a/n: Something.

The Junkyard Dog

04. Cloud

"..."

Tails looked up from his laptop screen. His eyes narrowed as he heard the noise coming from outside. Milly wasn't in the room, so she had to be downstairs, probably eating a light snack.

"Seriously. What is going on?"

He closed the laptop and headed out of his room, opening the door to see what the commotion was about. A woman limped down the hallway, dripping blood from her face that stained the carpet.

"Milly."

"Miles...is...that you..."

Tails appeared at her side in an instant, carefully lowering her to the ground. His eyes scanned the people around him and he found someone to focus on. This person looked useful. "You."

"Eh?"

He presented his keycard to the young woman. "To your left in the closet, there will be a small white case. Bring it here."

"Y-yes! Okay!" she hurried off and his eyes flickered to an older man. "You. Clean towels," he ordered calmly. He looked over to a shirtless, muscular man. "You, get extra towels and a pillow."

They quickly moved at his commands. A minute later, everyone returned with the proper items.

"I got some water," the woman with the case said as she handed it over.

"I know. Thank you." Tails set Milly's head on the pillow, covered with a towel. He felt at her limp right arm...dislocation. That could be fixed. Bones didn't seem broken but there could be fractures. No time to check. He opened the case and popped open a vial. "Eyes open. I'm making you drink."

She nodded weakly and opened her mouth. He set the vial to her lips and she slowly drank until it was empty. "Feels...okay..."

"You'll be alright."

"Mask...cosplay..."

He nodded and stroked her head. "You're safe, Milly."

"M-Miles.."

"Milly, you-"

"Chaos...Control. He...used it."

Tails went quiet. "...that so. Okay, I understand. You don't have to say anymore. Be still."

"Yes..."

Security hustled down the hall with several EMTs in tow. Tails stepped aside as they did their work, electing to head to the open elevator. Blood was splattered all around, on the floor and on the mirrors inside. None on the panel with all of the obvious, shining buttons.

He kept her away from it. Chaos Control. She wouldn't just blurt that out. She's too smart to get those sorts of things mixed up. And a mask. She couldn't see his face. She was targeted.

"To get to me. Or...someone else. Either me, or Sonic," he muttered.

He was thirsty for blood, more than anything. But the time hadn't come. Not yet. Not until he found whoever was responsible.

"Does this elevator have a surveillance camera?" he asked the approaching security officer.

"It does."

"And I know there would be one in the lobby." Tails stared at the blood near his feet. "Let me see the footage."

"Sir-"

"Let me see the footage," he repeated firmly. There was an audible gulp before he heard a response.

"F-follow me..."

Tails did so, heading down the stairs with him quickly and to the front lobby. There were several monitors and screens that the police were poring over after their recent arrival, lights flashing from their cars outside.

"Here we are...the police are-"

Tails jogged to where the police and hotel security were watching the tape from a few minutes ago. He focused and saw Milly standing in the lobby near the elevators. She cast a glance to...someone in body armor with a sword strapped to their back.

Cosplay. I see what she meant now. She must have thought he was some kind of nerd...

"And here's where she enters the elevator..."

They switched the footage to inside of the elevator. Milly gripped her mug and looked uncomfortable for a moment, seemingly making a nervous remark while looking down at herself. Her eyes widened a moment later. She stepped back in shock.

Tails watched with his blue eyes as the masked man put his hand over her mouth, and the mug dropped to the floor, shattering. There was no sound, but he knew she was screaming. She struggled. She cried. There was no movement from the masked man, but he had to be talking. He let go for a moment.

"Did the video skip?" one of the officers asked.

"I checked it over, there was no way," the operator replied.

"It's not a skip," Tails said as they rewound to where the masked man appeared in front of Milly. "That was real time. Chaos Control."

"How do you...oi, aren't you Tails?" one officer asked. "No way..."

"The woman who was attacked...her name is Mildred Graham, and she's my...she's my good friend." He paused, feeling his rage build slowly. None of it showed on his face. "This masked man had some sort of objective, but to attack so recklessly...doesn't make sense."

"None 'o what that asshole does makes any sense," the sole woman officer with them said.

"He's not new to the city?"

"Hell no...that there is Vortex. Calls himself some kind of friggin' knight of justice or some shit. Showed up here about three years ago. Used to be small time but now he's got a fancy suit and some kind of super car or whatever...fuck me, he runs around like he owns the place."

"He hasn't been captured...he's clearly not an ordinary vigilante if he can use Chaos Control."

"GUN has been on his ass the whole time, I've been hearing," she continued.

That means he's even giving Shadow trouble. Tails watched as Milly was beaten repeatedly by the man in the mask, soundless screams visible on the screen. Every time she crawled over to hit the alarm, he would brutalize her. He crushed her glasses beneath his foot, grinding his heel on the floor. That made her lose it. She swung at him through her tears and he slammed her face into the glass.

He broke her arm. Then dislocated it. Kept pausing before she would say something and then would beat her again.

Interrogation. He wanted something from her. What?

"Thank you, officer. I've seen what I need to see. So his name is...Vortex. I appreciate your assistance."

"Ain't no problem. Hope your friend gets well soon," the woman said.

"Thank you. Stay safe out there."

She grinned at him. "Will do, boy scout."

He nodded and made his way out of the hotel. Clouds had already gathered in the sky...it was about to rain.

"Milly." He said her name to himself and felt the rage climb even higher. Still he held it in. There would be no point, no advantage to unleashing it this soon. He had to wait.

Vortex would get his. He would get his just desserts soon.

For now, it was time to speak to a pair of experts. He didn't have their current contact information most likely, but he figured he knew someone who did. Bringing up a holographic keypad from the red bracelet on his wrist, he found a certain number and made the connection.

"..."

Nothing. Just dial tones and the usual voicemail message. Maybe she wasn't up. He hung up and thought. It had been five years, so who else...

"Wait."

There were more options. He went to the web seamlessly and looked up the Chaotix Detective Agency. The number had changed, and so had their location. Good for them, he thought. Well deserved after all of their work. If they practically lived there, then-

"Tails? Hon, is that you?"

He had the projection flicker off as he turned to face the new voice.

"Rouge. Shadow."

"It is you...wow, and you're a total hunk now, eh?" the bat said with a wink. "Taller, handsomer...maybe a bit on the darker side too, if we wanna stretch it."

He couldn't resist a chuckle. She hadn't changed much, and for that he was glad. "Nice to see you too, Rouge."

She gave him a warm, smothering hug that reminded him of Milly. Her eyes were bright and filled with warmth, something that he remembered seeing but not with the same intensity. Like she was finally...content.

"Doctor Prower."

"Shadow. Good to see you too." They shook hands and traded smiles. The black hedgehog was more accessible than before. Other than that, he hadn't changed that much.

"What're you doing out so late?" Rouge asked. "Don't tell me you're staying at this hotel, hon."

"I am."

"We got reports that-"

"A woman was attacked in an elevator. By someone called Vortex."

"You saw the footage?" Shadow asked.

"Yes...and I was there when she got out."

Rouge didn't miss the look in Tails' eyes. "Doctor Mildred Graham," she said quietly. "She's your partner in Soleanna, yeah?"

"That's right. For the past five years."

"She's also your lover."

Rouge looked at Shadow with surprise.

Tails sighed. "Nothing gets past you."

"Seriously? Her? I mean she's got one heck of a body on her, but holy crap, isn't she like-"

"Yes. She is," Tails said, interrupting Rouge.

"Well...alright, we can get to that later. The reason we're here is exactly because we heard that asshole Vortex was involved. Call it a hunch, but he was trying to get to you through her," Rouge said seriously.

"To get to Sonic?" Tails asked.

"Doubt it. I mean Sonic's gonna be in public in a few days, and after that...he can bother him all he wants. I-"

"Hold on a moment, lower your voice," Shadow said as he held a hand to his ear.

"That's gotta be Vector," Rouge said with a sigh.

"What do you mean...exploded? What happened to her? You must be joking. We're at a hotel and he was just here, too. Yes. Yes, and Prower's wrapped up in it too. An acquaintance of his was attacked. Yes, the kid. The very same. Listen, come down here with Espio and explain. Do the rabbits know? The little one, too...she would be distraught. Yes. Fine. We'll see you."

"What's up, hon?" Rouge asked.

"You won't like this. Vortex went from bad to worse."

"Try me."

"...Rose's shop has been damaged by an explosion. She's nowhere to be found and they've found no organic remains of any kind."

"Fucking hell." Rouge's mind clicked. "That motherfucking son of a bitch...! You can't be telling me he's involved in that too!"

"He was at the scene. Talking to a woman floating in the sky. We don't know what she looked like, but she was there and Rose was not."

Tails closed his eyes. It was building again. Shadow looked at him and could feel it.

"Kid."

"I know," he replied. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing with it."

Rouge looked at him, sorrow and hurt in her eyes. "Rosie too...I was just talking with her. What the actual...what the fuck is this," she growled.

"You can't track him," Tails concluded.

"No. His energy signal is continously changing, and it's a complex mix. I can't trace him and he's never seen in more than one spot at a time. We have no way of finding him. We don't see him unless he wants to be seen. He leaves his sick calling cards," Shadow said.

"That guy is a killer. He does it at the drop of a hat. Whoever he doesn't kill, he maims. And even some women..." Rouge trailed off. "He's done incredibly sick and twisted shit, then turned around and called it justice."

"And people stand behind it," Tails finished.

"...they do. Such is humanity," Shadow said.

"Go figure." The fox looked into the sky and let out a breath. "You live and you learn."

"Yes. Though...there are true allies within that cloud."

"One of them is our boss. She's a sweet thing, unless you get on her bad side," Rouge said with a smile. "Trust me, you'd rather have Satan ramming hot coals up your ass."

Tails raised a brow. "That bad?"

"Natural born killer. We'll tell you all about her later. Our detective friends are here," she said with a wave towards them. The two joined with the existing group of three.

"Tails, good to see ya!" Vector yelled. He gave the fox a hearty handshake and a pat on the back. "Grown up, too! Sonic would be proud lookin' at ya right now."

"Thanks, Vector."

"You're not young Tails anymore," Espio said knowingly. "Your chi has changed...focused, sharp, and dense. You have grown considerably...though the rage still swirls inside of you, it seems."

"Yeah."

"It is good to see you, regardless." They shook hands firmly. "We were recently at the home of Vanilla and Cream. I assume Shadow told you, but I will repeat: Amy Rose is currently missing based on the reports about her damaged shop. A mysterious woman was there along with the vigilante Vortex. We have no further leads at this time, and sought out Shadow and Rouge for assistance."

"But somethin' happened here, didn't it? Did Vortex hit this place, too?" Vector asked.

"More than the place," Rouge seethed.

"My partner," Tails answered. "He beat her inside of an elevator...trying to get information. She didn't budge."

"Chaos," Vector mumbled. "That darned...he's getting way too out of hand now. It's one thing to kill what you think are criminals in the dead of night, but to be this gosh darn brazen...! Gah!"

"If this person was close with Tails, I can only imagine..." Espio gave the fox a knowing look.

"She means a lot. We've been working together for the past five years."

"..." Espio understood there was far more than a working relationship, but left it to an understanding nod.

"What do we do?" Vector asked.

"Jack and shit," Rouge replied. "We can't track the sick fuck. We can't talk to whatever flying woman you were mentioning. We can't locate Amy, and we tried GPS and triangulation bullshit, all of that. I know you can't find her signal, Espio."

"Important question...does Sonic know?" Tails asked.

"He hasn't been outside in long enough. He won't know unless we tell him...or on the day of the ceremony," Shadow said.

"..." Tails thought for a moment. "Gonna track down my friend, then. See if she's recovering well. That serum I gave her should provide a bit of a boost."

"Alright, go after her. But honey...call if anything else goes down." Rouge and Shadow held out their phones. Tails tapped his bracelet against it, doing the same for Espio and Vector.

"All stored. When I know her condition, I'll call you."

Rouge looked at her phone and nodded. "I'll give Cream your number, too. She might...need someone to talk to. Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'll be there for her, too." Tails gave a quick salute before rising into the sky on his namesakes. He disappeared into the distance a moment later.

"Interested in a late late late cup of joe?" Rouge asked the detectives.

"Heck, I ain't goin' to sleep any time soon. You, Esp?"

"Some rest would be welcome. Is tea available?"

"For you? No worries," the bat said with a wink.

"Much appreciated."

"Let's go, then. And maybe we can exchange notes more...make something out of this mess," Shadow said.

Focusing briefly, he warped everyone away to the apartment.

The first drops of heavy rain then fell onto Station Square.