I do not own any Sonic characters.

Chapter 9

Sonic growled as he watched Eggman's face disappear from the screen. He turned to see Tails standing at the door looking at him with a worried, yet calm, expression. Sonic shook his head "I don't know what to do."

Tails shrugged "There is nothing you can do. Unless prison sounds nice for you."

"I'm reeeaaaaaally regretting that I don't have my licenses."

Tails the replied simply "Maybe after Eggman's attack they'll want you back."

Sonic looked at Tails as if he was watching a stupid show. Tails smiled nervously "I doubt they'll do that."

"Anything is possible."

There was a sudden knock at the door. Sonic dashed down and opened it to reveal Shadow and Knuckles. "Just to let you know, I was here first before this guy." Shadow pointed at Knuckles.

Knuckles rolled his eyes "Like it matters."

Sonic raised a brow "What are you guys doing here?"

The two walked in and Sonic spotted a certain person he thought he wouldn't see anytime soon "Silver?"

The grey hedgehog stepped forward and made a slight bow "Hello Sonic. Feeling better?"

"Not really… Eggman's back though."

Silver nodded "And there's not a thing you can do about it."

"NOT TRUE!" Tails yelled from inside the house.

Silver shrugged" May I come in?"

Sonic smiled as he stepped to the side and the future hedgehog stepped in "Haven't been in here for a very long time…. Still looks clean though."

Tails walked around the corner "Because I keep it that way, now come on, I made a quick lunch."

Silver smiled and dashed into the kitchen. Sonic walked up to his two-tailed friend "Before you ask. Yes, I know this means Silver came here for a reason."

The fox only nodded and walked in to the kitchen. Sonic could smell the barbeque ribs Tails made "You made that just now?"

"I'm a fast cook. Now, Silver. Why are you here?"

Everyone turned to the gray hedgehog who stuck a finger in his mouth sucking on the barbeque, but paused when he noticed all the looks. He pulled out his finger and sighed "This vigilante, The Hunter, makes a bigger name than you think. People start to get… obsessed with him. They try to dress like him and act like him. The major problem is… One of the biggest obsessor's appearances happens today at the shooting."

"The one The Hunter stopped."

Silver crossed his arms and legs "Which one?"

"Huh?"

"There was two there. Come on Sonic. You met the guy. Does he seriously sound like that?"

Sonic's eyes went wide "The person who went peek a boo was not the original Hunter."

"Yes. In fact, this is the same man who keeps following you."

"WHAT!... so the Hunter didn't make that up?"

"… He knows?"

"He told me someone was following me and ran off after him."

"Yah, well he didn't catch him. That means?"

Tails piped in "This new Hunter is just as good as the original."

Silver pointed at the fox "Correct. It gets only worst from here."

"How?"

"I'm forbidden from telling more."

"What do you mean forbidden. You told us more before."

Silver chuckled at Sonic "They made this my job now Sonic. It's now illegal for me to tell you." The hedgehog's face then grew serious "But I can tell you this. It gets very serious. Very, very serious. Blood baths as you will say."

Sonic pointed at the TV Tails had in the kitchen "Is Eggman connected."

"There is a rumor that he is, but no physical evidence."

Shadow looked as if he was going to fall asleep "Why did you tell us to meet Sonic, Silver."

"To have a discussion. One: Tails, Shadow, Sonic, and Knuckles, you guys are primary suspects and no one else can be."

"What? But he's as big as a human."

"No he's not. He's wearing a robotic suit."

"That explains either his speed and strength." Tails smiled.

"Yah… wrong type of suit." Tails looked perplexed "This suit doesn't do anything to increase or decrease his skills. He's just as fast, just as strong as he is in that suit. It was only intended to confuse the police so he could last longer without being found out quickly."

Knuckles pounded the table "Is he a robot. Eggman's?"

"I can answer that… I don't know."

"HOW? YOU'RE FROM THE FUTURE!"

"HE WAS NEVER CUAGHT!"

Sonic and the group looked stunned and Silver lowered his eyes lids looking tired and suspicious "… No one found out who he was. I was sent back to change that. I told you guys because you have to accept that whoever the Hunter is, he is in this room."

Everyone looked at each other and Silver continued "Telling the Hunter this would change his outlook. His actions. May actually make him cockier, but I will still help with this investigation. He is going to strike tonight and all of you will have to be under surveillance… except Sonic." Sonic raised a brow "You're later proven innocent so no attempt will be on you. Tails, Shadow, and Knuckles. Wear these."

Silver pulled out round metal buttons with a red dot in the middle "This is a bug with a tracking device. Where you go, this goes. No choice."

Tails strapped it on and looked at Shadow and Knuckles who were confused "Okay… Tails. How'd you get that thing on?"

"It's like glue. Just attach it to your fur and then it won't come off."

Tails looked at Silver "Right?"

Silver nodded. Sonic looked at his friends "Is this normal?"

The gray hedgehog raised a brow "Explain?"

"I mean, is this normal procedure? You have to do this?"

"It's required in the future, yes. I have a special computer that links up to those things and beeps when something seems off. I expect Shadow's to beep every five minutes."

Shadow jumped up "Excuse me?"

Silver only smiled took one more bite of ribs, lifted himself up, and flew out. Knuckles sat back and sighed "I just had my time wasted. I could have been guarding the Master Emerald."

"When do you ever guard that thing?" Shadow looked at the echidna.

"Not all the time, but frequent." Knuckles then jumped up "HEY! DON'T TELL ME YOU THINK I'M THIS KILLER!"

"Well it fits. You're never seen when he is. In fact, this is the first time I've seen you since I brought Tails in for questioning."

"Sure. BUT THE SAME GOES FOR YOU TOO SHADOW! The Hunter's attacks have been more frequent since you were put on suspension from the force and you have never been seen for the longest of time."

Tails stepped in between the two and yelled "SHUT UP!... Look. It's obvious that proving the other is guilty of this is difficult, but it's separating us. Don't be too quick to judge. Let's look at me for a while. I was lost for a month, I had increased speed, I seem to have gotten more violent, I can fight Knuckles better than before, and I have actually killed someone. So me… primary suspect. Let's put this on the board."

Tails spun his namesakes and boomed into his living room to flip up a board. He wrote four things on thin yellow paper and pinned it up. He then did the same with other paper. It read:

The Hunter: Skillful – Fast – Strong – Stealthy – Violent – Chaos Powers – Weapon Knowledge

Tails: Skillful – Fast – Stealthy – Chaos Powers

Shadow: Fast – Stealthy – Violent – Chaos Powers – Weapon Knowledge

Knuckles: Skillful – Strong – Violent – Chaos Powers

The room went quiet as Tails put up the last paper. The fox turned around "It's weird, but it looks as if Hunter has all of our abilities combined. This leaves us if a few possibilities. Each of us will write something and show the rest when everyone else is done."

Shadow walked up wrote something down and stepped back, then Knuckles, Sonic, and then Tails.

Shadow put his down on the table reading: Person We Never Met Before

Knuckles revealed his: One of us

Sonic threw his down: Unknown being (Alien)

After slapping himself at Sonic's Tails showed his: Robot. Eggman's creation or not

"As we can see. There are four possibilities. Sonic's is a bit farfetched, but we can't leave anything out right now. The Hunter is either an unknown person, one of us, unknown being, or a robot. There may be more, but right now we'll keep it at that."

Shadow grabbed them and pinned them up "This feels like I'm back on the force."

Tails then wrote other things down and pinned up Shadow's, Knuckles', and his name under "Suspects".

Shadow then looks at the fox "What is the point of all this?"

Tails looked back at the hedgehog "To make you guys think wider. You're thinking too narrow. Example. How do you KNOW that Knuckles is the Hunter instead of the vigilante being an unknown person?" The fox looked at Knuckles "How do you KNOW that Shadow is the Hunter instead of the Hunter being a robotic creation?" The echidna and black hedgehog looked down in shame. Tails then looked at Sonic "And how do you know that I'm not the Hunter instead of him being an unknown being."

Sonic looked into the fox's eyes and he thought he caught a glimpse of pain. The golden fox then stated "We also don't want Harvered seeing this board." Tails began pushing the board and it rolled into the wall from where Tails pulled it from "If he does, he'll see all the characteristics we've put up."

Shadow then slapped his forehead with a shocked expression "All of us combined can make the Hunter."

Sonic shook his head trying to understand "Huh?"

Tails pointed to where the board was "All of us could make the Hunter. Think. All three of us could be the Hunter, maybe even two. The reports say that it appears that he is in two places at once. This could be because of agility or maybe because there really is two. The night the Hunter destroyed Jone's car he showed no sign of speed, only strength. Then there's the night he showed great speed by escaping the police. That means it could be more than one of us."

Sonic pulled his hands over his head dragging them. It soothed his head with disbelief. Why is it every day he feels worst and worst for abandoning everyone. Tails walked over to a wall and pushed it. It opened up and seven chaos emeralds appeared. Knuckles and Shadow looked amazed "You have all of them?"

"I was the only one looking beside Eggman. And since the doctor is about to attack once more I thought that I could give some to you guys. Shadow, I know, you want the green one." Tails tossed the green one to the hedgehog. Shadow caught it "Knuckles will have the purple and red one." Knuckles caught those "Sonic will have the two blue ones." Sonic shook his head with a smile "And that leaves me with the white and yellow one."

"Why give us these now?" Knuckles inspected the emeralds.

"Eggman knows I have the seven emeralds. He'll try to get them. I just thought it be a good idea to give you guys the emeralds to protect them."

Sonic ran over and turned on the TV "Speaking of Eggman. Is he attacking right now?"

Once the TV was on the screen popped up and Eggman's ship is seen over the station with dark clouds brewing above it.

Knuckles pounded his fist "I still have my license. Sonic, Tails, Shadow you can go save people. Just don't attack any of the robots."

Sonic dashed off as well as Shadow. Knuckles looked baffled before glimpsing at Tails. The fox sighed "Yes, Knuckles. I'll carry you there."

The City

"OH, HO, HO, HO!" Eggman's voice was heard as his ship crashed into a building sending shards of concrete and glass everywhere. Sonic and Shadow stoppe right under the building and looked up at the doctor's ship.

"Ahh. Sonic and Shadow. How nice to actually see you once more hedgehogs. And… Grrr. I THOUGHT YOU WERE FORBIDEN!"

Tails landed next to his friends with Knuckles "No one said I couldn't save people."

"So knuckles is the only one to fight me… How pathetic. Especially since you're right where I want you."

The ground rumbled and roared under their feet. All four froze, afraid that one slight movement would collapse the ground, but it fell anyways. All four yelled and Eggman crashed into a building again and the pieces fell to cover up the hole trapping the four. Sonic looked around "Shadow?"

No response "Knuckles?" Still silence "TAILS!?" Not even a breath was heard.

But there was a commotion above.

"I HAVE FIANNALY GOT YOUR ATTENTION HUNTER!"

Eggman flew out of his ship with Metal and grinned down at the vigilante who walked out from behind an ally "My attention Eggman? Why do you want my attention?"

"You know why. And I know you know why. Your attitude may have changed, but I can tell it's you. Interesting how the changes never looked so apparent before. I thought you were just a failure. Obviously not."

The Hunter seemed to ignore him as he continued to walk forward. Eggman shrugged "I wish we could have stayed friends. You know. Be good fr-."

"Drop it Egghead. You and I are enemies. I despise you."

Eggman clenched his fists "Well you were suppose to be dead. The mutation I put upon you worked anyways."

"You and your stupid work is all the romance you need."

"METAL ATTAAAAACK!"

The copy of Sonic soared down, but Hunter only had to pull out his axe and swing up. The stroke blasted the robot directly at Eggman, before the doctor could move away they collided. Eggman's pod fell and the robot fell to pieces. The doctor coughed out dirt and looked at his destroyed creation "Apparently I gave you too much power. Errr."

Eggman froze up. The Hunter stood just above him "Your tyranny ends here."

The Hunter raised his axe but it was yanked away. The killer sharply turned to see Silver with the axe "Hi there cupcake. No killing tonight."

The distraction was able to give the doctor time to push a buton on his wrist and the ship above beamed him and Metal up. The ship began to fly away, and as it left over the ocean Hunter pulled out an arrow. It's light speed struck the ship and there was a big explosion as it fell into the water.

Silver was shocked "What the. Where did you get that? I wasn't able to stop that arrow?"

"Trade secret." The Hunter faced Silver "And now you let him ESCAPE!"

Silver flung his arms out "HOW? YOU BLEW UP HIS SHIP!"

"SO HAS SONIC!"

"… Good point. You're still under arrest." Silver raised his hands and pulled.

Hunter felt himself get dragged along the ground, but he raised the bow and struck the ground. Silver was thrown into the air, but caught himself. Hunter leaped at him to get his ace back, but the hedgehog stopped him in midair. For fun Silver dropped him so he could fall. But instead he remained in the air and he crossed his arms to deepen the effect. The Hunter used Silver's shock to his adventage, he flew at him and punched him in the face.

The grey hedgehog was flung into a building and let go of the axe. The cloaked man caught it with his foot and threw it into the air so he could twirl it around with his hands and put it back in its sheath. As Sonic crawled back out his jaw dropped at the sight he was seeing. The Hunter ignored this and pointed at a rock near him "That's where your two tailed friend is."

He then wined back and shot off before anyone else could appear. Sonic then jumped up and bashed the rock, but it didn't seem to wish to corporate. Sonic kept pushing and soon Knuckles and Shadow crawled out. Sonic pointed at the rock "Tails is under this."

The other two ran to help and it budged at their force. The boulder then raised up and they looked to see Silver. Tails laid there looking unconscious and blood trickling down his cheek. Sonic ran at him and shook the down fox.

Tails woke slowly and moaned "Sonic?"

Sonic sighed and hugged his pal "Shortest Eggman fight I've been in to have a near casualty. Eggman got better?"

Tails moaned "A bit."

Silver landed and sighed "You guys. Give back the bugs."

Shadow looked angry "Why did you give them to us?"

"Well that was a mistake. I didn't know that you would be around chaos emeralds. Those things ruin the circuitry."

Tails lowered his ears "That's my fault. I'm sorry. I had all seven and thought Eggman would attack me so I gave them the emeralds. To protect them."

Silver shook his head "Well. You guys still have no alibi and now we have new evidence. Eggman knows the Hunter and he is the cause of this "new power mutant" thing… Hey. Does that remind you of someone Shadow?"

Shadow growled "Shut up."

"And what is this board suppose to be?" All five turned to Harvered with a photo in hand "You didn't think we wouldn't notice your board fox. Comparing you three to the Hunter? Interesting. Never thought about that."

Tails clenched his fist and growled "You're supposed to have a warrant to do that."

Harvered smiled and held up a piece of paper "Oh. You mean this? Yah, I got it. And I'm happy too. Evidence that you're trying to solve this crime. Any sign that you're harming police investigation and I will bring you down freak."

The detective then pocketed the warrant and Silver took the picture "Robot? You guys might think he's a robot?"

Tails shrugged "Not a bad thought Silver."

Harvered scoffed "Not an intellectual one either."

Silver rolled his eyes "Well. Eggman's mutant thing might actually be a Cyborg. Heh. Thinking like that I wonder if he'll call it an egg-borg."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. That's not a bad idea."

"What? Egg-borg?"

Tails shook his head with his fingers pointing "Cyborg… Cyborg… Amy."

Tails then dashed off as fast as he could. Sonic and Shadow, shocked at first, ran after him. Shadow went on ahead while Sonic was having some trouble. The two were shocked to see Tails clawing at the ground at Amy's grave. Sonic actually grew angry and pried the fox off "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Tails kicked Sonic causing him to drop the fox. Tails got up "Making sure that I'm wrong about Amy."

Shadow soon began to help him and Sonic rubbed his eyes, but helped as well. As Harvered, Silver, and Knuckles got there they saw them looking at Amy's grave. Tails pointed at it and Harvered yelled "YOU DO KNOW THAT IS ILLEGAL FOX!"

Tails held up his arms "Wait. Silver, open it!"

"Why?"

"Cyborg."

"!" Silver, with his powers, pried the lid off and everyone looked in. It was only an empty casket with a piece of paper with Eggman's symbol on it. Harvered looked shocked as well as everyone else. Tails smiled and looked at the detective "Well HARVERED. I just gave you a fifth suspect."