=Chapter 19=
"What the hell is this?!"
Shadow had come to the safe house and showed Rouge the severed arm of an Exterminator.
"They came to the hospital and killed the infected patient." Shadow explained. "It was like they had chiroptera reflexes and strength, and yet they appeared almost completely human."
"Hmmmmm. Shadow, do you that Alicia and Dr. Finitevus have actually perfected Cell 64." Rouge mused.
"That's not...that can't be possible. If that's so then why was the infected patient like the others that were injected with the chemical?"
"I'm willing to wager, that the patient was deliberately given a lower quality of the chemical as a guinea pig, to test the humans you described that were given the newer and improved batch. And from what you told me, they seem to have turned out successfully. At least for Alicia."
The midnight warrior growled.
'Dammit. At this rate, they'll infect every person with this hellish potion.'
"Unfortunately for them, they're not totally invincible to your blood." Rouge continued.
Shadow started out of the safe house.
"Where are you going?" the ivory bat asked.
"I need to find and kill Mephiles." the crimson-splashed male declared. "Without him as a source, Alicia and her vermin won't be able to harm society again. Least of all Mephiles."
"Now you wait just a moment there, mister. You won't be able to corner Mephiles yourself. The only way we're going to end the chiroptera threat once and for all is that we work together as a team."
Shadow brooded in frustration. In a way she was right. He wouldn't have been able to come this far without his team of vampire slayers. And in spite of Knuckles' injuries, the ebony hedgehog was able to slay two out of the five Brides that Mephiles had.
"Go back to the fort." Rouge told him. "Your sister's probably worried."
Shadow narrowed his hardened ruby eyes.
"...yes." he murmured.
XXXXXXX
Alicia and her cohort, Dr. Finitevus were seated in the Governor of Soleanna's office. After the incident at the hospital, the city leader became somewhat interested in brokering a deal with them.
"Now as you have most likely heard, your excellency." the auburn squirrel began. "Our exterminators have proven themselves more than worthy to clean up the vermin filled streets."
The prestigious man's face stiffened.
"First I receive reports of strange creatures suddenly appearing and attacking civilians, and now you conveniently make yourselves known." he said with suspicion.
"Your concern is understandable, your excellency. Most understandable indeed." Dr. Finitevus said. "Which is precisely why we made an effort to purge the beasts that plague the good people of Soleanna."
"My family's fortune is enough to fund our project, sir." Alicia added. "So money is not point that we are pressing to make. We simply wish to make Soleanna safe again. No one may fear to venture outdoors only to become fodder to these disreputable creatures."
The governor let out a sigh. Although he had doubts about the pair's intentions, he couldn't ignore the plain fact that the public could be in danger of all the chiroptera suddenly appearing and creating a blood bath on the streets of the city.
"Very well." he sighed again. "But I must inform His Majesty first of these developments."
"Of course." Alicia said as she and her albino echidna companion rose to their feet. "But we must that time is short."
"Yes..."
A few minutes later, both Alicia and Dr. Finitevus left the Governor's office with the cinnamon furred female beaming with triumph.
"Well, you have him interested in our proposition." the male echidna said quietly. "And you played on his fears quite well. Soon you'll have him dancing in the palm of your hands."
Alicia smiled wickedly.
"If there's one thing that authority will not stand for is the disruption of order and peace. They'll do anything necessary to maintain it." she said.
"That is very true my dear." the albino scientist said frankly. Then he changed subject. "By the way, did I hear you right when you told me that your charge wanted to-"
"Yes. Nothing has changed his mind, and I don't think anything ever will."
"You don't seem to be very pleased with the idea."
The auburn squirrel let out a sigh.
"I told him it may not work, but he remained unmoved." she droned. "I don't understand it."
"Such a procedure has not been tried before." Dr. Finitevus commented. "Even when Doctor Gerald Robotnik was considering it with the other King. But as of now, I don't believe we have much to lose in this matter."
Alicia was silent. He did however, have a very valid point. And just perhaps if things were carefully planned, she might be able to rid of Shadow in the process of bringing another generation of chiroptera into the world.
XXXXXXX
Both Amy and Sonic were in the large sitting room together which was located just where the veranda balcony was situated. Amy was seated on the couch, knitting quietly to herself while Sonic was standing nearby with his shotgun in hand and looking out the large glass windows. In spite of being safe at home with Shadow's partner, Amy could not get her mind off of Mephiles. She didn't understand why he didn't want to kill her. Or turn her into a blood sucking monster like himself. Even more confusing, why didn't he want Shadow to share blood with her either? As far as she had seen, Mephiles hadn't really displayed all the terrible things that Shadow had accused him of. Amy didn't doubt that they happened, but the way the chiroptera King was behaving just made it hard to believe.
Was that it? Was Mephiles trying to put on an act so that he could lure her into a false sense of security or convince her to his side?
The sakura hedgehog was torn by the confusion. And unfortunately, there wasn't really anyone she could confide in to share her mismatched feelings.
Moments later, the front door of the loft opened and in came Shadow. Right away his keen and heightened sense of smell detected his twin's scent. Sonic and Amy were still there as he left them and there wasn't anyone else there so why was Mephiles' scent as strong as theirs? He came to the sitting room to find the cherry-pink female and the Blue Blur there. They both knew that the crimson-splashed male could sense that something wasn't right and they were unsure how or what to say to him.
"...Um, hey Shads." Sonic finally spoke up. "Everything okay with Knux?"
"...Yes." Shadow murmured with a stark feeling of uneasiness.
Amy, sensing his mood about to take a down turn, rose from the couch and went over to the midnight warrior, taking his hand. She then led Shadow into the hall before exchanging a reassuring glance with Sonic.
"What's wrong?" Shadow asked once they were alone at the end of the hall.
"...First, I don't want you to be angry with Sonic." the young flower began. "It wasn't like he could...help the situation."
Shadow's expression hardened.
"Why? What happened?" he questioned.
"...Mephiles came and took me from the loft." Amy quietly confessed.
Shadow's expression became even harder. Now he saw why his brother's scent was virtually all over her.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked, trying to hold in his rage.
"No, not at all." Amy replied. "And that's the strange thing about it. He said he didn't want to give his blood to me and he didn't want you to give me yours either. I don't understand it."
For once, the ebony hedgehog was caught off guard. What his sister was describing was so unlike his twin. It was completely out of character. Mephiles would never release a mortal without tearing him or her to bloody shreds. Especially not the second time around. Still, Shadow was highly distrusting and uncomfortable with this news. He was willing to bet that the vampiric hedgehog was leaving Amy alone and untouched to mock him.
"I see." the crimson-splashed male replied. "Why didn't you call for help?"
"...I didn't want him to hurt Sonic." Amy said rather quietly. "I...I don't know. I wasn't really thinking."
Finally, Shadow's expression softened and he pulled the sakura hedgehog into a tight hug. It felt like Mephiles' embrace, but this time she felt more comfortable since it was her adoptive brother and buried her face into his snow-splashed chest. Even though she was still distrustful of the other chiroptera King herself, she couldn't stop thinking about what he had told her earlier.
'I wanna go someplace where the sun always shines and no one there to bother us...any stay there forever...'
When they parted, Amy noticed that Shadow looked a little pale.
"Are you alright? You don't look well." Amy observed.
"I'm fine." Shadow replied.
"Maybe you should rest. Vampires need to sleep too."
The midnight warrior smiled slightly at her little joke.
"Really, Amelia. I'll be alright." he assured her.
The cherry-pink female made a little frown.
"Have you had any...blood?" she asked meekly.
Shadow stiffened a little.
"No I have not." he told her. "But I'm certain that Rouge will supply me with some a little later."
As he spoke after telling her no, Amy unbuttoned her collar and came up behind him. Then she gently got ahold of Shadow's face and started pulling it towards her. At first, he was a little confused as to what Amy was doing. Then it hit him.
"N-no...!" he sputtered, trying to pull her hands away.
"It's alright." she murmured. "At least it'll keep you going until Ms. Rouge gets you some IVs."
Sonic went towards the hall when he realized that it had been quite a bit of time since Amy and Shadow had gone off alone. He wanted to make sure everything was okay. When he got a peek into the hallway, he immediately jumped back in surprise and shock. The ebony hedgehog was holding onto the young flower with his mouth clamped into her neck as she held his head to support it. A few seconds later, the cerulean speedster overheard their voices.
"T-that's enough. Let's...let's get you cleaned up."
"Oh, I can do it myself, Shadow. I'm not a baby."
Their voices disappeared into another room and Sonic let out a gasp of relief.
XXXXXXX
Rouge was looking after Knuckles that night. She quietly read a book while the ruby echidna slept on the bed next to her. Then half past midnight, Knuckles awoke and started moving around groaning from the effort.
"Hey, hey, hey, take it easy!" the ivory bat exclaimed.
"Urgh, don't fuss over me woman." Knuckles ranted. "Was Shadow here?"
"Yes, but I sent him home."
"You let him leave without letting me talk to him?!"
"You, needed to rest mister. You won't be able to heal any faster without it."
The crimson furred male let out another groan and laid back. Annoyance was written all over his face. Rouge pulled the blankets back over him and straightened his pillows.
"Just relax, willya?" the snow white female said. "I promise to fill you in."
"Tch. You almost sound like my own mother." Knuckles grumbled.
"Mmm-Hmmm, and I'm certain she'd tell you the same thing too."
She gave him a peck on the forehead to which Knuckles made an even more annoyed face.