Worlds Collide

Chapter Fourteen

"What the fuck did you do?!" Espio screeched at Vector. Maddie continued to gibber on about all sorts of stuff. She had started off talking about missions and was now talking about some guy named Joe who lives across the street with his dog. (You make the connections.)

"I didn't know she would go totally nuts! I thought she would be somewhat sane…" Vector defended.

Espio smacked his hand against his face in irritation. "You should have talked to her a bit more. You can't just let ANYBODY join!"

All of a sudden, Shadow came walking down the stairs, causing Maddie to jump. It also, to everyone's relief, made her shut her mouth.

"Hey, did one of you take the food off the top of the machine?" he asked calmly.

Vector looked at Shadow in confusion, "What machine?"

The ebony colored hedgehog rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "The Time Machine. The WASHING MACHINE you IDIOT!"

Charmy turned to Maddie, "You have a Time Machine?"

Maddie was just as confused, "I do?"

Espio ignored the two younger kids and focused on Shadow, "No. Why?"

"It's gone."

"Who took it?" Vector asked.

Again Shadow rolled his eyes, obviously his patience growing thin, "If I knew would I be asking you? No. So why don't you go into the 'Time Machine' and get lost in History." Oh, yeah, totally ticked.

Before Vector could add his smart mouth comment, Maddie yelled, "Okay! I'll go!" She glanced at Charmy and asked, "You coming?"

He nodded enthusiastically and took off, Maddie on his heels. Only to shove Shadow aside in the process.

"Stupid kids!" Shadow muttered. A snicker met his comment. But this snicker he had heard before.

Just to be sure, Shadow looked at Espio, "Was that you?" When the chameleon shook his head, Shadow turned to Vector. He too, shook his head. Then, two yellow eyes appeared, in the shadow of the boxes.

Shadow whipped out his gun and yelled, "Alright! Whoever's down here better reveal themselves now or I'll start shooting. Come out on the count of three! One!" He cocked his gun and Espio turned invisible. Vector got behind Shadow so he wouldn't get shot.

"Two!" Shadow placed his finger against the trigger. He aimed the gun right at the shadowy figure. He could barely make him out, but could see the silhouette of his ears.

A small chuckle again was heard and a shiny white grin sparkled in the blackness. A voice said, "Are you so weak that you have to rely on a weapon to attack your enemy? To protect yourself?"

Shadow thought about what the stranger had said. He was sort of insulted by the accusation. His mind thought quickly and he shifted the gun. "Three!" he yelled and pulled the trigger. Followed by a loud BANG, a hiss was heard. Shadow then dropped the gun and ran towards the shadowy creature. He kicked out his foot, tripping it. Vector followed Shadow's lead and picked up the cardboard box closest to him. He heaved it onto the creature, trapping it away from the world.

Espio appeared on top of the box sitting on it like he was meditating.

"Tails, you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone. Especially Megan, Rouge, and Knuckles. Please please please please!" Alex was on her knees holding Tails's hands.

Tails sighed and said, "I don't like keeping secrets…"

Alex got a little ticked by that so she said, her voice filled with warning, "Neither do I. Maybe I should get rid of a certain secret. A certain secret that involves a fox and a bunny."

Tails got the point and said, "Hey, whatever you need. I can keep any secrets you need. That's me, your Secret Buddy! Yep, heh heh…"

Alex laughed, then said, "Well, Secret Buddy, I said that you could ask me any questions. Ask away!"

Tails, "Who's Cosmo?"

"Cosmo is well, this plant girl, I guess that's what you would call her. She is the last of her race and um…"

Alex thought for a couple seconds and then snapped her fingers, "IDEA! Go over to the computer and click the file that says, 'Sonic X.'"

Tails did what she said and little guide popped up on the computer. A bunch of words appeared and so did little pictures by them. Tails looked up at Alex, waiting for more instructions.

Alex said, "Click on the one that says, 'The Cosmic Call.' That's where you first meet Cosmo. If you want, you can watch all following episodes. They should all have her in them."

Tails nodded, clicking on the link, and began to watch. (I really don't have the Sonic X episodes, I just would like to carry out my little fantasy…)

Alex quietly walked out of the room. She thought she had heard the sound of a gunshot earlier. She knew the only one to have a gun in the house was Shadow, so whatever he had shot was probably dead. Had to go make sure it wasn't Sonic or someone like that.

"Oh My God!" Megan screamed, "What the hell is wrong with you?! You just shot off a gun! When my parents are sleeping upstairs!"

"Calm down. I didn't kill anyone," Shadow said smoothly. He was actually proud of himself. He had caught whatever had been haunting everyone. "I was very efficient and clean with what I did. I had no complications with catching, 'The Basement Demon' as Maddie calls it. He wasn't so tough, more of a talker than a fighter."

Alex ran down the steps at that time, a hand over her face, saying, "If there's blood I'm going back up!"

Megan rolled her eyes, "No blood Al. At least not yet."

"Is that a threat?" Shadow growled.

Megan shook her head, "Nope. I'm talking about when Espio gets up and 'The Basement Demon' is freed. I bet all of my ten dollars and sixty-three cents that Shadow won't be going back to Mobius without a few good wounds." (Man I'm broke!)

"Whatever is in that box is no fighter. I easily took it out without any problems and it didn't even lay a paw or claw of tentacle on me," Shadow insisted.

"So open the box," Maddie said. She and Charmy had come down from the laundry room when the gunshot sounded. Sonic, Amy, Cream, Knuckles, Callisto, and Rouge also rushed down at the loud noise. So far, Tails, Eli, and Megan's parents hadn't seemed to notice.

Shadow, "Fine, I will."

Espio jumped off so Shadow could prove himself. The black hedgehog gripped the wing of the box and lifted it up. And… Underneath was nothing!

"What the hell?" Shadow yelled.

Sonic yawned, "Well, Shads, if you're done pretending to be the Crocodile Hunter, I'd like to go up and sleep. A hedgie can only take so much exploring."

Shadow growled, "Wait, look!" In the side of the box, a rounded square had been cut out of it, were the 'Demon' had escaped.

Knuckles looked at Sonic, "This crocodile just gave us the slip, by Criky!" That got a laugh out of everyone, except Shadow.

How did it get away? We had been watching the box so carefully… It must have been when everyone came running down here! Now where is it?

Rouge grinned at Shadow's face, "Now, now Shadow. Don't be upset because your little monster escaped. It'll show up again, like it has before."

Shadow growled, "Well, I'm staying down here until it decides to encounter us." The others shrugged and went upstairs. Only Callisto stayed behind.

Callisto shook her head, "No Shadow. Whatever 'monster' you believe is down here isn't real. It has feeling like you and me. And I know for a fact that she won't share any of her territory with you."

She? Shadow thought, but didn't voice his question. The less he seemed to know the better. The hedgie nodded to Callisto and followed her upstairs. He turned around and faced the dark shadows of the basement.

"Until we meet, Demon of the Basement," he whispered so quietly that Callisto couldn't hear him. He left the room, glad to feel the warmth of Callisto's pelt against his.

Callisto might not have heard his little declaration, but the one who was supposed to receive it did.

"Until we meet, Shadow the Hedgehog," lips black as night whispered. The creature moved further into the shadows, where the warm smell of pizza greeted her.

A/N: OMG I think this is my FAVORITE CHAPTER! Yeah me! I really like the ending, though it had some drama to it. I like the last sentence the best! That solves the mystery of the Missing Pizza! LOL! Oh I had so much fun typing this! Hope the next chapter is just as good!! Man, sorry to all those who like Vector, I made him kind of stupid… I mean, I like him too, I just didn't realize I made him so dumb! LOL! Don't worry Vector fans! I'll make Charmy suffer in the next chapter instead. And to all those Charmy fans out there: Why the HECK are you reading any of my stories? LOL! REVIEW! (Juno, that includes you!)