Fast - Chapter 1: Desert (Junse)
"Wait, I think this is it. Stop round here."
Sonic could scarcely hear the sound of Shadow's voice over the wind whistling around his ears, but he nodded his assent against Shadow's chest and screeched to a stop at an abandoned storefront.
Shadow disentangled himself from Sonic's arms but remained holding his hands, wanting to keep touching him in any way possible. The run here was in no way sexy, but Sonic's steady breathing and intent gaze on the road ahead had been. He was so different from the kid he'd fallen for two years ago; but his wants were the same: danger, adrenaline, speed. He craved it. Probably didn't notice he was doing it either; pissing off some very powerful people, dating a known assassin, getting a job with the police and ditching that job for a life on the run. He had about zero self-preservation skills, and that was part of his charm.
Shadow looked up at the darkened husk of a building, left derelict after a fire some decades ago. Plants attempted to crawl up the unforgiving walls, but cigarette butts, broken bottles and other assorted trash impeded their progress.
"Here we are - home sweet hovel."
Sonic scoffed and regarded the building with his head cocked sideways, a hand on his hip. "What happened to the penthouse?"
"I was…evicted." More like thrown out on his ass by three buff mice anthros with guns, but that was semantics. "Landlord let me live here rent-free as long as I don't disturb the roaches."
Sonic snorted and squeezed Shadow's hand. "When did you get a sense of humor?"
"When this funny business started. Let's go inside, and I'll tell you everything."
Sonic gazed at him sceptically.
"And I mean everything. I promise."
A weird look came over Sonic's face for only a second before his amiable but wary smile returned, turning his aura golden.
"Okay, I believe you."
"You're joking, right? This is all some sick fucking joke, right?"
"I'm afraid not, Knux," said Sally the Chipmunk, the DNA specialist. "It looks like Sonic had been in a previous relationship with the target, who, from the Mulchs' descriptive accounts, is Shadow the Hedgehog, a notorious hitman with a connection to several cases of murder, gang-related violence and assault. "
"You're fucking shitting me, " Knuckles had to sit down. What he'd seen in the storage room he'd hoped had been the guys' idea of a bad joke. Or a hallucination. But the DNA tests proved the semen, sweat and scratch marks on the doors belonged to Olgilvie Maurice Wentworth Hedgehog. So, Sonic; and another set belonging to a previously unidentified hedgehog, now known to be Kyukyoku Seimei-tai. So, Shadow.
"Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn! What the hell am I supposed to tell Chief? The anthro he hired on my suggestion has become a defector? He's fucking the number one guy on our hitlist - who we didn't even know was there - and they escaped like goddamn Bonnie and Clyde after shooting up a gun store?"
"Knux, calm down," Sally said, unperturbed by his outburst.
"Calm down? Are you mad? Or maybe you're the worst sort of sociopath; do you not see the deep shit the firm is in?"
"Ahem," came a voice from the lab door. There stood Shirogane Fujosuru AKA Silver, Chief Inspector. His silver fur borderline glowed under the strip lighting, paired with his electric blue eyes, he looked like some sort of powerful spirit come back in anthro form. His all-black ensemble made it look like he was either coming or going to a wake, and at this point Knuckles hoped it was his.
"Damn, I mean - good evening, Chief." Knuckles stuttered and rose to his feet, flushing.
"Evening, Silver," Sally said, a slight smug. Knuckles glared at her.
"Evening. Inspector, you failed to update me on the deep shit the firm was in. Care to elaborate?" His voice was deep and sonorous, dangerous and sharp like the blade of a katanga.
"Er, well," Knuckles grew a pair long enough to explain. "We have a defector. Sonic. Apparently he was…in a, er, romantic relationship with Shadow the Hedgehog - the hitman."
Silver's eyes sharpened. "I know who Shadow the Hedgehog is. I think you might recall I've had a fight with him before? Ancient history that, though. This is the Sonic you recommended, right?"
Knuckles grew an even deeper shade of red to match his hair. "Um, yes. It is. I'm…so sorry."
"Don't be. No fault of yours. And it's demoralising to see a grown man grovel. You are on their scent, right?"
"Hot, sir. We saw them clear as day, heading south to Sin City."
"Good," Silver fingered the silver chain hanging around his neck with a shiny pendant in the shape of a curling flame. "See me later, Inspector, as soon as you can get away."
"Yes, Chief." He shot a glare at Sally before slumping back into his chair, his head in his hands. "Good grief, he's going to flay me."
"No, he likes you too much. But I don't know, obviously, I'm too much of a sociopath."
"... Sorry about that. Just…stressed, I guess. And he was doing so good, too, you know? And we spent all that money on him…"
"Sonic?"
"Who else?"
"To be completely honest with you, I didn't know him long, but he doesn't seem like the type of person to just up and leave like that."
"You definitely haven't known him long then. I've seen him leave the city for a chilli dog in the middle of the morning because he saw an ad on someone else's phone screen."
"Dang, that's serious."
Knuckles sighed and ran a hand through his already tangle up hair. "I should've known something like this would happen…why wasn't I thinking?"
"You're on like three cases at once, give yourself a break." Sally checked her watch. "It's getting late. I have to be home by ten. See you tomorrow, then?"
"Yeah. Thanks for your help, Sal."
"Don't forget to ogle the Chief for me when you see him!"
"Asshole, " he muttered fondly to her retreating back.
Sonic didn't regret a thing. He was riding Shadow, facing him, their bare chests touching, breaths mingling, on his creaky iron bed above the burnt out store. Sonic had no qualms about being the loud bottom bitch Shadow always loved, riding Shadow's cock like he was made for it; and from the way he accommodated Shadow's girth it was almost like he was.
"Oh, fuck, Shadow! I'm - I'm gonna cum!" Sonic was stroking himself so fast his hand was a blur over his dick. He arched his back, exposing his beautiful bare neck to Shadow, where the bites left from their earlier coupling were starting to purple.
"Yeah, come on my cock, baby,"Shadow groaned into his chest, and jerked his hips up to meet Sonic's. Sonic let out a high keen and came, splattering thick fluid on Shadow's chest, sticking to his fur. The sight made Shadow's loins tighten and he finished with a gasp, gripping Sonic's waist hard enough to bruise.
"Oh, fuck, baby, you're so good to me," Shadow mumbled into Sonic's chest. "He was softening inside Sonic, listening to his partner's heavy breaths and pattering heartbeat." I love you, Sonic."
Those words were like ice water over Sonic's head, and he stiffened before pushing Shadow away and standing, hissing as Shadow was pulled out from him. He quickly tugged on his jeans and searched the room for his sweater. There wasn't really much to search - a bed, a dresser, a desk with a laptop spouting code at them, it's green glow the only light in the room minus the city lights outside leaking onto the blackened cream walls, and a closet Shadow had told him was full of arms.
"Baby," Shadow tried, his voice husky and slightly tinged with annoyance.
"What? Want to tell me you'll never leave me? You'll love me forever? You care about me?" He turned around, his green eyes flashing. "Bullshit!"
"Sonic, don't do this. Didn't I tell you everything? Why are you doing this?"
"Why am I doing this? Because the last time you said you loved me, I got a bullet in my back! Or did you forget?" Sonic showed off the starburst scar that exploded just under his ribcage. "Why should I believe you now, when you left me to die two years ago? God, what was I thinking…?" He said the last part mostly to himself, and scanned the floor. He spotted his turtleneck peeking out from under the bed and grabbed it, pulling it on wordlessly.
"Sonic, baby…"
"Don't fucking 'baby' me!" He whirled on Shadow, still nude, not bothering to cover up his nakedness. Sonic felt hot and cold all over, it was like he was sick. He did feel sick, lovesick and torn in two. "You lie to me, push my buttons, keep things from me, use me as your...taxi or whatever, your…your sex toy!"
"You know that's not true."
"How is it not true?"
"You enjoy it just as much as I do. Wait," he said, holding up a hand to stop Sonic from objecting, "all that other stuff - I have my reasons. It's too dangerous, the stuff they have me do… I can't put you in that type of situation. And the 'leaving you to die'? I never would've left you if I had the choice. I was…waylaid."
"By who? Robotnik?"
"Exactly, Robotnik." Shadow stood and pulled Sonic's body closer to his, but Sonic stopped short of them touching. He looked dead on into Sonic's eyes, and his partner noted the desperation there. "Please. You have to believe me. You have to help me."
Sonic huffed and his shoulders sunk. "I'll…think about it." He wrenched his eyes from Shadow's and pulled away from his touch. Grabbing his jacket from the back of the desk chair, he said without looking back, "And I'll think about…the other stuff you told me. Maybe… I can be of more use this time."
"Come in," came Silver's voice from within when Knuckles gave the door a tentative knock. He looked once again at the plaque that said 'Chief Inspector Dr Shirogane Fujosuru' in black on gold. He'd never envy Silver's position.
As expected, when Knuckles slowly pushed the heavy door open, there sat Silver, a figure in black amongst all his soft, feminine white furniture, framed by a window overlooking the Northside, 'his domain', as the others called it. He was rubbing his eyes and slumping onto his glass desk, resting on his elbows.
He looked up and gave Knuckles a sleepy smile. "Inspector, I was waiting on you."
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, sir." Knuckles waved a sheaf of papers, "I've compiled a complete report and put in a request for Sonic to be removed from the employee database by tomorrow early morning."
"Thank you, but I would've gotten to that."
"It was really no problem, sir."
"Come, sit." There were two white leather chairs before his desk and Knuckles sat down lightly on one, well aware that his muscle mass might have made it difficult to leave the chair were he to relax.
"Tell me, Knuckles," Silver laced his fingers together and placed them on his lips, leaning forward in his chair. The office was dim, and back-lit as he was, he looked like the last thing you might see before spirited away by a spectre. "How did you meet Olgilvie?"
"Ol-...? Oh, you mean Sonic? Well, its actually a really long story…"
"I'm all ears."
"I'll shorten it for you then, sir, so as to not waste your time."
Silver hummed and closed his eyes.
"Um, it started when I was doing a bodyguard job for some aristocratic bats. They've moved away to Brightlyn, now, and I haven't heard of them since, but back then they were pretty famous. Or, infamous.
"They found me when I'd just lost my job at this nightclub, Night Wood. I was kind of bummed and decided to slink around, you know, turning tricks, he he. I saw this bat lady come out of a stretch limo. She was kind of tall and had these huge breasts basically popping out of her jumpsuit, I mean, miaow! She had a shit ton of make up on and seemed to, like, hover over the ground. I went up to her and told her she looked lovely tonight, but this side of town can be dangerous at night. She said she'd manage. I asked her if she needed a bodyguard, cause I used to be one but just got fired.
"'You must not be very good, then,' she said to me and I felt kinda kicked, but she smiled and said she didn't need protecting, but something of hers did."
Knuckles paused. He'd been so caught up in the story, he hadn't noticed Silver standing up and going around the desk until the Chief was right behind him, his hand on Knuckles shoulders.
" Relax, I'm just getting the blood flow back to my legs. Continue."
"Uhn, okay. She said her family had owned some precious gems for generations and they'd been in her bloodline since the beginning of time. She said that one of the most precious gems in her collection - she called it the Chaos Emerald - needed to be protected at all costs; even at the cost of my life.
"Well I didn't know what she was talking about, thought she had a screw loose or something, and denied her. She told me she'd pay me this ludicrous amount of money per hour for it, and I said yes."
Silver had started to slowly massage Knuckles' shoulders, working his fingers deep into the knots in the inspectors neck.
"Uhn, Chief?" Knuckles sounded unsure, but didn't turn around, and his eyes fluttered close when Silver worked into a particularly tight knot.
"Keep going. I'm so enjoying it," Silver said right into Knuckles' ear, a wisp of wind that made him shiver.
"Yeah, okay," Knuckles didn't know why he was whispering, but he felt the mood called for it. "Um, I, I took the job and she said I would, I would start the next day…"
"Mm-hm?"
"Uh, the next day I showed up their, um, castle place, and they showed, showed me to the atti-mm, fuck," Knuckles groaned and melted into Silver's magic touch.
"What's that you said?"
"I, I uh, oh, Chief, that feels so good," Knuckles let out a breathy moan, "mmohmygod…"
"Want me to continue?"
"Yes, please."
"Yes, please, who?"
"Please, sir."
"That's a good boy," Silver murmure next to Knuckles ear and moved to where Knuckles could see him. He was smiling and looking less tired now, or blank as Knuckles had oft seen him, fantasised about him…
"Chief…?"
"Take off your shirt and lay down on my couch, dear. I'll loosen you up better there," he said, practically licking his chops as he eyed Knuckles hungrily. "And you can continue to tell me your story. That alright with you?"
"Oh, yes, sir."
"Sonic?" Sally Acorn looked mildly shocked, before she smirked and put her hands on her hips. "Back already? What happened to your felon boyfriend?"
Sonic was on her doorstep, looking tired with his usually neat hair flying in all directions and shadows on his face. He nervously scatched his cheek.
"Nothing. Look, can I come in? I'll explain everything, I swear."
"Hm. Fine. You have ten minutes before I call Knux."
Sonic gave a relieved sigh, "Thanks so much, Sal."
Ten minutes later they were on the couch in Sally's very rustic South-inspired home, her face frozen in disbelief and Sonic staring into his mug of untouched coffee.
"You're clowning."
"That's what he told me," Sonic said, exasperated. "Straight out of a movie, right?"
"Wait, let me see if I have this right: Shadow worked for the government, went undercover as one of Dr Robotnik's lackeys to discover his true dealings, got caught up in it, defected, became a notorious assassin, messed up one job, got thrown out by Robotnik - and this was when he was with you - the good doctor messed him up, his name is dirt on the streets, and now Robotnik is in hiding and he wants revenge?"
" Pretty much, yeah. You're taking this so well, Sal. "
"This is my confused face, actually. So, you only *pretended* to run away with Shadow? But you're helping him anyways?"
"Yeah… I know, I sound like the confused one - and I am. I don't know what to do, everything is just…"
"Just…? Happening too fast?" Sally chuckled, "That's your area of expertise, remember? I think you can handle it. I'll give Knuckles the details; your employment will probably be 'terminated' to the public, and you'll be all over the Wanted list with your lover, but he'll probably be ecstatic you didn't actually defect."
" And neither would I dream of it…he gave me up that easy? "
"... Everyone knows you tend to be a bit…impulsive."
"How?"
"Going off on a whim? Coming here? I could've just called the police and you'd be behind bars."
"... Yeah, I guess you're right."
Sally let out an exhausted sigh, "This is really not my job… I'll call Knux, give him the deets. You alright for a few minutes?"
Sonic smirked, "So you're not kicking me out?"
"Shut up, I just don't have the energy right now. It's the middle of the night - couldn't you have betrayed him in the morning?"
"Not really 'betrayed', per se…"
"Whatever."
The phone rang in Knuckles' pocket and Silver fished it out of the inspector's crumpled trousers. "It's from Mrs Acorn. Shall I answer?"
Knuckles was gazing at the ceiling and the soft muted light from the corners. He felt so relaxed for the first time in ages, never mind that he was naked on the chief's couch, breathing his sweet, fragile scent of jasmine and vanilla.
" Mm. " Knuckles murmured while Silver rubbed soothing circles in his lower back. He felt like putty in the chief's hands, ready to do anything Silver asked.
"You relax, my dear, and I'll get this for you." Silver's palm left him, and he huffed sadly, missing his warm touch. "I'll be only a second."
Silver had been surprised at how easily the buff redhead had submitted - it was almost automatic. He wanted to know more, wanted to explore Knuckles' body, wanted to do things with him he hadn't done with another in a long time. He touched the pendant resting on his shirt fondly, remembering.
He pressed 'answer', but didn't speak.
"Knuckles? There's been a strange development."
"Mrs Acorn. I didn't realise you were in this unit."
There was a stunned silence. Then, "Mr Fujosuru, I'm so sorry, but I didn't intend to be involved. You see--"
"What's the development?" He cut her off.
"... Sonic the Hedgehog has come back, sir. He claims his flight was part of his plan to get Shadow on his good side. We have the same goal: catch Dr Robotnik. He's put himself in the position of a sort of double-agent for Shadow and the firm. "
"He came to meet you? Strange…fine. His termination will be reviewed. He has full authority to two-time. But, tell him this: his lover will be arrested regardless, so it'll be best not to 'recatch' any feelings."
"Yes, sir. Goodnight, sir."
"Goodnight, Mrs Acorn."