BEGIN CHAPTER SEVEN

Nighty-Night…Nitas Breaks Out

"Mwuahahahahahahaha! You pathetic hedgehog…I warned you to stay away from them, but now they will perish!" He cackled. I took deep breaths as I tried to gain back my energy secretly. "I know the location so I won't have a hard time finding them thanks to you!" He said proudly. He turned around and took off into the air. I stood up once he was out of sight and looked at the box with the symbols "Hmm…" I opened the box again and as I was staring at the pictures, I noticed a small slit in the felt. I opened it and pulled out the picture. I saw me using all my abilities in a battle that seemed pretty important. All at once memories came rushing back to me again. Memories: Big Kid: "Look at you…you're a wimp, a freak, you might as well just crawl under a rock and stay there! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" he said pushing me. I found my footing again. "Knock it off!" he and his buddies laughed at me. I balled my fist and hit him square in the jaw. Frankie immediately bounced back pushing me back again "I said stop!" I gained my footing once more. "SHUT UP!" he bellowed, and pushed me again, making me fall. I opened my eyes only to see Frankie's fist coming down…again.

Me in the woods: (Crack…) I turned around, and turned back once I made my statement. "You here to make fun of me too? Or do you just wanna beat me up?" I asked coldly. "Look kid I was just making sure you were-"

"Save it…" I said cutting him off. I stood up, not looking back. "You have no idea…what it's like, what I'm capable of…" I said "Look, I just wanna-*Woosh" I didn't let him finish. He took off and glided up to me, right above the ground. "I guess you don't get it. Let me show you…" I said as we were whizzing past the field. Gaining speed, a spark flared in front of my nose before I burst into flames. I then took off into the sky. "Whoa!" the stranger backed up. "O-o-okay…kinda wierd" he said landing. Me in a back alley: "getting' kinda' cold here, I better heat up." As I did so I heard a few screams and shouts in the street. I jumped onto a trashcan, and ran up the side of a building to see the situation better. I noticed a red hedgehog being forced around by a bunch of other bigger hounds.

"I want to help but I don't think I can…" I winced watching them push her around like a rag doll.

"…Do something…"

I heard a voice inside my head…I knew who it was but I couldn't obey, I just stood there, feeling the of failure overpower me. I shut my eyes tight. Memories came back of the all the fights I was involved with in my past. "Ooog, I don't-". My knees began to buckle and I felt the crushing force of gravity come at me even heavier than before. I fell…my other knee was about to give in…I fell again. I kept hearing the voice, "Why won't you just shut up?"

"…Go on, you know it's the right thing to do…"

"I want to, but I'm not sure I have that kind of power yet…"

"Don't worry, I'll help you…"

"Are you sur-" I heard her scream. I shot up and shouted for them to stop and jumped down to the scene in one instant. The hounds rushed me instantly; putting up a fight I sought to send them running. I didn't know what it was that made me so compelled to defend her, maybe I felt that it was the right thing to do, but that was not as important as the immediate problem. It didn't take long before I snapped, I felt weird inside, like tingling with energy, all at once…it exploded like a star.

"RRRRaaaaaaggggghhhh! Eeeeenough!" A big blast of fire was heard and the bullies were thrust upon their backs. I erupted with flames and I had rock fists with rock tips on my quills and ice arms and energy legs, my eyes were blood red and the whites had turned gray. I slowly floated over to the main boy, a hound like the rest, grabbed him by the collar of his fur, and pulled him up to my face, so close that the fire licked his face, making him feel immense heat overtake him. "Now you listen to me and listen to me good: If you ever lay one finger on her ever again, or so much as even look at her funny, you'll spend the rest of your life eatin' with your ass through a tube."

I could have said more, but I figured that was enough. I tossed him back, extinguished the flames and began to walk away. The bullies scrambled to their feet and ran the other direction. The red-headed girl scrambled to her feet, "WAIT!" I stopped. "I just wanted to say thanks… for saving me. My name is Scarlet." I turned, "Anytime. Scarlet is a beautiful name." She blushed slightly.Heading the other way Icontinued walking. "Wait!" she directed. "Where will you go?" I stopped and thought, "To Station Square Law Enforcement…" I concluded. Walking off, I felt satisfied with my deed. Scarlet appeared confused, "Why?"

"I'm starting to get stomach cramps."

My heart grew a shield of pure ice and fire. My mind formed a shell of stone.

The sun began to set ahead, twilight turned to darkness, "What's your name? You didn't say." I kept walking, "My name? Rage. Rage The Hedgehog. And I am the protector of this city…If you ever need me, I'm not that difficult to find…" A pang of fear passed through him, perhaps it was for her safety, maybe his own, whichever one, he felt obliged to watch over her, no matter what. I left with a running start then flew away, leaving a blazing trail in the center of the cracked and corroded street. Where it ended, a track of ashes began to fall, leaving the smell of smoke hanging lightly in the air.

END CHAPTER SEVEN