CHAPTER TWO: ROUGE
The doors slammed shut behind her, as she said goodbye to her freedom. "Clipped wings?" One prisoner quipped. Rouge didn't let them see her fear. She didn't hesitate to show her resentment though. For the police, the inmates, and especially for her mother. Damn her, Rouge thought. Damn her for dragging her daughter into a life of crime. Dragging her into being her accomplice...and damn her for using her as a scapegoat.
Rouge realized now, as she was being hauled through the cellblock that her mother never did what she did to provide for her daughter. If that were true, Rouge would be snug in bed right now, or enjoying the only warm meal they could scrounge...not sitting in this black and white painted Hell, "pending trial". Rouge knew it was a lie. They were going to toss her in a cell and leave her to die. What else could they do with a 17 year old girl with three charges of aggravated murder, and even more charges riding on her wings? Breaking and entering, destruction of private property, assault, battery, resisting arrest, grand theft auto...all of them adding up to more notches on the prison wall.
Rouge closed her eyes as she dug her nail into the wall to mark her first notch, for the horrible thing she'd just done. She remembered her mother promising that it would be "shiny", as her way of telling Rouge everything would be fine. Grab the gem, make with the wind. In and out. Easy.
It wasn't.
48 HOURS AGO
Rouge met her mother's eyes as she gave her the go ahead. Just 50 meters ahead was a glowing red gem...a Chaos Emerald...Worth a fortune to anybody with any intent. There was money to be made at every turn. The country's premiere underworld mad scientist Dr. Eggman would pay through the nose to have that emerald, especially if he wanted it for function instead of fashion.
But Rouge had this natural instinct that this was to be hers and hers alone. Her reputation. Her adventure.
Her Chaos Emerald.
She felt her eyes fade into the intrigue of the jewel in front of her. No security anymore. No night, no day. Just Rouge and the red Chaos Emerald.
Then came the blur. The wind.
Damnit, Rouge thought to herself as she saw a blue whirlwind circle her. She felt shattered glass from the windows cut her arm, and her ears rang from the sound of the sirens surrounding her. As the red and blues flashed around her, she saw her mother making her escape. Suddenly, the whirlwind stopped, and there, under the blue flashing lights he stood. Red shoes crunching glass, green eyes reflecting with the Chaos Emerald, and a smug grin.
Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Sonic, darling..." Rouge started.
Sonic chuckled. "You and mommy have built up a rap sheet, haven't ya?" Rouge smiled. "Want the honor of being part of it, sweety? I've been just dying to try more red on. But I'm worried how it'll look with my outfit. Save me from a fashion disaster and run off now, big blue." Rouge wouldn't let him see her shake. She was alone now. Sonic just smiled, put a foot forward, and popped his neck.
Rouge glared as she rose into the air, and put her fists up. Sonic wanted a fair fight? He'd have to look elsewhere.
She soared toward him, and spun her foot out. Sonic leaped out of the way, and returned a kick to her side. She recoiled, flipped, and landed a right hook to Sonic's jaw. Sonic hit the floor, and spun on his quills, then launched himself in a ball at Rouge. She jumped out of the way, and slammed her foot down onto Sonic. He looked up, and saw Rouge standing over him. He tried to get up, but Rouge slammed her boot down on Sonic's chest. "Give up, dear. Give up nice and easy, and I'll just take this little red jewel here, and be on my way." Rouge twirled the emerald in her hand. Her eyes twinkled with it. She looked down, and saw Sonic smile that stupid smile.
"You know what I like about you, Rouge?" Sonic struggled to ask. Rouge smiled back at him. "What could you possibly hate, sweetheart? Other than my brand of asswhooping that is?" Sonic grabbed hold of Rouge's silver and pink boot. "You think I'll let you walk away so easy."
Sonic kept hold of Rouge and spun himself into the spin dash, then tossed her through a wall. She rolled on her back, and got back to her feet, but not without shedding more blood from the wound in her arm. Sonic caught the flying Chaos Emerald, and with a great light, Rouge saw him fly into her at a new speed.
Rouge was a tough woman though. Her mother raised her to be. She let her wings lift her back up. Sonic recovered from the energy surge, but Rouge was gone. "Direct, aren't you, Sonic?"
Sonic looked around, trying to track her. 3 guards entered, guns pointing around. As much as Rouge hated it, she knew that someone had to die, or else she'd never get out of here. Sonic was key, but it didn't mean these guards couldn't be useful.
She begged for forgiveness as she dropped a grenade from her belt.
It did more damage than she intended...all three guards dead, Sonic wounded...now was her chance to make a dash for it.
She made it to the door, when suddenly, a blur cut her off, and handcuffed her. She fell to the floor, and looked up at Sonic.
That grin was gone. And so was Rouge's freedom, and her trust in her mother.
