"H-hey! S-stop!" My voice echoed through the dark, empty, alleyway. My heart pounded inside of my chest as I held out my hammer in front of me in defense. Sweat dripped down my bruised face, despite how cold it was that night. I slowly backed into the rusty brick wall behind me, watching in fear as the four men pursued me with evil grins. How could I have been so clueless?
I shouldn't have followed them. I should have trusted my gut and kept walking on, where I know I would have been safe and sound in my own home. Yet, my own compassion took over my common sense like a giant wave swallowing a small boat during a storm. I kept telling myself that everything was going to be okay, that they would do no harm to me. I was only going to help them out and leave..I was wrong.
"Now, sweetie, there's no need for violence! Just do whatever we say and you'll be fine. I promise." Said the leader, his arms held out in front of him as he came closer to me. I put on a sour face, disgusted at his crooked smile. I knew that he had no good intentions with me, as soon as I realized what his true motive was, I ran. I thought I could get away, but they eventually cornered me into this alley.
"Get away! Don't make me use this on you!" I barked. The men shared a glance, and chuckled. The leader strode towards me, reaching for my hammer. He obviously didn't know who he was dealing with. "Oh really?" He said confidently, chuckling with the raspiness of a smoker's voice. I bravely nod my head, my jade eyes keeping a close watch on his three other companions. I'm not gonna lie, I was scared, but I knew I couldn't let that show. Years of fighting along with Sonic have taught me to never show your weaknesses to your enemy. Luckily, I felt that I had the upper hand, I was the one with the giant hammer, wasn't I?
As the man got too close for my comfort, I took a warning swing, causing him to jump back. "Whoaaa! Lookie here, boys! We got a feisty one! Haha, oh honey, you really don't wanna do that.." His playful voice suddenly went dark, his fangs poking out from behind the shadow of his ugly mustache. I straighten out, looking him in the eye.
"Why? What are you gonna do?" I ask nervously as the three men behind him step from out of the shadows, surrounding me. My heart began to beat faster as they closed in, creating a wall. I try to ignore the sneers of the other men as the leader reached inside of his pockets, pulling out a metal band and slapping it on his wrist. "Would you like to see?" The man asked with a smirk.
Feeling threatened, I raise my hammer to take a swing. At that moment, I knew it was the wrong decision. With a flick of the wrist, the man seemed to yank the hammer out of my hand without even touching it. I watch in disbelief as it flew away into oblivion. "What?! I-"
"I warned ya, pretty lady..you shouldn't have underestimated me.."
I felt as if every muscle in my body shut down. My whole body went stiff as I slammed into the brick wall behind me. I let out a weak yelp as all of the wind was knocked out of me, my entire back felt like it was hit by a freight train. My head pounded as I tried to regain my breath. My chest suddenly thrusts, forward, taking the rest of me with it as I fly across the alleyway, slamming face first into the other wall. The world suddenly went black for a moment and my head was pounding harder than anything I've ever felt before. I bite my busted lip as tears streamed down my possibly broken face.
The man threw his hand back down, and I dropped to the floor like a rag doll. "AGHH! Aahaha…ahhh!" I couldn't hold it in anymore as more waves of pain surged through my body. I curled up into a ball, holding my stomach and panting. The men laughed at me like a was a joke, they ran over and kicked me around like I was a piece of trash, taunting me.
"What's wrong?! Cat got your tongue!? HAHA!"
"Wah-wah! You're such a crybaby!"
"Wow, Boss, you really picked a weak one!"
I've never felt so helpless before…like I wasn't worth anything. I try to ignore the men and imagine what Sonic would do. Memories of him bravely battling Eggman flooded into my mind. The image of his comforting smile appeared before me.
Then, as if by a miracle, I slowly stand back up, drying my tears and looking my enemies dead in the eye. They watch curiously as I get into a battle stance, ready to fight my way out.
"Ohh…I guess you were wrong, son! She looks pretty strong to me!" the leader said, looking rather impressed by my bravery. "Most gals would have been calling for their mommies by now!" He stared at me with an intrigued expression.
"I-I'm going to give you one last chance to leave me alone…" I snap, ignoring the horrible pain I was feeling. The men looked at each other, obviously still unimpressed. The leader crossed his arms, looking at me as if I were insane.
"Uh…are you sure you wanna do that, sweetheart? In case you haven't noticed, there's four of us, and…one of you.." he boasted. I merely shrug my shoulders.
"…You don't scare me.." I growl. The men laughed again, and my entire body went stiff once more. I saw the man holding his hand out towards me, it was obvious by then that his metal bracelet was the source of his powers. My breathing became quicker as my lungs were constricted by the force of the bracelet. In fact, I felt my whole body being squeezed tightly from every direction.
With a chuckle, the man walked over to me, gently caressing the side of my face with the filthiest hand I've ever seen. His breath smelled of rotting food as he spoke. "I may not scare you, but I still have way more power than you'll ever have in that tiny little body of yours…" I glare at him, seething with rage. If I could only move my arm just enough to give him a good punch in the jaw. He raised up his filthy hand, and slapped me across the face. I bite my lip, holding back any sign of weakness. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of watching me suffer, Sonic wouldn't have wanted me to.
The leader frowned, possibly irritated that I wouldn't give in. His eyes pierced my skull for a moment, as if he was thinking. He shrugged with a smirk.
"Okay…I see.."
I felt a stone drop in my stomach as the man reached into his pocket again, and pulled out a box cutter. My eyed widened with terror at the sight of it glimmering under the streetlight, all of the courage I happened to muster before suddenly vanished. "You know, I thought that you would have made an excellent wife, babe.." said the man as he twirled the box cutter with his fingers. I felt a horrible surge of pain in my stomach as he kicked me as hard as he could, knocking the wind out of me again. "AGH!" I instinctively let out a wail, quickly biting my lip after realizing what I've done. The man chuckled, grabbing me face with one hand and sneering at me.
"Ah! That's what I'm talking about! Haha…now.." he looked down at the box cutter in his other hand. He slowly placed it on the left side of my chest, poking it through my dress and piercing my skin. I winced.
"Let's see..how far I'll have to go to make you crack…" he said slowly, his eyes full of pleasure as he dragged the box cutter across my chest, creating a horrible gash behind.
The pain was unimaginable. It felt like thousands of needles were being shot into my heart all at once. I try to hold back my emotions as much as I can, I try to imagine Sonic's warm, comforting smile, but, I knew at that point that I couldn't do this on my own. I needed help..I needed someone to rescue me..
"SOOONICC!" I yell at the top of my lungs, followed by an ugly sob. My voice echoed throughout the cold, dark alleyway. My entire body shook as I continued to cry. I couldn't take it anymore…I finally cracked.
The man suddenly pulled away, giving me a perplexed look. He looked back at his friends, who were just as surprised.
"..You…you're Sonic's girl?" he asked. I only glare at him with a shaky breath. The man laughed, putting his box cutter back in his pocket and stepping away.
"Hohoho! You're gonna be a PERFECT bride for me! I'm so sorry for hurting you, mama, no hard feelings?" he said, pulling off his bracelet and putting it away.
Suddenly, I feel the force keeping me stiff disapparate, only to be replaced by three older men grabbing hold of me. The leader stepped away, watching with interest as the men held me still. "Now, be gentle with her, boys.." I tuned out his directions as I saw my chance to escape. The city street was only a few hundred feet away. Without a word, I look around for anything to pry myself loose from the grip the men had on me.
"Boss, where do you want us to-SWEET CHAOS THAT HURT! OOWWWWWW!" One of the men let out the girliest shriek I've ever heard as I stomped down hard on his foot. He instantly let go of me, and I spun around, kicking the punching the man on the other side of me in the nose. He also let out a yell. Now, all the were left was the leader and his last buddy.
"WHOA HEY HEY HEY! STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING YOU-" I leap forward and punch the last man square in the chest. He swore very loudly as he stumbled backwards and tripped over a garbage can. I saw as the leader fumbled around for his weapons, and I took my chance to dash out of there.
As I made my way out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, I could feel my heart beat a million times a minute. All of the pain was replaced by the icy blast of the cold air whipping through my quills as I sprinted farther and farther away. At that moment, my mind went blank and I couldn't think straight. Heck, I didn't even know where I was planning on going, but I could hardly care. The only thing I wanted to do was escape.
Most of my journey was a blur, but I somehow found myself collapsing in front of a humble little home just outside of the city. My body felt weak and lifeless as I tried to regain my breath. After staring at the floor in shock for a few minutes, I slowly turn my head to see the lights were on inside the home. Shaking, I stand up, and limp all the way to the house…
I raised my fist, and gently tapped my knuckles against the door, too weak to actually knock. After only a few seconds, the door swung open to reveal Sonic smiling.
"Hey, Am-" he paused, instantly losing his smile and staring at me with a horrified look. "Amy!? What…WHAT HAPPENED!?" he exclaimed, looking very concerned. I stare at him, sniffling.
"Can…can I c-come in?" I ask breathlessly as I suddenly felt my entire body give out and dropping like a stone into his arms.
My eyes flutter open after a horrible dream. As my vision clears, I realize that I'm no longer in my bedroom. I weakly look over to my right, and see a familiar blue hedgehog quietly sitting at my bedside, gently dabbing a wet cloth over my arm. I stare at him for a moment, confused. "…Sonic…" I whisper. The blue hedgehog ever so slightly tilted his head upwards, signaling that he heard me. He sighed with relief, and gently smiled, placing the cloth in a bowl of warm water waiting on a nightstand right beside him.
"Hey…how are ya?" he asked in a comforting voice. I return his smile, and try to sit up when I feel a surge of pain in my chest. "Ahh!" I groan. Sonic reached over to me and softly nudged my shoulder downwards.
"Whoa, whoa, don't move!"
I lie back down, biting my lip in pain. I knew then that I definitely did not wake up from a bad dream. "Agh…S-Sonic..what happened?" I ask. Sonic shrugged his shoulders, and pulled out a roll of gauze.
"I don't know…that's for you to tell me.." he replied. He stared down at my wound on my forearm with a grimace.
"You..uh…you looked pretty beat up when you got here…I thought you got into a car accident or something…" he explained, carefully wrapping my arm with the gauze.
"…I was really worried about you, Amy…" he said, putting the gauze away and taking my hand. He gave me a pleading look, and seemed genuinely fearful.
"What happened, Amy? Did someone hurt you? What in the world could have caused that?!" he exclaimed, pointing at my chest. I look down, finally noticing that I was no longer wearing my dress, and my entire chest was wrapped with bandages. I blushed at the thought of Sonic having to see…well…everything as he tended to my wounds.
I started to get a major headache as memories of earlier that night flooded my mind. I froze as my situation finally sunk in. Sonic was a bit taken aback as I began to sob out of nowhere. My body began to shake as the horrible emotions of fear, anger, and helplessness hit me in waves.
"S-Sonic! I-I tr-tried to be brave! B-but I couldn't take it anym-more! I..I-needed you! I needed you t-to be there! I-I thought I was going to-to die! WAAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" I wailed, not holding back anything anymore. Sonic jumped out of his seat and crawled up next to me, helping me sit up and holding my shoulders in place.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, shhh…it's okay! I'm here now! Please, Amy…calm down..come on, take a deep breath.." he begged, cupping my face with his hands. I look at him with hot tears streaming down my face, and follow his orders, slowly inhaling and letting out a shaky breath. Sonic did the same, wiping my tears and not breaking eye contact.
"There ya go…relax.." he cooed, running his fingers through my quills. I quietly nod my head, grabbing his hand and intertwining my fingers with his. I silently count to ten, forcing myself to control my feelings. I look away, feeling ashamed.
"I…I'm sorry…" I apologized, swallowing the lump in my throat. Sonic calmly smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, it's not your fault.." I turn my head to face him, frowning. He looks into my eyes again, gently squeezing my hands.
"Now, please tell me what happened..but, you know, if you're not ready, that's totally fine.." he said as the corners of his lips slightly curled up. I stare at him for a moment, and sigh.
"I…I was almost kidnapped.." I admitted, staring at our hands. There was a sudden silence, and I didn't dare to look up and see his expression.
"…What?" I nervously closed my eyes at his sharper tone of voice. Taking a deep breath, I repeated what I said, this time, actually looking at him.
"I..was almost kidnapped, Sonic…I tried to be brave and I fought back, but…he was just too strong for me.." my voice cracked as I began to cry again. My heart stung horribly in my chest.
"I almost gave up, Sonic…I…I called for you, but…you didn't come…I wasn't strong enough on my own.." admitting it was worse than I ever imagined. I felt so ashamed of myself. I threw my arms around Sonic, burying my face into his chest.
"I tried, Sonic! I r-really did! But I..I couldn't do it! I-I…" My words trailed off as I continued to sob. I felt something wrap around me and pull me closer to my hero. I glanced up, and discovered that the pressure was Sonic hugging me tightly. Shivers went down my spine as he nuzzled the top of my head.
"…Amy…if I would have known I…oh, I'm so sorry, Amy.." he whispered into my ear. I blink tears away and hug him tighter, nuzzling his chest. I heard his heart beating quite fast, if only he could hear mine..
"…It's not your fault, Sonic.." I said.
"I don't care," Sonic pulled away, placing his hand on my shoulders and looking me dead in the eyes. I frowned. He looked very angry.
"…Amy, you're…you're one of my best friends..it's practically my job to make sure you're safe! I can't just let something like this happen to you!" he exclaimed. He took hold of my hands, and angrily stared at them.
"…Who did this to you? Who hurt you, Amy? Ohh, when I'm done with them, they're gonna wish they hadn't messed with MY girl-"
"Sonic, you're hurting me!" I winced, pulling my hands away from his tightening grip. He froze, staring at me with wide eyes. I rubbed my hands, shocked by his reaction. Sonic growled and crawled off the bed, pacing back and forth and mumbling angrily to himself. "Sonic, look…I know how angry you may be, but trust me, this guy is powerful! You have to be careful!" I said irritably, trying to hold back tears. He glanced at me, his hard expression softened.
"Sonic..please…I-I don't wan't you to get hurt.." I begged, wiping my tears away. He stared at me for a moment, thinking. He closed his eyes and sighed, walking over and sitting next to me.
"Hey..it's okay, I won't do anything if you don't want me to.." he said, smiling. I sniffle, staring at the floor. For some reason, I had a hard time believing him. Yet, I knew I had to take his word for it.
"…You promise?" I asked, not looking at him. Sonic didn't answer for a while, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him contemplating his answer. He put his arm around my shoulder, and gently squeezed me against him.
"Yeah, I promise.." he mumbled. I felt relieved, yet I had the oddest sense of doubt that he wasn't being completely truthful with me. I knew how he was, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did do something stupid. "O-okay.." I replied, carefully crawling into the bed and lying down.
I heard Sonic make a "hmph" noise as he stood up, and felt the other half of the bed slightly sink. Curious, I look over my shoulder, and see Sonic calmly relaxing next to me, a smile on his face. Too tired to acknowledge him, I turn over, and snuggle up next to him, quickly falling asleep.
"SOOONICCCCCC! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
I yell in rage as I wake up to a sticky note taking the place of my blue hero in the bed. It had Sonic's handwriting on it.
Dear Amy,
I know that once you find this, you're probably going to want to bash my face in..but, lucky for me, you cant move. If you're wondering where I am, I'm with Tails, trying to find out the identities of the people who hurt you.
I hope you'll forgive me for lying to you, but it was for the greater good. To make up for it, I'll make a promise to you that I'll actually keep. I promise that I'm going to fix this, and that nobody will ever harm you again…
With love, Sonic 3
P.S Vanilla is on her way now to pick you up : )
I angrily crumpled up the tiny piece of paper and threw it at the wall. That stupid, ignorant, moronic….sweetheart of a hedgehog…