “I only want you to be safe. I’ve been doing everything I can to keep you feeling that way, and I’ll keep doing what I can until we’re done working for Enerjak. Nothing bad will happen to you.”

“…And you’re sure you promise you’ll leave with me once these six months are up?” she questioned.

Shadow reached for her hands, taking them in his. He looked into her eyes with seriousness. “I promise. Once this trial run is done, it’s just you and me, princess.”

Amy felt a smile tug at her lips, and her heart fluttered. She rose to her feet, leaned up, and kissed him for the first time in days.” Shadow reciprocated the gesture and kissed her back. When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead against hers. “I love you so much, Amy,” he whispered while he kept his eyes closed. “I need you to know that.”

She kept her arms around his neck. “I know you do. I love you too, Shadow.”

•~•

A little bit later, the two charters attended the funeral. A service was held where many members spoke on behalf of Locke and shared fond memories of the echidna. Amy still felt awful for the way Locke had died. She glanced over to Rouge and Knuckles, both bawling in the corner. Knuckles had indeed had a horrible year. First, he lost Julie-Su to a senseless murder meant for him, and now he had lost his father to another murder. She didn’t know what strength he was using to get himself through all these tragedies, but she had to commend him.

Once the service was over, the motorcyclists stood around the burial site, watching Locke’s casket get lowered into the grave. One by one, people had a private moment at the burial site saying their last goodbyes. At one point, Amy and Shadow stood side by side, holding hands as they said their final goodbyes.

In the background, alone by a large oak tree, Espio watched Amy like a hawk. He leaned his right shoulder against the tree with his arms crossed over his chest. Mephiles approached the detective from behind. “Will you give it a break already?” he bemoaned.

Espio turned to look over his shoulder at the gloomy M.C. president. “Pardon me?”

Mephiles scoffed and stood by his side. “Don’t act dumb. I know what you’ve been doing all week.”

Espio raised one brow, puzzled by his statement. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t follow…”

Mephiles rolled his eyes. “Do you plan to stalk Ms. Rose for the rest of her life? If that’s the case, you’ll be quite busy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he denied.

“Right…” he mulled. “So how do you explain why I’ve seen you stationed outside the hospital, our compound, and even spotted you when she’s been doing errands?” he challenged. “You’re essentially her second shadow.”

Espio sighed. “Fine, I’ve been checking in on her here and there on my off time. Her life was threatened, and I’m concerned for her well-being. Is that a crime?”

Mephiles chuckled lowly. “It’s funny. That threat only appeared out of the blue when I mentioned that Amy had ties to Locke’s blackmail against me,” he tossed out casually. “Then that same threat just suddenly vanished without anyone coming forth to claim it…Even the Suppression had no ties to it.”

Espio eyed him carefully. “What are you getting at here?”

Mephiles stepped in front of the chameleon calmly but eying him dangerously. “I know it was you,” he pointed accusingly.

Espio scoffed. “Why would I do that?”

“You’re trying to warn her—you want to keep her on her toes.”

He glanced away for a moment. “Well, should she be?”

Mephiles’ eyes drifted over to the pink hedgehog for a moment. “When she holds crucial information that could take me out of power and favor with my subordinates and brother, yes.”

Espio moved away from the tree and blocked Mephiles’ view of the pink beauty. “You can’t hurt her, Mephiles. It would destroy Shadow.”

“I would never think of such a thing,” he assured. “However, she needs to have a firm conversation to know the consequences of revealing such information.”

“I told you Vector, and I would handle it, and we will,” he reminded sharply. “You don’t even know if she’s read those stupid letters. For all we know, she has them but has no idea what information it holds.”

“That’s optimistic thinking, but I know Locke wouldn’t go that route. He’d want her to hold all the cards. I know that she’s aware of everything.” His fists tightened by his sides.

“If that’s the case, why hasn’t she come out with the information when Locke said he had contingencies in place?” he reminded.

“She’s just waiting for the right moment…however, this little rift she and my brother are having has stalled that next move.”

Espio firmly pressed a finger into his chest. “Stay away from her, Mephiles. I’m warning you. Your brother is finally happy. Allow him to enjoy his happiness.”

Mephiles watched as Espio walked towards the group of funeralgoers, disappearing into the crowd. His brows narrowed at his retreating figure.

•~•

Later that evening, the bikers returned to town to one of the bars they’d frequent to hold the after-service. The bikers gathered there to celebrate Locke’s life, drink, share memories, and cheer him off to the afterlife. Shadow approached the booth where he had left Amy sitting with Rouge and Knuckles. He slid a glass of wine in her direction. “I hope red is fine.”

Amy smiled sweetly up at him. “Thanks, Shadow. That’s fine.”

Shadow moved into the booth beside her and glanced at the other couple sitting across from them. Knuckles and Rouge both looked depleted of any happiness. “We’re going to get payback for this, Knuckles,” Shadow assured.

The red echidna scoffed venomously. “Sure, we will…just like we did for Julie-Su, right?”

Rouge jolted slightly, hearing her husband’s sarcastic tone. “Babe…”

“Well, it’s true!” he snapped. “What good is keeping up our notorious reputation if we can’t back it with our actions? We never figured out who killed Julie, and we’ll probably never get justice for my dad.”

“I understand the pain you’re feeling,” Shadow consoled. “Trust me, I would know, but killing those who wronged you won’t bring Locke or Julie back. You’ll think it’s brought peace, but it’ll only be temporary.”

Amy turned to look at Shadow. “Shadow, did you…” she paused, with her implied thought.

The ebony hedgehog nodded. “Yes, I took out many of the Suppression members who attacked us that day. Maria is still gone, and even after, I still suffer. None of them have come forward and ever admitted they committed the crime, and they never will. They’re cowards, and they’ve probably forgotten by now too.”

Knuckles smashed one of his giant fists down onto the side of the table. “I can’t just sit here and allow injustice to follow. Someone needs to be held responsible. Otherwise, this endless cycle of injustice will continue.”

“You want to wind up getting yourself killed?” Rouge berated back. Tears were pricking the corners of her eyes. “At the end of the day, this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t agreed to work with the cartel…”

Shadow and Knuckles looked around the crowded and loud bar, hoping her raised voice hadn’t alerted anyone. Because the bar was so noisy with other conversations and music, it seemed they were in the clear. “Rouge,” Shadow scolded quietly.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Well, it’s true! You guys are idiots to be working with them. Death is only going to follow!”

Knuckles frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Babe, we talked about this. It’s only for six months—not forever.”

Rouge rose from her seat and scooted out of the booth. She covered her eyes with the back of her arm. “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll be saying that when you’re the next one we put in the ground.” Knuckles quickly hurried after her.

Awkwardly left alone, the two hedgehogs sat together in the booth. “…She’s right, you know,” Amy finally added.

“About what?” Shadow countered.

Her fingers danced along the stem of her wine glass. “I still stand by the idea that it was stupid to join this cause.”

“There’s nothing else we can do now. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he frustratedly admitted.

Suddenly Vector approached their booth. “Mind if I have a word with you real fast, Shadow?”

“Of course.” Shadow squeezed himself out of the booth and followed Vector into one of the other busy rooms. Just at that moment, Espio appeared and passed the stall. He and Amy exchanged eye contact momentarily before discreetly sliding a piece of folded-up paper on the table before her and walking off. Amy looked over her shoulder at him, confused, before grabbing the paper.

She carefully opened it and read the handwritten inscription: “Meet me by the bathrooms.” Amy's gut sank but obliged, got out of the booth, and followed the chameleon.

•~•

Eventually, Amy found the entrances to the bathrooms and looked at both the female and male doors to both facilities. There was also a third door. She glanced around the somewhat trafficked area where both males and females from both charters went in and out of the bathroom. She spun around, looking for Espio, but didn’t see him anywhere.

Just when she was about to give up, she felt a hand clasp around her mouth and waist before dragging her backward into a darkened corner. She let out a muffled gasp but suddenly was cloaked in invisibility. The next thing she realized, she had been dragged outside by the third door she had seen near the bathrooms and was now in the back alley where the dumpsters were. The invisible hand covering her mouth released, and Espio suddenly appeared before her with visibility once he de-activated his camouflaging technique. “I’m sorry for that sudden approach, but I had no other way to keep this discreet,” he apologized.

Amy backed up, and her back hit the side of the building as she stared at him apprehensively. “I was already weirded out with the note, but now I’m super creeped out.”

He placed his hands up, showing no harm. “I have no intention of hurting you. I only wanted to talk to you privately about a concerning matter.”

She kept her eyes locked on him and quirked a brow. “About what exactly?”

He lowered his arms and placed them in his pants pockets. “About the letters Locke gave you.”

Amy froze up suddenly. “Letters? What letters are you talking about?” she rambled nervously.

He gave her a slight smirk, admiring her efforts. “It’s all right, doctor. I already know everything about them. You don’t have to lie to me, but you’ll need to trust me going forward so I can keep you safe.”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest with judgment. “And why should I trust you? You work for Mephiles. Aren’t you and your partner his errand boys?”

He chuckled lowly at her comment. She wasn’t exactly wrong with her observation. “That’s cute, you know. Yes, I work for him, but he’s put me in a difficult position regarding these letters. I wanted to talk to you one-on-one to find a solution for both of us.”

Amy gulped nervously. “…So, he knows about them?”

Espio nodded gravely. “Yes, he’s even read them.”

“How am I involved in this, then? Locke’s the one who was using it as blackmail, not me.”

“I realize that, but Locke had a big mouth, and he threatened Mephiles that if anything happened to him, he had ‘contingencies’ in place,” he explained.

“…Contingencies?” Amy repeated with puzzlement.

Espio shifted on his feet. “Locke was insinuating that he’d have a whistleblower in his place to expose the truth.”

Her stomach sank. “Chaos…and he thinks that’s me?”

“Unfortunately,” he confirmed.

“Damn it,” Amy muttered. “I never agreed to any of this with Locke. All I said was that I’d keep them safe for him.”

“Sadly, Mephiles has determined that you are the whistleblower and are causing him significant distress. He’s concerned that you’ll eventually tell Shadow and the others everything and ruin his reputation and reign over the M.C.”

Amy clasped her hands together in front of her. “I swear I won’t tell a soul! I didn’t want to get involved in this from the start.”

“I understand that, but Mephiles doesn’t, and I’ve been doing everything I can to keep you out of his line of targets.”

She gulped nervously. “…H-he wants to hurt me?”

Espio sighed again. “It wouldn’t surprise me, so I must come clean, too. I was the one who wrote up that phony threat against you,” he admitted warily. “I did it so Shadow would place more protection around you. It was the only way to ensure Mephiles didn’t pull a fast one.”

Amy felt her heart beginning to race as things started to make sense. “This isn’t funny anymore. I need to tell Shadow about this. Locke told me never to tell Shadow about these letters. But with all the trouble it’s causing me, I have no choice.” She headed back inside, but Espio grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Wait, please don’t. Let me handle this,” he begged. “It’s a delicate situation.”

“No!” she shouted. “Mephiles had to be the one who ordered that hit on Julie-Su. I know it!”

Espio’s eyes went wide. “How do you…”

His reaction confirmed her suspicions. “I’ve always known he was dangerous. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were somehow involved in Locke’s untimely end. The number of things I’ve kept to myself because Shadow told me not to get involved. My life is at risk here…I can’t stay silent any longer.”

He kept a tight hold on her wrist. “You can’t do this here and now. It’s not the right time.”

Amy fought with him to be free. “Let me go, Espio!” She slammed her left foot down on his right foot with her heel, forcing him to release her wrist and bellow out a scream. Amy used her free hand and shot it out towards his face in an upward position with the palm exposed and hit him directly under the nose going upward. Now free, she split his lip and ran inside to look for Shadow.

Staggering in the alleyway, Espio grimaced in pain, his lip bleeding. He quickly hurried back inside after her but ran directly into Mephiles himself. The dark president eyed the chameleon up and down with scrutiny. “You’re bleeding. What happened?”

“I tripped,” he lied, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Don’t worry about me,” he dismissed coolly.

He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to him. “Allow me to get Ms. Rose. She can patch you up.”

Espio accepted the handkerchief and held it to his mouth. “No, I’ll find her myself.”

Mephiles eyed him with skepticism. “Come to think of it. I did see her run past a few people a few moments ago. She came from this general direction as well…”

“It’s a small bar,” he shrugged, trying to move past him.

Mephiles grabbed him by the upper arm as more pieces came together. “She looked visibly upset as well…” he whispered.

Espio scoffed as he eyed the panic-stricken hedgehog. “You’re paranoid again.”

The president narrowed his eyes at him, fearing the worst. Espio was forcibly backed back out into the alley by Mephiles. “What did you do?”

•~•

Amy anxiously looked around for Shadow in one of the four rooms. Every room she entered was packed with motorcyclists and escorts from both charters. Many of them were drunk, rowdy, and restless as they continued to drink in memory of Locke. Amy desperately looked everywhere for the dark-striped hedgehog in the darkened bar but couldn’t find him anywhere. “Shadow!” she called.

A few minutes later, she saw Mephiles rounding the corner. He looked frantic as he looked amongst the crowd. His eyes scanned the crowded room until they locked with hers. Amy diverted her eye contact completely and backed up slowly. “Shit.” Amy squeezed past motorcyclists and other escorts in the room, trying to find Shadow. Mephiles growled lowly and pushed his way past people to get to her.

•~•

Meanwhile, outside at the bar's available picnic tables, Mighty and Manic shared a table. “All this death recently has hit me,” Manic sighed.

Mighty nodded solemnly. “I know, it feels like we’ve been losing people left and right these last couple of months, huh?”

“Losing Julie-Su was rough, but now with Locke…it just hits differently.”

“I get it. The guy was like a father figure to all of us,” Mighty added. “It’s going to take time to get used to not having the old guy nagging on us two,” he laughed lightly in reminiscence.

Manic bounced his left leg up and down anxiously, and Mighty noticed his changed demeanor. “…You okay there, man?”

Manic bit one of his nails as he looked down at the table. “Remember when you said I should come to you when I’m anxious for a hit?”

“Yeah?”

Manic placed his hands over his eyes and bounced his leg more. “For the past two days, I’ve been dying to snort a line. Today has been the worst. The craving I’m feeling right now is off the charts, man.”

Mighty rose to his feet. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Manic clenched his teeth together. “I-I..” The green hedgehog stopped speaking when he saw a large semi-truck careening toward them off the highway exit at full speed. Pedestrians on the sidewalk screamed and ran out of the way as the truck headed for them. “Oh shit!”

Mighty’s eyes widened in alarm. With quick thinking, he leaped over the picnic table they sat at and tackled Manic on the other side, narrowly avoiding being hit by the large vehicle. They rolled along the gravel before landing behind a large planter, shielding them somewhat. However, the two watched in horror as the truck smashed partway into the bar, destroying one-half of the building. The driver, a bluish-grey skunk, hopped out of the truck with a larger white skunk passenger and a female green tenrec wielding semi-automatic weapons.

While those not injured or somewhat injured fled the building, the two masked individuals driving the truck into the building began shooting at the motorcyclists and escorts. Screams of agony erupted as people were gunned down. Some curious people in cars on the street slowed to watch the chaos, but the gunmen aimed their weapons, taking out some random civilians to showcase their power and destruction.

The armadillo watched as a few escorts were shot down brutally in front of the entrance as they tried to flee. “Fuck…” Mighty reached into the back of his dress pants, where he had stashed a G17L for emergencies.

“Who are they?” Manic mumbled as he reached for his own Beretta in the back of his pants.

“At this point, it doesn’t matter,” Mighty answered, unlocking his gun’s safety feature. “They’re enemies, and they need to be taken out.”

•~•

Meanwhile, back inside, Shadow came to after being knocked out for a minute or so. He tried to get his bearings as he rose upward. It was smoky and dark inside the bar. He saw the occasional flicker of a fluorescent light flickering above him. As he moved, he noticed a small fire in one corner of the room, debris from the ceiling, tables flipped, destroyed, and, worst of all, dead bodies. Shadow stared at a few of them, sadly noticing some were rookies from the other charter and some escorts. He staggered to his feet and winced, feeling a sharp pain in his leg. He’d have to ignore it for now because all he could worry about was Amy.

“Amy!” he called before going into a coughing fit from inhaling all the smoke overhead.

“V.P., help!” Another voice called nearby.

Shadow squinted his eyes and navigated through the darkened room, where he found Gadget under some rubble near the semi-truck that had crashed through the building. “Gadget!” he exclaimed.

He rushed over and began helping dispose of debris collecting on top of the red wolf. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of there,” he assured.

Suddenly another person appeared by his side, dusty and a bit bloodied. “I’ll help.”

Shadow turned and noticed it was Bark. He was bleeding from his forehead but, for the most part, looked all right. “You’re hurt…” Shadow noted.

“It’s a minor scratch,” he dismissed. The two continued lifting and disposing of the chunks of concrete off the red wolf. While they continued working, they heard multiple gunshots and screams from outside. It sounded like there was some shoot-off. “What the fuck is going on out there?” Shadow mumbled.

“Not sure, but if I had to guess, Suppression or Starline’s guys,” Bark surmised.

Gadget gasped, feeling relief with each boulder removed. “This didn’t seem like an accident,” he groaned. “If I had to guess…it’s a staged attack, sir.”

With the last piece of brick off the wolf, Shadow and Bark helped lift him to his feet by placing a hand under each arm. Gadget cried out in pain. “What’s hurting?” Bark asked.

“My…my left arm,” he winced, gesturing to it.

From the sight, it was bloody, swollen, even bruised-looking. “Shit, I think it might be broken,” Shadow noted.

“Somebody, help!” another voice shouted. Shadow looked in the direction the voice was coming from before looking back at the polar bear. “Help get Gadget to safety. I’m going keep helping get people out and look for Amy.”

“Right,” Bark nodded before helping guide Gadget to a safer location.

Shadow weaved over and under debris and wooden beam frames, barely keeping the roof sturdy. He glanced up and noticed large cracks formed in the ceiling where it had not caved yet. It was only a matter of time before the top came down. He discovered that Knuckles and Axel were using all their strength to hold up a large piece of roofing that had collapsed into the room. Between their legs was Rouge, who had been knocked unconscious and was bleeding from her arm and forehead. The echidna spotted Shadow and looked relieved to see him. “Shadow! Thank Chaos, you’re here. Grab Rouge and drag her to safety. Axel and I don’t know how long we can keep this from falling.”

Shadow didn’t say another word and rushed over and scooped Rouge into his arms. He moved away enough for the two to quickly dash and jump out of the way as they simultaneously released their hold on the heavy roofing. It came down with a loud thud, stirring up more dust. Knuckles and Axel pushed themselves off the ground and rushed over to Shadow, still holding Rouge’s limp body.

“Rouge, baby!” Knuckles exclaimed with concern.

“I can feel her heart beating, and she doesn’t appear to have sustained many injuries besides a cut. She may have hit her head, though,” Shadow surmised, looking her over.

Knuckles took her from Shadow and cradled her in his arms. The three males heard sirens approaching as more gunshots rang out. Knuckles sighed. “Sounds like the cops have arrived…”

Suddenly a loud crack resounded throughout the building, and everyone jumped in surprise. They looked at the ceiling as more dust and bits of crumbly debris rained down on them. “I don’t think this roof has much hold left. We need to get everyone out of here before it collapses,” Shadow opined with a cough.

“Let’s go. Most people managed to escape already,” Axel noted. “But that’s what I have seen from the rooms I’ve checked.”

“Who have you seen from our crew?” Knuckles interrogated.

“Mighty and Manic are outside with Finitevus and others in a shoot-off with the enemy. I saw Bark carrying out Gadget, and Ray was helping tend to some of the injured,” he listed. “Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure I saw Vector outside as well calling in backup.”

Shadow closed his eyes. “So that leaves my brother and Amy…”

“Shit…” Knuckles whispered, realizing the severity. “I’ll help you.”

Shadow shook his head adamantly. “No, get Rouge out of here. I’m sure Deputy Silver is out there now with paramedics. She needs to be looked at.”

The four could suddenly feel the heat getting stronger from behind them as the fire grew more prominent. “Fuck…” Shadow cursed.

Axel placed a hand on the echidna. “Take your old lady and get out of here. I’ll stay behind and help Shadow find his old lady.”

“Once I get Rouge to an ambulance, I’m coming back to help,” the echidna pledged.

“Go through that room and take a right,” Axel instructed. “There’s a big hole in the wall you can get through as an exit.”

•~•

Meanwhile, Amy felt her eyes flutter open as she finally came to. She groaned as she lay on some rubble. Her whole body felt sore, but most of the pain was in her shoulder. The room was rather dark and dusty, and she could see a billow of smoke up toward the ceiling. A few lights on the ceiling flickered, giving her some light. She moved her legs and felt them move normally, which was a good sign. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but she knew some freak accident had occurred as the last thing she remembered. Amy tried to sit upright but cried out in agony as a sharp pain prevented her from moving.

“—Need a hand, my dear?” an eerie and familiar voice asked from the shadows. She looked around and saw a pair of reptilian eyes glowing in the dark move forward. Mephiles’ complete form emerged from the darkness and smoke as he stood before her. He appeared not to be too injured. He had a big cut across his cheek and some cuts and bruises over his arms, but he seemed in good shape.

“Stay the hell away from me!” she hissed, trying to put up a brave front.

“Where’s this coming from?” he tried to play off coyly with a smirk. “I’m your friend—practically family,” he purred.

She grunted as she shifted slightly. “Like hell you are…”

“So, I’ve heard you’re sticking your nose in business you have no privy to. That’s not your brightest move, Ms. Rose,” he tsked playfully with a headshake.

Amy shifted again, feeling another streak of pain radiate through her shoulder. “Ahh,” she cried out. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mephiles chuckled as he crouched near her, turned on his phone’s flashlight feature, and cast it over her. Amy winced from the bright light as he looked her over for injuries. “Learning about our business can get you killed.” His eyes studied one part of her body before noticing a ghastly sight. “However, you may not be far from that last outcome.”

She looked at him nervously. “What are you talking about?”

“Your shoulder,” he gestured calmly while holding his phone as a flashlight. “It appears you landed on a rebar. It’s gone straight through your shoulder blade just under the collarbone.” His eyes looked down, near her legs and waist, where a puddle of blood was collecting. “You’re bleeding out as well.”

Her right hand reached out, and she felt the textured metal rod sticking out. Amy closed her eyes and tried to compose herself as her stomach sank. She could not allow herself to freak out because it would increase the blood flow to her heart and worsen the situation. She had no idea if it had hit an artery, but she couldn’t focus on that now. Mephiles watched her grave expression and smirked. Even he could tell by her demeanor that she knew this wasn’t good. “It seems luck may be on my side tonight, and I won’t have to dispose of you myself.”

“Even if I die tonight, Espio will expose the truth to Shadow. He was trying to protect me from you,” she seethed.

Mephiles chuckled darkly and rose upright. “He’ll be doing no such thing, Ms. Rose.”

“He will.” she challenged, glaring up at him.

“He would if he was still alive,” Mephiles corrected. Amy’s eyes widened, making Mephiles grin darkly. “As you know, I never allow obstacles to get too far in my way.”

“You…you killed him?” she rasped. “You won’t get away with this.”

He crossed his arms across his chest smugly. “I’m always a few steps ahead, my dear. How do you think I’ve managed to be in power for so long?”

Amy suddenly started to feel lightheaded. She closed her eyes a few times as her vision began to blur. Mephiles cocked his head as he noticed her complexion growing lighter and her breathing becoming slower. His form was starting to triple and blur before her. “Would you like me to end it now, so you don’t suffer?” he offered while he turned off the flashlight feature on his phone. “You’re not looking too good.”

“It's against the rules,” she mumbled to remind him. “You’re not allowed to harm females…”

He chuckled darkly. “As if the rules apply to me. It didn’t stop me before.”

Everything was going dark, and her head slumped to its side. She was losing consciousness from blood loss. “Go to hell…” she whispered weakly.

Mephiles pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and ruffled it into a wadded ball. He moved in closer and leaned in to smother and take her out for good. “Goodbye, Ms. Rose. I wish it could have ended differently.” However, he pulled back his hand with the handkerchief when he spotted a bunch of flashlights and heard voices approaching around the corner of some debris. “Amy!” the voice called. He recognized it instantaneously as his brother’s voice.

“Shit.” he cursed quietly.

Mephiles looked around his surroundings and quickly played possum. He collapsed onto the ground, picked up some rubble, and laid pieces sporadically on top of him. He closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious as well.

Shadow, Axel, and Deputy Silver, who had joined them along with some paramedics, came around the rubble only to spot the two. Their flashlights went around the room until they spotted a body. “Amy!” Shadow shouted as he leaped over a large rubble and charged toward her. Shadow arrived by her side as the paramedics shined their flashlights over her body. It was then that Shadow saw her current state. “Amy…” he croaked. He reached out to touch her but flinched, unsure and afraid to inflict more pain. “Shit, shit, shit…”

The two paramedics moved around him and began pulling out medical supplies. “Don’t touch her, sir. We don’t know what else may be broken or injured. Allow us to tend to her. She’s in good hands,” they pledged.

Silver looked grave in expression as he watched Shadow looking panicked and terrified. The paramedics that had joined began to assess her damage. Silver used his flashlight to shine around the rest of the room before he located Mephiles’ passed out nearby. “Hey!” he shouted. “Your brother is over here!”

Axel walked over to help with Mephiles as Silver bent over to assess his injuries and vitals. Shadow stepped back as he watched them take care of Amy, refocused his energy, and quickly rushed over to see his brother. “Brother!” he shouted.

Axel helped lift Mephiles to an upright sitting position. “Ugh,” Mephiles groaned as he placed a hand on his forehead. He pretended to be groggy and disoriented. “What happened?” he mumbled.

“Starline sent some of his guys to crash the funeral and send a message,” Axel explained.

“The police were called to the scene quickly,” Deputy Silver added. “We were in a shoot-off for a few minutes before they retreated. Authorities are in pursuit.”

Shadow touched his brother’s shoulder and quickly looked him over. “Are you okay? You don’t look too badly injured.”

He feigned a weak nod. “Yes, just a bump here or there, along with a cut. Did you find Ms. Rose?”

Shadow frowned before looking over his shoulder as he watched the paramedics tending to her. “…Yes.”

Deputy Silver reapproached Shadow. “Get back to Amy because it looks serious. Axel and I will help get your brother out of here.”

“Thank you,” he nodded.

Shadow rushed back over to the paramedics tending to Amy’s wounds. Mephiles looked behind him as Silver and Axel helped escort him out of the deteriorating building. Amy was knocked out right now, but he feared what she’d say to his brother if she woke up. Shadow looked at the two medical professionals. “What’s going on? Is she going to be all right?”

One of the paramedics, a female grey seal, looked at him solemnly. “She’s pinned to this piece of rubble with rebar. We’ll have to cut at it from underneath her to free her from it. We don’t want to remove her from the bar entirely for fear of bleeding. Right now, she’s in critical condition.”

Shadow felt his whole body freeze up as those words left her mouth. It felt like déjà vu happening all over again with Maria. He looked down at Amy. He felt like he was about to pass out himself. His eyes began to water. “Please, I-I can’t lose her. I can’t lose someone I love again.”

“Sir,” the other paramedic, a male koala bear, stated, placing a tender hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to do everything in our power to save her. I promise.”

“…Shadow?” Amy stated weakly, outstretching her good hand to him.

Shadow quickly crouched to her level and took her closet hand in his. He clasped both his hands around hers tenderly. “Hey, princess,” he said, mustering a smile and brave face. “It’s me. I was looking everywhere for you.”

Amy giggled weakly as she kept her eyes closed, barely remaining conscious. “Well, you found me,” she said quietly. The two paramedics prepared their electric tools in the background while Shadow had a moment with her.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and wiped at his teary eyes. “Of course. There was no chance in hell I was leaving without you.”

She opened her eyes slightly and turned her head to look at him. “Did everyone else get out okay?”

Shadow nodded as he continued to hold her hand in his. “Surprisingly, all our crew got out okay,” he explained. “However, I can’t say the same for the others from the Southside charter.”

Her breathing slowed down a bit, as well as her speech. “I guess…I’m in the worst condition on our side, huh?”

Shadow shook his head adamantly. “Don’t say that. You’re going to be fine. We’re going to get you to a hospital.”

Amy could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness again. “Well, whatever happens, you need to know that…”

Shadow blinked a few times as her head slumped to the side with her eyes closed. “Amy…?”

“It’s okay. She’s still alive,” the seal paramedic replied. “She’s frail right now. This rebar is the only thing keeping her from bleeding out. We must get her to the hospital as soon as possible.”

The koala turned on the saw blade as it roared to life. “Sir, you’re going to want to step back now.”

•~•

Once they had freed Amy, the paramedics placed her onto a stretcher and helped navigate her out of the building. Shadow assisted them as they finally made it out of the building. Once outside, Shadow finally saw the actual destruction. A semi-truck was on fire as half crashed into the bar they had been inside. Parts of the building were in flames and ruins.

There were multiple cop patrol cars stationed around the area. They had already sectioned off certain parts with yellow tape. Firefighters were there doing their best to put out the flames. Meanwhile, other paramedics diligently tended to wounded individuals around the premises. Police officers got their reports from witnesses, and spectators formed behind the yellow tape.

Mighty and Gadget rushed over when they spotted Shadow heading into an ambulance with Amy on a stretcher. “Shads!” Manic called.

Shadow stopped momentarily as the two finally caught up. Mighty and Manic peered into the ambulance, where they spotted Amy passed out on the stretcher. “Shit,” Mighty cursed under his breath. “…Is she going to be okay?”

Shadow looked like he was at a loss for words. “I-I don’t know, but I need to be with her right now.” Shadow climbed into the back of the ambulance and reached for one of the doors. “I’ll be at Mercia Hospital with the others. Try to take care of things with the deputy here.”

Mighty nodded, understanding his assignment. “The rest of us will meet up with you later.”

•~•

At the hospital, it felt like an eternity. Shadow was forced to wait in the waiting room as Amy underwent surgery. The dark hedgehog paced anxiously in the waiting room, feeling on edge as he was kept in the dark. Eventually, a doctor entered the waiting room and searched the individuals waiting. “Is there a Mr. Shadow, the hedgehog, here?” he questioned.

Shadow looked up from his lap at the doctor standing in the doorway. He was a brown coyote. “That’s me,” Shadow announced as he rose from his seat.

The coyote extended out his hand to shake. Shadow placed his hand in his, and the two shook. “I’m Dr. Prairie,” he introduced. “I was the one conducting the operation on Ms. Rose.”

“Doctor, is my girlfriend going to be all right?”

Dr. Prairie gestured, indicating Shadow to follow him as they walked down one of the halls. Shadow kept up with the coyote as he led him down the hall. “Currently, she’s in the I.C.U. for observation. She did well during the surgery but lost significant blood,” he explained. “We’re lucky we got her to the hospital as fast as we did. This could have been an entirely different outcome otherwise,” he hinted gravely.

The two stopped in front of her room, where she was kept. Shadow could see through a large glass observation window where she was lying in bed with tubes and wires coming out of different body parts. She looked pale and had an oxygen mask, I.V.s, and heart monitors. Her shoulder was bandaged, and her arm was in a sling. “Is she asleep right now?” he asked.

“She’s still under sedation. She may be uncomfortable when she wakes up later,” the coyote explained.

“Am I allowed to go in and see her now?” Shadow questioned.

Dr. Prairie shook his head. “No, unfortunately, you won’t. Visiting hours are over, I’m afraid. “However, they open tomorrow morning.”

“I understand,” he nodded. “Again, thank you so much for saving her life.”

Dr. Prairie smiled warmly at Shadow before walking off down the hall. Shadow stood before the observation window and silently looked in on her. A few moments later, a figure walked up behind him. “…You’re Mr. Shadow, correct?”

The dark hedgehog turned and spotted an older female rabbit. She had an I.D. tag on her shirt that said, “Hospital Administrator: Ms. Vanilla Rabbit.”

He nodded solemnly. “Yes, that’s me.”

She extended her hand, and he shook it formally. “I’m Ms. Vanilla, Amy’s supervisor. I’m also close with Detective Vector,” she smiled.

He nodded politely. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

The female rabbit stood beside Shadow, looking at Amy through the observatory window. “Amy only says wonderful things about you, you know,” she noted, trying to keep his spirits high. “She’s head over heels for you. I always hear her talking to the other residents and nurses about you.”

He gave a weak smile. “Sounds like her.”

“Listen, I’m going to let you go in for two minutes to see her, but that’s all I can allow, I’m afraid.”

His face noticeably brightened at the offer. “Thank you.”

She opened the door, allowing him inside. She watched the biker enter Amy’s room and stand beside her bed before walking off.

Shadow pulled up a chair inside her room and dragged it quietly beside her. He sunk into it before reaching for her left hand and holding it in his. He stared down at her, feeling his stomach churn. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for her state. “Amy, I’m sorry for doing this to you…I never wanted to see anything like this happen.” Amy lay there unresponsive as he stared at her. “Chaos, I hope you can forgive me for putting you through this.”

Mephiles opened the door a few minutes later and popped his bandaged head in. “Brother,” he spoke quietly. “A word?”

Shadow hesitantly stood, not wanting to leave Amy’s side. He exited her room, glancing at her before entering the hall. “What is it?”

“Walk with me for a few minutes,” he instructed calmly. The two brothers walked down the hospital halls together. “The police have filed their reports on the attack that took place,” Mephiles informed. “We’re cleared of any wrongdoing,” he explained. “Mighty and Manic are down at the station finishing their reports. They witnessed our attackers.”

“How many fatalities are there?”

“Around eight,” Mephiles informed. “Many were injured. We lost Espio…”

“Shit…” Shadow breathed, hearing the news. “Did we lose any on our side?”

Mephiles shook his head. “We were lucky. However, a few of us have minor injuries.”

“Did they catch the people responsible?”

Mephiles shook his head again as they walked. “They’re long gone now,” he replied. “Police are still patrolling the area and looking for street footage to determine their location and whereabouts.”

The two turned down another hallway together. “Any idea who it was?”

“Enerjak called about twenty minutes ago before I arrived at the hospital. Based on his intel, this was a direct attack from Starline’s guys—his cartel,” he explained quietly.

Shadow shoved his hands into his pockets. “They’re retaliating for the other day, aren’t they?”

“According to Enerjak, this was another back-off warning to us.”

They stopped in an alcove where there weren’t any other civilians around. “…So, what’s the next move at this point?”

“Enerjak has already made the next call.” Mephiles looked at him with seriousness. “We’re going to war, brother.”

Shadow processed the info. “That means there is going to be even more bloodshed. Amy—”

“—Is someone you should not be involved with at this time,” he abruptly cut off. “I agree.”

Shadow frowned at his comment. “What? That’s not what I was going to say.”

“But it should be what you’re thinking due to our circumstances. Ms. Rose could have easily died tonight,” he reminded. “Is this relationship truly worth putting her life at risk?”

“I already promised that I’d protect her at all costs.”

“And how has that worked out for you so far?” he challenged, making Shadow pause. “I’m telling you, from here on out. It’s going to get much worse.” He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I don’t want to see history repeat with Ms. Rose as it did to your first love. Let her go, brother,” he urged sternly.

Shadow was at a loss for words as Mephiles’ comments processed through his mind. He had made some good points, but could he continue?

•~•

The following day, Shadow returned to the hospital. He sat in her hospital room with her while she slept soundly. He hadn’t slept much the night before and tossed and turned all night as his mind raced. He worried about leaving Amy behind at the hospital. He wondered if Mephiles was right about calling it quits with her. Then there was the upcoming all-out war with the Suppression and their cartel. His mind was going a mile a minute with all the problems going on in his life. He placed his weary face in his hands as he sat silently, with only the sound of Amy’s heart monitor beeping in the background.

Meanwhile, Mephiles walked down the hospital corridors to check on his injured charter members. He had visited Gadget, Rouge, and his next stop was Amy. The president still had his concerns when it came to the pink hedgehog. He knew the moment she awakened, she’d squeal to his younger brother about everything, and then it’d be over for him. That’s why today, he had another plan in store. Over the past few weeks, he had been working on breaking up their relationship. He had seen cracks forming when introducing Lien-Da into the picture, but he now had an entirely different plan.

He arrived at her room and stood in the doorway, spotting his brother sitting patiently by her bed with his face in his hands. “Brother,” he announced softly.

Shadow looked up from his hands at the doorway. “Yeah?” he replied.

“Why don’t you go to the cafeteria and grab two coffees? You look like you could use the caffeine,” he suggested.

Shadow glanced at Amy for a second with hesitation. “I don’t want to leave her side.”

“She’ll be fine. I’ll watch over her in your absence,” he volunteered. “I could go for a coffee as well, anyway.”

Shadow rose from his seat hesitantly. “Very well, text me if anything happens. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Mephiles watched as his younger brother left the room and walked down the hall. He waited for him to turn the corner at the other end before moving inside. Mephiles closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with Amy. It was time to make his move. He walked to her bed and stood where Shadow had been sitting. He looked down at her sleeping form, eying all the tubes, monitors, and wires all over her body. “You’ll live from these injuries,” he stated quietly. “However, that won’t stop me…”

Mephiles reached into his pocket and pulled out some leather gloves. He quickly put them on before entering his leather jacket and pulling out a Ziplock bag holding a gun. Carefully, he pulled out the gun and reached for her hand closest to him. He forced her limp hand to grip the gun, placing her fingerprints all over the weapon. He knew time was of the essence, so he put the gun back inside the Ziplock bag, sealed it up once he was done, and disposed of the gloves.

He used the back of his hand to stroke her cheek tenderly. He scoffed in frustration that he was still drawn and attracted to her but realized she was still a threat. She was his double-edged sword. He stopped his caressing of her face as his brows furrowed. “Time to wake up, my dear.” He kept the weapon in the see-through bag behind his back until the reveal and slapped the side of her face.

Amy cried out in startlement as her eyes fluttered open and her vision adjusted. Her hand reached up to touch her tender cheek that had been hit. She could see a figure at the side of her bed; initially, she believed it was Shadow. However, once her vision focused, she realized it was Mephiles staring at her. Startled, she gasped, tensing up in bed but hissed in pain from the sudden movement. “Ouch.”

Mephiles tsked her as he heard her heart monitor begin to beep a little faster from her spiked heartbeat. “Don’t get so flustered, or you’ll set off the alarm,” he warned. “We don’t need any pesky nurses popping in now.”

Amy kept her eyes locked on him, expecting him to make a move. “Why are you here?”

Mephiles moved around the side of her bed, getting closer. “I wanted to drop in a pay a visit. You are family, after all,” he shrugged.

Amy quickly glanced at the large window that looked out into the hall but noticed the blinds had been shut. Mephiles saw where she was looking and grinned knowingly. “Oh, you’re hoping one of the nurses will come to your aid?” he surmised by the panic-stricken look on her face. “There aren’t many nurses at their station right now anyway. However, you don’t have to worry. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m only here to talk.”

“…What do you want then?”

Mephiles revealed the Ziplock bag with a gun from behind his back. He held it out in front of her for a moment for her to look at. “Do you happen to recognize this?”

Amy stared at the gun but shook her head, not understanding the connection. “No.”

“That’s a shame. This is the gun you used to kill Agent Zonic.” He tucked it back safely inside the lining of his leather jacket. “Gadget destroyed any fingerprint tracing on it, but now it has your D.N.A. prints all over it again.”

“What?” she gawked. “How?”

“Moments ago, while you were asleep, I forced your fingerprints onto it,” he explained.

Amy gulped, suddenly feeling very nervous. “…Why do you still have that thing?”

“For situations just like this,” he grinned proudly.

Amy extended her outstretched hand. “Give it to me!” she ordered.

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. “This is my extortion. I can’t give it back, but I promise I won’t use it against you if you do something for me.”

“And if I don’t?” she challenged.

“Then the weapon, along with directions to the location of Zonic’s body, will make its way to the A.T.F.’s headquarters by an anonymous tip,” he shrugged innocently.

Amy’s eyes widened in alarm, and her heart skipped a beat. “You can’t do that!” she croaked. “I could go to prison.”

His reptilian eyes narrowed at her. “Then I’d follow my directives.”

She bowed her head in defeat. “…What do you want?”

“Your silence and those letters,” he replied. “If you say or indicate anything about them and everything you know about my past deeds to those in this club, my brother, or anyone else, then I release this to the A.T.F,” he explained.

She felt sick to her stomach. He was holding this over her head. “Okay, okay,” she rambled. “I-I won’t say anything, I promise,” she pledged. “I’ll give you the letters when I’m released.”

Mephiles smirked victoriously. “That’s what I like to hear, Ms. Rose.” He walked over to the door and opened it with the blinds to the window. “Now, cheer up. My baby brother will be back any moment now. He can’t see you in such a sour mood, or it may raise suspicion.”

Amy took a deep breath and then exhaled to compose herself. “You’ll have to give me a few days to get you the letters, especially with my current position.”

He nodded as he leaned against the open doorframe while peering into the hall. “I understand. Remember, no hinting anything to my little brother or anyone else,” he threatened. “Trust me. I’ll figure it out if you do.”

Amy gulped nervously at his threat. “There’s one thing I don’t understand, though…”

He folded his arms across his chest as he glanced back at her. “And what’s that?”

“Why aren’t you trying to kill me? You almost did last night.”

He chuckled to himself. “You’re right, I almost did, but after some reflection, I devised a new plan.”

Amy blinked a few times, baffled. “I don’t understand.”

His reptilian eyes bore into her jade ones. “I don’t know if you realize this, but I fancy you. I have no issue killing people, but I’m trying something different now. This could easily be my undoing, but it’s worth a shot,” he shrugged. “I wish things could have gone differently between you and me.”

She had always known that he had an infatuation with her. Amy opened her mouth to reply, but Shadow finally returned with two coffees. He handed one to Mephiles and looked pleased when he noticed Amy awake and sitting in bed. “Rose,” he smiled. “How long have you been awake?”

“Only for a few minutes,” Mephiles responded for her.

Shadow returned to his seat, sat with his coffee, and placed it on the small side table. He reached for her hand closest to him and kissed the top of it. “You gave me a scare there, princess. I thought I was going to lose you.”

She smiled warmly at him. “I was a little nervous there myself….” Mephiles side-eyed her before slipping back into the hall and leaving the two alone. Amy felt an internal sigh of relief as he departed.

“Are you in much pain right now?” Shadow inquired.

“A little bit—it’s more discomfort than anything else,” she replied. “But what happened last night?”

Shadow eyed the door briefly, ensuring no one heard their conversation. “Our competition attacked us,” he stated quietly. “They were trying to make a point again.”

Amy’s ears lowered in concern. “How many people were hurt in that attack? Is everyone in our charter okay?”

“Eight people died, mostly from Finitevus’ charter,” he replied sadly. “Rouge was injured and sustained a concussion, Gadget broke his arm, and then there was your injury,” he listed. “We’re fortunate we didn’t lose more.”

“Is it true Detective Espio is dead?” He nodded solemnly before another thought crossed his mind. “Wait, how do you know about that?”

Freezing up, Amy quickly scrambled for an answer. She couldn’t let Shadow know that Mephiles had confessed it to her at the attack scene. “When I was in and out of consciousness in the operating room, I thought I overheard a nurse mentioning him.”

“I see,” he nodded. “Yes, well, apparently, he was found dead outside in the alleyway. He had been shot in close range.”

“…Chaos,” she breathed a shaky breath. Her one chance for additional backup was now gone. “Did they catch the people responsible?”

Shadow shook his head gravely. “No, the authorities are still on the lookout. Enerjak has his guys on high alert and has supplied us with extra bodyguards. Both charters are on lockdown. No one travels alone and only in pairs,” he explained.

“What is the club going to do next?”

Shadow remained silent momentarily as he mulled over the option of sharing information. “…We’re going to war.”

Amy opened her mouth to comment on that matter until a surprising voice resounded in the doorway. “Cousin!”

The couple turned to look at the doorway, where they spotted Rob’ O and Mari Ann. The older married couple looked exhausted from traveling all night and worried as they stared at Amy in her hospital bed. “Rob?” Amy replied, startled at their unexpected visit.

Shadow slowly rose from his seat as the two rushed to her bedside. Rob embraced Amy carefully before he looked her over once more. He noticed the bandages around her shoulder and her arm in a sling. His brows furrowed in anger as his eyes shot to the darker-striped hedgehog. “What the bloody hell happened to her?”

Mari Ann clasped her hands together pleadingly, seeing her husband’s anger rise. “Rob, your anger won’t help.”

Shadow calmly approached the teal hedgehog and gestured to the hall. “Please, let’s talk out in the hall. There’s only supposed to be one of us in the room with her a time, anyway.” Rob scowled, turned on his heel, and headed into the hallway. Shadow followed him, leaving Amy and Mari Ann alone together.

Walking down the hall together, Shadow and Rob found a small empty waiting room where they could talk privately. Rob crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Shadow as he waited for an explanation. “This better be good.”

“We were attending a wake at a bar in town,” Shadow began. “There was a terrible accident, and a truck crashed into the building. It collapsed a large portion of the building and started a fire,” Shadow explained. “Amy was trapped under some rubble and sustained an injury to her shoulder blade.”

Rob scoffed. “What about the fact that there were mass shooters on the scene as well? I think you left that little detail out. I heard everything on the news, and the hospital contacted me as her next of kin.”

Shadow didn’t bother to reply to his first comment. “Look, I understand that you’re angry and concerned. I felt the same way last night, but the doctor said she would be fine and recover.”

“It’s your fault she was even put into this position in the first place,” he pointed accusingly. “I know all about your motorcycle club,” he air-quoted sarcastically.

“I don’t intend to let this happen to her again,” he avowed.

“You can’t make that promise. Your club, whomever you’re associated with, and your enemies will always threaten her livelihood. I promised Amy’s parents that I would raise her like my daughter and keep her safe and on the right path. I refuse to bury her in the ground before my time comes.”

Shadow absorbed his words and carefully considered his concerns. He could see that Rob deeply cared about Amy’s safety as much as he did. They both loved her—perhaps they could come to a mutual understanding. “…If that’s the case,” he began. “Then I’m going to need you to help me with something.” Rob tilted his head at him curiously.

•~•

Several minutes later, Rob returned to Amy’s hospital room after his long conversation with Shadow. He stood in the entryway with Amy’s hospital staff supervisor, Ms. Vanilla. Mari Ann rose from the seat next to Amy’s bed. Amy blinked in surprise. “Rob…Ms. Vanilla?”

Rob looked at his wife. “We need to talk to Amy alone for a moment.”

“Of course, dear,” the echidna nodded. “I’ll grab something to eat from the cafeteria.” The two watched as Mari Ann left the room, leaving the other two alone. Rob entered the room, and Ms. Vanilla walked in behind him and closed her hospital door for more privacy.

Amy looked at the two of them with concern. “Where’s Shadow?”

“Don’t worry, dear. He just stepped out for a smoke break,” Ms. Vanilla assured. “Your cousin and I just wanted to talk to you briefly.”

“What about exactly?” she probed.

“As you know, your injury will take you out of your internship field. Your main priority should be healing,” the rabbit started. “And with those shooters still at large, we think it’d be best if you were to return to Tech City for a couple of weeks to relax with your family and be out of harm’s way,” she advised.

“What…?” she gasped. “No, I don’t want to leave. Can’t I stay here and recover?”

“It’s too dangerous, cousin,” Rob O noted. “Come back to Tech City with Mari Ann and me where you can rest comfortably. You can bond with Jon and take your mind off all the violence entering this city.”

Amy tried to move out of bed but was too weak and groaned. “Where’s Shadow? I need to talk to him!”

Ms. Vanilla placed her hands up. “No, you must stay in bed. You’re too fragile to be trying to move.”

Amy shook her head adamantly, fighting through the pain. “I’m not going to do it. I’m not leaving Shadow!”

Suddenly, the door opened, and Shadow walked into her room. “Rose, you have to.”

Amy looked surprised to see him. Had he been listening at the door the whole time? “Shadow, what’s going on?”

“Your cousin and I talked it over. I want you out of Mercia while you heal. As he said, it’s too dangerous to be here right now. We both care too much to see anything worse happen to you.”

Her ears lowered. “But Shadow.”

“—You’re going,” he stated firmly.

Amy looked down sadly before another thought crossed her mind. She glanced at Ms. Vanilla. “What about my residency here?”

She shot her a warm smile. “Your position here will always be available once you recover,” she promised.

“This is for the best,” Shadow emphasized.

--
AN: Please remember to drop a comment, thought, or review down below! I appreciate it!

Chapter 32: Band of Brothers

Summary:

Amy returns to Tech City despite her resistance to leave Mercia. The brothers go to war with the other cartel in a raid to kill Starline. Manic continues to fight his inner demons.

Two days later, Amy was released from the hospital. Shadow ensured she always had at least two bodyguards for protection until she could leave the city. However, Amy was tying up loose ends before returning to Tech City to recover. Standing in one of the copy rooms with spare computers, Amy scanned every single letter Shadow's father had written. She also made sure to include any police reports Locke had secured. She then placed each copied file into a USB drive and the anecdotal accounts she had witnessed during her time with the M.C. about her suspicions of Mephiles' involvement in other events. Once done, she put the USB drive into her pocket for safekeeping. Suddenly, Tikal entered the computer room and noticed Amy sitting at one of the available desktop computers. In the chair beside her was a box with some of her belongings from her locker that she had cleaned out. "What are you doing in here?" Tikal inquired as she walked up behind the pink hedgehog.

Startled at first, Amy moved in her rolling chair to turn to address the orange echidna. "Just making a few copies and backups of some old files," she answered calmly.

"Shouldn't you be back at home packing, though?"

"Most of that has been done already," she replied. "I just wanted to deal with these files and documents first."

Tikal watched as Amy stood from her seat. "I'm going to miss having you around here, you know," she admitted. "It's going to be a bummer being the only female resident on staff."

"I'm going to miss you too," Amy concurred. "But I'll be back before you know it," she smiled optimistically.

Tikal wanted to return a smile but didn't feel confident. "Of course," was all she could muster.

"Oh! Before I leave, there is something I wanted to ask you to do…as a favor?"

Tikal's interest was piqued. "Really? What is it?"

Amy reached into her pocket and placed the USB drive into Tikal's hand. "I want you to take this."

The echidna looked down at the USB drive in puzzlement. "Huh? What is this?"

"It's just a USB with some important documents loaded onto it. I want you to give this to Shadow in case anything happens to me," she worded carefully. "It's just a precaution."

Tikal enclosed her hand around the USB drive. "I don't understand. Why don't you give this to Shadow yourself?"

She looked away nervously. "Because he only needs to look at those files if something happens to me. Otherwise, he doesn't need to know about it."

Tikal frowned, becoming unnerved. "You're scaring me, Amy…Are you in trouble with the club? Do you need help?"

Amy shook her head adamantly. "No, it's nothing like that," she lied. "Other outside forces are affecting my life," she explained. "I don't want you to know too much and get you accidentally involved. Please, don't look at the drive. Just keep it somewhere safe at the ready."

Tikal nodded slowly, understanding the implications. "I understand." With that out of the way, the echidna walked towards Amy and embraced her gently, being careful of her one arm in the sling. "I'll always have you in my thoughts, Amy. Be safe out there, and good luck."

Amy gave a weak smile and wrapped her good arm around Tikal. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

•~•

The Mercia Police Department was busy as usual. It had only been a few days since Espio's passing, but Vector was still devastated from losing his comrade, partner, and beloved friend. Vanilla was there for Vector to help pick up the pieces and console him, but his mind was focused on finding the culprits responsible for the attack. The green crocodile stood in his office with pictures of the alleged suspects, some of which had already been in the system on a corkboard. He stared at a mugshot of a green female tenrec named Surge. His eyes glanced over to the notes next to her picture for her charges: battery and first-degree felony.

Vector grimaced at the sight of the dark-looking and deranged female tenrec before his eyes moved to the next mugshot suspect, a creamy, beige large skunk named Tumble. His charges were aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and battery, and armed robbery with a deadly weapon.

Finally, Vector stared at the last mugshot of Rough, a blueish-grey skunk who also happened to be the brother of Tumble. His charges were drug trafficking, conspiracy, and assault with a deadly weapon. Suddenly Deputy Silver walked in and observed Vector in total concentration. "Find any new leads?"

Vector shook his head. "Nothing yet."

Silver sighed. "We'll get these punks. I know we will."

An assistant walked in and handed Vector some paperwork. "Pardon the intrusion. The medical examiner wanted to make sure the detective got these today." She handed them over to him.

"Thanks," Vector nodded before placing the paperwork on his desk and reading through them.

Silver walked closer to get a look at the paperwork. "Who's that for?"

Vector continued to read. "This is the autopsy report for Espio."

Silver frowned. "You needed an autopsy report to help find these guys? I don't see how that'll help."

Vector shook his head. "It's not that," he dismissed. "It's strange that he was the only one dead out in the ally of the establishment." He flipped another page as he read.

Silver glanced at the suspect board while Vector continued to read. "He probably got hit first by the attackers, simple as."

"Well, we know the attack occurred at 10:00 PM when the truck crashed into the building. However, according to this autopsy report, Espio's time of death was around 9:50 PM."

Silver's ears perked as he turned to look at the detective. "So, you're saying…"

"—Someone killed him before the time of the attack."

•~•

At the compound, Amy finally returned along with her two bodyguards. Shadow was off doing reconnaissance for Enerjak with a few others, so she had time to kill. She searched for Mephiles all over the home before eventually finding him in his office in the mechanic shop. She knocked on his door and waited patiently. "Come in," she heard him announce from the other side. Amy opened his door and peeked inside, unsure if she could enter. Mephiles glanced up from his budgeting as he spotted the pink beauty. "Ah, Ms. Rose, come in and close the door behind you."

Obliging, she entered and closed the door behind her but stayed a respectful distance from him. She didn't know what he had planned. "I brought all the stuff you requested."

Mephiles lowered his pen. "Wonderful," he replied. "Hand it over, my dear."

She reached into her purse, pulled out the manila folder with all the papers and paperwork, and handed it over. He accepted and carefully flipped through it to ensure she had given him everything. She watched him like a hawk while standing before his desk. "If it helps, I still haven't read any of the letters or other items in the folder," she explained.

Mephiles stopped his scanning and glanced back up at her. He let out a small, amused scoff. "Do you truly expect me to believe that?" he tsked.

Amy froze. He had seen through her bluff. However, she couldn't allow him to believe he was successful. "No, honestly. I haven't read anything."

"You'd be foolish not to have at least skimmed them," he noted. "But if that's what you want to keep assuring me to make you feel more at ease, that's fine," he shrugged indifferently.

Her ears lowered, and she bowed her head. "Please, I'm begging you. I did what you asked. How do I know you'll still not throw me under the bus?"

Mephiles rose from his seat and moved closer to her as he walked around the side of his desk. She backed up a bit as he got in her personal space, anxious about his next move. "The answer is simple. You're just going to have to trust me, my dear."

"And there's nothing else I can do to get that weapon back with my fingerprints?" she inquired.

"Hmmm…" He mulled over it momentarily before his eyes traced down her body enticingly. "Well…" Amy grimaced as she read his perverse expression, knowing exactly where his mind was heading. It was clear that he was slowly undressing her with his reptilian eyes. She flinched slightly as his hand reached out and stroked one of the quills framing her face. She flinched as one of his fingers brushed against her cheek. "There are a few other options I have in mind, but it would take several sessions before I could trust you enough to hand over the weapon," he smirked naughtily.

Amy took a step back, glaring at him. "You're disgusting. What would Shadow think if he found out?"

He chuckled darkly. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest and backed up more. "Like I'd ever go that far with the likes of you. I'm not that desperate," she scoffed.

His brows furrowed in annoyance at her comment for a moment. "Ah, ah," he tsked. "Watch the tone, Ms. Rose. I could always make those options into requirements if I wanted to. Therefore, I wouldn't get too testy with me," he forewarned.

Amy gasped at his threat. There was no way she would allow him to use his blackmail to force her into giving him sexual favors on top of what he already wanted. Perhaps getting out of Mercia for a while wasn't a bad idea. She bowed her head. "I-I'm sorry, Mephiles. I don't know what came over me," she apologized.

He smirked, feeling his power over her. "Apology accepted."

•~•

Later that day, back in her bedroom, Manic, Ray, and Gadget finished packing any final belongings for Amy in many boxes. The pink hedgehog stared at her now barren ex-room sadly. All left was a bed with a bare mattress, an empty dresser, and a nightstand. It felt like the end of a chapter. Mighty re-entered her room and glanced at her. "You're all ready to go, kid."

Amy turned around to face the black and red armadillo. "Great…"

Mighty frowned at her response. "Hey, what's with the sad face? You'll be back with us before you know it," he reminded encouragingly.

Amy sighed. "I know, but it's going to be hard being away from you guys. You're my family."

Mighty placed a hand on her upper back as he escorted her out of her bedroom. "You think it's going to be a cakewalk for us without you here?" he challenged. "We all love you, Ames. But even Knuckles sent Rouge to recover with her folks for safety."

They walked down the stairs together. "But what if you need me? One of you could get hurt…"

"Ames, you're a bit out of service yourself," he reminded, glancing at her one arm in a sling. "We'll figure it out as we go along," he assured. "You, on the other hand, need to take it easy and recover yourself. We all love you to death and want you to be safe."

Once they got downstairs, Shadow was waiting by the front door with some of the others. "Oh, Mighty…I'm going to miss you." She wrapped her good arm around his neck and hugged him. "Please be safe and take care of yourself."

The armadillo wrapped his arms around her carefully. "Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be fine. I'll miss you too. Stay safe and recover."

The two parted from their embrace, and Amy approached the door. Ray, Gadget, and Manic stood by the door near Shadow. Amy hugged the green hedgehog. "Manic, stay out of trouble now. Follow instructions, okay?" she laughed lightly.

Manic patted her on the back. "You got it, doc. Take care."

Amy finished hugging Ray. "Ray, be brave, I believe in you," she encouraged.

The squirrel smiled warmly at her. "Thank you, Miss Amy. I'm going to miss having you around for our chats."

"I will too." Ray had come to confide in Amy occasionally, and the two had grown close. Finally, she finished hugging Gadget. "Gadget, keep the boys in check. Watch over them for me and take care of that arm."

"Will do," he saluted with determination using his good arm. "Best of luck for your speedy recovery, Miss Amy."

"Thanks," she smiled. She looked at the other boys. "When you see Knuckles again, tell him I send him my love. I wish I could've hugged him before I left."

"We got you, doc," Manic smiled with a thumbs up.

"You ready now, princess?" Shadow questioned.

Amy glanced up at Shadow. She shrugged with her good shoulder. "As ready as I can be, I suppose."

Shadow reached for her hand and took it in his. The rest of the gang watched as Shadow led Amy out the door and down the front porch. Manic couldn't help but admire how Shadow doted over Amy and frowned. He couldn't help but wish he had someone like that to show affection toward.

•~•

At the train station, Amy and Shadow waited for her train to arrive. Beside her were two suitcases full of her belongings. Amy stood with Shadow holding his hand as they watched another train depart from its station. The wind rushed by, sweeping her quills to the side as they saw it rush down the tracks. Once it was out of sight, the next train pulled in, and within a few moments, it came to a complete stop and allowed passengers to unload onto the platform. Amy felt her stomach sink as she knew it was her time to leave. "I guess this is me…"

"It appears so," Shadow concurred.

A conductor walked past them, calling out the time for departure. "All aboard! Departure to Tech City in three minutes!"

Amy turned to look at Shadow, desperation in her eyes. "Do I seriously have to go?"

Shadow nodded. "Yes, this is our safest option right now."

Amy released her Shadow's hand. "What about you, though?" she challenged. "How do I know you'll be okay?"

He smiled at her, appreciating her thoughtfulness. "Nothing is going to take me down," he assured. "I'll be fine."

Another terrifying thought crossed her mind. "And what about us?" she wondered. "Being so far apart will be hard for our relationship…"

Shadow reached out and caressed her face as he stared into her worried, jade eyes. "We'll keep in touch like we do when I go away on my missions," he promised.

Amy felt her eyes beginning to water as reality sank in. She and Shadow would not physically see each other for a few months, and she knew it would be hard. Shadow frowned as he could see her expression growing upset. He wiped away a stray tear down her cheek with his thumb. "Don't cry, princess. This is not a goodbye. It's a see you soon."

"One minute until departure!" the conductor shouted behind them in the distance.

Shadow wrapped his arms around her before he looked off to the side where Bark and Axel were sitting in the background. He made a signal with his head for them to get moving. The two had been assigned as Amy's bodyguards for today. Their mission was to escort Amy to Tech City and guarantee she arrived safely at her cousin's house without setbacks. The two M.C. members scrambled to their feet from sitting on the benches, grabbed Amy's suitcase, and loaded them onto the train for her while giving Shadow another few more moments with his girl.

Amy continued to bury her face against his shoulder as she sniffled. "I'm going to miss you so much, Shadow," she trembled.

"I know. I will too." He rubbed her back. "Now, you need to get going. Your train is about to leave. I refuse to have you miss it."

Amy hesitantly moved back and looked up at him while wiping her eyes with her good arm. "All right, I'm going."

She began to turn to leave but felt Shadow softly grab her wrist to stop her. "Wait." She turned to look back at him as he sauntered up to her. "One more thing." Shadow leaned forward and caught her in a kiss. Amy closed her eyes and relished their last kiss. She still felt those familiar sparks and butterflies in her belly whenever he kissed her this way. It was a chaste and gentle kiss that left a warmth that crawled over her skin. Eventually, he pulled back and looked at her lovingly. "I love you so fucking much, Amy. Don't forget that."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "I-I love you so much, too, Shadow."

The conductor was now in the doorway entrance of the train cabin. "Last call! All aboard."

"You need to get going now," he urged. "Text me when you arrive at your cousin's house," Shadow instructed.

"I-I will," she stammered.

Shadow took her hand and quickly ushered her to the loading area. He helped Amy up the steps, and she waved at him sadly before heading further inside. The conductor glanced at Shadow, still standing by the loading entrance. "Are you on this train today, sir?"

Shadow shook his head dismally. "Not today, I'm afraid."

"All right then." The conductor blew his whistle, flagged the train operator, and shut the door. Shadow stepped back and looked to one of the windows, where he spotted Amy staring out and looking directly at him. The train began to pull out of the station and move down the track. Shadow locked his eyes with Amy's and waved to her while the train drove away. Amy's eyes began to water again before he was finally out of sight. She sunk back into her seat, placed the palm of her hand to her face, and wept quietly.

Bark placed a hand on her shoulder to console her. "It'll be all right, Amy. Shadow wants to make sure you're safe. You'll see him again in no time."

At that same time on the platform, Shadow began to walk back to the parking lot where his bike was parked. He exhaled a shaky sigh as tears welled up in his eyes. He had been strong enough to keep them at bay and keep a good face for Amy, but he, too, was feeling the emotions build.

He leaned against the side of the train station building, away from other travelers, and closed his eyes. He knew this option was the best outcome for both, whether he liked it or not. With Amy's near-death experience still looming fresh in his mind, there was no way he'd ever allow anything to happen to someone he loved and cared for. Shadow had sworn off love after Maria's death and vowed never to fall in love again. Unfortunately, love knew no bounds, and he fell deeply in love with the pink hedgehog.

Unbeknownst to Amy, she thought this was a temporary stay in Tech City, where she'd return home with Shadow and the rest of the gang after a set time. Little did she know this wasn't entirely the plan she was privy to. Back at the hospital, Shadow and Rob had devised an entire plan to keep Amy out of harm's way and keep it that way indefinitely. His mind flashed back to the day at the hospital when he had pulled Rob to the side to talk.

~Flashback: Hospital ~

Shadow and Rob stood in one of the hospital corridors. Rob tilted his head curiously, waiting for the ebony hedgehog to continue. "What exactly would you want my help for?"

"I don't think you realize how deeply in love I am with your cousin," Shadow began. "I realize with my line of business that I am not meant to find happiness. There is too much death and destruction around every corner. I know I've done bad things in the past and the present. Hell, I'm a criminal…Yet, despite all that, Amy walked into my life, and as much as I tried to avoid it…I still fell in love with her."

He stared at him skeptically. "That's very heartfelt and all, but what does this have to do with my help?" he questioned.

He sighed. "I want her to return to Tech City with you and your wife permanently."

Rob' O looked surprised that Shadow would even suggest the idea. "That wasn't what I expected to hear you say just now…"

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest. "You know enough about my M.C. from the rumblings on the news and media. You and I know it's unsafe for her, and it's about to get much worse from here on out. I don't want her anywhere near Mercia within a one-hundred-mile radius. She'll continue to be targeted because of me and my connections."

"Fair enough." The teal-colored hedgehog nodded, agreeing with him. "But I know, my dear cousin, quite well. She's stubborn beyond all reason. She won't willingly go with me without a fight."

Shadow's red eyes looked away sadly. "I realize that as well. Which is why breaking up with her won't come easy…"

Rob stared at the red-striped hedgehog in surprise again and studied him momentarily. "You'd truly break up with her?" Shadow nodded solemnly. The motorcyclist wasn't what Rob had deemed him to be. "I guess Amy was right. I was wrong about you. I can tell that you deeply care about my cousin."

He smiled weakly at his observation. "I would take a bullet for her without hesitation. Her talent, compassion, and empathy are needed in this world. I wouldn't be missed as much if something happened to me. She contributes more to this world than I ever could."

"I doubt my cousin would agree with that," Rob noted, feeling the tone shift.

Shadow shrugged apathetically. "It doesn't matter at this point. So, will you help me?"

"I will," Rob nodded. "How are we going to go about this plan then?"

"We need to convince her that returning with you to recover is far safer and only 'temporary.' Once she's out of Mercia, I'll take it from there to put a divide between us. She won't like my methods, but I need to keep her from returning here."

"What do you mean by your methods?" he probed curiously.

"If I could easily break it off with her, I would. I'm going to have to break her heart for her never to want to return here or hang around me or my crew," he answered. "She'll need you there to pick up the pieces. It would help if you got her to move on from me. Be the protective, loving cousin she needs."

"I see…" Rob nodded, absorbing his plan. "I understand that we both want the best for her." Rob stuck his hand out for Shadow to shake. "I'm on board with your plan, Shadow. I'll do whatever you need me to do." The dark hedgehog placed his hand in Rob's, and the two shook on their understood plan.

"There's just one other person I'll need to help to convince her," Shadow noted as his eyes scanned the hall. He noticed the older female administrative rabbit walking down the aisle. "Perfect timing."

~End Flashback~

•~•

A few hours later, Amy finally returned to Tech City. Bark and Axel escorted her back to Rob's home in the suburbs. The black SUV entered an enclosed gated neighborhood called "Deerwood Forest Estate." While they drove further in, Amy stared out the window at all the luxurious homes on her side of the car. Eventually, they parked in a driveway, and the large water buffalo walked over to the back passenger seat and opened the door. He extended his hand out that Amy placed her hand in and assisted her out of the vehicle. Simultaneously, Bark popped the back hood and pulled out her belongings.

Amy glanced up at the two-story home, looking it up and down. It still looked just like how she remembered it from her childhood. Suddenly, the front door opened, and Rob and Mari-An appeared in the doorway. "Amy! Welcome home!" Mari-An proclaimed as she rushed down the steps and hugged her.

"…Thanks," she said solemnly and stiffly in her embrace.

Rob shook hands with both Bark and Axel. "Thank you for getting her here safely. Tell Shadow I appreciate it. I can take it from here."

"Of course," Axel nodded.

Rob moved Amy's suitcases back inside the house while Amy waved to the two guys. They got into the car and rolled down the windows. "Goodbye, thank you again," she shouted.

"No problem, doctor. Take care!" Bark waved from the passenger seat.

The family watched as the two bikers departed in the SUV. Rob placed an arm around his younger cousin and ushered her inside the house. "Well, I'm sure you're tired from traveling. Let's get you settled in, shall we?"

Once they got upstairs, Rob opened her bedroom door for her. Her room felt like a time capsule from when she had last lived in it during her teen years. She still had her bright pink curtains, band posters, and floral bed sheets in her room. Rob allowed her inside first as she walked around her room, reminiscing. "I hope this is all right," he noted while placing her suitcases beside her bed.

Amy nodded. "Yes, this will be fine."

Rob placed his hands on his hips. "We didn't bother to redecorate," he laughed uneasily. "We wanted to keep it the same. We never knew when you might return to us, you know?"

The pink hedgehog sat down on the side of her bed. "Thank you, Rob, for taking me in."

"You're my family, Amy. I'd never turn my back on you, no matter what." He reached for her door handle. "Dinner will be ready at six, but I'll give you time to unpack and settle in," he stated before closing the door. Amy reached into her pocket, opened her phone, and skimmed down her list of contacts. She stopped on Shadow's name.

•~•

Back in Mercia, far from home, Shadow felt his phone buzz in his jacket pocket. Sitting on his parked bike in front of a warehouse in a wooded area, Shadow pulled out his phone to read the text message. He stared at the message from Amy, which read: "Finally arrived at Rob's house safe and sound. Already missing you like crazy," with a heart emoji.

Shadow felt a slight smile tug on his lips. He quickly texted her back, "Great to hear, babe. Miss you like crazy, too."

"Hey, Shads," Mighty called, breaking his concentration. The vice president turned to look and saw the black and red armadillo approaching him. "Enerjak wants to start the meeting."

The ebony hedgehog slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Be right there."

Shadow and Mighty walked towards the warehouse entrance, where they spotted Mephiles, Manic, Knuckles, and Enerjak with his guys standing just outside the doors. They all turned in Shadow's direction as he and Mighty got near.

"What's happening then?" Shadow inquired.

"We managed to nab one of Starline's guys," Knuckles explained. "Nack has been in there," he said, gesturing to the warehouse, "trying to get information out of him."

"I see. Any luck?"

"This guy is stubborn. He's ex-military and operations," Enerjak elaborated. "If Nack cannot pull any information out of him, no one will."

"Shall we go in and see how he's faring then?" Mephiles suggested.

The boss echidna nodded. "We shall." Enerjak led the group and allowed his men to open the barn doors for him first. The echidna walked in, followed by the group of M.C. bikers. When everyone entered the warehouse, they spotted a yellow male Honey Badger tied to a chair. He had already been badly beaten, was bloody, bruised, and appeared weakened. With his head lowered against his chest, Nack stood behind him, grabbed a tuff of his hair, and yanked his head upright to look at his newest visitors. "Wake up, beautiful, you've got guests," the weasel snickered.

The badger grimaced at the sight of the M.C. bikers along with Enerjak and his men. The echidna boss sauntered up to him. "Where is Starline hiding? Where is his hideout?"

The badger continued to remain silent, refusing to give up any information. Annoyed at his refusal, Nack twirled a six-inch blade and stabbed it into the guy's upper thigh. He cried out in agony as the blade sunk deeper. In the background, Manic winced as he witnessed the torture methods going on. He turned his head away, unable to stomach it. "Give us something, or it's gonna get much worse," Nack warned.

The badger bore the excoriating pain in his leg as the blade remained in his thigh, and he glowered up at Enerjak. He gathered up as much saliva as he could salvage and spat a colossal loogy in Enerjak's face. The echidna stumbled backward in disgust as he wiped the spit from his cheek. "How does that do for a response?" he seethed through clenched teeth.

Enerjak narrowed his eyes. "You son of a—"

Nack ripped the blade from his thigh, watching blood seep from the wound. The badger cried out again as a new pain radiated in his leg. "Aye!" He slugged him across the face with his brass knuckles, making more blood fly from his mouth. "You need to wisen up, pal!"

Shadow looked at the blood loss he was undergoing. "At this rate, he'll die before we get information."

Nack eyed the puddle of blood forming under his victim. "You're right. I guess it's time for plan B." He put his fingers up to his mouth and blew out a sharp whistle. "Boys!"

Everyone turned and watched as two of Nack's guys brought in a struggling female red Honey badger. She couldn't have been much older than twenty-three. Nack's guys forced her into the room. "Birch!" she cried, recognizing and seeing his state.

His eyes widened in alarm. "Ruby!"

"Let's see how long you won't wanna talk now," Nack smirked.

Shadow didn't like the tonal shift going on in the room. The atmosphere felt deviant. "Hey, what are you planning to do?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Knuckles exclaimed, eying the terrified female.

Enerjak raised an arm, signaling the two to be silent. "Just watch."

"Force her down onto the table," Nack advised. The two guys restraining her forced her stomach first across a table.

She wiggled under their grasp, trying to break free. "No, let me go!" she screamed.

"Take your fucking hands off, my girl!" Birch yelled, feeling his blood boiling.

"Remove her shorts," Nack ordered.

One of the two guys grabbed her shorts and ripped them to her ankles, exposing her panties. "Please, don't do this!" she sobbed.

"The fuck?" Knuckles mumbled under his breath. He looked at Shadow to see his reaction. He was equally confused and looked like he disapproved of the methods. All the boys, minus Mephiles, looked disgusted and sickened at the scene.

Nack unzipped his pants and began stroking himself as he neared the helpless girl. "It's been a few days since I had some fresh pussy. I'm sure you won't mind sharing her, huh?" he taunted.

Birch jerked around in his chair. "I swear if you fucking touch her, I'll kill you!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the scene in disgust. It was taking all his power to avoid intervening as desperate as he was to do so.

Nack's dick started growing harder as he continued to stroke himself. "You know I wouldn't have to shove my fat juicy cock inside her pussy if you told me Starline's location," he hinted.

Mighty felt his fists tightening up by his sides. He couldn't bear to endure this any further. This went against his morals. He rushed past everyone to intervene and stop a rape from happening. "Stop it! This is insane!"

Enerjak snapped his fingers calmly, and his two men immediately tackled and seized Mighty from interrupting the interrogation methods. They remained on top of him, holding him down against the ground. "Get off of me!" he screamed.

"Mighty…" Manic mumbled, worried for his friend's safety.

"He's right," Knuckles concurred. "What you guys are about to do is sickening…"

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't like to get what we want," Enerjak stated simply. "If you or anyone else try to step in again and play hero, I will not hesitate to put you down myself," he warned.

Shadow turned to look at his brother and shot him a glare of disappointment. Mephiles casually looked away, not wanting to meet his brother's gaze. Shadow, Knuckles, Manic, and Mighty couldn't stand to watch and averted their eyes. Mephiles, on the other hand, was captivated by the scene before him. This tactic Nack was displaying was empowering.

Nack placed a hand on the girl's ass and gave it a playful smack causing her to cry out in surprise. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll make sure you enjoy my cock more than your old man's," he grinned darkly. His hand went lower, and his thumb brushed vertically up her slit through her panties a few times, teasing her. "And who knows, you may beg for more later. Most do." She felt her face grow hot as his thumb brushed against her vaginal lips through her panties. She felt humiliated being touched like this in front of many strange males. She mentally prepared herself for the worst.

"That's enough!" Birch yelled, causing Nack to stop his torture. "I'll tell you what you want. Just…please don't assault her."

"That's a shame," Nack stated while placing his erection back in his pants. "I was getting excited to pummel that pussy, but a deal's a deal. Let's hear it then."

He sighed in defeat. "His hideout is located in Central City," Birch began. "It's right off Battle Highway on Sixth in a largely abandoned condominium."

Nack walked up behind him. "Boy, you stuck it out long and hard, pal. I'll give you props there. You're one tough son of a bitch soldier for Starline," Nack commended. He pulled out a pistol and placed it against the side of Birch's head. "Thanks for the intel." Suddenly he pulled the trigger and blasted him through the skull. Brain matter and blood shot out to the left of his head, killing him instantly.

"Birch!" Ruby bellowed out. "Nooo!" she wailed.

Shadow stared, stunned at the aftermath of their methods. Enerjak looked rather pleased by the results and began to walk out of the warehouse. He signaled for the others to follow him. Everyone followed him except Nack, his two guys, the girl, and Mighty and Enerjak's two bodyguards.

Knuckles glanced over his shoulder at Mighty, still held down against his will. "What about Mighty?"

"He's getting a punishment, and then he'll be released," the other echidna explained.

"And the girl?" Shadow asked with concern.

"She'll be released unharmed," Enerjak replied. "Now, I want to discuss the plan's next part." The group was instructed to follow Enerjak back outdoors. Everyone willingly followed him out, but Manic was the last one out the door. He peeped in one last time at Mighty, who was brought up to his feet by Enerjak's men. He watched one of them knee him hard in the gut, causing him to wheeze in pain. The other bodyguard slugged Mighty's face as he tried to recover from the first blow.

Manic's eyes widened in alarm. "Mighty…" He went to step back inside, but this time one of Nack's guys appeared in the door crack.

"I wouldn't if I were you, pal," he warned before closing the door in his face.

Manic stared at the shut door before he backed off and followed the rest of the group. As he walked off, he could hear his friend recoiling in pain and groaning in pain from the assault.

Back with the others, near their vehicles, Enerjak continued his plans. "I'm planning to attack Starline's place early tomorrow morning. Most of my guys are stationed elsewhere, but I don't want to wait. I'll use my four for now but need your men for reinforcement."

The dark hedgehog seemed alarmed by the suddenness. "Hold on a sec. We're not exactly trained infantry here," Shadow reminded.

"Well, you will be today because, make no mistake, boys." He put on his black shades. "We're at war." The echidna walked off and climbed into one of the black SUVs parked nearby. The car drove off, and everyone watched it disappear over the distant hill.

A few moments later, the doors to the warehouse opened, and Nack's guys tossed Mighty's beaten body behind the group. His men dusted off their hands. "Here ya are, fellas. I didn't go too hard on him since you'll need him for tonight's attack," Nack announced.

The green hedgehog rushed over to his fallen comrade as Nack's guys returned indoors. Manic immediately crouched down to his level. "Might!"

Shadow made his way over quickly and knelt to his level as well. "Shit," he mumbled, looking at his bloody, battered face. His eyebrows narrowed sharply at the weasel. "What do you mean you didn't go too hard on him?" he snapped. "One of his eyes is almost sealed shut from swelling alone!"

Nack shrugged indifferently. "It could have been a lot worse."

Manic helped lift the armadillo to his feet by placing one of his arms behind his neck. "Bro, are you okay? Say something…"

Mighty winced sharply as he stood upright. He spat out some blood into the dirt. "I'm fine," he muttered.

Knuckles felt his fists tighten at the sight of Mighty's battered face and body. They had seriously roughed him up in there to prove a point. "Those sons of bitches…" He cracked his knuckles, pumping himself up. "When I get my hands on them, I'll-"

"—Don't," the armadillo mumbled. "It's not worth it. What's done is done…"

Knuckles blinked a few times as he stared at his friend. "Yeah, but-"

"I said I was fine," he interjected. "I've been fucked up a lot worse than this. I can handle it. I'll heal eventually."

His bruised face turned slightly to look at his green friend. "Help me back to my bike, will ya?"

Manic nodded and carefully helped him walk toward the parked bikes. Shadow and the others watched the two depart. Knuckles shook his head. "Shit, now what…Enerjak expects us to fight in this cartel war tonight?"

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes fell to the ground. "That's all we can do."

"But we're not mercenaries!" Knuckles countered.

"I realize that," Shadow concurred. "However, we can't deny helping him, or the consequences will be far worse."

"We can always call Finitevus to send some of his best over to aid us in the battle," Mephiles suggested. "This is not a death sentence."

Shadow shook his head, uncertain about involving more of their members. "I don't know about including them. We'll have six, including Enerjak's four guys, against the men that Starline has set around the perimeter. It should be enough."

"Very well then." Knuckles stood beside Shadow as they watched their president walk off.

Knuckles sighed. "I don't like this. I don't like this one bit…"

"It's not like I'm a fan of this either," Shadow seconded.

"I voted this thing in because I wanted to help you. I know about your deal, but will it be worth it if you end up dead?" he challenged.

Shadow's expression looked surprised at his comment. "Wait, you knew?"

Knuckles nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, your brother told me about it. I thought I'd be helping you out by voting your way, but I'm starting to realize my old man was right. I mean, look at what we've dealt with so far. My dad's dead, we've all been injured countless times, our lives have been put in jeopardy more times than I can count, and our old ladies had to be sent away."

Shadow bowed his head in disgrace. "…I wish I had never made that deal with my brother in the first place," he admitted. "But it's too late to take it back. We must move forward, and I will figure out how to get us out of this deal with Enerjak."

Knuckles tucked his hands into his leather jacket pockets. "Well, good luck with that. We probably should get moving in preparation," he advised. The red echidna wandered over to the parked bikes where Mighty and Manic waited. Shadow dragged a hand over his exhausted face as he exhaled a sigh.

•~•

Back in Tech City, Amy lounged on her bed reading a book while waiting for a night call from Shadow. It was nearly midnight, and the last time she had heard from him was when she texted him about her arrival. At this point, several hours had passed, and she wondered if he'd even call her. She marked her page in her book and reached for her phone. She quickly texted him and waited for a response. "Hope everything is good on your end. Call me when you can."

Almost immediately, she received a response from him. Her eyes glanced down at the screen. "Can't talk tonight—big clash between 'businesses.' I'll speak with you tomorrow," it read.

Amy frowned, upset that she couldn't talk to him over the phone. Her fingers quickly texted back her response. "Oh, I understand. Stay safe. Love you. 3"

"Thanks. Love you, too, princess," he replied.

Amy lowered her phone and frowned. It was only night one, and it felt ridiculous to feel this clingy already, but the truth was that she missed him. Rob' O knocked on her bedroom door before popping his head in. "Just checking in. You don't need anything, do you, Rosy?"

Amy shook her head as she sunk further back into her pillows. "No, I'm okay."

Rob tilted his head slightly as he noticed her dour expression. "You all, right? You seem a little down."

"It's nothing too crazy. I miss Shadow is all," she stated. "He was supposed to Facetime me tonight, but I think his work caught him off guard unexpectedly," she explained.

"You really like him, don't you?" Rob probed.

Amy nodded, bringing her knees up to her chest. "I love him, Rob. I've never felt such strong emotions for a guy before. I'm head over heels for him. He makes me feel safe, and he makes me feel alive."

He gave her a weak smile as he watched Amy swoon over the dark hedgehog. Little did she know what was about to come. "Young love," he reminisced. "I can recall it fondly."

"This isn't just young love," Amy corrected him. "I think he may be…the one for me. I hope I can talk to him soon."

Rob kept one of his hands on the doorknob as he remained partly inside her room. "Well, you know how his business goes. I'm sure he'll get around to calling you eventually."

Amy nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll go to bed then. It's late anyway." The teal-colored hedgehog entered her room and neared the side of her bed as she went under the sheets. Amy watched him, curious to see what he was doing. He began to tuck her in. Amy felt oddly embarrassed at the gesture as it felt childish. "Rob, what are you doing?"

"Remember when I used to tuck you in when you were a little girl? You loved it and always reminded me to do it," he laughed lightly.

Amy shook her head at the ridiculousness with a chuckle. "Rob, I'm not a little girl anymore. I've grown up."

He placed a hand on her head and patted it gently. "I know. You've grown up so quickly before me." He kissed the top of her head before he walked over to her door and flipped off the lights. "Goodnight, Amy."

She stared at him as he lingered in the doorway. She gave him a small smile. "Night, Rob."

•~•

Around 4 AM, Shadow, Ray, Gadget, Mephiles, Knuckles, Mighty, and Manic arrived at the meetup point to meet with Enerjak's men. However, his men had not arrived yet, so the group waited. The M.C. was stationed in a field just outside a chain link fence as they stared into the industrial-looking location ahead. There were plenty of industrial-looking buildings with turrets. The boys had brought some supplies along with them for the attack. They had brought grenades, AK-47s, rocket launchers, M4 carbines, and M16s.

"So, this is where Starline operates his business?" Gadget inquired as he stared at the grey buildings.

"—That's right," one of Enerjak's men confirmed. Everyone turned around only to spot a brown pangolin.

Knuckles eyed the newcomer who had emerged from behind some trees with three other guys. "Who are you?"

The pangolin eyed the echidna. "My name is Loden," he introduced. Loden gestured to the other three males behind him a moon rat, tenrec, and porcupine. "And this is Russet, Flint, and Trace." The other three males wore military vests, pants, and boots. They casually waved a gesture to the rest of the M.C.

"Nice to meet you," Shadow acknowledged shaking hands with the pangolin. "I'm Shadow, the V.P. This is the rest of my crew. Mighty, Knuckles, Gadget, Manic, and Ray," he pointed individually.

"A pleasure," Loden replied with a handshake.

"And I'm Mephiles, the president," the other brother added, extending his hand for him to shake.

Loden shook Mephiles' hand as well. "Nice to meet you too." He turned to address the other members. "Everyone needs to follow my direct orders, or we'll lose a lot more out there than we need to."

"Uh, excuse me, but when you say lose, you mean as in die?" Ray inquired nervously.

The pangolin nodded calmly. "That's right. It'll be a miracle if we all come out alive in the end. This is war, after all, and we're entering enemy territory."

Ray gulped nervously and shuddered at the thought. He clutched his rifle in his hands.

Mighty placed an assuring hand on his kid brother's shoulder. "Hey, little buddy, don't you sweat it. I won't let anything happen to you out there," he vowed.

Ray looked up to his older foster brother. "You mean that?"

Mighty nodded confidently. "Of course. When have I ever not kept you safe?" he smiled.

"I believe that, but seeing how swollen your face is makes me nervous. Are you sure you can even see out of that one eye?" he inquired.

"I can see reasonably well," he answered.

Ray gulped. "If you say so…"

"Shall we get moving then?" Shadow suggested.

Loden nodded. "I think it's best." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a map, and laid it down in the dirt. Using his headlamp, he shined the light onto the map. His finger grazed the map as he pointed at specific points. "Here's where the intel is telling us Starline is stationed. We're going to navigate up until this point for our initial attack," he explained. "There are guards stationed before this point, so we'll have to take them out as quietly as possible."

"I see," Mephiles advised while looking over his shoulder.

"One more thing," Loden added. He snapped his fingers, and Trace walked over with a couple of walkie-talkies and handed them to the pangolin. "These may come in handy, so everyone takes one." The walkie-talkies were distributed to everyone. "We're all on station 2."

Everyone changed their station to two to be on the same wavelength. "Got it," Shadow noted.

"All right, let's gear up and move out," Loden ordered.

Everyone began to load and prepare their weapons. Nearby the fence, Mighty glanced over and spotted Manic in a daze, loading his gun. The armadillo approached the green hedgehog and cocked his head to the side. "Yo, everything okay over here?" he questioned with concern.

"Huh?" Manic stated, shaking his head and coming back to reality.

Mighty tilted his head with caution. "You looked like your mind was elsewhere if you catch my drift…Just checking in on you. You've been quiet since this morning."

Manic shrugged innocently. "I'm good, man," he lied. "I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself, is all."

He gently nudged his shoulder with his fist. "Like I told Ray, I've got you back, dude."

"I think I should be saying that," Manic noted. "I mean…you can barely see out of one eye," he pointed. "Not to mention, you're probably majorly sore, too, from that beat down."

Mighty displayed a cheesy smile. "I'll be fine," he promised.

"All right, let's roll out," Loden announced. Everyone in the group followed the pangolin as he led them further past the fence. Eventually, they spotted a small tent where the first line of defense was. Three shots rang out, hitting the three-armed guards who unexpectedly were headshot. The three bodies hit the floor as Loden's sniper Trace, with a silencer, lowered his weapon. "Excellent," the pangolin whispered. "Let's keep moving."

As the group neared the industrial buildings, they spread out into a defense line, keeping their guns ready as they navigated the field leading up to the facilities. It was oddly quiet, and the sun was only starting to rise.

Loden and his two guys took the lead in the front while the others remained just several feet behind them. Suddenly, Flint stepped on something causing him to stop momentarily as he heard a soft click. Everyone behind him halted as they watched Flint freeze in place. They listened to a low-frequency hum before watching him glance down at where his right foot stood. "Oh shit…" he mumbled in realization.

Even Loden and Russet were quick to pick up on the disturbing discovery. "Landmine!" the pangolin shouted as he and Russet ducked out of the way to avoid the blast narrowly.

Shadow and the others behind crouched for cover as the tenrec was blown to bits. Ray scrambled backward in the dirt, holding his rifle nervously as one of Flint's arms landed near him. "Ah!" Suddenly, bullets began to whizz near them, landing just before their feet as they retreated.

"Take cover!" Loden shouted. "Be careful of other landmines!" he warned.

Ray quickly scurried back and ducked behind a large boulder in the field. He lay on his belly and placed his hands over his head as she shook in terror.

At that same time, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget retreated, running as bullets whizzed past them in their direction. "Be careful. There could be other mines nearby!" the armadillo warned.

Knuckles ran and followed Loden, Russet, and Trace. "For fuck's sake!" Trace aimed his gun and shot a few more rounds at a sniper on a rooftop. They managed to duck behind the cover of a building.

Back on the field, Gadget ran behind Mighty and Manic until he felt something hit the side of his head. The red wolf suddenly screamed and collapsed with a thud.

Manic screeched to a halt in the dirt as he realized a comrade had fallen. "Gadget!"

Mighty quickly intervened and skidded to the red wolf's side. "I've got him! Keep running!" he yelled. "Cover me!"

Manic nodded and began to aim the shooters aiming at them. He hit a few of the shooters, wounding or killing them. In the meantime, Mighty flipped Gadget over to quickly assess the damage. He was knocked out cold and had some bleeding from a slit on the side of his forehead where a bullet had grazed him. With quick thinking, he tore off the red bandana he wore around his neck and wrapped it around his head to keep the wound from bleeding further. Then carefully, he lifted Gadget and placed him into a piggyback.

Meanwhile, at that same time, Mephiles had already retreated behind a large tree. He watched as his brother ran from gunfire to retreat behind the shelter. "Brother, I'll cover you!" he assured.

Shadow gave a curt nod acknowledging him before continuing to run. Mephiles shot at a few shooters on top of one of the buildings and successfully took one out with a headshot. Shadow managed to duck behind an abandoned car out in the field. He could hear the bullets hitting the vehicle's hood as he remained hidden.

In hiding with Loden and the others, Russet pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it at the building. "Let's see how they like this," he grinned manically. He shot a rocket into the distance that exploded the upper part of the building. With a loud blast and vibration, everyone watched as the shots fired ceased, and a large blaze of fire took over the building where the shooters had been.

The pangolin grabbed his walkie as he sat next to his comrades. "This is Loden, over. Can you guys hear me, over?"

Shadow was the first to hear and reached for his walkie on his hip. He pulled it up to his mouth to respond. "This is Shadow copying your message, over."

"So, at least one of you made it out alive," Loden chuckled. "Over."

"I saw Knuckles, Mephiles, Mighty, Manic, and Gadget, over," Shadow responded.

"I've still got Trace and Russet alive," Loden explained. "I haven't seen the kid squirrel, though, over."

Shadow looked around, desperately looking for the yellow rookie squirrel. "Shit…where's the kid at?" he mumbled.

"Ray's all good," another voice chimed in. "He's behind the boulder at six, over," Manic explained. "However, Gadget's been injured. Mighty's got him now and plans to get him back to safety, over.

"It seems we took out the main shooters with that rocket launcher. I don't think proceeding with the unknown landmines is safe. We need to retreat and find another route to those buildings, over," he explained.

"I agree. We'll have to retrace our steps carefully. We're lucky no one else accidentally triggered another one while we fled, over" Shadow noted.

Landon carefully looked behind him and spotted Mephiles a far distance back. "If we can all return to your brother, we'll be safe. Take caution, over," he instructed.

Shadow was the first one to make his way through the field. He took his time cautiously with each step. He sighed in relief and made it over to the other side. Eventually, each member mimicked the previous actions individually, carefully navigating through the dangerous field. Finally, Manic was up next. The rest of the boys stood at the starting line and stared at the green-pierced hedgehog. Their odds had been good so far.

"Come on, man. You can do it," Mighty encouraged from afar.

Manic looked down at the dirt, looking for any odd bumps in the ground that could hide a potential landmine. Using his gaze, he couldn't notice anything unusual, which was haunting.

"Take your time," Knuckles urged from afar.

If I step in the wrong spot, it'll be over for me, he thought to himself. But doesn't that mean it'd be fast and painless as well? He contemplated. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad…Manic exhaled a breath before walking without caution toward the group. He barely even looked down at the ground where his feet were stepping. The others looked on with terror and anxiety.

"What the hell are you doing?" Shadow berated, terrified he'd set off a landmine. "Slow down!"

"You idiot!" Loden bellowed. "Stop being reckless!"

Manic ignored everyone's comments and calmly walked back toward them. At this point, with his mental state with what had occurred between him and Monkey Khan, he could care less about what happened to him. He could barely live with himself due to his actions. Not to mention, he was still dying for a hit.

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Ray shouted anxiously. He could barely watch and covered his eyes with his fingers. "Geez, I can't watch."

Finally, Manic arrived safely on the other side and reunited with them in one piece. Knuckles stormed over and slugged him in the face.

Manic stumbled backward as he recoiled from the blow. "The hell, man?" he snapped.

"You careless piece of shit," Knuckles seethed. "You could have gotten yourself killed. What were you even thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking," Manic shrugged. "I knew I'd survive," he lied. Everyone stared at him, aghast at his response as he sauntered past them calmly. Mighty stared at his friend walk off and frowned at his retreating figure. He knew that he was still hurting and processing his ordeal.

•~•

A little later, the group found another entrance into the industrial area. They surveyed the area and found many deceased cartel members in the encampment. However, it also appeared that whoever had survived made a quick evacuation. "Shit," Loden whispered. "I don't see any trace of Starline."

"If he was here, he's long gone now," Russet noted, moving a large piece of a fallen beam out of the way.

Trace walked out from an abandoned part of a building. "No signs of his body anywhere either."

"Well, we made a statement, that's for sure," Mephiles added, securing his weapon to his back.

"Enerjak won't be pleased," Loden stated. "We did kill quite a few of his guys, though."

"We'll deal with his anger, I'm sure," Shadow sighed. "I say we call it for the day and reconvene for more intel on his whereabouts tomorrow. We're lucky we only lost one person today and have a few people with minor injuries."

"He's right," Knuckles concurred. "Let's get outta here."

"Very well, I'll give my report to Enerjak when we return. I'm sure he'll be in touch with you shortly."

As everyone made their way out, Mighty approached Manic as he sat on the steps of one destroyed building. He looked void of expression. "Hey man, how you holding up?"

"Fine," he said without much emotion.

Mighty cautiously took a seat beside him on the steps. "You wanna tell me why you pulled that mad stunt out on the field? That was even more wild than usual."

Manic leaned back on the steps, resting his arms on one of the ledges. "That's easy, bro. I don't wanna be alive anymore," he stated calmly.

Mighty stared at his best friend, stunned by his blunt comment. "Excuse me?"

"Look, man. I was ready to accept death if it happened out there."

Mighty frowned even more, pained at the idea that his best friend felt his life had little value. "Manic…"

Seeing his reaction, Manic sighed. "I killed someone because of something bad I did," he explained. "The guy was a scumbag, but he didn't deserve to go out that way. I should be the one who is six feet under in an unmarked grave…"

"This ordeal has affected you way more than I thought."

"Yeah, not to mention Locke's death came out of left field, just building on top of that. Then there was the whole attack at the wake. We lost even more people, and some got hurt, like Amy, Rouge, and Gadget. My love life is non-existent, and what the hell am I doing in this club? What's my purpose? Everything recently started to make me reflect on life…and besides that, I still got this itch to take a hit and numb these feelings."

"It sounds like you're depressed, and you don't know how to deal with your emotions and thoughts," Mighty observed. "You need to talk to someone, man. You need help."

Manic raised a brow. "What like therapy? That's gnarly, dude. Bikers don't talk about our feelings and shit," he scoffed in disgust.

Mighty rose to his feet. "Maybe not, but we don't have to hold onto that stigma. Times are changing." He extended his hand to the green hedgehog, and Manic placed his hand in his, allowing the armadillo to pull him to his feet.

Manic shrugged again. "If you say so, my dude."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm booking you an appointment, you hear?"

"Why do you totally remind me of my mom right now?" he groaned. "Lame."

Mighty smiled pleasantly. "I'm looking out for you. You're my brother."

AN: Please remember to leave a review, comment, thought, or prediction!

Chapter 33: Operation: Breakup

Summary:

Amy is starting to feel the strain in her relationship as a month has passed. Shadow is finding it challenging to continue to put the strain and distance between Amy and himself but knows it's for the best. Detective Vector keeps looking into the murder of his comrade and partner. Meanwhile, a familiar face shows up again at the compound.

Notes:

Author's note: First, I apologize for the long-delayed update. I work in education and was promoted to a team leader in my sector. We were getting audited, so the first three months were very chaotic and busy. On top of that, I'm working on finishing my Masters degree, which is taking up a lot of valuable time. I tried to pre-write as many chapters as possible before starting work up again near the end of August, but I slacked on achieving that. I usually have several pre-written chapters ahead of me, but I only have one more pre-written chapter right now. At some point, there will be a long delay again because I won't have any more chapters pre-written. I hope you all can be patient with me. I hope the Thanksgiving/Christmas break will allow me to work on chapters again. I promise I will finish this story!

A month had passed since Amy returned to Tech City, and she stayed in touch with Shadow over the phone or through text messages. However, as the weeks went on, Amy noticed that the frequency of communication began to dwindle. The couple made sure to Facetime at least three times a week, but now it had gone down to one time a week if she was lucky. They still texted, but it was more sporadic as Shadow wasn't always as good at responding promptly. Amy had been busy with rehabilitation for her injury, so she hadn't felt the apparent strain in her relationship until she was home when the loneliness finally hit her. She was no longer wearing a cast but still had to wear some bandages for her stitches.

One evening downstairs, Amy was in the kitchen trying to feed her baby cousin Jon. She had been helping around the house with menial chores to keep her mind busy. She sat at the table attempting to feed Jon a spoonful of yams and peas, but the infant was difficult as usual. "Come on, Jon. You like yams," Amy cooed. Jon whined and slapped his hands down onto the tray attached to his booster seat. He turned his head to his side to avoid the spoon coming in his direction.

Mari-Ann stood at the sink and hand-washed some dishes, smiling to herself and listening to Amy attempt to feed her baby cousin. "He's quite fussy, isn't he?"

Amy sighed in defeat and leaned back in her chair. "I don't know how you get him to eat. He makes feeding time so difficult."

Mari-Ann finished drying a plate and set it on the drying rack. "Eventually, he always comes around." Amy noticed her phone screen light up on the kitchen table and felt her heart skip a beat. She lowered the spoon with mushy food onto the table and grabbed her phone. Mari-Ann glanced over her shoulder momentarily, only to see Amy frowning as she looked down at her screen. "Something wrong, dear?"

The pink hedgehog placed her phone back down. "I thought Shadow texted me, but as it turns out, it was just one of my apps updating."

"I haven't heard you and Shadow talking over the phone much late at night," Mari-Ann noted. "Did you two have a fight or something?"

Amy shook her head solemnly. "Not at all. Recently, it's been hard for me to contact him. He always seems too busy or exhausted to talk to me. He's said it's because our schedules are opposite, but I-" she faltered. "…Never mind."

"Well, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?" Mari-Ann quoted, hoping to bring up her spirits. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Honey, and I'm sure he misses you dearly. Despite what Rob says about him, he seems nice. At any rate, when he has more free time, he'll contact you."

"Yeah," Amy sighed. "You're probably right."

"Also, with his…erm, line of business, I can only imagine him being quite busy," the female echidna added.

"—I'm not sure about that," another voice interjected.

Amy and Mari-Ann turned to look at the kitchen entrance, only to spot Rob' O lingering there. He had just gotten back after finishing work.

"And what makes you say that?" Amy challenged, looking at her cousin.

"Look, the guy is still young, good-looking, and has a bad-boy mystery attitude. With the crowd he runs with, I'm sure plenty of beautiful girls are hanging around eager to get his attention," he shrugged as he walked over to the fridge and opened it up. "And I'm sure it gets very lonely now that you're not around, but he has other options available."

Mari-Ann tensed up as she sensed where this was going. She frowned and shook her head in disapproval. "Rob…" she said with a tone, warning him to stop.

Amy narrowed her brows at the teal-colored hedgehog. "Are you suggesting Shadow may be cheating on me since I'm not around anymore?"

Rob pulled out a beer and cracked it open. "Rosy, an older cousin, knows best. I'm a male myself, and I can sense it. The guy is bad news. He's going to hurt you," he warned. "You give him too much credit, but remember he's a criminal with a record."

Amy rose from her seat and glared at him. "How dare you say that. You have no idea how much we are in love. Shadow would never betray me like that! He may have a murky past, but you don't even know him."

Rob returned to the kitchen table with his beer in hand. "Come on, cousin. The guy has been blowing you off with these flimsy excuses for weeks. You're telling me he can't find any time in the day to call or text you back?" he shot back. "If he truly loved you, he'd find a moment."

Amy snatched her phone off the table and stormed off upstairs. She didn't have to listen to this—even if some of his points made sense. "Shut up! You have no idea what you are talking about."

Mari-Ann cringed as she heard Amy's bedroom door slam shut upstairs. "This is giving me déjà vu all over again with her when she was a teenager."

Rob rolled his eyes and took a sip of his beer. "And she's acting just as naïve as she was back then."

Mari-Ann frowned in disappointment at her husband. "Why did you say all those things to her? That's not going to help how she's feeling. She's in a very delicate state right now, Honey."

Rob remained stoic in expression as he sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. "She needs to know the truth, Mari. The guy is dangerous, and I'll be damned if he hurts her."

Suddenly, Jon smashed his hand on the side of the spoon Amy had left on the table. The mushy yam and pea concoction landed on the right side of Rob's face and smeared downward. Jon laughed and clapped his hands giddily at the result.

Rob shot his son a deadpan expression, and Mari-Ann stifled a laugh. "You deserved that, you know. Karma is never too far behind."

The teal hedgehog reached for a napkin on the kitchen table and wiped the mess from his face. "Maybe, but at the end of the day, I know I'm right."

•~•

Back upstairs, Amy paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying to blow off steam. She fumed and wanted to punch Rob's face for talking down on her boyfriend. Her fists were balled up at her side, practically shaking. "The nerve of him...and to think he'd—Ugh!"

Amy looked at her reflection in her standing mirror in the corner of the room as Rob's words plagued her mind.

"I'm sure plenty of beautiful girls are hanging around. I'm sure it gets very lonely for him sometimes."

Would Shadow honestly be tempted now that she wasn't as present in his life? Amy huffed in frustration and shook her head, trying to expel the thoughts from her mind. She had already had this uncomfortable conversation with Shadow in the past, and he had sworn to her that he would never stray from their relationship, and she believed him. Amy walked over to her bed and lay down as she began to skim through her phone. She went onto a popular social media app where users could post pictures and videos of their daily lives. She glanced at some of the photos on her feed of Mighty, Manic, and Knuckles they had posted from last night. Shadow wasn't into social media, but he did tend to appear in some of their photos or videos, but usually not as the primary focus.

Her fingers flipped through Mighty's page, where he updated his profile daily. In the last couple of weeks, it seemed like there were a lot of social gatherings for both charters. As she flipped through some of the images, she started to search for Shadow lingering in the background of any photos. Her finger hovered over one image before she enlarged it. She could see Shadow kicked back on the couch surrounded by a couple of the escort girls from the other charter, one of whom was Honey the Cat, who was always up for a good time with any of the boys. Shadow had a beer in one hand as Honey was cuddled up close to him, and he seemed to be smiling at her in the image. Amy felt her heart drop as her concerns grew.

Amy flipped through more pictures on Manic's profile and spotted a video clip from that social gathering. In the background video of Manic playing beer pong, she could see Shadow assisting Shade, the echidna, with properly holding the pool stick. He stood behind her, showing her where to place her hands on the wooden stick before leaning over her shoulder, practically resting his face in the crook of her neck only to see him whisper something into her ear, which made her laugh and blush.

Finally, in another video from a few days ago, she saw Shadow sitting at the bar downstairs in the basement, sitting next to none other than Lien-Da! The two were doing shots together. She watched in the video as Shadow clinked his glass with Lien before they both threw back three different shots together. Lien laughed in the video and placed her hand on Shadow's arm in a sensual manner.

Amy swallowed the lump in her throat. "You're just paranoid…he wouldn't," she told herself. "You're just overanalyzing everything."

•~•

In Mercia, Mephiles was busy filing away some paperwork in his office. He heard a knock on his open door and turned to look and see who was knocking. A large green crocodile stood in his doorway. "Detective, lovely to see you. It's been a while."

Vector kept a neutral expression "Mind if I come in?"

Mephiles sensed his shortness in tone. "Of course." He gestured to one of the empty seats in front of his desk. "Take a seat."

"Thanks." Vector came into his office and shut the door behind him.

Mephiles sunk into his seat behind his desk. "How have you been since…Espio's passing?" he inquired cautiously, trying to feign empathy.

"I'm dealing with it the best I can," Vector admitted truthfully. "You know, the two of us went to high school and graduated from the police force together. He was my brother. It's been tough doing this without him."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be to endure such a loss."

He sighed. "Yeah, but I keep pushing through."

"Do you have a new partner yet?" the president questioned.

Vector shook his head sadly. "Not yet. The deputy keeps pushing suggested people my way, but I keep telling him I'm not ready yet."

Mephiles intertwined his fingers together. "Time heals all wounds, but what brings you here today, detective?

"Well, it's actually about Esp," he began. "You don't know this, but I'm still investigating his death."

Mephiles looked confused. "I don't understand. He died in the attack. What more is there to investigate? Starline's people were responsible for it."

"According to evidence, he didn't die in the attack. He was killed before the assault."

Mephiles did his best to change his expression. He couldn't allow him to become suspicious.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Well…" he began carefully. "I believe someone within the two charters is responsible for killing him."

"But who would want to hurt Espio? He was an asset to our club. You two have gone leaps and bounds to keep our names out of other detectives' mouths."

"Yeah, I keep wondering the same thing."

"Detective, please. I want to help you," Mephiles feigned concern. "What can I do to assist you?"

"Right now, nothing," he replied. "Currently, everyone within the two charters is a suspect. That's why I also came to let you know I can't be your ears and eyes back at the station. Our partnership must be on hold until I can find the culprit."

"Oh, that's a shame…but I understand," the dark president nodded.

Vector reached out and shook his hand. "I promised Espio at his grave that I wasn't going to rest until I bring this son of a bitch to justice," he stated while staring into Mephiles' eyes sternly. "That's a promise I'll keep."

Mephiles kept his expression neutral as the two departed their handshake. He watched the crocodile stroll out of his office. There was no doubt that Vector suspected he had been involved in his death. The only question was, could he prove that he was involved?

•~•

That evening, in the compound, Manic and Shadow sat in the living room together. Shadow watched T.V. in one of the chairs while Manic lounged on the sofa, cruising through his phone. Mighty had been forcing him to go to therapy for a couple of weeks, and it had somewhat helped, but he was still cautious around his therapist. However, venting and having a professional give him suggestions felt nice.

Shadow felt his phone vibrate and glanced at the screen, praying it wasn't Amy. It was getting harder and harder to avoid contacting her. Thankfully, it wasn't his pink girlfriend but her older cousin Rob. His red eyes read the incoming text from him. "Had a blow-up with Amy this evening over you. I planted more seeds about infidelity. I think she's starting to consider it more. Just a heads-up. She's upset with you for not communicating more."

Shadow's fingers began to type a response back. "Thanks for the update. I'll keep up my part, and let me know of any new developments," he replied.

"Got it," Rob responded quickly with a thumbs-up emoji.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and Shadow and Manic glanced over to the front door. "I've got it," the green hedgehog announced. Manic hopped up, strolled over to the door, and opened it. His eyes widened in surprise as he spotted a familiar face on their front porch. "Hey…don't I know you?"

Shadow couldn't see who was at the door, but his ears perked with intrigue as he heard Manic's comment.

A yellow female mongoose with vibrant purple hair smiled awkwardly on the other side of the door. She had a backpack on her back as she stood there. "Yes, but I don't blame you if you don't remember my name. It was several months ago when we last saw each other."

She was wearing a black leather mini skirt with black fishnets, a crop top t-shirt with a rock band emblem, and had on some gothic-looking makeup. She also wore some black boot heels with silver buckles. She looked somewhat familiar but also different from what he last remembered. "What's your name again?" he probed awkwardly while scratching the side of his head. How embarrassing for him not to remember.

She giggled and offered out her hand for him to shake formally. "It's Mina."

Manic shook her hand formally as he dug through his memories. "Damn it. Sorry, this is super awkward, but…did I bang you or something in the past?"

They stopped their handshake, and she shook her head. "No, not you, exactly…"

Suddenly, Mephiles appeared behind Manic as he came downstairs. "Mina?" he inquired in startlement. He hadn't expected to see the girl ever again. Shadow stared at his older brother as he walked towards the front door and past the living room.

"Oh, there you are, Mephiles. I've been looking for you," Mina smiled.

Manic glanced over his shoulder at the president. "Whoa, hold on. You know this chick?"

Mephiles approached the door. "Yes, don't you recall? I picked her up at a gas station when we were heading to the Southside Charter to stash our…ahem," he hesitated to say any more information in front of the girl. Eavesdropping on their conversation from the living room, Shadow shook his head in disgust as he quickly realized this was just one of his brother's conquests coming back for more.

The green hedgehog scratched the back of his neck. His short-term memory was to blame. "Oh, right," Manic realized.

"Come inside," he offered, allowing the girl inside. Manic moved to the side as she was allowed in before closing the front door. The president placed an arm over her shoulder and guided her into the living room. Manic followed behind them. "This is my younger brother Shadow," Mephiles introduced.

Shadow glanced up from watching television to look at the girl. She was surprisingly cute and looked young, perhaps around eighteen or nineteen. The ebony hedgehog outstretched his arm and gave her a courteous handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mina," he said with a dull tone.

Mina couldn't help but find his younger brother just as attractive, if not more handsome and alluring. He epitomized tall, dark, and handsome—not to mention mysterious. Her eyelids lowered sensually, and she smiled sweetly at him. "Nice to meet you too, Shadow."

Shadow recognized the look she gave him and looked away, not interested in the least. However, Mephiles also picked up on the look she gave his younger brother and felt jealousy boil over. Why did all the females fancy his more youthful brother over him? He cleared his throat, segueing the conversation. "So, what are you doing here, beautiful? How did you manage to find us?" Mephiles ushered her over to a sofa for her to sit, and Manic plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Oh, I was heading through Mercia and saw one of your guys driving through town. I asked them where you were located, and they pointed me in this direction," she explained.

"I see," Mephiles responded. "And what exactly brought you here?"

"Well," she began. "I was hoping that I could find shelter and work possibly through you or your other charter?"

Mephiles raised a brow as she eyed her up and down. "I was under the assumption you weren't a fan of what you saw with our two clubs that day," he speculated.

"I'm not a fan of violence, but I did talk to Misty-Re at the other charter, and she told me about some of the pros of working for the club as a female. I figured it was worth a shot at this point. I'm in a bit of a bind here…"

Mephiles listened to her reasoning before another thought crossed his mind. "Not to sound rude, but what happened to your boyfriend? He didn't seem too fond of us the last time we met."

"Oh, Ash?" She blinked a few times. "He's in jail for aggravated assault, and both of us were vagabonds for the past two years. I don't have anywhere else to go and need money."

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. "Hmm, a job, you say?"

Mina cupped her hands together. "Please, I'll cook, clean, bartend, anything!"

Mephiles' eyes sparkled as a particular line left her mouth. A devilish smirk grazed his face, and his eyelids lowered sensually. "Anything?" he repeated with intrigue.

Shadow stared at his older brother curiously, eager to see his decision. The girl seemed desperate to be employed, but he wondered if she meant it when she said she'd do anything for sanctuary and income.

Mina gulped and nodded slowly, understanding what Mephiles had meant when he repeated anything. "Yes, anything," she confirmed confidently.

Mephiles outstretched his hand for her to take. "I believe I have the perfect position for you then, my dear. Follow me to my office so I can go into more detail about the job requirements."

Mina placed her right hand into his, stood up, and put on her best smile. "Great."

Manic and Shadow watched as the dark hedgehog led the naïve girl out of the house and over to his office in the mechanic shop. "What kind of job do you think he's gonna offer her?" the green hedgehog asked.

Shadow sighed and shook his head. "Use your imagination, Manic," he droned. "It's my brother, after all."

•~•

In Mephiles' office, the dark president had placed the mongoose in the perfect position—on her back across his desk as he pounded himself into her. Still dressed from the waist up, Mina gasped and moaned as Mephiles fucked her on his desk. He had his pants down to his ankles, his hands hooked under her knees, pushing her legs towards her chest to get the perfect angle. Mina was incredibly flexible and up for anything. "Oh, yes, right there," she moaned.

Mephiles smiled darkly as he continued to pump himself in and out of her slit. He was always up for a good fuck, so having Mina available and willing was a delight in his book. "Did you miss me?" he panted as his hips slammed into her groin.

"Ah, yes," she moaned. Mina whimpered in pleasure, feeling her body's sensitivity heighten. Mephiles was hitting just the right spot, as she could feel her climax building. An intense heat was growing in her loins. "I've been so horny since Ash went away," she gasped.

His eyes traced down to her crotch, where he watched his dick appear and disappear between her wet folds as he thrust in and out of her. "I can tell. Your pussy feels incredible—it's so swollen and hot," he raved, upping his pace more.

Mina cried out as the pleasure became even more unbearable. It was like sharp electricity that felt painful yet good simultaneously. "Aaah. Harder!"

He smirked down at her watching her tiny tits bounce around in her shirt. "You love my cock, don't you?"

"Y-yes," she stammered. "F-feels good."

Mephiles loved the ego boost she was giving him as he fucked her. It made him feel empowered and even harder. He quickened his pace for her. "I love the way your pussy squeezes me. You're a dirty little girl coming all this way for my cock," he panted, and he continued to pound into her.

Mina closed her eyes and turned her head to the side, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. His dirty talk was something else. "Faster, I'm so close," she whined.

He felt her muscles squeeze him and went quicker, eliciting another satisfied moan and whimper. He could feel her muscles beginning to tighten even more around him. "Fucking hell."

Mina grasped the edge of the desk and arched her back as she felt herself climaxing. "Oh, I-I'm," she couldn't even finish her words. "Aaah, ahh."

Mephiles felt his breath hitch as he felt her vaginal walls constricting around his dick. Her pussy felt like a vice, sucking him further inside her with no remorse. He knew she was cumming, and soon could no longer hold in his climax. Her walls would drain him dry. "Fuck," he moaned. His strides slowed, and his dick remained inside her as he poured his seed into her womb.

Mina felt her chest rise and fall as she caught her breath, and his warm ejaculation filled her. Thankfully, she was on the pill, so she didn't have to worry about unwanted pregnancies. Mephiles released his hold from pushing her legs back, allowing them to fall gently on either side of his hips. A few seconds later, he pulled out of her, leaving a pool of semen to secrete from her cavern and onto his desk. She slowly sat up and watched as he cleaned himself up and pulled up his pants. "How was it then?" she panted, trying to catch her breath.

He grinned roguishly at her, still on his high. "Fucking fantastic."

She ran a hand through her tangled purple locks. "So, do I get the position then?"

He grabbed a tissue from a box off a shelf and cleaned up the semen spill between her legs and his desk. She blushed at his gesture as Mephiles threw away the dirty tissues into the garbage bin by his desk. He bent down, grabbed her panties off the floor with her mini skirt, and returned them to her. "Of course, you passed my appraisal with flying colors."

She accepted the clothing, hopped off the desk, and redressed herself. "Great, so what are the requirements for this job?"

"You're going to be a sweet butt for the compound, and you'll help with some packing distribution with some of the other escorts during the day," he explained.

"Huh, a sweet butt?" Mina inquired. "What's that?"

"In essence, you'll hang around the compound to be available for any of my gentlemen if they so please, which includes me as well," he elaborated with a sly grin. "My boys need to blow off some steam occasionally."

She frowned slightly. "Oh, I see…"

Mephiles raised a brow at her reaction. "What does that response imply?"

She nodded apprehensively while tucking some of her hair behind her left shoulder. "Oh, I'm surprised you wanna share me with the other guys."

"I'm not that territorial," he chuckled in amusement. "I have no issue sharing females whom I've bedded. However, if you were my old lady, that'd be another thing."

She finished adjusting her skirt. "All right then, where do you want me to crash tonight?"

He approached his office door and opened it up for her, allowing her out first. "There's a spare bedroom available, but it'll need to be cleaned. In the meantime, you can spend the night in my room," he suggested. She stepped outside his office, and he followed closely behind her. "Allow me to show you."

The president allowed her to link arms with him as the two strolled out of the mechanic shop together. Mighty, Knuckles and Gadget returned to the compound on their motorcycles just as they spotted the dark hedgehog with the purple-haired mongoose. Mighty removed his helmet and eyed the two as they re-entered the house. "Yo, who's the new chick?"

Gadget adjusted his glasses to get a better look at her but came out short with an idea. "I do not recall seeing her before," he answered.

Knuckles got off his bike. "I think I've seen that girl somewhere before," Knuckles noted as he stroked his chin in thought. "Maybe she worked at Finitevus' place," he wondered.

Just then, Manic came outside for a smoke as the three strolled to the front porch for a quick smoke. "Hey guys!" he waved.

"Hey, buddy," Mighty waved back as they got closer. "Yo, who's that little snack that just walked indoors?" he inquired curiously.

"That's Mina. She'll be working around here now that Mephiles hired her for something," he shrugged indifferently.

Knuckles placed a hand on his hip. "Do I know her from somewhere? She seems familiar."

Manic nodded. "Yeah, she's that chick that Mephiles picked up six months ago when we were stashing our inventory at the Southside charter," he reminded.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Knuckles remembered. "She had the asshole boyfriend posing on Mephiles' bike."

Manic cracked a grin and chuckled. "Yeah, man, that's the one."

"But wait, what's with her new look?" Knuckles continued to question as he studied her from afar. "I don't remember her looking all emo-edgy before?"

"Identity crisis?" Manic surmised with a shrug.

"I don't know how she looked before, but I like what I see now." Mighty rubbed his hands eagerly together. "Is she single then or what?"

Manic fumbled in his jacket pockets, looking for his lighter. "Bro, I wouldn't get too excited. I think Mephiles already has dibs on her. He's already hooked up with her again since she's gotten here."

Mighty blinked in surprise. "Hold up, Mephiles was able to pull a beauty like that? And twice?" he gestured. "I mean, I didn't see her from the front, but I can only imagine she must be pretty cute from what I saw from the backside."

Manic shrugged indifferently as he pulled out a cigarette. "Meh, she seems like a groupie to me, so nothing I'd get too hot about. Besides, if she willingly hooks up with Mephiles, what does that say about her?"

"True," Knuckles concurred. Suddenly, the echidna felt his pocket vibrating, pulled out his cell phone, and glanced at the screen: Wifey was calling him. "Shoot, I'll see you guys later. Rouge is calling for our weekly check-in. Night!" he excused himself as he answered the phone and headed indoors.

•~•

It was close to 8 p.m., and Shadow was smoking a cigarette on the front porch. He blew out his smoke into the crisp air as he relaxed. Mephiles opened the door and joined him. His ruby eyes glanced over at his brother. "Hey," Shadow acknowledged before taking another drag.

"Evening," his brother replied before standing beside him and leaning his bent arms over the wooden railing on the front porch. "Mind if I bum one off of you?"

Shadow shook his head and handed him his box of cigarettes. Mephiles gladly accepted and took a cigarette from the pack. Shadow pulled out his lighter and lit him up. His brother took a long drag and exhaled his smoke. "Lovely…"

"I haven't seen you smoke in a while," Shadow noted.

"Well, I just finished having sex with Mina, and it warranted an after-fuck smoke," he chuckled. Shadow shook his head at his comment. "Now that she's with us, I need to find her a room to stay in."

"Let her have Rose's room," Shadow suggested indifferently.

Mephiles shot his brother an odd look, surprised by the sudden offer. "That's very kind of you, but I assumed you would want to keep that off-limit for when she returns."

"I don't plan on having her return," Shadow stated calmly.

Mephiles looked at his brother, even more confused. "My apologies, but you'll have to catch me up, dear brother. I thought you were quite smitten with Ms. Rose. Did something happen?"

"Things have changed," he began. "I decided to follow through with that suggestion you proposed back at the hospital," he explained. "You're right. This place is not fit for her. That's why I'm going to break up with her."

"Really?" Mephiles looked floored by the news but had to contain his excitement. He couldn't allow his brother to see how overjoyed he was with his decision. If he could get Amy entirely out of the picture without having to kill her, it would be his best option. "Hold on, you haven't broken up with her yet?"

Shadow flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the dirt. "Not yet. I've been working on putting distance between us for the past couple of weeks."

Mephiles stroked his chin in thought. "Now that you mention it, I haven't heard you talking to her over the phone for hours like a damn giddy, love-struck teenager," he noted.

Shadow frowned. "It's been hard, but it's for the best."

"You're doing the right thing, you know. What will you do if she shows up here again after you've broken up?"

"I expect her not to stay long when she catches me with another female."

"I'm quite surprised. This seems out of character for you. I never expected to hear you suggest such a cruel plan."

His eyes drifted to the side. "I realize that, but she can't stay here."

"You know what would really set her off is her catching you with Lien-Da," Mephiles suggested with a knowing smirk. "She'd be crushed…"

Shadow looked subdued in expression as he marinated on his suggestion. "Yeah…but that's the plan," he said before he walked off the porch and headed indoors.

•~•

At that same time, back in Tech City, Amy stood in front of her mirror in a pink robe before unraveling the sash only to reveal a matching red lacy lingerie set. She lowered the robe so it rested where her arms bent as she twirled in the mirror, catching her body in different angles. She had to admit that she looked rather fetching and enticing in her seductive lingerie. She thanked Rouge internally for forcing her to buy that matching set, as Rouge had told her a girl should always have a couple of sexy lingerie sets for emergencies.

She snapped some risqué pictures of herself posing in the mirror that she knew Shadow couldn't ignore.

•~•

Later that night, Shadow went downstairs to the basement. He sat at the bar with a glass of whiskey to unwind for the night until he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his jacket and noticed three new messages from Amy. His eyes read the first text: "Missing your princess?" with two images attached underneath.

He scrolled down and felt his heart race as he stared at the first image Amy had sent him. It was just a simple picture of her standing in front of the mirror from the neck down in her red lingerie. He stared hard at the first image, taking in every lovely curve of her body tightly hugged by the lacy fabric. His eyes traced the high V-cut panties that barely kept the mind from imagination.

His face grew red. "Fuck Amy…" he whispered before clicking on the following image.

The following image was Amy sitting on a bathroom counter, looking over her shoulder with a snapshot of her lower backside on display. His eyes traced down her exposed back before landing on her perky ass, where he stared at the thong lace fabric riding up between her plump pink cheeks. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he felt a stirring in his pants. The images utterly turned him on. His fingers danced over the keyboard as he furiously texted back his response; however, mid-sentence of his text, he halted his fingers as it dawned on him what he was about to do. He couldn't lead her on. He may have been slightly drunk, but he knew he had to continue with the distancing aspect. He lowered his phone in his lap, sighed, and deleted the message he was about to send her.

•~•

Meanwhile, in Tech City, Amy eagerly awaited Shadow's response. She figured there was no way he would ignore a text message like this, and she was guaranteed a response or even a call. Perhaps they'd even have phone sex tonight. Her eyes lit up with hope as she lay in bed looking at the screen. She saw the three dots on her screen, indicating that he was writing back. "Got you…" she smiled victoriously. However, the three dots suddenly disappeared on her end. A message appeared under the images: "Seen by the user."

Her brows furrowed in disappointment. "Are you kidding me?" Amy pressed the call button and waited for Shadow to pick up. The phone continued to ring and ring. "I know you're there…pick up!"

•~•

Shadow stared at his phone as Amy's name flashed across his screen for an incoming call. "I can't…I'm sorry," he mumbled. He downed the rest of his fourth drink and placed the glass down before ignoring her call. He sighed and pinched the skin between his eyes in frustration.

He opened one of the sexy pictures she had sent him and looked at it again. Studying it, he felt hot all over, not to mention incredibly horny. He imagined having her underneath him, entirely submissive to his touch. He envisioned rolling his hips into hers, eliciting soft, erotic moans from her slightly parted lips. He could practically smell the pheromones she gave off as he made love to her in his imagined scenario. "Rose…" Shadow dragged a hand down his face as he shuddered, trying to ween off the excitement before he impulsively called her up. "You're going to be the death of me, I swear," he mumbled to himself.

•~•

Covered up with her robe, Amy sat on the window alcove with her face buried in her arms as she sobbed silently. She knew Shadow was lying to her. Their relationship had a palpable strain, and she knew something felt off. Amy heard a faint knock on her door and tried to fix her troubled appearance. "Oh, um, one minute," she said, wiping at her tear-streaked face.

The door cracked open, and Rob' O popped his head in meekly. "Sorry for coming in so suddenly," he apologized. "I wanted to come up here and apologize personally for what I said downstairs earlier this morning," Amy tried to keep her face turned away from him and looked out the window so he couldn't see her devastated expression and that she'd been previously crying. Unfortunately, the teal-colored hedgehog picked up her demeanor and could tell she was distressed. "Cousin, have you been…crying?" he asked tenderly.

Amy shook her head and wiped at her nose again. "N-no, not at all," she lied.

Rob tilted his head and walked further into the room only to catch sight of her side profile. He could see then that her eyes were visibly red and puffy from crying. She looked like hell. "Chaos, what happened?"

"Well, first of all," she started. "You shouldn't have to apologize. I think you may be right after all," she confirmed."

Rob took a seat by her in the window nook. "What are you talking about?"

She rubbed at her right eye. "You know I've been in denial for a while now. I was praying it was just some minor hiccup and would resolve itself, but it hasn't," she explained. "I think Shadow may be cheating on me after all."

Rob frowned, hearing her worries and concerns. He played up and feigned his innocence of being a part of Operation: Breakup. "I'm sorry, Amy. There's a reason I didn't want to sugarcoat it. However, I could have delivered it better, I suppose," he admitted delicately.

Amy finally turned to look at her cousin. "Something is wrong…I need to know what's happening, but I want to talk to Shadow face-to-face. It's the only way to get the truth out of him now. Does he still want to be with me or not?"

Rob shook his head adamantly, disagreeing with her idea. "Rosy, no. You don't need to subject yourself to that," he assured. "If your gut tells you something, stick with your instincts. Facing him and hearing the 'truth' will only hurt you more than necessary. To me, it sounds like you guys are done."

Amy's ears pinned back. "But Rob, I love him. This relationship is worth fighting for, and if this truly is the end of us, then I need closure," she argued. "I don't want it to be but…"

Rob watched as hot tears streamed down her face at the thought of them being finished. She broke down again and flung herself into his arms as he consoled her. He frowned again as he held her in his arms. "He's hurting you enough as it is, cousin. Let him go and move on. Let your heart heal," he urged softly.

"I-I can't…" she croaked.

He rubbed her back reassuringly, scooped her into his arms, and carried her over to her bed. It was late anyway, and he lowered her gently into her bed. "Try to sleep on your decision, cousin." Amy rested her head on one of her pillows as her older cousin pulled down the sheets over her body. "With a fresh mind tomorrow, you'll better understand your decision," he continued. "I know you'll make the right choice." She watched as he walked back over to her door. "Now, try to get some sleep."

•~•

The next day, Amy went to another rehabilitation session to work on her shoulder the following day. As she exited another session and still feeling down, she decided to call Rouge up for advice. She had thought long and hard about her decision, but she needed girl advice and fast. The pink hedgehog placed in wireless earbuds and called up the white bat on Facetime.

Rouge smiled as she spotted Amy on her screen. She was in her bedroom putting on makeup as her phone was propped up against her mirror. "Hey there!" she waved.

Amy sat at a lone bus stop, waiting to be picked up. "Hey, Rouge."

Rouge began to twist up a bright shade of red lipstick. "So, what's up? How's your time been in Tech City?"

Amy sighed. "Not good nor bad," she answered. "It's been fine so far; I'm just feeling homesick."

Rouge frowned at her comment as she finished applying her lipstick. "Aww, that sucks. I know how you feel, though. It's hard being away from loved ones. Don't get me wrong, I love my folks, but Knuckles and everyone else is just as much of my family."

"Speaking of Knuckles, how are you two doing being apart?"

Rouge patted on some blush with a brush. "Well, it's hard, but so far, we're great. He's dropped by a couple of times at my parent's house to see me," she smiled lovingly.

Her heart sank at the comment. If only Shadow could be so kind. "Boy, that's lucky for you…"

Rouge's ears twitched at her tone suddenly becoming melancholy. "Hey, you, okay?"

"It's why I called, actually," she continued. I think Shadow and I are having problems."

"Such as?" Rouge probed, unscrewing her mascara wand.

She groaned in frustration. "He doesn't talk to me anymore. He's always too busy."

"What?" Rouge squawked. "That's ridiculous, Honey. Just how often have you guys been in communication this month?"

Amy thought and counted in her head. "In total, I've probably talked to him five times."

Rouge's jaw dropped at the minuscule amount. "Oh honey, that doesn't sound good. Are you two trying to keep the fire ignited, if you know what I mean?"

"How else can I keep the fire going? I've been doing what I can."

"You know, sexting, phone sex, the works!" she listed. "Knuckles and I were having phone sex once a week until he finally showed up to give it to me in person," she chuckled. "I'm also always making sure to send him a little something to remind him what he's got waiting for him," she winked.

"Chaos," Amy breathed, realizing her relationship was in trouble. "I tried to initiate the first move by sending Shadow a few pics, but he never responded."

"Hmm," Rouge hummed in thought. "Maybe your picture wasn't sending the right message. Do you mind sending it to me to look at? Maybe I can give you suggestions for ones he can't ignore."

"Sure, give me a second," Amy stated as she searched for them on her phone. She attached the two photos and sent them her way. "Here's what I sent him last night."

Rouge waited patiently until the photos appeared on her end. She opened the first one, and her eyes grew wide with approval. "Wowza, that's a gorgeous picture, Amy. Very sexy! I see you included that lingerie I forced you to buy." She clicked on the second one. "Damn, this one's giving me a boner as well. Shadow hasn't decided to swing the other way by chance, has he?" she cracked, trying to lighten the mood.

Amy shook her head with a chuckle. "Not that I'm aware of, but you truly think these were sexy enough for him? I was beginning to think they were too tame."

Rouge nodded. "Hell, yes! He should have instantly gotten hard looking at these pictures and called you up to bang you over the phone. Did you try calling him when he didn't respond?"

"Yes," she droned, "But he never picked up. It went straight to voice mail—all three calls! Rouge, I need advice. What do I do?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Amy. This doesn't sound good... If I were you, I'd randomly drop by and try to catch him off guard. What the hell is he up to that's keeping him so busy? Because Knuckles has always found time to keep in touch," she justified.

"That's what I've been thinking about doing," she confirmed. "I just wanted to know if I was being ridiculous or too obsessive."

"Not at all, Honey. You gotta get down to the bottom of this."

"Does Knuckles know anything? Like, has he said anything to you about Shadow?" Amy questioned.

Rouge shook her head. "Nothing," she stated with a hand pledged. "If he had mentioned anything, I would've told you. I promise you."

"Alright." Amy sighed, believing her. "Do you think he'll get mad if I show up? He said I'm not allowed to return until it's safe," she reminded.

Rouge scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Screw how he feels! If he had answered your phone calls or texts, you wouldn't be doing this in the first place. I say stop by for the day. You'll get your answer, perhaps a moment to talk to him face to face and get some clarity. This may be the only way if this relationship means much to you."

Amy spotted her bus pulling up to the bus stop. She stood up. "You're right, Rouge. I'm going to do it. Thank you for listening to me."

Rouge smiled. "No problem, girl. I'll always have your back."

Amy climbed aboard the bus. "Oh, and Rouge, don't let Knuckles snitch on me. I want this to be an ambush."

Rouge raised her hand in allegiance again. "My lips are sealed, sweetheart. I'm always down for girl code first."

•~•

Once she returned to Rob's house, Amy glanced at one of her suitcases in her closet. She decided she could pack a suitcase with some clothes and catch the late train to make it to Mercia early tomorrow morning.

She quickly rushed over and began to pack some essentials. She'd book the tickets later today and then sneak out that night without Rob or Mari-Ann knowing. It'd be too late when he realized she wasn't there anymore.

•~•

The following day, Mari Ann scrambled eggs at the stove. In the background, Jon sat in his highchair, cooing and playing with his sippy cup. Rob glanced at the clock on the wall as he returned from the coffee pot with a fresh cup. "Amy should've been up by now," he mumbled.

Mari-Ann glanced over her shoulder at her husband as she continued to cook. "She may have overslept. Go wake her up. Otherwise, her eggs will get cold."

Rob took a sip of his coffee and rose from his seat. "You're probably right." He walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

Once he got upstairs, he knocked twice on her door. "Rosy, it's breakfast time. Time to rise and shine." He waited a few seconds to hear her response but was silent. "All right then, I'm coming in. I hope you're decent in there." When he opened her bedroom door, he saw her empty room. Her bed had not been slept in, and her bathroom was empty. "Cousin?" he asked as he walked around her room. He spotted a letter on her pillow, walked over, and picked it up.

Mari-Ann's ears twitched when she heard someone quickly descending the staircase. She finished scraping the scrambled eggs onto a plate with her wooden spoon just as her husband entered the kitchen. His face looked panic-stricken. "Honey, what's wrong? Where's Amy?"

"She's gone," he announced. "She booked an early train ticket to return to Mercia this morning."

Mari Ann placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, dear." She watched as her husband swiped his phone off the kitchen table and grabbed his hoodie off the back of his chair. "What are you doing?"

He rushed to put his hoodie on. "I'm going to make some calls and see if I can stop her."

Mari-Ann walked over to the table with the fresh plate of scrambled eggs. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she's an adult, Rob. She can make her own decisions; we can't exactly force her to stay here. Remember, this was only a temporary thing."

Rob' O turned his back on his wife, forgetting he and Shadow had kept her out of the loop with their devised plan. She was still under the assumption that this was a temporary stay. He walked towards the kitchen's back door. "I know that love, but she's not using correct reasoning."

She sighed and shook her head. "I think you're making a big mistake. She's going to come to resent you again. You two were starting to repair that severed bond; don't go and ruin all that effort again."

"I don't plan to. She's my cousin, and I must protect her."

Mari Ann watched as Rob left hurriedly and sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Rob…"

Once outside the house, Rob quickly dialed Shadow.

•~•

It was about 7 a.m. when Shadow carelessly fumbled for his ringing phone on the end table next to his bed. Squinting, he looked at the caller's I.D. and noticed Rob's name. Shadow yawned, rolled over onto his back from lying on his stomach, and answered the call. "…Morning," he mumbled tiredly with his eyes closed.

"Thank Chaos, you picked up. I know it's early, but it's urgent."

Shadow used his free hand to rub at the sleep left in his right eye. "What could be so urgent at this hour?" he stated tiredly.

"My cousin snuck out early this morning. She's dropping in to visit you," he explained frantically.

Tensing up, Shadow suddenly sat upright in bed. He groaned in frustration. "Damn it…"

"If I had known sooner, I would have stopped her. I'm so sorry," he apologized.

Shadow swung his legs off the side of his bed and sat on the edge of his bed. "No, don't apologize," he replied. "What time did she leave?"

"A few hours ago," he replied. "She should be arriving there within the hour."

"Hm…" Shadow nodded and processed the timeframe. "Come to think of it. This might not be the worst thing to happen."

"What?" the teal hedgehog gawked on his end. "What do you mean? I thought the plan was to keep her here indefinitely?"

"It is," he agreed. "I've been ignoring her for almost a day now. I can only imagine she's not taking it well, but perhaps seeing me break her heart in person will send the message across and drive her back to Tech City," he hinted.

There was a pause as Rob' O tried to process his statement. "I don't believe I'm following you, Shadow."

"Leave it to me," Shadow replied. "We know she's already gotten the vibe that something isn't right back home. I've kept my distance, and communication has been lacking between us. We've planted plenty of seeds of doubt for her to believe we're growing apart. All she needs to see to realize it's over for her is to witness first-hand evidence of infidelity."

Rob felt his heart sink as his plan came together. "Chaos…she's going to be destroyed."

Shadow frowned on his end as his eyes drifted to the floor. "I realize that, but it's the only way to convey that our relationship is over. She's still trying to keep it alive, as I expected."

"…All right then," he replied reluctantly. "Do you want me to come down to get her?"

"Not yet," Shadow responded. "I'll keep in touch to let you know how it goes."

"Very well then. Good luck, Shadow."

"…Thanks," he replied before hanging up. He scrolled down his contacts list on his phone before stopping on the name Lien-Da. Mephiles had suggested Shadow use Lien-Da as the female he would cheat on Amy with. This would be the ultimate betrayal, especially with their history together and how Amy perceived Lien. Composing himself, he pressed the call button, put the phone to his ear, and waited.

He first heard a yawn. "…Hello?" a groggy voice replied on the other end.

"How fast could you get over here if I asked you to spend the morning with me?"

Lien-Da yawned on her end again. "What? It's early for a booty call at this time."

"My apologies. I'm horny, and you were the first to come to mind."

"Oooh," Lien practically purred on her end and sat more upright in bed. "You suddenly had a change of heart, huh? I'm not complaining, just wondering."

Shadow chuckled heartily. "What can I say? You've been on my mind a lot lately."

"My, my, but what about your little girlfriend? Won't she come after me if she catches us?"

"No need to worry about her. She's out of town and has been for a couple of weeks."

"Well, this is exciting. I'm totally down for some morning sex. I'll be over in twenty minutes, handsome. You better make this worth my while and put that dick to good use."

Shadow chuckled again on his end. "You know I will." The two hung up their phone call, and Shadow immediately pulled up Amy's sexy pictures she had sent him the other day. He laid back on his bed and began pawing at himself as he waited for Lien's arrival.
----
AN: Please remember to leave a comment/review!

Chapter 34: Infidelity

Summary:

On the way back to Mercia, Amy encounters some Suppression Squad members. Later, she returns to Mercia for an in-person conversation with Shadow, only to find him in bed with another female. Mighty tries to get the truth about Shadow's betrayal and find a way to bring the two back together.

Notes:

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry for the long delay for the next chapter. As you know, I've been busy with work and finishing my Master's degree. However, now that I'm finally on Christmas Break, I've had a chance to work on this chapter. I hope my readers continue to hang on for the ride and not ditch reading the story. I know I've got a couple of new readers who have discovered the story. Regardless, enjoy the latest chapter!

Amy was nearly fifteen minutes away from arriving at her destination. Her stomach felt like it was tossing, turning, and full of knots. She anxiously wrung her hands together in her lap as she glanced out the window while the train chugged along. "Please let this all be a big misunderstanding," she prayed internally. The truth was, she was terrified of what she'd walk into when she arrived. Shadow had been so out of character recently that she had a gut-wrenching feeling that something was happening. She hoped to resolve whatever their issues were to win him back.

Amy felt her phone ring on her lap. When she glanced at the screen, she recognized the number and rolled her eyes. Amy put it up to her ear to answer. "Yes, Rob? What now?"

"No need for the tone this early in the morning, cousin," he reprimanded. "But just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Amy shook her head in annoyance. "I thought we've been over this. I'm twenty-four years old. I'm grown, and I can make decisions by myself." She kept her voice down, not wanting the other patrons on the train to eavesdrop on her conversation.

"I understand that, but this is too fast. Shadow said you needed to stay with us until—"

"—Until it was safe again," she cut off. "I know, I know," she grumbled in irritation.

"I don't think he's going to be happy to see you show up so suddenly today," he warned.

Amy scoffed. "He'll have to deal with it. I need a serious sit-down conversation with him regarding our relationship."

She heard an audible defeated sigh on his end. "…There's no stopping you, is there?"

Amy smiled triumphantly on her end. "Nope!"

"Very well then," he said with defeat. "When do you plan to return home?"

"Once this is resolved, but more than likely tomorrow," she answered.

"At least stay in touch with us. We worry about you, you know."

Amy smiled slightly, knowing her cousin was being genuine with his statement. "I know Rob."

"Good luck, cousin."

"Thanks…" With that, she hung up her call and allowed her head to fall back against the seat's headrest.

Unbeknownst to her, two strangers watched her intently in the background. The pair had seen her hop onto the train and later realized they had recognized her elsewhere. The two Suppression members, Drago Wolf and Predator Hawk sat several seats back, keeping their distance. The train was a little full, as it was an early ride into the city, but at least ten people were on their cart. Thankfully, she hadn't spotted them when they got on the train. However, they had come aboard from a different entrance in the back.

"Why do you think his old lady is out here alone?" Predator questioned quietly.

Drago kept his hands propped behind his head, and his feet kicked up on the available seats before him. "Who knows," he shrugged. "I think it's weird that Shadow would allow his girl to travel without protection, though. It's practically asking for trouble," he grinned cunningly.

Predator leaned forward and rested his arms over the seat's headrest in front of him. "Are you thinking of nabbing her for Scourge or Starline?" he asked quietly.

"Starline would use her to send a message or for ransom," Drago explained. "Scourge would find some use for her, knowing him," he chuckled. "Regardless, I think both would be satisfied with this catch."

"It would put us in a pretty good light for promotion, too." Predator grinned, getting an adrenaline spike for their newest scheme. "What's the plan then?"

Drago gestured for him to huddle closer behind the seats so they could convene privately. The two huddled up behind the chairs and whispered their plan.

Meanwhile, upfront, Amy pulled out a pocket mirror from her bag and opened it to look at her appearance. She had put on light makeup to look her best for her spontaneous visit and wore something cute enough that Shadow would realize what he was missing while they were apart. She glanced at her face, admiring her appearance, but suddenly caught sight of two individuals sitting in the far back part of the train. She didn't recognize them as anyone she knew, but based on their demeanor in the back, she could feel their aura was off.

Feeling the train coming to a halt, she glanced out the window and realized they were pulling into Mercia's train station. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror before suddenly noticing that one of the shadier individuals was now standing with his back to her. She could see in the reflection that he was wearing a black leather jacket with the "Suppression Squad" title and logo on the back of his leather cut.

Amy gasped and felt her stomach sink. She was trapped on a train with Suppression Squad members. Did they recognize her by chance? Was she in danger? She snapped her mirror closed and quickly placed it in her backpack. If, by chance, they did know of her ties to the Brothers of Chaos, she may be in more danger than she had hoped for. She gathered her things and was determined to get off and away from them as quickly as possible.

Predator observed her impulsive behavior from behind while Drago retrieved their things from the overhead cabinets. The girl looked on edge and rather eager to get off the train. She had already gotten up and stood by the exit doors, waiting for them to open along with a few other train riders. Predator hissed slightly as he looked down at his left arm, suddenly feeling a strange pins and needles sensation in his arm. He made a fist, unclenched it, and re-clenched it a few times, hoping to eliminate the phenomenon. Drago handed the hawk his duffle bag. "Hey, you, okay?" he asked, noticing his reaction.

Predator glanced up at the white wolf and nodded, dismissing his concerns. "Yeah, I'm fine. My arm just fell asleep," he replied. The doors to the train finally opened, and Predator rose to his feet. Amy glanced in their direction but tensed up when her eyes locked with the hawk. "Crap, I think that girl may be onto us."

Drago nodded, and the two hurried down the aisle and approached the train doors. Amy had already hopped off the train and dodged her way through crowds of people on the platform, hoping to evade and lose the two. While Amy descended from the train station, Drago and Predator navigated the crowded platform, trying to keep up with her.

"She knows we're on her trail," the wolf huffed in frustration. It appeared the girl had good instincts.

The blue hawk tried to keep up but suddenly felt light-headed and nauseous. His vision was starting to darken from the outside inward. Predator stopped as he stared into space and tried to catch his breath. Drago felt his partner's presence looming behind him suddenly falter and halted his pursuit of the pink hedgehog. He craned his neck to look at his partner far behind him. "Pred! What gives?" The hawk did not respond as he continued staring into space but reached for his left arm, which felt like pins and needles again. His duffle bag hung over his shoulder, fell, and landed with a thud beside him. Some people on the platform standing nearby stared at the hawk, watching the white wolf stare and make a scene. "Hey! I'm talking to you," he yelled, trying to get his attention.

Further up the platform, Amy quickly ducked behind a large pillar and pressed her back against it. She needed to ensure she had lost them. Her heart was racing in her chest. She caught her breath as she crept around the side of the pillar, only to see the two Suppression Squad members were nowhere in sight. She breathed a sigh of relief, believing she had lost them, before hearing a male screaming for help in that general direction.

"Somebody, help! I need a doctor. Call 911!"

Amy began to turn in the direction of pleas for help but faltered. What if she accidentally ran into the two while trying to aid a civilian needing medical attention? Or, better or worse, what if it was a trap? The pink hedgehog felt a dilemma as she opted to turn and leave this ordeal for someone else to deal with.

She returned to her original path to leave the station but stopped when the voice turned more panicked. "Please, someone help me. My friend needs medical attention!"

Her medical professional instinct kicked in, and Amy rushed back down the platform toward the plea for help. As she got closer, she could see a small swarm of people had gathered around the person needing medical attention. She pushed through the crowd and spotted the blue hawk suppression member lying on his back, convulsing uncontrollably and foaming at the mouth. The other member, the large white wolf, stood near him, frantically looking for help amongst the crowd, desperate for assistance.

Amy began to back up. She couldn't help them. They were the enemy, after all. Besides, this was her perfect opportunity for a clean escape. "Please, somebody help my friend." Hearing his dismay pulled at her heartstrings. She couldn't escape a medical emergency despite knowing the dangers ahead. Exhaling a breath, Amy made her way closer. She hoped this act of kindness wouldn't bite her in the butt. "Out of my way! I'm a nurse and doctor in training!" she announced, pushing back through the crowd.

Drago turned to look at the individual coming to their aid. He looked startled as Amy approached Predator, still shaking and jerking uncontrollably. He was surprised she had willingly returned in their direction to help them. She swiftly removed her backpack, dropped to her knees, and turned the male bird onto his side. "Someone better be calling 911 right now," she ordered while she worked on aiding the hawk.

"I'm on the phone with them," a female bystander announced nearby.

"Good," Amy replied, carefully lifting Predator's head and delicately placing it on her backpack as a makeshift pillow for him to rest. She wanted to set something soft under his head to keep him from bashing it against the cement. She glared at the onlookers gathering and staring in awe at the medical spectacle. Some of them had their phones out and were recording the incident. Her brows furrowed in disgust at their lack of empathy and compassion. "Hey, back up!" she pointed. "If you're not planning on helping, get back!" she barked.

"Yo, chill out…" one of the onlookers with a phone mumbled.

Drago heard the comment and glared at the remaining spectators, who decided to continue watching as if this were entertainment. His fists balled up by his sides. "You heard her. Back the fuck up!" he snapped, baring his canines. Hearing his booming tone, the remaining passengers quickly moved on, leaving just Amy, the bystander on the phone, Drago, and Predator alone.

Drago sunk to his knees once the crowd was mostly dispersed as he remained by his friend. He stared at Predator with concern. "Don't get too close," Amy cautioned. "He needs his space until it passes. This is a tonic-clonic seizure."

Drago appeared terrified. "There's nothing else you can do to help him?"

Amy shook her head solemnly. "No, unfortunately, this is all you can do for them until it's over."

Drago stared at the bird, watching the foam in his mouth pour out the side and onto the concrete beneath him. His convulsions remained erratic and terrifying. "Will he be okay? He's not going to die from this, is he?"

Amy glanced at her phone to track the time. "He's going to be fine," she assured. "Most seizures only last a couple of minutes. His breathing is also normal, so there is nothing to worry about. Seeing this in person for the first time can be frightening."

"The ambulance has arrived," the bystander on the phone announced. "They're coming right now."

"Wonderful," Amy smiled optimistically. She looked down at the hawk and noticed his convulsions were starting to lessen. Eventually, it stopped altogether, and his breathing returned to normal, but he remained unconscious.

Drago looked at Amy, and she felt uncomfortable under his gaze. Were they still planning to do something to hurt her after this? Her eyes pulled away from looking at his.

"—We're here!" another voice announced.

The two turned to spot the paramedics arriving. They quickly took over the scene. Drago stepped back and watched as the paramedics attended to Predator. Amy stood and briefed the paramedics on what had occurred. After a few minutes, Predator was placed on a stretcher and taken to the ambulance to recover and be monitored. The paramedics had finished their report and briefing with Amy, so she lingered awkwardly. Seeing this as her opportunity to slip out, Amy began her exit.

"—Wait," another voice stopped her.

She paused mid-step and looked over her shoulder at the large, menacing wolf ascending towards her. She tensed up, preparing to defend herself if need be. Drago observed her body language and could tell she still viewed him as a threat. "Relax, I don't plan to do anything to you. I swear."

Amy relaxed her tense stance, believing him. "What do you want then?"

"You don't owe us anything and don't even know us. But still, you selflessly helped us back there." He offered her his sincerest smile, which was small, and bowed his head. "Thank you for helping us."

"You're welcome," she smiled uneasily.

His smile suddenly disappeared and turned into a more stoic expression. "I know you are linked with the Brothers of Chaos. You're the V.P.'s old lady," he admitted. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she felt her heart skip a beat. "My friend and I planned to capture you, but I can't follow through with it after receiving your compassion." Amy looked around nervously since they were still in an open public place. They still wouldn't dare to do anything, would they? Drago could sense she was still skittish around him. "Please, I promise. We don't plan to do anything to you."

She quirked a suspicious brow at him. "…How do I know you won't try it again some other time?"

"You're right," he agreed, seeing her logic. "I can't promise you that, especially if it's a direct order in the future. Today was no direct order. It was our sole decision."

Amy began to back up to depart. "Well, thanks for changing your mind, I guess—eh?" she stumbled for a name.

"It's Drago," he replied. "I'm the Suppression Squad's sergeant of arms."

"Oh, uh, I'm Amy Rose, their standby doctor," she stated.

"Yeah, I saw it firsthand today," he noted.

"Well, I need to get going now." She waved before running off. Drago watched the pink beauty scurry off before returning to assemble with his comrade and the paramedics.

•~•

Back at the M.C. compound, Shadow knelt on his bed, naked, as he pounded into Lien-Da for good old-fashioned morning sex. Lien, also completely nude, had her legs draped over his hips as Shadow's cock sheathed and unsheathed itself inside her core. Her luscious red locks cascaded out behind her on the bed as her body lurched back and forth from his powerful and rhythmic thrusts. So far, she and Shadow had fucked three times in thirty minutes, and now they were on the fourth fuck. They had done it missionary style, doggy style, and she had ridden him, but this position had to be her favorite. Lien's breath hitched as she felt her fourth orgasm looming. "Ah, ah!" she mewled as she climaxed. Shadow kept his stride going as her muscles tightly wrapped around his shaft. He winced, feeling her tightness before cumming himself.

"Fuck" He grunted and moaned before collapsing on top of her. He caught his breath, and Lien did the same as she relished in the post-coital bliss.

"Wow, you were fantastic," Lien panted with dreamy eyes as she stared at his ceiling.

Shadow lifted himself slightly to look at her beneath him. "Glad to hear it," he replied. "And thanks for this. I needed it."

Lien-Da smirked. "Seems like you had a lot of pent-up sexual release. You still have a lot of stamina in the bedroom."

"Yeah, I've still got it." He finally lifted himself completely and pulled himself out of her. He sat on the edge of his bed, took off the condom, and disposed of it in the trashcan.

Lien sat up and crawled from behind him on the bed. "I'm not complaining, just making an observation." She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and rested her muzzle on his right shoulder. "So, when was the last time you had sex, handsome?"

He remained stiff in her embrace as he cleaned himself off with a tissue he had grabbed from his bedside table. He could feel her bare breasts pressed against his back. "If you must know, about a month ago or so."

Lien looked surprised. "Really? Is your girlfriend that boring in the bedroom? Someone as sexy as you should be getting laid at least three times a week."

Shadow tossed the dirty tissue into the small trashcan nearby. He was starting to get irritated by her words, which only made him feel worse. "Well, things are kind of complicated right now."

"You poor thing, we'll just have to change that now that I'm here!" Shadow immediately pulled away from her embrace, confusing her further. "Hey? What's wrong, babe?"

"I think you're getting the wrong idea here."

She blinked in surprise. "Wrong idea about what? You're the one who initiated this."

"This is a casual thing. Sex only," he elaborated. "I don't want you getting any ideas of this becoming a serious thing. I wanted to fuck, and you were available—that's what sweet bottoms and escorts are for." He laid back on his mattress and tucked his arms behind his head.

"…Right," she nodded, sitting beside him.

"What time is it?" he questioned, shifting the awkward tone in the room.

Lien-Da glanced over to the alarm clock on his bedside table. "Almost 8:30."

"Perfect," he hummed. "Why don't you lay down with me," he instructed, patting the free side of the mattress available. Reluctantly, Lien followed as led and lay next to the black and red hedgehog. "We can cuddle for a bit."

She draped an arm over his chest, cuddled close to his side, and smiled. Shadow wrapped one arm around Lien's waist as she lay beside him. If it was 8:30, Amy was bound to arrive at the compound any minute now. He closed his eyes as he mentally prepared himself for her rude awakening. "It's the only way," he said to himself.

•~•

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, Mighty, Ray, Manic, Gadget, and Knuckles ate breakfast together. The group of boys ate in silence until Knuckles glanced at the clock on the way before looking at the empty seat across from him. He couldn't help but notice his plate of food was getting cold. "Where's Shadow? Did he oversleep?" he inquired as he took a bite of his toast.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sure he is. He had a busy day yesterday," Mighty replied.

Knuckles put down his silverware. "Should I go wake him up then?"

Manic crunched into a piece of crispy bacon and chuckled. "Dude, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Knuckles stared at the green hedgehog. "And why not?"

"Because he's currently getting laid by Lien-Da," Manic stated nonchalantly before taking another bite of his bacon.

Knuckle's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "What?!"

Even Gadget choked on his cereal from the reveal. He beat on his chest to get the food down.

Mighty turned to look at Manic. "How do you know?"

"I had to take a mondo piss this morning, and as I was passing Shadow's bedroom, I heard a girl moaning mad loud. I pressed my ear against the door and could tell it was Lien-Da in there getting her brains banged out."

"I cannot believe Shadow would do something like this to Ms. Amy," Gadget opined. "If she finds out, she'll be devastated."

"It's all my fault!" Ray finally exclaimed. "I should have said something sooner! I saw Ms. Lien arriving early this morning," he admitted. "Shadow snuck her inside and took her upstairs."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Knuckles berated.

"I-I don't know," the squirrel stammered nervously. "Shadow saw me and gave me a warning look. He pretty much said not to snitch with his look alone."

"Hey, little buddy, cool it. It's not your fault," Mighty assured.

Manic stabbed some scrambled eggs onto his fork. "That girl is nasty. She's been with practically all of us at least once or twice."

Knuckles crossed his arms defiantly and proudly. "Not me."

Manic rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever, we get it, mister goody-two-shoes. She's still a slut."

"Yo, no need for the slut-shaming, dude," Mighty corrected, shooting Manic a disappointed look.

"Sorry, man," the green hedgehog apologized.

Knuckles felt his fists tighten by his sides. "That piece of shit. I'll kill him…"

"Who's going to t-tell Amy about t-this?" Ray questioned nervously.

"No one," Manic interjected, chewing his eggs. "It's Bro-Code—Bros before hoes. We didn't see anything or hear anything," he reminded with a fork wave.

The red and black armadillo shot him a disappointed expression. "Manic, what the hell has gotten into you? This is Amy we're talking about—our friend! She deserves a little more respect than that," Mighty scolded.

"Yo, I get it, dude," he concurred. "I love Amy like my little sis, but I'm not getting involved in this couple drama. That's between the two of them," he argued. "But I mean, I gotta agree with you guys. What Shadow's doing to her is mad fucked up, but that's his decision and his mistake to make."

Mephiles walked into the kitchen, hearing all the commotion. "What's with the squabble in here?" Everyone went silent as they stared at the president. Mephiles glanced at all the boys, waiting for one of them to spill. "Well? I believe I heard my brother's name mentioned in your conversation."

"Your brother is making one of the biggest mistakes in his life. That's what the bickering is about," Knuckles piped in.

Mephiles furrowed his brows. "How exactly?"

"It's easy. Your brother hooked up with your sloppy seconds!" Manic interjected calmly.

"Why are you being so blunt today?" Mighty growled through clenched teeth.

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. "Shadow hooked up with Mina? How interesting…"

"No, not her. Lien-Da!" Knuckles corrected.

"Well, technically, she was his originally. If anything, I took his sloppy seconds, and then he took them back again," he corrected.

"Go up there and talk some sense into him," Knuckles commanded. "He's making a huge mistake!"

Mephiles walked to the coffee machine and grabbed a cup from the cupboard. "Why exactly do you believe this is a mistake? He's a hot-blooded male, and he has needs."

Knuckles stared at Mephiles in disgust. "Because he's cheating on Amy!"

Mephiles chuckled slightly. "Look, I know you don't engage in the common biker practice, but we don't view affairs with other females outside of a relationship as a done deal. If your old lady isn't around and you have needs, they can be fulfilled by another female," He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Amy's not around now. My brother has probably been lonely and just wanted some company," he shrugged innocently as he turned around to face them.

Knuckles was growing angrier by the second listening to Mephiles' justification. "He had plenty of chances to cheat on her out on the road and never took up the opportunity. Besides, Shadow and I have never believed in that biker practice."

Mephiles took a sip of his coffee. "Well, perhaps he finally changed his mind."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. "I'll get it," Gadget announced, rising from the table.

Mephiles turned to address the rest of the group. "Don't intervene with my brother's sexual escapades," he warned. "He's an adult and can make decisions by himself."

Gadget returned to the kitchen looking as pale as a ghost in expression. "Hey, guys…um, Amy's here."

The pink hedgehog walked in from behind the nervous red wolf, smiling and waving at the other boys, unaware of what was happening. "Hi, everyone."

"A-Amy? What are you doing back so soon?" Mighty panicked as he rose from his seat. "Not that we're mad to see you. It's just…uh."

Mephiles smirked and chuckled lowly at her return. He looked up at the ceiling above him and took another sip of coffee. "What perfect timing. Chaos, you do work in mysterious ways," he thought internally.

"—It's just that you surprised us!" Ray interjected, trying to help his brother out. He hopped out of his seat, ran over, and embraced her. "We've missed you so much!"

Amy smiled at the yellow squirrel, still clueless about what they had previously discussed. She returned his embrace. "Aw, you're sweet, Ray. I've missed you guys, too!"

Knuckles suddenly felt his nerves hit him as well. He did not want to see Amy getting hurt today. He rubbed his hands together nervously. "Amy, how long do you plan to stay? You know it's still not safe around here, right?"

"I know," she concurred with his second statement. "I only plan to be here for a day and then head back to Tech City. I just wanted to have a private, in-person conversation with Shadow about something…Speaking of which," she looked around at the group in the kitchen, noticing his absence. "Where is he?"

Ray stepped back from his embrace as his eyes darted back and forth. "Uh, I think he stepped out!"

Amy placed a hand on her hip. "But I saw his bike parked out front."

"—No, he's in the shower, I think," Gadget tried to interject, to stall for time.

Her ears lowered slightly, feeling something was off. "Um, okay...I'll wait in his room until he's done," she announced as she turned on her heel to exit the kitchen.

All the boys, excluding Manic and Mephiles, jumped to their feet and followed her out of the kitchen like a herd of sheep. "No!" they all shouted in unison. Mephiles continued to watch the spectacle as pure entertainment. This could not have been written better. He felt like he was watching a scripted drama live-in-action.

Amy's eyes went wide as the group of males surrounded her. "You can't go up there!" Gadget stated while adjusting his spectacles nervously.

"Yeah, h-his room is majorly m-messy. It's a pig's pen!" Ray exclaimed as he hopped up and down in front of her.

"Why don't you wait on the couch, and I'll bring him downstairs for you?" Knuckles offered eagerly.

She looked at each of them with suspicion. You could feel the tension in the air. "What's going on, guys?"

Mighty looked at her pleadingly with seriousness. "Ames, for your own good. Just don't go upstairs. Please," he emphasized.

Her heart hit her stomach as the mounted dread she had feared struck her. Her mouth went dry, and she turned to look at the staircase. They were trying to hide something from her. With an adrenaline spike, Amy made a mad dash for the stairs and swiftly bounded up them. Gadget and Ray tried to block or grab her, but she stayed out of their reach.

"Amy, wait up!" Knuckles shouted, trying to follow her. The group of males rushed after her up the stairs, staggering and stomping up them like a herd of cattle.

Once upstairs, she quickly rushed to Shadow's room and grabbed the doorknob. She threw the door open and felt her world slow down. Her eyes widened as she spotted Shadow beside a female red echidna under the sheets. What made the sight even worse was that Shadow was not fazed by her entrance as his door swung open. Instead, he casually smoked a cigarette with a neutral expression as he glanced in her direction, utterly unbothered by her unannounced presence. Amy continued to stare at the two, completely speechless.

Lien began to stir from her sleep and sat up, holding the sheets to her bare chest. "Oh, shit. Sorry, I must've dozed off there," she said tiredly. Her eyes cast toward Amy, and she gave a playful smirk. "Uh oh. Looks like we're busted."

Amy felt her heart shatter into pieces. She felt like she was about to throw up at the sight. She turned around and slammed the door shut before she allowed the two to see her cry. She bolted down the stairs, devastated by her findings.

Back in the bedroom, Shadow sighed and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray by his bedside. He knew he had broken her heart, and now the consequences were also starting to hit him. Lien watched Shadow and tried to cuddle up next to him. "She seemed pissed. A little heads up that she was coming would have been nice, though," she tsked. "I thought you said she wasn't in town."

Shadow moved away from her in disgust. The guilt of his betrayal was hitting his conscience. He felt terrible about what he had done. He closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his eyes, trying to manage the feelings of guilt and heartbreak. "…Get out," he mumbled.

Lien-Da blinked in surprise at his shift in tone. "Huh…what did you say?"

"I said get out!" he snapped more aggressively, baring his fangs. This time, Lien-Da decided to obey and got out of bed to get dressed. He placed his face in his hands and heard Lien scampering around his room, grabbing her clothes off the bedroom floor before leaving his bedroom. His hands began to shake, and he felt like he was on the verge of throwing up himself. "Shit…"

•~•

Knuckles cradled Amy in his arms on the front porch staircase as she wailed uncontrollably at what she had just seen. She was practically hyperventilating from crying so hard. "Shadow…he-he," she croaked.

He stroked the back of her head with his giant gloved hand. "I know, Amy. That fucking bastard…" he seethed.

Mighty knelt next to Knuckles, who attempted to console her. "Ames, we're here," he said softly and empathetically. "What do you need from us?"

Tears were streaming down her face as she gasped and choked back sobs. "I-I don't want to be here anymore," she sobbed. "G-get me outta h-here."

"I can take her over to Rouge's place," Knuckles suggested. "I think she needs another female's perspective on this."

"Please," Amy cried. Her grip tightened on Knuckle's shoulder as she buried her face in his chest.

"All right, Knux, take her to Rouge's place," Mighty instructed. "Gadget, go with Knuckles and help tend to Amy on the way there. Then you can come back to the compound."

Gadget nodded. "Got it."

Knuckles scooped Amy into his arms and began carrying her down the rest of the stairs. Mighty followed them down, but Amy reached out and grabbed Mighty by the collar. "Muh-mighty," she whined.

Knuckles paused momentarily to allow her to speak to him. "What, sweetheart?" he asked with sincerity.

She sniffed back snot from coming down her nose. "Please come with us," she whimpered. "I-I need you." She released her grip on him.

He shot her a weak smile. "Of course, kid. I'll swing back later. First, I gotta go deal with your boy."

"You're not going t-to hurt him? Are y-you?" she heaved.

He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "I wish, but I will try to talk some sense into him for you." He used his thumb to wipe away one of the tears dripping down her cheek. "Don't worry, kid. I'm on your side, and I've got your back," he winked. She looked touched at his words. "All right, Knux, get her outta here." Knuckles nodded and carried Amy away. From upstairs, Mina had witnessed and heard everything happen from her cracked window. She looked out the window and watched the red echidna carry the girl off. Her heart broke for the unknown female. She may not have known Amy personally, but catching the love of your life cheating on you was heartbreaking enough. Frowning at the sight, she closed the window to her room.

•~•

Sitting against his bedroom door with his knees to his chest, Shadow's eyes welled up with tears as he listened to the commotion going on in the hall. Hearing Amy in so much distress pulled at his heartstrings. This had to be one of the most difficult things he had ever intentionally done to someone he loved and cherished. Hearing her wails of pain from the staircase had almost forced his body to move on its own to console, beg for forgiveness, and apologize for everything he had done to her. However, he couldn't do that if he wanted her to be free of their relationship. The tears welling up in his eyes finally fell and poured down his face. He rubbed his left arm along his nose, which started to drench with snot.

"Rose…I'm sorry."

•~•

An hour later, after recomposing himself, Shadow entered the kitchen fully dressed, acting like nothing had happened earlier. He was cool-headed as Mighty, Manic, Ray, and Gadget stared back at him disappointedly. Mephiles, on the other hand, didn't bother to acknowledge him and read the newspaper. Gadget shook his head in disapproval.

Shadow looked around the room at the group, glaring back at him. "Well, don't you all seem peachy…" he scoffed, keeping up his façade.

"Shads, what the hell is your problem?" Mighty asked, revolted with his actions.

"For fuck's sake, don't start with me," Shadow groaned, walking to the fridge, trying to ignore their judgmental glares.

"Bro, I sure hope you wrapped your dick because that girl is a cum dumpster," Manic pointed out.

"…It wasn't right," Ray added timidly. Regardless of how he felt, he was still intimidated by the black and red hedgehog.

Shadow's hand tightened around the fridge handle. "How about you all kindly fuck off and mind your damn business," he snapped.

"Shadow, can I talk to you privately?" Mighty inquired cautiously.

Shadow closed his eyes and sighed. "No, I'm not in the mood for sermons, especially from you."

Mighty frowned. "I'm not going to back down on this one. I'll give you some time, but we'll talk later once you calm down. Mighty looked to the others. "Come on, guys," he gestured.

Manic, Mighty, and Ray began to walk out of the kitchen, leaving Shadow alone with his brother sitting at the kitchen table.

Shadow glared at his older brother, waiting for some snarky comment. He had been oddly quiet this whole time. "Don't you have something to say to me?"

Mephiles coolly raised his eyes away from the paper to look at him. "Yes, in fact, I do. I'm proud of you," he spoke calmly.

Shadow looked dumbfounded by the reveal. "What?"

"You did the right thing," he confirmed. "I know you love Amy, but this environment is not right for her. She would've gotten killed if she hung around this place any further," he shrugged. "You can't be in love when you're in an M.C. You can find comfort in casual companionship but nothing else."

"Still…" he breathed. "I feel like shit for hurting her like that. I don't like this feeling…"

Mephiles stood and approached his younger brother. "I understand, brother, but that pain will improve in time for both of you," he assured. He suddenly gave him a hug, which startled Shadow. Shadow remained stiff in the embrace as his eyes drifted downcast and his ears pinned back.

•~•

Meanwhile, at Rouge's place, Amy was curled up on her bed sobbing profusely. The poor girl cried, feeling her heartache from the sight she had seen earlier. The white bat sat behind Amy on her bed and gently caressed the back of her head, stroking her quills. Knuckles sat on the bedroom floor, his back against the wall and his knees up to his chest. He was still livid at how Shadow had handled this whole thing. Even though Rouge had never gone through something to the degree of catching Knuckles cheating, she could only imagine the pain it brought. "Do you feel ready to talk yet?" Rouge asked gently.

Amy kept her face against her arms, not wanting Rouge to see how devastated her appearance was from crying. "Not really…" she mumbled.

"Look, what Shadow did was cruel and fucked up. I've never seen him act this way before. It's not like him."

Amy lifted her head from her arms slightly and sniffed. "Then why is he doing this to me, Rouge?" she croaked.

"Not even I'm sure," she admitted.

She sat upright into a sitting position and reached for a box of tissues Rouge had on her bed. "He hasn't said anything to me. He hasn't even indicated that he wanted to end our relationship."

Rouge glanced at her husband, listening to the two. "Hon, does this make any sense from your perspective?"

"Not at all. This whole thing seems so out of the blue and out of character for Shadow. He's always been extremely loyal in his past relationships despite temptations."

Rouge leaned back against her pillows. "I agree with you, hun. Something's off…"

"Shadow has confided with me about how much he loves you, Amy," Knuckles noted. "I believe Rouge may be onto something. However, even if that's the case, what was the purpose? Was he set up to do this?"

"I still don't understand." Amy put a hand on her chest. "He broke my heart."

She put a hand over her shoulder and shot her an empathic look. "I know, hon."

"I fell in love with him," she bowed her head. "He told me he'd never disrespect me this way, and he did. I don't know if I can ever face him again."

"It'll be hard," Knuckles interrupted. "But you need to be strong and talk with him to get your answers."

•~•

Mina found Shadow out in the mechanic shop working on his bike. He was working on changing a back tire when she cleared her throat to get his attention. "Ahem, it's Shadow, right?"

Shadow was already not in the mood for more people bitching or complaining, but he could already gather that Mina had something to say. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering what all that commotion was earlier this morning. I couldn't help but hear most of it."

He looked away and grabbed another tool from his toolbox. "Sounds like you know then if you heard most of it," he dismissed coolly. "I'm sure you're clever enough to assemble the pieces."

"Was that pink hedgehog your girlfriend?" Mina inquired curiously.

"Ex-girlfriend now," he shrugged nonchalantly. "But what's it to you?"

Mina frowned, feeling guilty. "It's just…I feel so bad for her. She must be heartbroken with what you did to her this morning."

"You don't even know her," Shadow snapped. "You know, you ask many questions for a sweet bottom."

"I was just curious," she shrugged innocently. "I have a right to know what's going on around here if I'm going to live here."

"Pff, you have no right to know anything going on here. You're just a sweet bottom, and that's it," he dismissed.

She crossed her arms over her chest and furrowed her brows. "You're pretty rude and uptight, you know."

He stood up and dusted off his hands. "Yeah? Well, I'm trying to move on. You know what they say: you need someone under you to get over them. Now get lost."

Mina huffed as she turned on her heel to retreat from their conversation. "And to think I found you attractive earlier…Males are such pigs."

In the other corner of the shop, Mighty saw this as his opportunity to speak with Shadow one-on-one, regardless of whether he wanted to talk. He followed him into the waiting room area of the shop, where he found the dark hedgehog at the vending machine grabbing a soda. "Hey, Shadow," he announced from behind.

The hedgehog was in the process of bending over and grabbing his soda out of the machine. He groaned and rolled his eyes. He knew he was about to hear a lecture from the armadillo. "How many more times am I going to have to listen to you all drone on about what I did?"

"Until you finally realize what an asshole and idiot you were," he shot back courageously.

Shadow scoffed and cracked open his soda. He took a sip and began to walk away. "You don't understand my circumstances. I did what I had to do."

Mighty followed him. "Like hell, I don't!" he exclaimed. "You treated her like utter horse shit back there, and for what? I thought you loved her, man?"

Shadow placed his soda on a table, and his fists balled up by his sides. "Of course, I fucking love her!" he shouted, making Mighty wince from his intense outburst.

His expression softened on him. "Then why did you do this to her..?"

"This place is unsafe, and being tied to me only brings more threats in her direction. That attack on the bar hit too close to home. I could've…" he stopped, feeling too pained to say it aloud. "I know it didn't happen, but I refuse to risk it happening again."

"So, you'd throw away this relationship to ensure she can live a normal and peaceful life?"

Shadow nodded despondently. "Yes, because I love her too much. I'd rather her be alive and well than with me and wind up dead."

Mighty frowned as he started to understand his logic. "But why did you do her so dirty like that?"

He sunk into a seat at the table. "She was willing to fight to keep this relationship alive. You've seen her resolve. Amy would never give up on us so easily. She needed me to destroy her heart to get it through her head."

"Fuck, man...Why don't you pick up and leave this place? Take your girl and scram," Mighty suggested.

Shadow rested his arms along the table. "I established a deal between my brother and me long ago. The deal was that I helped him get everyone on board for this cartel business, and within six months, I'd be allowed to leave the club without repercussion. Knuckles would be bumped up to V.P.," he explained. "However, seeing how things are going, there's no way I'm abandoning this club with all these loose ends still in place. I can't stomach allowing everyone else to carry this burden that I helped pressure everyone into."

Mighty lowered himself into a seat across from him. "This is a lot of information you just dumped on me. It seems like you've got a lot on your plate. So, you weren't in on this cartel business in the first place?"

Shadow shook his head. "No, I never was. I was against it, but I saw an out and had tunnel vision. Getting into this business was a big fucking mistake."

"I agree," Mighty nodded slowly. "But you and Amy belong together. I know it."

Shadow nodded gravely. "I've never believed in fate or destiny," he added, "But I honestly believe Amy is my twin flame. She was put in my life for a reason. Our souls feel connected in a way I've never experienced. We've shared similar trauma and bonded over that, and I refuse to see her flame snuffed out before mine."

"Shadow, there has to be a way for us to pull out of this cartel thing…if we could just go back to selling illegal arms, Knuckles and I could handle that on our own," he wagered. "Let me help you. I want to see you both get out of this club unscathed."

Shadow rose from his seat and grabbed his soda. "It's impossible. We'd have to devise some final act of severance, but even then…Cartels have all the resources in the world to track you down."

"Give me some time, and I'll help figure out a way for all of us to get out of this deal unscathed."

Shadow let out an amused chuckle. "That's optimistic thinking, but it won't happen. Just come to accept it. We're in this for the long haul."

"That negative thinking won't get us anywhere! There has to be a way."

"It's not negative thinking—it's realistic and logical. I'm done having this conversation."

Mighty scoffed in annoyance. It was clear he wouldn't get anywhere. "Fine…"

"And one more thing," Shadow noted, causing Mighty to perk up again.

"What?"

"Don't mention this to Rose. You'll make it worse," he warned.

"You're right," he agreed. "It'll complicate things even more, so I promise I won't tell her your true intentions. However, there may be a point where you'll have to tell her the truth."

"And if that day comes, so be it."

"I'm going to find a way for the two of you to be together and get out of this hellhole, Shadow," he avowed.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it won't ever happen, Mighty. You've seen the cycle of life in this club. It doesn't have happy endings for anyone." Mighty watched as Shadow exited the room.

•~•

A little bit later, Mighty visited Amy at Rouge's house. He entered Rouge's spare bedroom, where Amy had planted herself smack in the middle of the bed. She was practically curled up into a ball, void of any emotion at this point. She had cried herself out for most of the day and felt like there were no more tears to cry. Rouge and Mighty stood in the doorway, peering into the room. "Should I still go inside?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, she's been asking for you," Rouge whispered.

"…Ames?" the armadillo called as he cautiously approached her.

He spotted her balled-up figure in the darkened room and sat down on the edge of the bed carefully. Amy could feel the weight of him beside her. Suddenly, she felt his hand rest against her upper back. "Mighty?" she whispered slowly.

She sat up and embraced the armadillo. Mighty immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, kid."

"Did you end up talking to Shadow?" she inquired as she pulled away.

He nodded hesitantly. "I did…"

"What did he say?" she inquired eagerly, hoping to get answers.

Mighty cringed internally at her inquiry. He hated the fact that he'd have to lie to her. "He did not give me any real answers, Ames. I tried to ask him why he did this, but he didn't give me much to go off of."

Her eyes began to water again. "So, he didn't tell you why he cheated on me?"

"He only mumbled that the distance between you two caused him to lose interest," he lied.

Amy placed her face in her hands. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I knew the distance would hurt our relationship. I should've come back sooner."

"Kid, don't blame yourself for this," he urged.

Her ears lowered sadly as she mulled over a thought. "Despite all he's done to me today, I-I still want to make this work. Am I sick or what?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. You still see the good in Shadow."

"I want to talk to him, but not today. I'll wait a few days and try to speak to him and figure out why he did all this in the first place."

"If you need my help, I'm willing to lend a hand," Mighty suggested.

Amy gave an optimistic smile and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I appreciate that."

"Don't worry, Ames, we'll get to the bottom of this. You guys belong together…I know it."

Chapter 35: A New Direction

Summary:

Amy and Shadow finally have a one-to-one conversation about Shadow's betrayal. Manic and Mina find they have some things in common, while Vector feels he's getting closer to the truth of Espio's death. Amy makes a decision that may bother some people.

Notes:

AN: First, I am so sorry for the long delay. If you follow me on Twitter ( ThePyroHedgie), I have updated you on my reasons for the long wait. I'm still teaching full-time. I just finished my Master's degree in February, and I went to a destination wedding for my sister. Finally, at the end of Feb to early March, I went through a about of depression for the first time in my life that I had to learn to deal with. I struggled to get this chapter written, for which I apologize. I'm hoping future chapters will come out more frequently.

Also, I want to give Kaencrumbs on Twitter a shoutout and give a huge thanks for all the fan art she is producing for "Brothers of Chaos." For real guys, could you go check out her work there?

Song: "Edging" – Blink 182 (I do not own this song!)

Once returning home, Knuckles spotted Shadow casually smoking a cigarette on the front porch. After hanging up his helmet, the red echidna stormed toward the apathetic hedgehog. Shadow made eye contact with his comrade as Knuckles reached out and grabbed him by the collar. "You…" he seethed.

Shadow kept calm as he was lurched forward by his friend. He casually blew out a puff of smoke out of the corner of his mouth. "…You too? I already got Mighty's lecture."

"How could you be so heartless and cold? You're not the Shadow I've grown up with. This is not like you!" he exclaimed as he shook him.

Shadow reached up and removed his large hands from gripping his jacket collar. "Well, this is the new me, so get used to it," he replied coolly.

"Just tell me why you did it," he questioned.

Shadow shook his head in annoyance. "It's none of your business. It was a complicated decision."

"But I thought you loved Amy?"

Shadow turned his back on the echidna and took another drag. "I did love her, but not anymore," he lied. "It's over." He swallowed the lump in his throat, saying the lie out loud was still hard to swallow as he tried to make it sound as believable as possible.

Knuckles stared at the gloomy hedgehog long and hard. This still wasn't making any sense to him. "I don't understand. What made you feel that way? What changed?"

"Look, I don't have time to be in a long-distance and committed relationship. You've seen how busy we've been these past few weeks. It was fun being with her while it lasted, but it's time for me to move on," he tried to justify.

Knuckles narrowed his brows. "That's bullshit, and you know it. Rouge and I have made it work for years now. Tell me the truth, man."

"It is true, but I shouldn't be telling you anything. It's personal, between Amy and I and no one else."

The echidna crossed his arms across his chest. "Then at least be a decent guy and talk with her and tell her the truth of your decision. It's the least you owe her."

Shadow smushed his cigarette bud into the ashtray on the railing. "I plan to."

•~•

A little later, Amy spoke with her cousin in one of Rouge's spare bedrooms. She sat on the bed as she talked to her cousin over the phone. "Why don't you come home?" his voice pleaded softly and sympathetically. "You don't need to put yourself through any more heartbreak."

"I can't," Amy replied. "I still haven't spoken to him one-on-one yet. Until we talk, I don't intend to leave."

"Rosy…" Rob' O sighed sadly. "I'm worried about you. Are you sure you don't want me to come down there and stay with you until then?"

"I'm an adult, Rob. I need to handle these types of things on my own. I appreciate the concern, though."

"Right, fair enough. Take care and good luck, cousin."

"Thanks, bye." With that, she hung up her call with her cousin.

In the corner of the bedroom, Rouge sat in a chair with her arms crossed. "He just cares about your well-being, you know. It's nice to have family members that care about you."

Amy walked back over to the bed and plopped down on it. "Yeah, I know, but Rob has always been very controlling and a bit of a helicopter parent. At any rate, how should I deal with Shadow? Since this morning's encounter, he's ignored all my calls and texts."

Rouge scoffed in disgust. "What an asshole…I say we ambush him and put him on the spot."

"Okay, I'll do it tomorrow. I think I'll be ready with what I want to say."

Rouge pulled out her phone and began texting. "Right, I'll text Knuckles and keep him in the loop. If I can find out Shadow's schedule through him, we'll know when to show up and corner him."

Amy smiled weakly. "Thanks, Rouge. I appreciate all your help."

"No problem, sweetheart. We'll get to the bottom of this."

•~•

The next day, at the police station, Deputy Silver stepped into Detective Vector's office. The door was left open, so he knocked on the side of it to get his attention. Standing in the doorway, he spotted Vector before a large evidence board. The crocodile stared at all the photo lineups, screenshot printed photos, receipts, and timelines he had organized leading up to Espio's death.

"Any new details on Espio's case?" Silver inquired.

Vector did not look his way; instead, he focused on his board. "Nothing today, but I'm getting closer to cracking it."

"You've talked to all witnesses present at the event yet?" he questioned.

"Everyone except Ms. Rose," he replied.

"Miss Rose, huh?" Silver repeated. "I'm sure I could track her down for questioning."

"She was out of town for a bit, so I haven't had the chance to speak to her. Some other cases got in the way. However, I've heard she's back in town. So, if you could catch her and ask her some questions, it'd greatly help."

"Sure thing, detective." Silver walked further into his office and stared at a few supposed suspects on the board. He couldn't help but glance at Mephiles' photo planted as suspect number three.

"I never thought I'd see the day Mephiles would be on your list of alleged suspects. I thought he was your friend," Silver noted.

Vector strolled away from the board and headed over to his desk. He reached for his coffee mug. "Yeah, well, I thought he was my friend too…"

Silver's ears perked in surprise. "Wait a minute. Does that mean you have finally come to your senses on that guy?"

He took a sip of his coffee. "I don't know about that yet. I'm trying to prove a case here."

"Well, again, I'm always here to help. Wherever you need me, I'll lend a hand to take that guy down."

"I appreciate that, deputy."

•~•

Meanwhile, that morning, at the compound, Manic, Shadow, and Gadget sat in the living room watching television. Gadget sat on the floor, tinkering with some electronics he was trying to fix. Manic, on the other hand, lounged on the sofa, flipping through channels. Shadow sat in one of the lounge chairs, watching Manic flip through channels. His mind was entirely focused on anything. He was still somewhat mentally drained from his breakup with Amy earlier this morning. His mind was plagued with thoughts of the pink hedgehog and his remorse for how he handled their breakup.

"Could you pick a channel already?" Gadget bickered in annoyance. "The flipping is starting to become quite irksome."

Manic rolled his eyes. "Pff…sure, whatever, dude." He flipped the channel one final time and ended up on a news channel outlet. On the T.V., the evening news held a segment about a heroic act of kindness.

A news anchor stood at the Mercia train station holding her microphone as she spoke into the camera. "I'm standing here at the local train station at the center of Mercia where a stranger displayed a heroic act of kindness when witnessing an alarming medical incident." The screen cut to a now-viral clip of Predator Hawk convulsing on the floor from his seizure from an amateur videographer. In the short clip, you could see Amy coming into view and going straight into her medical training. "The clip shows this male having a seizure before this young female hedgehog darted into action, taking command of the situation and potentially saving this young male's life," the newscaster's voice said over the clip.

"Yo, that's Amy…" Manic breathed with a pointed finger. Shadow glanced over at the screen after hearing his ex's name. He kept his eyes fixated on the screen as his fists tightened anxiously. Amy had encountered Suppression Squad members alone and, even worse, interacted with them.

"Yeah, but is that not Drago and Predator in the video as well?" Gadget observed.

Suddenly, the footage returned to the newscaster, who was interviewing a witness during the incident. "What was it like seeing this young female take charge and display such kindness for a total stranger?"

The male platypus interviewee crossed his arms as he leaned into the extended mic. "Well, it was something else, I'll tell yah. This young lady just stormed in and gave directions before getting to work. She looked like a complete natural!"

"Why did no one else step in?" the newscaster continued.

"Probably because nobody knew what to do. Everyone in the station just stopped and watched in shock. Most people were whipping out their cellphones to record the whole thing instead of helping out. It's a real shame when you think about it."

"It also must have been terrifying," the newscaster noted.

"It sure was, but thankfully, that girl was around and seemed to know what she was doing. She's an angel, that's for sure."

The news anchor turned back to look at the camera. "Unfortunately, the female in this now viral clip is still unknown. It has amassed over 2 million views in the short hours it's been circulating the Internet. Many witnesses claimed she fled the scene the moment the paramedics arrived to tend to the victim. The victim and their associate denied any interviews for their ordeal. This is Mobius News Channel 5, signing out."

Manic lowered the volume on the T.V. as all eyes turned to Shadow for a reaction. "She's fortunate they didn't attempt to hurt her," Gadget stated. "Who knows what their intentions could have been."

The dark vice president calmly rose from his place on the sofa. "Exactly why she shouldn't be sticking around this shithole," Shadow huffed before exiting the living room. He immediately headed for the front door.

Mephiles was heading downstairs when he spotted his younger brother grab his keys. "Where are you going?"

Shadow reached for the door and opened it. "Out. I'll be back in an hour or two."

Before Mephiles could reply, Shadow closed the door and left the house.

•~•

At Rouge's place, Amy was getting ready for the day to confront Shadow. Sitting in her bedroom, she combed her quills out as she looked at her reflection when she suddenly heard a motorcycle engine approaching the house. She stopped her brush stroke, lowered her brush onto the dresser, and rushed towards the window. She spotted Shadow parked on his motorcycle from the second-story floor just as he took off his helmet and shook out his quills. Amy felt her heart skip a beat as she stared at her ex-boyfriend. She suddenly felt very anxious about confronting him. Drawing her out of her thoughts of how she'd start her conversation, Shadow glanced up and made eye contact with her. However, their eye contact did not last long when Shadow drew his eyes away and focused on something else approaching him.

Amy heard the front door from downstairs slamming shut just as she spotted Rouge storming towards him. The pink beauty watched as if frozen in time and unable to move as Rouge sauntered powerfully over to the ebony hedgehog just as he dismounted his bike. She curled her hand into a fist and struck Shadow in the side of his jaw with her powerful strike. Shadow stumbled backward, toppling over his motorcycle with a crash. Amy gasped and suddenly found the willpower to move and rushed downstairs.

Once outside, Amy frantically ran towards the two. Shadow was still braced against his flipped motorcycle as Rouge prepared another strike, but this time with her leg. "Rouge, stop!" Amy pleaded.

The white bat shook out the hand she had used to slug him in the face. Her hand was hurting a bit as she flexed and unflexed her fingers. Shadow had a split lip and spit out some blood collecting in his mouth from his bitten cheek into the dirt. The bat turned to look at Amy. "I knew you wouldn't do it, so I decided to make him feel the pain he put you through," Rouge justified with a glare.

Amy approached her friend's side with her hands out cautiously, fearing her next move. "Violence still isn't the answer..."

In the meantime, Shadow sat up calmly in the dirt as he stared at the bat. "I know what I did to her, Rouge. I can only imagine the pain she felt yesterday. That's why I came here to talk to her."

Rouge turned to look at Amy. "You okay with this, hon?"

Amy nodded hesitantly. "Yes."

Rouge spit on Shadow's face, causing the male hedgehog to wince as he turned his head to the side. "You're a piece of shit, and if you do anything more to hurt her, I won't hold back even if Amy begs me to," she warned with a pointed finger.

Amy and Shadow watched as Rouge headed back indoors, allowing the two some privacy.

"Here, let me help you," Amy softly spoke as she leaned down to lend him a hand.

"No, it's okay. I've got it." Shadow dismissed her assistance as he lifted himself to his feet.

"At least let me clean your face up," she offered.

Shadow touched his lip and stared at the blood on his fingertips. "Fine."

•~•

Back at the compound, in the garage, Manic practiced the drums, a hobby he enjoyed doing from time to time. He drummed to the song's beat and bobbed his head in sync. "I ain't that cool. I'm a little fucked in the head. They'll be hanging me quick when I'm back from the dead." His foot hit the bass pedal while he used both drumsticks to hit the hi-hats and medium tom of the drum. The beat remained steady as he continued to sing. "Get the rope, get the rope. Get the rope, get the rope," he continued to sing.

Unbeknownst to him, Mina had snuck inside the garage and was eavesdropping on the green hedgehog as he practiced his craft. The yellow mongoose watched as he twirled both drumsticks between his fingers before gripping them and smashing them in sync with the crash cymbals. She remained hidden behind one of the vans left in the garage for repair but continued to listen and watch him, completely entranced. "I'm a punk rock kid who came from hell with a curse. She tried to pray it away, so I fucked her in church. Don't you know? Don't you know? Don't you know? Yeah, don't you know!" he belted.

Surprisingly, Manic sounded pretty good as he sang. His drumming was incredible, but his gruff voice brought the whole song to life. She was enjoying his punk rock melody. Deciding she had crept on him enough, Mina backed up, ready to exit. However, her foot accidentally hit a toolbox, making enough noise to cause the green hedgehog to stop playing. Mina cringed internally and halted in place before ducking for cover.

Manic froze his song and lowered his arms with his drumsticks as he turned to look behind him. "Yo, who's back there? Might, is that you?" Growing further annoyed, Manic stood upright from his drummer stool with his drumsticks. He groaned, "Yo, it's not funny, dude!"

Hesitantly, Mina meekly rose from hiding behind the van to reveal herself. She waved uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your practice."

Manic lowered his guard as he eyed the mongoose escort. "Oh, it's just you…"

She moved from around the van and moved towards him. "Yeah, sorry, I heard the drums from outside and wanted to see what was happening. I didn't know you played any instruments."

He lowered his drumsticks back onto his stool. "Well, now you know, I guess."

She placed her hands behind her back. "You're talented, you know. You play and sing amazingly."

His ears perked in surprise at the compliment. "Yeah? Thanks," he smiled weakly.

She rubbed at her left arm. "Do you play any other instruments?"

"I mean, I play the piano a little, but my older sister is way more talented than I am. I'm mostly a background singer or drummer."

"That's cool. I can play the piano, but I was in a band in high school and was the lead singer."

Manic's ears perked up slightly at the mention. "No kidding? Maybe you could sing for me sometime, and I could play drums. Mighty usually does lead vocals and plays guitar while Gadget does bass," he explained. "However, we could always use some female vocals."

Mina's face brightened. "Really? That'd be nice, I-."

"-Mina!" a voice commanded from outside.

The two turned to look in the direction of the booming voice. Mina instantly recognized the voice belonging to Mephiles. "Oh, I have to get to work. Mephiles wants me at the packing station to help the other girls."

He nodded, understanding. "No problem. See you around, I guess."

She waved goodbye to him before turning on her heel and sprinting out of the garage. Manic watched her retreating figure before getting an odd fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Shrugging it off, he turned and returned to his stool to continue practicing.

•~•

Back with Amy and Shadow, the two were in one of the downstairs bathrooms. Shadow sat on the toilet while Amy tended to his injury. "You shouldn't be helping me right now. It's not a big deal anyway—it's barely a scratch."

"I'm a nurturer at heart," she replied, dabbing up some excess blood dripping down his chin with a cotton pad.

Shadow sighed. "I don't deserve your sympathy or kindness," he mumbled.

She threw away the bloodied cotton swap and scoffed at his comment. "Oh, shut up."

"You didn't mention that you ran into Suppression members while on your way here," he transitioned.

She finished putting a band-aid over a cut near his lip before glaring at the male. "I would have if I hadn't walked in on you with her…But how'd you find out? I haven't told anyone about that yet."

"There was a news segment about it on T.V. today. Some witnesses recorded it on their phones. You were in a viral video clip," Shadow explained. "You know, there were strict reasons why I wanted you out of Mercia. You could've been hurt, kidnapped by them, or worse," he began to lecture calmly.

Amy removed her gloves and tossed them into the bin by the toilet. "Yeah, but they didn't do any of those things to me," she snapped. "One needed medical attention, and I happened to be there. I couldn't not help them."

He tilted his head to the side. "Still…it was reckless."

Amy leaned against the bathroom wall with her arms crossed. "Shadow, why don't you tell me what you want to discuss? I know you're stalling."

"Well, I…" he paused momentarily, trying to find the right words. "About what happened yesterday."

Amy huffed. "Let me guess, you're sorry?" she assumed passive-aggressively.

"Actually, I'm only sorry that you had to find out that way," he specified.

Amy's brows furrowed as she grew further annoyed and hurt. Her stomach sank further from yet another blindside. "…Excuse me?"

"We've grown distant, and I wanted to find the right time to break up with you. I never imagined having you walk in on me like that," he lied boldly.

"We've grown distant?" she repeated in disbelief. "We've done no such thing; if anyone has grown distant, it's been you," she accused with a pointed finger. "I've been doing everything I could to keep the romance alive, and you've been anything but forthcoming!"

He frowned. "Rose…"

Moving away from the wall, she paced back and forth in front of him, indignant. "And now you're coming here to talk to me, and I was under the belief that you'd be here to grovel for my forgiveness, and I'd probably take you back. Yet, you're only sorry that I caught you cheating on me?" she stated, completely stunned.

He kept his face as indifferent as possible. "I'm sorry."

She scoffed, "You're not sorry." She began to shake slightly in anger. "Shadow, do you realize how badly you broke my heart yesterday and how you're doing it again today with your words…?"

"Look, I wanted this relationship to work out. Honestly, I did. But it just isn't going to work out between us."

"Give me a few reasons why it isn't working," she demanded.

He swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as his eyes drifted downward. "I'd rather not make it more hostile than it already is…"

Amy felt her heart drop. "So that's it? You don't even want to fight to restart and mend our relationship?"

His red eyes drifted to the floor. "No, I don't…It's over."

"You say it's over, but your voice and tone say otherwise," she challenged. "Stop trying to push me away, Shadow."

Shadow was taken aback by how quickly she could pick up on his deceptive mannerisms. He fixed his expression to look sterner. "I'm done having this conversation."

"No!" she yelled, taking him aback again from her outburst. "This isn't right, this isn't you!"

He frowned in annoyance at her stubbornness. "Why can't you accept that it's over?" he questioned.

"Because you told me months ago on that train platform that you loved me. You promised that once you had things wrapped up with your business, you'd move away with me. And now you're acting like a completely different person—not to mention out of character!" she pointed.

"Things have just changed," he tried to justify. "All that we had is lost."

A sudden thought crossed her mind as she quirked a brow. "Is someone forcing you to do this? Did Mephiles put you up to this?" she pressured.

Shadow shook his head. "No one is forcing me to do anything. Why would you think my brother had any say in this?"

"Because Mephiles…" she stopped herself, realizing she had almost revealed too much. "Never mind, it's just…how you're acting right now, isn't you."

Shadow rose from the toilet and placed his hand on her shoulder. He looked her sternly in the eye. "Go back home to Tech City, Rose. Find someone who'll treat you right and respect you. I'm not the right guy for you, and I can't love you anymore."

Amy swatted his hand off her shoulder. "Stop lying, Shadow," she snapped. "I'm not going to be pushed away so easily."

Shadow sighed. "Then I guess you're going to learn the hard way…"

She watched as he exited the bathroom, leaving her alone and shell-shocked. A few moments later, Rouge entered the bathroom to see Amy in a daze. "Hon, are you okay?"

Amy shook her head solemnly. "He officially ended it. He doesn't want to be with me anymore…"

Rouge embraced the pink beauty. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry…"

Her eyes began to well up with tears. Amy returned the embrace. "He's purposely trying to push me away…He wants me to return to Tech City."

Rouge pulled away from her embrace. "What do you plan to do now?"

Her expression grew with determination. "If he thinks it's that easy to get rid of me, I'm not going anywhere."

•~•

Later that evening, back home, Shadow relaxed in the basement after conversing with Amy. He sat on the sofa with a glass of whiskey as he replayed today's conversation repeatedly in his head. He imagined Amy's heartbroken expression, which only caused him further pain. His ears perked when he heard footsteps approaching. As he turned his head, Mephiles appeared at the bottom of the staircase. "Brother?"

"…What?" Shadow sighed solemnly.

"How'd your talk go with Ms. Rose?" he inquired curiously.

Shadow closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his eyes. "As expected,…difficult, heartbreaking."

"Do you think she'll return to her home city as expected?" he inquired curiously.

He took a sip of his hard liquor. "She will if she knows what's good for her. If not, she will learn the hard way from me why she should return."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that."

"Yeah, but it's looking like it will be. The girl is damn stubborn…"

Mephiles walked closer. "It'll get easier," he assured. "All that matters is that it's done now. However, I have a little surprise to make the transition easier." He put his fingers to his lips and made a whistle.

A pair of toned red legs descended the staircase as Lien-Da made her presence known. "Surprise," she announced.

Startled, Shadow was surprised to see Lien-Da back again so soon. Mephiles began walking back towards the staircase. "Be gentle with him or rough, I suppose, if that's what he's into. He's in a very fragile state and needs some TLC."

"Oh, I know just how to handle him, Mephiles," the echidna female giggled flirtatiously.

"Mephiles, you didn't need to—" Shadow tried to rise from his seat, but Lien-Da quickly hopped into the seat next to him.

Lien placed a hand on his chest, shoving him back into his seat. "So, your brother tells me you needed me to blow off some steam or mend some heartbreak," she smiled seductively.

"Uh, about that…"

She sat close to him and crossed one of her legs enticingly over the other. "You know, Mephiles called me here to help you as a favor, but I have a bone to pick with you," she said, pointing her finger roughly into his chest.

He raised a brow. "About what exactly?"

"I was down for the booty call that morning, but it seemed like the whole thing was staged for your little girlfriend to walk in on us," she noted. "You knew she was going to walk in on us, huh?"

Shadow glared at the echidna for her sudden nosiness. "It's none of your damn business. All I wanted was to fuck you, and that was it."

"Touchy subject, I see. Well, you should've been more upfront from the start. If you wanted her to walk in on us, I would've performed better," she winked. Shadow watched as she got up and approached the bar. She leaned over the bar counter and began to fix herself a drink showing off her perky ass under her short black flared skirt.

Shadow felt his face go red as he caught himself staring at her ass. He quickly looked away, growing annoyed at himself for staring too long. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Making myself a drink since you didn't offer me one," she responded. She sat back down and took a shot of vodka. Her eyes glanced down, and she smiled and chuckled lightly.

Shadow cocked a brow at her. "What exactly is so funny?"

Lien-Da continued to giggle. "You know you're hard, right?" she noted as she glanced at the bulge in his pants. "Looks like someone was eager for me to show up."

His muzzle went even redder. He couldn't help that he was already drunk to start with. "Shut the hell up…"

"I also heard that you two are officially over now." She placed her hand on his bulge that had yet to go down. Shadow froze as he felt her hand on his crotch, and a shiver ran down his spine. He just stared at her, unable to say anything. Lien took his silence as consent to move forward since he had not tried to stop her further. Her hands worked on unzipping his fly and pulled out his hardened shaft. "I'm sure you miss having pussy around the clock, but I can fill in for her for a while. Just like old times, huh, Shadow?"

Shadow felt hot all over. "Lien…"

Lien-Da stroked his cock, feeling it twitch slightly in her grasp. She leaned down, licked his left ball, and kissed the right one. Shadow felt his hair rise on the back of his neck, and his face grew warm. He looked down and watched as she licked up the side of his shaft before taking the head of his dick into her mouth. Shadow watched her meticulously pleasure him. He wanted to stop her desperately, but it felt incredible. She took his length out of her mouth momentarily. "See, this isn't so bad," she whispered. "I'm sure it feels good." She licked at the head of his penis before engulfing the tip in her mouth again and letting it release with a pop.

He closed his eyes as he imagined Amy in his mind as Lien-Da gave him head. She moaned slightly as she took more of his length into her mouth. "Shit…" he said as his breath hitched. He sighed contently with ragged breaths as her mouth glided up and down his shaft effortlessly.

Lien allowed his cock to leave her mouth as she suckled on the side of it and made eye contact with him, lowering her eyelids seductively. His cock glistened in her saliva, and some pre-cum beaded at the tip. Lien-Da noticed it and flicked her tongue at the tip, gathering a small amount of cum onto her tongue. "Mmm…so good." Shadow's body was scorching hot as her one hand stroked him sensually. She used her tongue and tucked it under the head of his cock and rubbed the head of his dick gently.

Unbeknownst to the two, Ray had come downstairs when he had unknowingly walked in on the two. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed his presence as he lingered on the staircase and witnessed the sexual act. He gasped quietly as he spotted Shadow receiving oral sex from Lien-Da. Quietly and quickly, he hurried upstairs before the two would notice anything.

•~•

A few moments later, Mighty was upstairs in his bedroom, preparing to sleep. Still in a towel around his waist after getting out of the shower, he began to rummage through his drawers for a pair of clean boxers when he heard a knock on his door. He stopped what he was doing, walked over, and opened the door only to spot his kid brother on the other side. "Hey, you coming to bed as well?" he smiled, opening it more. The two had been sharing a bedroom since his arrival.

Ray shook his head as he nervously entered the bedroom. "Not exactly yet," he mumbled.

Mighty was quick to notice him acting more nervous than usual. He closed the door. "What's up then?"

Ray tapped his fingertips together anxiously. "I-I walked in on something I don't think I was supposed to see," he began.

Mighty leaned against his dresser, intrigued. "What'd you see, buddy?"

"I went downstairs to the basement to do inventory and saw Lien-Da and Shadow together."

Mighty rolled his eyes and shook his head in disappointment. "Geez…let me guess."

Ray rubbed the back of his neck as his eyes drifted to the ground. He wasn't comfortable going into graphic detail. "Her head was down near his—and her head was going up and down," he tried to describe uncomfortably.

"That fucking scumbag," he mumbled under his breath. The armadillo exhaled a deep sigh as he shook his head in disappointment at Shadow's actions. "Shit, what is he thinking?"

"I think he had been drinking," Ray speculated.

"Still, it's no excuse…"

Ray tapped his fingertips together. "I guess this means Shadow and Amy are really done then, huh?"

Mighty frowned at the thought. "Yeah, it sounds like it. It's a real shame. I know how Shadow feels about the kid. He made a huge mistake."

•~•

A few days later, after things had cooled off, Amy and Mighty walked around a small one-bedroom apartment close to Mercia Hospital. The pink hedgehog walked around the empty apartment, looking at all the space she'd need to fill with furniture and other household items. The red and black armadillo watched her intently with his concerns. "And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?" he questioned hesitantly as he leaned against a countertop in the kitchen. He wasn't sure Amy might be making an impulsive decision in her heartbreak state.

Amy nodded confidently as she turned to look at him. "Yes, I'm positive. I want to finish my residency here, and the only way to do that is to move back."

Mighty moved away from leaning on the countertop and kept his hands shoved in his leather jacket pockets. "I get that, sweetheart, but you just ended a major relationship. You're still going through the grieving period, and now you've just moved from your ex to close by and are planning to live alone. I'm just trying to look out for you. It may feel a little bit lonely…don't you think?"

She peeked out the window to her balcony and peered down. "Remember, I lived alone for a while, Mighty," she reminded. "I can handle it. Besides, I won't feel too lonely. I'll be working at the hospital most of the time. That'll distract me," she shrugged. "This apartment is more of a place to recharge."

Mighty nodded slowly in defeat. It was evident she would be stubborn in her decision-making. "Alright, kid, it's your decision."

Amy turned on her heel and approached him, holding the strap to her purse. "So, will you help me move in once the lease is signed?"

Mighty placed an arm around her shoulders as he led her out of the apartment. "Of course I will. That's what friends are for, right?" he smiled.

"I'll pay you and the others for helping me, of course."

"Nah, no need!" he exclaimed. "You're like family, Ames. I'll round up Manic, Gadget, and Ray to help out free of charge."

Amy giggled for what felt like the first time in a while. "Thank you, Mighty. You've been a lot of help."

He suddenly snapped his fingers when he remembered something. "Oh yeah, my 28th birthday's coming up soon. You're always invited if you want to come and hang out."

"Where are you planning to have it?" she inquired curiously.

"We're going to have it at Club Hideaway," he replied. "It's one of the hottest clubs here in Mercia."

Amy gave him a small smile. "That sounds fun. Just let me know when, and I'll be there."

"Awesome. It's happening in two weeks from now since we have a big mule haul coming up. Shadow, myself, and the others will be out of town for several days. After that, we've got a few missions," he explained. "This cartel war has kept us pretty busy and on our toes."

Amy's ear's pinned back. "That bad, huh?"

Mighty nodded gravely. "More and more Suppression members have been creeping through Mercia to do surprise attacks," he elaborated. "Mephiles has decided we need to start hitting back. It's been a game of stalemate so far," he shrugged.

"I see…" she noted.

"I understand why you're sticking around, Ames, but I need you to promise me to be on high alert. Please don't go anywhere around the city without one of us. Some of our escort girls have gone missing, been held hostage, or worse," he warned. "Not to mention, we've lost a couple of our guys to this war."

"I promise to be careful," she pledged.

Mighty looked around her apartment complex. "Now that you don't live at the compound, we can't provide you around-the-clock protection." He walked over and shut her blinds. "Make sure you keep your blinds and curtains shut at night. Always lock the door and don't answer it if you aren't expecting company."

She let out an airy chuckle. "Mighty, I get it. I'll be careful. Are you trying to scare me?"

He turned away from the window to look at her. "No, but I'm trying to make this realistic for you. You did run into a couple of Scourge's top guys the other day. You're lucky they didn't touch you."

Amy frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're starting to sound a lot like Shadow. Do you agree with him that I shouldn't stay here?"

"Look, Ames, I disagree with the guys' method of breaking it off with you, but things have only gotten much more dangerous around here. I don't want to see anything bad happen to you. It worries me having you live back in Mercia but not be near one of us," he explained.

She gave him a reassuring smile and placed her hand on his cheek. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Both you and Shadow have taught me so much."

He nodded slowly but still with uncertainty as she drew her hand away from his face. "Alright, kid."

•~•

AN: Please remember to leave a review!

Chapter 36: Moving Forward

Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay. I recently lost my job and must scramble to find a new one this summer. On top of this, I am also moving to a new city, so I'll be quite busy in the next two months. I will keep working on future chapters as much as I can. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

---

A week had passed, and it was another day in the clubhouse, and the boys sat around the table for one of their weekly meetings. Mephiles sat at the head of the table with the gavel in hand. To his right was Shadow, then Manic, Mighty, Gadget, and Knuckles.

“What exactly is this meeting for?” Knuckles asked.

“Mogul got wind of our wealthy new buyer and has questions. We’re hoping to convince him to continue to supply us with weaponry to Enerjak and his cartel; otherwise, we’re about to be cut off,” Mephiles explained.

“Chaos,” Knuckles breathed in disappointment.

“And you expect to convince him to keep supplying with no pushback?” Mighty challenged with a quirked brow.

“Yeah, of course,” Knuckles chimed in. “Because all our other plans have worked out perfectly since we joined this line of business…” he mumbled facetiously.

The red and black hedgehog did not take kindly to the mockery. He slammed his hands on the tabletop as he rose upright. He knew many crew members were unhappy with the situation, but the complaining was not helping. “Enough!” he barked, making everyone snap to attention. “We voted it in; therefore, we play it out. If you can’t get behind that, then turn in your fucking patch.”

Everyone remained silent until Ray entered the room, breaking the tension as all eyes turned to him. He held a phone in his hand as he gulped nervously. “Um, I have a Mr. Mogul on the line. He wants to talk to you,” he directed to Mephiles.

Mephiles immediately rose and grabbed the phone before leaving the room. Everyone watched as he exited the room. The president placed the phone up to his ear. “Mr. Mogul, I appreciate the returned call.”

“My associates and I have considered your request to continue to supply this cartel with our weaponry. I’ll be honest, the reactions are mixed here,” he began. “RPGs, 50-cals—those are all headline-making weapons,” he said with concern.

“Yeah, but Mr. Enerjak is someone we can trust,” he assured. “He’s militant and a soldier, just like us.”

“I suppose so, but he’s in a very different type of war,” Mogul countered. “Look, we know how the cartel does business. They’re heathens. I know what they’re capable of,” he hissed.

“Enerjak will have bought more guns in two months than all my other buyers in the last two years combined,” he disputed. “Please, just have one in-person meeting with him. If you don’t like what you hear, then you take your merch and go home sleeping easy.”

“And you’ll be there in this meeting?” he inquired.

“Of course, sir. I will help you make the biggest deal in your organization's history. That’s a promise I can keep.”

There was a long pause before he heard Mogul’s response. “…Set the meeting then, but there are no guarantees, Mephiles,” he warned.

“Understood, sir. Thank you. You won’t regret this.” He hung up the phone, and Mephiles sighed in relief.

The president re-entered the dining room as everyone eagerly awaited the news. “He’s agreed to meet in person,” he declared. “We just need to have a time and place set.”

“I’ll look at our calendar and coordinate a meeting with Enerjak,” Shadow stated.

“Wonderful. We'll schedule another briefing once we have a time and place.” He reached for his gavel and banged it against the table. “Meeting adjourned.” With that, everyone rose from their seats and left the room.

Shadow followed Mighty from the dining room and headed for the front door. “Hey, mind helping me deal with some business at the packing distribution center?”

“Shit, I would, Shads, but I’ve already got some prior commitments.”

Shadow blinked in surprise, alarmed by the rejection. “Prior commitments?” he scoffed. “And what would that be?”

Mighty shrugged uncomfortably. “I promised I’d help Amy move her new furniture into her new place.”

Shadow sucked his teeth. “You’re kidding…”

“I’m not, though. The kid needs help, and I told her I’d lend her a hand,” Mighty shrugged.

“I thought she was long gone by now—back to Tech City,” Shadow assumed.

The armadillo shook his head. “Nah, she’s just got a place closer to the hospital, is all.”

“Fucking hell,” Shadow swore under his breath. “Then I’ll pull Gadget,” he suggested.

“Sorry, V.P., I’m also tagging along to help,” the red wolf said as he strolled beside the armadillo.

Shadow scowled in frustration. “This is ridiculous; who the hell is going to help me with this mission?”

“I’ll do it,” Knuckled piped up.

“At least someone has my back,” he mumbled bitterly.

“I’m only doing this as a favor for Mighty since he’s pulling all the other boys.”

“I can ride along too,” Manic interjected with a raised hand. “I’m giving Mina a ride there for work anyway.”

“I appreciate it,” Shadow mumbled.

“Don’t worry, we shouldn’t be gone too long. It’ll take a couple of hours, and then we’ll be back,” Mighty assured. He turned to look at the others who had appeared surrounding him. “C’mon, guys.”

Shadow watched the group depart and felt a pit in his stomach, knowing Amy was still close. He had hoped she’d go home like planned. He strolled outside, pulled out his phone, and clicked on his contacts. Placing his phone to his ear, he walked far enough out of earshot for anyone else to overhear his conversation.

“I’ve been expecting you to call,” the voice on the other end sighed,

“What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me sooner she wasn’t back with you yet?”

“You know how my cousin is by now. She’s as stubborn as a bull. I’ve been blowing up her phone through texts and calls all week, begging and giving every reason why she should be back with my wife and me. She still won’t agree to it.”

“For fuck’s sake…” he cursed.

“I think she has me blocked at this point. I haven’t gotten any of my calls or texts through. My wife Mari-Ann says I can’t go down there and drag her back here against her will—it’d be kidnapping. She’s an adult, after all.”

“So, what now, then?”

“Now I guess you’ll have to pour on that dickhead act to get her so disgusted that she’ll leave on her own free will,” he surmised.

“Guess so,” he said disappointedly.

Meanwhile, near the garage, Mina found the green-pierced hedgehog pulling out his bike. She spotted him walking towards his motorcycle. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

He stopped and turned to look at her. “Yeah, you found me,” he grinned. “Whatcha need?”

“I’m just making sure you’re still able to drop me off at work, right?” she questioned.

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I was getting the bike ready over here.”

She smiled at him. “Great.”

He hopped on his bike and tossed her a helmet that she caught. “Speaking of which, let’s get going, or you’ll be late.”

Mina put her helmet on and strapped it in place. She climbed on his bike, sitting behind him, when she noticed Shadow and Knuckles coming out of two garage stations on either side of them, already mounted on their bikes as they took off ahead. “Where are they off to?” she inquired curiously.

“Same place,” he replied. “They’ve got business to deal with.”

Mina wrapped her arms around Manic’s waist, flushing herself with the hedgehog. After putting on his helmet, the green hedgehog couldn’t help but catch her delightful floral scent. “You smell nice,” he commented.

Mina giggled at his compliment, feeling a flutter in her stomach. “Oh, thank you! It’s my perfume.”

He strapped his helmet in place. “It’s a good choice. I like it, but you always smell pretty good to me.”

“Yeah?” she smiled. “That’s good to know.”

He turned on the ignition and kicked the kickstand off the ground. “Alright, hold on tight.” Mina clutched onto him tighter as he took off from the compound.

•~•

Once they arrived at the distribution center, Manic parked his bike near the entrance to the building. Behind him, he felt Mina release her embrace around his waist to remain on for the ride. She took off her helmet and shook her tousled curls out. Manic glanced at her reflection in his handle mirror as she ran a hand through her pretty purple locks to tidy her appearance. “Thanks again for dropping me off, Manic,” the mongoose thanked.

Manic rubbed the back of his neck with a goofy grin as he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Heh, no problem.”

When she dismounted his bike, she handed him his spare helmet. “So, you’ll pick me up later this evening?”

He nodded. “Uh, yeah. Of course.”

“Great!” She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, catching him off guard. Manic was stunned by the unexpected gesture and stared in awe at her retreat. “See you later!’

Manic placed a hand on his cheek where her lips had last been. He could still feel the lingering feeling of her lips there. “Right, later...”

In the background, Shadow and Knuckles had already dismounted their bikes and stared at the zoned-out green hedgehog. “Are you coming?” Shadow questioned, getting his attention.

Manic quickly scrambled to get off his bike and join the others. “Whoa, sorry about that!” he apologized. Shadow watched as Manic rushed past him and followed him into the back entrance of the distribution center.
•~•

Later on, the boys helped Amy move and set up her new furniture. Manic had stopped by to join them after dropping Mina off. “Where do you want this, Miss Amy?” a struggling Gadget asked as he and Ray held some end tables.

“Right over there,” she pointed to her bedroom. The two hurried off into the bedroom with the heavy furniture. In the meantime, Manic and Mighty worked on putting together a small kitchen table she had ordered online. Rouge was in the kitchen unloading some plates out of boxes and placing them in the cabinets. The pink hedgehog walked over to check on the other two. “How’s it coming along, boys?”

“Oh, just peachy…” Manic stated dryly. He looked frustrated as he sat on the floor amongst screws, nuts, bolts, and other tools.

“Ignore him,” Mighty chuckled. “We’ve got it handled here.”

“Thank you guys for coming here and helping me move everything into my new place. It’s been a lot of help.”

“Of course, hon!” Rouge chimed in. “We’re practically family, after all.”

Gadget and Ray came back with more boxes from the moving truck. They were carrying boxes of her new couch she had purchased online. “Truly, it’s no bother,” the wolf exclaimed as he set down the box in the living room.

The yellow squirrel nodded happily as he panted out of breath. “If I’m honest, I’d much rather help you move your belongings than do whatever Mephiles would have me doing,” he admitted.

Mighty finished screwing a bolt in on the leg of the table. “Yeah, I can imagine. I’ve been in your position before,” he sighed, thinking back to when he was a rookie.

“So, how often will we see you around, Amy?” Manic inquired curiously.

Amy entered her kitchen and placed some silverware inside one of the drawers. “Oh, well, anytime you guys have an injury, I’ll pop in to fix you guys up, but I suspect not too often…”

“It’s already felt so odd not seeing you around the compound for this long,” Gadget noted.

“Yeah, well, if it could have gone differently…” she alluded before shifting topics. “Um…so, how is it living with the new girl?”

The white bat stopped unpacking and hopped up on the countertop. “Yes, please spill,” Rouge pleaded, eager to hear some details about the new girl.

“Oh, you mean, Mina?” Ray surmised. “She’s nice, I guess.”

“She’s kind of just there in the background for me,” Gadget added indifferently.

“I mean, she’s pretty cute, I’ll admit,” Mighty said, finishing installing a leg to her table. “But I’m not putting any moves on her yet because I think old Manic here has a huge crush on her,” he joked.

Manic scowled in Mighty’s direction. “Yo, I don’t have a crush on her. She’s just a lousy sweet bottom.”

“You say that like she has no value to her,” Mighty countered. “Besides, you two have been spending plenty of time together in the garage while practicing your drum sets,” he pointed.

“She likes to listen to me play and sing, so what?” he scoffed in annoyance.

“Aww, that sounds sweet,” Amy commented.

“Yeah, and you know what that means,” Rouge hinted. “It means she likes you, Manic.”

Manic shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Does she?” he questioned dully.

“Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with having a little crush on her, Manic,” Mighty opined.

“I don’t have a crush on her,” he groaned.

“If that’s true, then why did I catch you sniffing your jacket at the front door when you finished dropping her off,” the armadillo countered.

Manic blushed. “I-I was just making sure I didn’t stink. It’s hot out there,” he dismissed.

“Right…” Mighty smirked.

“Maybe I like her a little bit, but who knows how many guys she’s been with and whatnot,” he tried to dismiss. “I mean, she’s having sex with Mephiles willingly. That, like, gives me enough of a picture.”

Amy glanced over in the green hedgehog’s direction from his biting analysis on the mongoose. “Okay, but Manic, how many girls have you slept with?” she challenged.

The green hedgehog scratched his head as he recounted the amount. “I dunno. Probably like fifty or something.”

“So, it’s okay for you to sleep around, but if a girl does, she’s no good anymore?” Amy pressed. Mighty cringed internally as he saw where this conversation was heading.

“Double standards…” Rouge sighed in disappointment with his ideals.

Manic shook his head and returned to constructing her kitchen table. “Aww, come on. Girls shouldn’t be sleeping around like that. Only dudes should be doing that type of shit.”

Amy scoffed at his logic and rolled her eyes. “What a misogynistic answer.”

“You said it, girl,” Rouge concurred.

Manic tilted his head to the side. “And what the heck does that mean? You know I’m no good with big fancy folk words.”

Mighty bopped the green hedgehog on the head. “It means you’re super judgmental towards females, you idiot.”

He rubbed his sore head. “Ouch, dude. What gives?”

“I don’t know what female hurt you in your past life, but this new side of you is not cool,” he tsked.

Manic looked around the room, noticing everyone’s expression displayed. It was apparent that they were on Mighty’s side in this conversation. Feeling cornered, he got up from the floor. “Imma take a five-minute smoke break.” He threw up a peace sign with his fingers. “Peace.” He strolled past the group and left the apartment.

Amy quirked a brow at the retreating green hedgehog. “What’s up with him?”

“Uh…he’s going through some personal shit,” Mighty answered. “Don’t mind him.”

•~•

The next day, Deputy Silver walked into the hospital's main entrance. The silver officer removed and clipped his black shades to his shirt collar. He strolled up to the front desk, where security was located, and cleared his throat to get their attention. One of the security officers looked up from their computer to greet the officer. “Good morning, officer. How can I help you today?”

He leaned his left arm over the countertop. “I was hoping to catch one of the nurses here for a few moments to ask some questions about a case,” he explained.

The security officer behind the desk nodded. “Of course, sir.” He began typing on his keyboard. “I’ll need a name and some identification and let you right in.”

A few moments later, Silver strode down one of the busy hospital corridors after being granted access by security. He glanced in rooms as he continued to walk, looking for the pink hedgehog. Eventually, he spotted her coming out of one of the emergency rooms hidden by a curtain, jotting something down on a clipboard. “Doctor Rose?” he called out.

Amy glanced up from her notetaking and was surprised when she saw the silver hedgehog approaching her. She paused her pace as she blinked in surprise. “Oh, deputy. I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

He shot her a friendly smile. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you back here in Mercia so soon,” he replied.

Amy’s ears lowered solemnly at the mention. “What does that mean?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, sensing some tension from his comment. “Oh, I just mean that because of your injury, I expected you to be out of town much longer,” he elaborated.

“…Right,” she nodded, relaxing in her tone. “Well, what can I help you with today?”

“I was just hoping to chat with you briefly. It won’t take too long, I promise,” he vowed.

Amy glanced up at the clock momentarily on the wall. “Sure, I could talk to you for a few minutes.”

“Let’s find a more private location to talk if you don’t mind.”

“How about the chapel?” she suggested. “It’s just down the hall.”

He shrugged with a smile. “Fine with me.”

Once inside the chapel, Amy sat on one of the benches, and Silver sat a few feet away. “You know, I was surprised when I stopped by the compound to talk to you and discovered you had moved out.”

“Ooh?” she played with one of her longer quills nervously. “Since I returned to town, I thought it was the right move to leave and get my place.”

“And I also heard you and Shadow broke up?” he further pressed.

Amy was taken aback that word had traveled so fast. “Who told you all of this?”

“Mephiles,” he responded calmly.

Amy felt her heart drop at the mention of his name. “Of course he did…”

He nodded proudly, still thinking about all the changes she had made. “You made the right decision, you know. You can only go up from here. Now, you have a bright future ahead of you. Living with that motorcycle gang was holding you back.”

Amy sighed sadly and looked away—not as confident. “It sure doesn’t feel like it.”

“Don’t worry. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but it’ll get easier from here, doctor,” he assured.

She turned back to look at him. “What did you come here today to discuss with me? I know it couldn’t be about my new relationship status.”

Silver looked flustered; he hoped she hadn’t assumed he had come to hit on her now that she was newly single. “My apologies, Dr. Rose! I was only making small talk, but I came here to discuss Detective Espio’s murder case with you.”

Amy’s ears perked in alarm. “Specifically, what about?”

His expression grew serious. “Well, Detective Vector and I are investigating his death. We don’t believe that he was killed in the initial attack on the bar,” he explained. “We were wondering if you saw or heard anything after the attack. His time of death occurred before the Suppression members made their attack on the scene.” Amy discreetly swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Mephiles that night before she passed out.

“Even if I die tonight, Espio will expose the truth to Shadow. He was trying to protect me from you,” she seethed.

Mephiles chuckled darkly and rose upright. “He’ll be doing no such thing, Ms. Rose.”

“He will,” she challenged, glaring up at him.

“He would if he was still alive,” Mephiles corrected. Amy’s eyes widened, making Mephiles grin darkly. “As you know, I never allow obstacles to get too far in my way.”

“You…you killed him?” she rasped. “You won’t get away with this.”

He crossed his arms across his chest smugly. “I’m always a few steps ahead, my dear. How do you think I’ve managed to be in power for so long?”

“Doctor Rose? Hey, are you alright?” she heard Silver ask, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She came out of her stupor with a head shake. “Huh?”

The deputy rose from sitting as he looked back at the chapel doors. “You looked unwell just a second ago as if you were going to be sick. Do you need me to get you something to drink?” he questioned with concern.

Amy shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead. “No, I’m okay. I was trying to think back to that night, but it shook me a little,” she admitted. “I’m sorry…”

Silver nodded emphatically and then lowered himself back to his sitting position. “Oh, geez. I understand it may be triggering to recall that night. I was hoping to find out any new information. Any details can help us crack this case.”

Another memory flashed in her mind.

“If you say or indicate anything about the letters and everything you know about my past deeds to those in this club, my brother, or anyone else, then I release this to the A.T.F,” he explained, holding up the gun used to kill Agent Zonic.

“I’m sorry, deputy, but I don’t have any information or details to give you. I was knocked unconscious from the start and wasn’t awake for most of it,” she lied.

“…I see,” he breathed disappointedly. “You know, according to the police report, Mephiles was found unresponsive in the same location where the rebar pinned you down,” he recalled. “However, surveillance last spotted him near Detective Espio’s murder point…”

Amy shrugged. “I-I don’t know what else to say. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any great help.”

Silver’s amber eyes turned stoic and serious. “Just tell me if you need help. I can help you, and maybe you could help me in return.”

Amy gulped nervously. Could he tell that she was lying? The pink hedgehog rose from her seat and made her way out of the aisle. “I-I need to get back to my shift. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

“I saw the panic in Mephiles’ face today when I told him I was coming down here to talk to you,” he called out, causing her to halt from her exit. Seeing he had her attention again, he continued. “I didn’t give him any detail about what exactly, but I could tell he knew. Whatever he has against you must be bad.”

Amy turned to face him as she remained by the closed chapel doors. Was it that obvious that Mephiles was blackmailing her? She needed to work on her poker face. “He doesn’t have anything against me. I don’t have any useful information to provide you today.”

Silver looked disappointed by her response. He could tell she was hiding information from him, probably for her safety, which he understood. “Well, that guy’s a scum bag, and Detective Vector and I would feel quite accomplished if we could get one of them taken off the streets for good.”

“Again, I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“I want you to know that whenever you feel comfortable enough to come forward with any information, Detective Vector and I will protect you. I promise.”

She opened the chapel door. “I appreciate that sentiment, deputy, but I must return to work now.” Deputy Silver watched as Amy slipped out of the private chapel, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
•~•

Later that evening, as Amy was leaving the hospital, she heard the rev of a motorcycle engine approaching her. Standing on the curb, she spotted her ex-boyfriend pulling into the drop-off section of the E.R. She scoffed at his sight and continued to walk down the sidewalk past him as he took off his helmet.

“Hey,” he called, trying to get her attention. Amy ignored him as he dismounted and caught up with her on foot. “Hey! Rose, I know you can hear me!”

Finally stopping, she turned to face him. “What do you want?”

“It’s been a week already. I want to know why you’re still here in town. Why didn’t you go back home yet?” he questioned.

“I have my residency back at the hospital,” she replied. “I can’t exactly leave.”

“You can start up your residency at any hospital. Specifically, the ones located in Tech City where your family is located,” he argued passive-aggressively.

Amy glared at him. “My family is here,” she corrected.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl. “Just go home.”

Her eyes drifted downward. “I don’t want to go back to Tech City…”

He growled in frustration, and his voice rose. “Why not?!”

“Because even though you’ve been nothing but an asshole, I’m waiting for you to come to your damn senses and realize what a terrible mistake you’ve made!” she answered bluntly.

“You’re the one who needs to come to your senses,” he countered, getting more frustrated. “It’s a mistake that you’re still here!”

Her eyes began to water as her emotions built. “Shadow, I-I love you, and you love me. We’re meant to be together!” her voice trembled.

He could feel his heartstrings being tugged at her emotional delivery. He gripped by the arms, staring into her jade eyes with pleading ruby ones. “I’m trying to get you out of this fucking shitty town alive. Just return to Tech City with your cousin and live!”

She rubbed at her watering eyes with the back of her arm as he released his hold on her. “You’re being ridiculous, Shadow…”

“Ridiculous? I would give everything up, even my life, for you to live. Tell me how that doesn’t make any sense?” he contested. “This is what needs to happen to keep you safe!” he yelled.

“…But the only time I feel safe is when I’m with you,” she reminded softly.

Shadow was taken aback by her statement and softened for a moment in his demeanor before becoming stoic in expression again. He had to continue to play up his distant self. “Yeah, well, I don’t feel confident enough always to make you feel that way.”

Suddenly, the two heard someone clearing their throat nearby. “Ahem.” The two glanced over only to spot Tikal casually waving to get their attention. “My apologies. I just wanted to see if I could assist here. It felt like it was getting rather tense.”

Shadow turned on his heel and walked back towards his parked bike. “Nothing to be worried about. We were only talking, and I’m leaving now anyway.”

Amy watched the brooding hedgehog make his sudden exit. “That’s it? That’s how the conversation is going to end?”

“Go home, Rose,” she heard him say as he walked away.

“Jerk…” she mumbled under her breath.

Amy and Tikal watched as he mounted his bike, placed his helmet on, and turned on the engine. He kicked up his kickstand and veered out of the hospital drive-through before exiting the parking lot, leaving a loud engine roar to follow. The orange echidna placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Are you alright?” she questioned cautiously.

Amy nodded hesitantly—even though she knew she wasn’t okay. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Tikal tilted her head. “Would you like me to give you a ride home?”

Amy turned to face her co-worker. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

•~•
Back at the compound, Manic returned from another therapy session with his therapist. He honestly could not tell if the sessions were helping, but he knew they were exhausting to him by the time he got home. He flopped onto his back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. As he relaxed in silence, he raised his right hand and pretended to hold an invisible blunt between his index and middle finger. He brought the pretend blunt up to his lips and took an imaginary drag, envisioning inhaling the delightful fumes that would eventually place his body in a state of calm bliss.

Manic hummed, pleased as he relished the feeling of getting high in his feigned state. However, he exited his imaginary world when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He noticed the name across the screen, reading “Mina.” Manic also realized the time, which wasn’t near the end of her shift. Regardless, he answered the call and placed the flip phone to his ear. “Yo?”

Instead of hearing her voice, all he heard were screams of female terror along with gunshots in the background. Manic sat upright, feeling his heart sink at hearing the panic. “Hello?” he stated, a little louder, hoping to hear Mina’s voice respond. He continued to hear rapid- fire in the call's background as the screams began to silence. “Hello?!” Suddenly, the call ended, and Manic stared at his phone’s screen, feeling an urgency to get to the packing station. “Mina…”

•~•

Meanwhile, on the drive home, Tikal kept her eyes on the road as she drove. It had been awkwardly silent for a few minutes now. She hadn’t had much time to talk to Amy at work, and she couldn’t imagine that she would want to talk about what had just happened with her ex. “So, uh, how has the moving process been going?” Tikal inquired.

Amy kept her eyes glancing out the side window as they drove. “Well, you know already that I found a place nearby. It’s in my budget range and fits my style,” Amy replied sullenly.

“Yes, I recall. That’s great,” she smiled. “If you need any help moving stuff, I’m always available to lend a hand,” the echidna offered sweetly.

Amy smiled warmly in her direction as they came to a red light. “That’s sweet of you, but I’ve already covered that. Some of the boys from the M.C. helped finish getting me moved in with all the furniture and whatnot.”

“Oh, that’s nice of them,” she noted before twiddling nervously. “So, you’re not nervous about being back here?”

Amy shook her head as she adjusted her quills while looking in a mirror on the wall. “Not really.”

The light turned green again, allowing her to continue her drive. “It’s just…I couldn’t help but overhear your ex in your conversation, and he seems concerned about your welfare.”

“Sorry you had to hear all that…” Amy sighed. “He’s just being overly protective.”

“Perhaps, but look at everything that’s happened in the last couple of months,” she justified. “He must truly love you if he’s doing all this to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it…”
•~•

At that same time, Shadow, Manic, Mighty, and Knuckles arrived at the packing plant and parked far away. They weren’t sure if the enemy was still there and wanted to surprise attack them if they were still stationed there. It was dark now, and they whipped out flashlights in the back of their bike’s storage compartment. The four males dismounted their bikes with guns and flashlights drawn as they quickly and quietly approached the main entrance.

Shadow remained at the head of the group, leading the charge. As they neared the wired gate, they could see tire tracks leading into the entranceway way, where it appeared the vehicle had crashed through the gates to create easier access. The tire tracks were still fresh enough in the gravel and dirt. As they continued in, they noticed their two patrol bikers meant to keep watch had been shot dead on sight. Their bodies were sprawled out near the main entrance to the building.

“Shit…” Knuckles cursed, looking at the two rookies. “Poor guys never had a chance.”

Shadow hushed him. “We don’t know if this is a trap. It seems they’ve left, but we won’t know until we’ve cleared the area.”

Manic aimed his gun ahead of him with his flashlight in position. Paranoid, there would be a surprise attack out of nowhere. He kept looking over his shoulder and around him, expecting someone to strike. However, things only became more gruesome as they entered the facility. There were numerous escort packer girls gunned down brutally as they lay in their pools of blood. Bullet holes were scattered along the walls, along with blood smears. The group navigated around the bodies, looking for any signs of survivors while also being hypersensitive they could be ambushed.

Seeing the destruction and devastation of this act on innocent lives made Knuckles sick to his stomach. He stopped, turned around, and threw up from the sight alone. “Chaos…” he spat.

Manic kept up his vigilance and continued to search for Mina. However, he feared the worst and assumed he’d find her body. “Anyone need any help!?” he called.

“Silent, you idiot,” Shadow growled under his breath. “They could still be here…”

Manic scoffed. “They’re long gone. We’re wasting time!” Suddenly, he heard a noise in a distant corner of the room and noticed a flipped-over table with a barrel beside it. He quickly rushed over, nearly tripping over a deceased body before he looked over the side of it. There, he spotted Mina, hidden away from harm. “Min!”

“Manic,” she gasped in relief as tears filled her eyes. The others followed after Manic, and they watched him leap into action.

Manic moved the flipped table away and helped her to her feet. “Yo, are you okay? That phone call made me mad worried.”

She was still trembling as she stared into his eyes. “I-I think so…” Unfortunately, her eyes drifted past his shoulder, finally focusing on her fallen co-worker’s dead bodies lying on the floor. “Oh, Chaos…” she placed a hand to her mouth. “No!”

“Don’t look,” he commanded. “Keep your eyes on me. You’re safe now.”

Mina swallowed the lump and nodded, keeping her eyes locked on the green hedgehog. “Okay.”

•~•

Once dropped off at her apartment, Amy walked upstairs to her second-floor apartment. She was startled when she rounded the corner to the next flight of stairs and spotted Mephiles waiting on one of the steps. His arms were draped over his bent knees as his reptilian eyes bore into hers. “It’s about time, Ms. Rose.”

She wasn’t surprised to see him there, especially since Silver had dropped by the hospital earlier. She had expected it. She remained on the lower steps a reasonable distance away from him. “How’d you figure out where I live?” was her first question.

He chuckled. “I never reveal my resources.”

She frowned at his response. “How long have you been waiting here for me?”

Mephiles glanced at his phone clock briefly. “An hour at least,” he shrugged. “Do you know why I’m here? You don’t seem surprised to see me.”

She clutched the strap to her purse. “Because Deputy Silver was looking for me?” she surmised.

He chuckled, impressed, as he rose to his feet. “Precisely correct, Ms. Rose. We need to talk. Shall we go inside?” he gestured to her apartment door.

“I’m not letting you inside my apartment. Whatever needs to be said can be said out here,” she stated firmly.

Mephiles feigned offense as he placed a hand on his chest. “Ms. Rose, are you scared to be indoors alone with me?”

Amy crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at him. “Of course. You’re dangerous and unpredictable.”

“Fair enough,” he smirked. “At any rate, why was the deputy visiting you at the hospital?”

The less he knew, the more he’d be off her back. “He was doing the same thing everyone in this town has been trying to do. Get me to get the hell out of here.”

He studied her for a moment. “Is that truly why he came looking for you, Ms. Rose? To convince you to leave?”

“Yes, he doesn’t understand why I’d want to fight for my relationship with your brother,” she lied.

Mephiles began to descend the staircase towards her. “You better hope you’re telling the truth, my dear. Because if I catch wind of anything sinister being discussed about me, I’d have to go through with my threats,” he reminded. “I can’t have you conspiring behind my back now,” he tsked.

She moved to the side as he remained across from her on the same step. “I’m not that stupid, Mephiles.”

He smiled darkly, sensing her fear of him. “I can see that now.”

Suddenly, his phone rang, and he quickly answered, seeing his brother’s name flash on the screen. He placed the phone up to his ear and immediately heard his brother’s voice on the other end. “We have a problem,” he announced.

“Where’s the problem located?” he inquired, keeping eye contact with Amy.

“At the packing plant. Starline’s cartel hit the location. It’s bad over here.”

“I’ll be there in twenty,” he replied before hanging up. He continued down the steps. “You’re lucky there’s an emergency with business. Otherwise, I’d continue to interrogate you. Have a lovely evening, Ms. Rose. I’m sure I’ll see you again at some point.”

Amy’s ears perked in alarm as she watched the dark hedgehog disappear down the staircase. She could only wonder what kind of emergency the group was dealing with.

•~•

At the distribution plant, Shadow, Manic, Mighty, and Knuckles were already there assessing the damage. The building appeared fine on the outside, untouched in fact. However, what took place on the inside was a gruesome scene. Mephiles arrived and drove his motorcycle into an empty spot before quickly dismounting to discover the damage. He quickly made his way over towards the others. “What happened?”

“Starline’s cartel and the Suppression raided our distribution center. They did a clean sweep on the merchandise and took out the packing liners,” Shadow explained.

“The only survivor was Mina,” Knuckles added as he nodded in her direction.

Mephiles’ eyes followed his nod, and he spotted Mina sitting on the steps of the building with Manic’s jacket draped over her shoulders. She looked shaken and in shock as the green hedgehog continued to console her as he stayed by her side. He couldn’t help but notice some blood along one of her cheeks.

Chapter 37: Turn the Night Up!

Summary:

It's Mighty's birthday, and the group is celebrating his birthday at the club. Finally, Amy and Mighty's relationship takes a new turn.

Notes:

AN: Once again, sorry for the long delay. I'm still packing up in preparation for the move. I'm about to start my new job on July 29th, and I'm honestly terrified. I will live with my sister and brother-in-law until my new house is ready. Therefore, expect a possibly longer delay in the next chapter. Thank you to those who keep leaving me reviews. I appreciate them. <3

I do not own the song: "Turn the Night Up" by Enrique Iglesias.

•~•

It had been a few days after the attack, and things had calmed down. It was the evening when Manic entered the living room, where he found the mongoose bundled up in blankets and sat on the couch. He had two cups of coffee in hand and walked over to her. "Hey, how are you feeling today?" he asked, handing her a cup of coffee.

Mina accepted the mug with a faint smile. "A little bit better. Thank you for looking after me all this time. It's sweet, but you don't need to. I'll be fine, I swear."

He gave her a weak smile. "It's honestly no big deal," he shrugged as he sat beside her on the couch. "Actually, it's been good for me if I'm being real. It's been a big-time distraction for my crappy problems."

She took a sip of her coffee. "And what problems are you dealing with?"

He was silent for a few moments as he dwelled on how to approach the topic. "Just fucked up ones—mostly personal trauma," he admitted. "I don't really want to go into too much detail. I don't wanna burden you with my issue, you know."

"I understand, but if you ever feel like talking about it, you can always talk to me. After all, you allowed me to talk to you after what happened at the distribution center."

He smiled sincerely at her, which he hadn't done in weeks. "I appreciate that."

•~•

Meanwhile, that evening, Mephiles and Shadow met up with Enerjak and his associates at a disclosed private location on the city's outskirts. The two brothers stood before the echidna as they quickly briefed him on handling their upcoming business deal.

"Mogul is very concerned," Mephiles began. "You see, he's afraid that blood and headlines will stain their cause."

Enerjak smirked arrogantly. "I have found that big stacks of cash have a very tranquil effect on people. I'll convince him to let go of his fears."

"Well, you'll need a little diplomacy, too," Shadow added.

The echidna kept his hands firmly over the handle of his cane. "Dear boy, I can be very persuasive."

"Get ready then; he's pulling up now," Shadow nodded. The group turned and spotted two black S.U.V.s approaching their meeting location. The cars parked, and eventually, the large and intimidating Mammoth Mogul appeared as he stepped out of his vehicle with his bodyguards ready. In his luxurious business suit, he and his guards sauntered over to approach the other males.

"Mr. Enerjak, this is Mammoth Mogul, our supplier," Mephiles introduced. "And Mr. Mogul, this is Mr. Enerjak, the head of the cartel." The two leaders shook hands with one another, remaining respectful.

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally," Mogul responded.

Enerjak smiled diplomatically as they departed from their handshake. "You made quite the commute for this meeting. I greatly appreciate your time, sir."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaned back on his heels, and looked down at the echidna. "Of course, but only because your business with us seems worth it."

"I'm pleased to hear that. Does that mean you'll continue to work with us as a supplier in the future? After all, we'll need more higher-level weaponry moving forward."

"I'm equally happy to hear you want to continue funding my business, but I have a few concerns that linger on my mind…"

He smiled confidently. "Let's hear them then," Enerjak urged as he placed a hand on his shoulder and began to usher him further away from Shadow and Mephiles. The two walked together side by side as the bodyguards of both males followed them. "Allow me to alleviate all your worries and concerns."

Shadow and Mephiles eyed one another as they wondered how savvy the echidna would be at convincing their boss.

•~•

Later that night, Amy stood in her kitchen washing some dishes after another long shift at work. She heard her phone chime, signaling that she had a text message. She turned off the faucet and quickly dried her hands on a dish towel before she grabbed her phone to check the message. It happened to be from Mighty. "Coming over in a bit. I hope you haven't eaten yet. I'm bringing food over."

Amy began typing back to him. "That's sweet; I haven't, actually. What's the surprise visit for?"

"Just a check-in," he replied with a smiley face emoji.

Amy scrutinized the message before putting her phone down to check her appearance. She entered her bedroom, where a standing mirror was found, and messed with the messy updo ponytail she had thrown her quills into while cleaning. She was already in her pajama set for the night, which consisted of short red silk pajama shorts, a silk red spaghetti strap tank top, and fluffy black slippers. She checked to ensure she was acceptable in her appearance before hearing a knock on her front door. Shen rushed to open the door. When she peeped through the peephole, she saw Mighty standing on the other side with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a large brown bag held in the other. Smiling, she opened the door to greet him.

The armadillo grinned when he laid eyes on her. "Hey, Ames!"

She opened the door more to allow him inside. "Hey, come inside."

He strode past her as she closed her front door before locking it. "So, what'd you bring over to eat?"

He walked over to her kitchen counter, unpacking the items inside the brown bag. "Just some Chinese," he answered. "I got all your favorites, too."

Amy smiled happily as she stood on the other side of the counter. "Oh? You remembered my favorites?"

"Of course, kid," he winked. He pulled out three white cartons and slid them across to her. "Beef and broccoli, crab Rangoon, and chicken lo mien."

Amy clasped her hands together giddily. "Wow, you did well!" She walked over to her kitchen drawer, grabbed some chopsticks, and grabbed a few plates.

"And as for me," he continued. He pulled out several more cartons. "Shrimp fried rice, orange chicken, and some soup dumplings."

Amy eyed all the food laid out on the counter. "This is a lot of food, you know…"

He shrugged indifferently. "Eh, don't worry about it. You'll have some leftovers, I'm sure."

•~•

A little bit later, after returning home from meeting with Mr. Enerjak and Mr. Mogul, the two brothers entered the living room, where some of the other members waited for them. Knuckles, Gadget, Manic, and Ray sat on the sofa, eager to hear how the meeting between the two males went.

"You're back earlier than I'd expect," Knuckles noted. "I assume that can only be good news then."

Mephiles nodded rather proudly. "Enerjak wasn't kidding when he said he could be quite persuasive. He sealed the deal and put all of Mogul's fears to rest."

"Gee. I'm shocked," Gadget noted. "I would've assumed there would be no chance of getting his business to continue with their reputation…"

"I thought the same," Shadow concurred. "However, it looks like we're truly in this for the long haul now."

Knuckles scoffed under his breath and shook his head, not pleased by the news. "Great," he muttered.

Shadow's eyes scanned the living room as he noted an absence. "Where's Mighty?"

"Oh yeah, he stopped by Amy's place to check on her. He's been worried sick about her ever since the distribution center was attacked," Manic piped up.

"I see…" Shadow couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy course through him at the thought of spending time alone in her apartment, especially with Amy's history of having a crush on the armadillo. However, he couldn't and shouldn't feel the emotions he was feeling at that moment. They had broken up—he needed to move on. "Pff, whatever." At any rate, it was only a drop-by check.

•~•

At that same time, back at Amy's apartment, the two lounged on her couch as they finished their plates of Chinese food. Mighty patted his stomach, content with the feeling of being full of the tasty meal. "That hit the spot, huh, Ames?"

Amy wiped her lips with a napkin. "Yes, it was delicious! Thank you for bringing me the wonderful meal."

He smiled warmly at her. "No problem, kid." She watched as he rose and began cleaning up the trash they had created.

"No! You don't have to do that," she urged. "I can clean up."

Mighty shook his head at her pleas. "Nah, I've got it here. Just sit back and relax."

Amy restrained herself and watched as he continued throwing away trash. "So, when will you tell me why you stopped by so suddenly?"

He froze near the trashcan as he craned his neck to look back at her in the living room. "Can't a good friend stop by to visit?"

Amy considered telling him she had an encounter with Mephiles a couple of nights ago when she saw him flee the scene due to a club emergency. She had pieced together something significant that had gone down with the club. Instead, she shrugged. She didn't want Mighty to be involved in her drama with the M.C. president—it would only complicate things. "Just call it a girl's intuition."

He finished disposing of trash and sighed. "Fine, you got me." He walked back over to the couch and sat down across from her. "One of our work sites was attacked by the opposing cartel the other day. They killed a lot of our working girls and left only one of them alive. Some of us think she was lucky when she played dead not to be taken out, while others believe they purposely left her as a sole survivor to recount the horrors to us," he explained. "You know, as a threat to back off."

"Who was it who survived?" Amy inquired.

"The new girl who joined us. Mina," he answered. "The whole ordeal shook her, but funnily enough, Manic has been looking after her."

She frowned. "Poor girl," Amy mumbled. "I can only imagine…."

"Yeah, well. It got me thinking about you being out here all alone. That's why I stopped by. I was wondering if you'd allow me to spend the night with you?" Amy blushed at the notion, and Mighty chuckled as he realized how it sounded as he caught her reaction. "Not like that, Ames. I'll crash on the couch. It'll give me peace of mind, and I hope for you too."

She rubbed at her left arm. "Sure, I don't mind. I guess it'll be nice to have some company for once. Just let me get some bedsheets for you, and I can set a bed up for you on the couch."

"Thanks, Ames," he smiled.

When she returned, she spotted him getting into his backpack, where he had a spare pair of clothes, and she watched as he placed his gun on the coffee table next to where he'd be sleeping. She approached him with the bedsheets and spare pillow. "You aren't playing around, huh?" she noted, staring at his weapon.

"Not a chance, kid." He moved aside as he allowed her to make his makeshift bed. However, as she was bent over, his eyes couldn't help but stare at her perky backside. Her red silk pajama pants showed a bit of her cheeky bum as she leaned forward. The armadillo swallowed the lump in his throat as he realized he was ogling her. His blue eyes drifted away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh, you still plan to come to my birthday party tomorrow night?" he asked, trying to distract himself from checking her out.

Amy stood upright after putting on the bedsheets over the couch. "Of course I will."

"Great," he beamed.

She placed his pillow down and fluffed it for him. "Who else is going?"

"Pretty much all the O.G. crew. Rouge and Mina will be there too."

Amy frowned as a thought crossed her mind. "So, I guess that means Lien-Da will also be there…with Shadow?"

"Uh…yeah, she'll probably go as his date. But hey, you can chill and hang with me," he offered with a smile.

Her ears lowered solemnly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that I think of it, going to this might be much harder than I thought…I want to win him back, though."

He walked over and placed his hand on her arm. "You're right, it will be, but you can still have fun with me and the others. We all miss you like crazy, Ames. Come out and party with us."

She smiled weakly. "Alright…"

•~•

The following day, Amy was dressed in scrubs for her next shift at the hospital. She sat at the kitchen table, eating some cereal, when her ears twitched to a sound. She heard Mighty's cell phone vibrating on the coffee table. It vibrated for some time before it finally stopped. Amy returned to eating her meal, not wanting to intrude by invading his personal items. However, the phone began vibrating again, as she assumed the same person was calling him again.

She sighed. "Mighty, you've got a call," she announced loudly so he could hear. He was currently in the bathroom.

"Can you answer it for me and tell them I'll be out in a sec?" his muffled voice replied through the bathroom door.

"Sure," she stated loudly as she got up to answer the call. As Amy walked over, she picked up his flip phone and opened it to answer the call. She quickly put the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"…Rose?" the voice said on the other end. She immediately recognized it as Shadow's voice.

"Oh, Shadow," her voice suddenly became less confident. "Um, Mighty's in the bathroom right now. He'll be out in a few moments."

Right on cue, the armadillo came out. "Who is it?"

"He's here," she said into the phone before handing it over. "It's Shadow."

Mighty made a face, realizing how uncomfortable it must've been for her to answer. "Oh boy," he whispered before placing the phone to his ear. "Shad?"

"You're still at her apartment?" he probed, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

He grimaced, knowing Shadow was disappointed with him by his tone alone. "Yeah, sorry about that. I overslept. I'm moving now, I promise."

"I was under the impression yesterday this was a quick check-in, not an overnight stay…"

"Look, I was worried about her, so I stayed the night," he explained, trying to lower his voice as he walked off a little further. He glanced over his shoulder at Amy, who was sitting at the kitchen table. He assumed she was eavesdropping on the one-sided conversation as she ate and didn't need her to hear everything.

"You do realize what this looks like, don't you?" he interrogated.

"Shads, nothing happened, man. I wouldn't do that to you," he whispered.

"You have work to do in the mechanic shop," he stated sternly. "Get back to the compound. Now," he emphasized.

Mighty opened his mouth to respond but realized he had already hung up. It was pretty apparent that Shadow was pissed with the situation. "Ames, I gotta get going. I'm already off to a bad start with Shads this morning."

"Why is he upset? He has no right to be."

Mighty scratched his chin. "Er, he kind of suspects something may have happened with me staying over here."

Amy leaned back in her seat, huffing and crossing her arms over her chest. "Good. It serves him right to think that. Now he can get a taste of his own medicine."

Mighty shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, but I'm the one who will have to deal with him in a mood when I get back home."

"He'll get over it eventually," she smirked victoriously.

"Right…" Mighty approached her at the table and grabbed his backpack. "I'll pick you up later tonight around 11 PM. Okay?"

Amy smiled up at him. "I'll be ready," she nodded.

Mighty approached the front door and slung his backpack over his left shoulder. "Alright, kid, I'll see you later tonight."

"Later," she waved.

•~•

That evening, a few white taxi vans arrived at the compound and picked everyone up for the club. While they drove to Amy's apartment to pick her up, everyone chatted in the back seats, giddy to party.

Manic, Mina, and Mighty sat in the back row of the van. The green hedgehog patted the armadillo on the back. "Since it's your birthday, I only think it's fair that I help you pull the best chick tonight and be your wingman. You get first dibs on the hottest chick in the club!"

Mighty chuckled. "I always come home with the best girl in the club so it won't be too difficult," he bragged.

Manic scoffed slightly and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, sure, Might."

Knuckles and Rouge sat in front of the two, and he rolled his eyes at the two males, bro-ing out as they always did before hitting the club. Rouge linked arms with him as they eavesdropped on their conversation. "Remember when you were their age?"

"Of course," he answered. "But was I like that back then?"

"Yes." Rouge chuckled.

The two vans suddenly stopped in front of Amy's apartment complex and sounded off a honk. A few moments later, Amy came down the stairs of her apartment complex. Rouge spotted her in one of her old club-wear dresses she had allowed her to borrow for the night. Manic also happened to see Amy as she descended the stairs. He wolf-whistled her way as he rolled down his car window. "Yo, Hubba, Hubba!"

Amy looked stunning in a red, backless, ruched dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her top had a deep V-neck cut that showed off some of her cleavages, while the dress stopped just at her upper thigh. The dress did her legs justice, showing off her long and lovely, soft pink legs and thighs. She had beautiful, shiny gold bangles that helped pull the outfit together, along with her red heels. She wore her quills down, which swept down her upper back.

The white bat pushed Manic's head down to stick her head out the window. "Damn, you're smoking hot tonight!" Rouge complimented, eying her up and down. The taxi driver hopped out and opened the slide van door to allow her to climb onboard. She crawled in and sat with Knuckles and Rouge.

"Thanks, guys. I tried." Amy crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a little out of her comfort zone in her revealing apparel. She was not used to dressing this risqué and felt vulnerable, but she wanted to catch Shadow's attention. Maybe he'd remember what he was missing if he saw her in her new outfit. After all, the idea of Mighty spending time at her apartment had triggered him earlier.

Annoyingly enough, Shadow noticed Amy's outfit from the other van parked behind theirs. She looked incredibly sexy. He thanked the heavens he was in the other van where she couldn't see him. If she caught him gawking, it'd give away that he still cared for her. He was trying to move on and push her away. "Easy there, handsome," Lien whispered. He glanced at her. "The only one you should have your eyes on like that is me," she reminded.

"Yes…you're right," he nodded solemnly.

Mephiles shook his head at his gawking brother. Despite all his efforts to push her away, he still was smitten with Amy. It was pathetic in his eyes. The two vans began making their way to their final destination.

Back in the other van, Mina reached over to introduce herself. "Hi. I don't think we've ever been properly introduced. I'm Mina," the mongoose smiled.

Amy outstretched her hand and shook it. "Oh, I'm Amy. I've heard a bit about you already. It's nice to put a name to a face."

"Totally!" she concurred. "Tonight, you should hang with Rouge and me. We can have our own little girls' night."

"Yes, Amy!" Rouge chimed in from the back excitedly. "We can get drunk together."

"Rouge!" Knuckles berated. "Am I going to have to babysit you again?"

"Oh, shut up, knucklehead! You make me sound like a child," she huffed.

"It feels like it when I'm carrying you out passed out of the club," he grumbled.

"Hey now, y'all are going to scare her away from partying at this rate," Mighty chuckled.

Amy smiled uncomfortably. "We'll see where the night takes us."

•~•

Location: Club Hide Away

Once they arrived, the bikers flooded through the club doors before scattering inside. The club had multiple rooms, a dance floor, a V.I.P. section, and bars. Amy spotted Shadow and Lien-Da walking together as everyone walked inside towards their designated reserved spot. She walked a little faster and tried to make small talk with Shadow, who had refused to look in her direction even after they had gotten out of the vans. "Hey," she waved awkwardly.

Shadow and Lien looked in her direction before Shadow frowned and shook his head, continuing to walk forward. Lien smirked triumphantly when she recognized Shadow's reaction to Amy's interaction with them. Instead, she linked her arm with Shadow's and continued walking with him, hoping to rub in her misery more.

Amy remained back and watched the retreating couple, stunned that Shadow had completely ignored her and given her the cold shoulder. "Poor Ms. Rose," another voice chimed in from behind. She turned and spotted Mephiles slithering up behind her, shaking his head in feigned sorrow. "You're still desperately trying to catch my brother's eye again?"

"And what if I am?" she challenged.

"You certainly do go out of your way to do so much for someone who has discarded you like mere trash," he noted calmly. "Don't you think it's time you moved on too?"

She huffed. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

He chuckled at her snarky response. "My brother is my business…You know, if you wanted to really get under his skin, you could always spend time with me, dancing, drinking, and perhaps partaking in some other activities," he suggested coyly. "Did I mention you look ravishing tonight?" he practically purred.

She spun around to face him, spotting his reptilian eyes, tracing her figure. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" She stormed off, not wanting to spend any more time along with the creepy M.C. president.

Finding the other girls, Amy sat at one of the booths in the V.I.P. section reserved for Mighty's birthday bash. The girls watched as the boys sitting at the other booth just a few feet away danced and drank while flirting with other girls who began approaching their section. "You know, you don't have to hang out with me," Amy stated. "Go and have fun. I'll be fine, honest."

"Amy, I'm too old for this stuff now. I'm only here to watch out for all the girls trying to go after my husband," Rouge admitted, staring at Knuckles. Knuckles was on his best behavior at the other end as he took shots with Mighty, Manic, and Gadget. They all high-fived afterward and laughed.

Suddenly, something caught Amy's eye. It was Shadow, and he was leading Lien-Da by the hand back over toward the other boys, but there was someone new with them. Besides holding hands with Shadow, Lien held hands with a sexy white rabbit in a little black dress. It hadn't even been two minutes, and Shadow had already found another girl to deter Amy from winning him over. The trio plopped down on the couch and performed a three-way kiss. Amy's mouth dropped at the sight, and as much as she wanted to burst into tears over the display, her body would not allow it. It was as if her body was too tired to grieve over her broken heart.

"Wow, what an asshole!" Mina glared.

Rouge growled in disgust. "All right, that's it!" She abruptly stood from her seat with her glass of white wine in hand and stormed over to Shadow. Amy stayed back and watched. "Oooh, Shadow!" Rouge sang, pulling him out of his make-out session. Shadow broke away from the kiss and looked up, face to face with Rouge, swilling him with her drink. The wine splashed in his face and onto the two girls he was with, causing them to shriek in protest.

"What the fuck, Rouge!" Shadow shouted, turning his head. He shook his quills, trying to splash out the wine.

"That's for Amy, you dickhead!" Rouge spat.

"What the hell is your problem, you old bat?" Lien-Da snarled.

"Excuse me?" she snapped back, ready to throw hands.

Lien-Da sprung to her feet and was nose to nose-with Rouge. "I'll take you right here, bitch!"

Rouge was not ready to back down and held her ground. "Whatcha going to do, huh? Hit me. Hit me!"

Two bouncers quickly came and started to escort Rouge out of the club. Knuckles followed her. "Really, Rouge? We just got here!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, the girls heard a sharp whistle. They looked in the other corner, where Mephiles signaled for Mina to approach his section. He held a martini in one hand while he wiggled his index finger with his free hand and then snapped downward at the floor. Mina stood upright, knowing what he wanted. "What's wrong?" Amy questioned.

"Mephiles wants my company. Do you want to come over and hang with us so you're not alone? I'm sure he won't mind."

Amy grimaced at the thought. "Uh, no thanks. I'll be fine."

Mina looked reluctant. "You sure?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, I'm sure." Mina hurried off towards Mephiles, who immediately slung an arm around the back of her neck and began kissing her. Amy watched as Mina became quite bashful and couldn't understand what the mongoose saw in the hedgehog. Remaining alone at the empty booth with her drink in hand, she played with the straw and glanced over her shoulder at Shadow, now wiping the wine dripping off his face. He momentarily looked away from the rag he had been handed and toward Amy. Their eyes lingered on one another for moments before he looked away again. Lien-Da came back and brought him into another kiss. Slowly, Shadow embraced Lien-Da and kissed her back as his arms wrapped around her waist. Amy turned away from the sight and shut her eyes tight. The sight was too painful, and she couldn't allow herself to cry. Not here, not now.

Mighty felt his stomach sink as he watched the sight. Seeing Amy sit all alone while watching the guy she loved making out with two sluts had to be tough. A waitress came over with a tray of vodka shots, offering them to Mighty and his party. Mighty took two shots off the tray while the other boys clawed at it to get one.

Mighty took a deep breath and walked over to Amy, hoping to cheer her up. He sat down by her side with the shots in hand. "Hey, I figured you might need this," he spoke, startling her slightly. Amy glanced to her left, seeing Mighty sit down by her side. Looking at the two shots he had in hand, she took them both and threw her head back, taking one after the other. His eyes widened. "Whoa, okay, you probably needed them more than me…" he chuckled.

Amy made a sour face as the liquor burned the back of her throat, but he was right. She needed it. "Thanks for that," she said, looking back his way.

"No problem. I just wanted to see how you were doing, kid."

"Awful…I don't know why I even bothered to come. I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this, Mighty."

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He's being a dick, but honestly, you're probably the strongest girl I've ever met," he complimented. "I haven't even seen you shed even one tear tonight."

She smiled weakly at him. "…You know, you don't have to ruin your evening spending it with me. It's your birthday, and I know you want to enjoy it."

"Hey, who said you were ruining it? I hate seeing girls upset, especially sexy ones in the club," he winked flirtatiously.

She looked away momentarily, feeling her cheeks blush at his compliment. "You don't think I look like a hot mess?"

He shook his head as he leaned back cooly, draping his arms over the back of the booth. "Nah, not at all. Although you do look like a little sex bomb tonight," he said, eying her up and down.

Amy gave him a slight chuckle. Mighty cracked a grin, seeing her smile, and placed an arm around her, giving her a quick cuddle. "That's it," he laughed. "But for real, you look beautiful tonight, kid. Shadow should be looking your way."

Her face flushed slightly. "Thanks."

Suddenly, the music started to pump up. He snapped his fingers. "Hey, I've got an idea."

"What?"

He stood upright. "Come and dance with me. Get your mind off him for the night. You deserve to have some fun, too," he encouraged.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," she shook her head sheepishly.

"Come on, just one song," he smiled, extending his hand for her to take. "I know you've told me in the past that you love to dance." Amy stared down at his extended hand. He did make a good point. Why should she allow herself to mope around and think about what Shadow was up to? Mighty could see her debating the decision silently. "Please, it is my birthday, after all. You can't leave the birthday boy hanging," he hinted.

She smiled and placed her hand in his. "Alright, you got me."

"Thatta a girl," he grinned. "But first, we'll make a tiny pit stop." Mighty escorted her downstairs towards the dance floor below the V.I.P. section.

Once downstairs, Mighty kept Amy close as he led her to the bar. She felt giddy as he held her hand, navigating her through the crowd. The two squeezed their way to the front as the armadillo leaned one arm along the counter. "Yo, bartender," he flagged with a wave.

The bartender, a slim but pretty snow leopard, turned around. "Mighty, nice to see you again," her yellow eyes beamed when she saw him. "What can I get you?"

"Two tequila shots," he ordered while holding up two fingers. "And put it on my tab." The bartender quickly poured them two shots and moved them towards him, along with two lime slices at the ready and a saltshaker.

Amy stared down at the shot, feeling nervous. "Is this necessary? I already had two shots upstairs."

"It's liquid courage, kid," he cracked with a chuckle. "It'll help loosen you up."

She picked up the shot apprehensively. "I want to, but I'm not a tequila fan."

"I've got a tip then," he smirked. She watched as he licked the back of his hand where his thumb and pointer finger met and dashed some salt onto his damp hand. "You don't want to feel the burn? Lick the salt first, throw the shot back, and then suck on the lime," he instructed. "It'll help with that. Me, on the other hand? I enjoy the burn."

Amy followed his instructions and mimicked his previous actions, preparing to take the shot. She was ready once the salt was on the back of her hand. "Well, here we go. Cheers."

The two clinked their glasses together. Amy quickly licked the salt off the back of her hand, tossed the shot back, and immediately placed the lime in her mouth to chase the alcohol. Mighty felt an adrenaline course through him. He slammed the shot glass back on the counter, licked the back of his hand with the salt, then placed the lime in his mouth. He glanced over at Amy to see how she was holding up. "How are you feeling, kid?"

Amy was starting to feel a bit tipsy and more at ease. She could feel the tequila shot and smiled goofily. "Great." A familiar song began to play, and she looked up at the bright lights illuminating the room and started clapping excitedly. The music was pounding loudly as Enrique Iglesias' "Turn the Night Up" started playing.

"Baby, it's you and me, you see, we can turn the night up."

"And if you feel the way I feel, we can turn the night up."

She grabbed onto one of his arms excitedly. "Oh my gosh, this is my favorite song! Let's dance!" she begged, practically hopping up and down.

Mighty chuckled at her cuteness. She was more relaxed now and in a rather playful mood. "Look who's begging to dance with me now?"

With the rest of the group, Manic, Mina, Gadget, Ray, Shadow, and Lien-Da danced and drank in their V.I.P. section. Manic finished taking another shot, starting to feel the alcohol kick in, and looked around. "Yo, where's Might at?"

"Look," Gadget pointed. Manic turned and looked down below where Gadget was pointing. His eyes practically bugged out as he watched Mighty lead Amy by the hand to the dance floor in the massive sea of people. Rouge and Knuckles returned to the V.I.P. section after bartering with the bouncers to allow Rouge back inside.

"Where's Amy?" Rouge inquired, interrupting the boys spying on the two from above.

"Dancing with my brother," Ray answered, looking at Rouge.

"What?" Shadow snapped after overhearing the mention. He turned his attention away from Lien-Da, stood up, and pushed some boys out of the way to get a look. He gripped the railing and looked below at the dance floor. From his vantage point, he spotted Mighty and Amy dancing close together to the sexual music. His brows narrowed dangerously.

"Gimme some of that."

"Gimme some of that."

"Gimme some of that."

"Yeah, Mighty, get some!" Manic cheered drunkenly from above. Shadow glared at the green hedgehog, causing him to retract his smile, converting it to a sheepish one. "I mean, cut that out…Dang, he can't hear me," Manic quickly zipped away, feeling Shadow's burning eyes on him.

Lien-Da came by Shadow's side to see what he wanted to look at. When she spotted Mighty twirl Amy on the dance floor, she rolled her eyes in pity at the scene. "She's just trying to make you jealous, too. Don't let her win," she said, linking arms with him.

"You're right…" He moved away and returned to the booth they had been previously making out in. If he wanted his plan to work, he couldn't let Amy succeed with her attempts.

Back on the dance floor, different colored lights flashed to the music's bass. The floor was packed with couples grinding to the sexually charged song. Amy faced Mighty as she swayed her hips from side to side. Mighty mimicked her moves while swaying with her. He had his hands on her hips while she had her arm loosely around his neck. She kept her eyes closed as she could feel the bass in her chest.

"Damn, you look so sexy."

"Baby, you impress me."

"I want to get nasty."

Mighty turned Amy around so her back was against his chest as he held her by the hips and close to his body. While Amy allowed her mind to wander, the music channeled through her, giving her body a mind of its own. Mighty couldn't help but check out her sensual moves.

"Girl, you got the bom, bom."

"Take a shot. You want one."

"Mama, I can change your life."

"Gimme some of that."

She looked smokin' from behind, and he softly groaned as he felt her ass rub against his crotch teasingly. He was happy the music was so loud that she hadn't heard him. Amy had a banging body. She was curvy with a nice waistline, a perfectly tight little ass, and beautiful perky tits and legs for days. His eyes wandered lower to her gorgeous and silky-smooth legs. Mighty tried to shake the dirty thoughts from his mind. He was only trying to help cheer her up, not bang her. On the other hand, Amy was utterly oblivious that he had been checking her out for a solid two minutes as she danced with him.

"The way you do it, you got that something."

"You got that something, so keep it moving."

"You know I love it."

Rouge, Knuckles, Mina, and Manic watched Amy from the table at the V.I.P. section as they danced together. Rouge felt a slight smile tug on her lips as she observed Amy crack a genuine smile as she danced with Mighty. She could see Mighty whispering things in her ear, only causing her to laugh as they danced to the music.

"Baby, you, it's you and me."

"You see, we can turn the night up."

"And if you feel the way I feel, we can turn the night up."

The two watched as the entire dance floor, along with Mighty and Amy, began to fist pump and jump up and down to the song's beat as it increased in intensity.

Rouge looked in her husband's direction. "Hey, you wanna dance, big guy?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Knuckles reached for her hand and led her downstairs to the main dance floor packed with bodies.

That left Manic, Mephiles, and Mina alone. Manic rubbed the back of his neck as he held a beer. He looked back and forth uncomfortably. Mephiles sat in the booth drinking hard liquor and seemed disinterested in partaking in dance. Conversely, Mina watched the others have fun below as she swayed from side to side to the music. He leaned closer to her so she could hear him. "So, hey, do you wanna…"

She didn't even bother to let him finish his question and grabbed his hand, yanking him downstairs. "Love to!" The female mongoose was eager to dance with the hedgehog. Mephiles watched as the giddy mongoose eagerly rushed over with the green hedgehog down the stairs and sucked his teeth. Mephiles' eyes followed the two as they fled the scene.

Amy was back to facing Mighty as he brought her closer, and his hands were teasingly above from touching her ass. Surprisingly, he was an incredible dancer and very sensual as well. She stared into his eyes as their bodies moved even closer together. She could feel his body heat, and she was sure he could feel hers. Mighty shot her his charming grin, making her blush and turn her head. Then she noticed Rouge, Knuckles, Manic, and Mina dancing and grinding to the music nearby in the sea of people.

The music was popping off again, and the dancers on the floor began to jump up and down with a fist pump to the song's beat. Mighty and Amy laughed together as they hopped up and down in sync with the crowd. Everyone was having a blast.

"One love, one love."

"From Metropolis…to Mercia."

"From Mercia…to the world."

Mephiles leaned over the railing above as he eyed Amy and Mighty with the others. He smirked in delight before eying Shadow brooding in the corner with Lien-Da. He knew his brother couldn't stand to see some other guy, no less one of his club members, grinding up on his ex-girlfriend. It didn't matter to him, however. The more Amy did to make Shadow angrier, the better in his mind.

•~•

After dancing for an hour, Amy and Mighty stopped in the hallway leading to the restrooms to catch their breath and get a word in over the loud music. The two were reasonably drunk, having had a few more drinks throughout the night. Shadow and most of the others had left for the night. Amy and Mighty were the only ones who had stayed behind. "Enjoying yourself?" Mighty grinned lazily as he panted.

"Loads! Thanks for this," she smiled, catching her breath. Amy even surprised herself with how much fun she had had with him. Out of nowhere, Amy embraced him, catching him off guard. She realized then that she had forgotten about her heartbreak for a few hours. Mighty hesitated to do anything for a moment but eventually hugged her back, rubbing her back in a comforting gesture. Awkwardly, they pulled apart, but their faces remained closed.

Slowly, Amy looked up at him as he looked down at her. Their eyes locked, and it was as if they both had the same idea. Their faces inched closer, and before she could comprehend what was going on, Amy pressed her lips against his. Mighty closed his eyes and kissed her back, gently pushing her against the hallway wall as he deepened the kiss. For the past few hours of dancing and drinking, Mighty had found himself slowly growing attracted to her but had tried to hold off his temptation with all his willpower.

Amy erotically moaned softly into the kiss as he gently bit and tugged at her lower lip with his mouth. His hands wandered sensually down her sides, occasionally groping her ass and lower backside. Amy's hands slid up and down his chest, rubbing small circles as their tongues thrashed in each other's mouths. Her body was growing hot from his touch, and only one thing was on her mind. Amy broke the kiss and gazed at him seductively through a half-lidded gaze as she caught her breath. "Do you want to?"

"—Yeah," he quickly replied, knowing exactly what she was asking.

•~•

The two flagged down a taxi to take them back to Amy's apartment. They continued to make out in the cab's back seat while Mighty's hands explored her legs and thighs. Amy wasn't typically one to display such graphic public displays of affection, but she was buzzed enough and turned on enough not to care for now. She had been on a dry spell for a few months now and was dying for a good fuck. She pressed her chest against Mighty with her arms around his neck while she French kissed him in the back seat.

His right hand was between her thighs, teasingly rubbing the fabric of her panties and outlining her slit. The taxicab driver did his best to ignore all the sloppy smacking noises in the back of his car, but he couldn't help but get a little turned on hearing Amy do her best to repress any moans of excitement. Eventually, Mighty's fingers moved past the fabric of her panties and entered her. His fingers moved faster between her thighs, eliciting another soft, erotic moan from Amy that caused her to blush profusely and bury her face into Mighty's shoulder to stifle her gratification.

Amy gripped the leather sleeve of his other arm, feeling a heightened and heated intensity build within her loins as his fingers delved deeper. She spread her legs more instinctively, allowing him better access. "Muh-mighty," she murmured.

The cabbie glanced in his rearview mirror and watched the armadillo. Mighty looked momentarily and spotted the driver peeping on their intimate moment, and his brows knitted together. "Aye, keep your eyes on the road, pal," he commanded. "This ain't a free show."

The cabbie gulped and focused his eyes back on the road. "You don't make it easy, you know."

Mighty shook his head and scoffed. "Then turn the music up, will yah?"

The cabbie moved his hand over to the radio and turned the dial to make the music a little louder, allowing the two to have a little more privacy to muffle their sounds. Mighty began to finger her again, but Amy grabbed his wrist between her thighs. He shot her a confused look. "What's up?" he asked in a hushed voice.

She closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame. She was blushing like crazy. "Please stop. This is so embarrassing," Amy groaned quietly as she released his wrist.

He stared at her momentarily, absorbing her comment before leaning back. She wasn't one of the typical girls he took home on a night out. She was classier and deserved more respect. "You're right. I can wait a bit longer. We're almost home anyway," he chuckled. He pulled his hand out between her thighs and looked at the glaze coating his index and middle finger. He rubbed his fingers together, feeling the slickness. He smirked roguishly at her. "We won't need much foreplay when we get back anyway since you're already so—"

"—Shut up!" she shushed him through gritted teeth bashfully. She quickly glanced back to the front where the cabbie was, but it seemed he didn't hear them this time or was at least pretending not to.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he teased. She felt her face get even redder when she watched him drag his tongue across his two fingers, licking her essence away slowly. His eyelids were lowered suggestively as he stared directly back at her, waiting to watch her expression. "And you taste pretty sweet as well."

•~•

The two finally returned home and emerged drunkenly inside the house. They tumbled inside the living room, hands wrapped around one another, as they continued their make-out session. Amy led Mighty into her bedroom and gently shoved him onto her bed. She kicked off her heels, crawled on top of him, and kissed down his neck as he squeezed her ass. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to fuck you in the back of that taxi," he moaned.

Her fingers swept down his muzzle. "Well, I'm all yours now."

Mighty closed his eyes and moaned softly as he felt her soft lips kiss his neck. As he allowed his mind to wander to everything he planned to do, his common sense came back temporarily, and his eyes shot open. "Wait," he pleaded, stopping her kisses from going lower than his neck. "Maybe this isn't a good idea," he panted in a whisper.

Amy stared at him, baffled. "…What?" she whispered back, trying to catch her breath.

He sat back a bit. "Amy, you're hot, trust me, and I want you. Badly," he whispered. "It's just you're Shadow's girl…"

Her brows knitted together at the mention. "Was Shadow's girl," she corrected, gaining her confidence.

"I-I really shouldn't be doing this with you—there are rules in the M.C. and—"

"—I don't care about the M.C.'s rules," she interrupted. He was only hesitating because he was afraid of upsetting Shadow. "You said yourself that I needed to get my mind off Shadow. This is how I'm doing it…now fuck me," she demanded. Amy leaned back down, bringing him into another passionate kiss.

How could he deny her request when it was so apparent that she wanted him? "Fuck it…" Mighty gave in and kissed her back, rolling her over and pinning her to the bed. Amy quietly moaned into the kiss as his hands roamed down her sides. He raised one hand and cupped her face as he deepened the kiss. Then he sat up, bringing her upright with him, so she sat in his lap and unzipped her dress from behind. He pushed down the top of the dress from her upper half, exposing her small, perky breasts. Mighty excitedly looked at them and softly kissed and suckled her nipples, causing her to gasp.

Amy helped yank off his jacket and t-shirt, leaving him topless. Her hands traced down his toned chest, and she could feel his bulge pressing against her inner thigh through his pants. "I-I can feel it," she moaned as he lapped one of her erect nipples.

He grinned at her playful comment. "Why don't you take it out," he suggested.

Amy was too giddy and horny to wait any longer. She unbuckled his pants for him and pulled them down enough to allow his erection to spring from its chamber. Mighty's cock emerged before her very eyes. She stared in awe at its length and girth, possibly the biggest one she had ever seen. Her hand gripped it to feel its warmth, causing him to gasp at her soft touch. She stroked it sensually a few times, making him moan. "It's—it's so big…"

He smirked arrogantly, quite proud of his blessing. "Yeah, and just wait till you really feel it, Ames," he winked.

Her hand pumped up and down his thick and long shaft, enticing it to pulse. Mighty enjoyed watching her touch and stroke his manhood. She had very soft hands and was very gentle with him. "Ames," he moaned. "Grab my wallet for me, would yah?"

Amy obliged and climbed off the bed, letting her dress drop off her frame on the floor. Left in just her panties, she rummaged through his pants to grab his wallet. She walked back over and handed it to him. "Here, what do you need it for?"

He went through his wallet, pulled out a condom, and handed it to her. "Protection."

•~•

Back at the compound, Shadow went downstairs. It was nearly 5 AM as he opened the front door, walked onto the porch, and noticed Rouge smoking a cigarette. He came up by her side and pulled a pack of cigarettes inside his jacket. "Rouge," he acknowledged.

"Shadow," she replied without looking his way.

"Hm." He placed the cigarette between his lips while he lit it. The tip ignited, and he inhaled before blowing the smoke from his mouth. The silence set in, and it was too awkward not to acknowledge. "How was Amy during the party?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She cocked an amused brow. "Surprised you even care when you seemed pretty preoccupied with your nasty escort and other sluts tonight," Rouge said disgustingly.

Shadow dragged a hand over his face in frustration. "Look, did you get her home all right? That's my only concern."

"Mighty promised me he'd get her back home," she replied, slightly annoyed.

He scoffed. "Of course, Mighty would be the one to get her home…"

Rouge smirked with intrigue. "Why does it matter it was Mighty? You afraid he might try to make a move now that she's available?"

"He'll be dead if he does," Shadow warned after taking a drag. "He knows better."

•~•

Back at Amy's apartment, Mighty and Amy were now completely naked and in the process of having sex. Mighty rested his back against her headboard while Amy sensually bounced up and down in his lap, riding his cock. He held her by the hips to support her. "Fuck, Amy…" he grunted in euphoria as she pumped herself up and down while she rode him. Her inner walls squeezed and hugged his dick beautifully with every bounce. He felt like she was sucking him further and further inside her. He was in awe of her beauty as he watched her rise and fall in his lap as she played with her breasts, groping and squeezing them together in front of his face. "You're fuckin' tight…"

Amy took her hands away from her breast play and rested her hands on the headboard to help lift and bring herself back down. "I-I've only been with two guys before," she replied through moans. "Ah, I haven't gotten around mu-uch…"

He smirked up at her, feeling her vaginal muscles grip his member. "Yeah, I-I can tell."

Amy slowed her pace and sat in his lap with his dick still inside her. Her hips started growing tired as she held his head near her chest and watched him gently kiss her breasts and nip them tenderly. "Mighty," she panted, feeling the intense pleasure in her lower region. "Can you take over?"

He leaned up and kissed her deeply before pulling back. "I've got you, beautiful, and don't worry. I'll be gentle."

She shook her head adamantly. "But I don't want you to be."

He eyed her skeptically for a moment. "Uh…You sure? I don't want to hurt you."

She nodded. "I can handle it."

"All right, but you better tell me if I get too rough with you." He gently lifted her, and his dick left her body. Amy gasped, feeling it slide out. "Lay down on your back for me," he ordered.

Amy obliged and lay down on the bed. She watched as Mighty maneuvered himself, getting off the bed and getting into a standing position. She twitched as she felt him grip both her ankles and hoist them high into the air, and spread them outward but not to the point of discomfort. "Are you comfortable?" he asked. She nodded, and she could feel the tip of his dick at her opening. He slid it vertically across her slit a few times, coating the head of his dick, lubricating the condom around it even more.

"Mmmm…" Amy felt the anticipation as he guided his long, thick dick back inside her. This brought her a new sensation as his cock hit a familiar spot she knew all too well. Keeping his legs held up in the air, he began rapidly pounding in and out of her tight hole. Amy had never felt anything quite like it; he perfectly hit the best bundle of nerves inside her core. Her hands gripped the bedsheets as she moaned out in utter pleasure. "Ungh!" The room was filled with the slap of his balls hitting her pelvis and the sloshing wet sounds the two were making together. "Don't stop, please don't stop," she begged.

Mighty stared down at her sprawled out on her bed, tits bouncing around as he continued to fuck her. "What's that? You want me to stop?" he teased with a chuckle as his pelvis met her ass.

"No, keep going, keep going," she moaned. "Mmm…"

Amy looked at him with a half-lidded gaze and bit her lip playfully. Her facial expressions were teasing and only made him want to give her his all. "Just for that, I'm gonna make you cum even harder."

He suddenly maneuvered her mid fuck so her legs draped over each one of his shoulders. He placed his hands by either side of her head, leaning closer. Her knees were practically up to her chest as he continued. She was confused at first until the new position sent a jolt of pleasure that washed over her entire body. "Ah, ah, ah!" She arched her back and hooked her arms under his armpits to meet his back as she pulled her chest closer to his. Her face grew red and hot as she panted. "Right there, right there," she moaned. The intensity of pleasure was insurmountable. "I'm, I'm…"

"Yeah," he grunted. "Me too!" He knew she was coming toward the end and could feel himself doing the same. He gave a few more thrusts with earnestness, and Amy moaned as she felt herself climax. Her whole body shook as she felt an immense wave of warmth rush over her entire body. She gasped hard. It was possibly the most powerful orgasm she had ever experienced.

Mighty also felt a comforting warm rush from her core wrapped around his dick inside her. He could feel her fingers digging into his shoulder blades as she lived the peak of it. He grinned triumphantly at making sure Amy achieved utter pleasure, and soon enough, he came as well. He moaned, slowing his pace as her muscles fluttered and squeezed around his shaft. He stayed inside her for a moment before he pulled out and landed beside her in bed. He panted as he caught his breath, and Amy did the same. "Fuck…" he panted. "That was good."

She watched as he sat upright on the edge of the bed, pulled off the condom, and disposed of it in the bathroom garbage can. After he cleaned himself up, he returned to bed, cuddled up next to her, and draped an arm around her waist while nuzzling his face into one of her soft breasts.

"You were great," she complimented, stroking the top of his head.

"Thanks, kid," he panted. "So were you," he winked.

Amy kissed the top of his head. "Happy birthday, Mighty," she whispered.

He closed his eyes, relaxing in bed with her. "Thanks, Ames." With that, the two went to sleep.

•~•

AN: Please remember to leave a review!

Chapter 38: Taken

Summary:

Amy and Mighty deal with the repercussions of the night before and Amy returns to Tech City. A kidnapping occurs.

Notes:

AN: Thank you, everyone, for your reviews on my last chapter! I appreciate all the support and love for my story. I'm sorry it has once again taken so long to update. It's my birthday month, and I turn 33 on the 28th, so I always try to treat you guys with fun chapters on my birthday! I hope you enjoy it! Remember to leave a review.

The next morning, Amy woke up on her stomach and felt like the whole world was spinning. She groaned in pain and placed a hand lazily on her forehead as she opened her eyes. It was then she spotted a cold water bottle on her nightstand and two painkillers. Her head was killing her and pounding like crazy.

"Oh, hey, you're finally up, huh?" a familiar male voice announced.

Amy glanced over her shoulder and spotted Mighty leaning in the bedroom doorframe only in his jeans from the night before. He had a plate of scrambled eggs that he was eating while he stared at her, still naked and lying-in bed, ass up.

"Oh!" she squeaked in embarrassment. Amy moved into a sitting position and used the bedsheets to cover herself to keep her modesty in the morning. She kept one hand to her head while the other clutched the sheets.

Mighty chuckled at her embarrassed reaction. "No need to be shy now, sweetheart," he smirked playfully. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

Amy blushed slightly but continued to hold up the sheets. "Geez, how are you this chipper in the morning after all that drinking? My head is killing me."

Mighty put another bite of eggs into his mouth and chewed momentarily. "Mm, well, number one, I'm not a lightweight. And number two, I put in the prep last night to avoid the killer hangover," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Prep?" she repeated, puzzled.

Mighty nodded. "Yeah, after we hooked up, we cuddled until you fell asleep. At that point, I got up, ate a few pieces of bread, chugged a whole bottle of water, took a pain pill, and hit the sheets," he explained. "But don't worry, I made sure you had stuff ready for when you woke up," he said, gesturing to the water bottle and pills beside her. "Speaking of which, you want some eggs?" He asked, offering out his plate. "I can always scramble up a few more for you."

She shook her head, repulsed, just thinking about eating with her head throbbing. The smell alone made her want to vomit. "No thanks. Amy reached for the pills, popped them in her mouth, grabbed the water bottle, and began drinking. She swallowed the pills. "I'm surprised you're still here."

He finished swallowing another bite and raised a brow at her. "You really think I'd smash and dash you?" He placed a hand on his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "I'm a bit insulted here, kid."

She screwed the lid back onto her water bottle and shrugged. "Well, from all the stories I've heard about you with your one-night stands…"

He shook his head in defense. "Hey now, you're not one of those easy girls I take home."

Her ears dropped suddenly at the comment. "Then what type of girl am I?"

Mighty's charming smile faded as he mulled for the right words. He tilted his head as his eyes softened on her. "…You're the type of girl that needed someone they could trust to help them heal and move on," he answered honestly.

•~•

That same morning, Shadow and the rest of the crew rounded up for a job assignment. Manic exited his bedroom and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He groaned as he placed a hand on his forehead, feeling it throbbing like crazy from the wicked hangover he was still reeling from. However, he stopped when he bumped into someone. He realized Mina had come out of Mephiles' bedroom doing the dreaded walk of shame. She was still in her outfit the night before, carrying her heels in her other hand. "Oh shit, my bad."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you in the hall when I opened the door." She scrunched up her face as she looked at his state. He didn't look well. "Are you okay? You look a little sick."

He shook his head. "I'm not feeling great. I'm still a little drunk," he said as he rubbed the skin between his eyes. "But we all have a run to do again, so that's why I'm up."

"I see; hopefully, the hangover will wear off throughout the day," she stated.

He nodded, hoping the same. "Yeah, that's wishful thinking, but I'll just power through it like always." He began to walk towards the staircase until she stopped him again.

"—Hey, Manic?"

He turned to look at her. "Huh, yeah?"

"Um, I enjoyed spending time with you last night," she noted. "I wish I could've spent a little longer with you, though...You see, Mephiles requested my presence with him."

Manic looked surprised but also felt flattered. "Oh yeah? I had a pretty good time hanging with you, too. You were a blast on the dance floor," he complimented. "But I get it. Duty calls, right?"

"Something like that," she giggled.

"As for hanging out again. Uh, I'm always up for hanging out again whenever you're available," he offered.

Her eyes beamed at the suggestion. "Oh, great!"

"Yeah," he smiled. "But I gotta get going, so I'll see you around."

"Right. Seeya!"

Manic watched as she quickly entered her bedroom. He felt that warm, fuzzy feeling again in his stomach as he replayed the conversation. Mina wanted to hang out exclusively with him. It had been a while since a girl had chased after him, and not the other way around. With that said, he began to descend the stairs to join the others and assembled by the front door.

"Are we all ready to go?" Knuckles asked, trying to count heads.

"Not really," Manic answered. "I'm still wickedly hung over…"

"Suck it up," Shadow muttered without empathy.

"The birthday boy still hasn't come downstairs," Knuckles pointed out. "Anyone know if he got back from the club last night?"

Shadow sighed in frustration. "Shit, where is that asshole?"

"Knowing him, still asleep," Gadget suggested.

Shadow sighed. "I'll get his ass up." He ran up the stairs and opened his bedroom door, finding it empty. The bed hadn't even been slept in. He looked confused. "The hell…"

He returned down the steps, looking at the rest of the boys. "No one saw Mighty come home last night?" Everyone shook their heads.

"From what I heard, he and Amy were the last two at the club," Ray shrugged innocently. "So, who knows."

The pink hedgehog flashed through Shadow's mind. His heart skipped a beat as another thought crossed his mind. Would Amy go that far with Mighty, or was he just being paranoid? The vice president hurried over to Gadget. "Track Mighty's phone for me. Now," he ordered sternly.

Gadget scrambled to get his device out because of Shadow's demanding tone. He pulled out his smartphone and began typing away. "O-oh, of course, V.P."

Manic yawned and stretched his arms above his head. "I don't know what the big deal is. The dude probably hooked up with some babe at the club, went back to her place, and lost track of time," he surmised. "It was his birthday yesterday, after all. He'll show up soon."

"Found him!" Gadget announced.

Shadow stepped closer. "What's his location?"

The red wolf gulped nervously and pulled back his phone, hiding the screen so Shadow wouldn't see it. "Um, I don't think that's a good idea, sir."

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the wolf. "And why is that?"

Gadget adjusted his glasses nervously. "Well, it's just…uh," he stammered nervously.

Shadow swiftly swiped the phone from Gadget's hand and glanced at the screen to get the location. His eyes studied the screen before a giant scowl crossed his muzzle.

Mephiles noticed his brother's daring reaction and piqued a brow. "Brother, is everything alright?"

Shadow ignored his brother's question and dropped Gadget's phone. Everyone watched as he quickly stormed out of the room, grabbed his keys, and slammed the front door behind him.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Knuckles glared.

Mephiles calmly walked over to the window and watched his brother hurrying out of the compound on his motorcycle. "Something upset him."

Manic sauntered over to where Shadow had dropped Gadget's phone and picked it up for him. "For real, dude. What crawled up his ass this morning?" He glanced down at the lit screen that held the address of Mighty's current location. "5111 Desert Rose Drive," he mumbled. "Hey, isn't that—" his eyes widened in horror as the realization sunk in. "Fuck…"

Everyone looked at each other as the pieces came together. Knuckles led the charge out of the living room. "We need to catch up to him before he commits a murder."

Mephiles shook his head in pity as he followed the rest out. "What a bloody fool," he pitied.

•~•

A bit later, Amy came out of the shower feeling refreshed and clean. The medicine had finally kicked in and cleared away her awful headache. "Ah, much better," she sighed in her towel.

Mighty was now fully dressed in last night's clothing as he lounged on her couch with his arms tucked behind his head. "Glad to hear it, kid."

Once she dried off, she dressed in a grey cami and grey sweatpants in her bedroom. She put on socks and slippers before taking the towel off her head and shaking out her damp quills. "You don't have work today?" she questioned as she exited her room.

"Not sure, but my phone is dead, and you don't have a charger. Hell, they can manage without me for a little while," he shrugged. "I'll head back in an hour or so. I want to make sure you're good here first."

Amy smiled sweetly at him as she put her quills up in a high ponytail. "You're sweet, but I'm fine. Honest."

He stood from his lying position. "All right, if you say so."

Amy looked up at him as he stood before her. "Again, thank you for…last night," she worded carefully. "I-I didn't realize how much I needed that," she said shyly.

"Don't sweat it. I had a great time with you last night, too," he admitted. "And it was some incredible birthday sex. Don't ever let anyone make you feel inferior about being sexy," he pointed out. "You've got fantastic sex appeal, babe."

Amy held her hands to her face, giddy at his compliment as a soft blush kissed her cheeks. He truly knew how to make a girl swoon. "I finally understand how all these girls feel after leaving your bedroom now."

Mighty shoved his hands coolly into his pockets, showing off his charming boyish grin. "This ain't fluff, Ames. It's the truth. Shadow is an idiot for what he did. He doesn't realize what a great girl he lost."

Her ears lowered apprehensively as a thought crossed her mind. "Before you go though, what happened between us…I don't want to make it weird. I want to stay friends with you if that's okay."

"Of course. We hooked up and had fun, but from here going forward, we're back to being friends, okay?" He said, offering out his hand to her to shake.

Amy nodded, stuck her hand in his, and the two shook. "Right, friends," she confirmed.

Their handshake ended, and Mighty leaned forward and gave her a soft peck on the lips before turning toward the door. "Oh, and don't worry. I'll keep this little secret just between you and me. No one needs to know."

"I appreciate that," she nodded.

The armadillo opened the front door and was startled when he saw Shadow standing outside, towering over him. Mighty's charming expression turned to instant fear. "Oh, boy…" Mighty stumbled backward, raising his arms out in front of him defensively. Amy gasped at the sight of her ex-boyfriend's unannounced visit. Mighty already knew what the ebony hedgehog was thinking. "Whoa, Shadow, man, listen-"

Shadow's eyes were enraged as he looked past the armadillo and spotted Amy in the background, looking petrified, confirming his suspicion. His red eyes focused back on Mighty again as his fists clenched by his sides, practically shaking. "—You slept with her, didn't you?! You fucking traitor…"

"Stop it!" Amy yelled, seeing him march into her apartment uninvited. She rushed over to Shadow, pressed her hands against his chest, and shoved him back. The ebony hedgehog barely staggered a bit from her attempted shove. "Stay away from him, Shadow!" she shouted.

"Don't get in between two males when a brawl is about to erupt, Rose," Shadow snapped.

"Like hell, I'm going to let that happen!" she yelled.

Mighty placed a hand on Amy's left shoulder from behind. He admired her trying to protect him, but he didn't want to see her accidentally take a hit meant for him or vice versa. "He's right, kid," he agreed. He gently moved her to the side, so she was no longer in between them. "I don't want you getting hurt."

She looked taken aback. "But Mighty…"

Mighty kept in a defensive position as he focused on his superior. There was a good six feet between them. "Look, it was mutual, Shads," he argued calmly. "We're all adults here."

Shadow pounded his right fist into his left hand. "Yeah, mutual, my ass." He stormed towards him with quick speed.

Seeing Shadow barreling towards him, Mighty shoved Amy back further, worried she might get caught in the crosshairs. Amy tumbled backward onto her carpeted floor just as she saw Shadow's fist contact with Mighty's face. The armadillo fell back, hitting the carpet floor like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey!" Amy shouted, terrified. She got to her feet, rushed towards them, and stood protectively before Mighty just as Shadow was about to take another swing. "Get the hell away from him!" she screamed, keeping her arms outstretched, wide.

"Amy!" Mighty shouted, worried for her safety.

Shadow quickly stopped his swing from hitting Amy, who had her eyes shut, preparing for impact. "Rose…" he breathed shakily, realizing what he almost had done. "What did I just warn you about?"

The rest of the M.C. had finally caught up with the vice president. The boys herded upstairs from all the commotion, hoping they weren't too late. Manic was the first to get upstairs, shocked to see the sight. "Uh, oh…" The three now had a small audience outside the apartment doorway.

Shadow stood his ground. With fists clenched by his side, he practically burned a hole through Amy to get Mighty. "Get out of my way, Rose," he ordered sternly.

"Shadow, you're not allowed to get upset with what we did. Now get out of my apartment!" she ordered. Mighty held his bloody jaw as he stood behind her, observing Shadow for his next move.

Shadow growled in frustration at her stubbornness. "You leave me no choice then…" Shadow tried to lunge around Amy to reach Mighty. The armadillo quickly got into a fighting stance, but Knuckles and Manic quickly intervened in time and grabbed the vice president. They used all their strength to restrain him as they held his arms and upper body.

"Get the fuck off me!" Shadow screamed while he thrashed in their possession. The two boys carried the heated hedgehog out of the room and down the stairs to prevent the fight. Some of the other tenants in the building peeked outside their front door from all the noise, eying the group of motorcyclists nervously.

"I'm so sorry," Gadget panted as he ascended the stairs and into Amy's apartment. "I tried stopping him, I swear," he apologized.

She shot the red wolf a weak smile. "Thanks for trying, Gadget." He reached into his jacket and pulled out his inhaler, taking a hit. Then he closed their apartment door, giving them privacy again.

Amy turned to Mighty to check on his injuries. With everyone gone, she knelt at his level to assess his damage. Her hands cupped his face delicately. "Mighty…are you okay?"

He wiped blood dripping from his lip on the back of his glove. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've taken worse hits before," he laughed uneasily. "But shit, you gave me a heart attack back there, sweetheart. Don't ever get in between two guys when they're fighting. You could've been seriously hurt."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't want him to hurt you because of me," she tried to justify.

"I realize that, but when it comes to guys fighting, we just see red. You're lucky Shadow stopped himself in time. That takes a lot of self-awareness and control when you're pissed off," he gently scolded.

Amy frowned, feeling this was her fault. "I'm sorry that this led to this…" she apologized. "I understand if you regret sleeping with me now."

"Ames, I don't regret anything. You're right, though. He has no reason to be angry. After all, he did the same thing to you," he countered. "And you're single now. You can do whatever the hell you want."

She nodded, agreeing with him. "You're right…"

•~•

At that same time, downstairs, the boys had released their hold on their vice president as he paced angrily back and forth in the complex's parking lot. Mephiles leaned against his parked bike as he watched his brooding younger brother. "You need to calm down, brother. There should be no reason you are this worked up about what you walked in on," he reprimanded.

Shadow stopped pacing and glared in his brother's direction before turning his anger on the multi-tiered mailboxes behind him. He pounded his right fist into the side of the metal containers a few times, forming a significant dent. Gadget, Knuckles, and Manic again flocked in and detained him from further damaging the apartment property.

"Hey, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Knuckles berated. The group of males kept their iron grip on Shadow to keep him still. Shadow huffed and puffed as he came down from his ire.

"Dude, your hand…" Manic breathed, looking at the state of it. Shadow's hand was bleeding and scraped up severely.

"Now look at what you've done," he groaned. "You need that hand, you idiot!" Mephiles scoffed and shook his head. "The doctor's pussy has softened you. Don't let her seduction win."

Shadow's ruby eyes locked in on his older brother as those words left his mouth. The boys felt Shadow try to lunge in his brother's direction, but they all kept their hold on him. "If you keep referring to her with that derogatory slander, your face will look much worse than those mailboxes," he threatened, baring his canines. "So shut your fucking mouth!" he barked.

Mephiles narrowed his eyes at his brother's threat. "I dare you to try it. I'll put you in your goddamn place!"

"Please, stop it, sir!" Gadget begged. "Both of you!"

Suddenly, a police car arrived at the apartment complex, and Deputy Silver stepped out. He put his black shades on top of his head as he approached the apartment complex that some tenants had complained about. As he approached the building, he couldn't help but notice the familiar motorcycle bikes parked in the parking lot. "Chaos…"

He eventually spotted most of them standing by the curb outside the complex, restraining the distraught and still rather heated Shadow. It appeared the other members were trying to give him words of affirmation, but they weren't getting through to him as he glared at the road, tuning them out. Silver noticed Shadow's right hand, which appeared injured. His knuckles were bleeding, swollen, bruised, and scraped up badly. He sighed. "Why am I not surprised this call was about you guys? These calls are always involving you and your M.C.," he tsked.

Shadow eyed the officer venomously as he continued to fume on the sidelines. "I'm not in the mood for your little digs, deputy."

Silver crossed his arms across his chest as he stared at the ebony-striped hedgehog. "What's got you in such a sour mood, huh?"

"Oh, no biggie," Manic said dismissively with a hand wave. "He only figured out that Mighty was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend."

Silver's eyes widened in surprise. "So, that's what the disturbance complaint was about? Do you guys mind releasing him for me?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, officer?" Knuckles inquired. "You did see that mailbox back there, didn't you?"

"I did, but Shadow has calmed down enough now, right?" Shadow nodded reluctantly. "Okay, will you all let him go and give him space?" Silver reached for a gadget on his hip and rested his hand on it. "And Shadow, I will not hesitate to tase you if you can't control yourself," he warned.

The ebony hedgehog huffed. "Fine…"

Simultaneously, the boys released their hold on the vice president and backed off. However, they all eyed him carefully, waiting to have to pounce on him again. The officer oversaw Shadow to determine if he needed to be further detained. After several seconds of observation, Silver whipped out a notepad from his back pocket. "Now then, where is Dr. Rose now?" he asked.

"She's upstairs inside her apartment with Mighty still," Gadget replied.

"I see," Silver nodded. "And what exactly happened today, Shadow?"

"I went to her apartment once I realized the two were intimate. When she opened the door, I stormed inside and attacked Mighty inside the apartment," Shadow mumbled as his eyes drifted away with shame. It was all starting to sink in.

Silver jotted down the account. "Was anyone severely injured?"

"I punched Mighty once," Shadow admitted. "That's about it."

"Uh, huh. And why is your hand so messed up?" Silver interrogated.

Shadow shook his head. "No, this happened afterward…When I left her apartment, I punched one of the complex's mailboxes." Shadow looked over in the direction where he had done the damage to the property. Silver's eyes followed his line of vision, where he noticed the severely damaged mailboxes. It had a massive dent smashed into the side of it.

"Did you attack or hurt Dr. Rose?" he questioned.

Shadow bristled at the idea. "No. I could never physically hurt her. I wouldn't be able to live with myself," he answered.

Silver shook his head in pity. "You should get that hand looked at, Shadow. Do you want me to call in some paramedics to tend to it? By the looks of it, it could be broken."

"No, I'll be fine," he replied.

The deputy finished writing down notes and stared at him. "Very well, but now I must talk to Dr. Rose and Mighty. Since I'm on my own, you'll have to come with me and stay outside the door so I can keep an eye on you. If you give me any problems, I will not hesitate to arrest you. Do you understand?" he asked sternly.

Shadow nodded in compliance. "I understand, officer."

Silver turned to look at the other bikers. "As for the rest of you, you can go home. Get off the property. Most complaints were about sketchy-looking bikers lingering outside the apartment complex anyway."

"Right, well, let's get moving then, boys," Mephiles announced. "We have work to do anyway." The rest of the M.C. followed their president by mounting their bikes and exiting the parking lot together in a herd.

In the distance, a pair of binoculars lowered, revealing Jeffrey St. Croix as he stood on another apartment rooftop next to Sleuth Dog in the distance. "Do not initiate breech. Over," the skunk stated into a walkie he brought to his mouth. "Target is still under lock and key, over."

Another voice crackled over the walkie. "Should we pull back or wait it out? Over?"

"Pull out," Jeffrey announced. "Looks like the Brothers will be here for a while. Over."

"Copy. Understood. Over and out."

Meanwhile, Silver gestured for Shadow to stand up and follow him upstairs. Once on the second floor, Silver knocked on Amy's apartment door and pointed at the ground next to her door, where he wanted him to sit for the time being. Shadow obliged with no hesitation and sat down on the floor. He looked dismal in expression and out of it as he was lost in his thoughts, slumped up against the wall.

The door hesitantly opened as Amy peeked her head behind the crack. "Deputy, what are you doing here?"

"Sorry to intrude, doctor, but some tenants called in a possible domestic disturbance. I came here to file a report and see to it," he explained. "May I come inside?"

She nodded. "Of course," she said, opening the door wider and allowing him inside.

However, once Silver was inside, he remained in the entryway to interview Amy and Mighty while watching Shadow outside the hall. Silver noticed Mighty sitting on the couch with a makeshift icepack held to his face. He turned to look at Amy. "I have to keep this door open so I can watch Shadow. He's sitting right outside the door," he explained.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. "I see…"

"However, are you okay, Dr. Rose?" Silver asked with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. I wasn't injured in any of this," she answered.

"Is it true that Shadow barged inside your apartment and attacked Mighty?" he inquired.

She nodded reluctantly. "Yes, he did, but the other boys stopped him before it became more violent than necessary."

Deputy Silver glanced over in Mighty's direction. "I heard that Shadow assaulted you," the police officer noted. "Would you like to press charges against Shadow?"

Mighty shook his head. "He did attack me, but no, I won't be pressing charges. This is something that can be handled behind closed doors with a basic conversation," he elaborated.

"And what about you, Dr. Rose? Would you like to press any charges for invading your property or perhaps filing another restraining order?" Silver inquired.

Amy shook her head. "No, not today."

"Very well," Silver nodded, writing that down for his report. "This may be entirely inappropriate, but is there any chance you could look at Shadow's hand? He injured it punching something downstairs," he explained. "He's refusing medical treatment from the paramedics. However, if you don't feel comfortable, I completely understand as well."

She mulled it over for a minute. "I'll look at it, but I don't want Mighty and him in the same room."

"I'll go hang out in your bedroom while you look at his hand," Mighty volunteered. The armadillo stood up and walked into Amy's bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"I'll supervise in the meantime," Silver added as he stuck his head outside her apartment. "Shadow, come inside," he instructed.

The vice president, M.C., stood up, strolled inside the apartment, and closed her front door behind him. "Sit on the couch, Shadow, and no funny business." The dark hedgehog followed his orders and sat on the couch.

Amy knelt on the ground next to him as she opened her first aid kit again, which she had used on Mighty. "Let me see your hand, Shadow."

He lifted his right hand, and she gently took it in her left hand as she examined it. He winced slightly as her fingertips pressed on certain joints of his knuckles and fingertips. "They're tender, aren't they?"

"Yes…" he agreed softly.

"Just looking at it, it's possible you may have fractured or broken a few bones in your hand. Her fingers lingered on his pinkie finger, and she pressed down on the upper part of the finger, making him hiss in pain.

"Fuck!" he hollered.

"You've probably broken the metacarpal bone in your hand. The swelling and bruising are a dead giveaway, but an X-ray will determine that," she explained. "In the meantime, I can wrap it for you."

Shadow watched as she tenderly addressed him, wrapping his hand with some bare gauze. There was an uncomfortable tension in the room as Amy kept her focus on professional medical attention and nothing else. "Rose, I…I'm sorry I reacted that way earlier," he apologized uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to scare you and hadn't realized I'd react this way."

Her eyes drifted from wrapping his hand, and she glanced at his face. "You mean you didn't realize you still have such strong feelings for me," she corrected. "Isn't that what you meant to say?" Silver couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation, finding it rather intriguing.

"No," he lied. "That's not what I meant at all."

She smirked and shook her head. "That's funny because you keep acting like you've moved on from me, but your reaction today said otherwise," she noted. "You reacted in a way that would make someone think we were still together."

Shadow's brows furrowed. "No, I reacted like somebody would who walked into a betrayal. M.C. members are not allowed to have relationships with ex-partners of other members. Mighty went against that rule last night."

The pink female finished bandaging and tied it off, making him wince slightly from the unexpected tightness. Amy rose to her feet. "Honestly, I could care less about your M.C. rules. I saw someone I wanted last night and made it happen. I'd happily do it again." Shadow looked stunned and hurt at her words, leaving him speechless. At that moment, she felt satisfied by seeing his expression. Her jade eyes glanced over to Silver. "We're done here, officer. Please make sure Shadow sees a doctor at the hospital for proper assessment of his injury."

"Of course, Dr. Rose," Silver nodded. He made a head gesture, indicating that Shadow should follow him. "Let's go, Shadow."

Shadow followed Deputy Silver out of the apartment and glanced back at Amy once more before the officer shut her door. Her bedroom door creaked open, and Mighty popped his head out. "Are they gone?" he inquired.

"Yeah, they left," she confirmed.

"How bad was it then?"

"He messed up his hand pretty good. I'm guessing you heard some of our conversation?" she surmised.

He nodded. "Yeah, I could hear most of it. He's still in love with you."

"I know…and now he knows the pain I felt when I walked in on him."

Mighty approached the distraught-looking female. "You sure you don't want me to stick around for a bit longer, Ames?"

She shook her head adamantly. "No, I need some alone time to decompress and think. I'll text or call you later, alright?"

"Okay then. I'll get going." He walked towards her front door. "I'll deal with Shadow once he gets home."

"Good luck, and be careful," she replied. He nodded, opened her front door, and closed it behind him. Once he was gone, the pink hedgehog wandered over to her phone and picked it up. She flicked through her contact list before stumbling across a blocked contact, "Rob O' Hedge." She clicked the unblock button and then dialed.

•~•

A few hours had gone by, and it was later that afternoon. Mighty stood in the living room back home and stared outside at the vice president on the front porch. Shadow had only recently returned from the hospital, as requested. Manic came up from behind the armadillo to see what he was looking at. "Dude…" he sighed, catching his attention. "What were you thinking last night?"

Mighty scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Geez, not you too…"

The green hedgehog crossed his arms over his chest. "You, out of all people, should've known that Amy is out of bounds, my dude."

"Yeah, I know, but things just happened naturally. I followed my heart last night," he shrugged.

"Followed your heart?" Manic repeated with doubt. His eyes looked him up and down suspiciously. "More like followed your-"

"—Manic!" he exclaimed, knowing what he was about to say. "I've always liked Amy. She's a cute girl—not to mention incredibly sweet."

"Didn't you once say you only saw Amy as your kid sister?" he reminded. "Because I don't think brothers are supposed to do those things with their sisters…"

Mighty shook his head in annoyance. "Will you drop it already? You're not helping the situation."

"Have you spoken to Shadow yet?" Manic segued.

Mighty parted the curtains more at the windows. "Not yet. I'm trying to build up the courage to do it."

Manic patted him on the back. "Whew, well, good luck, buddy. Shadow's still pretty pissed off about the whole thing."

"I guess I should just get it over with instead of stalling, huh?"

"Mhm," Manic nodded.

Mighty started walking towards the front door. "Alright, wish me luck." He opened the front door and stepped out onto the front porch of the compound. Mighty approached the ebony hedgehog, whose back was turned, and he puffed angrily away on his cigarette. He couldn't help but notice Shadow's newly cast hand after he had returned from the hospital. "Hey, uh, can we talk, man?" Mighty asked apprehensively. Shadow said nothing as he continued to keep his back turned on him. "So, how's your hand doing?"

"Broken and fractured in two spots," Shadow replied.

"That sucks." Sighing, Mighty continued. "Anyway, I understand you're mad, but I want to explain myself."

Shadow finally turned to confront him as he flicked the remainder of his cigarette into the dirt. "Oh, I'm eager to hear this," he said sarcastically. He leaned his back against the post and crossed his arms over his chest, giving him a malicious glare.

"Last night—What happened between Amy and I just kind of happened," he shrugged. "It wasn't planned, okay? We were feeling the same vibe, and things escalated quickly," he explained.

"I don't believe that it just happened. I know you, Mighty; you're a player," he started. "You hook up with girls left and right when you can. You seduced her, didn't you?" he accused. "You knew she was vulnerable from the breakup and took advantage of that," he pointed.

Mighty looked at him, aggravated and stunned at the accusation. "I did no such thing. Yeah, I'm a player," he concurred. "But I treat the girls in our club with respect. Last night, Amy came to me wanting to forget about you!" he pointed. "She was looking for love anywhere she could find it. You're lucky she hooked up with me instead of some other creep, scumbag out on the street looking to pick up girls."

Shadow felt his countenance falter for a moment. He knew Amy was upset, but the fact that she would willingly sleep with another guy so quickly to get over him made him regret his actions. Mighty saw he was getting through to him from his silent response. "You've been treating her like shit for weeks by trying to push her away. Blame yourself for pushing her straight into my arms," he countered. Shadow remained quiet as he allowed that to process. Mighty began to turn to head back indoors but stopped just outside the door. "She's still in love with you, you know, and you are too," he added. "Why don't you apologize and get back with the kid? You two were great together."

He looked away sadly. "You know I can't…"

He groaned in frustration. "Dude, yes, you can! You thought breaking up with her would keep her safe—Out of harm's way. What you don't realize is that you're losing a great gal. She knows what she's signed up for and told you she'd stick it out."

"She doesn't see how much she's putting her life at stake to be with me. Love is blinding her better judgment."

"I could easily argue that your love for her is doing the same thing to you," Mighty countered. Shadow opened his mouth for a rebuttal but was once again speechless. The armadillo could see he got the hedgehog thinking. "Just think about it, man." With that, he walked back inside, leaving Shadow to ponder his words.

•~•

Later that evening, Mighty returned to Amy's apartment after his conversation with Shadow. The two sat on the couch together, and Amy held a pillow to her chest as she looked at him on the other end of the sofa. "So, what did he say?"

Mighty sighed. "Well, he thinks I seduced you last night."

She rolled her eyes slightly. "What a joke, that's not even how it went…"

Mighty rested his face on his hand. "Yeah, pretty much my thoughts as well."

"Did he at least apologize for hitting you?" she questioned.

Mighty let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "No."

"That's a shame," she sighed. "He owes you one."

Mighty glanced at her, noticing her weary expression before he caught sight of a suitcase tucked away in the back of the living room. "Hey, what's that?" he pointed.

Amy turned to look at what he was pointing at and realized it was her suitcase. "Oh, that's the stuff I packed for when I return to Tech City," she stated calmly. "These past weeks have been draining on me mentally, emotionally, and physically," she announced.

Mighty felt his stomach sink. "…You're not planning on returning permanently, are you?"

There was a pause as Amy considered how to answer the question. "Well, right now, I'll only be there for a few days as a visit," she replied. "I wanted to clear my head a bit and talk to my cousin Rob about a few things before I make my final decision."

The armadillo frowned at her response. His mind began to head to the worst outcome. "What are you thinking, Ames?"

Her ears lowered solemnly, and her eyes watered slightly. "As much as I want to fight for this relationship…I'm tired," she revealed. "Maybe Shadow is right. Maybe I need to move on…"

"Ames…" Mighty breathed.

"It's for the best. Let me talk to him, and I'll decide then," she explained.

He nodded slowly. "Alright, but can I do anything else to help?"

She pondered on it for a moment. "How about dropping me off at the train station tonight?" she suggested.

"Sure, when are you leaving anyway?"

"Tonight," she replied.

•~•

An hour later, as promised, Mighty dropped Amy off at the train station. The two walked side by side to the boarding section. "Text me when you arrive, okay?" the armadillo reminded.

"I will," she smiled.

They approached the boarding section of the train. "I'll see you in a week, kid. Take care and stay safe." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

Amy blushed at the sweet gesture before embracing him suddenly. Mighty returned a blush himself. "Thank you for everything you've done, Mighty. You've been a great help."

"I'm glad to hear that," he grinned awkwardly.

"Now boarding!" the conductor called.

"You better get going, kid," Mighty urged.

"You're right. See you, Mighty. Take care and stay out of trouble!" she waved as she boarded the train.

He waved to her as she boarded. "Of course, I know better," he chuckled. "That goes for you too, though."

In the background, two figures boarded the train: Jeffrey St. Croix and Sleuth Dog, who were near the other end so Mighty wouldn't spot them. Standing by some pillars, Jeffrey couldn't help but stare at his old co-worker, who had turned enemy, saunter off down the platform. He found his and Amy's interaction to be odd since he knew Amy happened to be Shadow's old lady. "Keep moving," Sleuth commanded to the distracted skunk.

"Sorry," he said as he followed after the canine.

Once onboard, they went to the train cart where their target was. They spotted Amy placing her suitcase in the overhead bin before finding her seat. They sat several seats back and kept their hoods up to shroud their identity in case she were to look back.

Jeffrey quickly dialed a number on his flip phone and placed it to his ear. "We have eyes on the target."

"Good, what's the final location?" the other voice on the other end asked.

"She's heading to Tech City," Jeffrey replied.

"Copy, we'll have Rough and Tumble stationed there and ready to assist if needed."

"Got it." With that, he hung up.

•~•

Time: 10 PM Tech City

Eventually, Amy arrived in Tech City. She hopped off the train with her rolling suitcase in hand. As she walked, she remembered Mighty wanted her to text him when she arrived so he knew she got there safely. She used her one hand to shoot him a text message.

"Just arrived in Tech City."

In a few moments, she received a text message with a thumbs-up emoji. " I'm Glad to hear that, kid. Stay safe!"

Walking down the train docking station, she spotted her older teal cousin. He stood amongst the crowd waiting to pick up their loved ones. Amy continued walking in his direction, and his eyes eventually locked on her. Her eyes widened as he began to rush in her direction. She stopped in her tracks when Rob embraced her. Amy was startled at his strong embrace, but for some reason, it nearly brought tears to her eyes. It was oddly comforting, paternal, and familiar. It reminded her of when he'd embraced her as a little girl. She returned the embrace, blinking away the tears that dared to fall from the nostalgia. "Rob…"

Rob squeezed her tighter in his embrace, relieved she was reunited with him. "Cousin, I was worried I'd never see you again," he admitted. He pulled away from his hug and held her at the shoulders as he stepped back to look her over. "I haven't stopped worrying about you since you returned to Mercia. I'm sorry for all the phone calls and texts. I was just worried about you."

She looked up at him. "I understand your concern, but I'm an adult. I needed to do this."

Rob reached over and took her rolling suitcase. "I realize that now," he nodded. "But now you're back with your family."

"It's just to discuss some stuff with you and to clear my head a bit," she added. "Don't get too carried away."

He chuckled slightly. "Fair enough, let's get home then. Shall we?" Amy nodded, and the two started walking out of the train station together. However, Jeffrey and Sleuth followed them out of the train station unbeknownst to them.

The two hedgehogs entered the parking lot together. They continued walking towards Rob's car, parked in the lot's far corner, oblivious they were being followed. "Jon will be so excited to see you, Amy. He's been asking about you."

"Aww, that's cute," Amy smiled.

Rob clicked the button on his car keys, popping the hood to his car. As he began to load her suitcase into the back of his car, a grey van pulled up next to his car and parked. Amy didn't find anything suspicious and walked around the other side of Rob's car to sit in the passenger seat.

Just as Amy reached for the handle of the car door, the van's sliding door opened, and two large white furry arms wrapped around her upper half in a bear hug. "Gotcha!"

"Hey!" Amy immediately went into defense mode. She bent her knees forward and threw her head back, smashing the back of her head into her assailant's face. The white skunk felt blood gush from his nose from the impact and released his grip slightly enough to allow her wiggle room for escape. She backed him up, smashing his back up against the side of the van. "Let go of me!" she screamed.

Hearing all the commotion, Rob came from around the back of the car and spotted Amy backing away from her assailant, who was now crumbled up on the floor. "What's going on over here?"

"This…this guy just tried to grab me," she explained, trying to catch her breath. Her adrenaline was through the roof.

"Get behind me," he instructed, taking a defensive position. "I'm calling the cops."

"So, you're going to make this more difficult than necessary, huh?" another male voice announced from around the other side of the van. This time, it was a blue-greyish skunk, smaller in demeanor but still menacing. He twirled two karambits in both hands dangerously as he approached the two.

Rob held his cell phone in hand, keeping his eyes locked on the two. Meanwhile, Amy stayed closely behind her older cousin, eying the two nervously. "What the hell do you want?" her cousin demanded.

"Hand over the girl, and no one gets hurt," the larger white skunk stated as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off.

"That's it, I'm calling the police. His hand began to dial the number until a hand came from behind him and snatched his cell phone out of his hand. "What the?" He spun around only to see a black and white skunk holding his phone.

"You think we'd really let you call in reinforcements?" Jeffrey tsked.

His eyes drifted over, and he spotted Amy re-captured and restrained by a large brown canine. He held her suspended in mid-air with one arm, and his other hand muffled her mouth. "Amy! Let her go!"

Rob began to charge towards the large dog but stopped in his tracks as he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his lower back. The blue-greyish skunk had run up and stabbed him with his karambit. Amy's eyes widened in horror as she watched her cousin crumble to the ground in a heap as the blood began to collect around his body. She began to thrash around in her kidnapper's arms, wanting to spring to action and tend to his wounds.

The blue-greyish skunk raised his weapon, ready to throw the finishing blow. "Should I finish the old guy off?"

"No, enough, Rough," Jeffrey stated. "We've got the girl, let's move."

Rob raised one arm in Amy's direction as they carried her off and hopped into their getaway van. "Cousin…" he croaked weakly. The van reversed out of the parking spot and sped off quickly, leaving other departing train goers shocked and confused. Eventually, some of the guests in the parking lot spotted Rob's body lying in the parking lot and rushed over to tend to him.

"Sir, are you okay?" one spectator asked as they kneeled to his level and called 911.

"My…my cousin, she was just kidnapped," he said weakly. "Please, you need to send help."

"Oh my," they said with concern. "I'm calling the 911 now, sir. But you could use some help yourself," they noted, looking at his blood loss. Rob felt his vision blurring and everything starting to go dark. Finally, he lost consciousness.

Chapter 39: Meet the Supression Sqaud

Summary:

Amy is taken to the Suppression Squad's compound, where she finds out why she was kidnapped and meets some of the M.C. members.

Notes:

Thank you for being so patient while waiting for the long-overdue update. I've had a lot of stuff going on in my personal life. This story is getting closer to being finished, which makes me very sad. I appreciate all the reviews you guys have left and enjoy reading every single one!

The Suppression Squads Home Turf: Time 12 AM

Amy had her hands bound behind her back, and a wool bag was placed over her head to keep her from determining their location. Eventually, after a long drive, she felt the car come to a halt. The bag the kidnappers used to conceal Amy's sight was suddenly ripped off her head. She gasped, finally getting fresh air to breathe. Sleuth Dog sat on her left side while Jeffrey sat on the other side of her. Amy looked at her surroundings out the car window. She realized she was at a compound like the one where the Brothers of Chaos lived. She spotted the logo of the Suppression Squad's symbol on the back of Sleuth's jacket. "You're a part of the Suppression?" she surmised.

"We are," he confirmed. "So, the Brothers have told you about us then?" Sleuth chuckled.

She nodded hesitantly. "Yes…"

"Then you know of our reputation," he smirked, unclipping his seatbelt.

"Please, let me go. You left my cousin for dead back there. He needs help!" she pleaded.

"He got in the way. He should've stepped aside and made it easier for all of us," Jeffrey commented from the other side of her. "He's an idiot for trying to play hero."

Amy furrowed her brows. "He's my cousin. What else would you expect?" she defended, getting more irritated by their logic.

Jeffrey scoffed. "Just shut up and get out of the car."

Sleuth hopped out of the car, grabbed her arm, and dragged her out with him.

"Let me go!" she demanded as she was dragged out of the car.

"I said shut your trap," Jeffrey snapped as he climbed out of the car behind her. Suddenly, Amy spat in Jeffrey's face as he approached her, causing him to stagger backward in shock with his eyes closed. He groaned in disgust as he smeared the spit from his face. While he was preoccupied, Amy lifted her left foot and slammed it with all her might on Sleuth's right foot. He bellowed in pain and released his hold on Amy. Taking her opportunity, she ran for it despite her hands still tied behind her back.

Tumble lowered the driver's side window and shook his head in pity. "Your catch is running off. Want me to grab her for yah?"

Jeffrey growled in frustration as he wiped away her saliva from his eyes. "Fucking little bitch. Don't bother, she's mine now."

Tumble, Rough, and Sleuth watched Jeffrey sprint after her as she rushed towards the gated entrance to their compound. Amy panted and felt her heart racing as she heard his footsteps pound closer to her from behind. She knew better than to look back, as it would only slow her down. However, she gasped in terror as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and force her down into the dirt face first. She wiggled under the weight of the skunk as he rolled her over onto her back. Amy groaned and tried to shift out of his hold. "I said let me go. I need to get back to my cousin!" she shouted.

Growing irritated by her resistance, Jeffrey pulled out a pistol and held it directly under her jaw, causing her to freeze altogether. "How useful will you be saving him if you're dead?" he challenged dangerously.

Amy felt tears well up in her eyes. "Please…He doesn't deserve to die."

"Only the good die young," he quoted with a smirk. As Amy stared into his piercing blue eyes, she suddenly realized she somehow knew him from somewhere. There was something oddly familiar with him that she couldn't quite place.

"Jeffrey, stop it!" they heard Sleuth call from the background. The brown canine rushed over to help. "Take that gun away from her face. We need her alive, remember?" he emphasized.

"I know…" Jeffrey withdrew his weapon and placed it back in his pants. He stood before reaching down, grabbing her by the arm, and lifting her to her feet. Sleuth stood on the other side of her and grabbed the other arm. Amy tried to struggle free of both males' grasp, but it was useless. Jeffrey ignored her struggle and glanced at the two drivers as they passed the vehicle they had arrived in. "Thanks for the ride and help," Jeffrey nodded to both Rough and Tumble, who sat in the driver and passenger seats.

"No problem, and good luck with the girl," Tumble chuckled. "She seems feisty, and I like that in a female."

Jeffrey and Sleuth walked Amy toward the entrance of their compound. Amy took in her surroundings to her advantage. The more information she knew about their location, the better it was for her. It looked like they lived in a similar setup to the Brothers of Chaos. They had a large metal fence surrounding their premises but instead had barbed wire at the top of their fencing. There were many motorcycles parked out front in all variations, and the only significant difference was that they had converted a storage unit into a central base. The main building appeared as an old office building that they had updated into a house. "Home sweet home. Huh?" Sleuth cackled.

As they entered the home's main entrance, a beautiful red female fox wearing black leather pants, boots, fingerless gloves, and a sleeveless crop top strolled into the entranceway. Amy couldn't help but stare at the orange girly bow in her hair, which stood out amongst the black ensemble. It didn't exactly match her biker chic aesthetic. The fox rested her hand on her left hip as she scrutinized the newest arrival. "So, this is our incredible doctor, huh?" she said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Excuse me?" Amy furrowed her brows at the female, already feeling canvassed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Fiona," she introduced, touching her chest.

Amy tugged at the zip tie tightly around her wrists behind her back. "Are you the one who wanted me kidnapped?"

Fiona rolled her eyes and looked insulted at the idea. "I'm not the one who came up with this brilliant plan. However, your medical skills are needed immediately," she answered.

"Really? You kidnapped me because you needed a doctor?" Amy raised a brow skeptically. "Your club doesn't have a doctor of your own?"

SLAP.

A burning sensation blazed across her left cheek from Fiona's powerful strike. Amy's left eye twitched slightly as she turned to face her again. She could feel the stinging set in. Jeffrey couldn't help but smirk a bit from Fiona's action—he had wanted to slap the hell out of Amy earlier for her attempted escape act. "Don't be cutesy with me, little girl," Fiona seethed. "We had a doctor, but they were arrested in a raid," she pointed accusingly. Fiona snapped her fingers, and Sleuth and Jeffrey began moving her in the direction Fiona gestured to. "Now, you're going to give him proper care and ensure that he survives because if he doesn't, you'll die," she threatened.

Amy gulped nervously as Sleuth and Jeffrey forced her to follow Fiona. The two males held tight on Amy if she tried to make any fast moves. The pink hedgehog glanced at her surroundings again, seeing many Suppression members lounging on the sofas and chairs, drinking, smoking, and watching TV in their living room area. A few females were lingering around the members, clearly there for apparent intentions. Fiona led her upstairs to the second floor, where she approached a bedroom door and opened it, allowing her inside first.

"Do you still need me to stick around, Fi?" Jeffrey asked the canine.

Sleuth shook his head. "No, we're good here. I can handle it."

With that, Jeffrey left his post and walked downstairs. Amy stared at Jeffrey's retreating figure, still reeling over her knowing him. Had she seen him somewhere before? Her thoughts were interrupted when Amy walked into the bedroom cautiously and spotted a figure lying in bed in the far corner. Most lights were off in the room since the person was sleeping. A nearby lamp gave the figure some light as she approached the bed. Suddenly, she realized it was a green male hedgehog under the bed sheets. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and the hair on the back of her neck bristled as she stared at the individual. He looked frighteningly like her ex-fiancé, Zonic. She would have assumed he had risen from the grave if he hadn't been green in color. "…Who is this guy?" she whispered, feeling a sinking gut feeling as she stared at him.

Sleuth shut the door behind him and stood post as Fiona approached her. "His name is Scourge. He's the president of this M.C. and my old man."

Amy looked down at his sleeping form after shaking off the heebie-jeebies from his doppelganger-like appearance. He had a rag compress draped over his forehead and an apparent cold sweat as he trembled beneath the sheets. His expression looked pained, and he seemed incredibly sick. "So, what's wrong with him?"

Fiona pulled out a switchblade from a sheath on her hip and twirled it in her hands before cutting the zip ties behind Amy's wrists and freeing her. "That's for you to find out, idiot," she snapped. "Now get to doctoring or whatever the hell you do."

Amy rubbed at her freed wrists before glaring at the fox. "Look, I get that you may not like me, but you'll need to give me some background knowledge before I start my assessment. What caused him to get this sick in the first place?"

"Let me tell her, Fiona," Sleuth piped in from the front of the room.

Fiona placed a hand on her hip and huffed. "Whatever."

Sleuth approached Amy. "We were in a shoot-out with the Brothers M.C., and Scourge was hit in the attack." The brown canine pulled the bedsheets from his legs and stopped at his upper left thigh. "This is where the bullet hit him," he pointed to his bandaged leg.

Amy stared at the bandages wrapped around his thigh. Old blood had seeped through and dried on the outside of the bandages. "I see, and you're sure no bullet fragments were left behind?"

"I don't think so," Sleuth continued. "You know that our doctor was arrested. Fiona tried to patch him up the best she could with her basic medical skills."

Fiona scoffed and turned her head away. "Don't blame me for this. I did my best."

"I'm not trying to," Sleuth countered. "You're the one who admitted we needed help. So, you don't have to give me an attitude to compensate for it!" he barked.

Fiona looked bewildered at Sleuth coming at her with his tone of voice. "Hey, what gives? Who do you think you are talking to me like that?"

"I'm his right-hand man, and right now, he could be dying because you wouldn't let us take him to a damn hospital!" he shouted.

Her fists clenched up by her sides. "He was shot—you know what happens to gunshot victims when they go to the hospital!" she reminded. "Not to mention his criminal background and reputation!"

"Excuse me…" Amy interjected apprehensively. The two turned to look at her. When she saw she had their attention, she tensed up. "I-I can help him, but I need a few things. You must know that screaming at each other will not help your president."

"You're right," Sleuth agreed. "What do you need?"

"I'll need whatever immediate medical kit your last doctor had. Also, I need a stethoscope if you have one."

"Got it. I'll be back," Sleuth said as he exited the bedroom but turned to look at Fiona momentarily before he departed. "Look, you better listen to this girl and follow her directions," he warned. "You got it?"

Fiona rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up and go get her the shit!"

"Bitch," he mumbled, baring his canines at her before exiting. Fiona crossed her arms over her chest and growled. She could never stand Sleuth.

"So…" Amy segued, trying to break the tension. "How long has he been out like this?"

The female fox returned her focus to the green hedgehog in bed. "Three days," she admitted, sadly feeling her ears pin back.

"And what were his symptoms before he went into this stage?"

"He was complaining about headaches at first. Then he got stomach pain and complained about being tired. The last thing he said was that his left leg was going numb," she listed.

Amy nodded, making a mental note of the symptoms. "I see."

"I helped him to bed, and then he never woke up the next morning…"

Sleuth Dog re-entered the room carrying medical supplies in a large brown box. "Here's everything I could find," he announced. He lowered a brown box with assorted medical items onto the floor next to Amy.

"Thanks," Amy replied before digging into the box. She put on a pair of gloves, grabbed the stethoscope, and put it on. Amy lowered the bed sheets to expose his chest. Scourge was lying in bed topless. When she glanced at his chest, she noticed the two prominent scars streaked across it like lightning bolts. It looked ghastly, but she focused her attention on getting his heartbeat. She placed the diaphragm against his chest and listened briefly before moving it to another part of his chest and listening for a moment.

Fiona watched as Amy removed the earpieces from her ears and looked in deep thought. "Well?"

"…His heartbeat and breathing are fast," she noted carefully.

Amy touched Scourge's forehead after removing the rag compress that was no longer cold. She frowned at her findings. "He's burning up as well. He's got a high fever."

"You didn't even check his temperature," Fiona pointed. "What kind of quack are you?"

"I don't have a thermometer here, but I don't need one to see that he's got a fever," she shot back. "He has chills and clammy skin with a high temperature. It's not good. That means his body is fighting off an infection."

"What do you think it could be?" Sleuth asked, observing her.

Amy glanced at the green M.C. president carefully, looking down at his body. "I'm wondering something…" She approached the foot of the bed and lifted the sheets to expose his leg where the wound was located. She began to peel away at the bandaging around his thigh.

Fiona furrowed her brows at the pink hedgehog in scrutiny. "What are you doing?"

"I'm checking his wound," she answered. She held up the bloodied bandages in the air. "I need a garbage can." Sleuth quickly grabbed the trash bin in his room and held it out for her to dispose of the dirty bandages. "Fiona, did you happen to continue to change his bandages days after patching him up?" she questioned.

Fiona shook her head. "No, why?"

Amy blinked a few times, trying not to show judgment. "How long ago was he shot?"

"About a week ago," she answered.

"Right…Can we turn on some more lights so I can see better?" Amy questioned politely, looking at the dog.

"No, you'll wake him up!" Fiona growled defensively.

Amy shook her head in annoyance. She understood why Fiona was so protective over her boyfriend, but it wasn't helping her do her work. "At this point, he won't be waking up soon. He's comatose."

Sleuth Dog approached the light switch. "I'll get the lights for you, doctor." Once the lights were on, Amy examined the wounds. At first glance, they looked highly infected.

"Okay, I'm going to need a few more supplies if you want me to treat him," Amy began. "Just from my general assessment and observation alone, he's got sepsis."

"Sepsis?" Fiona repeated in puzzlement. "What the hell is that?"

"It's blood poisoning," she answered. "It's a bacterial infection that enters the bloodstream. I'm guessing that his wound wasn't properly cleaned. I also suspect a bullet fragment or shard may have been left inside the wound. I will examine that later and see if I can find anything."

Suddenly, Fiona grabbed Amy by the collar of her shirt and began shaking her violently. "So, what? You're saying that this is my fault!? That I'm the one who did this to him?"

"Fiona, stop it!" Sleuth shouted, coming towards the two.

Amy placed her hands over the top of Fiona's to pry her hands off her. "I'm not blaming anyone. Now let me go!" she stated sternly.

"Fucking let her go," Sleuth seethed through clenched teeth. Begrudgingly, Fiona released her grip on Amy's collar and backed up, giving her more room to work. Sleuth glared at the female fox and stood between the two girls. He pulled out his phone and looked at Amy. "List all the items you need, and I'll have some of our guys get them."

"Right…I'll need an oxygen tank, a mask, an IV stand and IV fluids, antibiotics, a suture removal kit, bandages, antiseptic wash," she listed. Growling in annoyance, Fiona could not bear to listen to Amy talk any longer. She stormed out of the room, leaving the two alone.

Tech City Hospital: Time 6 AM

After receiving the news about her husband, Mari-Ann rushed down the hospital hallway with Jon in her arms. He had come out of surgery an hour ago, and she was eager to see him. Some nurses urged her not to run down the hall as she caused a disturbance. Mari-Anne ignored their pleas as she came to room 106. As she stepped inside, she spotted her husband in bed, alert, awake, and with two officers standing at the foot of his bed. Rob had an oxygen mask over his face, an I.V. in his arm, and several monitors on his chest. One of the officers was a male bloodhound who jotted down some notes on a notepad. "Rob…" Mari-Ann breathed in relief, seeing him alive and well.

"Is this your spouse?" the other officer, a male fox, questioned.

"Yes, sir," Rob nodded. "This is my wife and son."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. O' Hedge. I'm Officer Scout," the bloodhound introduced. "And this is my partner, Officer Chase."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Officer Chase waved politely.

"Thank you for getting to my husband so quickly. You probably saved his life," she noted.

"I don't know about that," Officer Scout replied. "If anyone saved him, it was the wonderful doctors here at Tech City Hospital," he gestured.

Mari-Ann placed Jon on the bed beside him and then embraced Rob's upper half. "I was so worried about you."

Rob winced slightly. "Ouch, Mari, that hurts a little, love."

His wife pulled back from her embrace. "Oh goodness. I'm sorry, honey."

"Your husband was very fortunate, Mrs. O' Hedge," the bloodhound announced. "According to the doctors, the stab wounds narrowly missed his kidneys. He'll make a full recovery."

"That's wonderful to hear," Mari nodded. "What about his cousin? Did you get any leads?"

The two officers looked at each other. "Your husband gave us all the details of the individuals he encountered. We also have some eyewitness accounts of the van that sped off with her, but that's about it," Officer Chase replied.

"Please, you have to find her. She's in grave danger," Rob begged.

"We understand, sir," Officer Scout agreed. "We'll do our best to find her. Now, it's best to get some rest as we continue our search for your cousin."

"I agree with my partner. I expect we'll receive some ransom for her return if that is their motive," Officer Chase added. The family watched as the officers departed the hospital room, leaving them alone.

"Ransom?" Mari-Ann repeated in alarm. "Rob, what happened to Amy?"

"We were heading back to the car, and some guys attacked us out of nowhere. They snatched Amy, and another one of them stabbed me in the lower back," he explained. He looked down at his hands as they shook with anger. "It all happened so fast—and I couldn't do anything to save her…"

Mari-Ann placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you did your best to protect her. Don't beat yourself up over it, honey. They'll find her."

"I-I can't just sit here in a hospital bed and do nothing. I need to get out there, make flyers, and get on the news to get her information out there." Rob tried to move the sheets off his legs and stand but hissed as an insurmountable amount of pain radiated in his lower back from his wounds. "Gaah!"

"Rob!" Mari-Ann scolded. "You're injured and need to take it easy. Let the police handle this."

Rob shook his head in pity. "Poor Amy…she must be so scared right now. Stay strong, cousin. Help is on the way."

Another thought crossed Mari-Ann's mind. "Would it be best to contact Shadow and his friends and tell them what happened to Amy? Perhaps he could be of help…" she suggested cautiously.

Rob's eyes bugged out of his head at the notion. "No! That would only make it worse. Two dangerous groups going at it over Amy—a complete innocent? That's a recipe for tragedy, and I refuse to risk it."

The Brothers of Chaos Compound: 6 AM

Shadow stood in his bedroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the back door. The ebony hedgehog felt mentally and physically drained of energy. He looked down at his casted hand before looking back at his reflection. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in," he beckoned.

The door cracked open, and Mighty peeked his head inside. "Hey, you're all heading out now if you're ready."

Shadow nodded. "Yeah, as ready as I can be, I suppose." Shadow reached for his leather cut and threw it on. Mighty stepped out of the way as he passed him and started heading downstairs. As the two went downstairs, others waited by the front door.

Mephiles, Knuckles, and Gadget patiently waited by the front door as Shadow approached them. Meanwhile, Manic, Ray, Rouge, and Mina stood near the staircase. "It's about time," Mephiles droned. "We're on a tight schedule here, brother."

"Sorry, waking up fully took me a while this morning," Shadow apologized.

"Maybe the ride will help wake you," Mephiles suggested. He turned to look at the other members who would remain behind: Mighty, Manic, and Ray. "As for the three of you, keep the compound locked down while we're away."

Manic saluted. "We always do!"

"We'll call you if anything happens," Mighty noted.

"Of course," Mephiles nodded. "Remember, this is a four-day trip. It may be hard to contact us on days two and four with travel," he reminded.

"I've got it," Mighty nodded.

Rouge sauntered over to her husband. "Stay safe, baby." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"I will. The same goes for you, too," he replied.

Mephiles approached the mongoose by the staircase, wrapped an arm around her waist, and drew her flush to him. "Send me a picture while I'm on the road so I won't miss you so much. You know the ones I like," he purred quietly so only she'd hear. Mina blushed bashfully.

"Meh-Mephiles," she stammered.

He hummed an airy laugh as he pulled back from her. "Don't be naughty and get into trouble now," he tsked as his eyelids lowered suggestively. "Be a good girl."

Mina tucked her arms behind her back. "I-I will."

Rouge grimaced at the scene as she headed towards the kitchen.

Same Time: Suppression Squad Compound: 6 AM

Eventually, Amy was brought all the supplies necessary to save Scourge's life. She had worked with the president all night and was satisfied with his progress. After taking all the necessary steps, she finished rebandaging his wound. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called.

The door opened, and Sleuth returned after giving her time alone to work. "How is he doing?"

"He's stabilized now," she informed them. "I'm giving him fluids intravenously for hydration, and I've given him some antibiotics to fight the infection."

Sleuth looked relieved to hear the news. "That's good to hear. So, he'll live?"

Amy removed her bloodied gloves and tossed them in the bin by the bed. "He's not out of the woods yet. These next couple of hours are going to be crucial. He's on a low dose of oxygen and still has a high fever, so once that comes down, I'll have a better say."

Sleuth bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you for helping us. We forced you against your will but didn't know who else to turn to."

"I wish it had been under different circumstances. I have no problem helping people who need medical attention," she smiled weakly.

"We knew the Brothers would oppose us asking for your help, especially since you'd be aiding their enemy."

Amy looked away uncomfortably. "Yeah, they probably wouldn't have condoned it…"

"Also, are you hungry at all?" Sleuth questioned.

"I am, actually," she admitted.

He made a gesture with his hand. "Come downstairs. I'll find you something to eat." Amy got up and followed him out of the room. As the two went downstairs, they spotted Fiona returning upstairs. "Fiona, stay with Scourge and watch over him. I'm taking the doctor downstairs for a break." Fiona didn't respond and just watched them descend the staircase.

•~•

Once downstairs, Amy spotted two familiar faces in the kitchen, Predator Hawk and Drago Wolf. The white wolf rose from his seat when he spotted the pink hedgehog. "Amy…"

Sleuth allowed the two to talk while he rummaged around in the fridge and then near the stove where the others had made breakfast. "Take a seat, doctor. I'll fix you something."

Amy obliged and sat with the white wolf and blue hawk at the kitchen table. "Long time no see," Drago mentioned.

She smiled uncomfortably. "Yeah, I, uh, guess so…"

"We never had a real introduction," the blue hawk spoke. "But I'm Predator."

Amy nodded curtly. "Of course, um, nice to meet you. I'm Amy, but I'm sure you know that already."

He nodded in return. "Drago told me that you helped me during my seizure back in Mercia," Predator continued. "I never got to thank you for that."

"You're welcome," she replied. "I hope you don't find this rude, but that wasn't the first time you've had a seizure, was it?"

He shook his head. "No, I used to get them as a kid. I thought I had grown out of it, but I guess not. The symptoms for this last one were different from the ones I'd get as a kid."

"Well, these seizures can be manageable, at least."

"Yeah," he agreed.

Sleuth Dog walked over with a plate containing scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and a glass of orange juice. "Here," he stated as he placed the plate down. I hope this is all right."

"It's fine," she smiled. "Um, I have a question, though…"

"Yeah?" Sleuth pressed as he laid down some silverware.

"When will you let me go? I've done what you asked of me after all."

Sleuth kept his arms crossed over his broad chest. "We can't let you go until Scourge fully heals. Once he's awake, he has the final say with what he wants to do with you," he explained.

Amy bowed her head nervously. "Please, I just want to go home. I'm worried about my cousin. I'm sure the police are looking for me right now anyway."

Sleuth Dog chuckled. "Let them look. They won't find you." He turned on his heel. "Now eat up," he ordered sternly. "And if you even think about trying to escape, we have no hesitation in treating you like one of our prisoners. Right now, you have plenty of freedom to roam our compound just as you do with the Brothers. Don't push it," he warned.

Amy, Predator, and Drago watched as Sleuth exited the kitchen, leaving the three alone. "So, there's something I gotta come clean about," Drago admitted, breaking the silence.

"…What?" Amy sadly took a bite of her eggs, realizing her status here.

"I'm the one that gave them the idea to kidnap you," the white wolf admitted.

Amy finished swallowing her bite and blinked a few times in surprise. "Why?"

"After I saw how you cared for Predator, I knew you must be good. You showed us so much kindness and compassion that day. The Brothers hired you as their doctor, which seemed to work out for them. I figured it could work for us, too," he shrugged.

"Be honest with me," Amy stated. "Will I ever be released?"

Predator and Drago looked at each other for a moment. "I don't know," the blue hawk shrugged. It all depends on Scourge. It could go either way, depending on his mood."

Amy placed her face in her hands as she felt her emotions building. Was she about to be trapped here indefinitely? If Sleuth were truthful about the police not finding her, her only hope would be for the Brothers M.C. to rescue her. "I just want to go home…"

"We won't let anyone hurt you here," Predator noted. "We're not like that."

"He's right," Drago agreed. "We promise to protect you."

Amy sighed. "Well, thanks for that, I guess." She pushed her plate away from her.

"Do you not like it? I can get you something else to eat?" Drago questioned.

Amy shook her head. "No thanks. I lost my appetite." She suddenly yawned.

"You must be exhausted from working all night on Scourge, huh?" Predator surmised. "Do you want us to show you to your room where you can crash and get some shut-eye?"

Amy rose from her seat. "That'd be nice, I suppose." The other two stood from their seats to escort her.

•~•

Upstairs, the boys showed her a spare bedroom where she could get some sleep. It had no window and only a mattress on the floor with clean sheets, a pillow, and a wall AC unit on the far-right side. The walls were a prison grey—which is what it felt like to her. It didn't exactly feel very homey or comforting. "Sorry it looks kind of shitty, but this is the best we can offer," Predator apologized.

Amy shrugged. "It's better than nothing, right?"

"If you need the bathroom, it's just down that way," Drago pointed down the hall.

"Thanks for that," Amy replied.

"And please don't try to escape," Drago stated sternly. "You'll only get yourself stricter confinements if you try."

"It's not like I even know where we are right now," she countered. "They kept me in the dark about your location. I'm not an idiot…"

"Sorry, we just don't want to make it harder for you," Predator added. "Get some rest."

Amy nodded. "I will." The two males watched as she walked towards the bathroom and decided to head back downstairs. Amy's hand reached for the doorknob, which opened up and revealed Jeffrey St. Croix. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was in there," she apologized. The black and white skunk was topless, wearing black sweatpants and a blue towel draped over one shoulder. He said nothing and walked past her and towards his bedroom. It was then that Amy noticed the ghastly burn scars across his upper back. "Hey," she called out, causing him to stop.

She watched as he turned to look at her. "What now?"

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" she questioned. "I could've sworn I've seen you around before."

"You have," he confirmed. "I was at the charity event at that school months back. I remember seeing you hanging out with them there."

Amy blinked a few times as she thought back to that night. "That's right," she gathered. "You came back with us to the house that night, but doesn't that mean—"

"—That I used to be a Brother of Chaos?" he finished. "Yeah, that's right."

Her curiosity was piqued. "I'm confused…how did you end up with the Suppression then?"

"I had been ex-communicated from the club for other reasons," he replied. "I decided to join up with the Suppression after our fallout."

"And your back," she pointed. "That looks like a nasty burn…It doesn't look like you treated it well during the recovery. Does it still cause you pain?"

He growled lowly. "It's caused me pain every day of my life since I got it," he answered.

Amy crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably. "What happened?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, getting irritated. "You know, you ask many questions for a prisoner and hostage."

"I-I'm sorry," she apologized, backing up. "I must sound so rude to ask. I was just curious, is all…it's my medical background coming through."

"The burn on my back is a story for another time. I think I've given you enough answers for tonight. Yet, I've still got some questions for you myself."

Amy tucked her hands behind her back. "Uh, I guess that's fair trade…"

"You're supposed to be Shadow's old lady, yet I couldn't help but notice you hanging around with Mighty while I stalked you before the kidnapping. What's up with that?"

Amy quirked a brow. "Wait, you were stalking me? How long?"

"Only a couple of days to gather intel, but don't ignore my questions."

Amy's eyes shifted downward sadly. "Shadow and I aren't together anymore…"

Jeffrey chuckled in amusement. "Boy, and you think I was bad for turning my back on my old crew? Is Mighty your new old man now?"

Amy shook her head. "No, we're not together like that."

He stroked his chin in thought. "But I bet you've hooked up, at least?" Amy's face went red, confirming his suspicion. "Shit, this makes things real interesting now."

Chapter 40: Turning Point

Summary:

Scourge finally awakens from his illness and develops new plans for Amy Rose. Shadow and the others continue their muling in Soleanna. Meanwhile, back in Tech City, Rob turns to an unlikely source for help.

Notes:

Author's Note: Thank you to those who left comments/reviews you left on my last chapter. I appreciate your comments! I wanted to post this chapter before Christmas as my gift to you, but sadly, my time slipped away. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. Please remember to leave a review/comment at the end. Happy belated holidays, everyone!

Sidenote: If you haven't noticed my new art for this story, please check out the larger version on my Twitter (ThePurplePyroHedgie) (X) or chapter 1 on here. I commissioned the fantastically talented Kaencrumbs on Twitter to draw me a poster for my story. You guys need to check it out!

I do not own the song "Flames" by Mod Sun & Avril Lavigne.

•~•

::Suppression Squad Compound::

Several hours later, Amy woke up to someone gently shaking her. Stirring awake, her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Drago knelt by her mattress. As their eyes met, he looked apologetic. "Sorry to wake you," he said gently. But Sleuth told me you need to check on Scourge's vitals."

Amy sat upright in bed and rubbed at her eyes. "Alright, I'm up…"

"I hope you got some sleep," he stated, trying to make small talk.

"I feel a little rested," Amy noted as she yawned. "How long was I out for?"

Drago looked at his phone. "It's almost 2:30 in the afternoon now."

"Not bad, I guess." She stood up and stretched and then fixed her disheveled quills.

Drago opened her bedroom door and led her toward Scourge's bedroom. He reached for the doorknob and opened the door, allowing her in. Inside, Sleuth and Fiona patiently waited as they stood by Scourge's bedside. The green hedgehog was still knocked out cold under the sheets.

Fiona glared at the pink hedgehog as she entered the room. "About time."

"Fiona, not now," Sleuth scolded, hearing her rude tone.

Amy reached for the stethoscope on Scourge's dresser and put it on before listening to his heartbeat. There was silence for a moment before she took the earpieces out of her ears as she contemplated her findings. "Well?" Sleuth probed, eager to hear an update.

"His heartbeat sounds much better today," she noted. Amy placed the back of her hand on his forehead to check for a fever. "It also feels like his fever is beginning to break."

Drago raised a brow. "This is good news then?"

Amy nodded optimistically. "He'll probably wake soon. I'll keep monitoring him until then."

"That's good to hear. I'll leave you to it and check on you two periodically."

•~•

::Same time: Brothers of Chaos Compound::

Meanwhile, the Brothers, M.C., still had no idea that Amy was missing. Mighty was in the mechanic shop working on a vehicle while Ray assisted him. Rouge did laundry downstairs in the basement, and Manic lounged on the couch, jamming to music from his CD player. His left foot wagged back and forth rhythmically to the beat of his tunes. He used his hands to pretend to beat a drum set as the beat intensified. Once the song ended, Manic paused his songs and lowered his headphones to rest around his neck. "Damn that song is sick." However, his ears twitched when he faintly heard someone singing from upstairs. Cocking a brow, he sat upright as he strained his ears to listen. It was muffled sounding, but he automatically knew it was Mina's voice.

"I still burn for you as the sun burns in the sky..." they sang.

Once upstairs, he crept towards Mina's room, where her door was ajar. He peered inside the cracked door where the yellow mongoose sat on the edge of her bed as she played on her portable electric keyboard. Manic watched Mina's fingers gracefully dance across the keyboard, hitting notes as she sang away. "I still burn for you, and my whole life I've been on fire…I still burn for you," she belted. The green hedgehog couldn't help but stare at her in a trance as he listened to her angelic voice. She had genuine talent.

Manic pushed the door further open, startling her. She gasped and immediately stopped playing and blushed. "Oh, Ma-manic!"

"Shit, I didn't mean to scare ya," he chuckled uncomfortably, placing a hand behind his neck. "I liked listening to you sing. You've got talent, you know."

Mina blinked in surprise. "You think?"

Manic nodded as he stepped further inside her room. "Yeah, ever since you heard my vocals, I've been interested in hearing what you've got. You've got a beautiful voice."

Mina smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you, Manic. That's very sweet."

"The song you were just singing—I've never heard it. What song is it?"

"Oh, it's a song I've been working on writing." She handed him her notebook resting on her bed. "Here, read for yourself."

He accepted the notebook and looked surprised. "Yo, you write lyrics, too? That's wicked!" His eyes skimmed the lyrics she had written down, and he became even more impressed. Once he was done reading the lyrics she had written thus far, he turned to look at her. "Huh, I noticed this song is a duet."

"Yeah, I wrote it that way. It feels more powerful with two people. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I do," he nodded. "The lyrics you've written…they hit close to home, you know."

Mina perked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"The song is about being attached to someone, like a drug or addiction," he explained. "I dig how the lyrics mention that seeing this person may cause them to relapse. That's pretty deep."

Mina couldn't help but notice his dispirited tone as he explained his reasoning behind resonating with the song. "…Are you sure you like it then?"

"Yeah, only cause it feels relatable but does hit a nerve," he elaborated. "Do you mind if I join you some time to play this song and sing some of these lyrics?"

Mina beamed at the idea and clasped her hands together. "I'd love to!"

Manic smiled at her. "Great. It sounds like a date, then."

•~•

::Tech City Police Station: Afternoon::

After being discharged from the hospital, Rob O' made his way to the police station with Mari Ann to get an update on Amy's kidnapping. The teal hedgehog slowly strolled into the busy police station with his wife firmly beside him as she helped escort him inside. With her arm firmly linked with his, he was still quite sore from his healing injuries and winced in pain as he walked with her. "You really shouldn't be up moving around this much," she scolded lightly. "It's putting a strain on your recovery, dearest."

"Nonsense," Rob dismissed with a wheeze. He placed his free hand on his chest. "The doctors said I needed to move some to avoid blood clots from forming."

The two passed others sitting in the police station's waiting room. Police officers and other workers whizzed in and out of the office around them as they tended to daily office life. "Yes, but not for this long," Mari countered. "You've been on your feet for hours now. You still need some bed rest," she reminded him.

He shook his head in disagreement. "I can't rest knowing Amy's still out there…she needs us."

Eventually, the two reached the front desk, where a receptionist took them. She was a white owl sitting behind the counter. "Good afternoon. How can I assist you today?"

Rob leaned one arm over the countertop to keep him steady. "We need to speak to either Officer Chase or Scout for an update on our case. We must speak to them today."

The owl clicked away on her computer mouse. "I'll do what I can. What's your name, sir?" she questioned.

"It's Rob O' Hedge," he answered. "We're here to get an update on my kidnapped cousin."

"I see." The receptionist looked at her computer screen and typed away for a moment. "Well, I understand your situation may be dire, but both officers are busy today."

Rob's fist tightened in frustration. "That may be so, but I need an update on her status. She's in critical danger."

"Sir, do you know how many people go missing each day? They're doing their best to find your cousin, but I'm sorry, they can't see you today."

"No, I have to talk to them!" he shouted, getting more irritated. Other people in the waiting room looked in his direction from his loud outburst. Mari Ann cringed from her husband's loud outburst and looked around, apologizing to the others for the disturbance.

Suddenly, a back-office door opened, and Officer Chase stepped out with a file in hand. "Mr. Hedge?" he questioned in surprise.

Rob glanced over the receptionist's head only to spot the familiar fox. His face looked relieved to see the officer. "Officer Chase!"

Officer Chase looked over at the young receptionist. "It's okay, Ivory. Let them get back to see me."

The receptionist nodded, stood up, and moved to an area to allow them to pass behind the counter. Once passed the barrier, Rob and Mari Ann were ushered into Officer Chase's back office. The two sat down as Officer Chase sat down behind his desk. "I'm surprised to see you leave the hospital so soon, Mr. Hedge."

"Early discharge," Rob replied. "The doctors said I'd be fine. I couldn't lay in that bed any longer anyway."

Chase intertwined his fingers over his desk as he looked at the couple. "I assume you're here for an update on your cousin's whereabouts."

Rob nodded eagerly. "Yes, please tell me you know of something. An update, a tip, anything!"

"First, have you received any ransom from the kidnappers?" the officer questioned.

Mari-Ann shook her head. "Nothing yet. Rob and I have been on standby for this, but we've not heard or received anything."

The fox rubbed his chin in thought. "That's very strange…"

Rob quirked a brow. "Why?"

"It's just we did some investigating into who kidnapped your cousin. The group that took her is a notoriously dangerous biker gang that recently became a problem in Tech City. They've been crossing through our city to get to their central location, which is found in Mobotropolis," he explained.

Rob bowed his head, feeling his stomach sink. "Not another one…"

Officer Chase tilted his head to the side. "Pardon, sir?"

"My cousin…she was involved with a biker gang back in Mercia…this other gang must have some sort of ties to them—that's why she's being targeted," he fathomed.

"Which biker gang was this?" the fox inquired curiously, pulling out a notepad to collect more information.

"The Brothers of Chaos," Rob answered as he touched his forehead in shame.

"I see. I've heard of them. However, we've gathered the intel that the biker gang, the Suppression Squad, took her. They're linked to the Starline cartel, making them even more dangerous. We've been dealing with them for the past several months now. They've become quite a problem in the inner cities."

Mari-Ann looked shaken. "Do you at least know where she is then?"

"Yes, we know they're located in Mobotropolis, but not a specific location. Unfortunately, that's out of our district, but we've been working closely with them on cases surrounding this M.C. We'll have to transfer our findings to that police district to take over the case and handle it there."

Rob's eyebrows knitted together out of frustration. "Are you kidding me!?"

"Honey," Mari-Ann cooed softly, touching his arm.

"No, this is ridiculous. All this time is wasted on paperwork, and Chaos only knows what's happening to her right now!" he seethed.

Officer Chase raised his hands to try to calm the situation. "Sir, I understand your frustrations right now. Truly, I do."

Rob weakly rose from his seat, growing angrier by the second. Mari-Ann mimicked him, helping him stand. "You're wrong. She could be dead by the time all that lousy paperwork gets to Mobotropolis, and her blood will fall on your hands," he pointed accusingly.

"Sweetheart, remember what the doctor said about stress," his wife reminded.

Rob exhaled a sigh. "Then get me out of here…this dump isn't going to help us find Amy anyway."

Officer Chase watched as the couple retreated from his office solemnly.

•~•

::Elsewhere: Soleanna 7 PM::

Later that evening, with Shadow, Knuckles, Mephiles, and Gadget, the group finished another one of their mule-making rounds. This time, their journey had taken them to Soleanna. The group had a meet-up with their associates in Castle Town, where they were to exchange goods. Coming out from one of the seedier alleyways, Knuckles spotted Shadow standing on one of the bridges overseeing the beautiful canals that connected the city. As he approached the brooding hedgehog, he realized Shadow was staring at a couple in a gondola, slowly drifting down the canal.

The couple sat side-by-side, embracing one another lovingly as they gazed at the lit-up buildings adorned with twinkle lights from the lamp posts wrapped around pillars for the holidays. Their gondolier helped push and navigate the couple in his boat along the soft current. You could hear the faint sound of an acoustic guitarist in the distance playing a set for a crowd. Shadow couldn't help but admire how beautiful and romantic the city was. It seemed like a lovely place to settle down. Not to mention, it felt relatively safe for a family to grow up in.

"…Uh, you good over here?" Knuckles questioned as he approached his side.

Shadow came out of his daydream stupor as he turned to look at the echidna. "I'm fine. Just taking a little break."

Knuckles glanced at Shadow's injured hand. "How's the hand doing?"

"Hurts like a bitch, but I'll manage," he shrugged.

Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed Shadow suspiciously. "So, you sure you don't regret it yet?"

Shadow turned to look at the echidna with a raised brow. "Regret what?"

He smirked knowingly. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Breaking up with Amy. Your actions at her complex spoke volumes, and you can't deny it."

Shadow frowned, turned away from Knuckles, and walked back toward the alley. "I'm not discussing this with you."

"Fine," Knuckles huffed. "Keep running from your problems. Just look at how bottling up your emotions is working out for you," he countered, alluding to his injured hand.

"Enough!" he bellowed, causing Knuckles to jump slightly. "We have two more runs to make. Drop it already. We need to get on the road again."

•~•

::Suppression Squad Compound::

Early the following day, at the Suppression's compound, Amy stood by Scourge's bedside as she continued to look after him. She had stayed with him in his room all night, sleeping intermittently and monitoring his vitals. He was getting better and knew he'd wake up eventually. Amy yawned as she sat in a chair beside his bedside, bundled up in a blanket. However, she jolted when she heard a low grumble. The green hedgehog began to stir from his sleep, and Amy rose from her seat. When his eyes fluttered open, his vision was blurred and dark until he saw a pink figure looming over and looking down at him. As his vision adjusted, he realized it was a cute female hedgehog. She looked angelic in appearance, practically glowing. "Shit…am I dead? Is this heaven?" he groggily asked.

Amy couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. "No, you're not dead. However, you are finally awake, which is a good thing."

He turned his head slightly and softly grabbed her hand, making her gasp in surprise. His icy blue eyes met her startled jade ones. She hadn't realized how powerful his gaze would affect her. His eyelids were still heavy with exhaustion as he stared back at her. "So, you're tellin' me you ain't no angel?"

She couldn't help but blush slightly at his comment. "Uh, no. I-I'm just a medical professional here. I was assigned to take care of you." She carefully slipped her hand from his grasp, and he looked disappointed to see her pull away.

His eyes remained on her as he turned to face her more. "So, you were watching over me, huh? You still sound like an angel to me," he smiled boyishly.

Amy tucked her arms behind her back. "I-I did what I had to."

He suddenly hissed as he moved slightly in bed, causing him pain. "Shit. What happened to me anyway? I can't remember much other than getting shot, but I thought Fi patched me up all right."

"You were battling a severe infection of sepsis and lead poisoning," she explained. "A bullet fragment was left inside your wound, giving you lead poisoning. You're fortunate to be alive."

He groaned. "Damn, I guess I should consider myself lucky then. Thanks for taking care of me, angel face."

The door suddenly opened, and Sleuth entered the room. His face beamed in relief when he saw his president up and alert. "Sir, you're awake."

Scourge sat up slightly in bed, still feeling relatively weak from being bedridden. "Yeah, all thanks to her, I guess. Where'd you pick her up from, huh?"

Sleuth glanced at Amy as he approached the side of his bed. "She's the Brothers' M.C. doctor. We captured her for her medical skills to help tend to your sickness."

The green hedgehog looked displeased by the explanation. "Hold up there now," Scourge said, raising an outstretched hand, trying to process everything. You, you did what now?"

"They kidnapped me," Amy corrected bluntly.

Scourge smirked at her quick correction. "I just realized I never asked for your name. What's is it, angel face?"

"It's Amy, Amy Rose," she answered.

He eyed her up and down with a sly, toothy smirk. "So, you're Shadow's old lady then? My boys weren't lying when they said you were easy on the eyes."

At first, she felt flattered by his compliment, but her expression faltered slightly at mentioning her incorrect relationship status. "Actually, I'm Shadow's ex-old lady…we're no longer together."

"What?" Scourge squawked, looking surprised by the news. "Stripes dumped ya? Or maybe you dumped him?" he surmised, stroking his chin in thought. "What'd he do?"

She looked away uncomfortably and furrowed her brows. "It's not really any of your business."

"Well, he sure does have a type, don't he?" Scourge chuckled, looking at his right-hand man, who nodded in agreement. "But you're right. You don't know me, and you're smart not to spill any information. Guess they taught you well."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that you're awake, can I be released now?"

"Oooh, and straight to business, too, I see," Scourge grinned, admiring her forwardness.

"I did what your guys asked of me. I deserve to be released," she argued. "Your M.C. members roughed up my cousin back in Tech City when he was trying to protect me. I'm worried that he may have been seriously hurt or even killed. The rest of my family is probably worried sick about me."

Scourge glanced at Sleuth momentarily, who had been quiet as the two got acquainted. "Have the Brothers been sniffin' around looking for her yet?" he questioned.

The canine shook his head adamantly. "No sign of them so far, sir. I also haven't heard any rumblings of them, even knowing she's missing yet." Amy also seemed alarmed by that statement. They didn't know she was missing? However, she realized that she was with Rob when the kidnapping took place. Her cousin didn't like the motorcycle club as it was, so it wouldn't surprise her if he hadn't contacted them about her M.I.A. status. Then there was the fact that she had texted Mighty right before her kidnapping, letting him know she had arrived safely. For all Mighty knew, she was under Rob's care and protection and was enjoying her break away from Mercia. Unfortunately, her outcome suddenly looked bleaker with the realization of her circumstances.

"Interesting…" he hummed knowingly. "What about the fuzz? Have they been patrolling the streets for her?"

"Based on our knowledge, no sir," Sleuth addressed. "I'm pretty sure Tech City is on high alert for her missing status, though."

Scourge tucked his arms behind his head and leaned back onto his pillow, growing cockier at his grand plan coming to fruition in his mind. "I think I've got a great idea up my sleeve, angel face, and you get to be the star of the show."

Amy felt her stomach sink at the notion. "…Excuse me?"

He gave her a cocky smile, showing off his sharp pearly whites. "I'll use you to take out my M.C.'s competition."

She gulped nervously. "…And just what exactly does that mean?"

"I'm going to use you to get the Brothers to take out their cartel leader in exchange for your life," he explained as his plan came together. They'll take out my cartel leader's competition to get you back because I know you're invaluable to them," he chuckled. Two birds, one stone, ya dig?"

Amy shook her head fearfully. "N-no, they won't do that. It's too dangerous for even them…they'd be killed themselves."

"Trust me, baby. I've dealt with the Brothers for years now. I know they'll follow through. In fact, I know Stripes will do whatever it takes to get you back, even if you two are broken up," he smirked. "Deep down, he's just a huge softy at heart. He'd never leave a damsel in distress, especially one he loves."

"Please," she begged, cupping her hands together. "Don't do this."

His icy blue eyes sharpened on her. "It's just business, toots. Nothing more." The president snapped his fingers. "You can take her for now. Put her wherever you've been keeping her," Scourge instructed.

"Yes, sir," Sleuth nodded. He reached for Amy and grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go."

"Hey, stop," she struggled. "Let me go!"

Scourge watched as Sleuth dragged her out of his room and down the hall. "Make sure she don't escape!" he reminded loudly, cupping his hand near his mouth so his voice would carry.

Suddenly, Fiona appeared in the doorway and looked stunned to see Scourge awake and alert in bed. She had heard his voice from downstairs. "...Scourge?"

The green hedgehog grinned at his old lady standing in the doorway. "Babe!"

She flocked to his bedside and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy to see you awake! I was so worried." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

Scourge groaned. "Fi, you're choking me," he gagged from her tight embrace around his neck.

"Sorry!" she apologized as she loosened her hold. "It's just…I thought I was going to lose you…"

He kept one arm around her waist. "Nah, I'm indestructible, baby. But good call on snatching up that doctor."

Fiona looked disgusted and crossed her arms over her chest at his comment. "Yuck, that wasn't my idea. I can't stand her!"

Scourge looked taken aback. "Huh? Whose idea was it then?"

"Drago and Predator are the ones who were pushing for it so hard," she answered.

He scratched his head. "Well, it was still a good call. I probably would be dead without her."

Fiona stood upright and placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah, I guess, but can we get rid of her now? She pisses me off."

Scourge rubbed her back. "Bad news, baby. She's staying with us for a bit longer."

The female fox's eyes bulged at the news. "Are you joking?"

"Nope. I'm using her to take out a big fish. Once that's accomplished, I'll set her free," he shrugged indifferently. "A deal's a deal, after all."

•~•

::Mercia Police Station::

Later that day, at the Mercia Police Station, Deputy Silver sat at his desk doing office tasks. He worked on filling out some paperwork when he heard a knock on his door. Glancing up from his paperwork, Silver noticed the large alligator standing in his doorway. "Oh, detective, can I help you?"

"I need to talk to you for a bit—in private. Can that happen now?" he questioned.

Silver lowered his pen onto his table and closed the file he was working on. "Why, of course. Close the door behind you," he instructed. Detective Vector walked inside his office and shut the door behind him. Silver cleared his desk of paperwork and looked at the empty seat in front of his desk. "Take a seat, detective."

"Yeah, right." The alligator obliged and sunk into the seat in front of his desk.

Deputy Silver couldn't help but notice his weary expression. He looked mentally and physically exhausted—not to mention that he had been carrying a burden around his shoulders for months. He knew he had been working tirelessly on closing Espio's case along with the rest of his caseload. He could only fathom what he wanted to discuss with him now. "What did you want to discuss today, Vector?"

Vector exhaled a deep sigh. "I came here to tell you I want to officially help you take down the Brothers of Chaos once and for all—starting with Mephiles."

Silver looked stunned by the news. He stared at Vector for a few seconds as he processed that information. "You…you do?"

Detective Vector nodded slowly. "Yeah. I've thought long and hard about it. It's long overdue."

Silver rested his arms over his desk as he stared back at his coworker. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what has made you change your mind? I was always under the assumption you were good friends with the M.C. What has caused your loyalty to them to falter?"

"As you mentioned earlier, I've started coming to my senses—my better judgment, Dep," he elaborated. The alligator placed his face in his hands in frustration. "I know Mephiles is guilty of killing Espio, but I have no concrete evidence to prove it…"

"He's hard to catch in the act," Silver agreed. "But what makes you know for sure?"

"I just know, okay. I know I have no proof, but I've known Mephiles for years," Vector explained.

"I know you've been working hard on Espio's case, and I've been willing to lend a hand where it's needed, but if we take Mephiles down, we need to do it lawfully. You understand that, right?"

Vector nodded. "Yeah, I know, but Mephiles…He's crafty and good at evading the police. As I said, he's responsible for killing Espio, and I will do everything in my power to bring him down—even if that's for another crime he's responsible for."

Deputy Silver tilted his head to the side with intrigue. "Another crime? How would you know, though?"

Vector leaned further back in his seat. "I guess it's time for me to come clean then. I don't care anymore about what happens to me."

The deputy sat up a bit straighter in his seat. "Explain."

"You may not like to hear this, but Espio and I helped cover up the M.C.'s crimes for several years and kept the rest of you guys off their tracks. We've gone as far as to fudge evidence and reports to misdirect you completely."

Silver looked disturbed and troubled by the reveal. "…You two were corrupt officers?"

Vector nodded shamefully. "You always said you thought they were getting assistance from within the department. You were right."

"Why did you two come to this decision?" he questioned, trying to understand their logic.

"We were on their payroll. The M.C. always paid us handsomely. It's paid a lot more than this department ever has," Vector explained. "However, working with them, we were able to keep stability by keeping larger criminal activities out of this city."

"So, you saw working with them as prioritizing the greater good?" Silver fathomed. "You know, I've always had a suspicion about you two, but I never wanted to believe it. I let my guard down when Agent Blaze arrived, and my attention was elsewhere," Silver admitted ingloriously. His amber eyes went back to looking at his underling with earnestness. "Detective, you realize you may go down with Mephiles too if what you tell me is true? You've been committing obstruction of justice this whole time."

Vector nodded with discernment. "I'm aware of the consequences that will fall on my behalf, and I don't care at this rate. Please, help me finish this."

Silver reached into his desk and pulled out a pad of paper. "Then we need to start from the beginning. Tell me everything," he emphasized.

•~•

::Suppression Squad Compound::

That evening, Amy emerged from her bedroom. She opened the door and looked down the hall to see if the coast was clear. Scourge had placed a few of his rookies outside her bedroom door to remain posted if she tried to escape, but it had been several hours now. She looked to see if the coast was clear and noticed no one occupying the halls. She'd have to save herself if no one were coming to rescue her. She had been missing for too long at this point and knew she needed to escape. Amy opened her bedroom door further and crept toward the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom, she closed the door quietly behind her and locked it from inside.

Amy looked at the small window above the toilet seat. It was relatively small, but she could squeeze through to the outside if she tried hard enough. She looked around inside the bathroom for something she could use to break the window's glass since she couldn't open it traditionally. Her green eyes caught a glimpse of the shower curtain as an idea came to mind. Amy took down the shower curtain and wrapped it around her arm before she slammed her fist into the glass, successfully cracking it. Amy cringed as she heard the glass break, knowing her time was limited before someone caught onto her absence. The glass crumbled beneath and around the back of the toilet seat, and her hand and arm remained protected.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Sleuth sat with Scourge in his bedroom while the green hedgehog lounged in bed during his recovery. He watched the president sip water from a glass as he sat in the chair beside his bed. "Sir, are you sure you don't want just to let the girl go? She did as promised. She saved your life."

"Yeah, but that wasn't my idea. She saved my life, and I'm happy she did." Scourge glanced up at the ceiling in thought before he shrugged. "But she's waaay too valuable of an asset to let go that easily. Think of how business will boom on our end if we get rid of Enerjak. The Brothers will have to deal with retribution from their cartel and will probably get picked off in the meantime. This will leave us open to grab their business and make a shit ton of profit. We'll finally be on top for once," he snickered deviously.

"Yeah, but I just happen to think—" Suddenly, the brown canine paused as his ears twitched. He went silent as he focused his hearing and lifted one ear.

Scourge cocked his head to the side as he studied his V.P.'s sudden demeanor change. "What's up, Sleuth?"

Sleuth turned to look towards Scourge's closed door. "I thought I just heard something. It sounded like glass breaking."

Scourge narrowed his eyes dangerously as a thought crossed his mind. He snapped his fingers, signaling him to investigate it. "Check in on the girl. She's got spunk. I wouldn't put it past her."

Sleuth reached for the door handle to Amy's bedroom and opened it up. He immediately saw that she was nowhere to be found. He closed the door and quickly rushed down to the bathroom.

Back in the bathroom, Amy carefully removed the rest of the glass shards, still jutting upward in the window frame, before using her protected arm to sweep them out of the way. She quickly discarded the shower curtain on the ground, hopped on the toilet, and ascended towards her escape. Just as she began to crawl through the window, she heard frantic pounding on the bathroom door.

"Doctor, are you in there?" She noticed the door handle jiggling as he tried to open it. Amy didn't bother to answer and continued squeezing through to the other side. Through his knocking, she could hear Sleuth's panic increase. "Doctor, answer me!"

Finally, on the other side of the window, Amy dropped onto the slanted rooftop. She looked down at the drop below as she contemplated her next move. It was pretty high up, but she knew she had no choice. Suddenly, she could hear Sleuth slamming his body up against the door, desperately trying to break in. She knew it was now or never—time was of the essence. She sat on the edge of the slanted roof and dangled herself off the edge before releasing and allowing herself to tumble off the side. "Ah!"

She fell on her side with a thud and groaned as she grasped her bearings. She heard a crash and glanced up, only to realize Sleuth Dog had finally managed to break down the bathroom door. He stuck his head out the broken window and saw her beneath him. "Damn it!" Amy quickly scrambled to her feet and began running towards the chain-length fence. "Our hostage is escaping," she heard the canine bellow. "Don't let her escape!"

The front door opened, and a few M.C. members came charging out after her. One of the first people coming in her pursuit was Jeffrey St. Croix. His brows furrowed in annoyance. "For fuck's sake, not again!"

Amy glanced behind her momentarily as she saw three members chasing after her. She made it to the fence and began to climb it, not caring about the barbed wire on top. She'd do it if she could escape with a few cuts or gashes. Drago and Predator were closely behind Jeffrey as he led the charge, sprinting ahead. "Amy, don't do this!" Predator shouted.

She ignored his pleas and continued to climb the fence as she neared the top. Growling out of frustration, Jeffrey leaped onto the fence, making it bounce and sway as Amy clung to it for dear life. He scaled it quickly and managed to grab at Amy's ankle. "You don't know when to quit, do you?!" he growled.

She struggled in his grasp as she tried to pull her ankle free and keep climbing. "No, let me go!"

Drago watched the two struggle from down below. "Doctor, just come down. It's not worth the battle!" he called.

Jeffrey climbed even higher and wrapped an arm around her waist, yanking her off the fence. He tossed her down below, and she landed in the dirt with a thud. Amy grunted as Predator and Drago huddled around her to ensure she was okay. "Amy!" Predator called.

In the distance, Sleuth ran up and caught up to the group. "Great job capturing her."

"Stay back!" she yelled, trying to scurry to her feet.

"Chill, doctor, we mean no harm," Drago assured with outstretched hands, trying to calm the situation. He slowly approached with caution.

Jeffrey hopped down and landed in the dirt beside the three. "Well, I do." He shoved Predator out of the way and grabbed Amy by the collar, yanking her forward.

Amy grabbed onto the hand that gripped her shirt. "Let me go, you scum bag!"

Drago eyed the skunk disfavor. "Hey, what are you doing? You don't need to be so rough with her."

Jeffrey said no words and instead pulled his right arm back. He formed a fist and slammed it into her gut with an upward strike. Amy felt her breath hitch and her vision darken. He released his hold on her, allowing her body to crumple to the floor. She was out cold. It all happened so fast that Drago and Predator were stunned by his actions. Once it processed, Drago felt his blood boil and grabbed the skunk by the collar of his shirt, shoving him up against the side of the fence. The two were practically nose-to-nose as the wolf yelled in the skunk's face. "You son of a bitch! Why'd you do that to her?"

"Yeah, what the fuck, Jeffrey?!" Predator added on. "She didn't deserve it."

"My orders were only to detain, not injure, the girl." Sleuth leaned down and checked Amy's vitals. He checked her pulse momentarily. "Shit. She'll be alright, but she'll probably have major bruising when she wakes up. You knocked the wind out of her, you bastard…"

The skunk didn't look remorseful for his actions as he kept a stoic expression. "Yeah, well, maybe she'll learn not to try it again," Jeffrey countered.

"Drago, let him go and help me get the girl back indoors," Sleuth commanded.

The white wolf eyed the skunk before relinquishing his hold on him. Jeffrey felt his feet touch the ground just as Drago clenched his fist and slammed it into Jeffrey's gut with equal force, copying what he had done to Amy. Jeffrey wheezed and dropped to his knees, clutching his abdomen. He leaned forward, retching into the dirt. "You…son of a…" he rasped in agony as he trembled.

"Drago!" Sleuth reprimanded.

Drago glared down at the groveling skunk, writhing on his knees in pain. "I promised that girl I wouldn't let anyone hurt her while she was here. You made me break that promise, but that doesn't mean she won't get justice for it." He spit at the skunk as he remained on the ground.

"Fuck…you," Jeffrey seethed.

Drago walked over and knelt, scooping Amy into his arms. Predator jogged over and followed Drago as they returned to the compound with Amy.

Sleuth sauntered over and glanced down in pity at Jeffrey. "I always wondered why the Brothers exiled you from their M.C. I'm starting to see why now," he noted before leaving him behind and following the other two.

•~•

::Brothers of Chaos Compound::

Back at the compound, Manic, Ray, Rouge, Mina, and Mighty lounged together in the living room as they wound down for the night. Mina rested her head against Manic's shoulder as the group watched television again. Manic suddenly felt the mongoose intertwine her fingers with his hand resting next to hers. He looked down at their fingers interlocked and felt a blush creep across his muzzle. Mina returned a sweet smile and nuzzled into his shoulder.

Sitting across from them, Rouge had one leg draped over the other with her arms crossed over her chest. She smirked at the scene she watched of the two all loved up. "Boy, Manic, it's been a while since I've seen you blushing," she teased.

Manic rubbed the back of his neck slyly as he looked away from Mina, grinning at him mischievously. "Eh, me blushing? What you on about?"

Before Rouge could continue, there were two knocks on the door. She turned her head in the direction of the knocks. "Now, who could that be?" the bat questioned.

"I don't believe we're expecting visitors tonight," Ray replied.

Mighty rose from his seat to answer the door. "I'll check it out." The armadillo sauntered over to the front door and cautiously moved the curtain to the side, covering the window to get a sneak peek of who was on the other side. He looked surprised to see who was knocking on their door. "The hell…" he whispered. He opened the door only to see Rob O' standing on the other side.

"Mighty, who is it?" they heard Rouge ask as she rounded the corner. She looked startled to see the teal hedgehog standing there, too. "Oh…"

The teal hedgehog looked at both with desperation. He looked exhausted physically and mentally. "Please, could I come inside? I need to talk to you."

Mighty looked to Rouge for confirmation as she was seen as the house's matriarch. The white bat nodded, allowing Mighty to open the door further to let him indoors. Mighty closed the door behind him and ushered him into the living room. "If you left Amy behind in Tech City, this must be pretty important," he surmised.

Rouge offered the hedgehog a seat in the living room. "Here, take a seat, Mr. Hedge."

Rob sunk into the chair. "About that…there's a reason I traveled far to talk to you all in person. Please, is Shadow here? I've tried to reach him for days, but he hasn't responded. He'll want to hear this, too."

"Oh, well, Shadow and some others are away on a business deal," Mighty informed. "During their travel days, it's usually hard to get a hold of them," he explained. "He'll be home in a day or so, though."

Rob lowered his head into his hands, feeling another sinking feeling of dread. "Shit…"

Rouge looked nervously at the hedgehog. He seemed tense and anxious because of his body language alone. Then, there was the fact he seemed desperate to talk to Shadow about something rather important. "What exactly is going on? Why did you come all this way?"

Rob lifted his head from his hands and looked down at the carpeted floor. "I-I need your help. I don't know who else to turn to. I never expected to turn to you all, but I'm desperate now."

"That sounds like a back-handed compliment to me," Manic noted, scratching his face.

Mighty eyed Rob skeptically. "Before we can help, you'll need to go more into detail with your visit here today."

Rob exhaled a shaky sigh as he stared at the remaining members left in the room. "Amy's been kidnapped, and I need your help to rescue her."

"What?!" the room gasped in unison. Everyone seemed concerned, but Mighty was the most shell-shocked by the news. He stood there in a daze as he processed the information.

"When did this happen?" Rouge inquired.

"It's been almost three days," Rob answered. "It happened when she arrived at the train station in Tech City. We were ambushed by a group of seedy-looking guys in the parking lot, and that's when she was taken."

"Poor, Ms. Amy," Ray said sympathetically.

"What exactly happened during the ambush?" Manic asked.

Rob pinched the skin between his eyes. "There were four guys who attacked us when we got near my car in the parking lot. One of them grabbed her, but she fought back. I tried to stop them and protect my cousin, but they attacked me and got away with her."

Mighty walked closer to the teal hedgehog, looking down at him in disappointment. His brows knitted together as he felt anger bubbling in his chest. His fists clenched by his sides, practically shaking. "…Amy's been gone for almost three days, and now you just tell us?"

Rob glared back at the armadillo, annoyed by his tone suggesting he hadn't done enough. "I was in the hospital after one of the guys stabbed me in the back. I almost didn't make it. I yearned to get out of that bed and look for her!"

Rouge walked over and placed a hand on Mighty's shoulder. "Don't take your frustration out on her cousin," she beckoned. "He came here for a reason. He needs our help."

"She's right, Mighty," Mina chimed in. "I'm sure he did everything he could to save her. Let him continue his story."

"Fine," Mighty agreed, trying to calm himself.

Rob nodded as he continued. "The police came and interviewed me at the hospital. I gave them all the details about the guys who attacked us and kidnapped her. They promised to do everything they could to help retrieve my cousin. However, because of the people who took her, another police district must take over her casework. Too much time has passed, and I'm afraid of what's happening to her now…"

"These guys that took her—do you know anything about them?" Mighty inquired. "Who they are, or what do they look like?"

"Yes," Rob confirmed. "The Tech City police told me that the intel they had gathered before transferring her case file was that they're a motorcycle club known as the Suppression Squad." Mighty felt his heart sink. Rob immediately picked up on the armadillo's grave expression. "That bad, huh?" Rob looked around the room at the other's expression, which seemed equally sober.

"Mighty, this is bad news," Manic added. "We gotta move quickly or-"

"—I know, Manic," Mighty stopped him, knowing where his thoughts were headed.

Rouge rose from her seat, feeling her anxiety increase for her missing friend. "But why haven't we heard from them yet? Don't they want something from us for her return?"

Mighty turned to look at the bat. "Not necessarily," he corrected. "They work for the Starline cartel, and we're their competition. We've been going tit for tat for the past several weeks. I wouldn't put it past them if they…" He closed his eyes and showed a pained expression as his mind wandered to all the worst possibilities that could happen to the pink hedgehog.

Both Mina and Rouge looked terrified at the unannounced idea. Their minds began to wander themselves. They knew this was a dire situation.

Rob stood from his seat. "Please…we need to save her. I'll help you guys if that's what it takes. I want her returned unharmed and alive."

"Leave it to us," Mighty announced. We're going to get her back," he said determinedly.

•~•

::Suppression Squad Compound::

At the same time, Amy finally woke up. She felt groggy as she lay on a mattress on the floor. Opening her eyes, she realized she was back in her room at the Suppression's compound. She hadn't managed to escape after all. As she sat up from lying down, she hissed as she felt pain in her lower abdomen. She wrapped an arm around it, feeling her stomach's tenderness.

"—Sorry about my boy's hit to your stomach, toots," she heard another voice say from the darkness of her room. "I hope you weren't pregnant or nothin'."

Gasping, she turned to look in the far corner, where she saw a figure with piercing blue eyes sitting in a chair in the darkness. He was only slightly illuminated by the dim lamp sitting beside him. Amy kept a hand on her tender stomach. "No, I-I wasn't, but Scourge, what are you doing here?" She suddenly moved her left foot and felt a heavy weight around her ankle. She pulled the sheets back to reveal her ankle chained up to a long chain that was attached to the wall. She glared at the president. "Really?"

He rested his face on his left knuckle as he stared at her. "You'll need to be under closer supervision. I can't have you running off, can I?" he tsked with a wagging finger.

She quirked a brow at him. "So, what now? You'll be personally babysitting me going forward?"

The green hedgehog shrugged indifferently. "Maybe. I've got nothing else better to do while I recover from my wounds."

Amy sighed. "…Does my family know your demands yet?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but now that you're awake, I can make my demands."

•~•

::Same Time: Brothers of Chaos Compound::

Gadget, Ray, Manic, Rob O', and Mighty were in the clubhouse meeting room. The group was brainstorming on their way to get Amy back when suddenly, the phone rang. Ray ran out of the room to answer the phone.

The armadillo, now the group's designated leader, looked at Manic. "Still no word from Shadow or the others?"

The green-pierced hedgehog shook his head solemnly. "Nah, still nothing. They must be on the road and can't answer their phones while riding."

"What do we know about the Suppression's locations?" Rob inquired.

"They have at least two compounds. We know of the one located in Metropolis," Mighty explained.

"And the other one?" Rob inquired.

Before Mighty could answer, his kid brother returned to the room with the phone. "Mighty, it's the Suppression. They want to talk," he announced. Everyone looked at Ray as he brought over the phone.

"Hand it over," Mighty said with an outstretched arm.

Ray obliged and handed his brother the phone. He placed it to his ear as the rest of the room stared at him to eavesdrop on the conversation. "Hello?"

"Who is this?" the voice on the other end asked.

"It's Mighty, the sergeant at arms. Who am I talking to?"

He heard a scoff on the other end. "Oh, it's you," he said with disappointment. "This is Scourge talking. Now look, Mighty, I want to talk to someone higher up. Is Stripes around?" Scourge asked on the other end.

Mighty's brows furrowed in anger. "Shadow's not available right now. You can talk to me."

"Geez, that's a real shame. I got someone here he might know," Scourge chuckled.

Mighty clutched the phone tighter in his hand. "Where is she?"

"Oh, so you already know then. Don't worry, I've got her right here beside me," he said deviously.

"Let me talk to her," Mighty demanded.

"Fine, angel face, you're up." He handed the phone to Amy.

"Hello?" she replied through the phone.

"Ames," Mighty said in relief, hearing her voice. I've been worried sick over you. Your cousin stopped by and told us everything. Are you okay?"

Scourge observed her as she spoke over the phone. "I'm okay for now," she assured on her end.

He signed in content. "That's good to know. Listen, we're going to get you back. Just hang on for a little bit longer, sweetheart."

Amy nodded. "Okay…"

Scourge grabbed the phone and brought it back to his ear. "Good enough?"

"Yes, but please don't hurt her. We'll do whatever you want to get her back," Mighty replied.

"That's what I like to hear," Scourge grinned. "Now, let me tell you what I want for you to get her back."

Mighty frowned. "Of course…"

AN: Please remember to leave a review!

Chapter 41: Shared Intel

Summary:

Shadow and the others are updated on the news regarding Amy's kidnapping. Scourge and Amy get close and share information from which both clubs could find useful. Finally, Shadow and the others make a deal with Enerjak

Notes:

I was sick, and it took me a while to update this next chapter. I am so sorry for the long delay. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review. I enjoy reading your comments. 😭

The Brothers of Chaos Compound:

After his phone call with Scourge, Mighty hung up and turned to the rest of the group. Manic, Ray, and Rob looked at the armadillo, eager to hear of the president's demands. Mighty stood there with a muted expression. "Well, what does the fucker want?" Manic questioned.

"He wants us to…" Mighty stopped midsentence as the group heard the roar of motorcycles and a large truck pulling back into the compound.

Manic rushed over to the window and moved the curtains to the side only to see Shadow, Mephiles, Knuckles, and Gadget had returned from their mission. "Yo, they're back!"

Mighty suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He dreaded having to be the one to tell Shadow what was going on. "Shit..."

Outside, the group of motorcyclists dismounted their bikes. Knuckles hopped out of his truck and slammed the door shut as he began to walk back towards the house. Shadow removed his helmet and shook out his quills before heading in.

Gadget did a big stretch as he got off his bike. "What a trip. I'm enervated."

"Well, you've earned your respite," Mephiles noted as he walked up the house steps. "Enjoy it."

Just as Knuckles was about to open the front door, it swung open, revealing his wife. "Hey, Rouge, I-." He couldn't finish his sentence as she threw herself on him, embracing him. Knuckles returned her hug, rubbing up and down her back. He seemed confused by her reaction. He had only been gone a few days. "Uh, I missed you too, babe."

Pulling back from her hug, she looked at her husband sternly. "Knuckles, this is serious…" She looked over his shoulder at the others with a profound expression, urging them of the severity of her abrupt gesture. "Please, you all need to get inside at once. There's a club emergency happening."

Gadget felt uneasy about her tone. "Just what's going on, Ms. Rouge?"

"We'll explain everything once you get inside," she urged. Shadow glanced at his older brother, who shrugged, unsure of what was happening. Without further questioning, the rest of the boys quickly hurried inside the house.

The group paraded into their meeting room, where Shadow looked mystified to see Rob O' present in their meeting headquarters. The teal-colored hedgehog looked grim in expression, causing his stomach to twist and sink as his mind began to race suddenly. "Rob…what are you doing here?"

"Yes, what's all this about?" Mephiles challenged. "You know the rules. Non-club members are not allowed in our meetings—especially this one," he seethed dangerously as he narrowed his reptilian eyes on Rob.

"He has no choice but to be involved in our club business, Mephiles," Mighty defended. "Rob brought us some major news regarding Amy and the Suppression Squad."

Shadow felt his heart sink hearing the combination of people involved. Were his worst fears coming true? "Rose..?"

"Yeah," Mighty nodded. "Amy was kidnapped in Tech City by the Suppression," he started. "I just got off the phone with Scourge to hear his list of demands and was about to update the others about what he said."

"Shit," Knuckles cursed, shaking his head. Mephiles looked around the room at all the devastated faces. Everyone seemed concerned with Amy's well-being—except for him, who saw this as a means of a clean slate by removing the biggest thorn in his side with clean hands.

"What does he want?" Shadow demanded.

Mighty's blue eyes fell downward. "…He wants us to kill Enerjak and steal a quarter of a million from him in exchange for Amy's return."

Rob looked confused, unsure of who the person they spoke of was. "Wait, who the heck is Enerjak?"

"He's our boss," Mighty explained. "He wants us to assassinate him ourselves."

"Shit…This dude's gone off the deep end, man," Manic replied. "There's no way we can do that."

"These are quite the heavy demands," Gadget concurred.

"What happens if we don't comply with his orders?" Ray asked.

"If we don't deliver in twenty-four hours, their cartel is going to kill her to set an example," Mighty explained.

"You do realize what will happen to us if we go through with his demands," Mephiles said. "If we kill Enerjak to save Ms. Rose, his underlings will wipe us out in one clean sweep to set their example of who not to cross," he countered. "I care about Ms. Rose as much as the rest of you, but we simply cannot comply with these demands. It'd be an absolute bloodbath, and who is to say she still wouldn't perish under those options when Enerjak's cartel comes after us?"

Rob looked enraged at the idea of allowing Amy to be sacrificed. "You'd allow my dear cousin to perish just like that and not even attempt to save her?"

"Yes," he answered calmly. I will not lose more lives just to save one." The rest of the members looked at Mephiles in horror and disgust at his decision. His response did not represent who they were. Shadow felt his brow furrow and his good hand clench into a fist by his side.

"How the fuck can you even say that?" Mighty growled. "After everything she's done!"

"You're lower than scum, Mephiles," Knuckles mumbled under his breath.

"I care about her too," Mephiles lied to the others. "But not enough to see all my men wiped out. Family comes first," he reminded.

While the others bickered with Mephiles' logic, Shadow only saw red as he stormed toward his older brother. He grabbed Mephiles by the throat with his good hand and slammed him up against one of the walls in the room. Mephiles grunted in pain as he felt his back slam against the wooden wall and felt his brother's grip around his airway. He stared eye-to-eye with Shadow. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Shadow?" Mephiles gasped in anger.

"She is our family!" Shadow reminded and glared at his older brother with his hardened gaze. "I've had it hearing your slander against the doctor these past weeks," he berated. "She's shown more loyalty and done more for this club than you ever have, and she's not even a part of the M.C."

"…Shadow," Mephiles growled. "We'll all be killed if you go through with this. Enerjak and his cartel—they're more powerful than us," Mephiles rasped as he struggled against Shadow's hold.

"That may be," Shadow concurred, "But she deserves our help, and I'm going to make sure she receives it, or I'll die trying."

In the background, Rob looked touched by Shadow's words and defense of his cousin. He could truly see what an upstanding person he was in this light. At this point, he saw how much the dark hedgehog cared for and loved Amy. It was no wonder she had fallen in love with him from the start.

"How dare you challenge my authority, brother. You're a fool blinded by love and not logic," Mephiles growled.

"And you're a fool blinded by power and greed," he countered sharply. His quick response took Mephiles aback. Shadow did not waver and continued to hold his older brother hostage against the wall. "You're lucky my good hand is broken right now because if it weren't, I'd beat your face in until it was a bloody pulp…"

Knuckles cautiously took a few steps towards his friend. "…Shadow, as much as I want to kick the shit out of him too, we can't allow our anger to get to us now," he said delicately. "We need to use these emotions and energy to devise a plan to save Amy." He could see his friend was practically fuming, and for good reason. He knew he needed to separate the two brothers before it got too ugly.

Mephiles kept a hand firmly around his brother's wrist, which kept a hold on him. "As the president of this club, I refuse to get involved in this. She knew what she signed up for when she aligned with our club. She knew of the dangers," he reminded. "In fact, she was warned several times," he emphasized.

Shadow tightened his grip on Mephiles, making him wince slightly. "Your opinion does not override the rest of ours. But you're right, Knuckles, we'll take it to a club vote instead of inciting violence." The dark hedgehog looked over his shoulder at the others, watching them feud. "Won't we?" he questioned. Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.

Mephiles growled in frustration, cursing the club's democratic rules. He knew the outcome, and it wouldn't be on his side. "Fine…" Shadow released his hold on Mephiles, allowing him freedom. Fixing his jacket, he turned to look at the rest of his men. "Find a seat, and we'll have a vote. Everyone ambled over to find a seat at the table. Ray and Rob stood off to the side to watch the vote commence. Mephiles took his gavel and slammed it down onto the table. "All in favor of saving Amy Rose from the Suppression Squad, say aye; those not in favor, say nay. I'll go first…nay."

The vote shifted to Shadow, who, without missing a beat, said, "Aye."

Next, it went over to Mighty, who also quickly decided on his vote. "Aye."

All eyes looked to Gadget. He adjusted his glasses on his face and looked determined. "Aye."

Knuckles was the next person to vote. He clenched his fists and nodded to Shadow, knowing he had his back. "Aye."

The last person to vote was Manic. All eyes stared at him as they waited to hear his vote. His eyes locked with Mephiles momentarily, who urged him to vote his way. The green hedgehog looked away and glanced at both Mighty and Shadow, who pleaded with their expressions not to vote the other way. "Aye…"

Everyone cheered that the majority vote had conquered, besides Mephiles, who shook his head in annoyance. Rob and Ray looked equally relieved to see the vote go their way. Begrudgingly, Mephiles slammed his gavel down to end the vote. "Then that settles it. The Brothers of Chaos will move forward to save Amy Rose from the Suppression Squad. I hope you all are okay with signing away your death warrants."

Shadow glared in his direction, not looking fazed. "We already did that when you convinced us to sign on and work for a cartel," he countered. Mephiles shot daggers in his brother's direction at the quick remark.

"You know…I've been thinking," Manic noted, trying to break the tension in the room.

"Oh boy, now that's a first," Knuckles scoffed playfully.

Manic glared at the echidna. "Hey!"

Mighty sighed and rested his face against his right fist as he stared at his friend. "What have you been thinking about, Manic?"

The green hedgehog grinned mischievously. "So, the deal to get Amy back is to kill Enerjak and give him some major cash, right? But who's to say we have to kill him to convince Scourge we followed through on our deal?" he hinted.

Mighty stared at Manic in disbelief as the pieces of his alluded plan came together. "You're suggesting we pretend to kill Enerjak and then somehow convince the Suppression and Starline Cartel that we followed their demands?"

Manic nodded eagerly. "Totally!"

"…You know," Knuckles started as he mulled over the idea. "That's not half bad of an idea. If we can convince the Suppression that we 'killed' Enerjak, not only do we get Amy back, but we also walk away with our lives still intact."

Mephiles rolled his eyes and scoffed at the idea. "I doubt Scourge is that dumb to fall for such a trick."

"Scourge has never been the brightest when it came to leadership," Shadow considered. "Perhaps we can pull this off after all. It's a suggested idea, at least," he countered. "Would you rather go with their option?" he challenged.

"Shadow's right," Mighty agreed. "It's worth a shot."

Mephiles crossed his arms over his chest. "And just how do you plan to pull this wild stunt, dear brother?"

Shadow mulled over the question before concluding. "Easy. Go straight to the source for help."

•~•

The Suppression Squad Compound:

Meanwhile, Amy remained imprisoned in her room at the compound; some time had passed since Scourge called the Brothers to state his demands. She wondered how the club would handle this problem moving forward. She also wondered where Shadow was in all of this. Apparently, he hadn't been home when Scourge had called the club. Did he know what was happening, or would Mighty try to handle this ordeal alone?

For now, she'd have to play nice with the group of motorcyclists until she could find her next opportunity to escape. Additionally, Amy felt relieved to know her cousin was still alive if he was the one who had told the M.C. about her kidnapping. She could only imagine how bad it must've been if he succumbed to crawling to them for help. Thinking more about it, she'd have to use her charm to get information from the green hedgehog. She could tell he took a liking to her. All she knew was that she could not allow the Brothers M.C. to go through with killing off Enerjak—it would only endanger them as well. Her thoughts were interrupted when Drago opened Amy's bedroom door and found her chained up and sitting on the mattress on the floor. "Hey, how are you doing?" he asked softly.

She glanced in the wolf's direction. "I'm okay, I guess."

"That's good," he nodded slowly. "I just came by to get you. Sleuth told me you need to change out Scourge's bandages," he explained.

She sighed. "Of course, he's due for a change."

Drago bent down and used a key to unlock the chain around her ankle. "I'm sorry that Jeffrey hit you earlier. If you didn't know already, I hit the fucker back for you," he smirked.

She blinked in surprise. "Really?"

He extended his hand for her to take and lifted her to her feet. "He's a piece of shit. Stay away from that guy," he warned.

She chuckled slightly at his comment. "I already figured that out, but thank you for looking out for me, Drago."

He curtly bowed his head. "Of course, doctor."

Drago escorted the pink hedgehog into Scourge's bedroom. However, when the door opened, the green hedgehog was in bed only in some black sweatpants and was topless as he was busy making out with Fiona. Amy cringed internally, watching Fiona straddling Scourge's lap as their tongues danced within each other's mouths. The two felt like they had walked in on two teenagers.

Drago uncomfortably coughed to get their attention. "Uh, sir?" Scourge broke away from making out with Fiona to address his guests. "Sir, she's here to change your bandages," he announced.

The green hedgehog grumbled in frustration. "Ah, shit…Alright then," he sighed with defeat.

Fiona huffed in frustration herself. "Really, can't you come back later? We're busy here."

"The doctor has him on a strict schedule, Fiona," Drago replied.

Fiona crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I don't care about the doctor's stupid schedule."

"Fine," Amy replied, unfazed. "Let your boyfriend's wound get infected again," Amy suggested.

"Come on, Fi." Scourge patted Fiona on the ass, signaling for her to move. He wasn't about to risk that again. "I'll take care of you later, my queen," he cooed, lowering his eyelids suggestively.

Fiona whined in disappointment and climbed off Scourge. "You better make it up to me later, baby."

He shot her a playful wink as she sauntered out of the room, swaying her hips from side to side. "You know it, babe." Amy walked over to the first aid kit, opened it, and put on clean gloves. Drago and Scourge watched as she pulled out supplies and prepared items she'd use on the president. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He still wanted to see what information he could pull from her. He eyed his sergeant at arms, standing near the doorway. "Aye, Drago, step outside and keep watch to give the doctor and me some privacy, will yah?"

Drago looked unsure of the idea. "Are you sure, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I can handle her." He eyed Amy with a smirk. "You won't try to pull a fast one on me, will yah, toots?"

She placed a stethoscope around her neck and looked up from the first aid kit. "I'm not that dumb."

"See?" he chuckled. She's a good girl and knows her place." As she turned away from him, she rolled her eyes.

Drago nodded. "I'll be just outside the door if you need me. Just holler." The two watched the white wolf close the door and leave them alone.

Amy approached Scourge's bedside and gestured her hands towards his bedsheets to move them. "May I?"

"Yeah, of course," he nodded. He watched as Amy moved the bedsheets down past his legs where she could assess his injury. It was then that Amy realized that Scourge had a slight hard-on. The green hedgehog caught her wandering eye on his crotch and snickered, not in the least ashamed or embarrassed. "Sorry about that, angel face. Fiona got me all hot and bothered."

She continued her professionalism training, ignoring it and not fussing about it. She had been in the medical field for quite a while now and had seen plenty of things like this before with male clients. "It's okay." She began to undo the bandaging around his leg delicately so as not to cause any pain. Scourge watched as she meticulously removed the dirty bandages and disposed of them in the nearby trashcan. She then surveyed his wound using her gloved fingers to gently move his leg slightly to assess the healing process. "It looks like your healing is coming around nicely. No further infection is occurring," she noted.

"Well, that's good to hear," Scourge concurred.

"Have you taken your antibiotics yet?" she questioned.

He scratched the side of his face. "Shit, nah. I haven't."

Amy applied an antibiotic ointment around the wound. "That's alright. Once I'm done rebandaging it, I'll administer the antibiotics to you." Scourge hissed as he felt a slight stinging from the paste she smeared. Amy saw him wince and frown. "My apologies. I know this can sting sometimes."

"No problem, angel face. I know you're just doing your job." Scourge watched as she finished rebandaging his leg and disposing of trash in the garbage bin beside his bed. He couldn't help but notice how kind she continued to be towards him despite their circumstances. "Hey, uh…I just wanted to thank you again for taking real good care of me. I get that my boys brought you here against your will, but I appreciate all you've done."

"You're welcome." Amy removed her dirty gloves and tossed them in the bin. "Do you mind if I check your pulse, heartbeat, and temperature?"

"Go ahead."

Amy sat down on the side of his bed and gently pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. She kept it there momentarily as she assessed him for a fever. At that moment, the two made eye contact. Icy, artic eyes met anxious, jade ones, and Amy pulled her eye contact away, suddenly feeling a familiar shiver run down her spine. Scourge picked up on the uncomfortable mannerism and brushed it off as her being shy around him—perhaps she was attracted to him.

"No temperature, that's good." Next, Amy reached for his right wrist and felt his pulse. She used her other hand to look down at her watch while she counted his pulse. "Pulse is normal as well," she stated, bringing him out of his wandering mind.

Scourge nodded slowly. "…Oh, yeah? Good to hear, doc."

Amy placed her stethoscope in her ears. "Okay, last thing, and then I'm out of your quills." She put the chest piece against his bare chest. "Take a few deep breaths for me, please," she instructed kindly. Scrouge followed her orders and breathed in and out a couple of times. She listened carefully but couldn't help but stare at his toned and lean chest as it rose and fell with each breath. Her eyes studied the scars that trailed down his chest practically onto his tan belly. She could only wonder what had happened to him in the past to cause them. Her eyes glanced up at his face and met his cold blue eyes again. Scourge shot her a devilish grin, causing her to avert her gaze and pull the stethoscope out of her ears. "Sounds good." She reached over, grabbed the bottle of medication, and handed him two pills of antibiotics. "Take this." She dropped the pills into his hand.

"Thanks, doc." He popped the pills in his mouth and grabbed his water bottle, chugging it before swallowing.

"Well, looks like we're all good here." She scrambled back to her feet but suddenly felt him softly grasp her wrist before she could quickly depart.

"Wait. Before you leave, I gotta know something," he stated carefully.

She looked down at how he held her wrist captive. "And what's that?"

Scourge released his hold on her. "Is there a reason you can't you look me in the eye, angel face?" he chuckled. "Do I make you nervous?"

"S-sort of." She looked around the room anxiously. "It's a long story..."

Scourge chuckled at her bashfulness. He found it cute that she was intimidated by his presence, but he also enjoyed it. He patted the edge of his bed. "It's not like we have places to visit anytime soon. Take a seat and spill it, toots."
Her eyes wandered over to his bedroom door. "But I..."

"—I said, sit," he stated more firmly. Amy obliged and sat down on the edge of his bed again, a reasonable distance away from him. She looked hesitant as her eyes drifted away again from meeting his. Her gaze remained down in her lap. "Go on," he encouraged.

"Um, you remind me of someone…and it brings some complicated memories. Certain things you do, mannerisms if you will, remind me of him."

He looked intrigued and smug in expression. "Really now? Are we talking about Stripes?"

Amy shook her head. "No, not him. Someone else…"

Scourge quirked a brow. "Well, now, I'm interested."

"I-I used to date a guy who looked just like you. When your club first brought me here, I could've sworn you were him."

Scourge looked cocky in demeanor as he puffed out his chest. "Ah, so you were into sexy green hedgehogs then? That's very common for most girls," he chuckled. "Green is the new black, don't you know?" he cracked.

Amy's ears pinned back sadly. "No, he wasn't a green hedgehog," she corrected. "He was a blue one," she corrected. "He was a monster disguised as a handsome hero in a high-ranking government position."

His playful expression suddenly faltered as she described the individual. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Hold up, a second. This ex of yours—his name wasn't Zonic, was it?"

Amy's head jolted in his direction, alarmed. "Y-yes, how do you know?"

"Shit…it's a small world we live in, huh?" He shook his head and scoffed in disgust. "He's my good-for-nothing cousin."

Amy blinked in surprise. "Your cousin…" she repeated.

"I don't blame you for ditching that guy. He's a bigger creep and low-life than me, and that's saying something. I can only imagine how he treated you. Did he put his hands on you?"

There was a pause as she processed answering his question. She had already shared quite a bit of information with him. She'd continue to share if this story would help him lower his guard with her. "…Yes."

He grimaced at the thought. "Don't tell me, did he also…"

He didn't have to finish his next thought as Amy's ears pinned back again, and her countenance appeared dejected. It explained enough for him to get a painted picture of what type of monster his cousin was. He had personally witnessed acts of violence his cousin had demonstrated throughout his life—especially when it came to interacting with females. Scourge never believed himself to be a good person, but he was nowhere near as sinister as Zonic was, and he prided himself on that. "Tsk, I hope Stripes did a number on him because he had it coming."

Amy shrugged and sighed. "Well, he's dead now anyway," she admitted casually.

"Dead?!" Scourge parroted in surprise. "Since when?"

"I-I killed him in self-defense after he kidnapped me. He had been stalking me for months and wasn't giving up. Shadow was trying to rescue me from him, and it all happened so fast," Amy explained, but then she realized her mistake. She gasped and covered her mouth—she had spoken too much.

Scourge stared at the pink beauty across from him. She had told him quite a bit of information. However, he wasn't focused on that. He was more impressed with the actions from her story. His expression softened on her. "Good for you, angel face. The punk had it coming."

She seemed taken aback by his reaction. She had just openly admitted she had killed his cousin and gotten away with it with no repercussions. "…I can't believe I just admitted that out loud. I've never admitted it out loud before—and to a stranger or enemy, no less."

Scourge shrugged nonchalantly. "I can keep secrets pretty good, angel face. Your secret is safe with me," he winked. "And remember who you're talkin' to. I'm a criminal myself."

She blinked in astonishment. "But why? You don't owe me anything…"

He quirked a brow at her. "What do you mean? You saved my life. I'm pretty sure I owe you, but even if you hadn't saved my life, I'd still keep it a secret. I don't snitch to anybody—not even on my enemies."

Amy looked touched. "Wow…thank you."

He tilted his head to the side, eying her softly. "Of course, baby."

"Um, can I ask you a personal question," she inquired hesitantly.

"Shoot, angel face," he encouraged with an intrigued smile.

"How did you get those scars across your chest?" she pointed.

Scourge chuckled as he glanced down at his chest. "Oh, these? You like them?" he grinned boyishly. "Figures," he shrugged indifferently. "Most chicks dig them. They think they're sexy and tough."

Amy shook her head. "No, it's not that. I was just wondering how you got them?"

"Oh." He sucked his teeth as he thought back to their origin. "Funnily enough, they came from a member of the Brothers M.C…"

"Really?" Amy blinked a few times, intrigued. "Who did this to you?"

"That old echidna with the bushy eyebrows," he mumbled. "Stupid, fucking echidna bastard…."

Amy appeared startled by the reveal. "You're telling me Locke did that?"

He nodded. "Look, I was just a rookie at the time, so he got lucky when he got a lick in," he tried to play off coolly. "Our two gangs were in a big-time rumble. I took him on, one-on-one. I was just a kid, and it was my initiation, after all." Amy reached out to touch his chest but then hesitated and pulled back her hand. Scourge caught the gesture. "Go ahead and touch them if you'd like," he encouraged.

Amy obliged and reached out and traced her right hand against his chest, tracing the scars delicately with her fingers. She felt the bumps and ridges of the scar. Scourge stared at the pink hedgehog and felt a weird flutter in his chest. Her hand was so soft, and when she traced it down his toned chest, he felt the quills bristle on the back of his neck. He had found her cute last night, but as he continued interacting and conversing with her, he suddenly realized why Shadow had fallen in love with the girl.

Amy pulled her hand away from his chest. "By the looks of it, he could have killed you from that injury alone. You're lucky to have survived."

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Scourge swung his legs to get out of bed. He stood and stretched his arms above his head. Amy remained sitting on his bed as she watched him. "His goal was to take me out, but luckily, I'm still standing." Scourge walked over to his window and looked out it momentarily before glancing back in her direction. "Speaking of which, since we're sharing truths and all, how'd that old fart kick the bucket anyway?"

She blinked a few times, confused by his question. "Huh? What do you mean?"

He shoved his hands into his sweatpants pockets. "How'd the guy die?" he clarified.

She stared at him silently for a moment as she processed his question. Was he messing with her? "How do you not remember? Your club is responsible for killing him," she reminded.

Scourge looked baffled by the reveal. Both stared at one another, equally confused. "The hell? What are you on about?"

Amy became annoyed by what she believed to be an "innocent" act. Her brows furrowed in anger. She rose from sitting on the bed. "Why are you acting surprised? Your club killed him," she restated.

He shook his head, seeing she wasn't joking around. "No way, toots. If I had killed the guy, I'd still be boasting about it to this day. But it serves him right to be dead, though. Good riddance."

She glared at him in disbelief as she rose from her seat. "You're lying…"

Scourge shook his head. "The old echidna can continue to rot away in his coffin. He was an old useless bastard anyway," he grumbled.

Amy balled up her right fist from his words and lack of sympathy. She stormed towards him and swung to hit his face, but Scourge caught her wrist, stopping her swiftly. He kept his expression neutral as he tsked her. He shook his head in disappointment. "That's not a smart move, angel face. It's a real shame, too. I thought we were starting to get close." Amy used her other hand to swing at him, but Scourge caught her other hand. Amy began to squirm in his grasp and tried to kick at him. Growing frustrated with her attempts, in one swift move, he managed to spin her around, pinned both her hands behind her back, and shoved her up against a wall to restrain her against it.

Amy gasped as Scourge overpowered her from behind, keeping her restrained. "Let me go!"

Scourge rested his chin over her left shoulder as he pressed his body against her from behind. "Are you finished yet?"

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Stop talking down on my friend. He didn't deserve to be murdered by your club!"

He growled in irritation. "Like I said, toots, we didn't kill him. If we did, I'd have no issue admitting to it." He released his hold on her wrists and backed up.

She turned around to face him as his words processed in her mind. "Then who…" she stopped midsentence as the realization sunk in. With Scourge confirming that he and his gang had no part in Locke's death, it was starting to look like Mephiles may have genuinely been behind his death as well. It wouldn't surprise her at this point. She began to cry and covered her face with her hands.

Seeing her upset, Scourge couldn't help but sympathize with her. He frowned. "Uh, hey…" he said gently. "I'm sorry if I upset yah," he apologized. "I-I mean, I didn't like the guy. He was my enemy, but I guess he was still someone to you, you know…"

Amy wiped her eyes with the back of her arm as she turned to look at him. "This whole time, I thought it was your M.C. who had taken him away from us. I'm such an idiot…"

His ears perked. "Huh? So, who killed him then?"

"It had to have been Mephiles," she replied. "He must've set it up to look like it was you guys to keep the suspicion off his back."

Scourge scoffed and shook his head in disgust. "Pff, that wouldn't be the first time we've been made the fall, guys."

Amy continued to compose herself as she cleaned up her teary cheeks. "What are you talking about?"

"Since you shared a secret with me, I'm going to share one with you." Scrouge approached his nightstand, grabbed the tissue box, and handed it to her. "I'm sure you heard about Stripes' first old lady who was killed in a drive-by several years ago. Well, right after her murder, rumors started swirling on the streets that my club was the one responsible for the hit."

Amy blotted up some tears with the tissues. "That's the story I've always heard. You're saying you guys weren't responsible for her death either?"

"No, we're not. The only thing that nasty rumor did was give us major street cred not to fuck with our club," he continued.

Amy sat back down on his bed. "If it's true you didn't kill her, then why didn't you just come forward and tell the truth?"

He sat down a few feet away from her on the bed. "To be honest, I liked the notoriety it brought us. I may not wanna admit it, but the Brothers have always been the superior biker gang. When this happened, I clung to the power, influence, and fear it brought for us. Other clubs didn't wanna mess with us anymore since we were known for taking out one of the higher-ranking M.C.'s old ladies. We started picking up more business as well. It was great!"

Amy looked disappointed by his answer. "That's disgusting and immoral…the only thing it's done is breed hatred between you and Shadow's club. Both of you have lost countless lives in this unnecessary war over something you aren't even responsible for."

The green hedgehog plopped his head back onto the pillow. "It's the life I signed up for," Scourge shrugged. "It's all I've ever known and been good at. Besides, it's not like Shadow would ever believe me if I told him the truth."

"Then who is responsible for her death?" she wondered.

He started to look bored from the conversation. "From the intel I gathered, I heard they were some mercenaries for hire. It beats me, though. I don't really care, though."

"…If your stories are true, are you still going to kill me if Shadow and the others don't follow through with your demands?"

He studied her momentarily as he contemplated how to answer her question. "I won't have to use my threat because, like I said, I know Stripes, and he'll come through with my demands," he grinned arrogantly.

The door opened again, and Drago stood there with a cell phone. "Sir, sorry to interrupt, but Boomer is on the phone with an update on our recent mule operation."

"That's fine, we're done here, anyway. Take angel face downstairs and find her something to eat—something good," he instructed. "I'll take the phone call."

"Yes, sir." Drago walked over and handed Scourge the phone. "Follow me, doctor," the wolf gestured.

Amy rose from sitting on the bed and followed the large wolf out of the room. She glanced at Scourge before Drago closed the bedroom door, giving him privacy. She could only wonder if his words about Locke and Maria's death were valid.

Enerjak's Mansion:

After riding for an hour, Shadow, Mighty, Gadget, and Manic parked their bikes outside the gates of a large mansion. "Dang, this is where Enerjak lives?" Manic noted, eying the luxurious-looking home. "Bougie…" They walked over to the intercom with a camera on the wall outside the gate, and Gadget pressed a button. The button buzzed in, and the group waited as they heard a crackle over the intercom.

"Shadow?" a familiar male voice said through the speakers. "I didn't expect to see you and the others drop by today unannounced. What do you want?"

"My apologies," Shadow began. "But we need to talk," he explained on the other end.

There was a pause before Enerjak's voice came back through the speakers. "What could possibly be so important? I'm rather busy."

"Please, we're here because it regards your safety and the Starline cartel," Shadow elaborated.

The gates opened, allowing the three to enter. The boys walked up the mansion's stairs, which led to the entrance. "This place is like a super fortress," Manic observed as he looked around.

Gadget looked impressed as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Not to mention they have the most up-to-date and intense security technology I've seen. I can see that Mr. Enerjak spared no expense," he praised. Security cameras were everywhere, a large metal fence kept intruders out, and armed guards were walking around the premises. He had gorgeous landscaping and a water fountain surrounded by expensive parked cars.

"Which just proves it'd be super-duper hard if we decided to go with option A," Manic pointed out. "This other option should work, though."

Finally, at the front of the house, the echidna's guards opened the front door as the group approached it. The cartel leader exited the staircase, meeting the boys halfway. He wore an expensive-looking black robe and had a glass of red wine in one hand. Enerjak looked rather annoyed as he glared at the group." His two guards, who had watched outside his home's entrance, now stood on either side of their leader, each holding an AK-47 as they stared at the bikers. Seconds later, two other guards appeared behind the group carrying guns themselves.

"Boy, you keep this place real secure," Manic noted with an uneasy chuckle as he eyed the armed guards, eying them seriously.

Enerjak took a sip of his wine. "You can never let your guard down when you're someone like me. Now, I didn't come here for idle chit-chat. This better be worth my time."

"To preface this, sir," Mighty started. "It's a kind of long story…"

Enerjak bared a fang. "Then you better learn how to condense the story. Time is of the essence, and every second you take away from me, I lose money for business."

Mighty gulped nervously. "Right, well, to start…the Suppression Squad kidnapped one of our girls," he began.

Enerjak stared at him with a blank expression, already losing interest. "You truly came here because one of your prostitutes was snatched by your rival biker gang? I would assume you could handle that affair internally."

"No, it's not like that…" Manic tried to interject. "They didn't kidnap one of our hookers."

"—They kidnapped Amy," Shadow corrected.

Enerjak's bored expression dropped slightly, and he showed some empathy. "The same girl who treated my wounds months ago?" he questioned, looking alarmed.

"Yeah, that's right," the armadillo confirmed. "And for her ransom, Scourge ordered us to kill you." Tensing up, his security immediately aimed their weapons toward them, ready to fire. Mighty and the others put their hands up in defense. "No, we're not here to do that, we swear!" he trembled.

"Yo, please don't kill us!" Manic begged, falling to his knees.

"Just remain calm, fellas," Gadget pleaded, keeping his hands up.

In the meantime, Shadow remained tranquil and stoic as he raised his arms and kept his eyes locked on the echidna.

"Why shouldn't I take the four of you out this instant?" Enerjak challenged. "This whole conversation has been keeping me on edge. You've just come to meet with me unannounced and have clearly stated an intention to assassinate me," he said suspiciously, keeping his eyes locked on them.

Shadow stepped forward cautiously with his arms still raised, showing no harm. "Frisk us and take our weapons. We're here peacefully and only ask for your help."

Enerjak studied Shadow before making a signal with his head. "Boys."

The guards approached the group, keeping their weapons aimed at the motorcyclists. Immediately, they began frisking each of them individually. They found their weapons and took them, throwing them into a pile far enough away from them that they could not reach them. The guards then returned to aiming their guns at the M.C. members in case they tried to pull a fast one. "Now that we're completely unarmed, may I continue, sir?" Shadow asked politely.

"Go ahead, Shadow," Enerjak urged.

Shadow dropped his raised arms. "We came here to talk to you because we don't plan to meet the Suppression's demands. We have another plan in mind to help save Amy."

"Such as?" Enrjak pressed.

Manic interjected himself into the conversation. "We hoped you could spread some major phony news that we took you out. If we could fake your death for twenty-four hours, we'd be able to convince Scourge we followed his demands and get Amy back," he explained sheepishly.

Enerjak narrowed his eyes at the green hedgehog. "I'm a very important businessman. I happen to have no ill will toward Dr. Rose. I'm sorry to hear of her predicament, but do you know what it'd do to my business if I just died suddenly?" he said with annoyance.

"We understand, sir, but the Suppression Squad's cartel plans to execute her if we don't follow their orders. We refuse to take you out, but this other plan is our best option," Shadow pleaded.

"Besides, Amy stepped away from the club life. She was trying to separate herself from our business," Mighty added. "She hasn't been involved with our club for months now."

"He's right," Shadow seconded. "She is not involved in our lifestyle anymore. The rest of us have been loyal to you and your cartel. We've never asked anything from you in the several months we've worked together."

"Not to mention, but I think you'd get some major respect once you suddenly rise from the dead again," Manic added. "You might even weed out some rats within your inner circle from this little stunt."

Enerjak contemplated Manic's words. "Hmm…"

The other boys watched Shadow kneel and bow his head, meeting the ground as he pleaded. "Please, sir…" He was at his mercy. "I'm begging you to please spare me this one favor…I'll do anything to save her life. I can't allow this to happen to her—not again."

Enerjak mulled over his statement and then sighed in defeat. He knew how much Amy meant to the dark hedgehog. "Very well then. You get twenty-four hours, and that's it. I will spread a rumor through some associates to get the news that you killed me to the Suppression Squad. I wish you luck and hope you get her back safely."

Manic blew out a sigh of relief. "It worked. It actually worked," he whispered.

"Shh!" Gadget shushed anxiously.

"Just stay out of sight, sir," Mighty instructed. "We'll take care of the rest."

Enerjak looked annoyed. "How about you get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Shadow raised his head from his bow. He looked relieved. "Thank you, sir. We'll make it up to you, I promise."

•~•

Meanwhile, Scourge was in his room at the Suppression Squad compound as he and Fiona made up for lost time. With the two completely naked and in bed, the red vixen rode Scourge to her heart's content as he held her by the hips. He grunted in euphoria. "Oooh, yeah, baby. Just like that." He enjoyed watching her tiny tits bounce and sway from side to side.

She moved her hips, lifting herself up and down just right to get the right feeling in her loins. She braced herself as she kept her hands on his toned chest. "Chaos…your cock feels amazing right now."

He could feel her crotch clutching and clenching around his member heavenly. "And that pussy of yours is feeling real tight, Fi," he huffed as she continued to ride him.

"Ah, I'm almost there," she panted.

"Fuck," Scourge winced, feeling her core begin to squeeze around his member. "Yeah, me, too."

Fiona increased her pace faster and gasped as she felt her peak. "Oh, Scourge!" She could feel him clench his hold around her waist a bit tighter as he held her in place.

"Fi!" he shouted as he came. Eventually, Fiona slowed her pacing down and collapsed onto his chest. The two collected their breath as they came down from their high. Eventually, Fiona rolled off of him and cuddled up against his side. Scourge kept an arm around her as she nestled her face into his warm chest. He had a satisfied smile on his face as he caught his breath. "Shit, I needed that, babe. Thanks for taking the lead."

Fiona smiled warmly as she glanced up at her boyfriend. "I needed it too," she admitted.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" he reminded her softly. Scourge ran his fingers through her locks while she traced her fingers along his chest.

Fiona returned him a genuine smile. "Thanks, but can I ask you something?" she inquired delicately, unsure how he'd respond.

He glanced down at her as he continued to caress her hair. "Sure, baby. What's up?"

"Why did you spend so much time alone with that girl we kidnapped earlier?"

Scourge stopped his hair caressing—becoming insulted by what she was suggesting. "I was getting to know the chick and trying to pull information from her, Fi. Relax," he insisted.

"Damn, why are you getting so defensive?" She stared at him with scrutiny. "It's just, it was an awful long time to get information out of someone..."

Scourge rolled his eyes at her paranoia. "Sometimes getting information outta someone takes a while," he argued.

Fiona sat up to look at him more directly. Everything about this still felt off to her. "And you had Drago guarding the door," she pointed out. "That doesn't seem suspicious to someone from the outside looking in?"

Scourge narrowed his brows. "Fi, if you think I was in here cheating on you with her, you're insane!"

"How would that be insane? I've seen how you looked and spoken about her," she snapped. "You like her…"

"Okay, so I'm a flirt, so sue me! I can't help it," he tried to justify. "Sure, she's cute, but nothing happened between us, Fi." He reached out and cupped her hands in his with assurance. "You're my queen—not her."

Fiona looked down at his hands, embracing hers. "Scourge…"

Scourge removed his hands from holding her and instead cupped her face and kissed her. He held it still and started chaste until he intensified it. Eventually, he pulled back and looked into her sparking blue eyes. "I love ya, Fi. Remember that."

"I love you too, Scourge…" she replied.

Suddenly, two knocks at his door. Fiona quickly covered her chest with the sheets to show some modesty. The green hedgehog waited until she was covered. "Come in," Scourge beckoned.

The door opened, and Drago stuck his head inside. "Sir, we just got word that Brothers followed through with that hit. Enerjak is dead."

Scrouge grinned victoriously as he sat more upright in bed. "Tell the crew to meet at the table. We need to meet for the plan's next stages."

•~•

Downstairs in the dining room, Scourge held an emergency meeting with his crew to update them on the latest scheme and how to move forward. Scourge sat center while Sleuth, his V.P., sat to his left. Down the other side of the table were Simian, Drago, Predator, Boomer, Antoine, and Jeffrey. "Well, boys, it looks like we managed to get Stripes to take out his supplier," Scourge announced victoriously.

Simian looked at the hedgehog. "What exactly happens next, sir?"

"Once we confirm that they have the cash, we'll need to plan a time and place for the exchange. "

"And what about the girl?" Jeffrey inquired. "Do we plan to just hand her back just like that?"

Scourge nodded. "Well, yeah, duh. A deal's a deal."

Jeffrey looked annoyed by the response. "Wouldn't it be better if we made a statement and took her out to make a statement to them once and for all?" he challenged. "They need to be put in their place."

Scourge shot the skunk a questionable look. "Nah, it don't need to go that far, Jeffrey. We're going to get what we wanted out of our deal. Besides, it's not like Starline even knows we're pulling off this little deal. He'll be majorly impressed, though, when he finds out what we accomplished."

"If Starline was involved in this, I guarantee he'd still kill the girl in front of the Brothers just to rub their faces in their defeat," Jeffrey countered.

"Yeah, but I'm not Starline," Scourge rebutted. "That's not my style. Now stop challenging my authority and stay in your lane, bud." Jeffrey sank back into his seat, disapproving of this plan. The green hedgehog looked around the table at the other members. "Anyone else wanna pipe up over some complaint with my plan?" he challenged. Everyone else shook their heads.

•~•

A few hours later, Shadow and the other M.C. members sat in the meeting room together. Everyone sat around the table and watched as the ebony-striped hedgehog dialed Scourge's number. He held the phone to his ear and waited as the phone rang. The green hedgehog answered. "Hello?"

"It's done," Shadow stated. "We killed him. Now, put Amy on the phone," he demanded sternly.

"Yeah, I heard the news. Congrats, buddy. I guess you and your boys will do anything for her, huh?" Scourge glanced over to Amy and handed her the phone. "You're up, angel face."

She held the cell phone to her ear, but Scourge remained close to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Mighty?"

Shadow felt a gut punch hearing her assume it was the armadillo and not him. His eyes glanced at Mighty sitting across from him. "…No, it's Shadow, actually," he corrected. Mighty picked up on why he had glanced in his direction and looked away uncomfortably. Yikes.

"Shadow?" Amy repeated, startled to hear his voice. "I-I'm sorry I got kidnapped. I should've fought back harder," she apologized. "You were right about it not being safe for me and—"

"—Rose," he cut her off. "Don't blame yourself for this," he assured calmly. "I'm just happy to hear your voice. They haven't hurt you, have they? I haven't stopped thinking about you since the others told me the news."

She felt a flutter in her stomach hearing him use his treasured nickname for her—something she hadn't heard him use in months. On top of that, he hadn't stopped thinking about her. That made her feel comforted. "No, I'm okay so far," she replied.

He sounded relieved by that news. "That's good to hear. Listen, I'm going to get you back. You understand?"

She nodded nervously on her end. "Yeah…"

"I promise, princess."

Her ears pinned back with guilt and dread. If Shadow and the others had indeed killed Enerjak, she worried about their fate. "But Shadow, what you did…won't you and the others be-"

"—We'll figure something out like we always do," he assured. "Right now, my goal is rescuing you and getting you back home safely."

Scourge snapped his fingers and held out his hand. "Alright, that's enough between you two. Hand over the phone," he commanded.

Amy glanced at the green hedgehog. "I have to get off now. Bye…" She frowned and handed him the phone back. Scourge looked over to Drago and Predator. "Take the doctor back to her room. I want to talk to Stripes privately."

"Right away, sir," Drago nodded. "Let's go, doctor."

Amy got up from her seat and was escorted out of the kitchen and back upstairs. Now alone again, Scourge placed the phone back to his ear. "Stripes, I gotta hand it to yah. Your girl is one hell of a woman. But she wouldn't be treated like a princess if she were my girl. She'd be treated like a queen," he smirked, trying to grind his gears.

Shadow scowled over the phone. His mind trailed to the worst possibilities his enemy could do to her. "You dare to do anything sinister to her, and I will personally fuck you up myself and make you regret making these demands," he threatened.

"Relax, Stripes, I haven't touched her yet. Although…she has touched me," he chuckled playfully. "She has real soft hands and knows how to use them well," he teased.

Shadow clutched the phone in his hand, raging within. "You bastard, I'll…"

Scourge laughed on his end, hearing him lose his chill. "Calm down, I'm only messin' with yah," he cracked. "Still, I can't believe you broke up with her. What were you thinking? She's the whole package deal: beautiful, charming, smart, and feisty," he listed. "You fucked up big time, not wife-ing her up, Stripes. If I weren't tied down myself, I'd take her off your hands for yah."

"Keep the topic on the main subject," he warned. "We did what you demanded. When do I get her back?"

"Oooh, still a touchy subject, I see," he smirked. "I'll call back to arrange a meeting point. But if you're lying about any of this, she's dead," he warned. With that, the phone call ended.

Shadow closed his flip phone and looked at the other boys sitting around the table. "How'd she sound?" Knuckles inquired, breaking the silence.

"She sounded alright," Shadow admitted. "I'm still worried for her while she remains under their watch."

"What was up with you getting so angry a few moments ago?" Rob' O inquired.

Shadow shook his head, dismissing his concerns. "It was nothing. Just Scourge trying to get under my skin with some comments about Rose."

"Did we get an answer about when we will do the trade-off?" Mighty questioned.

Shadow shook his head. "No, he said he'd call back and let us know when."

"All right. Now, all we got to do is come up with the real 250k by tomorrow night."

"…Piece of cake," Manic said sarcastically.

Chapter 42: A Shot in the Dark

Summary:

It's crunch time, and Shadow and the rest of the M.C. scramble to meet Scourge's demands. They negotiate for more time to ensure a smooth transaction. Meanwhile, Jeffrey goes behind the Suppression M.C. and takes matters into his own hands.

Notes:

AN: I know it's been a long time since I last updated. Since February, things have not been going well, and I've lost motivation to write as I've struggled to cope with my terrible job. Thankfully, I have resigned and will be starting a new position in August, which I hope will be a better fit. I promise the next chapter will be much longer than this one. I will try to get the next chapter up before the summer ends. I'm going to be on vacation in Europe for the next 14 days, so enjoy this chapter!

.:The Suppression Squad Compound:.

Later that night, Scourge found Amy tending to one of his wounded guys in their medic room. With his arms crossed over his chest, he leaned his left shoulder against the door frame as he watched her tend to Patch. She wrapped a bandage around his upper arm and tied it off. Patch hissed slightly from the discomfort. "Keep it dry for the next couple of days and let me know if you have any other discomfort tomorrow morning," she informed.

The coyote hopped off the examination table and eyed his bandaged arm with a slight nod. "I will. Thank you for patching me up."

"You're welcome," she smiled.

He walked out of the examination room past Scourge. "Thanks for taking care of my guys, angel face. It's much appreciated around here."

She discarded her dirty gloves into the garbage bin in the corner. "Of course. I'll always lend a hand no matter the circumstance or person."

"And you're sure you don't have any wings on that back of yours?" he cracked. "You're our hostage and still going out of your way to show kindness and grace towards my guys. It makes a guy wonder."

"It just comes naturally. I always want to help people who need medical attention," she explained. "I can't help it," she shrugged.

He looked at her softly, admiring her morals. "Well, I still think you're an angel in disguise." Amy felt her face go red, and she looked away.

There was a moment of silence between them until another person interjected. "Ahem…"

The two glanced behind Scourge and spotted Fiona lingering behind him, looking peeved with her arms crossed and a scowl across her face. "Fi, baby," Scourge sang as he stretched out his arms.

"It's getting a little late. Don't you think it's time to go to bed?" she reminded passively.

He sauntered over to his girlfriend and draped an arm around her waist as he walked her to the staircase. "I'll be there in a little bit, babe. I still have some loose ends to tie up for tomorrow."

She eyed him wearily. "Fine, but hurry up. I don't like you hanging around her."

He raised a brow and smirked. "Still jealous, are we?"

She shoved him away from her in annoyance. "Just get to bed already, idiot," she huffed.

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, making her blush. "I love you, babe. You know that, right?"

"Yes…" She nodded with her cheeks still slightly red. "I love you, too." With that, she headed upstairs.

Amy peeked out of the room and looked towards the green president. "So, am I going to be released tomorrow?"

Scourge shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "It's looking like it, toots. I just

finished having a meeting with my team. We agreed on a time and place for the exchange. I was getting ready to call your old man back right now."

"Oh." She fiddled with her hands nervously. "Is it alright if I talk to him again?"

He nodded with a smirk. "Sure thing. It's the least I could do for yah since you've been complying."

"Thank you."

"But you sure you didn't want to talk to their sergeant-at-arms first?" he probed curiously with a knowing smirk.

Amy felt flustered by the comment. "What?"

"Don't play all innocent now. Jeffrey told me all about how you and Stripes' sergeant have been getting nice and cozy since you've been single," he chuckled.

Amy turned away from him and worked on organizing the countertop space.

"Respectively, Scourge, that's none of your business."

He eyed her up and down, noticing her perturbed demeanor. He couldn't help but enjoy poking at the bear. He shook his head and sighed in defeat, and walked up behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, no more playing around. Let's call up your club." He ushered the annoyed pink hedgehog into the dining room to make the call.

•~•

.:The Brothers of Chaos Compound:.

At that same time, back in Mercia, Shadow smoked a cigarette outside to ease his stress while Rob sat on the bench to keep him company. "How do you think she's doing with that bunch then?" the teal hedgehog questioned as his mind was concerned about his missing cousin.

"Your cousin is incredibly resilient," Shadow noted as he exhaled a puff. "She's a lot stronger than she looks. I'm sure she can hold her own against their threats for the time being," he stated optimistically.

"And you're truly not worried, Shadow?" Rob' O challenged.

"Of course, I am. Not knowing what she's dealing with right now puts me at unease, but if I'm logical, I know she's alright. Besides, I've got the feeling from Scourge's comments over the phone that he likes her. That tells me he won't harm her for the most part…"

Rob quirked a brow. "You think so?"

Shadow nodded uncomfortably. "When you asked why I was getting upset over the phone earlier, it was because of some of the comments he was making about her. He was trying to get under my skin and get a reaction out of me." Shadow exhaled a heavy sigh.

"Trust me, he likes her. Although it's not hard not to feel that way about Amy..."

Rob shook his head in frustration. "I hate sitting around and playing the waiting game. It makes me feel so helpless."

Shadow took another drag. "Unfortunately, that's all we can do for now. We're at their mercy."

Suddenly, Manic popped his head out the front door onto the front porch. "Yo, Shads, Scourge called. He's on the line with Mighty right now," the green spikey hedgehog announced.

Shadow flicked his cigarette into the dirt and quickly headed inside with Rob. Once the two got back inside, they spotted Mighty standing in the kitchen as he spoke to Scourge on the phone. Knuckles, Manic, Gadget, Ray, and Mephiles sat around the kitchen table as they watched and tried to eavesdrop. "Yeah, I know where that is," Mighty said, pacing back and forth. Shadow and Rob studied the armadillo as they tried to piece together the conversation they had missed. They watched as Mighty shook his head while he held the phone to his ear. "No. No way. We're going to need more time," he begged.

Shadow extended his hand to Mighty, signaling he should take over the negotiations. "Give me the phone," he whispered harshly and urgently.

Mighty glanced over at his V.P. "Uh, hey, Shadow just stepped in. I'm going to let him take it from here," he alerted Scourge. With that, he handed the phone over to Shadow.

"Stripes!" Scourge sang on his end. "I'm shocked you weren't the first to answer. I figured you'd be sitting by the phone with bated breath," he chuckled.

"Enough idle chat," Shadow snapped. "When and where are we making the exchange?"

"I was just talking to your sergeant. Let's make it happen tomorrow at 8 AM sharp."

"As my sergeant said, we need a little bit more time to get the rest of the money to you. Is there any way we could do it later that afternoon?"

Scourge chuckled on his end. "Sounds like you're in quite the bind there, Stripes. You want your girl back, don't you?"

"Of course I want her back. We don't have all the funds yet. We're working on it as quickly as possible."

In the background, Mephiles couldn't help but roll his eyes and discreetly shake his head.

"Fine, let's push for 3 PM at the Central shipping yard in Central City, huh?" Scourge replied.

"Deal."

"Oh, and no funny business, you hear?" Scourge warned. "Now, I'm putting on Angel face to talk to you for a minute."

Shadow listened carefully as he heard the phone shift on the other end. "…Rose?"

"Shadow," Amy breathed in relief. "It's good to hear your voice again."

"I hold the same sentiment here," he concurred. "How are you holding up over there? Are you okay?"

Amy smiled softly on her end. "I'm fine, Shadow. They're not hurting me if I follow their orders."

"Thank Chaos. I'm not sure how much you overheard my conversation with Scourge, but we'll get you back tomorrow. You just have to hold on for a little bit longer."

"I understand, Shadow. I was in the room when he talked to you. Please be careful, okay?"

"I will." Shadow heard another shift on the phone.

"Alright. That's enough, you two!" Scourge said, returning to the phone. "Be on time, Stripes. See ya!" CLICK.

Amy turned to look at Scourge. "Thank you for letting me talk to Shadow again. I appreciate it."

"See, I can be nice," he teased.

Amy pushed her seat away from the table and stood up. "Well, if that's all for tonight, I'm going to head to bed then."

"Yeah, of course," he nodded. He turned to look at the rest of his guys. "Now, as for the plan for tomorrow…" His eyes followed her retreating form as she exited the room. The other boys remained in the room with their president to listen to their plans for tomorrow.

As Amy entered the living room, she headed towards the staircase to head upstairs when she noticed the door leading to the basement was left standing wide open. She stopped just at the base of the stairs and glanced at it momentarily before deciding otherwise. However, the moment she started to move to go upstairs, she heard a noise coming from that direction. "Help me…"

Her ears twitched slightly as she halted her action. "Huh?"

"Down here…I was shot…" the voice signaled again. "Help me," it called weakly.

Amy made her way down the stairs halfway and leaned forward as she squinted into the darkened entryway. "Um, hello?" She cautiously made her way further down the steps and walked into the darkened entryway. "Who is this?" she asked carefully, looking around the darkened room. Her hand felt along the wall for a light switch so she could see better. "…Hello?"

Suddenly, a pair of arms came from around the sides of her—one arm wrapped around her body, securing her arms by her sides. Amy opened her mouth to scream out, but the other arm came towards her face, smothering her nose and mouth with a cloth. She let out a muffled cry for help before the intense fumes from the cloth began to make her feel lightheaded. She felt her eyes go heavy and her mind fade as she passed out in her struggle to call for help.

•~•

.:The Brothers of Chaos Compound:.

Back in Mercia at the clubhouse, Shadow sighed and sat down at the kitchen table with the others. He was still processing his phone conversation with Scourge that they had just gotten off. "Well, at least I bought us a few more hours."

"A few more hours can't possibly help us," Mephiles noted pessimistically. "All it's doing is stalling time, brother."

"We'll figure something out. If we put our heads together, I'm sure we can come up with something feasible," Shadow rebutted, glaring over at his negative-thinking brother.

"We have a limited time limit on their idea that we killed Enerjak. Once they discover the truth, it'll be over. At this point, we're cutting it quite close with the hours whittling down," Mephiles noted.

"It will be cutting it close, but I know we can pull this off," Shadow rebutted.

Mephiles didn't seem as confident and allowed his skeptical reptilian eyes to drift off. "If you say so, brother."

"Right, so then what's the plan for getting the rest of the cash?" Mighty inquired.

Shadow placed a hand to his forehead, appearing stressed. "No idea…"

The teal hedgehog tapped his fingertips together nervously. "I-I have about fifty thousand in savings," Rob' O mentioned. "I could always withdraw it and add it to the pile if that'd help."

Shadow shook his head adamantly. "No, I could never ask you to do that. We'll figure something out."

There was a long pause of silence until the yellow squirrel stood up from his seat. "Sir, I have an idea, but it could be risky," Ray said, speaking up.

"What do you have in mind?" Shadow asked curiously.

"We have some of that counterfeit money out back. We could use some of that with the real money we have lying around. We can give it to Scourge in exchange for Amy. He'd never know the better with the real money mixed in with the counterfeit," Ray explained.

"I think it sounds like a good idea," Manic said while kicking back. "It's not like he's gonna go through every bill to make sure we aren't screwing him over."

Mephiles scoffed at the idea. "This is a stupid idea."

"I don't exactly hear you coming up with anything better," Shadow snapped.

"I agree with Manic. It might just work," Mighty said.

Shadow nodded. "Alright, let's get to work then."

•~•

.:The Suppression Squad Compound:.

A few minutes later, the figure who had attacked Amy was in the process of transporting her out of the compound in secret. He had her body slung over one shoulder, unconscious, before he placed her in the back of one of the club's vans. "Jeffrey, what the hell are you doing?" another voice questioned them from behind.

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Jeffrey spun around, anxious about his discovery. He was startled to see Fiona standing behind him in the garage entryway. She stared at him with scrutiny. "Fiona…what are you doing here?"

"Looking for her," she answered. "Drago put me on babysitting duty." She cocked her head to the side, questioning his suspicious activity. "You never responded to my question. Just what the hell are you doing with her?"

The skunk casually dusted off his hands nonchalantly. "I'm transporting her over to the exchange point," he lied boldly.

Fiona looked skeptical of his answer. "That's funny, Drago instructed me that she should be in bed. I also thought the exchange took place tomorrow?" She noticed Amy's wrists and ankles were bound, and she was out cold. "And you're trying to claim Scourge gave this order?"

He cautiously eyed the tool wall to his left. "Yeah, he did."

She placed one hand on her hip as she watched him near the tool wall. "If that's true, then why didn't he have Predator and Drago handle it? They're her handlers after all."

He kept his eyes on the wall, scanning for the right tool. "Change of plans," he quickly added. "Happens all the time in the club," he shrugged innocently. "But you wouldn't know that because you're just an old lady."

Fiona turned on her heel. "This doesn't feel right. I'm going to tell Scourge."

WHACK.

Fiona gasped and crumpled to the floor. Her head was throbbing. She reached up and touched the side of her head, only to see blood oozing down her head. She rolled over painfully on her side and glanced up only to see Jeffrey with a torque wrench clutched in his hand. "…Jeffrey, the fuck?" she groaned.

He lifted his arm, wielding the powerful tool over his head to strike another blow. "Sorry, but I can't have anyone stopping me."

POW!

•~•

A little bit later, Scourge headed upstairs to call it a night. He had tied up all loose ends and was ready for the exchange to take place the next day. However, he didn't expect to see Predator and Drago come barreling down the stairs with urgency. Scourge raised a brow inquisitively at their anxious demeanor. "Yo, what's up, boys?"

"It's the doctor," Predator began. "She's not in her room."

Scourge's eyes widened in alarm. "Son of a bitch," he whispered in frustration. The green hedgehog turned around and headed back downstairs. "What areas have you checked?"

"The entire upper wing has been swept," Drago informed. "We only made the discovery moments ago."

"I thought you assigned Fi to keep an eye on her," Scourge questioned.

"I did, but I can't trace her anywhere either," Drago replied nervously.

"Shit. She couldn't have gotten away too far then," Scourge stated optimistically.

"Predator, check the cameras. Drago, finish sweeping the rest of the compound," he ordered. "Update me the moment you get more info."

"Yes, sir," they both said in unison as they all reached the first floor. Scourge watched as they both fled in different directions to complete their assigned tasks.

Sleuth came back inside from being out on the front porch. "What's going on?"

"The girl," he seethed in frustration. "She escaped again."

Sleuth looked perplexed at the idea. "That's impossible, sir. I was just out on patrol outside. I saw no sign of her leaving the compound."

Scourge looked more confused. "You're telling me no one has entered or left the property in the last hour?"

"Not exactly," he corrected. "The only one who has left the property in the last hour was Jeffrey. He took one of the vans and said he was heading into the local brothel."

Scourge felt the hair raise on the back of his neck. Something didn't feel right. Before he could do much more thinking over the matter, he heard his name being called. Both Scourge and Sleuth rushed outside to the car garage. Scourge stumbled inside and felt his stomach sink as his eyes fell on a figure lying still on the floor. Drago knelt by Fiona's lifeless body as a large puddle of blood was collected around her head and upper body. Scourge's mouth fell agape as he slowly sauntered towards her body in denial and disbelief. "Fi…"

Drago glanced up at his president morosely. "I'm so sorry, sir. She's gone."

Scourge dropped down to his knees as he stared at Fiona's body. He reached out and placed a hand on her back, feeling only a slight warmth left to her body. His eyes welled up with tears before they eventually cascaded down his muzzle. He clenched his teeth together before he let out an agonizing cry mixed with pain, mourning, and frustration.

"Fi!" he began to pound the side of his fist into the concrete.

"Jeffrey had to have done this," Sleuth surmised. "He came from this direction when I saw him leave."

Scourge felt his anger rise as he continued to cry. His quills bristled. "If he's responsible for this, I'll kill him myself…" he seethed.

Drago felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reached for his phone and pulled it out as he read the incoming text. "Sir, it was Jeffrey," he confirmed. "Predator is in the cam room. He has the footage of Jeffrey attacking Fiona. He's also the one who took the doctor."

Scourge rose upright and used his sleeve to wipe at his eyes. He felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him. He glanced down at Fiona once more, only feeling a drive to get revenge. "Tell Predator to track his location. We're going to hunt that fucking bastard down."

"I'll have Simian handle Fiona's body," Sleuth added as he reached for his walkie attached to his hip.

"Don't do anything to her body yet. When I get back, I want to see her one last time…"

Sleuth nodded solemnly, understanding the sentiment. "Of course, sir."

•~•

.::Empty Warehouse::.

Thirty minutes later, Amy came to in an unfamiliar location. Her vision was blurred at first, and she tried to move but felt a sudden heaviness around her wrists bound above her head. She shook her head, coming out of her foggy daze, and realized she was sitting on the ground, bound to some column in a warehouse building. Her body faced the column as her wrists were wrapped around it and held together above her head by some heavy chains. She could hear a familiar male voice in the background, clearly talking to someone over the phone. She could only hear the one-sided conversation.

"Yeah, I've got her here now," the voice stated. "I'll get this done, and then you'll allow me to join finally?" There was a pause as the voice waited for confirmation on his end. "Thank Chaos, you don't know how much this means to me, sir. Thank you." The voice sounded so relieved.

"Um, hello..?"

"Good, you're finally awake," another voice stated. Amy looked over her shoulder as she heard the voice and footsteps. It was Jeffrey as he emerged from the darkened and partially lit corner of the warehouse.

She watched him as he came around the side of the beam where he could face her. "Why did you bring me here? Where are we?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not really any of your business."

Amy glared at him and then looked away, noticing some alarming items surrounding her. First, she saw a large white tarp spread out nearby with a set of cutting tools sprawled out. There was also a duffel bag lying there. Finally, she couldn't help but notice a tripod with a cellphone attached to it, aiming in her direction. Feeling a lump in her throat, she turned her head and saw a small propane gas torch to her left. She heard Jeffrey let out a menacing chuckle. "I bet you've got a lotta questions on your mind right about now."

"Does Scourge know about this?" she asked nervously.

She watched as he walked over to a toolkit, reached in, and put on some black gloves.

"No, but he'll thank me eventually once he's gotten over his anger."

Amy felt her stomach sink. Jeffrey was up to something—and it wasn't anything good. She needed to stall for as long as possible until she could figure out how to escape. "I-I don't know what's going on, but whatever you're planning to do, doesn't have to happen, Jeffrey."

Jeffrey reached into a duffle bag, pulled out a plastic apron, and put it on before tying the sash behind his waist. "No can do. This is nothing personal against you. This is strictly business between me and your club and something I need to do to prove my worth to Starline."

"Starline," she repeated. "The cartel gave this order?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, it was my idea to do this. Starline promised he'd recruit me over to his cartel if I went through with it. It's a part of my initiation. He's the one who came up with the idea of recording the process, though," he smirked. "Sick fuck," he chuckled.

Amy tried pulling at her wrists, bound by the tight metal chains, and winced. "Please, Jeffrey…I'm supposed to be released back to my club tomorrow. Don't do something reckless," she begged.

"Don't worry, I plan to return you alive, but you may be damaged goods by the time they get you back," he alluded. He grabbed a pair of safety goggles and secured them on his forehead. "You remember when you asked me how I got the burns on my back?"

She nodded slightly, continuing to watch him like a hawk. "Uh, yeah?"

"The Brothers M.C. did that to me…Your old man was a part of it as well," he seethed quietly.

"Shadow was one of the ones that did that to you?" Amy shook her head in disbelief. "No, you must be mistaken…"

"Why would I lie about such a thing?" he snapped venomously. "These burns are on me because I refused to black out the Brothers of Chaos tattoo across my back after I was excommunicated. They lied and convinced me to return to the house with them to work on a deal. That night gave me two options—to take it off my back with a blade or burn it off." Amy looked away and closed her eyes in shock and disbelief. She didn't want to believe the M.C. could be so cruel, but she had seen glimpses of their methods. "Once they were done," he continued. "They dumped my body in front of a hospital for the professional medics to deal with my wounds."

Her ears lowered sadly. She didn't know exactly what to say to make it right. "I-I'm so sorry, Jeffrey."

Jeffrey backhanded her hard. Amy cried out, reeling from the unexpected slap. "What the hell…" She could still feel the stinging sensation across her cheek. "Why'd you hit me?"

"I don't accept your fake pity." He stood there, clenching his fists by his sides. "I've wanted to hurt the club in any way I could, and I think I finally figured out how to twist the knife in their soft spot. I know how both Mighty and Shadow feel about you," he stated balefully. Amy gulped nervously. "And don't worry, they won't miss anything once I send them the videos. You'll know exactly what type of pain I went through," he noted as he gestured a head nod to the tripod with the phone.

Amy watched as he walked over to the tripod with the phone. She shook her head violently, realizing what he was going to do to her. "Jeffrey, please don't do this!"

"Scream all you want," he suggested calmly. "It'll be better when they see the suffering I put you through."

Panic began to sink in for the pink hedgehog. "Please, Jeffrey…"

The skunk pressed the record button and then walked into the frame of the video. He knelt behind Amy and grabbed the collar of her shirt. Amy felt as he began to tear at her shirt, ripping it down the middle to expose her bare back. "No, no!" she screamed in terror. He left the rest of the shirt hanging from the front of her body, but took a knife and cut at her bra strap. She wasn't completely exposed to him, but it was enough to make her feel entirely naked for him.

"Alright, let's do this," he mumbled. He glanced over to the propane torch sitting by his left.

She watched as he began to walk towards it. Panicking, Amy struggled against the chains, trying to break free. "Help, somebody help me!"

Jeffrey ignited the propane torch and lowered his goggles over his eyes. He began to move the torch towards her back. "This is gonna hurt real bad."

"Stop, stop!" she screeched. Amy lowered her head and shrank her body inward as she began to shake and tremble. She could feel the immense heat as it got closer and closer to her exposed flesh. She began to hyperventilate as she anticipated the pain she was about to endure. She had seen plenty of burn victims in the E.R. and knew how excoriating it was. Tears poured down her face as she choked back sobs.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, and Scourge, Drago, Predator, and Sleuth entered the warehouse with their guns drawn on the skunk. Jeffrey jumped, turning around, still holding the ignited propane torch in his hand. "The fuck? How'd you find me?"

"Shut the fuck up!" The green president wasn't in the mood for any small talk as he and the others kept their eyes locked on him and their weapons drawn. "Step away from angel face," Scourge barked violently. "Now!"

"Not a smart move to have guns drawn while I have this gas tank in my hand. Do you want us all to go down?" Jeffrey challenged.

"Turn it off and step away from the doctor!" Sleuth demanded.

Cautiously, the white skunk stepped away from Amy as he held the propane torch. He cranked it off.

Lowering his weapon and putting it in the back of his pants, Scourge stormed over to the skunk, clenched his right hand into a fist, and slugged Jeffrey across the face, sending him twirling backward with a thud. Scourge bent over, grabbed him by the shirt collar, and yanked him up to meet his face. "Just what the fuck were you thinking, you fuckhead?"

"Boss…" he grumbled. "I'm only trying to help make a point to the Brothers."

"Was murdering my girl also a point you were trying to make?" he challenged angrily as he shook him violently by the collar.

Jeffrey gripped the wrist, clenching his collar. "S-she got in the way," he argued. "I didn't want it to go that far."

"Because of you, Fiona's dead!" he shouted irately and still filled with pain. Amy lifted her head slightly as she eavesdropped on the conversation. Fiona was dead?

"I'm sorry, but Starline approved this. He wanted me to go through with it," he tried to justify.

Scourge glared at the skunk, only becoming more irate. "You sick, son of a bitch," he seethed. "I thought I made it clear that the girl was off limits. You went behind my back and tried to take justice into your own hands, huh?"

Jeffrey knew he was in for a world of pain. "Scourge, I-." Jeffrey swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing what would happen next.

Scourge returned his disappointed gaze to the lower-ranking subordinate. "I finally get why the Brothers ditched your ass. I won't go as easy on you as they did..." He turned to look back at Predator and Drago. "You two, take Jeffrey outside and rough him up. He's going to meet his Suppression tonight."

Predator and Drago walked over, grabbed Jeffrey by the arm, and dragged him out of the warehouse. In the meantime, Scourge rushed over to Amy, who was still restrained to the metal column. He reached out and cupped her face with his hand as he wiped away some tears from her cheeks. "Angel face," he breathed, a sigh of relief. He softened when he looked at her and saw she was unharmed.

She looked up at him, still a little shaken but relieved to be saved. "…Scourge?"

"Don't worry, toots. We're gonna get you outta here," he assured softly. Sleuth rustled through Jeffrey's belongings and found a pair of keys to unlock the chains.

"I got it, sir." He walked over to the other side and worked on unlocking the lock.

Scourge knelt behind her and placed a hand on her bare back. He could feel her flinch away from him under his touch as she continued to endure her panic attack. "It's alright, angel face," he spoke softly. "It's just me. I won't hurt yah." The chains fell loose, hitting the floor, and were finally released from restraining her. He gently wrapped his arms around her as she trembled in his arms. "I've gotcha. You're safe now."

"Sir, shouldn't we get her to a hospital?" Sleuth questioned with concern.

Scourge shook his head at his question while he stared at the female in his arms. "If we did, we'd have to report what happened to the authorities. We can't chance it and have the cops buzzing around here. Not to mention, she is currently a missing person."

"But what if something happens to her?"

Scourge carefully removed his leather jacket and draped it around her to keep her modest. "She's just shaken up by that fuckin' creep. He was going to hurt her. She'll come down from it eventually," he explained. With that, Scourge lifted her into his arms bridal style and carried Amy out of the warehouse. He brought her to the van they drove and set her down in the middle row. She sat there still in her panic daze, clutching at his leather jacket draped around her. "Stay put here. I'm gonna deal with that creep. He'll never hurt you or anyone again," he promised. He turned and left her in the van with the sliding door left open. Amy watched as he walked over to Jeffrey, who got one final kick in the gut from Drago. The two males had been busy beating the crap out of their comrade. The skunk looked nearly beaten to death from the lethal blows both Predator and Drago had administered to him.

Jeffrey lay on the ground, wheezing hard in a puddle of his blood from the beating. He was sure they had broken a few ribs at this point. "…Please," he rasped. "No more."

The green president looked down at him with disdain. "You went behind my back and tried to take matters into your own hands."

"I-I was only trying to make a point," he argued. "To show the Brothers not to mess with us. Not to mention it'd make Starline proud. He was going to accept me into his crew as one of his own."

He shook his head in disappointment. "Trying to get the upper hand on me was not the move. You should've known your place by now."

Jeffrey pushed himself up, wincing and groaning as he did. His body was in a lot of pain as he placed a hand to his side against his ribcage. "I-I won't ever do it again."

"You're right about that. You won't." Scourge looked to Drago and Predator. "Remove his cut."

The two subordinates reached down and yanked the leather jacket off him. Jeffrey cried out as they violently removed his leather jacket, brandishing the Suppression Squad symbol on the back. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Giving you a taste of your own medicine, scumbag and finishing what the Brothers started," Scourge explained.

Jeffrey glanced over and spotted Drago pull out a bottle of alcohol from his duffle bag.

He uncorked it and began splashing it all over the skunk. "Wait, don't!"

"Too late for begging," Predator added as he whipped out a bottle himself and uncorked it. The blue bird poured it down his back.

"Starline expects that girl to die to set a warning to the Brothers," Jeffrey pleaded. "If he doesn't get what he wants, he'll take his wrath out on you guys."

Scourge narrowed his brows at the skunk. "I'll risk it." From inside the van, Amy watched in horror as Scourge reached into the back of his pants and drew out a lighter.

"This is for Fi." The green president ignited the lighter and, without hesitation, tossed it at him. Amy gasped, startled to see no mercy as Jeffrey's body was engulfed in flames and flailed around in the dirt. She placed a shaky palm to her mouth to stifle the cry that emerged from her lips. Amy eventually had to turn away from watching the horrific scene. She could hear Jeffrey's screams of pain and agony as his flesh was incinerated. The group of males stood calmly a distance away as they watched Jeffrey scream in pain as he flailed around trying to extinguish the flames from his body. Eventually, after several minutes, his body dropped on its side and stopped moving. He remained on the ground completely still. His body was charred to a crisp. The air carried the stench of burnt flesh, but Scourge did not flinch from it. The president looked to his two guys with stoicism after he took his eyes off the charred remains. "Take his body and bury it somewhere where no one will find it," the hedgehog ordered calmly.

"Yes, sir," both Predator and Drago replied in unison.

"Sleuth, get Angel face and me back to the compound," Scourge commanded swiftly.

"Of course, sir," Sleuth nodded.

•~•

.::The Suppression Squad Compound:.

Back at the compound, Amy sat on her mattress in her room, still bundled up in Scourge's leather jacket. She glanced at her bedroom door when it opened, and the president entered the bedroom carrying something in his hands. She watched as he carefully placed a pile of clothes for Amy on her bed. The pink hedgehog, still processing her ordeal, glanced down at the pile of clothes before glancing up at the green hedgehog.

"What's this?" she asked softly.

Looking pained in expression, he looked away. "It's a change of new clothes. They were Fi's and I figured you could use them…"

Amy reached for the pile and unfolded the basic black V-neck t-shirt and the pink and black plaid skirt. "Do you mind turning around so I can get undressed?" Scourge obliged and turned around, keeping his back facing her. Amy disrobed from Scourge's leather jacket and placed it on the bed. She took off her ripped shirt and tossed it on the floor. She pulled on the t-shirt and then took off her old pants. She pulled up the plaid skirt that fit perfectly, stopping just a few inches above her knees. "You can turn around again."

Scourge's ears twitched, and he slowly turned around only to see Amy kneeling on the mattress, folding up her old, shredded clothes. "Do you mind taking these and throwing them away?" He took the old clothes from her and bundled them up under one arm.

There was a long moment of silence between them before Scourge rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I almost let that asshole hurt you," he apologized softly. "That guy was a sick son of a bitch, and I didn't know he'd try to pull something off like that."

Amy folded her hands in her lap and fiddled with her thumbs. "Scourge, you don't need to apologize. You saved me—that's all that matters. Thank you." She stood up, grabbed his jacket, and approached the green hedgehog. He watched as she draped it over his one arm. "Don't forget this."

"Thanks…" He gave her an unconvincing smile. "Well, get some sleep—big day in a couple of hours." He reached for her door handle and opened her door.

"Scourge," he heard her call. He paused at the door and looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to Fiona."

He swallowed the lump in his throat before heading out and closing the door behind him. "…Appreciate it, angel face." Once he left her room, he returned to the basement of their home, where Sleuth had moved Fiona's body for the time being. She was propped up on a table with a sheet covering her body. The green hedgehog made his way towards the table, moved the sheet down past her face, and looked down at her face. Scourge felt her throat clench up as he stared down at her. Scourge reached down and laid his hand on top of her left hand, just peeking out from under the sheets. He gripped it, feeling it now completely cold and void of any warmth. Emotions flooded his entire being, and tears began to flood down his muzzle again. "Fi, I'm so sorry," he croaked. Sniffling, he knelt and placed a kiss against her forehead.

•~•

Meanwhile, at that same time, Starline sat in his office trying to get in contact with Jeffrey for the hundredth time. In the darkened office room with a mere desk lamp illuminating his figure, the platypus continued to dial Jeffrey's number. His phone kept going straight to voicemail. Growling in frustration, the cartel leader tossed his burner phone across his desk and rubbed the skin between his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. He heard a knock at his door, and his eyes glanced over to the closed door. "This better be important."

"New intel, sir," a voice said on the other end.

He sighed. "Come in…" Tumble, Rough, and Surge walked into his office and closed the door behind them. "Well, out with it."

"We've done some reconnaissance and figured out why Jeffrey's not answering," Surge started.

The platypus quirked a brow. "And?"

"He's dead," Rough chimed in. "The Suppression took him out and stopped him from killing the Brother's V.P.'s old lady."

"Idiots," Starline scoffed.

"What would you like us to do now, doctor?" Tough questioned.

"Nothing for now. However, do we know the time when Scourge plans to hand over the V.P.'s old lady in exchange for his demands?"

"Sounds like they're making the deal around 3 PM," Surge added.

He raised another brow. "As for the location?" he queried.

"I heard it was the Central Shipping Yard," Rough replied.

Dr. Starline stroked his chin in thought. "I see. The cartel's presence will be there to finish what Jeffrey started. The Brothers will get a nice show, too," he smirked.

•~•

AN: Please remember to leave a review ;_;

Chapter 43: The Exchange

Summary:

Dr. Starline intervenes with the Suppressions exchange and Scourge isn't too fond of his boss's new directive. Shadow and the others prepare for the exchange. Shadow and may rekindle a spark, but Amy realizes her future relationship with Shadow might not be as easy as she thinks.

Mercia: The Brothers of Chaos' Compound: Morning

The next morning, Rob wandered down to the basement, where he found most of the boys preparing for the exchange that was scheduled for later that afternoon. As he descended the staircase, he watched in awe as each of the males worked on putting together different illegal high-ranking arms such as M2010 enhanced sniper rifles, AK-47s, M16a4s, and carbines. He watched as they swiftly and easily assembled the pieces of guns, which they had pulled from crates, creating fully functioning weaponry in minutes.

Shadow casually glanced up at the teal-colored hedgehog after finalizing an M16a4. "Morning."

"Uh, morning," Rob said hesitantly as he glanced around the room uneasily. "What's going on here?"

"We're getting ready for this afternoon," Shadow replied simply.

"Wasn't this planned to be a non-violent exchange?" he reminded. "I assumed all we'd do is hand over the money and get Amy back."

"That's optimistic thinking, but you can never be too certain. This is just for plan B," Shadow explained. "Speaking of which, I may need your help. Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

Rob's eyes went wide. "The only thing I've shot before is arrows when I did archery back in college…I was pretty good. I won a couple of national competitions," he humbly bragged.

Shadow smirked, listening to his experience. "Perfect. That means you've probably got excellent aim, then." He walked over, reached into a crate, and pulled out an already assembled AK-47. Rob watched as he strode over and placed the gun confidently into his arms.

Rob looked at the striped hedgehog who had returned to constructing more weaponry pieces. He held onto the weapon nervously. He was afraid he might accidentally shoot off a round. He gulped. "But I-I've never used one of these before."

Shadow finished screwing in a piece on the next weapon he worked on. "Don't worry, Mighty can give you a quick rundown and tutorial. We need all the help we can get today."

The older hedgehog glanced around the room at the other males, who continued with their routine task of assembling guns and gathering ammo. "Wait, what exactly are you planning to do? What's the plan here?"

"My dear brother plans to go in alone to complete the exchange. He'll be the one delivering the cash over for Ms. Rose's life," Mephiles interrupted. "In the meantime, we'll not be too far behind, hiding in wait, ready to come in as reinforcements if things go awry, which undoubtedly they will."

"You're not afraid of something happening to you?" Rob inquired as he stared at the V.P.

Shadow shook his head calmly. "No, as I mentioned before. I'd gladly trade my life for hers." Mephiles had to turn away after hearing the comment. The idea turned his stomach and made him feel sick.

Rob bowed his head respectfully. "Shadow, thank you for doing everything you can to help save my cousin. I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but it's been such a huge relief to see you and your crew willingly go so far to help."

He shot him a small smile. "Of course. She's family after all, and we will get her back," he emphasized.

•~•

The Suppression Squad Compound: Late Afternoon

Waking up out back, Scourge sat up and looked at the dirt pile mound the boys had dug to bury Fiona. Scourge had spent the next several hours by her grave, grieving, drinking, and spending time with her before he eventually fell asleep. He glanced at the bourbon bottle that was nearly empty at his feet. He grabbed it and drank the remaining contents of it before tossing it aside and standing up. Scourge glanced at his phone, noticing the time, and decided to head inside. It was nearing the exchange.

Eventually, he found Amy in the bathroom, brushing out her quills after taking a shower and changing into a fresh set of clothes. Scourge stared at her in the open bathroom doorway, noticing the clothes she was wearing were another pair of Fiona's. Amy turned to look at the green hedgehog. "Afternoon," she acknowledged.

"So, you ready to be back with your crew?" he asked.

She nodded. "I've really missed them. I know they're probably worried sick about me."

"You know, I know this might sound bizarre, but I'm gonna miss you. You really grew on me, angel face. You brought in some light to this shit hole."

Amy shot him a small smile. "You weren't too bad, yourself," she chimed in. "I thought you would be a lot worse, but you also surprised me. You're not as bad as people make you out to be."

Scourge placed one hand onto the doorframe as he wobbled slightly, as he was still somewhat tipsy. Amy noticed and looked at him with unease. "Uh, are you alright?" Pushing himself away from holding the door frame, the green hedgehog stumbled into the bathroom with her. Amy backed up slightly, uncertain of his motive. "…Scourge?"

Unexpectedly, he softly grabbed the side of her face with one hand, leaned in, and pressed his lips against hers. Amy tensed up slightly as his lips made contact and made a muffled gasp. However, his kiss was soft and gentle. Yet, she could taste the alcohol on him. She felt his other hand rest on her left hip as he allowed his lips to move gently over hers. Eventually, he felt her body relax under his, and he slowly pulled back and stared down at her lovingly. Amy was speechless and blushing furiously as she stared back into his baby-blue eyes, still in shock at his move. He chuckled lightly at her reaction, finding it rather cute. "Sorry about forcing that on yah, toots," he apologized, caressing her cheek. "It's just something I felt like I needed to do."

"It was very sudden," she managed to mumble, touching her lips. "I-I didn't expect it, is all…It took me by surprise."

"I only did it because I wanted to thank you for sticking with us through all this shit. It's the only way I feel I can get my gratitude across," he explained. "You know, especially since after I lost Fi, all the boys' injuries, and tending to my wounds."

She looked away uncomfortably, realizing where this was headed. "Oh…Scourge, I-I."

"—You know…" he continued, cutting her off. "Stripes is an idiot for letting you go. I don't know what the hell that guy was thinking, but one hedgehog's loss may be another hedgehog's treasure," he noted as he took her hand in his.

Amy blinked nervously at the green hedgehog, feeling the atmosphere shift. "Scourge, what are you saying..?"

"I'm saying that I want you to stay with us, angel face. You may have been Stripes' princess but let me show you how a true queen is meant to be treated." He allowed his lips to press against the back of her knuckles as he pressed his lips against them. "Screw the exchange. Stay with me."

She slipped her hand from his grasp uncomfortably, and he frowned at her reaction. He watched as she took a step back. "Scourge, you're drunk and still grieving Fiona," Amy reminded him. You're moving too quickly and not thinking clearly. I think you may be replacing Fiona's lost presence onto me."

He slowly walked towards her again. "Nah. You're wrong, baby. This is the clearest I've ever been thinking. I want you here with me and my crew." He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her flush against him. Amy shook her head apologetically as she felt him nuzzle his muzzle into the side of her neck affectionately and purr. "Chaos, you smell heavenly…"

Her face blushed even more. She felt flattered, but this was all wrong. She gently patted his back. "I'm sorry, I just don't feel that way for you," she apologized, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

He pulled his face from her neck and stared down at her, still entwined in his embrace. "Maybe not now, but I'll take real good care of you, angel face. I think you could grow to like me. I'm nothing like my good-for-nothing cousin, and I'm for sure nothing like Stripes."

She shook her head again adamantly and pulled away from him. Scourge watched as she stepped back, looking hurt. "I'm sorry, but I-I can't. You're very sweet, Scourge. You've been nothing but kind towards me, but I need to go back home. I don't know what my future holds between Shadow and me, but all I know is I need to return to my family."

Scourge leaned his back against the door and sighed. "I've never been rejected before. You're breaking my heart here, babe."

"It's nothing personal," she assured. "Take some time to grieve, process, and heal. Eventually, you'll find someone again just as wonderful as Fiona."

Scourge shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and looked disappointed as another thought crossed his mind. "You know you'll be dead once you're back with Shadow and his crew," he warned. "Since Stripes killed Enerjak, the higher-ups beneath him will be coming for blood. I wouldn't be surprised if they're after them this very second. You really want to be killed off just like that?"

Amy went to open her mouth, but Drago, appearing behind Scourge, drew their attention away. "Sorry to interrupt, but you're needed downstairs urgently."

Scourge quirked a brow. He hadn't had anything planned at this time. "Huh? Why?"

"Dr. Starline showed up unannounced. He's downstairs right now."

Scourge looked taken aback by the announcement. He turned to look at Amy momentarily. "Uh, I'll be back in a bit, angel face. Stay put," he pointed. Amy watched as he stumbled past the white wolf and headed downstairs. Drago looked at Amy gravely before following behind him.

Once downstairs, Scourge staggered into the living room where he spotted Dr. Starline surrounded by Surge, Rough, and Tumble. Dr. Starline looked out one of the windows as he kept his arms tucked behind his back. Scourge sauntered over to the group, while Drago kept his post in one of the corners of the room. "Doc, what brings you by so suddenly?" he announced, forcing a smile.

Dr. Starline turned to look at the green hedgehog, looking somewhat disappointed. He watched as he swayed unevenly as he walked. "Are you drunk right now?"

"Just a bit," he confirmed, steadying his stance as he braced himself against the backrest of one of the chairs.

"You'd better sober up quickly, then. You're going to need to be fully functional ASAP."

"Huh? Why?"

"You have the rendezvous in a couple of hours with the Brothers of Chaos," Starline reminded.

Scourge blinked in surprise. "Wait, how'd you find out about that?"

"I only recently learned from Jeffrey that you had come to acquire one of the Brothers' old ladies and were using her for leverage of goods," he answered. "My question should be, why did you hide this from me for so long?"

His forced smile dropped suddenly. "Oh," the president started. "I uh, figured I'd keep it a surprise. I was planning to—"

"—I already know what you were planning to do with her," he interrupted. "Your plans were injudicious," he scoffed. "You capture an old lady and ask them for money? Pitiful."

"Yeah, but we also made them take out Enerjak. That was the big surprise that I was gonna spring on yah," Scourge tried to clarify.

"Yes, I suppose that would have been a beneficial move if it had actually taken place," Starline countered passively.

Scourge looked further confused. "What are you talking about, Doc? The guy's dead."

The platypus shook his head regretfully. "Unfortunately, the Brothers have played you for a fool. Enerjak is perfectly alive and well," Starline explained.

Scourge shook his head in disbelief. "Nah, no way. He—"

"—He's alive, you moron!" he bellowed. "Why would I lie to you? I had some reconnaissance done." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a photo, handing it over for him to look at. "This was taken a few hours ago."

Scourge looked down at the photo, noticing it had been taken from outside a window, looking into a house. In the picture, you could see Enerjak sitting at a kitchen table, drinking coffee. The green hedgehog returned the photo to his superior. His expression hardened. He felt like an idiot. Even Drago looked pissed, knowing the Brothers had the upper hand on them. "Fucking lying bastards…" Scourge seethed.

"And I was also made aware that you took out Jeffrey after I gave him an order," the doctor added.

"I did." Scourge looked at his superior, studying his expression. He wasn't pleased. "But did you know he killed Fiona?" he countered a little sharply.

Dr. Starline glanced away momentarily, understanding his tonal shift. "My condolences for your loss. The only one meant to receive any harm was supposed to be the V.P.'s old lady. I understand that yours may have gotten in the way. Regardless, it shouldn't have occurred." Dr. Starline walked over to the couch and sat down on it gracefully. "At this point, we have the upper hand here. We have something the Brothers want, and we'll use that something to take out as many of them as possible."

Scourge walked over to one of the chairs sitting across from the couch and plopped down into it. "What's your plan then, doc?"

"You have an exchange point set up, correct?" the cartel leader inquired.

Scourge nodded. "Yeah, the Central Shipping Yard."

"After you make the cash exchange, we're going to kill the girl in front of the Brothers, and then we're going to take out as many of the M.C. members as possible," he explained. Remaining stoic at his post, Drago looked unnerved by the new directive. He certainly didn't like the outlook. At that same time, Scourge felt his heart sink, but he refrained from showing too much of an emotional response to his superior. "What if we leave out the girl and just take out the Brothers instead?" he tried to suggest.

"No. This is a statement that has to be made," Starline stated firmly. "This is retaliation and to assert our dominance." Scourge watched as his superior stood from his seat and walked towards the front door. Surge, Rough, and Tumble followed closely behind him. The cartel leader stopped right at the entryway between the living room and the front door. "And Scourge, no more mistakes," he warned.

"…Yes, sir," he replied quietly. With that, the cartel group left. Once they were gone, Drago approached his president. "We can't go through with this. Not after everything that girl has done for us. She doesn't deserve to go out like that."

Scrouge growled in frustration. "You don't think I agree with you. I don't wanna see the girl get snipped off either! But do we have any other choice? It's either her or us if we don't follow orders!"

Drago watched Scourge pace anxiously. "There must be something we can do. We still have time to think of something," he stated optimistically.

"Enough!" Scourge dragged a hand down his tired face. "It's sink or swim here, Drago. There's nothing we can do." Drago watched as his president exited the living room. "Get the girl ready. We need to get moving."

•~•

Central City Shipping Yard: 2:55 PM

Later that day, Shadow arrived at the docks and parked his bike. He removed his helmet, placed it down on the back of his motorcycle, and dismounted his bike. The hedgehog made his way down the pier with a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. He saw the shipping containers from the parking lot and started heading over. Standing in front of one of the chain-link fences protecting the shipping yard were Sleuth, Drago, Simian, and Predator. They all had guns and aimed them toward Shadow when they saw him approach. Shadow was unfazed by their drawn weapons as he got near. He stopped several feet away from them and raised his arms, showing no harm. "Easy. I'm here for the exchange."

"We'll need to pat you down before you head inside," Simian instructed.

Shadow spoke no words and placed the duffle bag by his side before stretching out his arms and legs. Drago walked over and patted him down, searching for any hidden weapons. He felt up his arms and legs, finding no evidence of hidden weaponry. "He's clear." Simian grabbed his duffle bag and looked inside to ensure no weapons were stashed away. The ape noticed all the hard cash.

"Where are your friends, Shadow?" Drago inquired.

"I came alone to show good faith," Shadow replied.

"Suuree yah did," Predator sang sarcastically.

"Just let me in," Shadow replied flatly.

Simian stepped away from the front doors. "Fine, go in."

Shadow kept his stoic expression and bent down to grab his duffle bag, but Drago grabbed it first. Shadow stared at the white wolf as he was handed his belongings. "Good luck in there, Shadow. You'll need it." Shadow stared at him oddly for a moment. His words remained ominous before he turned on his heel and headed inside.

In the distance, two vans pulled up in the parking spot and stayed back. Behind the wheel of one was Manic, who used a pair of binoculars to observe the deal unfold. He could see Shadow walking past some shipping containers and towards the end of the dock. He grabbed his walker and radioed the other van. "I've got eyes on Shadow, over." In the back of Manic's van were Mighty and Ray. They were both wearing bulletproof vests and were armed and ready.

"Copy that, we do too from our vantage point," the other voice crackled over Manic's radio. It was Knuckles as he was parked in a different location with a similar vantage point. Meanwhile, in the back of Knuckles' van, also wearing bulletproof vests and armed and ready, were Mephiles, Rob, and Gadget.

Outside, at the end of the dock, Scourge had a handgun aimed toward Amy's head as he approached. Amy had her hands handcuffed behind her back and had duct tape over her mouth. "It's about time, Stripes." Shadow remained almost fifteen feet away as he stared hard at his green adversary. He looked at Amy with concern, seeing her worried state. However, he felt relieved to know that she appeared in good health. It was apparent Scourge hadn't harmed her as expected.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Scourge interrupted. His eyes landed on the duffle bag in Shadow's hand. "First, hand over the cash."

Shadow took off his duffle bag and tossed it over to Scourge. As the bag landed with a thud before him, the green hedgehog bent over while still aiming his gun at Amy's head. He kept his eyes locked on the V.P., careful to ensure he didn't make any sudden moves. Scourge grabbed and unzipped the bag. Inside were stacks of cash in hundred-dollar bills.

"You got your cash, now release her," Shadow demanded.

Scourge rose back to his feet and looked at Amy by his side. He pressed the gun a little more firmly into her temple, making her wince. "Sorry, no can do, Stripes," he smirked.

Shadow felt his heart sink. "What do you mean?" His eyes widened. "We had a deal!"

"You're right. We did, but what's all this I'm hearing about Enerjak not being dead?" he pressed knowingly.

Shadow kept his poker face on. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Shadow. I got some intel that Enerjak is alive and kickin'. So, you lied to me? And to think, you'd really risk your girl's life with that move?" he challenged. "I can't let you embarrass me like this." He pressed the barrel of the gun under Amy's chin. "I'm gonna have to do something about that…"

Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head adamantly. He couldn't allow Scourge to take another innocent life. "Please," he begged. "Take my life in exchange for hers," he bartered. "You're right, we lied, but we-I-I was desperate to get her back," he justified. Amy's eyes widened as she listened to Shadow's pitch. Was he about to put his life on the line for hers?

"If you were that desperate, you would've really gone through with my demands," he countered. Shadow's eyes locked with Amy's, and he went to move forward, but Scourge cocked his gun. "Ah, ah, ah, don't move, Stripes. Not until I tell you to." Shadow listened and stopped his movement, keeping his hands raised.

Scourge heard a crackle in his earpiece, and Starline's voice came over it. "Not good enough for an exchange. He needs to suffer for a bit to understand his mistake," he heard the cartel leader whisper into his ear.

A flash of conflict drew across Scourge's face momentarily. He moved Amy in front of him so her head would hide his face and allow him to conceal his conversation with Starline. "Shadow's exchange is good enough for me. Let's take out their V.P. It's still a huge loss for their side."

Amy's ears twitched as she wondered who exactly Scourge was talking to. Whoever he was talking to, though, she didn't like what they were discussing.

"Scourge, please," Shadow begged.

Scourge glanced over Amy's shoulder as he took a step back, bringing Amy with him. He kept the gun held under her chin. "Hold on, Stripes. I-I'm thinking here."

"Scourge, step away from the girl so we can get a clear shot," Starline ordered sternly over the earpiece.

"…Don't do this," Scourge mumbled under his breath as he ducked his head behind Amy's once again to converse with his superior.

"Do not defy me. Step back, NOW!" Starline screamed.

Continuing to watch in confusion with the stalling, Shadow eyed the green hedgehog. "What are we doing here?"

Reluctantly, Scourge moved from behind Amy and remained in front of her as he kept hold of her one arm. He removed the gun from under her chin and tucked it into the back of his pants. Scourge looked at her and frowned before he quickly glanced behind Shadow towards one of the warehouse buildings, where the cartel sniper remained hidden and ready to strike. His eyes drifted away as his mind raced for another option.

"Unless you want to die too, get out of the way!" Starline commanded.

With quick thinking, Scourge glanced at the water behind Amy and then met her confused green eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders as he faced her. "Angel face, it's been a pleasure knowing you. I hope you'll remember me after all this." Shadow watched the exchange in puzzlement. Suddenly, Scourge released his hold on her shoulders.

Amy looked confused at the green president as he suddenly rushed towards her and roughly shoved her backwards, tossing her over the side of the pier and into the water. As she free-fell backwards, she watched in horror as Scourge was shot in the chest and crumpled onto his side on the dock. From afar, Sleuth, Drago, Predator, and Simian watched in horror as their president was shot.

"You hit our president!" Sleuth screamed into his walkie.

"The idiot got in the way," Dr. Starline defended. "I gave him several warnings."

Sleuth growled in frustration. "I'm sending my guys in to recover him."

"Absolutely not!" Starline shot back. "Attack the Brothers."

At that same time, Shadow had a mixture of panic, confusion, and fear as he processed what was happening. He had crouched down instinctively as the shot rang out and looked behind him to see where it had come from. He desperately searched for the shooter and eventually spotted the sniper reloading and aiming in his direction.

Meanwhile, in the vans, both Knuckles and Manic also observed the spectacle from their vantage point. Knuckles also looked panicked as he watched Amy plunge into the water. "Shadow needs immediate backup, over!"

"Copy that," Manic confirmed. "We're coming in as reinforcements now, over." Manic unbuckled his seatbelt and reached over into the passenger seat, where he picked up his carbine. In the back of his van, Gadget, Ray, and Mighty grabbed their weapons and opened the sliding back door as they hopped out and rushed down the concrete sidewalk.

Back with Shadow, his heart was still racing and processing everything that had just happened. "Shit…" he breathed. His head shot back to where Amy had plunged into the water, realizing the severity of the situation. The water was still rippling where she had submerged. "Rose!" He said with urgency. Shadow quickly got to his feet and began running towards the end of the dock to dive in after her. As he rushed down the dock, he heard more shots being fired his way. He ducked behind some barrels as a bullet whizzed past his ear, nearly striking him. "Fuck!"

As he hid behind the barrel to reconvene, he glanced over to Scourge's body lying helplessly at the other end as he bled out. Scourge was gripping his chest where he had been shot as he gasped for air. "…Stripes," he called weakly. "The keys…" He watched as Scourge weakly reached into his jacket pocket and tossed the handcuff keys in his direction. They landed in the middle of the pier between the two of them.

He couldn't fathom why Scourge was suddenly helping him, but he'd ask those questions later. Shadow glanced over the barrel carefully to see where the sniper was aiming and to make another run for it. "Shadow!" he heard someone call his name in the distance from behind him. It was then he spotted Mighty, Manic, and Gadget coming to his rescue as they rushed in his direction with their guns at the ready. "We'll cover you. Get the kid!" Mighty shouted.

Nodding, Shadow looked back up the rooftop and saw the sniper reloading again. He took this as his opportunity and rushed over to the pair of keys to her handcuffs. He heard more gunshots as he ran, but ignored them, knowing his M.C. would have his back in this. In one swift movement, he leant down, swiped the keys up from the dock, removed his leather jacket, discarded it behind him, and placed the keys between his teeth as he rushed down the pier. Quickly, he passed Scourge's body and dove in after her off the dock without a second thought.

Manic ducked behind a shipping container and held position as he tried to get a clear shot of the sniper. "I see you, you son of a bitch." He aimed, nearly striking the shooter, but instead clipping the corner of the rooftop. "Fuck!" The shooter immediately began shooting in their direction.

Meanwhile, Mephiles, Knuckles, and Rob worked on fending off Sleuth, Drago, Simian, and Predator in a shoot-out between two shipping containers. Mephiles peeked around the side of the container they used as a shield and fired rapidly at the other side of the crates, where the Suppression members hid. He quickly ducked behind their container for cover. Rob looked petrified and overwhelmed by all the gunfire ringing off. He felt like he was in a warzone as he slid down against the shipping container, clutching the gun to his chest.

Now underwater, Shadow saw more bullets whizz past him in the water. He looked beneath him, trying to find the pink hedgehog as he swam. Looking carefully, he spotted Amy nearing the very bottom, unconscious. Shadow quickly swam down and went through the keys. He started working on her locks to find the right one, and after a few moments, he unlocked her from her handcuffs.

Shadow put an arm around her waist and swam up, taking her with him. They reached the surface, and their heads broke the water's surface. Shadow gasped for air and paddled with one arm towards the pier as he held her firmly in the other. He could hear gunfire as he paddled his way to the dock. He took Amy underneath the pier for cover in case someone tried to aim at them while they remained vulnerable in the water. He grabbed hold of the beams holding up the dock with one arm, while he held onto her with her injured arm as he treaded water. "Don't worry, princess. I've got you," he panted. Amy remained unconscious as he did his best to keep her head above water.

On land, the rest of the M.C. rushed down the dock with their weapons drawn. Manic, Gadget, and Mighty kept their backs to the group as they scoured all vantage points to avoid any sneak attacks. Manic aligned his shot and aimed, sending off one final round. He managed to headshot the sniper, making him fall off the side of the roof. "Yes, got the motherfucker!"

While no one was looking, Scourge reached up and pressed a button in his earpiece. "All Suppression M.C., stand down and abort mission," he weakly ordered.

"What about you?" Sleuth stated on his end. "We're not leaving you behind."

"I'm sort of a lost cause over here, boys. I don't have much time left. Save yourselves and that's an order."

"But.."

"—I said get out!" he barked a little louder.

"Gentlemen, follow your president's orders," Starline interrupted. "The Brothers have taken out the sniper, and the police will arrive shortly. Your president has also failed to follow my orders. Anyone who challenges my authority will be dealt with accordingly."

Mephiles sauntered over to Scourge, who remained propped up against some crate boxes as he listened to Starline. He was still bleeding out as he held pressure down on his gunshot wound. "Well, if it isn't Mr. tall, dark, and creepy," he chuckled weakly. "Long time no see."

"Enough chatter." Mephiles aimed his gun towards him. "Take the earpiece out." Scourge obliged and chucked it into the ocean.

The gunfire finally ceased, and Knuckles watched as the Suppression fled the scene. In the meantime, Knuckles, Rob, and Ray rushed over to join the others. Seeing it was now all clear, Mighty bent over the dock and offered out a hand to Shadow. "Shadow, hand her to me!"

Rob knelt beside him, offering his assistance. "Me too!"

Shadow helped lift Amy, and Mighty, Rob, and Manic lifted her out of the water together. "Chaos, she's unconscious…" Rob breathed as they lowered her down on the dock.

Knuckles and Gadget bent over and exchanged hands with Shadow as they helped raise him out of the water next. "Got you, brother," Knuckles stated as they got him on dry land.

Meanwhile, Mighty flipped Amy onto her back and removed the tape from her mouth. He panicked as he stared at her unbreathing form. He was overwhelmed with where to start and began to panic. "Shit, shit, shit. What do I do?"

Once he was back on dry land, Shadow shook his head, splashing out excess water from his quills. He then made his way towards the two. "Move out of the way!" he barked urgently.

The other boys obliged as they watched Shadow meticulously work on saving Amy's life. He pressed one of his ears against her chest to listen for a heartbeat. Eventually, he lifted his head from listening to her chest and remained on his knees by her side. Shadow glanced down at his injured hand. The cast, once covering it, was now sopping wet and no longer holding its solid form. Everyone watched as he pressed his palms on top of one another and gave a few pumps down on her chest before his head flew down to give her mouth-to-mouth CPR. Even Scourge watched from the sidelines, anxiously hoping to see Amy revived.

His lips went against hers for the first time in weeks, and he supplied her air. He quickly returned and began to pump a few more times on her chest with a smooth beat and rhythm, ignoring the agonizing pain in his injured hand. "Come on, come on...breathe," he pleaded. With no response, he grunted in desperation. He returned to providing her mouth-to-mouth once more and began to feel her stir under him. Shadow moved back as he watched her head move to the left and expel water. Amy rolled on her side, kept her eyes closed, and coughed profusely as she caught her breath. Scourge relaxed his tense stance, seeing her recover.

Shadow felt relieved to see her breathing. He embraced her. "Oh shit, Rose!"

Still a bit disoriented, Amy returned the embrace reluctantly as she kept her face in the crook of his neck. "Shadow…" she spoke weakly.

He stroked the back of her head. "You scared me half to death back there, princess." Seeing she was okay, Shadow released his embrace, allowing her space to breathe. This allowed Mighty to console her instantly. "Ames!" His face gleamed joyfully at the sight of her alive and well.

Amy was equally happy to see him. She leaned up and embraced him. "Mighty!" she rasped. Shadow felt a mix of sadness and jealousy as he watched Amy hug Mighty happily. He had just saved her life, but she could see that it hadn't changed her attitude toward him.

Mighty wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go. "Are you okay, kid?" She kept her face buried in his chest and nodded, practically shivering. Mighty took off his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Here, sweetheart. I've got you."

"Thanks," she replied, feeling the warmth of his jacket encompass her shivering form. Her eyes looked over Mighty's shoulder and locked with Shadow's. She felt nervous as he stared at her, but Shadow's expression looked hurt. The two kept their eyes locked until Shadow pulled his away from her. It wasn't like he could be mad at her for her feelings towards him.

Suddenly, Rob had his turn to console her. "Cousin!"

Amy gasped in surprise when her cousin embraced her. "Rob!"

He gave her a tight squeeze. "I was so worried. Thank Chaos, you're okay!"

"I'm fine, Rob," she assured. "I'm so happy to see you're okay, too. I was worried you were dead."

"Ha! You know I'm tougher than that," he cracked. Amy glanced behind him and noticed something troubling. Suddenly, she stood up and began walking off. Rob rose to his feet and followed her. "Hey, where are you going?"

She ignored his question and hurried over to Scourge and fell to her knees by his side. "Scourge!" She looked him over, noticing his injury. There was a massive pool of blood on one side of his body that was now cascading off the side of the dock. The other boys followed behind her, gathering as an audience as they watched her. Amy could see how much blood he had lost at this point, and his breathing was very weak. It would be nearly impossible to save him at this point. Her expression turned grave at the realization. "Scourge, you saved me…I-I don't understand."

"My cartel wanted you dead. I couldn't let that happen," he explained. "No one deserves to go through the pain of losing a loved one—especially not again." Shadow couldn't help but notice that he glanced in his direction.

Amy cupped Scourge's left hand, which rested by his side. She gave it an assuring squeeze. "I don't know what else to say but thank you."

He smirked in her direction, feeling his eyes growing heavier by the minute. "Heh, I'll take it. Now get outta here, angel face. You're free..." Amy gasped as she felt his hand go limp in hers. He had passed on.

Shadow's ears twitched as he heard distant sirens. "The cops!" Manic exclaimed worriedly.

"Everyone back to the van!" Mephiles commanded. "Gadget hack into the dock's mainframe and wipe out the footage of us!"

Gadget scrambled into his backpack as he hurried down the pier with the others. He pulled out a handheld gadget and began typing away on it as he ran. "You got it!" Mephiles, Knuckles, Mighty, Ray, and Manic grabbed their belongings, the duffle bag Shadow had brought, and rushed back down the dock to their cars.

Shadow and Rob remained behind as they stared at the pink hedgehog. Shadow knelt behind Amy, who stared at the green hedgehog sadly. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to bring her out of her daze. "Rose, I'm sorry, but we need to get moving," he advised urgently as he guided Amy away from the scene, heading back for the van. Amy nodded, and both Shadow and Rob helped lift her to her feet before ushering her away quickly.

•~•

Mercia: The Brothers of Chaos' Compound: Evening

Once Amy returned home, she reunited with Rouge and Mina, who were equally happy to see her alive and well. She recounted her time spent with the Suppression and told them of her encounter with Jeffrey, sharing his fate with the group. Many were not surprised by Jeffrey's actions, but admired Scourge for putting a stop to it. All in all, they were happy she was now safe and sound with them again. She also spent some one-on-one time with Rob in the living room as he updated her on everything that had happened after she was kidnapped.

Eventually, Amy found herself in her old medic office tending to Shadow's injured hand. The dark hedgehog sat on the examination table as Amy wrapped his hand in some compression gauze. "This will have to do until you can get to the hospital and have a proper scan again. I can't tell if I set the bone and fractures back into place," she explained.

"Thank you, Rose."

She tucked her arms behind her back. "How bad does it hurt?"

Shadow looked down at the finalized bandaging. "It's mildly sore," he admitted.

"You can take some over-the-counter pain relief, and it should help ease the pain," she instructed. "But as I said, please get it X-rayed and cast again. You want to make sure the fracture and break heal properly, or it'll cause further complications down the line."

Shadow hopped off the table. "I promise I will. Again, thank you."

Suddenly, Mighty popped his head into the room. "Hey Ames, your cousin is getting ready to head out. You want to say goodbye?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, I'll be right there." Shadow watched as she followed the armadillo out of the room and followed the two. Eventually, he found them near the front door. The other members stood around to say their goodbyes as well. Amy was hugging her cousin in a long embrace. The two pulled apart, and Rob patted the top of her head. "Normally, I'd be forcing you to come back home with Mari Ann and me, but at this point, I'm starting to think you may be safer amongst your new family." His eyes glanced over to Shadow for confirmation.

"We won't allow this to happen again," Shadow promised.

Rob glanced back at Amy. "Please stay safe," he urged. "And stay in touch with me."

"I promise I will."

The teal hedgehog looked around the room at the many faces he had come to get to know. "Take good care of my cousin, and again, thank you all for everything you've done." The rest of the boys gave a curt nod of the head, acknowledging the compliment.

"Safe travels, Rob," Knuckles said, patting the hedgehog on the back. Rob walked out the front door, and the rest of the group watched as he headed towards a taxi parked out front.

Rouge stood by her husband's side. "You're always welcome to visit!" Eventually, Rob got into the car, closed the door, and drove off. As the taxi drove out of the complex, he looked out the window and waved at Amy. Amy waved back as his taxi grew smaller in size the further it moved down the road.

Later that evening, inside the house, Shadow stared out the window at Amy and Mighty, unable to hear their conversation as they spent alone time together. After Rob had left, the two sat on the porch together for a couple of hours, having a long conversation. Shadow had watched them for quite a while, wanting to go out there and have a discussion with the rose-colored hedgehog. Yet, he hadn't built up the courage to go out and do it. However, from the looks of it, Amy had seemingly moved on from him as she cuddled into the armadillo. It crushed him to know this was his doing.

"—You can still fix this, you know," a voice said from behind. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting Rouge behind him. "Go out there. I'm sure she's eager to speak with you. After all, you two have barely spoken to one another."

"She won't want to talk to me," he mumbled sadly.

"You'd be surprised," Rouge noted before walking away.

"Fine…" Shadow stared back out the window, watching as Mighty held one of her hands and patted the top of it. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, gaining his confidence. Shadow marched outside, causing the two to look his way. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Mind if I have a word with Rose?" he asked politely.

Mighty looked down at Amy for confirmation. "You okay with that?" Amy thought for a moment before eventually nodding. Mighty got the signal and stood up. "All right, just call me if you need me. I'll be right inside."

She watched as he headed back inside, leaving Shadow alone with her. Shadow cautiously walked closer, looking at the now-empty side of the bench. He gestured to it with his eyes. "Do you mind if I have a seat?" he asked cautiously, hoping he could sit by her side.

She moved to the side a bit to allow him more room to sit, and he slowly sat down by her, feeling the strained tension in the air. "What's going on with you and Mighty? Are you two…"

"Dating?" she surmised. "No, we're just good friends." She tilted her head to the side. "Is this what you wanted to discuss with me, Shadow?"

He shook his head slowly. "No. Look, Amy," he started, trying to find the right words. "I'm a fucking idiot, and I made a huge mistake. I know you probably still hate me, and I understand if you never forgive me for what I did to you. But I want to be a part of your life again."

Amy stared at him in silence, blankly, as she listened to him. "I never hated you, Shadow," she corrected. "I was only disappointed and let down by your actions, but how exactly would you being involved in my life again look like?" she inquired curiously.

"Well, for starters, even if we never date again, I still want to be there for you, even if that's just as a friend. Although I'd like to be something more with you again…"

"You say it so casually. Shadow, you do know you broke my heart…right?" she finally spoke.

"I know I did..." He held his head in shame, recalling all the horrible things that led to this point. His actions embarrassed him, and he wished he could rewind time. "I'm so sorry. Please believe that I thought what I was doing would keep you safe. What I did was cruel and fucked up. Like I said, I'm a fucking idiot, okay?"

She felt tears well up in her eyes, hearing the pain in his voice. "I've never believed I could love someone as much as I love you, Shadow. Despite everything you put me through, I was trying to move on. I still am, but I'm still—" she stopped herself, unable to say the words. "It doesn't make any sense…"

"I understand. It doesn't make sense for you to still be in love with me, even with everything I put you through," he elaborated. He knew what she had meant to say. "I'm still in love with you, too, Rose…"

Amy wiped her eyes. "You have no idea how desperate I was to hear you say those words. Every day after you broke up with me, I'd pray that you'd realize what a huge mistake you made and take me back…"

"I know. I'm a fucking piece of shit, okay? Do you realize how hard it was for me, too? I knew what I was doing and thought it was for the greater good. Seeing you devastated by my actions fucked me up. I often wanted to console and beg on my hands and knees for your forgiveness, but I had to resist it for this cause. But seeing you fall off that dock today, I couldn't imagine my life without you." His hand reached out and lay on top of hers by her side. Amy felt butterflies flutter in her stomach as his hand lingered over hers. His thumb softly stroked the top of her hand, and he shot her a loving look. "It's because I love you, Amy. I always have and I always will. You were the greatest thing to walk into my life for a long time."

She looked away briefly, unable to stare at his alluring red eyes. She glanced behind his head into the window, looking inside the house, where she saw Mephiles standing there menacingly. He gave her a disapproving shake of the head before walking off out of sight, before his brother noticed him. Shadow felt her pull her hand away from underneath his. She frowned somberly. "I-I can't say those words back just yet."

His ears lowered slightly, and he felt his heart sink. "I-I understand. As you said, I hurt you. I don't expect you to return those feelings to me, if ever," he said, standing to his feet. "I don't deserve someone like you." Amy watched as he started to make his way back inside.

"Wait, Shadow!" she called.

He stopped and looked back hopefully. "Yes?"

"Can we at least hug?" she asked meekly.

Shadow walked back towards her just as she got to her feet, and instantly, she threw herself into his arms. Shadow embraced her and felt her nestle her face into his chest. "You'll always be my girl, Rose," he smiled weakly as he held her. "No matter your answer, I will always love you." After a few moments, he pulled away and backed up. There was an awkward silence between the two. Shadow backed up uncomfortably. "Let me get my room ready for you for tonight."

"What? No, Shadow, it's okay. I can sleep on the sofa downstairs," she gestured.

Shadow shook his head. "Nonsense. It would be best if you had a real bed to sleep in tonight. Take mine. I doubt I'll be sleeping much anyway..." She watched as he quickly fled the porch and headed inside.

Amy hesitantly went to follow him, but right as she was about to step back inside, Mephiles appeared, blocking the compound's entrance. "Mephiles…"

"Don't even think about trying to get back together with my brother," he warned.

"Is this a new demand from you?" she challenged. "I thought we had different guidelines."

Mephiles walked further outside onto the porch. "I'm seeing some new developments arise, and it could be a threat to my position. It's better to be proactive than reactive," he shrugged.

Amy's brows furrowed, aghast at his demands. "How dare you try to tell me what to do. I can make any decision I want to."

He chuckled darkly. "You're right. You can, but actions come with consequences," he reminded. "So, I dare you to try."

Amy crossed her arms over her chest as her ears folded against her head. "Fine, you win. I'll be out of your quills as soon as possible." She moved past him and walked back inside the house solemnly.

He smirked wickedly, pleased by her answer. "That's a good girl."

•~•

Several minutes later, Amy went upstairs to go to bed. She came out of the bathroom wearing one of Shadow's oversized baggy band T-shirts he had lent her. When she returned to Shadow's bedroom, the ebony hedgehog had changed his bedsheets to a fresh pair. However, he was only in grey sweatpants for the night as he finished smoothing out the sheets. Amy couldn't help but look at his toned upper body momentarily before pulling her eyes away. She always admired his sculpted, lean body.

Amy walked further into his bedroom. She approached his dresser, where she looked at some of the pictures he had displayed on top of it. While she looked at the photos, Shadow traced his eyes up her toned pink legs and soft thighs. His oversized shirt on Amy stopped past her crotch, barely covering her most intimate part. She looked alluring in the dimly lit bedroom. He pulled his eyes back up to meet hers when he realized they had lingered on her body for too long. "I'm sorry for still being in here," he excused. He began to head towards his door. "I'll leave now."

"Wow…" She suddenly eyed a familiar picture framed on his dresser of the two of them in the photo booth on their first date on the boardwalk. She picked it up and stared at it, suddenly flooded with nostalgia.

Shadow moved behind her to see what she was looking at. A hopeful smile tugged at his lips when he saw what she was looking at. "That was an eventful night, huh?" he mustered up.

She held the framed picture up against her chest and turned to look at him. "Our first date, the night I was kidnapped, Zonic's death, and…our first time together." Shadow's eyes drifted away uncomfortably as she placed the photo back. "Despite everything that happened that night, it's still a memory I'll cherish..."

"Same," he agreed. There was a long silence between them that became tensely uncomfortable. "…Right." He moved away from her and made his way toward the door. "Well, for real this time. Goodnight, Rose…"

"Hold on." Amy caught up behind him just as he reached the doorknob. She placed a hand on his arm. "It'll get better between us. I promise. We'll eventually get back to a place where things don't feel so weird," she assured. Even she could tell he wasn't enjoying this awkward period between them. "We'll just be friends for now."

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "If you say so." He leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek, close to her lips, to kiss her goodnight. Amy felt her stomach flutter with that familiar feeling. Her face was slightly warm as she stared into his red eyes when he pulled back to stare at her. He saw the look of surprise on her face and realized he may have overstepped his boundaries. "Shit, I'm sorry. I should have asked you first to do that," he apologized.

"…No, it's okay," she said almost in a breathless whisper. "It was just a friendly kiss, but can you do that again?" she asked bashfully.

He kept his eyes locked on her sparkling jade ones. She stood motionless as his head lowered, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek again, but this time Amy moved her face so his lips met hers. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, leaning slightly into it and startling him. Shadow pulled back, unsure of where this was headed. He didn't want to push her into something that she'd later come to resent. "That didn't feel like a friendly kiss, Rose," he noted skeptically.

She gulped nervously. "No? How do friends kiss then?"

"How about like this?" Shadow placed one hand behind her head, guiding her to meet his lips again. She gasped slightly as his other arm snaked around her waist, drawing her flush against his body. Her hands traveled up his bare chest. One got tangled in his white chest hair, and the other hand rested on his left shoulder. Amy closed her eyes and let her lips dance with his, moving in perfect sync, opening occasionally, and massaging his. He was kissing her perfectly, just like she remembered. She was on cloud nine as his kisses went from chaste pecks to more passionate and powerful. Eventually, they casually pulled apart after kissing for a few moments, but they remained close. Shadow looked down at her in his arms, hoping this would create a spark again between them. He played with one of the quills framing her face, twirling it between two fingers. "You never answered my question," he breathed.

She looked down between them, unable to look him in the eye. "We're supposed to be friends, Shadow." Her mind was telling her one thing, and her body another. Mephiles had warned her what would happen if they were to get back together. She wanted him badly but knew the consequences if he found out. Then there was another issue: she was still hurt by his previous actions to end their relationship, even if they were deemed "selfless" to protect her. Everything just felt so wrong. "I-I can't do this. I can't be weak…" She shuddered as she felt his strong hands trace down her sides sensually, cherishing her soft curves.

"Please, be weak for me. Just for tonight," he pleaded quietly.

She stared back up at him again, seeing the desperation in his eyes. He looked remorseful for everything he had done to hurt her in the past. He leaned down and left butterfly kisses down the side of her neck. Amy gasped and closed her eyes as she felt his lips make their way down her neck and onto her collarbone. Her face flushed more as he gave her neck a gentle suck. "Sha-shadow…we can't. I'm still mad at you," she gasped.

"That's fine," he breathed. "You can stay mad at me, but just allow me to make love to you." He backed her up slowly until she was pressed against his door. It all felt too good. His tongue traced the seam of her lips sensually. Obliging, she opened her mouth slightly and kissed him back despite trying to fight the urge. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck as she tilted her head, making it a deeper kiss. Sighing into the kiss, she felt one of his knees slide between her legs, parting them and moving upward, grinding against her crotch. She moaned and whimpered between the kisses as her body grew hotter.

Amy had made her decision. She sighed in frustration as her body's reaction to his touches betrayed her. She wanted him badly. "Ugh, Shadow…" She hopped into his arms and wrapped her thighs around his waist to support herself. Shadow moved his hands and hooked them under her ass. She adored being in his powerful arms, so close to him. She relished the safe and secure feeling she had once known and loved. "Show me how sorry you are," she commanded, confirming her consent.

Shadow smirked and carried her over to his bed. "I will." He gently lowered her onto her back, and she looked at him as he crawled over her in the dominating position. He leaned down and attacked her lips. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer as they fervently made out on his bed. The two rolled around on his mattress, smacking lips together. Shadow's hands roamed her body, claiming areas he hadn't touched for months. Amy gasped and moaned as his hand groped her ass, chest, and thighs. Now on her back with him on top in his, Amy felt her face go entirely red as Shadow began to dry hump her. His cock was still tucked away behind his sweatpants as he ground himself against her core. She could feel his member straining against the fabric of his pants as it glided over the thin fabric of her panties, desperately wanting to meet the hot flesh of her core.

"Sha-shadow…" She could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with every sensual thrust he placed upon her, and she spread her legs further apart, giving him more access. Shadow kept his face buried in the crook of her neck, feeling himself grow more turned on by the sound of her soft gasps and moans from the subtle foreplay. Meanwhile, Amy felt him lift her shirt with one hand. It wasn't long before she felt his tongue twirl around one of her nipples. "Ah." She lifted her hips slightly to meet his. "Shadow, w-why are you teasing me like this?" she whined with a wheeze.

He slowed down his dry humping and came to a sudden stop. She stared up as he pulled his face away from lapping at her perky breasts. She stared into his haunting red eyes. "I want it to last as long as possible." He landed next to her in bed and used his good hand to reach down between her thighs. Amy stared into his eyes lustfully as she felt his hand slide past the waistband of her panties. She felt his fingers roam further down before they entered her. A small gasp escaped her lips as she threw her head back to the side. Shadow kissed the side of her neck as he continued to finger her.

Her breath hitched as she could feel a climax building as his fingers delved into her core. Shadow knew she was close because he could feel her core constricting around his fingers as he moved them at a good rhythm and pace. Amy lifted her hips slightly as she rode his fingers, moving with him. She could feel the buildup pooling in the pit of her stomach. "Ah…ah…" Suddenly, she froze, feeling her climax release. Her body grew hot. Shadow felt her muscles clamp around his fingers still inside her as she came. He slowed his fingering and slowly pulled them out from her panties.

His eyes slowly swept over her body, taking her in as if it was the first time he had seen her on display. He watched as her small chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. The panties still around her waist now had a visible soaked area where her cum had collected and absorbed into the cotton. The scent of her sex and desire filled the room, making him more excited. She looked innocent but ready for the taking. Amy felt extremely bashful under his longing and hungry gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked quietly.

He kept his eyelids lowered sensually as he licked his fingers with her remaining essence on them. "Because you're so beautiful, and I'm a fucking fool for letting you go."

Amy watched as Shadow's upper body dipped lower than hers. She felt his muzzle trace down her stomach as he left a trail of butterfly kisses down it. His tongue daringly swirled in her navel, causing her to gasp in surprise before he left a kiss at the top of the waistband of her underwear. "Sha-shadow…" She shuddered in excitement as she felt his muzzle graze her inner thigh. He left a few kisses on each thigh as he got closer to his destination.

He reveled in pleasure as he got a whiff of the delightful musk of her sex. He could also feel an intense heat emanating past the fabric of her panties. His hair stood on end, and he could feel himself growing harder when he thought about tasting her excitement again. He growled possessively between her thighs.

Amy propped herself on her elbows to look at him as he knelt beside the bed, his face between her legs. "What are you doing now?"

"I need to clean you up. You made such a mess." Shadow carefully navigated her legs to pull her panties off and tossed them behind him. Amy wanted to watch him fully as he brought her to another climax this time. He kissed her inner thigh as he got closer to her opening. His tongue traced the opening slit, making her wince in pleasure, feeling his tongue tease her enticingly. Eventually, his entire mouth encompassed her opening, and he allowed his tongue to swirl inside her. Her legs rested over each of his shoulders as he held them apart to reach deeper inside her. Shadow made sure to lick every ounce of cum dripping from her cunt.

Amy's hands became tangled in his quills as she gasped, writhed, and moaned in pleasure. Her entire body was hot as his tongue explored deep inside her, fervently hitting the right nerves. "Nngh, Shadow," she cried out, feeling her voice getting louder. She cringed to herself, hoping no one heard. "Yes, right there," she whimpered. "Please don't stop. Please don't…Ahh."

Shadow smirked to himself as he sucked softly and lapped at different spots. He enjoyed feeling her yank gently on his quills as she tried to subside the significantly heightened pleasure jolts, he was forcing her body to endure as she reached her second climax. He dragged his tongue over her folds once more while he sucked the top of her swollen clit. "Fuck princess, I love the taste of your pussy. I can't get enough of it," he hummed.

Amy closed her eyes and writhed as she followed his rhythm. It didn't help that his words were such a turn-on. She loved it when Shadow talked dirty in the bedroom. "Aah…no, I…" Her legs began to shake and tremble over his shoulders.

Her vaginal muscles squeezed around his tongue. He stopped for a moment. "You're so close again. I can feel it," he teased. He used his good hand and used his thumb to rub her clitoris and pressed his tongue against her clit.

That gesture sent a shock of electricity down her spine. Her back arched, and she whimpered as a wave of pleasure washed over her. She closed her eyes and saw stars. She had come intensely, and Shadow quickly cleaned her up with his tongue as her orgasm fell. She caught her breath from her high and released her hold on Shadow's quills. Shadow eventually popped up, towering above her as she lay sprawled out on his bed wantonly, ready for the next part. He wiped his lips with the back of his arm as he stared at her. "I hope I didn't disappoint, princess."

She shook her head while she caught her breath. "You're just as good, if not better." Amy sat up and stared down at his crotch and watched him stroke himself in front of her, keeping his erection stiff for her. Amy crawled closer to him and reached for his erection between his legs. Her right hand gripped it and began to pump it up and down slowly while she squeezed at different points.

"Fuck, Amy…" Her head lowered, and she took him in her mouth. Her head bobbed up and down slowly at first as she took more of him in her mouth. Shadow closed his eyes as he felt her warm mouth wrap tightly around his hardened cock. He stroked the top of her head as he moaned. She massaged him from base to tip, taking more of him into his mouth as she went down on him. His eyelids lowered heavily with pleasure as she got closer to finishing him off. "Amy…wait," he grunted. She stopped and allowed his cock to leave her mouth.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Shadow panted, "Nothing is, I want to finish with you, is all." He reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt. Amy instinctively lifted her arms above her head and allowed him to remove it, leaving her completely bare for him.

He watched as she lay on her stomach near the edge of the bed with her bare ass upright. She looked over her shoulder at him and bit her lower lip seductively. "I'm all yours," she teased. Shadow stood at the edge of the bed and stared as she wiggled her ass enticingly slow at him. With one hand, he stroked himself while his other hand groped and gently massaged one of Amy's ass cheeks.

Amy let out an airy moan as he grabbed at her ass. However, she shivered and felt the hair rise on the back of her neck when she felt Shadow's dick rub against her ass. She heard him moan as he stroked his dick back and forth between her ass cheeks. The cushioning and sandwiching between her cheeks, hugging his hot dick, felt heavenly. Amy gasped as she felt the head of his dick poke at her asshole. She looked over her shoulder at him with a blush on her cheeks. "Ah, Shadow…what are you doing?"

His right hand stroked the side of her ass, and his thumb rubbed at her back entrance making her gasp again. "How does this feel?" he asked.

She muffled another moan as his finger rubbed and stroked just at the entrance of her anus. Her face grew redder than usual. She hadn't ever done any ass play in the past, but the fact that his touch back there felt oddly pleasant threw her off. "…Kind of good? Can you please just fuck me already? I'm so horny…"

He smirked down at her and gave her ass a playful little swat. "You want my cock that badly?"

Amy squeaked in surprise but nodded cutely back at him. "Yes, I want it."

Shadow continued to use his thumb to vertically rub her anus while he stroked his dick between her lips coating it in her juices. "Where should I fuck you then?" he asked coyly. He pressed the head of his dick up against her anus, pressing gently against it. "Here?" Amy moaned slightly. "Or here?" he asked, pushing the head of his cock between her vaginal lips.

"There," she whimpered, feeling his bulbous head spreading her pussy lips apart. She was dripping with excitement.

"Classic," he commended. The heat was intense as he pushed himself inside her. He filled her to the brim, reveling in her slick, wet, and hot core. He stayed still inside her for a moment. "Fuck, Rose. I've missed you so much."

Amy kept her chest against the bed, but her back arched up. The side of her face was buried in the side of one of his pillows while she clutched the bedsheets as her body familiarized itself with him again. It had been some time since they had last had sex. However, from this angle, she could tell he was going to hit her sweet spot perfectly. Shadow began his pace a little slow, gently sliding in and out of her. He held onto her hips and thrust in and out of her. He watched as his cock disappeared and reappeared out of her tight hole.

Amy moaned softly. "Go faster," she begged. He upped his pace, going faster into her from behind. Amy gasped as she felt Shadow's one hand move from holding her hip to snaking around her to the front, where her breasts dangled. His hand softly molded and groped at one of her breasts, massaging it. Amy closed her eyes and relished how he touched her breasts and gently stroked or tenderly pinched at her swollen nipple.

"That feels good…" she moaned.

He moved his hands back to around her butt as squeezed her ass cheeks. He upped his stride again, going even faster as he continued to pound into her from behind. He hunched over her a little more, angling her so he could go even deeper. He slid in and out of her with ease. "You feel fucking amazing," he moaned. "So fucking good," he sighed. "Still so fucking tight."

Amy felt her whole body grow increasingly hotter as he continued his stride. His cock was sheathed so deeply inside her, it felt like the head was practically kissing her cervix. She clenched her muscles around him, feeling her third climax building. She could feel her eyes beginning to roll into the back of her head as he drilled her tight hole so perfectly. "Shadow, I'm going to…"

Shadow felt his breath hitch as her vagina muscles tightened up around his member. "Yeah," he grunted. "I'm close too," he concurred. Amy felt one of his hands leave her hip and creep past her belly and towards her pussy lips. His fingers rubbed at her clitoris, stimulating it as he upped his speed one final time.

"I'm…I'm!" Amy muffled a cry of ecstasy as she came a third and final time. Shadow continued to pump in and out of her as her muscles tightly constricted around his length before he came himself. Amy shuddered in pleasure as she felt him pour his hot seed deep into her womb. Her muscles squeezed every last drop. Shadow panted, trying to catch his breath. He placed one knee up on the edge of the bed to rest and remained sheathed inside her.

Amy caught her breath as she came down from her high. "Chaos…that was…so good."

Shadow chuckled as he finally pulled himself out of her leaving a sticky string line of cum from her pussy lips to the tip of his penis. "You were equally as good, princess."

After cleaning up, Shadow and Amy remained in bed together in coital bliss. The ebony-striped hedgehog held Amy close in his arms as he faced her. He stroked the back of her head, petting her quills. Amy savored being so close to him in his arms. She felt incredibly safe and secure with him. "Rose," he spoke lowly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at him as his red eyes bore into her jade ones. "I want you to be my old lady again…"

Amy felt so put on the spot. "Oh…"

He saw her hesitancy in her expression. "I understand you may need some time to think about it. I get that, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for the past few days. And after tonight, I know I need you back in my life."

Amy looked away uncomfortably. "Shadow, tonight was wonderful…but I-I don't know if…"

"—Just sleep on it and let me know when you're ready to give me your answer. Be truthful in your response. I can handle it," he assured. Shadow leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I love you, Amy."

Amy watched as he released her from his embrace and flipped over, facing the other way in bed to go to sleep. With his back now to her, Amy turned over on her side, facing away from him. She'd have a lot to think about.

•~•

Several hours later, Amy had barely slept a wink after having sex with Shadow. She had tossed and turned all night, debating whether it was fitting that she and Shadow had gone to bed together so quickly. Their intimate night together was perfect and had caused her to remember why she had loved him so much. However, she still harbored much resentment against him for the methods he had chosen to end their relationship. This return to comfort felt too easy, and even she thought she needed to do more personal reflection.

Additionally, there was the fact that Mephiles threatened her if she chose to start up her relationship with Shadow again. Quietly, Amy moved out of Shadow's bed and collected her clothing from different areas of the bedroom floor. She quickly got dressed and looked back one last time to ensure he was still asleep, which he was. Cautiously, she crept out of his room, leaving him passed out in his bed. She closed the door quietly behind her and went to turn around in the hall but bumped straight into Mephiles. She gasped in surprise but quickly covered her mouth.

Mephiles eyed her curiously, looking her up and down. "What did we talk about early, Ms. Rose?" he tsked quietly.

She tried to play dumb. "What are you talking about?"

"You reek of sex and my brother's scent," he noted calmly. "You went to bed with him, didn't you?"

Amy was astounded that he had figured it out so fast. She blushed madly, feeling wholly exposed. Could he genuinely smell it on her? "How did you..?"

"—My room is right next to his, after all. It wasn't too hard to figure out," he shrugged. "Not to mention, you're not exactly quiet in the bedroom. It sounds like my brother made sure you were well satisfied," he chuckled while grinning perversely. "I happen to enjoy a vocal female in the sack. They always let you know what pleases them."

She looked away, feeling completely embarrassed. "It was a mistake," she admitted lowly. "I think you may have been right after all. I shouldn't be in a relationship with him."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "It better have been a mistake because this cannot occur again," he warned. "Otherwise, I won't be able to keep you out of prison…"

"I'm leaving right now," she admitted. He watched as she went down the hall. Amy quietly cracked open Mighty's bedroom door and entered the darkened room. She navigated to his bed and knelt beside it. Amy touched his shoulder as he slept on his side and shook him gently. "Mighty," she whispered.

It took a few moments for him to stir awake, but finally, he rolled over to face the pink hedgehog. "Hey, Ames," he said groggily. "What's up?" he yawned.

Her expression looked saturnine. "I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I need to ask a favor…"

Sensing her tone, Mighty sat upright and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Of course, kid. What do you need?"

Her eyes drifted away. "I need you to take me back to my apartment."

Mighty glanced at the clock, which currently read 4:02 AM. "Right now? You don't want to wait until later this morning?"

She shook her head. "It can't wait. I-I need to get out of here. Now."

Mighty knew not to question her until she was ready to share. From her tone alone, it sounded serious. "Let me get dressed, and I'll take you back, but I'm not leaving you alone. I'll crash on the couch at your place. It's still not safe for you to be on your own." He rolled out of bed and went to his dresser.

Amy sat next to his bed and watched him quickly throw on some clothes to take her back. He put on a pair of cargo pants and reached for his Beretta M9 lying on his dresser before tucking it into the back of his pants. He grabbed a white T-shirt and threw it on lazily before reaching for his leather cut and putting it on. He extended out a hand, and she placed her hand into it. He pulled her up to her feet. "All right, let's roll, kid," he said quietly. Mighty escorted her out of his bedroom and downstairs quietly.

•~•

Once back at her apartment, Mighty did a quick sweep to ensure it was safe. Once it was clear, he watched as Amy went to her utility closet and pulled out some spare pillows and bed sheets. "So, you gonna tell me what's up?" he tried to segue.

Amy walked over to her sofa and laid down the pillows and bedsheets. "You're going to think it's stupid."

"Try me," he insisted.

"I slept with Shadow and then realized I jumped into bed too quickly. It turns out I'm not ready to forgive him just yet."

"Oh," he said, looking surprised. "…I see," he replied carefully. "Does Shadow know how you felt afterward?

She shook her head. "He has no idea. That's why I needed to get out of there. I couldn't sleep. "I felt sick. To make it even worse, he asked me to be his girlfriend again, and I couldn't give him an answer. I couldn't bear to face him the next morning," she explained.

"I'm confused, though," Mighty countered. "I thought this was what you wanted. Didn't you want to win Shadow back?"

"I did," she answered. "It's just…I think I started to reflect on what he did to me, and that's when I realized I'm not ready yet," she explained. This wasn't entirely a lie on her part. She did feel this way, but then Mephiles' threat, which no one else knew about, hung over her head and influenced her decision-making.

"Oh, Ames," Mighty sighed sympathetically.

"Do you think it's stupid?" she questioned. "Am I a terrible person?"

He shook his head. "You have a right to feel that way, but you shouldn't have led Shadow on like that. This is going to complicate things."

Amy wrapped her arms around herself. "I know…I feel like shit for doing it."

•~•

Later that morning, Shadow finally woke up but looked startled when Amy wasn't in bed with him. He sat on the edge of his bed, looked around his bedroom, and noticed all her clothing was missing. Standing up, Shadow walked out of his bedroom and looked in the bathroom, expecting to see her in the shower, but no one was occupying the bathroom. Shadow rushed downstairs, only in his sweatpants, looking for the pink hedgehog everywhere. He headed into the kitchen and saw Rouge and Knuckles eating breakfast together. "Where is she?"

"Huh?" Knuckles stated.

"Amy," he clarified. "She wasn't in my room."

Knuckles and Rouge exchanged looks, unsure themselves. "I don't know. The last I saw was when she went to bed last night."

Shadow ran a hand through his quills as his mind raced. "Shit…" The couple watched him exit the kitchen, still searching for her. He returned to the living room where Gadget and Ray were now lounging.

"Did you two see Amy?" Shadow asked.

"Negative," Gadget responded. "I haven't seen her all morning."

"Same here, sir. Sorry," Ray apologized.

Mephiles came downstairs just as Shadow was about to head down into the basement. "Brother, have you seen Amy?"

"Ms. Rose?" he repeated innocently. "I have, but it's been a few hours since I last saw her."

Shadow made his way toward him. "Where is she?"

He crossed his arms over his chest. "She left early this morning with Mighty, I'm afraid. He took her somewhere. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where exactly," he shrugged.

Shadow couldn't help but feel a spike of jealousy course through him. Just thinking about Amy sneaking off somewhere in the middle of the night with the armadillo made him feel ill, especially after their shared night. His fists tightened at his sides. "Mighty?" he repeated a little more venomously.

"That's correct," he nodded slowly.

"Pff," he scoffed before turning on his heel. He rushed back upstairs to get dressed.

•~•

Amy's Apartment: 8 AM

Later that morning, at Amy's apartment, three resounding knocks rapped against the door. Eventually, the door opened, and Mighty appeared inside the apartment with his right hand on his hip, ready to draw his weapon. He relaxed his stance, however, when he realized it was just Shadow. "Oh, it's just you."

Shadow looked annoyed to see the armadillo alone in the apartment with the rose-colored hedgehog. His brows furrowed angrily. "Why the hell are you here?"

"Amy asked me to get her home," he explained. "I opted to stay behind to keep watch in case the cartel or the Suppression attempted another move." Shadow pushed his way past the armadillo and entered the apartment. Mighty stumbled back and eyed the vice president. "Hey, I don't think that's a good idea!"

Shadow glanced around her living room. "Where is she? I need to talk to her."

"—I'm right here, Shadow," Amy replied.

Shadow glanced at her bedroom door and spotted her in her pajamas with her arms crossed. She looked exhausted as if she had just suddenly woken up. "Can I talk to you privately?"

Amy nodded apprehensively. "Sure."

Mighty walked towards her balcony, opened the sliding glass door, and stepped outside. "I'll be out here in the meantime. Just holler if you need me."

Shadow finally noticed the couch, which looked like it had been recently slept on. He assumed Mighty must have been telling the truth when he said he stayed behind to keep watch. Amy watched and studied Shadow's expression as he analyzed the scene. "Nothing happened between us," she noted, referring to the armadillo. "You can relax."

"Then why did you leave so suddenly?" Shadow questioned. "And in the middle of the night?"

She looked away in shame. "Because what happened between us last night was a mistake."

Shadow looked hurt by her words. His entire demeanor was deflated. "A mistake?" he repeated. "But I thought-"

"—Look, I wasn't in the right headspace, and you seduced me. It shouldn't have happened. I'm not ready to make this commitment again. I need more time to reflect."

He took her hands in his, looking her in the eyes. "Rose, come on. I fucking love you. I made a mistake and want you back in my life."

She frowned as she looked up into his red eyes. "I realize that, Shadow, but you also cheated on me with someone you promised never to go near and tried to push me out of your life. Then there's the fact that right now, it truly isn't safe for me to be with you. Look at everything that's happened with me because of your connection to the cartel," she pointed out.

He squeezed her hands reassuringly. "No, I promise I can keep you safe this time. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"You can't promise me that, Shadow. When I was with you, it wasn't safe for me, and even once we weren't in a relationship and you tried to distance yourself from me, it still wasn't any safer," she pointed out.

Shadow could feel a lump forming in his throat. His emotions began to build. "Amy…don't do this to me. I love you."

"And I love you, too, but I think you were right. We shouldn't be together with the current circumstances," she finished, pulling her hands out of his grasp.

"Fuck…Amy," Shadow croaked. "I didn't expect to get my heart broken today…"

She could see the tears welling up in his eyes. It made her emotional to see him in such a state of distress. "I'm so sorry…"

"So, this is it then?"

She nodded slowly, feeling her emotions well up at the thought. "…Yeah."

"What are your current plans? Are you going to move back with Rob?"

"No. I'm going to give the hospital my two weeks' notice and then move to somewhere new. Somewhere, where I can truly start fresh," she answered.

"Let me come with you," he pleaded.

She shook her head. "The only way I'd allow that to happen is if you completely cut ties with the club, but I refuse to put you in that position. This is your life, Shadow."

"You're wrong," he corrected. Tears began to stream down his face. "You're my life!"

"You should probably go now," she encouraged.

Shadow nodded a bit in silence as he blinked away his tears. The ebony hedgehog approached her apartment door and stopped just before opening it. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve as determination set in. "I will tie up all loose ends and leave the club for good, and you and I will finally ride off and start our lives together. I refuse to give up on us."

Amy gave him an optimistic, faint smile. "That sounds wonderful, Shadow, but until that happens, I can't be with you."

AN: Please remember to leave a review!