Introspection

4 – Rescue! The Heroic Effort!

Notes: Hey kids, it's been a while huh? I've been super busy lately, but that's no real excuse considering I wrote this thing in an evening. I must remember that this story doesn't require huge updates like my other one. The idea of large chapters gives me writers block when I don't have the chapters outlined... Tangent sorry. Anyway, I've been angsting about Sonic's 23rd anniversary and I haven't been able to come up with the idea for a creative oneshot, so I decided 'why not update a story I haven't touched since February?'. For my dedicated readers, I might have something on the 23rd; I might not. Depends on my muse.

But, without further ado, I give you this next chapter. It probably swings in a way that you don't expect, so keep watch for whiplash.

Onward!

It took Sonic and Blaze five minutes to run from the library to Knuckles' dorm room. They scaled the stairs in large strides that ate them up in twos and threes, and Sonic pounded on the door hard enough to rattle it in its frame. A sleepy echidna cracked it open, a baleful violet eye glaring at them.

"What?" he demanded, taking in their heaving chests and short breath. "Was there a murder?"

Sonic shoved past him, red shoes squeaking under the force of his steps. Blaze followed quickly, snapping the door shut behind her, and Knuckles whirled around with his fists raised, ready to pummel something if he didn't get answers. "What's going on?"

"Tails is missing," Blaze started quickly, watching as Sonic seized up as the information hit again. "He didn't show up in the gym when he was supposed to and when we checked the library, he was gone."

"Are you sure he didn't just go home?"

"His stuff was still there and there were signs of a struggle. Someone took him."

Knuckles cursed, spinning around to slam his fist into the wall. "Who—?" He cut himself off, expression darkening. "Jet."

Blaze nodded, watching Sonic as he yanked his cell phone out and fired off a quick text. A few seconds later, his phone buzzed and his brow furrowed.

"Didn't take long, did it?" Knuckles growled. "Jet's a spineless coward, kidnapping an eight-year-old."

"We're getting him back," Sonic said lowly, fingers a blur as he typed. "I've contacted Mighty and Espio and they're heading out to the street to start looking. Blaze, have you gotten a hold of Silver?"

Blaze pulled her phone out of her pocket. Still no messages. "Nothing. Wasn't he taking something to Espio? Maybe he's with him."

"That was hours ago. He should be back here."

"You know Silver. He's probably asleep in the park or something."

"Useless," Knuckles muttered, stomping away to toe into his shoes. "I'm heading out. Keep me informed."

Blaze nodded again. "Okay. Good luck."

"You too. Lock the door behind you."

Then, they were alone again. Sonic was staring at phone, waiting for another text to come in, his eyes wide discs of burnt grass. His hands were shaking and his breathing was shallow, obviously on the verge of a panic attack. Blaze took a few quick steps toward him and wrapped her hands around his, easily extracting the cell phone from his grasp. "C'mon now," she muttered under her breath, moving one hand to his cheek to force him to look at her, "Tails wouldn't want you to be so worried."

"I should've made him go home..." Sonic's whole body was tense, ready to lash out, and Blaze dropped the phone into her pocket so her other hand could be free to cup his face. She held his gaze, her own expression light and positive. We'll get him back, she told him silently, pressing the message in with her palms, and nothing like this will happen again. "He wanted to get ice cream today, you know? I told him no because of practice. I should have skipped—"

"Should have, would have, could have. You're playing with if scenarios, Sonic. We don't have time for that. All we can do now is use the cards we've been dealt." Her voice was gentle, providing him with the stability he needed. "We need to get out there. Do you know where Jet lives? Maybe his parents know where he is."

"His parents?" Sonic's eyes flashed, and suddenly he was back in control, as if his panic had evaporated. "You mean the leaders of the Rouges? Please, they wouldn't help us."

"Last I checked," Blaze began as she stepped away, hands dropping back to her sides, "they never involved children in their... activities. In fact, they sometimes protect kids."

"Only after they put them in the line of fire." Sonic held his hand out and Blaze dropped the cell back into it. He immediately looked down and started texting. "Tch, the Rouges are bad news. We're not going to them for help."

"Then where do you propose we start, wise guy? We can't be wandering around town, hoping for some luck! It's almost dark!"

"I'm thinking! We've got at least four people out on the street right now, looking for clues..."

"Maybe we should call the police. This is way over our heads—"

"No. This is my problem. I started it, and I'm gonna end it."

Blaze sighed, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. Why was he so recklessly stubborn? They were wasting time!

"You said it yourself, we're not a gang! We need to call the police!"

"No—" he cut himself off as the phone in his hand let out a long buzz. "It's Silver." He slid his finger across the screen and then placed the device to his head, listening closely. Blaze watched as his expression morphed from agitation, through exasperation, and then finally faded into pale disbelief. "What?" Where are you? Near the park—? Silver, were you sleeping— Yeah, but! Wait, you saw Storm? When? Well, what are you waiting for? Follow him!" A long pause. "You're not cannon fodder, Silver. Follow Storm; he's got Tails!"

Sonic sighed and his hand fell away from his face, the phone lighting up in time for Blaze to see the call cut off. Her eyes rose to gaze at his face, watching as he tried to get a grip on the mixture of relief, annoyance, and worry vying for control of his emotions. "Silver happened to see Storm cutting across the park. He's following him now. Hopefully he'll lead us right to Jet and Tails."

Blaze felt a grin break across her face. "I guess we're lucky Silver's a slacker."

"You're telling me." He turned and made a beeline for the door. "C'mon, let's get going before he screws this up."

Blaze sighed and followed him. "Silver can be competent when he wants."

Sonic's silence spoke volumes.

o0o

"Shit," Silver hissed as he stepped on a particularly weak limb and it cracked under his weight. Ahead of him, Storm, now joined by Jet and a suspiciously fox-sized burlap sack, paused, and Silver dove behind the closest tree. He pressed his back against the trunk, trying to quiet his heaving breathing until he heard his prey begin their trek forward again. Really, he wasn't cut out for this ninja sneaking stuff; that was more Espio's thing. Silver was better suited to air conditioning and sitting. He was a mathlete for crying out loud!

He peeked around the tree in time to catch the pair weave between some foliage, disappearing into a particularly thick piece of underbrush, and he sighed. Luckily, he had shed his uniform after handing Sonic's letter to Espio and it was currently sitting in his backpack in the park, hopefully undisturbed. This impromptu rescue mission would have probably left his uniform in tatters, but, thanks to his foresight, he was only gifted with cuts up and down his arms. The alternative was second best only because those uniforms were way too overpriced for him to buy another. His body would heal; his bank account would not.

He stepped out from behind the tree, carefully moving in the direction the wannabe gang members had disappeared in. Quickly ducking through the brush, he caught the lumbering shape of Storm a few meters ahead of him. Humming quietly under his breath, he ducked behind another tree to put a bit more distance between himself and his targets.

Seconds later, his phone buzzed from within his boot, sending a shiver up his whole leg. He jumped and shoved his fingers into his shoe, snagging the phone and yanking it out with a touch too much force. Sonic's grinning face was plastered across the screen and Silver had half a mind to toss the thing into the woods. Damn that hedgehog, interrupting his dramatic spying montage.

He slid into the call and leaned slightly around the tree to make sure Jet and Storm hadn't escaped his line of vision. They had paused a couple meters away, talking to each other in low voices, and the lump over Storm's shoulder was starting to twist and struggle. Tails was awake.

"Where are you?" Sonic's voice hissed when Silver grunted at him in greeting. "We're in the park and—"

"I'm in the damn woods following Jet and Storm! You know, for a pair of kidnapping hooligans, they sure are freakin' dumb. Everyone knows you do a body dump in the woods."

Sonic choked. "This isn't the time for jokes, Silver. Knuckles already wants to hit you because you went missing this afternoon. Don't push it."

Silver resisted a groan. "Well, tell Knuckles to put on his trekkin' shoes because you're in for a hike. We've got a thirty minute head start on you because you're slower than a herd of turtles."

A pause. "You're serious. They actually took Tails into the forest."

The metallic hedgehog thunked his head into the tree trunk and let the groan escape. "Yes, I'm serious. Do you need proof?" He bent down and grabbed a small stone. "I can give you proof. I have cuts up and down my arms and a blister the size of Empire City on my foot, but you want proof."

"No, really Silver. I believe—"

"Too late, Sonic. Shut up." He switched the phone to speaker and frisbee'd the rock into a distant bush with laser accuracy. A flock of birds took to the air in a great clatter of wing beats and rustling leaves, and Silver tapped the screen and put the phone back to his ear.

"Chaos, you're in the woods."

"Get your asses here in ten minutes or I'm never letting you see my homework again."

A long, extended pause. "If Tails' life weren't on the line, I would consider that a real threat."

"Just get here."

o0o

It wasn't hard to track Silver. The kid left a path of crushed plants and marked trees in his wake. Really, for a lazy, good-for-nothing, he sure managed to make himself useful when he applied himself. For all his bellyaching, he was trying, and that's what counted.

Now, if only Sonic could convince Knuckles of that.

For some reason, Knuckles and Silver didn't really get along. Sonic wasn't sure what started it, but they were always picking on each other. From the moment Silver and Knuckles first saw each other, there were practically sparks of testosterone flying between them. Sometimes, Sonic expected a giant NEW CHALLENGER APPEARED to flash up between them and then a huge brawl full of graphic mutilation and Japanese words to commence, leaving only one of them behind.

Or, maybe he just played too many video games.

Still though, as they followed Silver's path through the woods, Knuckles was getting a good rant going. Something about the younger hedgehog's lack of tact and his thoughtlessness, and how if he hadn't been napping in the middle of the day this whole thing could have been avoided and blah blah blah. Really, Sonic wasn't in the mood. All he wanted was to get Tails, beat in some heads, and get home. Chuck was getting suspicious, and his half truths about a late night study session with Silver would only get him so far.

"Look at this!" Knuckles was on a roll, heading their small party of three through the woods. Every now and then he would come across some imaginary transgression Silver had made against the plants and that would get him going again, only furthering' Sonic's annoyance. "He stomped on this tree's roots!"

"You do realize that Jet and Storm came through here first, right? It was probably them that—"

"And he squashed this flower! When I get my hands on him—"

"Knuckles," Blaze spoke for the first time in half an hour, voice filtering in from behind Sonic, "do you remember when you were a loner who never spoke? Can we go back to that?"

The echidna froze in front of them. Sonic patted him on the back and pushed his mouth closed as he passed. "Don't take it personally," he mumbled as he took the lead.

Their pace sped up significantly without Knuckles' mouth slowing them down. About fifteen minutes after hanging up with Silver, they found him huddling behind a tree, holding his phone up with the front camera turned on so he could see Jet and Storm. He waved them over as they approached and held a finger up to his lips, commanding silence as he leaned a little further to the right.

"Silver," Sonic began at length, moving to look around the other hedgehog's arm, "do you ever realize how much you use your phone?"

Silver's arm jerked back and the device was placed protectively against his chest. "No, he snapped.

Knuckles groaned and planted his forehead in his palm but wisely stayed silent after that. Sonic rolled his eyes. "So, what's happening?"

"They've been standing there for fifteen minutes. I think they're waiting for someone. Now would probably be a good time to strike, especially since that girl isn't here. If she shows up, we'll be evenly matched."

Sonic's expression went blank. "Three of them," he weighed his hands, "four of us."

"I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"Silver," Knuckles ground out, clenching his fists, "you are—"

"Be quiet." Sonic held a hand up. "How long has Tails been struggling?"

"Like twenty minutes?" Silver leaned far enough to look and winced as Storm dumped the sack on the ground. "I wasn't sure if he was awake earlier, but he sure is now."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "All right. I'm going to get him. Stay hidden until Jet orders Storm to hit me. We're not throwing the first punch, got me?"

A chorus of okays and yeses answered him and he stood, dusting off the backs of his legs. After taking a deep breath, he stepped out from behind the tree, schooling his features in preparation for the fight that was sure to come.

Suddenly, something large and brown flew through the air, crashed into him, and knocked him to the ground. His arms wrapping around it instinctively and he smashed into the dirt hard enough to dislodge a few brain cells. The sharp angle of an elbow jabbed itself into his stomach and a small yelp came from somewhere near his chest. Quickly, his brain registered the rough feeling of burlap against his stomach, and he glanced down long enough to take in the crumpled sack that he had just seen Storm drop on the ground.

"Tails?" His fingers pulled on a seam, and he ripped it open. A giant pair of ears appeared, followed closely by a golden head and two bright blue eyes. "Tails!" He wrapped his arms around the kid, and vaguely heard the fox laugh. "How—?"

A pair of footsteps stomped through the brush toward them and Sonic glanced up. Crimson irises glared down at him, black and red quills quirked upward against gravity, and impressive chest fur shining in the low sunlight. A low voice came next, low and annoyed. "You're welcome."

"S-shadow?!" Sonic was glad that Silver managed to gasp out the newcomer's name, because he was speechless.

"Tch." The new student looked like he was trying very hard not to roll his eyes. Sonic looked past Tails' impromptu savior and his eyes widened as he took in Jet and Storm's unconscious forms, slumped and twisted on the ground.

"What...?" His eyes flicked back to Tails, but the fox looked just as shocked as he did, head swiveling between Sonic and Shadow like he had seen a ghost. "You—?"

"Go home, Sonic Hedgehog. I'll take care of this from here."

"But—"

"Take your friend home. He needs to get cleaned up, and –" he broke off, weighing his words, "we have... school in the morning." Leaving no room for argument, he turned and stalked away, heading straight for the two birds. He bent down and threw the green one over his shoulder before grabbing Storm's large arm and dragging him off, deeper into the woods.

There was a long pause. "...did that just happen?" Silver managed to summarize the thoughts swarming through their heads concisely.

"I think I'm dreaming," Knuckles declared, standing. "But, either way, we better get Tails home." He stooped down and pulled the fox into his arms, ignoring the squawk of indignation that came from the child.

"Yeah..." Sonic stared after Shadow, his words echoing through his mind. "...school... Guess we'll see him tomorrow."

"Did you say something Sonic?" Tails was gazing at him over Knuckles' shoulder, eyes wide with concern.

The hedgehog shook himself. There would be time to worry about this later. For now, he needed to focus on Tails.

Shadow could come later.

Alternate title: Rescue! Or, Silver Tromps Through the Forest and Knuckles Complains!

Hopefully the next update won't take too long. Now that I don't have a major plot point staring me in the face I can fart around for a while and update faster.

Reviews are cherished.