WARNING: Shadow may appear OOC in first part of chapter. Just so you know…

The Bet

Chapter 10

The rose-pink hedgehog sighed for the thousandth time since Sonic left. She sat next to a very pissed off ebony hedgehog, who hadn't move since, all the while, his hands remained in fist by his sides. She tried massaging his hands out of it, but he started to pull away after her third attempt. Then he'd cross his arms and glare, she'd take them and unfold then, before sighing. Not a word had been uttered and it was really depressing to hear nothing but his simple breaths. Amy had gotten over it (after a usual angry rant), but Shadow had a horrible attitude from earlier events. He wouldn't even look at her! Seeing, he wasn't going to lighten up any time soon, she sighed once more and stood. His graze went to her temporarily, before going back to the blank walls ahead.

"Shadow…" Amy tried.

"…" she received no response, but regular breathing…

"Shadow."

"…" Nothing once more.

"Please answer me…" she pleaded.

"…What…" Shadow finally said.

"Why are you acting like this?" Amy asked. The only answer she received was a shrug, as he leaned back a little bit. All the rose-pink girl could was shake her head.

"Well, when finally decide to drop the attitude, you can come upstairs and sleep. Until then, grumpy little hedgehogs stay down here." she finalized and walked up to her bedroom, leaving the brooding hedgehog by himself.

He began thinking to himself…Shadow recalled being labeled a "wuss" for actually caring for the girl he was willing to throw out into danger just like that! But, what bothered him the most was the blue hedgehog's conversation behind that closed door. "Meet me at the night club off of Starling and Field at ten o'clock tomorrow." He decided to go against, not only the ebony hedgehog's words, but the very one who's being handed off! It sickened him to even know of such a person and finally get comfortable enough to call him his friend. I never really liked him still… Then his mind drifted to the pink girl that was just by his side. When she got up, their eyes met, but from what he saw, he just had to look away. Sadness, most likely directed at him, and just a hint of anger. From earlier or not, it was there. So, after getting his thoughts together, he sighed and got up. Feeling it was too late to go home now, he wanted to take up Amy's offer. Trudging up the stairs, and opening the door, he found the girl bundled up in her pink comforter…the one he'd hate to be seen it by anyone other than her…

"Is grumpy hedgehog gone now?" she asked, peeping from under the blanket. He nodded slightly, before looking down. Shadow heard the sound of her moving, but said nothing as he advanced towards the bed. "You aren't going to sleep in your clothes, are you?" Amy asked.

"No…" he said, trying hard to sound sarcastic. So, his jacket slowly went to the floor, his shoes, then his shirt. He sighed again before climbing in next to her and just laid there for a second. Amy went to scoot over next to him, but he beat her to it by grabbing her gently and placing her right under him. All was quiet except for the soft breathing of both, then Shadow burying his face in Amy's quills. "I'm sorry for ignoring you…"

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"I know you were trying to get loosen up, but I pissed off and didn't feel like being bothered." he explained.

"It's fine…I've had my rant, but that grudge thing is gonna get you trouble…" Amy scolded.

"Sure, mom…" he joked sarcastically. The rose girl simply moved her arm back in an attempt to elbow his arm, but pretty much ended up hurting herself. He rolled his eyes, and went back to her quills. He loved her smell of vanilla and berries, but would never admit it.

"…Are you going do anything to Sonic?" Amy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Kick his ass for getting us involved in this, then do again, just because he needs it." he responded, causing her to giggle. It was like music to his ears…

"Oh, I just remembered! You never answered my question yesterday. Do you enjoy chocolate and ice cream as much as I do?"

"I swear, you bring up the wrong things at the wrong time…" Shadow said, shaking his head. Amy just shrugged.

"It's my thing."

9:32 a.m.

The next morning came, as Amy eyes fluttered open. When she awake enough to notice her sunbathed surroundings, she realized an empty spot behind her and flipped over to confirm. Peering over the side of the bed, she found Shadow's shoes and jacket, but his shirt was gone. She figured he was downstairs watching TV or something, but her suspicious were proven wrong when walked trough the door.

"Morning, Rose." Shadow said…a little too cheerfully. Amy raised a questioning eyebrow at this and he saw. "What?"

"You're in…a good mood…" she said, quietly.

"Is there something wrong with that?" he asked.

"No, it's just…uncommon." the girl spoke. The ebony hedgehog couldn't help but roll his eyes. Suddenly, the doorbell rung. They looked at each other; Amy just woke up, and Shadow hadn't called anybody (or knew he was here for the fact), so who was it?

"I'll answer it…" Amy said, jumping out of bed. She found her flip-flops under the bed and went downstairs. Fixing her shirt, shorts, and hair, Amy finally open the door, revealing the smiling face of Sonic the Hedgehog. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "You got a lot of nerve showing your face around here…" she warned.

"Well, I know what happened last night was inexcusable, but that doesn't mean I can't check up on you, right?" he asked, smiling.

"Actually it does." she responded.

"And why does it?"

"Let's review, you try to make a deal with this psychotic bastard not knowing his real intentions for me, you insulted my boyfriend, tried to blame him for caring about me, and then you actually felt it was necessary to show your face to me after all you did. Now tell me, if I were the one that did that to you, how would feel afterwards?" Amy said, crossing her arms.

"Well, for one thing, I don't have a boyfriend and yours is looking at me very intensely…" Sonic said.

"He has the right to do so. That happens when you see the person who did said events." the girl sneered. The ebony hedgehog behind crossed his arms as well, matching her posture perfectly and all the blur could do was stand there.

"What if I took you shopping?" And once again, the door was slammed in his face. "Okay, then. This will be harder than I thought…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"I need to tell you something." Shadow said.

"If it's about how much Sonic is stupid, I know." Amy responded.

"No, it's about last night. After you slammed the door, I heard him calling someone. I assume he went ahead and agreed to Scourge's terms and plans to meet him tonight. 'Shopping' is more than likely a decoy just to get you away from me." he said.

"…Okay, what are we going to do about it?"

"This is your big plan?" Amy asked spitefully.

"If we do this, you have to look the part…" Shadow explained.

Amy could only huff as she crossed her arms, for more than one reason. She stood in front of the ebony hedgehog wearing a very skimpy outfit, a tube top that came back and tied behind her neck, a jean mini skirt, and worst of all…fish-net stockings…and Rouge was in the bathroom changing into a similar outfit. The ivory bat was only coming for reinforcements since Shadow wouldn't be able to go with them, but she hated the fact that she was going to walk into a night club full of nasty bastards trying to grab at her!

"But what inspired this?" Rouge asked.

"Sonic told Scourge to meet him in a night club. So, to blend in, you'd have to dress as if you were there for your own reasons. Not to sabotage someone." Shadow said.

"…Wait. Who's doing the sabotaging? You're staying here and Rouge is my lookout…" Amy trailed off.

"I'll be there with Tails…" he said.

"Always discreet, aren't you Shadow?" Rouge commented. He only shrugged. "Well, I'm ready when you are. It's been a while since I went clubbin'!" Rouge said, winking at her reflection in the mirror.

"Let's get this over with…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Hmm…A night club called 'The Nightmare' doesn't look too promising…" Rouge said, looking at the old building. "Are you sure we're at the right club of off the right Starling Avenue and Field Street?" she asked, looking at Amy.

"This is the place Tails said would be here. He looked it up on Google Map, and The Nightmare came up. There isn't another Starling Avenue and Field street for another 300 miles and they don't intersect. So…this is the place…" Amy said.

"Well, what are we waiting for? I've been craving a drink all month!" Rouge stated excitedly. Amy shook her head, getting out and following the ivory bat.

It's even worse than I thought…

The Nightmare lived up to it's name. The inside had pitch black walls as blood red laser lights flashed endlessly with the beat of the ear-deafening rock music. Men and women littered the dance floor, grinding on each other in sync as others drunk their lives away at the many tables surrounded the crowd. The air stunk of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and possibly even sex… All of which, proved how right Rouge's earlier statement was.

"Of all the places on Mobius, and Sonic had to pick the most fucked up place he could think of. What the hell goes on in that mind of his…?" Rouge shouted over the music.

"Huh…still craving that drink?" Amy teased. By the look on Rouge's face, if the girl saw the wrong scene at the wrong time, she'd puke.

"It's a 'nightmare' alright…" was all the ivory bat could say. Just a second later, Amy's phone buzzed in her skirt pocket. Taking it out, it showed a call from Shadow. Looking around, she found a safe corner with Rouge and answered it.

"Uh, not the best time…"

"Yeah, I hear the music…Look, Sonic just text me asking where you were and I told him you were at the club, so try to stay hidden when he gets there."

"Why tell him, then hide?"

"He'll think I set him up and find Rouge. Then Scourge shows up and she'll distract them while you try and find Scourge's car before he notices you're not there."

"And if I get caught?"

"You're the one with the heels, Rose. I'm sure you'll think of something…"

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Sooo funny. I'll think of that the next time you try make a move."

"…You're not that crazy."

"Tootles!"

"You know, I never would have thought you two would've ended up together." Rouge said.

"Technically, we aren't. I haven't been properly asked and yet still kissed the guy, so blame him." Amy clarified. The sly smirk on her face said she thought otherwise, but said nothing. "Whatever. We need to figure what we're going to do until Sonic and Scourge get here, and please tell me staying here is not an option."

"Believe me, I don't want to be in here either." the bat said, eyeing another person looking their way.

XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxxX

"There's Rouge car…" Sonic said to himself. The green hedgehog beside him snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Remember who we're here for, Blue. And remember who you got details from…" Scourge sneered.

"Shadow wouldn't do that. I'm sure he finally came to his senses and realized that it what's best. Amy probably doesn't even know."

"So, if she's here, why is Rouge getting out by herself?" Looking over in that direction, the ivory bat shut her car door, but there was no pink hedgehog to be seen. She sauntered up to the entrance and went in without a problem and still no Amy.

"Uhh…maybe, she took the…bus…?" Sonic tried. He was answered by a death glare that reminded him faintly of Shadow's.

"Where is she?" Scourge scowled.

"Maybe Rouge knows!" Sonic blurted out nervously. He gestured his hands towards the building and kept waving his hands in effort to encourage the act of following her in.

"Fine…"

"Good, let's go!" the blue one exclaimed. They unbuckled their seatbelts and walked right past Rouge's car and up to the building's entrance. From the car, Amy watched as they disappeared behind the double doors waiting a good minute before she moved. First thing she did was called Shadow back.

"Yes, Rose?"

"Major problem here! They came in Sonics' car, not Scourge's!"

"…Shit."

"Uh, yeah. I'm stuck in this hot car waiting for an answer, Boy Wonder, and I need it now."

"See what you can find in Sonics' car. He might've left that stupid flyer in there."

"And if it's not…?"

"Then come home. You haven't looked so, you don't know."

"Ugh, fine. You so owe me for this."

"No I won't."

Amy went to say something back, but the clicked from the other end proved it'd have to wait until next time. That unbelievable jackass… Sighing in frustration, she checked the door once more. Seeing no one, she left the car and ran over to Sonics' dark blue Lexus. Amy pulled on the door handle and it opened with ease.

"In a neighborhood like this, who leaves their car unlocked?" she asked herself. Shaking away the thought, she began searching the car looking for this 'Best Chilidog Makers Club' flyer. The glove compartment was empty, and the sun visors had nothing… so where was it? Suddenly getting an idea, she looked under the driver's seat and found a yellow piece of paper. On it, was what she was looking for. "Mission accomplished!" she said triumphantly.

"Well, fellows, I got to go. Amy never came with me, so…" Rouge said.

"But you know where she is." a voice demanded.

"No, I don't, now leave me alone. Good day!" the ivory shouted. She looked over at the entrance and found Rouge heading towards her car. Carefully, closing the car door, Amy snuck her way towards Rouge. She jumped in the back seat just as she sat down. "Did you get it?"

"Uh, yeah!" Amy exclaimed.

"Sweet, now let's get out of here. I don't want to stick here any longer." And so, Rouge started up the car and drove off.

And thus ends another chapter. I would have kept going but it would've been too many words and I didn't want to put too much in one chapter. Hope you enjoyed and look out for the next one. Until then… -D.A.K