As soon as Knuckles was outside the building in the open air, he pummelled his fist into a nearby trash can, causing it to shoot to the back of the alley, clatter and alarm an alley cat. Unknown to him, he was being watched.

"What a cheap little..." he muttered angrily. Then he took a deep breath and composed himself.

"Trouble with the ex-girlfriend?" said a nearby voice.

"Oh-ho, you betcha," said Knuckles. Then he stopped. Slowly, he drew himself up to a very bitter conclusion. "...Sally?"

He turned around. The squirrel in her fur coat leaned against the entrance to the bar, smoking a cigarette. Her appearance was such a surprise. She was hidden fully in the shadows like a gangster from a corny old crime thriller and yet close enough to have heard the excitable conversation from just inside the building. Her presence in general was disconcerting to even Knuckles.

"Evening, Knuckles," she said.

Knuckles cleared his throat and pretended not to be overly interested in her. "Evening, Princess."

Sally blew out a lungful of smoke. "You know I can't stand formality. Call me Sally." Knuckles cleared his throat again out of nerves. "Where'd Cream and the hedgehog go?"

"Uh..." said Knuckles. "To the hospital."

The squirrel smoked her cigarette contemplatively. "I see."

There was something unnatural about the way she said that. Knuckles felt it was just too calm.

"What do you want, Sally?"

The princess stamped out her cigarette and came closer. "I'm glad you're here, Knuckles. I needed to talk to you."

"Well, make it quick," he said.

Sally, however, was willing to play with him a little. She paced, drawing out some drama. Eventually, she spoke.

"How serious would you say the relationship is between Tails and the rabbit?"

Knuckles shifted uncomfortably. "Very serious, I'd say. Why?"

"Oh," said the princess. "Shame."

Knuckles eyed her. "Why 'shame'?"

Sally sighed. "Shame because he's so besotted. Shame because he chose one so young and...fickle."

"Sally, I'm not here to play games," Knuckles growled. "Will you just tell me what's going on?"

"I'm telling you that you should probably go back in there and tell your little fox friend that he shouldn't introduce his girlfriends to famous, good-looking hedgehogs if he knows what's good for him."

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles demanded.

Sally's azure eyes pierced Knuckles'. "I wouldn't put it past Sonic, of course. But Cream? Now there's a surprise. Who'd've thought one so innocent could be such a player?"

"What the hell does that mean?" demanded Knuckles.

"I mean..." said the squirrel. "I just saw them both head towards the car, almost copulating already. Gotta say, it kind of grossed me out to see that manwhore of a hedgehog stick his tongue down her throat like that, but not half as much as her accepting it. I guess they have a lot to finish. Why else would Sonic and Cream be so eager to get away from everyone?"

"Are you suggesting...?" said Knuckles. "You're lying. I don't believe you."

"Okay then, don't," said Sally, flatly.

"If you seriously think that Sonic and Cream are about to stab Tails and Mina in the back, think again, princess!" He turned sharply on his heel to leave her, but then turned back. "For your information, they've just got a call from Silver at the hospital and they're going to see him and Blaze. Not that it's any of your business, but I thought you'd like to clear up some of your flawed accusations."

"Really?" said Sally. "Did you witness that call?"

"No, but so what?"

"How, then, do you know?" Knuckles paused. "She fabricated the entire thing, Knuckles. Silver's not at the hospital and she and Sonic are not on their way there right now. They're probably on their way to seventh heaven in the backseat right now."

Knuckles squared up to the princess.

"How dare you!" he said. "How dare you call my friends liars!"

"Friends?" The squirrel laughed a cold laugh. It was like a jangle of razors. "I thought the guardian of the Master Emerald didn't have friends. Let alone friends who are honest and loyal to each other as much as they are to you." She paused, sending another icy stare into Knuckles' eyes. "Like I said, I wouldn't put it past Sonic. Would you?" Knuckles hesitated. "Let's be honest. Sonic doesn't have the best track record. He got together with the mongoose while we were technically still together. He's marrying her now – what a way to rain on his bachelor parade. You know what I mean? Do you get what I'm trying to get through to you?"

"Sonic...wouldn't do that..." Knuckles said slowly. "He loves Mina."

"She's gonna take away his freedom and his boozy nights out with fangirls. Do you think he'd really want that? Him – the egomaniacal hedgehog?" Knuckles was silent. "Hmmm, I thought not. Now, let's look at Cream. Granted, she's a sweet, innocent girl. But what is she? Twelve? Tails is really putting all his cookies in the Girl Scout basket there. Girls her age want to get around. Does she really want Tails to be her first and last? Now, I usually wouldn't think such a thing about a girl like Cream, but when a blue, famous, charming hedgehog is involved..." she raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't put it past anyone. What do you say, Knuckles?"

Knuckles paused, searching desperately for something to say. Finally, he played his last card, putting a bitter emphasis on every word. However much he considered Sonic his rival, he was not about to let his prejudice ruin how he thought of Sonic and Mina's relationship.

"Sonic's marrying Mina. He loves her – I know that for sure. There's no way he would do that to her."

"No way at all? Do you think he'd pass up an opportunity to break into fresh virgin meat like Cream there? It could be his last chance."

Knuckles stared at her. She stared back, a sweet, disconcerting smile creeping up her face. Then she walked past him, said "Ciao" and walked away into the night.

Knuckles stood, alone and confused. No way. There was no way...Cream wouldn't do that. She was far too innocent, too clean almost. He always figured she was saving herself for marriage – that even three years with Tails hadn't prised her out of her chastity.

But could that be a reason for going off with Sonic?

"No," Knuckles reasoned with himself. "Sally is not to be trusted."

He leant against the wall and thought for a long time. All his life he had fallen into the trap of the enemy. He had let them manipulate him and twist him into working for him without him even knowing, blind to their intentions. He was sick of the humiliation, the disgust and the wretched feeling of guilt he carried when it became apparent he had been cheated, used and most of all, wrong. Knuckles was a proud echidna – he admitted it himself, he was proud – and he wasn't about to let his pride be shattered anymore. He wouldn't believe her. Cream cheating on Tails? Never. Sonic cheating on his fiancée, Mina? No. Well, maybe. Sonic and Cream together? Was it possible?

A brawl behind him broke his train of thought. A tiger and a hawk were being kicked out of the club. Seizing his senses together, Knuckles took out his phone and dialled Sonic's number. It rang once. Twice. Three times.

"Yo," said Sonic.

"Hey," said Knuckles, pressing the record button on the side of his phone. "What's going on?"

A metallic blue convertible swung around the street corners, its destination set. Cream sat in the passenger seat, her anxious brown eyes glued to the road.

"I'm so worried for her," she gasped. "I hope it isn't serious."

"It's probably a false alarm," said Sonic. "I've heard stuff like that can happen."

"I hope so," said Cream. Then suddenly, Sonic's phone began to ring. "Cream, could you get that for me?"

"Right," said the rabbit, fishing the phone out from the glove compartment. She was just about to answer it herself when Sonic grabbed it from her.

"Sonic," she protested. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Maybe, but I'm willing to risk it," he said, his eyes flicking between the road and the caller ID.

"Sonic, don't do that," Cream warned. "Let me have it."

"Knuckles?" he pondered.

"Give the phone to me," said Cream.

Sonic opened it and brought it to his ear. "Yo."

"Hey," came Knuckles' gruff voice from the other end. "What's going on?"

"I'm driving," answered Sonic.

"Really? Then why'd you answer your phone?"

"Sonic!" said Cream, trying to get him to give up the phone. "Give it to me!"

"I'm a bad hedgehog," said Sonic.

"Give it to me!" Cream repeated firmly. Then in a lower voice, she added. "We've got to get to the hospital. Quickly."

"Knuckles, I gotta go," said Sonic.

"Do you want me to catch up with you?" asked Knuckles.

"Faster, Sonic, faster!" cried Cream.

"No! No, no, no," Sonic said quickly. "No, don't catch up to us. We're, uh, we're okay." Suddenly, a tunnel came up in sight. "Uh-oh! I'm goin' in—"

"Sonic?" Knuckles called, but suddenly, the signal began cutting in and out repeatedly.

"Oh, fuck!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Sonic!" Cream scolded.

"Sorry, Cream, this tunnel has decided to show up and screw me hard!"

"Sonic, faster! Blaze's baby is on the way!" Cream cried out. "Take this turning! Right here!"

"Here?"

"Yes!"

"Okay!"

Sonic basically shut his phone, threw it into the back and took a sharp left. Both he and Cream were crushed against the side of the car.

"Jesus!" Sonic growled as they arrived at the hospital. Both he and Cream got out.

"Come on!" Cream ordered, heading to the main entrance.

"Right behind ya!" said Sonic, locking the door and speeding off.

"I'm a bad hedgehog..."

*Give it to me!*

"Knuckles, I gotta go."

"Do you want me to catch up with you?"

*Faster, Sonic—*

"No! No, no—"

*Faster!*

"No, no don't catch up to us! We're, uh, we're okay...Uh-oh! I'm goin' in—"

"Sonic?"

...

*Fuck! Sonic!—ream—ow up and screw me hard—faster—baby—right here! Here? Yes! Oh!*

...

Back at the bar, Knuckles pressed stop on his phone and the men's room was filled with silence. Tails stood, mouth open and eyes harrowed with shock and disbelief. There was a long pause.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," said Tails, staggering. He gagged and held a fist to his mouth. "I feel so sick."

"I'm sorry, Tails," said Knuckles. "Truly, I am. But I thought you had every right to know."

Tails turned away. Knuckles couldn't tell if he was trying to suppress a fit of vomiting or a burst of emotion.

"No effing way," he uttered. "It's not..." He took a few deep breaths and turned back to Knuckles, a hard, steely look in his eye. "It's not possible," he said.

"Really? You wanna hear the tape again?" Knuckles snapped.

Tails swung an off-target fist at Knuckles, who instantly grabbed it and crushed it in his powerful grip. Tails let out a strained yelp of pain and came to his knees. Then softly, he began to cry. Knuckles retained his firm, solemn composure, letting the now broken-hearted fox purify his system with lovesick tears.

"I thought you were kidding," Tails wept. "I really...I really hoped..."

He was cut off by a high tide of tears. He cried some more. Knuckles let go of Tails' hand which he used to cover his face. It was a sorry sight. Tails, at twenty, on his knees and sobbing in the middle of a public restroom, having had too much to drink and news that his best friend, his true love, who always stood beside him, whom he put all his faith and trust into, was going behind his back.

With his best friend, Sonic.

With his best friend, Sonic – how that phrase rang inside his head, mocking him, scorning him, idly plucking out every screaming fibre of his being. It tortured him.

"How could she?" Tails cried out. "How could they both...?" It was too heavy a statement for him to finish. "No, Cream...no, baby..." He battled with the thought, clutching his head as if it were in excruciating pain.

"What happens now is up to you, Tails," said Knuckles.

It took a while for Tails to pull himself together. Alcohol had made sure of that. But after a good while of grieving, he pulled himself upright, still clutching his head, and washed his face in the sink. The cold water seeped through his fur, revitalising him. He then proceeded to drink right out of the faucet – drunkenness had deprived him of a healthy level of hydration. Then he took a few deep breaths and calmed himself. He faced his haggard reflection in the mirror.

It couldn't be true, could it?

"I gotta find her," he said finally. "I need to know why."

Instantly, the pair of them, intoxicated with both drink and anger, made their way out of the bar and headed by foot towards the hospital.