Chapter 3: High-Priority Target
"What do you mean 'he's gone'?!" Eggman yelled at the white bat in his lair.
"I mean exactly that, he's gone." Rouge spat back. "I looked around the whole entire fortress for him and I couldn't find him. He's gone. Disappeared, like the shadow he is."
"Dang it Shadow," Sonic hissed. "Where has he gone?"
"That disrespectful, disobedient, poor excuse for an ultimate lifeform." Eggman groaned. "He must've gone out looking for the Chaos Emeralds after I SPECIFICALLY told him NOT to leave the fortress tonight."
"He's gonna get himself killed!" Chris gasped. "Once the Purgers find out he's out, he'll be their high-priority target!"
"Not if I can help it. I'm going out there to look for him." Sonic announced, already making his way to the front door.
"Absolutely NOT, young man!" Lindsey quickly interfered, stopping the blue hedgehog in his tracks. "You are NOT going out there."
"But Mrs. Thorndyke I can't just leave him out there, he's gonna get killed!" Sonic gasped.
"And you'll be killed as well if you go out there." Lindsey retorted back. "It's too dangerous."
"Which is exactly why I have to go find him!"
"Why would Sonic be killed?" Tails asked. "There's no reason for him to have a target on his back, he's a hero."
"Exactly." Chris sighed. "Criminals HATE heroes, and I bet you can guess why."
"I don't care." Sonic hissed. "There's no way I'm leaving him out there. I'm going out there, even if it means I have to drill through the doors myself!"
"You're crazy!" Knuckles gasped.
"Maybe so, but I've made up my mind. If I can't help everybody, I at least want to help one, and if that one has to be Shadow, then so be it."
Everyone was silent. They couldn't believe that Sonic was actually willing to go through with this, for someone working for Eggman. For someone who framed him on multiple accounts. ...For someone who actually may just deserve it. Sonic frowned and looked between Lindsey and Chuck.
"Open the doors, or I will make good of my threat and drill through them."
The two adults looked between each other, wondering if they really should. After all, like Chuck said, the doors were incredibly durable. Sonic wouldn't be able to drill through them even if he tried.
Lindsey sighed and looked at the clock. 8:10.
"One hour." She announced. "I'll give you one hour to find him. If you don't, you come straight home and forget about it. Understand?"
"Yes, I understand." Sonic sighed in agreement, even if he really didn't agree with it personally.
"Good." Lindsey turned to Chuck and nodded. "Open the doors, five seconds only. It's time for Sonic to be a hero again."
…
Sonic stood nervously in front of the open door, waiting for the bullet proof steel doors to open up to the chaos ravishing outside.
One hour.
One hour was all Lindsey was giving him the moment he stepped outside to find Shadow and get back home. Five seconds was all she was giving him to get outside once the doors started opening. That was more than enough for him to get outside, but once he's out there, stealth was gonna have to be his best friend to avoid the Purgers, and stealth meant he had to be slow.
Suddenly, one hour didn't seem to be enough time to scour the entire city for his black and red rival.
"Are you ready to go?" Tails asked him.
"Yes, I'm ready." Sonic nodded.
"Are you sure you can do this?"
"I have to. I have to at least try. If not… then what kind of hero am I?"
"Shadow's not going to appreciate it. You know that, right?"
"Do you think I care? He can be mad at me all he wants, I'm not leaving him out there the moment I find him. In fact, once I find him, I'm gonna slap the crap outta him for being so stupid."
"Heh, sounds about right." Tails chuckled. "Think you can actually do it under one hour?"
"I hope so." Sonic sighed. "I've never done a stealth mission before, but I really hope I can pull it off."
"... Me too." Tails nodded and turned to his communicator, who had Chuck waiting for his cue on the other side. "Go ahead and open the doors, Chuck, Sonic's ready."
"Roger that, Tails." Chuck answered back.
At that moment, a quick buzzing noise went around the house and quickly stopped when the steel doors started opening. The countdown began.
5
The door was only an inch off the ground.
4
The door had reached Sonic's shin.
3
"Good luck, Sonic." Tails said to him.
2
"Thanks Tails." Sonic smiled back, the door was just open enough for him to barely fit through.
1
Quickly, Sonic slid under the door and barrel rolled outside, sighing in relief as the door just barely slammed back down onto his tail. He stood up from the ground and looked at the watch Nelson had equipped him with for this mission.
8:15, Sonic had until 9:15 to find Shadow.
"Time to hunt down a hedgehog."
