The Sandlot
By Mutitoon90
Chapter Fourteen: The Owner of the Beast.
Sonic and Tails went to the back door of Shepherd's house with the dog between them, while the team stood behind and away from them.
"This isn't a good idea." Sly voiced his concern and doubt, "We should leave."
No one listened as they watched Sonic and Tails knocked on the door.
"I'm coming!" A man's voice rang out from the house.
Sly stiffed his body, but not his mouth.
"We're dead!"
Yet again, none of his teammates listened to him as they saw the door open, revealing Shepherd, a man in his forties with gray-white hair wearing a white coat brown pants and black shoes. The team saw that the man was blind when they saw his eyes, which were all white.
"Who's there?" The man asked, not looking at the fox and the hedgehog.
Sonic tried to speak, but he did not have the words, so Tails answered.
"Your dog got out, and we got him back from ya."
"How in the world did he escape?" The man asked.
Sonic answered this time.
"We threw a ball over the fence, and we've been trying to get it back."
"So," announced Shepherd, "you're the one's making all of that noise."
"Yeah..." Tails admitted, as Sonic gave the chewed-up ball to the old man.
Shepherd took the ball, smelled it, and 'looked' at the boys before saying, "No one had outran Scout before, but why didn't you come to my door to get your ball; I would have gotten for you and you saved you and your friends some time and energy?"
Sonic and Tails were dumbfounded by the question, while Sly received some nasty glares from the other six teammates, who recalled that Sly was the one that said not to go to Shepherd's door.
"Sly..." Trunks growled at the raccoon.
"Wait a minute!" Sly yelled before running off into the sandlot with his team right behind him.
"Get back here, ya striped weasel!" Ranma yelled, while chasing the raccoon.
"I swear that's what I hear!" Sly announced, still running from his outraged teammates.
"Get back here!" The twins yelled at the raccoon.
"I'm not that crazy!" Sly yelled.
"Could've fooled us!" Naruto yelled.
"Yeah," agreed Crash, "but you're dumb enough to believe rumors!"
"Help!" Sly yelled.
Tails and Sonic saw the chase scene and were shocked at the team's reaction, while Shepherd laughed out.
"Come on in." Shepherd said, motioning the boys to enter his home.
The friends entered the house without another word, leaving Sly to pay the price for believing rumors and gossip.
In the house, the boys saw the collection of baseball items, which impressed Sonic and Tails, when they entered a trophy room.
"Please, sit down." Shepherd offered, which the friends accepted by sitting in the chairs.
"Thanks." Tails said.
Shepherd 'examined' the ball as Sonic said, "That ball was signed by Son Goku."
"Oh, really?" The older man said, seemingly interested in the ball's history. Then, he took a dirty-looking ball and gave it to Tails.
"It really is signed by Son Goku." Tails said, thinking that Shepherd did not believe Sonic.
"So is that one." Shepherd replied with a grin.
Sonic gasped out, "He's right! Look!"
Tails looked and saw many names that were famous, and then he noticed a name: William Shepherd.
"Shepherd?" The fox asked out loud.
"That's me." The blind man smiled.
"You played baseball?" Sonic asked the older man.
"Yes, I did." Shepherd replied.
"Before you lost your sight?" Tails asked.
"Yeah." The man said, "I would have broken his batting record, if a fast ball hadn't hit me in the eyes."
"Ow!" The boys exclaimed, knowing that getting hit by a baseball is painful.
"Yeah." Shepherd said.
"You're just going to give this to us?" Sonic asked.
"Under two conditions." The man said.
"Conditions?" Tails asked.
"Yes." Shepherd answered, "One is that I keep the Son Goku ball."
"And the other?" Sonic asked this time.
"You two come here and talk some baseball with me, and I'll call it an even trade."
"All right." Tails grinned.
Sonic smiled and said, "Thanks."
Then, the boys got up to leave.
"Why?" The hedgehog asked.
"Because that Tails 'threw away' the ball, he might as well be dead where he stands." Shepherd announced.
The fox's face turned pale as the old man made the statement.
"Let's go." Sonic said pulling his pal out of the house.
As the boys left, Scout went to his owner, who petted him.
"They're good boys, aren't they?" The owner of the 'beast' asked his pet.
The dog barked in agreement as he heard the back door open and close.