Chapter 12: The Widow's Killer Influence

1:00 PM…

Within the jail cells of the Emeraldberry Township Police Department, Georgie looks with shock at his former-superior officer, uncertain what to make of the words he just spoke. After a short period of silence, Georgie finally regains his composure and speaks.

"Not ready…? Not ready for what?" Georgie asks.

"You're not ready for the truth, nor are you ready to confront that truth." Keller says.

"What truth? So there is someone else involved?" Georgie asks.

"I didn't say that. Regardless, you are not prepared to deal with what awaits you, should your curiosity be stronger than your reasoning." Keller says.

"Damn it, Keller…Lives could be at stake and you're still keeping secrets?" Georgie asks.

"Lives at stake…You do not even realize how much danger you have been in over the last couple of months, my friend. You are not ready yet, but you will be soon. When I know with certainty that you're ready, I'll tell you everything. At that point…" Keller says.

"At that point…what?" Georgie asks.

"At that point, I'll be ready to let go of everything…I will no longer be valuable to anyone." Keller says, bringing a melancholy cloud within Georgie's mind.

"Wha…No, Keller, that's not what I intend…I just don't believe you are entirely guilty of all of this…" Georgie says.

"I know you don't, Georgie…because you are a good police officer. But trust me when I say you need time. All of you need time before you can face what lies ahead of you…and so do I." Keller says before returning to the bunk.

"Keller, please…" Georgie says.

"We're done here, Georgie…Please, just go." Keller says before he lies against the bunk.

"Keller…" Georgie says before he gets up and walks out of the jail cells.

Georgie returns to the main lobby and swipes his ID card before going to the elevator. As he walks down the hallway, he looks to the room where Sonic's office was and notices that it is still locked.

"Well that is strange…" He says before checking the knob and turning to another officer. "Did you notice if Sonic came in today?"

"I haven't, Sir. He's been on and off lately, since the previous superior officer promoted him to Special Operations." The officer replies.

"Right…Still, it's odd." Georgie says, peering into the window of the office and faintly seeing a folded bundle of clothing on the desk. "What in the…? Get me the master key, immediately."

The officer fetches the janitor quickly, who opens the door with the master key. Georgie steps into the quiet office and notices it is back to the state it was in before Sonic arrived. On the desk is a bundle of his police uniform and his badge, as well as the specially-made gun and the note on top of it.

"What is this…?" Georgie asks before picking up the note and reading it. "To my friends and colleagues of the Emeraldberry Township Police Department. The time I have spent with you has been both enjoyable and exciting. I was glad to be part of your desire to bring justice to the streets and spreading peace accordingly. However, I am not the type of person to stay in one area for very long. As such, I have decided to resign my position here and continue my adventures within another location. I don't know where I will go or what I will do when I get there, but trust in that I will always remember the time we've spent together. And to my friend and police brother Georgie, I wish you the best of luck. Just keep your sense of justice intact and you will work out just fine. ~Sonic the Hedgehog."

"So he's left?" A male officer asks, peering into the room.

"It seems that way. He's following his own path as a drifter…It's so strange though. He left without saying a word…" Georgie says, holding onto the note. "Just another matter to investigate."

2:00 PM…

Roxana Maximus slowly awakens from a nap in the chair next to Toro, who has finally shown great signs of recovery after taking a bullet to the head from hired guns of Richard. The head surgeon enters and gives Roxana a fresh cup of coffee.

"The nurses looked over your young child while you took a nap. They said you really needed it." He says, smiling as he gives it to her.

"Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I hope my son wasn't any trouble for them, but I am certain he was as pleasant as the little angel he is. So how is Toro's recovery?" Roxana says, gently sipping the coffee.

"He's gotten through the worst of it now. He'll be able to come home with you, we'll just send his prescription painkillers to help with easing any lasting pain. Other than that, he can finally be released from the hospital." The head surgeon says.

"Thank you very much, doctor. You saved his life and I am eternally grateful to you." Roxana says, smiling with relief.

"It was you that helped him recover, Ms. Roxana. I knew when he announced your name before we got started that you were the key to keeping him alive. I'm glad that we found you when we did." The head surgeon says.

"I'm glad that I got here when I did…" Roxana says, turning to see Toro slowly waking up.

"Roxana…? Good morning…" Toro says, smiling softly to her.

"It's the afternoon now, silly…but good morning to you too." Roxana says, smiling as she wipes a tear.

"Oh yes, have you heard Ms. Roxana? Apparently your husband still has not been found." The head surgeon says.

"Really…? But what does that mean?" Roxana asks, gently rubbing Toro's hand.

"The last that was said on the news report is that the investigator working on the case called for a change in the investigation. It is no longer a case of tracking an individual fleeing justice. Now, they have reason to believe that Mr. Maximus has been murdered." The head surgeon says.

"Murdered…Richard…? Who could've killed him?" Roxana asks, turning to Toro. "He's possibly dead, Toro…Richard is possibly dead."

"I really wonder…" Toro says, slowly stepping off the bed as the nurses come in with Roxana's child.

"He is such a well-behaved child, Ms. Roxana. We hope you were able to get some rest." The nurse says.

"Thank you very much for everything. Let's return home, Toro…just in case he is just hiding very well, I'll still fill the protection order." Roxana says.

"That's a good idea…" Toro says, accepting a written slip of paper from the head surgeon.

"Give this to the woman at the reception desk, she'll clear you for check out and for the delivery of your painkillers." The head surgeon says.

"You're a lifesaver, Doctor. Thank you for saving my life." Toro says, smiling to him.

"It wasn't just me, Mr. Toro. You saved yourself as well. Some of my colleagues are on the fence as to whether or not the will of the patient is a big part of their survival. But you…there's no question about it: your will kept you alive longer than the operation did." The head surgeon says before shaking Toro's hand lightly. "Good luck, to the both of you."

Both Roxana and Toro smile, with Toro staring at the young child in Roxana's arms and slowly stroking his head. As they enter the elevator, Roxana turns to Toro and gently hugs him, careful not to smother her child against her breasts in the act. She stares into his eyes, the eyes of the man she loves, and kisses his lips slowly. Toro gently strokes her cheek with his fingertips, kissing her lips tenderly until the elevator stops.

They walk up to the reception desk and give the receptionist the prescription slip. With a smile, she stamps it before allowing them to leave the hospital. Toro starts to get in the driver's seat of Roxana's car before she stops him.

"You get in the passenger seat, Toro. It will be some time before you'll be up and driving again." Roxana says.

"Yes, my apologies…" Toro says, softly smiling as he gets in the passenger seat.

Roxana smiles and buckles in her child in the child safety seat in the back seat of the car before getting in the driver's seat. As she starts up the car, she takes a moment to pray to herself for the future happiness of herself, Toro and her child. After the brief period of silence, she turns on the radio and drives the car out of the parking lot and towards her home.

6:45 PM…

As the sun begins to set, both Sonic and Amy are taking a walk within a park known for being a great area to jog and exercise, as well as a good place for children to play in. They reach a small stone bridge over a pond and simply enjoy the view of the setting sun ducking beneath the red and purple horizon. Amy leans over the metal railing of the bridge, smiling before she feels Sonic wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Mmm always the tender hold that I enjoy…" Amy says, giggling softly.

"Hehe and you enjoy it as much as I enjoy holding you close to me." Sonic says, smiling down at her.

For a few minutes there is silence between them until Amy gently rubs her hand against his on her stomach.

"Sonic…I'm sorry." Amy says.

"What are you apologizing for, Amy?" Sonic asks.

"This isn't the life that I had wanted you to become a part of. When I had fallen in love with you, I intended to keep my darker business from your knowledge. However, my emotions… My emotions overtook me in more of a way than I expected." Amy explains.

"Amy…" Sonic whispers as he interlocks his fingers with her fingers.

"This isn't the "me" that I'm accustomed to…I'm usually so procedural, nothing really made me feel the way that you have since you've been with me…I guess I feel like I don't deserve this kind of happiness at times. In truth, I know that I don't but…" Amy says before she feels Sonic's hips rubbing against her butt slowly.

"I understand what you're saying, Amy. However, it isn't going to change my mind about my choice. I chose you and it is a choice I would make again if given the chance." Sonic says.

"I believe you…and I thank you for that choice…but I just wonder, does it not seem like…a bad choice?" Amy asks, slowly turning her body to face him.

"Hmm…Well, I just think of something I had been thinking about for a long time now. My friend Tails once gave me some advice before I got moving on the road. He told me that the world is full of many different ways of thinking, ways of acting, and it is because of that variety that there can never truly be a right or wrong way to live or act." Sonic says.

"When did he tell you that?" Amy asks him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Remember when you asked me before if I had ever killed anyone?" Sonic asks her.

"Yes…" Amy replies, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Well, now is as good a time as any…I did kill someone once before." Sonic says, surprising Amy.

"You…You did?" Amy asks.

"Yes…It was during a trip back from one of Tails' garages, he needed some help with a heavy workload. I dropped by to help him out and he wanted to pay me for it. I told him I'd do it for free, but he never could let anyone do a simple charity for him. Anyway, it was on the way from there that it happened…" Sonic says.

"What happened…?" Amy asks, gently placing her palm to his cheek.

"I was…I was on my motorcycle and just heading where the road would take me. All of a sudden, I heard this sound. It was coming from the car next to me, since I was waiting on the light to change. Inside, there was this guy and he was yelling at this woman sitting next to him in the car. Not only just yelling, but this loud thudding sound was also coming from the car." Sonic says.

"So they were in an argument…" Amy says.

"I'm not too sure, but the activity just reached a point where it was bothering me. Not really as an annoyance but just that…that a man would treat a woman like that. It was embarrassing. So I knocked on the window to get his attention. Inside I heard "You stupid fucking bitch! When I tell you to do something, you'll fucking do it or I'll beat the shit outta you even more!" It was horrible." Sonic says.

"That is terrible…so what happened?" Amy says.

"So I knocked on the window harder to get his attention and he finally rolls down the window. Inside, I could see that the woman was battered, bruised and bleeding from what looked like knife wounds. I had enough at that point so I started yelling at the guy, calling him a coward, an asshole, all sorts of things. That pissed him off and he stepped out of the car." Sonic says.

"I can imagine so…" Amy replies.

"He was yelling at me, calling me a nosy nobody, telling me to mind my own business but the worst thing he told me was that "It was a man's job to keep a bitch in line and the woman's place was to do what her man told her to do. That didn't include opening her trap unless it was to suck…"" Sonic says until Amy nods.

"Right, I get what you mean…" Amy replies, blushing slightly.

"Right…So anyway that got me very mad so I slugged him across the face and all of a sudden, we were in the middle of the road just fighting. The woman he was yelling at was crawling out of the car, slowly but visibly to me. He reached for his knife in his pocket and thrust it towards me. I managed to kick it out of his hand but then he came running at me again. At that point, I jumped back to the knife and grabbed it just as he threw his fist into my stomach. He was close enough and I made the decision right there: I'm going to kill this man. I knew it wasn't my place or my problem to get involved but…I just had this desire to kill him." Sonic says.

"I see…" Amy says, somewhat relieved.

"But that was only the beginning…After I stabbed him in the chest, I could've stopped it right there but…something happened." Sonic says.

"Something happened?" Amy asks him.

"Yes…All of a sudden, I got this surge of energy…and that's when I stabbed him again. Then I kept stabbing him, over and over and over…that's when I realized I was enjoying it." Sonic says, shocking Amy.

"Enjoying it….?" Amy replies.

"Yes…Even after I knew he was dead, I kept doing it until the surge finally stopped…but in the end I knew why I stopped. I was…I was bored of it." Sonic says, sighing.

"Sonic…You're…You're just like me…" Amy says, gently cupping his face with both of her hands.

"Just like you…" Sonic replies as he feels the warm touch of her palms.

"Yes, you get a surge…A surge of pleasure through killing. I suppose…that makes us both monsters." Amy says with a soft giggle.

"It only makes us who we are. Regardless of that, I made my choice to stay by your side and keep you safe and loved. I will do that even if it costs me my life or my freedom...or if I must take another life again." Sonic says.

"That goes double for me…" Amy says, smiling before kissing his lips as the sun goes down.

Several Days Later…

Keller remains untouched by the criminals in the jail that remember him as the man who put them away. Despite that, seeing him as a broken man in a jail cell brings forth feelings not of vengeance or anger, but only pity. For Keller, it is both the ideal scenario to keep himself alive while incarcerated but also the sharp nail digging deeper into his coffin of shame. While he is leaning against the wall outside in a recreation yard for prisoners behind the department building, someone walks up to him with a cigarette.

"You're spoiling me…" Keller says, taking the cigarette.

"I'm just making this a little less difficult for you." Georgie says before leaning against the wall beside him.

"Thank you…though you shouldn't be doing this." Keller says.

"Keller, we were friends before we became colleagues. I think that still matters." Georgie says with a smile.

"I suppose you're right… I heard about your promotion. You'll make a far better man for the job than me…" Keller says.

"I hope so…I know nothing about being a Commissioner but Andrea has been helping me." Georgie says.

"I'm glad you have her to help you. She really cares about you, you know…" Keller says.

"Yes… Keller, Sonic disappeared from the department." Georgie says.

"He did?" Keller asks.

"Yes, and the strangest thing is…it's like he never existed except in our minds. His records of his time at the department, as well as the temporary record we were preparing for him while he was with us, that has disappeared too." Georgie says.

"Do you think he removed his record when he left?" Keller asks.

"I don't know…and I can't understand why he would do that either. It just makes no sense…The Family has been quiet as well. The drug activity has been calmed to a manageable degree and there hasn't been any further progress in the Richard Maximus murder case." Georgie says.

"Murder?" Keller asks him, putting out his cigarette.

"Yes, Sonic's last report concluded that his disappearance and the extent to which nobody can find him is indicative of murder. No body has been found yet though, neither has any evidence of foul play." Georgie says.

"I see…well if he is dead, then his body will show up eventually." Keller says.

"Keller…Let's talk about your involvement in all this craziness again." Georgie says.

"Georgie…" Keller says, sitting on the ground. "I told you that I would tell you when you were prepared…"

"Just when is prepared…? By the time you think I'm prepared, someone else will have died. Please Keller, if you know anything…anything at all, you have to tell me." Georgie says.

"Hmm…I'll tell you tomorrow. I promise you this, Georgie…" Keller says before standing up, seeing all of the prisoners being lead into the building once again.

"Okay then…I'll come back tomorrow then." Georgie says before entering the building as well.

The following day, the morning sun begins to rise as the members of The Family assigned to assist Sonic and Amy in moving return to the condominium to move the last of the boxes to the new home. Afterwards, Sonic and Amy sit in the now-empty living room and wait, with Bertucien and his men standing with them.

"Everything has been moved smoothly, Miss Rose. What is next?" Bertucien asks.

"Now, it shouldn't be much longer before Keller informs his closest officer about us. Once he gives that information up, Georgie will no doubt rush all the way over here in order to pick us up. With all of my efforts, they have no evidence to use against me or Sonic but given his personality, Georgie will simply arrest us and hope for a lucky break with the courts." Amy explains.

"That is true, Georgie is pretty impulsive." Sonic replies. "So what happens when they get here?"

"We knock them down, just enough for Sonic and I to get moving to Port Pearllight. It will be a confrontation but it will be one designed to mess with their nerves. It'll slow them down while we all bid a hasty retreat. Once we get past the district line, we'll be beyond their hold." Amy says.

"That sounds like quite a plan. We'll bring in the sniping rifle you requested." Bertucien says, signaling his men to bring in the weapon case.

"Excellent. Sonic, do you know how to use this?" Amy asks, presenting Sonic with the sniping rifle.

"I'm pretty familiar with it…" Sonic says, checking the rifle before holding it in his hands.

"Good, you'll make the appropriate shot when I give you the signal. I will draw them in and confront them directly. It makes more sense for them to come after me so that if things go wrong, you can all still get away." Amy explains.

"I won't let anything go wrong. I'll shoot to kill." Sonic says.

"Still, just try your best to keep steady until I say so." Amy says, smiling to him.

"I will, I promise." Sonic says, nodding to her.

"As for you and your men, I'll need you guys to take these positions around the property. They will more than likely get here at night so they won't be able to see you too readily. You'll also take out the lesser units of the squad." Amy says to Bertucien, pointing out several locations around the house and out the front area.

"We understand. We'll be in the proper positions, awaiting your signal." Bertucien says.

"I've already set up the other bits, now…we simply wait for the inevitable." Amy says, crossing her arms and leaning against Sonic as she stares out of the window.

7:00 PM…

Georgie returns to the jail cells and stands before Keller at his cell. Keller slowly turns to Georgie before he begins to speak.

"Are you prepared for the truth?" Keller asks.

"Yes, please…Please tell me." Georgie says.

"All right…It wasn't…It wasn't just me that was responsible for those criminal actions that cost so many lives. There was one other, the true criminal mastermind that I assisted for a number of years now…" Keller says.

"Who is it?" Georgie asks.

"You were very close to discovering her before but I discouraged you in order to maintain the cover-up." Keller says.

"Close to…You mean…You mean Miss Rose, Charles Slyfox's wife?" Georgie asks, shocked.

"That's right. The true mastermind, the connection to The Family, and the most dangerous woman in this country right now is also the woman that I kept from facing justice: Miss Amy Rose." Keller says.

"You're…you're serious." Georgie says.

"Yes, she is absolutely dangerous, Georgie. So much that I did not want to get you any further involved than you already were. She had been pressuring me before into killing you in order to prevent our plan from coming undone but I…I just couldn't do it. She knew it and that is why she forced me to expose myself." Keller explains.

"My…My god, I…I can't believe it. It was her the entire time…wait, do you have any evidence?" Georgie asks.

"Unfortunately not. She is very thorough about covering her tracks. Any and all evidence that would be capable of keeping her behind bars has long been removed. As a result of the public nature of my incarceration, even if you did bring her in to court, it would be the word of a well-known woman against an exposed dirty cop. Without evidence, she's basically untouchable in a legal sense, let alone in other ways." Keller explains.

"Other ways…?" Georgie asks.

"She's a killer, Georgie; one of the most professional killers I've ever met. She's brought the criminal organization The Family under her employ and any and all threats she's faced have been killed or removed without even a single trace left behind. That is why I didn't want you to get involved. I don't want the worst to happen to you." Keller says.

"I see…I understand your concern. But she is a criminal and I need to do what I need to do in order to take her down. She needs to face the consequences of her crimes, regardless of the danger to my own life." Georgie says.

"Are you truly prepared to die in order to put this woman down, a woman that is capable of ending your life in an instant without hesitation?" Keller asks, noticing a shake in Georgie's stance.

"I won't know unless I try…but she's my responsibility. I'm going to prepare a team and I'm going to take her down. If she confesses, then evidence won't be quite so necessary. I just have to hope that a shred of guilty conscience exists in her." Georgie says.

"You would be foolish to assume that. If it comes down to it, shoot to kill. Kill her if she doesn't immediately surrender. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for failure and death." Keller says.

"I understand…" Georgie says before he quickly leaves the cells.

"It is all in motion now…Godspeed, Georgie." Keller says before sitting on the floor of his cell. "If you are even remotely hesitant…you die."

7:45 PM…

The darkness of the night casts its shade across the peaceful area of the Emeraldberry Township Condominiums. After setting the property up for the incoming police force, Amy stands in front of the door to her condominium, her arms crossed and her eyes closed. Behind the shrubbery around the condo, Bertucien and his men wait with their weapons ready at a word's notice. Sonic waits around the back of the condo with his motorcycle at the ready; waiting high in the tree with the sniper rifle close to his chest. Suddenly, the sight of red and blue flashing lights sets his gaze through the windows of the house and to the front.

"Here they come…" Sonic says to himself, poised to fire when told to do so.

"Time to do one last bit of acting…" Amy says to herself as the cars stop in front of the condo.

A police cruiser, an armored vehicle filled with SWAT team members and a caged vehicle park in front of the condominium. Georgie and Andrea step out of the cruiser in their police uniforms, armed with their handguns and bulletproof vests. The SWAT team exits the armored vehicle and stands behind Georgie and Andrea to provide immediate support when needed. Georgie steps forward, his gun pointed straight to Amy; who maintains her position against the door.

"Miss Amy Rose! On suspicion of committing several acts of first degree murder, including the death of Charles H. Slyfox, you are under arrest! Surrender now or we will use deadly force!" Georgie shouts.

"Well isn't this a recurring nightmare…? I thought I told you before that I had nothing to do with his death. Or were you really just wasting my time with that test?" Amy says, walking towards Georgie with her hands on her hips as the lights of the laser sights bounce off of her black bodysuit.

"Don't you move a goddamn inch or I will shoot you!" Georgie shouts, his men poised to fire as well.

"So you were wasting my time…You truly are just obsessed aren't you? Or is it…something else?" Amy asks, stopping at the bottom step; just a few feet from the police officers. "Are you just looking for someone to blame for your commanding officer's crimes?"

"No, that's...that's not true…" Georgie says quietly.

"But it is, isn't it? You refuse to accept that he made a bad choice on his own terms, so you are trying to push the blame on someone else to make yourself feel better. How sad…" Amy says.

"No, that isn't true at all!" Georgie shouts, his stance noticeably shaking.

"Then tell me: What evidence do you have to support your claims?" Amy asks, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Georgie…?" Andrea asks, turning to him and seeing the worried expression on his face.

"I…that is…" Georgie stammers, his trigger finger twitching.

"So nothing, you have absolutely nothing to tie me to anything that your superior officer did. Meaning I am within my rights to refuse your demands, gentlemen and lady. Unless you are simply trying to make it so you can never arrest me again." Amy says.

"That's enough! You're coming with us to the station! Everything will be answered there." Georgie says.

"Georgie, she's right…" Andrea says turning to him. "We cannot take her in without a warrant."

"You didn't even have a warrant prepared?" One of the SWAT members asks, momentarily lowering his firearm. "We came all this way to face someone you said was dangerous…"

"It wasn't my word, it was…it was Keller's. He told me Miss Rose was the one responsible for all of this and that she was a dangerous woman." Georgie says, turning his attention away from Amy.

"The only thing dangerous about her is her knowledge of the law. We can't go any further without a warrant to arrest her, especially if she's right about you having no evidence to support your claim." Another SWAT member says.

"It's too late to get a warrant now, what if she's a flight risk…hey!" Georgie says, turning around and seeing Amy walk back towards the door of her home.

"Come back with a warrant or don't come back at all." Amy says before smiling as she enters her home.

"Come on, we can get the warrant after the arrest. I'm sure I'm right about this." Georgie says.

"Well, all right…" One SWAT member says as he walks up the steps, stopping as he sees a glowing red dot on his chest. "Laser sight!" He shouts before ducking back.

"There's a sniper over there! See?!" Georgie shouts, turning to the direction of the laser sight.

As the SWAT team members approach where the light is coming from, disappointment is the only result for Georgie. They uncover a rigged laser sight attached to a branch in a tree, a tiny pocket laser sight at that. For the SWAT team members, it is a minor laugh but for Georgie, it goes against his expectations.

"So it seems we aren't in any real danger. Let's get in there and try to talk this woman to the station. At the very least, she can give us her statement." A SWAT member says as he approaches the house.

"All right…I really hope he wasn't stringing me along again…" Georgie says as Andrea rubs his back while they walk up the steps.

With a soft knock, the door to the condo opens up and reveals a dark living room. The furniture, the décor, anything that wasn't built into the foundation has been removed from the home. The sight is puzzling to the law enforcement squad and as Georgie steps forward, he can see Amy on the upper level looking down upon them.

"Breaking and entering without a warrant now? You're really hell-bent on causing trouble for me, aren't you?" Amy asks.

"No, Miss Rose. Look, I do not have the proper paperwork but if you are really innocent, then you'll assist us instead of making this difficult." Georgie says.

"What more do you want me to do?" Amy asks him, staring down as she sees movement at the corner of her eyes from outside. "That's right, get into position. Sonic is already ready in the back…"

"I know it seems like we're harassing you, but this is all in the name of justice." Georgie says as he approaches her.

"I'm afraid I have nothing else to offer for you all. So you can stop wasting your time as well as mine." Amy says before she sees the officers walking up the stairs with their weapons still drawn. "Is all this necessary?"

"We can never be too careful…huh?" Georgie says before he sees another laser sight pointed at one of the officers. "You can be arrested for presenting a false life-threatening situation with these goofy laser sights of yours…"

"Oh that isn't mine." Amy says before she jumps backwards in a somersault, landing on the floor below as she surprises the officers.

"What the…!? Gah!" One of the SWAT members shouts, feeling a piercing pain in his chest before he falls on the stairs.

"Shit, it's a trap!" Georgie shouts, ducking as the large glass windows are shattered by gunfire.

Amy has already left for the back of the building as The Family presses their advance into the building. Some fire with handguns, others with shotguns, but they all target the SWAT members specifically while Georgie and Andrea are ducking for cover.

"Shit, they're slaughtering us! We need to call for backup!" Andrea shouts, taking out her pistol and receiver.

"There's no time for that! After her!" Georgie shouts, jumping down to the ground floor and following Amy's escape route.

"Here they come, Sonic. You know what to do." Amy says as she stands before the open back door.

"I'm prepared for anything, Amy. Here they come!" Sonic says, pointing his rifle to the direction of the door.

As Georgie runs through the doorway, Amy points her own handgun at him. She fires a single bullet towards him and observes the reaction she expected: Andrea pushes him aside and takes the shot to her own shoulder.

"Ah damn…!" Andrea shouts, rolling to the floor and clutching her shoulder.

"Andrea!" Georgie shouts until he turns and sees Amy's leg smash into his face, landing him on his back. "Gah!...Goddamn…!" He shouts in pain as he feels her slam her foot against his chest.

"You brought this upon yourselves. All you had to do was move on when I gave you the opportunity. And I gave you a lot of opportunities. Now you must die." Amy says, releasing her foot from him turning away from him and walking towards the trees.

"St…stop!" Georgie shouts, grabbing his gun and pointing it towards her until a gunshot rings out of the trees.

The bullet fires and knocks the gun out of Georgie's hand, flinging it back inside the house through a shattered window. He slowly looks up and sees the gleam from the lens of a sniper rifle, as well as the laser sight pointed to his chest.

"Sn…sniper…!" Georgie shouts, gripping his chest in pain from the blow he took from Amy, his nose bleeding from the earlier kick as he tries to stand. "You won't…get away…!" Georgie shouts until the loud gunshot goes off again; this time hitting him just above his heart. The blow sends him to the ground, bleeding as Andrea witnesses the shot.

"No…! Georgie!" Andrea shouts, slowly crawling towards him.

"He's not dead…however, the next shot I make will kill him if he moves again…" Sonic whispers, turning to see Amy giving him the signal to move on. "Looks like it is his lucky day." He says, carrying the rifle on his back before leaping from the tree.

"Excellent shot there. Time for us to get moving. Bertucien, get your boys out and to safety. The police threat has been suppressed and Sonic and I are now leaving." Amy says, speaking into her Bluetooth before taking Sonic's hand and leading him to the hidden motorcycle.

"Sh...shit…! Damn it all…! Need…help…!" Georgie shouts into his receiver before lying flat on his back, listening to the sound of a motorcycle disappearing in the distance. "Fuck…she got away…! She had an accomplice…several members of The Family ready…Gah…!"

"Ge…Georgie…Help should be…on the way, just hold on…" Andrea says, breathing heavily as the sound of an ambulance comes closer.

Taking a back road from behind the condominium, Sonic rides his motorcycle out of Emeraldberry with Amy seated behind him, her arms around his body for support. As the police and ambulance arrive at the now-empty condo, Amy's neighbors see the red and blue flashing lights and assume the worst has happened. Several other people living around the area also see what is happening but cannot figure out what could have happened.

Immediately, Georgie and Andrea are taken to the hospital after learning that the SWAT team members that were with them died from fatal gun wounds. The weight of their deaths hangs on Georgie's mind the entire ride, as well as the potential loss of Andrea as a result of poor planning on his part. He slips into unconsciousness as the ambulance approaches the hospital, believing that it is only the beginning of his chase for her.

After over three hours of riding on the road, Sonic and Amy cross the boundary line of the Emerald district and enter the Pearl district of the country. Amy slowly falls asleep against Sonic's body, with the blue hedgehog keeping his attention on the road until he sees the sign up ahead he's been waiting for.

"Port Pearllight…We've arrived." Sonic says, smiling as they pass by the sign and enter the coastal city of Port Pearllight.

~That's the end of Chapter 12. On the next chapter, Georgie deals with the consequences of his actions, Sonic and Amy begin their new lives in a new town, an old friend appears before Sonic and a new foe appears with only one goal: capturing the escaped fugitives.