A/N - This will be the last chapter for a while, and I have no idea how long it will be. I'm picking up another project to hopefully see out the current Covid19 outbreak, which all being well will also be posted to FFNet. (I don't like not having a current project! It makes me antsy!) Please keep an eye open for Mainframe's third book 'Outbreak'. But until then, this project will be on hiatus.
Thank you so much for all reads, reviews, faves and follows!
Chapter Twenty Three
It wasn't long before citizens were allowed back into the Beatdrop Capital. The Judge had been stopped, leaving the streets somewhat safe. But citizens remained on edge. The Heartbreaker still hadn't been apprehended, and repeated stories still dominated news headlines.
The intercom echoed out the train's arrival at the Beatdrop Capital, and Silver tucked away his computer in favor of grabbing his bag from the luggage rail. He spotted Blaze through the window, and the lavender cat gave him a cheerful wave. A huge smile split Silver's tired muzzle, and he joined the crowd as the cabin emptied out onto the platform.
Blaze joined his side, still clutching her own small suitcase. "You made it."
Silver shrugged and popped the wheels out of his bag to drag it behind him. "I had no reason to stay in North Cipher."
Blaze smiled at that and they followed the crowd out of the station.
"I'm surprised they're letting us back," she said. "They've not found Shadow yet. He could be anywhere."
"'Anywhere' is his official location at present," Silver explained. "The last I read, GUN don't believe he's even in the Beatdrop Capital anymore."
Blaze raised an eyebrow. "So he's fled?"
"Would you stick around with a mad robot trying to kill you?"
She chuckled, drawing a warm smile from the hedgehog. It was a lame joke. Even those the out-of-control Judge hadn't been trying to kill had fled.
"So are we still looking for him?" she asked.
Silver sighed and ran a hand through his quills. "I don't even know where to start. I think I'm just going to put a pin in this case, if I'm honest."
Blaze's ears drooped. "Oh…"
"We solved it. We found out who the killer is." He paused beside a small pastry stand that had just re-opened that morning, and quickly exchanged his credits for a bag of fresh, piping-hot donuts. "It's up to GUN now to arrest him. I'm not exactly equipped to deal with a freak experiment that can manipulate the very Chaos Network."
Blaze took an offered donut, unbothered by the heat. "I suppose. You struggled enough with Metal Sonic."
"Exactly."
"So… I guess that's it?" She stared at the donut, dodging Silver's gaze.
"I guess so." He paused, then gave a weak shrug. "I'm sorry I accused you, Blaze."
"Don't be. It could easily have been me, you can't pick favourites in this situation. I mean… you had your reasons, and they were all legit." She met his gaze. "If I were in your shoes, I would have probably thought the same thing."
Silver closed his eyes and laughed. "You were singing a whole different song at the time."
"I've had time to think about it."
They stopped at the lights, and she took a bite of her donut, bringing an end to that conversation. The lights changed, ringing out to allow the masses to cross over on their way back to their homes and places of work.
"I'll walk you home." He said it without really thinking about it.
The lavender cat's ears perked up and she gave him a sideways glance. "I was actually thinking… if you have need of an assistant?"
"Really?" His eyes widened and he almost stopped in the middle of the road. "Wow, Blaze… I would if I could, believe me. But I can barely afford my own rent."
She rubbed the back of her ears. "Well… word has now got out that you're the detective who uncovered the murderer. Dad's really happy about it, since you revealed Ember's death wasn't actually down to illegal drugs. He's offered to pay you five times what you usually ask, as a thank you." She took in a breath. "And I don't really want to be the future Mayor of Beatdrop, either."
Silver had to lean against a lamp post. It had all been a lot to take in. He looked down at the cat, a look of concern crossing his face.
"Do you really have a say in that?" he asked.
"They can't force me. It's a huge responsibility, filled with loads of boring paperwork. I'd much rather be doing something more productive, and interesting. And not alone, either."
"I hate to burst your bubble, but detective work has its own fair share of boring paperwork." He punctuated that with a grin, which she returned.
"Think about it," she said. "Please?"
He mock-rolled his eyes and retrieved his luggage. "All right, I'll think about it. You do make a fantastic coffee, after all."
She gave him a playful nudge, then joined his side as they wound their way though the city streets.
...
A few soft grunts came from the sofa, and Amy stopped what she was doing to look past her two friends at the dozing jackal. Infinite rubbed his eyes beneath his mask and gave a wide yawn.
"Good morning, sunshine!" said Tangle. The lemur returned to her web browsing. "Can't believe you sleep with that thing on."
Infinite said nothing, but the glare on his face spoke louder than words.
"You're looking more rested," said Amy. "I guess it's all stopped now, huh?"
Infinite stretched, causing his spine to pop. "Yup! It feels good to be back to my old self again."
"So what's that like exactly?" Tangle swiveled around on her stool, and grabbed her coffee in her tail. "All I know is that tired old grump. Are ya much more fun than all that? Ya finally gonna take me out for coffee?"
Infinite's fur bristled along his spine and his sneer turned into a confused frown. "It worries me that I can't tell if you're joking…"
Tangle's muzzle split into a playful grin and she leant her head on one hand, gazing at the jackal.
Infinite looked up at Amy and Whisper. "Please tell me she's joking…"
Amy looked between the lemur and Infinite. "Sometimes… even I can't tell."
Whisper chuckled silently into her coffee.
"Can we talk about something else?" Infinite turned his back on them. "I feel like I'm about to live a nightmare, here… Alone time with that loud Jack-in-the-Box."
"I actually did that once." Tangle vaulted the gap between the living room and the breakfast bar, landing next to Infinite on the sofa. "Leapt out of a cake dressed as a clown for Whisper's twenty-first."
"It was not okay…" said Whisper.
She followed Amy into the living room, and Tangle looked up at them, grinning.
"Oh come on! You had fun!" she said.
Whisper perched in the arm chair and glanced away from her. "The cake was good…"
Infinite muttered something under his breath, then added, "When I said to change the subject, this was not what I had in mind."
He grabbed the TV remote and flicked it on, bringing up the news. The Heartbreaker was all over it.
Amy clutched her pink mug of tea in both hands, almost hiding behind it. "Sorry. I guess after all that stuff with Shadow and the Judge, we just want to forget about it."
"Well I want to know he's not gonna come waltzing into this apartment again to exact his revenge," said Infinite.
"He didn't seem to want anything to do with you in the first place," said Amy. "You said yourself the Phantom Ruby has fixed itself now."
"What I said was I wasn't being drained anymore. We're still to discover if his is still playing up in his sleep. And if he's anything like me, he won't need to sleep often." Infinite paused, then added, "Usually."
"I wanna know how that happened, anyway," said Tangle. "Did it like… clone itself or something?"
Infinite shrugged a shoulder. "Seems like it."
"So if yours is the parent ruby," said Tangle, "then that makes you technically his Dad, right?"
Infinite's head snapped around towards Tangle, who burst out laughing, sinking into the sofa. Infinite practically trembled, and Amy feared for a moment that the lemur was about to find herself tossed from the window.
"Never… ever… say that again!" Infinite's voice was almost nothing more than a growl.
Tangle lifted her hands in surrender, gasping out between laughs, "Okay! Okay. Just trying to lighten the mood."
Infinite muttered under his breath and turned back towards the news.
"I think things will be okay," said Whisper after a brief silence. "GUN believe Shadow's left the city now."
"Yeah, and Tails and the Guardian Angel trashed that Judge!" Tangle flopped back into the sofa and spread her arms along the back rest. Infinite inched away from her. "I still can't believe I missed that, but still. I think things are gonna return to normal now."
The news cut out, replaced instead by Eggman's face. The words 'Urgent Bulletin' drifted across the bottom. Infinite snorted and bared his canines, a low growl rising in his throat.
'I'm here to address Mainframe regarding the dire situation that has spread throughout the Beatdrop Capital,' said Eggman. 'First, the murderer going by Heartbreaker has seemingly vanished, but my drones and soldiers are keeping a watchful eye open. I know citizens are worrying about this Shadow the Hedgehog, but I assure you he will be apprehended. As for the Judge, it was taken out by soldiers not under my employ. My robots do not usually malfunction, and its release went against my wishes. That particular Judge robot was riddled with errors, and the individual responsible has been dealt with. But the Judge has not been recovered. Its remains have been stolen, most likely by those who destroyed it. If you happen to see it, be it alone or with another Mainframer, I expect you to report this to me immediately. That robot is dangerous, and is to be scrapped to avoid any such issues arising in the future.
'I do hope this mishap does not sully your opinion of EggTech. Robots are your friendly helpers in this society, from Strider Drones keeping the streets safe to the Omochao that assist you in your everyday lives. If any robot should show signs of malfunction, get to a safe place and report it. But I shall strive to avoid such issues arising in the future.'
He cut out as abruptly as he arrived, returning to the news program.
"Amazing, isn't he?"
Amy dropped her mug, sending coffee sloshing over herself and Infinite. The jackal leapt up, snapping his head around towards the speaker. Amy followed his gaze, meeting the amused bespectacled eyes of a white platypus.
"Starline?!" Infinite roared.
"Pardon the intrusion." Starline gave them a small bow. "I let myself in."
Tangle's muzzle twisted. "You can't just go lettin' yourself into someone's house! That's breakin' and enterin'."
"I didn't want to disturb your program." Starline waved towards the TV. "Besides, I'm here to talk with Infinite."
He made his way around the sofa, placing a hand on Infinite's shoulder as he passed. The jackal shrugged him off, baring his sharp teeth. Then sank back into the sofa. He flinched slightly, and Starline waved his hand.
"Sorry about that," he said with a smile. "Your ruff got snagged on my glove."
"What do you want?" Infinite growled.
"I wanted to thank you for your assistance," Starline explained. "I know it wasn't you who brought a stop to that Judge, but you did manage to neutralize Shadow, bringing an end to the murders."
"We don't know that for certain," said Amy. "It's only been two days."
"Thirty seven hours, actually," said Starline.
Tangle raised an eyebrow that and exchanged glances with Whisper. But Infinite didn't appear remotely fazed.
"Were you spying on me?" he growled slowly.
Starline raised his hands in a shrug. "I have cameras everywhere. They were lurking in that abandoned station, recording your every move."
Amy looked up at him with a start. "So that means Eggman-"
"Knows nothing," said Starline. "I was the one who set those cameras there, and their feed came only to me." A sinister smile spread across his beak. "The battle was… interesting, to say the least. A spectacular display of powers I'd wanted to see unfold for years!" He met Infinite's enraged leer with a smirk. "And now I know that Shadow can use them too. How very interesting."
Crimson energy lit up around Infinite's right hand. "Stand still for long enough and you can see them again!"
Amy placed a hand on his shoulder, but it did little to placate him. "Please… don't."
"Yeah," said Tangle, not taking her eyes off Starline. "Otherwise you'll have a lot more to clean up than a few scratches on the wall."
Starline chuckled and raised his hands, taking a step back. "I only came here to thank you, Infinite. Not to agitate you. You've given me more than I could have dreamed. Now… I must return to finding out what happened to that Judge."
Tangle clicked her tongue. "Didn't have any spy cameras lurking around the streets, then?"
"I can't be in more than one place at any one time, my dear." Starline tucked his hands behind his back. "Now. I must be going. I have a lot on my to-do list."
He waved his hand and a wormhole opened up behind him. Tangle let out a surprised gasp and leapt from her seat, but what was on the other side remained obscured by Starline's figure. He stepped back into it, closing it up as quickly as it had appeared.
Tangle flopped back into her seat, exchanging glances with her friends. "What the… that was so awesome!"
"He's not that awesome," Infinite scoffed. He pushed himself from his seat and made his way towards the kitchen. "I wanna know why he's working for that rotten egg."
Tangle flipped onto her knees and folded her arms over the back of the sofa, resting her chin on them. "Not a fan of Eggman, then?"
Infinite snorted, and occupied himself by rummaging through the cupboards.
'…I woke up in some alien world where the man who created me - his best experiment ever! One with phenomenal, alien power! - left me to die!'
Amy watched him sadly, biting back the urge to tell her friends what Infinite had told her weeks prior. She took in a breath and retrieved her pink beaker from the floor.
"I'm going to put on a fresh pot of coffee," she said. "Does anyone want one?"
"What, after that?" Tangle swished her tail gleefully. "Nah! I'm so wired, if I drink any coffee now I'll be bouncin' off the walls!"
Whisper caught Amy's glance and nodded, handing over her mug.
The apartment felt very odd after Starline's presence. Perhaps after their coffee, they could go somewhere for a while. Amy glanced from the window on her way to the kitchen. A city, ruined by a robot, threatened by a serial killer, now trying to return to normal.
As hard as it sounded, her and her friends should also try to do the same.
...
Sonic sighed and slumped back against the wall, folding his arms. "I don't get it, bud. How do you lose an entire robot?"
Tails stared at the spot the Judge had previously occupied. All that remained was a streak of oil, and two sets of footprints. The question had an obvious answer, if one knew what to look for.
"I mean, we were just in here five minutes ago," Sonic went on. "And it was right there." He waved his hand to emphasize his point.
"I know all that, Sonic." Tails' voice was void of any irritation, but T-Pup silently seethed beside him. "It's pretty clear that Shadow showed up and took the Judge away. It was his friend, after all."
Sonic rubbed the back of his quills. "Yeah, I guessed as much. But still, we would have heard them? Argh, they could be anywhere now."
Tails shrugged and went to grab a mop and bucket from the cleaning closet.
"I mean, it wasn't as if we were gonna just turn them in once we'd returned it, right?" Sonic asked.
"It's our job, Sonic. That robot was bait, and they knew it."
Sonic sighed again and looked down at T-Pup. The robot dog returned his look and lowered its head, letting out a whimper.
Tails scooted it aside with his boot and began to mop up the mess.
"Very well," said Sonic. "I hadn't realized you were setting some elaborate trap."
"It's what we're being paid for. I agreed when we believed he was innocent. But the fact is if we'd turned him in when we had the chance, we wouldn't be in this situation. We'd have had no Judge to lose."
"That's… probably true. Whoever sent it wouldn't have felt the need to, but still! We didn't know, we believed he was innocent."
"And our mistake means they've now they've got their hands on a killer robot."
"You believe they'll reactivate it again?" Sonic scoffed. "Come on, Tails. Even you should know that's just some random hypothetical scenario! We did the right thing helping them."
Tails said nothing, occupying himself with the stubborn oil stain on the tiled floor.
Sonic shook his head and turned his attention back on T-Pup. He pushed himself from the wall and tapped his leg. "Come on, bud. Let's leave him to it. I could do with a break anyway."
T-Pup yapped and rose to its feet, following Sonic into the break room.
...
Shadow dropped out of the Chaos Network and leapt off Omega's shell. Rouge landed beside him, flinching at the pain in her legs. It didn't go unnoticed by Shadow. He gave her a quick look, and a fleeting expression of worry crossed his features. He said nothing, busying himself by checking over their surroundings.
It wasn't exactly an unfamiliar place. They'd retreated to an old abandoned factory on the outside of Backlink Town. It had been closed down due to the amount of landslides from the Backbone Mountain, sending repair costs through the roof. Rather than secure it in the town's protective wall, it had been left to decay and the factory was built anew further from the mountain.
It was in worse shape than when they'd last seen it. Part of the ceiling had broken away where a hefty rock had shattered the window on the floor above, letting the boulder inside. A muddy trail marred the wall, and a pile of mud and rubble lay beneath the crack. The large rock threatened to plummet through the floor at any second, but the dried soil and small stringy plants emerging from it suggested it had been threatening that for some time.
"It'll do for now," said Rouge.
She limped towards the wall and settled down against it to check over her wounds. Shadow watched her silently, his intense gaze trailing over her body. She looked up and gave him a warm smile.
"What?" she asked.
"You should get those looked at."
She inclined her head on one side. "Really? I go into a hospital, GUN will find me in a heartbeat. I'm a fugitive, Shadow."
"Not if you're smart about it," he scoffed. "You can't leave them unchecked, they'll get infected."
"Then it's a good job I have some antiseptic on me, isn't it?" She pulled a bottle from her bag to make her point. "I'm not leaving you, Shadow. Not just over some bullet wounds."
He glanced down at her bloodied and bandaged legs and his fingers twitched. He wanted to say something else. Perhaps how, unlike him, she couldn't regenerate. But she'd had the lecture several times already. Instead, he dropped down next to her and took the antiseptic from her hands.
Rouge thought about retaliating, but instead just brushed it off and left him to it. She stifled a hiss as he dabbed the stuff on one of her worse wounds, and he glanced up at her and muttered an apology.
"I don't see any bullets or fragments," he said. "That's a relief."
"Most of them just skimmed me," she said. "And I removed any that I saw."
He tensed at that, but said nothing else, working silently. If it wasn't for the stinging, Rouge would have just pulled out a book and read it. When he'd finished with one leg, she wrapped fresh bandages around it and let him move onto the other. All of them had stopped bleeding, but some decided to give it a second attempt after being dabbed at.
Once Shadow was done, he checked over her arms and wing, the right one of which still sported a neat little hole. Then he stood up and wiped his hands on his fur.
"I still think you should get them looked at," he said.
"But you're reassured after checking yourself, right?"
She smirked up at him, but he didn't return it. His eyes glistened as if he might cry, and Rouge's smirk swiftly melted away.
"Maybe a little," he muttered.
"Shadow…" Rouge pushed herself up, wincing with the effort. "I'm not silly. If I think I need to get them looked at, I will. GUN train in first aid, I know what I'm doing."
"Well I think you're an idiot." He flopped against the wall and folded his arms, dodging her gaze. "Unlike me, you don't regenerate. You didn't need to get yourself mangled for me."
"I'm not mangled," she said. "And it wasn't for you. It was for Omega." She nodded towards the robot.
Shadow glanced over her shoulder at the motionless robot and scoffed.
"Oh come on," she said. "He gave himself up to save both of us, what's a few bullets? Besides, if we can restore him, our defense goes right up! He doesn't need to sleep. Neither of us will need to worry about keeping watch, and you won't need to be on edge all the time listening for footsteps. He'll be there! Our first line of defense. Besides, you liked his jokes."
Shadow met her gaze, but there was no hint of a smile. He actually looked tired. Ragged, and unkempt.
"Then maybe he can keep me at bay if those powers start playing up again," he said.
Rouge felt her heart sink. "Shadow… I honestly don't think that-"
He raised a hand, cutting her off. "I don't care what that jackal said. Until I see proof, I still think I'm a risk."
"Risk or not, I don't believe for a minute you would have targeted me."
"And what if I had?"
She shook her head and moved into him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need to put this behind us, Shadow. You can control them now. You couldn't before. That's a start, right?"
He placed his hand over hers. "You didn't answer me."
"I'm not going to answer a hypothetical question."
He sighed and lowered his head to hers. His other hand looped around her side, pulling her closer to him. Her nose almost vanished in his white chest fur.
"Why do you have to do foolish things?" His breath tickled between her ears.
She chuckled, more to stifle a gasp. He wasn't usually one to initiate contact. "I don't make a habit of it, handsome."
He scoffed, but he didn't relinquish her. She lifted her head to ask a playful 'would you really have me any other way?' but the words vanished from her mind. His claws trailed up between her wings, and his other hand brushed the side of her cheek. She met his eyes, warm and no longer glistening with unshed tears. He brushed his lips against hers, and her breath froze in her chest.
It was only brief, but enough to send her heart aflutter.
"You've been doing foolish things since you threw your life away for me," he said.
"Really?" She reached up and trailed her fingers through his quills. Her nose brushed his and her voice wavered. "Because I think that's the most sensible thing I've ever done."
She pulled him back into her, catching him in a kiss. He fastened both arms around her, holding her close. He was the first to break it. He buried his face in her neck, not willing to relinquish her.
"Thank you…" His voice was thick with tears. "For not giving up on me."
Rouge closed her eyes, blinking back tears of her own. "Of course."
...
Starline strolled through the corridor, checking the various rooms. Eggman hadn't been at his usual spot by the cameras, and there was no sign of Metal Sonic either. The sound of a tinny drill echoed from one of the far rooms. Starline made a little 'aha!' and picked up pace, following the noise. A few curious beetle-like robots watched him pass, their eyes boring into him with suspicion.
Starline found Eggman standing over a table, working on the robotic hedgehog. He looked up when Starline entered, then tutted, returning to his work.
"What do you want?" he scoffed.
"I have something that might interest you, sir."
"Really? Is it the remains of that Judge?"
"Oh, it's better than that." Starline held out his hand.
Eggman frowned at the white fluffy tuft clenched between the platypus' fingers. "What is that?"
"Some of Infinite's fur, sir." Starline's beak turned up in a smirk. "I thought it might help to jump-start your regeneration project."
Eggman dropped the drill beside Metal Sonic in favor of the fluffy white fur. Metal Sonic gave a few beeps of protest and waved at his missing arm. Eggman took no notice. He turned the fur in his fingers, watching the light bounce off its glossy sheen.
"How did you get this?" he asked Starline with some suspicion.
Starline waved his Warp Topaz. "I have my means. Besides, you wanted the Judge stopping, so I thought I'd call in the big guns. However, it appears it wasn't Infinite that ended the Judge. But…" He nodded to the fur. "Consider this a token of my loyalty."
Eggman narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm more inclined to call it a guilt offering."
Starline's beak went slack. "I am only trying to aide your research! It could hugely benefit someone like me, who relies on your technology. It could rule out years of necessary scheduled maintenance."
Eggman chuckled and popped the tuft into a small plastic container. "Well, I appreciate the effort, Starline. But of course, I'm going to need a test subject."
Starline stiffened and stuttered over his next sentence. It failed to form.
Eggman laughed again and waved him off. "Forget it. I'm not wasting my time cutting you open. I just wanted to watch you squirm for a moment. No… I think there's someone here who'd benefit hugely from becoming my prototype."
Metal Sonic gave an ear-splitting screech and looked up at Eggman. If Starline didn't know any better, he'd have mistaken it for fear, but the robot was merely surprised.
"Aye." Eggman jammed the robot's arm back in place and began soldering the wires. "No more missing limbs! How about that, Metal Sonic?"
The robot lifted its working arm in a thumbs-up.
"Then we can get my project in motion!" Eggman laughed and fired Starline a glare. "You want to secure your position as my lackey, you can get some tea."
"Of course, sir!" Starline saluted and rushed from the room.
One of the many beetle robots rolled its way along it, sweeping the floor clean. It vanished around the bend, leaving Starline alone in the hallway.
He paused, casting a glance back at the door to Eggman's lab. A frown formed on his beak and he muttered under his breath.
"Your plan in motion, huh?" He adjusted his tie and turned to head towards the kitchen. "Well, so is mine."
...
So there it is! The end of the Judge arc!
Thank you so much for reading! Please R&R, and I'll get back to all reviews ASAP! Please keep an eye on my profile or Tumblr (Del's Mad World) for updates as to when Book 3 will be coming!
