A/N: New Chapter! Enjoy. Sorry it's so short. I really hope the story is ok and that I'm not disappointing my fans. I know it's not my usual style. ^^;
Chapter 10
Rouge stood in a room, that to her, looked like an office of sorts. She recognized the man sitting behind a large metal desk. He was the same old man from when she and the others had first arrived. All had referred to him as the Furor. He must be the leader of this organization, Rouge thought at last. She had been sitting close by, but the conversation with the man was taken up by Shadow, Knuckles, and Sonic. Her bat hearing was good, but it was as if they spoke in a way that kept her from hearing. She could only pick up a word or two. She heard "Brother", and "Tails," she could only take away that most of the conversation was about the fourth brother of the brotherhood. She wanted to lean closer and hear all that was said when suddenly the door to the room was pushed opened and someone came in quickly. "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's something urgent occurring downstairs." The male delivering the news seemed to have an urgent look on his face.
"What is it?" The older man asked looking irritated. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it could have waited."
"Sir, it's the other outsider." He said still sounding slightly frantic. "And Laya sir. They are fighting."
Shadow's ears twitched as he turned quickly, "Amy," He ran to the door pushing the messenger aside and running off down the hall.
Knuckles and Sonic looked at each other and then began quickly running to the door as well. Rouge instinctively followed them. Knuckles had her at his side and was glad that she need no invitation to know when to follow. "Knuckles, what's wrong? What's happening to Amy?"
"Something I was afraid of." Knuckles said looking at her for a moment.
The gym was full of people that had heard the sound of Amy slamming against the wall and wanted to see what was happening. Laya was angrily approaching Amy, who was slumped down against the wall an agonizing look on her face as she faced Laya through one eye the other squint shut. "As I said, you do not deserve to wear the diamond. " She picked up Amy by the collar of her shirt holding her higher. "Take it off, leave this place, and never come back." Laya said with a strange anger in her eyes.
Amy seemed almost limp as she was held up off her feet by Laya, but in spite of the pain she looked down into Laya's face and growled. "I don't take orders from the likes of you."
Laya's eyes grew wide as she looked at Amy, but not because of her words but because of her eyes, they were glowing. "What kind of trick is this?" Laya questioned bitterly.
"Get your hands off me." Amy growled and her left hand lifted up and squeezed Laya's wrist so tightly that Laya cried out in pain and dropped her. Amy landed on her feet.
Laya growled holding her wrist. "So you have some fight in you after all."
Amy clinched her fists together. "More than you realized obviously." She stepped back. "Come at me if you want. I'm not afraid of you and I never will be." Amy felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somehow she knew what to do when Laya came at her. In one move Amy went to her knee and with her shoulder forced herself upward into Laya's legs and raised up again to her feet causing Laya to fly into the hair and flip on to her back. Amy didn't know where the ability came from, but she was glad for it. She wanted more too. She wanted to fight Laya. she wanted to fight, to fight and win. She turned to her angry opponent. "Looks like you're the one who doesn't deserve the diamond."
"Impudent brat." Laya turned to her whipping away a stream of blood from her mouth. She ran at Amy again this time she landed a blow to Amy's leg, although Amy had avoid the bulk of the attack. Laya turned once more seeing Amy clasp her injured leg. "Don't think your invincible. A few fighting moves does not a warrior make."
At that moment Shadow burst through the doors followed by the others. He pushed his way through crowd Knuckles was at his side now. "Shadow look over there." Knuckles pointed to the center of the crowd. They pushed their way through and when they had gotten close enough to see what was happening Rouge gasped. Shadow's eyes widened. "How could that be?" Shadow had been sure that Amy would be the one in trouble but it was not so.
Laya had lunged at Amy again this time Amy jumped over her and landed behind Laya. It happened so fast that Laya didn't even see it. Amy was moving with Shadow's speed as she wrapped her arm around Laya in a choke hold. "It looks like you're not invincible either."
Shadow looked at Amy, he saw her eyes. "What's wrong with her...?" He looked at Knuckles. "She's not herself. What's happening to her?"
Knuckles looked at Amy before looking back to Shadow. "Notice anything? Her eyes aren't the only thing glowing." He motioned for Shadow to look again.
Shadow looked at Amy once more and saw that Knuckles was correct. The golden bracelets around Amy's wrist were shining with the same intense glow as her eyes. "The bracelets? Are they causing this?" Shadow questioned.
Shadow never received and answer as Rouge busted into the conversation. "Knuckles she's going to kill her if we don't do something."
It was in a heartbeat that Shadow moved and was by Amy's side his arm extended in a protective stance. Amy had not been his target. Instead he had deflected a direct attack from Atlas who was attempting to engage Amy. He turned to Amy, fighting viciously to keep Atlas at bay. "Amy!" he was close to her and his voice was raised but not loud. "Stop! Stop it, you're killing her!" He begged. Shadow's words seem to pierce through her furriery. Her eyes lost their glow as did the bracelets. Her grip loosened and Laya slid to the floor. Atlas pushed past a now submissive Shadow, and held Laya in his arms. Amy's body suddenly returned to the weak state it had been in before her new found strength had arisen. She began to fall, but Shadow stepped forward and let her lean back against him. "It's okay now." He whispered. "You don't have to fight anymore." He picked her up in his arms. The crowd parted as he walked toward the doors. He looked at Amy and leaned in very closely so only she could hear him. "I'll protect you now."