(No one's POV)
The wind swayed through crimson dreadlocks making it look longer then it actually is. Violet orbs scanned the area to see if any leaf or rock was touched or misplaced or unnatural. More importantly, his gaze focused on the titanic emerald glowing in a lime colour and slightly hovering above the ground. The emerald's known as the 'Master Emerald' guarded by none other then Knuckles the Echidna himself. Even after guarding the master emerald for God knows how long, his loyalty did not decrease by a fraction. Instead, it has increased during these long period of time without the slightest intention of breaking his vow.
A repetitive beat interrupted the howling wind and Knuckles eyes switched from relaxed to alert and aggression. An object blocked the sun's rays from reaching the plants casting a feminine figure. Her heavy boots landed on the ground gracefully and she batted her eyelashes over her teal eyes smirking flirtatiously. Her trademark cat suit revealed her busty curves and her long sleeved gloved arms crossed her arms.
"Batgirl," Knuckles growled "Why'd you bother coming up here? You know you'll never get the master emerald," He smirked as he started to recall of most of Rouge's failed attempts to getting the emerald.
"You have a charming way to greet a lady Knuckie," Rouge spoke and said his involuntary nickname seductively. Knuckles cheeks heated up a bit and reddened slightly. He detested the nickname so much and Sonic's teasing over it did not help either. He preferred to be called a 'Knucklehead' then 'Knuckie'. He may be a gullible fool at least 65% of the time but he has his pride being the guardian of the master emerald.
"Don't call me 'Knuckie'" Knuckles hissed, clenched his fists as his temper fired up.
"I don't have time for your babyish tantrums today hun and to both of our surprise I haven't come for the glowing green beauty that's obviously gift wrapped for me." Rouge lifted her chin up in the air and walked up to Knuckles saying her hips at the same time. Knuckles didn't like the fact that Rouge has compared his aggression to mere toddlers and the statement left him fuming like a steam engine.
"If you're not here for the emerald which is NOT for sale, why the hell did you dare to step foot on this island!" Knuckles spoke through gritted teeth clearly ticked off.
"Actually, I was wondering if you have any information about the recent event that occurred yesterday since it happened quite close the island." Rouge looked at the back of her hand casually.
"YOU? WONDERING? Don't try and make me laugh 'cos get it in your thick bat head that none of your tricks will work on me to get the master emerald!" Knuckles smirked and leaned on the emerald with one foot to support himself.
"Well, EXCUSE ME! At least I USE my brain and I DON'T let my temper get the best of me and I don't FIGHT blindly! Remember, I AM A G.U.N Agent!" Rouge glared at Knuckles.
"Watch it Batgirl! You better take that back! I'm the strongest fighter here!" Knuckles roared at Rouge.
"Well I'M the most skilled fighter here! I was the on who beaten you in that tournament back at Earth! Do you recall or do you have a five second memory span?" Rouge cocked one of her eyebrows at Knuckles who had the assassin face worn on.
"I don't have a five second memory span and the reason you beaten me was 'cos you put a GODDAMN tent over us so I couldn't see a thing!" Knuckles smashed a nearby rock into smithereens however, Rouge did not flinch one bit.
"My, my, my, what has that rock ever done to you?" Rouge faked a sigh to taunt the echidna even more. Knuckles couldn't take it anymore! Just as he was about to pounce on Rouge, her communicator buzzed. It was the Sonic's ebony rival.
"Rouge! Have you got any information yet!" his husky bass voice passed through the transmitter.
"I would've if a certain hothead didn't explode in my way!" Rouge's voice traveled to his ears and his lifeless ruby eyes pierced the transmitter.
"Who are you calling a hothead, Batgirl!" Knuckles voice interrupted the premature conversation between Rouge and Shadow.
"Who are you calling Batgirl, Hothead!" Rouge hissed.
"Why you.."
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Shadow's enraged outburst left the two arguers awestruck. "Rouge! Listen up! The echidna's useless just like I said he was..."
"Hey!" Knuckles interrupted (again)
"...shut it!" Rouge hushed him.
"...you've practically wasted time here! We were too late to stop the casualty yesterday and I don't want that to repeat again! You hear me!" Shadow's message caused Rouge's ears to droop.
"Yep, loud and clear!" she chirped.
"Good, I've collected some evidences and I need you to see if you can find anymore where the incident took place. So far the clues that you've given me so far add up to a weird sign that looks like a rose." Shadow turned off the transmitter and sighed. A lot has taken place ever since he was awakened by Dr. Eggman. He couldn't believe how foolish the others were when they thought he was dead after him and Sonic defeated the Meterax which was about three years ago. Boy did he surprise everyone with him still being the alive. He is the ultimate life form! It'll take a miracle to get rid of him. Not even his blue counter-part can do that job since they're very much equal. Thinking about Sonic made him think about Amy. He has a soft spot for the rose and has a brotherly love for her. Sometimes, her actions fools his mind into thinking that she's a reincarnation of Maria. "Maria..." Shadow breathed out her name. He's regained his memories thanks to Amy as she reminded him every few moments he had with Maria and when him and the Sonic team crossed paths. He walked into the G.U.N's main lab and glanced at the rose symbol that the 'incident' left. The leaves of the rose had delicate swirls curling in different directions and the rose itself was bloomed.
"Rose...Amy Rose? Why do I have a feeling that this is somehow linked to young Rose?" Shadow wondered. "I have no choice but to drag 'Faker' into this, this is no ordinary case." Despite the fact that Shadow can't stand Sonic and his cockiness, Sonic's the only way to get information about Amy and he knows her more then anyone else.
Red boots and red sneakers tread the gravel path through a quiet park. All the swings were empty, all the slides were bare and the see-saws were left hanging. The open grass field didn't have the heart warming welcome as it was a starless night. The wind wasn't friendly either as it pierced through the arms of the sakura hedgehog. Her periwinkle skin was the victim of the wind's icy daggers whilst the older hedgehog walking beside didn't seem affected. His tan skin seemed to lose it's radiance in the dark and his azure fur didn't have that famous shine. Both Sonic and Amy walked silently on their way to Amy's house. Amy could've went by herself but she couldn't refuse Sonic's offer as it was uncharacteristic of her. Sonic halted to a stop and looked at Amy.
"We're here," Sonic broke the never-ending silence. Amy looked ahead of her and surely enough that it was her house. She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't realise they arrived.
"Oh, yeah..." Amy sighed and as about to proceed into entering her house until a hand grabbed her arm gently.
"Amy," Sonic turned her to face him.
"You've been acting strange all day, you've barely spoken to either me, Cream or anyone else. I know something's bothering you." His eyes scanned Amy's looking for an answer.
"It's nothing Sonic, we've already been through this," Amy gritted her teeth. Sonic knew something was definitely because this is the first he's seeing Amy act this way.
"It's that dream isn't it?" his grip increased on her arm slightly sending a message like 'I won't let go until I get a valid answer'. Amy's eyes lost their shine and her heart started to beat faster in nervousness. He knew too much! It'll be daft to act dumb after he's come this far.
"When did Cream tell you?" Amy regretted the fact that she hasn't told Cream earlier not to tell anyone.
"So it's true isn't it? You have been crying in your sleep, this nightmare has created a bit of an impact on you, you'll feel better if you tell someone." Sonic's orbs pleaded and his tone of voice was quite soft. No matter how much Amy wanted to tell him, she just couldn't find the courage.
"I...I can't, Sonic, I'm really tired, perhaps I'll be back to 'normal' by tomorrow. By the way, didn't you think that the head bump you've practically gift wrapped for me may have caused me to be all 'strange' today?" Amy really wanted to change the subject so Sonic doesn't come up with anymore ideas to bring the truth from her. He obviously detected that by the uneasiness of her face but decided to play along, for now.
"No, it hasn't actually occurred to me you know," he flashed one of his famous grins to cheer Amy up. She smiled warmly in return. "Now that's the Amy I was looking for, I was wondering if you were going to end up as 'Faker' with the moodiness, the grouchy face..." as Sonic continued on describing Shadow's personality 'nicely', Amy was looking beyond Sonic's shoulder and widened her eyes.
"Nice to know you remember me 'Faker'." The bass voice caused Sonic to cringe for a second and turn around. Sonic waved at Shadow slowly while his other hand was scratching the back of his head nervously. Shadow just glared at him. "Rose, why are you here so late, you should be indoors by now." Amy crossed her arms and scoffed.
"I stay out as long as I can!" Shadow just stared at her with his trademark cold stare for a few minutes then Amy gave up. "Argh! You are worse than an over protective big brother and father mixed together!" she stomped of into her house and slammed the door.
"That's because I see you as my daughter and little sister..." Shadow smirked but caught Sonic tiptoeing away from him. "Faker!" Sonic immediately turned and grinned.
"I have a name you know and about the describing you bit, I..." Sonic was soon cut off by Shadow.
"I need a serious word with you, it involves Rose as well." Sonic was know on full alert mode.
"If it involves her, why'd you send her away?"
"Questions later, listen up. There's been a casualty yesterday night and..."
"A what! And nobody told m..."
"Don't interrupt!" Shadow had his serious face on as Sonic raised his hands up defenselessly. "As I was saying, we have no evidence of who or WHAT the killer was. It left no finger prints, no tracks, no source of LIFE. The only thing it left was a symbol. It left it on the corpse which was torn to pieces..." Sonic clutched his stomach in both disgust and guilt as he was not able to save the victim. "...it left the same symbol on the ground and trees around it."
"Still, how does the incident relate to Amy?"
"Come with me, I'll show you what the symbol looks like." Shadow sped off with his skater shoes with Sonic sprinting after him following his Shadow's trail. Although he'd love to have a race with Shadow, he had no idea where they were going and this thing was somehow serious.
Shadow stopped at the corner of a private park. As Sonic took a quick glance around the area, he felt like he was going to throw up. There was blood sprayed everywhere like someone used a spray can. Clumps of rotten flesh hung from tree branches and wilting flowers. The area was taped off by G.U.N.
"That's the symbol..." Shadow tilted his head below at the floor and Sonic's eyes widened from shock.
"This is the same symbol as Amy's necklace!" Sonic squinted around and saw the same symbols on the trees as well.
"I knew she was related to this!" Shadow clenched his fist.
"Amy wouldn't do this, she..." again, Shadow cut Sonic off.
"I DIDN'T say she did, I think she may be in danger, the Rose symbol just made me think of her. I need some information about her behavior patterns, routines or anything unlike her and that's where you come in. You know her the most out of all of us, you're more reliable to give me accurate facts of her."
"As a matter of fact, I do! She has been acting weird ever since she had that nightmare which caused her to cry in her sleep."
"You watch her sleep!" Shadow growled.
"No! Cream told me, they were having a sleepover."
"How weird has she been acting?"
"She hardly spoke, she had less energy, she even fainted on seeing blood and that's like impossible for someone who nurses our wounds!"
"Did you try to talk to her about it?"
"Yeah but she tried to change the subject, even though I kind of begged for it." Shadow nodded.
"Okay, that'll do for now. Also, keep her out of danger, I feel something's going to happen." Shadow stared at the sky.
Suddenly, a scream pierced through the hedgehog's ears!
"AMY!" both the hedgehogs yelled as the sprinted off...
